Maggie & Me

Do you hear that sound? It's the sound of pigs flying. I have found a wedding dress that I love. Actually, love doesn't even portray the true extent of my emotions. I LOVE love this dress. I can't stop starring at pics of it on the internet, that's how much I love it. Laaaaaa, Laaa, LAAAAAAA!!!!! (That's the beer in me singing. Dave started drinking at 4pm, I started at 6pm. Dave practically never drinks especially since 5 weeks ago he quite smoking. I think we're getting drunk tonight. I'm keeping my fingers crossed for some sex making later on. But anyways, I digress).

On Saturday, one of my bridesmaids and I went shopping in downtown SD for some bridesmaid dresses. I was looking forward to scoring a deal at the nearby Demetrios Outlet but was surprised to find that their bridesmaid dress rack consisted of a dozen dresses that looked like they could have come from the early 90's. In desperation we went to an actual brick and mortar store to look at overly priced dresses. We were looking for a tea length, celadon colored, summer dress. I think we found it perfectly:


While I was waiting for my bridesmaid to try on all 20 dresses (tea length is all the rage right now), I decided to pass the time by looking at a few of the bridal gowns that had been tried on by brides earlier and were sitting on a rack waiting to be hung up. One of the dresses immediately caught my eye since it had all the components of a dress that I was looking for: beaded corset top, asymmetrical gathering, and gathered skirt. I tried it on and knew immediately that it was THE dress. I never intended to be a "Maggie Bride" but it looks like that's what I'll be and to be honest, I'm actually kinda excited. I never got caught up in the whole Maggie sensation but I think that was because I never thought that I'd be able to afford a Maggie Sottero dress. Here is the dress that I purchased in a different color (minus the sleeves). And below that is a picture of a real bride wearing the same dress in the exact shade that I ordered.




OK. Now if you'll excuse me, I have some beer drinking to do.

How We Met

I was surprised to go back through my blog archives and find that I hadn't written much during the time that Dave and I met and first began dating. So in honor of Valentine's Day ...

It was in August 2004 when I moved to the East San Francisco Bay town of Pleasanton. I was living in a new town, with new roommates (Scott and Steve), and with a new job (same agency, different office). I was excited for my new life but also a little lonely. I've always been a girly, girl and enjoy being surrounded by many girl friends. In search of new friends I decided to join a co-ed softball league for the city I lived in. The problem? Besides the occasional high school gym softball game, I've never actually played softball!

To help prepare me for my new co-ed softball team, I decided to make a post on craigslist.org asking for someone to teach me the fundamentals of competitive softball in exchange for cookies (or other baked goods of their choice). I thought it was a pretty lame request and would be happy just to receive one offer for assistance. Was I surprised when the next day I looked in my email inbox and found over 20 offers to help me (all from men, go figure)! I quickly took the top 5, wrote them back and began scheduling training dates. I was tempted to just delete the other 15 but at the last minute figured that they at least deserved a response. I wrote back and told them that I appreciated their willingness to help but I had already received more help then I knew what to do with.

At this same time, Dave was looking for a female to complete his co-ed softball team (all co-ed teams must have an equal number of women and men on the team). Dave saw my request on craig's list and figured that after helping me with fundamentals, if I was good enough he would ask me to be on their team.

As I was going through the 15 emails, declining their assistance, I noticed Dave's email address. It made reference to Eta Beta Sigma so below my one sentence copy and pasted statement, I asked if Eta Beta Sigma was a social or academic fraternity. Dave quickly responded back that he wasn't a member of Eta Beta Sigma, he was actually a member of Sigma Chi, the eta beta chapter. At that point my interest was picked. I've always had a thing for fraternity boys, especially Sigma Chi boys. For the next few weeks, Dave and I maintained a platonic email exchange. I already had more dates then I knew what to do with plus at that time I was fooling around with my roommate Scott.

One Wednesday night, my roommates were at band practice so I decided to do a double class at the gym: 30 min abs class followed by one hour of yoga. By the time I got home I was a stinky sweaty mess. I was going to jump right in the shower but figured I would check my email first. The first email was from Dave and it had only one sentence "Are you there?". At first I was a little freaked, but I responded back saying "yes, i am". He quickly told me to call him and I did. Dave's first co-ed softball game was about to begin and one of the girls had bailed out on the team. If I didn't get there in 15 minutes, they would have to forfeit the game. Of course I jumped in my car and drove to the softball field.

I remember getting out of my car and walking across the parking lot. I was nervous as at this time because Dave and I had never seen pictures of each other and I wasn't sure how I would find him or his team out on the field. I saw a tall guy at the gate to the softball park and I thought to myself "wow. what a cutie". I continued to walk past the gate, towards the softball field. As I was walking I heard someone call my name. Surprise, surprise. The cute guy was Dave.

After the game, as a thank you Dave offered to take me out for drinks that weekend. Since then it's been a happy ever after. The end.

Things That Suck

I went wedding invite shopping today. I had done quite a bit of reading and research on-line before going to a local invitation vendor. Boy was I surprised when I sat down to look through the books and price out my invites. They are expensive! Outrageously expensive.


These are letterpress invitations. I love them but knew before I went shopping that they would be out of my price range. Cost (not including tax) is $1250 for 100.


These are the invitations that I love and *thought* that I could afford. According to the website they are $293 for 100. They conveniently forget to tell you that the green ribbon, brown ribbon, ecru ribbon, envelope lining, 2 color printing, and response cards are all extra. Total cost (not incl. tax) is $750 per 100. This may not seem like a lot to most until you think that this would be equivalent to sending $7.50 to every person that we plan on inviting. If you were invited to my wedding which would you rather receive, the card or the cash? That's what I thought. Moving on.


These are the invitations that we will most likely be getting. I like them but don't love them as much as the invite above. After looking through hundreds of sample invitations it was the only invite that I would seriously consider buying. Plus at $300 for 100 it is well within my budget.

OK. I'm off to scour ebay and on-line wedding invite vendors for a cheaper and more fashionable deal. I've been reluctant to buy on-line because I would prefer to feel the paper quality before I buy but at this point I'm not sure that I'd be happy with invite #3.

Update: I looked at many websites and found several cute and affordable invites. I *think* these may be the ones we go with. I love the color, ribbon accent, price ($200 for 100! and that includes everything), as well as the contemporary yet classic look. I've requested a sample so hopefully that arrives soon. Yay for the internet!

Wise Words

"In the end, we conserve only what we love.
We will love only what we understand.
We will understand only what we are taught."
- Baba Dioum, Senegalese ecologist

5 Things ...

Five things you may or may not know about me:

1. I hate taking my birth control pills each night. The taste of them makes me nauseous. Each night I have to bribe myself with a piece of chocolate (or something else that is sweet) so that it covers the taste of the pill and prevents me from getting sick to my stomach. I've tried changing brands of pills but unfortunately I'm ultra-sensitive to the hormones in birth control. The only thing that helps is if I take the pill as close to bed time as possible so that I sleep through the queasiness. God help me if I ever get pregnant. I fully expect to be nauseous all 24 hours of each day.

2. I have a really hard time "making" friends. What I mean by that is that there are certain people who are able to walk up to someone in yoga class and start a friendship. For me friendships just tend to happen over a very gradual process. A very slow gradual process which kinda sucks if you're like me and have moved around quite a bit in the last few years. In the past I've tried my hardest to "force" a friendship such as chat someone up at the gym that is a regular and invite them out for a drink. Unfortunately, I can never get over that forced feeling and loosen' up enough to actually enjoy my new friendship. I think making new friends is worse then dating.

3. I HATE clothes that are tight, binding, constrictive or otherwise uncomfortable. Skin tight jeans are the worst! This applies to shoes too. I see women wearing high heeled boots or pointy toed shoes and I can't understand how they can bear the torture of feet that hurt. My ideal daily wardrobe: flip flops, yoga pants, t-shirt and polar fleece pullover. Maybe I should become a gym trainer?

4. I'm extremely organized. Like Martha Stewart organized. You know the 'get organized' articles you read in a magazine that show pics of perfectly organized bills, home finances, drawers, dvds, and closets. Well that's me. ALL the time. Even my car and office are just as organized. I'm a little obsessed with everything having a proper place to be. Sometimes I think that I should open an organization business.

5. I didn't lose my virginity until I was 18. If I could go back in time and change one thing this would be it. At the time I was desperate to finally have sex and so I didn't fully appreciate how important the moment would be. I wish that I had saved myself for someone who was more important to me and that I had tried to make the moment more special.

People I'd like to learn 5 things about: Tam & Erin

I Thought This Was Supposed To Be Fun

Alternate Title: Things That Suck - House Hunting

We've been house hunting for a month now and so far we've toured seven houses. Of those seven:

1 was an attached home with a huge kitchen that I loved but Dave did not.

1 was located 300 yards from a major freeway and was therefore LOUD. No thank you.

1 we really liked but the realtor was a pompous ass. Another offer has been accepted by the realtor and the house is now in pending status (aka beginning stage of escrow).

1 is in the same neighborhood as the house above and even has the same floor plan. But it desperately needs updating and is selling for the exact same price as the other house. Dave and I both agree that we like the house but don't feel comfortable paying the same amount for a house that needs much more work.

1 was 2 stories but there was no staircase to unite the floors. You entered the house through the front door on the second (ground) level. To get to the bottom floor you had to walk around the house to the backyard. Unfortunately, the two rooms on the bottom floor were without a bathroom so if someone was sleeping down there they would have had to walk around the house and use the front door to access the restroom. Otherwise the house was exactly what we were looking for: gorgeous views, recently updated kitchen, nice layout, and as a bonus it had an awesome courtyard in the middle of the house.

1 is above our price range ($450k) and has been neglected by the previous owners (it is currently vacant). An offer had been made on the house on it's 1st day on the market but that offer was rejected and it is now back on the market. It's larger, newer, and generally more awesome then the other houses we've seen. As I said the house has been neglected but I'm optimistic and think that new flooring and paint would greatly improve the house's shabbiness. Dave tends to not agree with me and thinks that a combo of the high asking price and need for improvements would leave us on too tight of a monthly budget. This is our 2nd choice so far.

1 is our first choice and 2 weeks ago we put in an offer. It is 1700 square foot, 3 bedroom, 2 bath, 2 story, with an awesome view from the backyard. The problem is that the house is a short sale so our offer was made to the bank (not the owners). Banks tend to think in terms of money not people so they've been taking their sweet time deciding whether our offer is worth the loss they'll be taking. I wouldn't be surprised if we don't hear from the bank for another 2 weeks. This is driving Dave crazy.







** Side note: Unfortunately (or maybe fortunately for us), there are quite a few short sales on the market lately. Of the above houses that I mentioned 4 of them are short sales or close to foreclosure.

Best Video EVER!

I love this video. Everyone needs to click this link and watch this video. Well worth it. SO funny! (safe for work)

My Dream Wedding

Wedding Countdown: I've Lost Count

I've seriously lost count of how many days/weeks/months left until we get married. I think it's around 20 weeks but ummmm ... I can't be sure. I get married on June 15. There ya go. You do the math.

And in wedding news:

I hate my wedding dress. Which is a pretty strong statement for me to make since I'm usually pretty easy to please and I'm usually confident in my decisions. But I think that I settled for a dress my Grandma liked rather then insisting on searching for the dress of my dreams. In my defense I did go shopping with my elderly grandma and after trying on over 40 dresses I did start to feel like I was wearing her out. Anyways, I think I've fallen in love with this dress and I'm half tempted to buy it.


I've also found bridesmaid dresses that I love. They look great AND incorporate both of my wedding colors (sage & champagne). Now I just need to convince my bms that this dress makes them look 15 pounds slimmer. Pfffttt! As if they trust me. Any good bm knows that the job of the bride is to make them look fat and frumpy. Just kidding. Kinda.
To see dress click here and then select the color "moss"

This Month's To-Do List:
* Find cheap votive candles on-line
* Arrange bm dress shopping trip with bms.
* Buy bm gifts.
* Buy calligraphy book and learn how. (No way in hell am I paying someone else for something that I could do myself.)
* Buy new bridal gown ;-)

PS - Dave is on week 2 of not smoking. Woot! Woot! And better still is that Normal Dave has returned. Depressed Dave made my heart ache and Angry Dave made me want to knock him upside the head. Normal Dave is the man I'm gonna marry. (And the man that I try and fondle every morning in the shower. That might be why I'm no longer allowed in the bathroom at the same time as him but that's beside the point).

PS v2.0 - We've put an offer in on a house. I'll blog more about it later.

PS v2.1 - So the other day I decided to go back in my blog and read what I was up to 2 years ago. Ummmmm ... can someone gag me???? I was obviously hypnotized by penis because there is no other reason to describe why ALL my posts were filled with sonnets of my ooey gooey love for Dave. Didn't I have any hobbies? Friends? Work? I'm hear to say that I'm sorry for subjecting anyone to all those pathetic posts. The sex turned my brain to mush. (Don't go back and read the link. I'm embarrassed by how pathetic I was. Seriously. I would delete those months if I had any self respect)

Glass Houses

Why is it that when I sleep in on the weekend I naturally wake up at 7:30 am feeling well refreshed. Yet, when my alarm goes off on the week days at 6:30 am (only one hour earlier). I feel like a mac truck has just run over me because I am so tired???

Anyways, since I'm a conservationist by trade (for those who don't know what I do, I plan conservation projects for a federal government agency) I always strive to use as many sustainable products in my everyday life as possible. My dream house would include bamboo floors which is easy to find these days since bamboo has become trendy. In addition, my dream house would also include recycled glass counter tops. These ones from Vetrazzo have me salivating at the mouth lately. Combine this with recycled glass tiles for a back splash, white cabinets, bamboo floors, and titanium appliances and you have a pretty sweet looking kitchen that is also good for the environment.





Great Article For More Info

Week 1 Big Deal Executive Summary

I don’t come from a family of smokers and none of my close friends are smokers either. If I heard that a casual acquaintance was quitting smoking I would often think “Good. They never should have started.” When I began dating Dave I always assumed that he would quit smoking someday and that it wouldn’t be a big deal. He wanted to quit and I wanted him to quit too. I’ve come to say I WAS WRONG. Quitting smoking is a Big Deal. Capitol “B”. Capitol “D”. Big Deal. (You can even add an emphatic “f’ing” between the Big Deal and it would be appropriate).

Dave officially quit smoking last Monday. During most of the week he was Depressed Dave. He was ending a way of life and it made him sad to think that never again in his life would he be able to embrace his usual cigarette tendencies. I even got a little sad when I realized that quitting smoking involved limiting his exposure to “triggers”. All those times we made a late night run to Starbucks and sipped coffee while basking in the California night, talking about random topics, became a trigger. Those evening walks through our neighborhood where we both decompressed and talked about our work days while Dave smoked, once again a trigger. Getting drunk together off of good beer and afterwards sharing a kiss, me tasting the sweet mix of beer and cigarettes on his breath, trigger. (Secretly I loved that mix of beer and cigarettes on his breath). I’m still sad when I think that so many components of our relationship revolved around Dave’s smoking habit and that (for now) they are gone.

This week Dave’s mood has changed from sad to angry. Despite taking Wellbutrin he becomes easily frustrated and is quite often moody. Angry Dave is much harder for me to deal with then Depressed Dave. With Depressed Dave I could easily tell him a few encouraging words and commiserate with him on the loss of trigger activities. Now that Angry Dave has come to town, there is not much that I can do besides replenish his supplies of hard candy and sunflower seeds. I’ve often thought about secretly putting multiple nicotine patches on his body in the middle of the night but I realize that with time Angry Dave will pass. (hopefully soon)

One things for certain, from now on if I hear that someone has quit smoking I will look at that person with a huge amount of respect. Quitting is a one of the hardest things that a person can do. It’s a Big Deal.

I Dream of Houses In My Sleep

Dave and I found a house that we love and I didn't want to blog about it in fear of jinxing ourselves. I figured that either we would get the house or we wouldn't and then I would blog about it then. Well 2 weeks later and we still haven't done our 2nd walk through of the house and as a result haven't even put in an offer for the house. The seller's agent has been a dick and has given us every excuse in the book as to why he can't let us see the house again. Excuses have ranged from "I went to Europe for a quick vacation", "I live 30 miles away and don't feel like driving to meet you at the house", and my fav "I'm in a funeral procession right now, can I call you back?" and yet no call back (surprise, surprise).

At this point we don't want to seem desperate so we're stuck in a high school lover's dance of trying to act nonchalant and not call him more then he calls us. Needless to say Dave and our broker are doing a better job of acting cool. During the 1st week I was practically a mini tyrant bouncing off the walls. Poor Dave got a dozen emails, texts, and phone calls a day from me asking "has our broker heard from the seller's agent yet?" This week I've been a bit better. I've even agreed to look at new houses that have just been listed. Already we've found one that seems awesome. C'est la vie.

I think the part that upsets me the most is the potential reasons why the seller's agent is giving us the cold shoulder. Our broker thinks that either he has an interest in the property (which by law he should have disclosed) or the agent doesn't think his commission is worthy enough to demand more then the slightest of attention. Here in California, the typical agent receives 3.5% of the sales price. For our $400,000 home that means that after a sale the agent walks away with $14,000. Back in the day when houses flew off the shelf faster then they could be listed, agents had one open house and then (typically) the house would receive multiple offers and sell within the same week. These days most houses in our price range have been on the market for 3-6 months before being sold. (Which I should add for clarification that $400k is the BOTTOM price range of houses on the market in this area) Agents would rather focus their time and efforts on houses in the $750k-1 million price range because their potential commission is much higher.

In other news, we were pre-approved for our loan last week. Our new mortgage payments for our 30 year fixed loan will amount to $3k per month. For the first time ever in our relationship, Dave and I worked on a household budget. For the past 2.5 years Dave and I have had more money then we knew what to do with.
Play Station 3? Okay.
56" plasma tv? Why not!
All inclusive trip to Cabo? We deserve it.
We'll be going from a lifestyle where we spend money willy-nilly (and still save $1000 per month) to a lifestyle where we'll have to actually restrain ourselves from time to time. We'll still be saving some money per month ($500) and we'll still have money to go out to eat once a week so it's not like we're going to be poor but it is a big change. Honestly, it's a good change. I had started to feel like a spoiled glutton with our impulsive spending habits.

And in a last bit of news, Dave quits smoking today at 8pm. Updates to follow.

My Friend Tammy Will Pray For Me

New house on the market. It's too soon to call this love. I call it lust. Deep lust. I'm humping the computer while I look at pics of this house.

PS - Since I mentioned humping, does that negate any prayer requests? It was all very clean humping. No funny stuff.

Update: Obviously the house did not enjoy my good, good lovin'. The house was sold the same day that it went on the market. Oh well. C'est la vie.

1 is the Loneliest Number

Dave begins his stop smoking workshop tonight. That means that after I return home from my belly dancing class I'll be alone for most of the evening. For some reason the idea of being without Dave for one evening is making me feel extremely lonely. I really shouldn't feel this way since he will be back later tonight and it's not like I wont be able to sleep in the same bed as him. We've been together non-stop for most of the holiday season since both of us have temporarily stopped traveling for work. I guess I've just gotten used to always being around him. Heck, most days of the week he's even been traveling 20 miles to the town I work in just so we can have lunch together. (Does that make you want to gag?) I'm going to have a huge shock when we both begin traveling again. Luckily, it looks like that wont happen until late February (Dave goes to St Louis).

In other news, Dave and I have found 13 houses that we like. Of those:

1 we've already seen and continue to like

3 we need to drive by to check out the neighborhood (living in a big city means that some neighborhoods are great and some look like they could qualify for ghetto status)

3 are okay but not my favorites (to blend in with the hillsides, most home owner's associations in our area require that your house be painted some shade of brown. Blech! This is why these 3 houses are ok but not my favs)

4 are slightly higher then we'd like to pay but they are worth watching in the future ($420-$440k, our budget is $420k and below)

and 2 we'd like to schedule appointments to come look at (1 of those appointments is scheduled for this afternoon)

Dear Kitchen

I love you. I want you. I need you. A small part of me loves you so much that I'd like to hump you. Repeatedlty. Please be mine someday.

(Kitchen of house for sale that I LOVE)

Things Not Recommended

Have you ever dated someone who was taking an anti-depressant? I don’t recommend it. For the past 3 days, Dave has been taking the mood enhancer Wellbutrin to help him quit smoking. So far the little pill has been working like a charm. Dave says that his desire to smoke has been cut in half and so has the satisfaction he usually receives after puffing on a cigarette. So you might ask why in the world would I not recommend it? Well, it’s not that I don’t recommend it, it’s just that I was mentally preparing myself to live with Mr. Hyde and instead I’ve found that I’m living with Mr. Rogers. He’s just so happy and cheery all.the.time! The house we were gonna bid on has been pulled off the market? That’s OK!!! The cat knocked over a soda onto the carpet? Now we get to use the carpet stain remover we bought at Target! YAY! *sigh* In the end, if it helps Dave quit smoking then I’ll happily date Mr. Rogers.

In other news, I had the past 4 days off from work. I spent most of that time being lazy. Between naps I sat on the couch and used my laptop to finish our wedding registry. Finally! I thought it was going to turn into the never ending project. Highlights of the registry:


Calphalon Pots & Pans


Fusion Blue Everyday Plates (I want them now!)


Nautica Bedding with this funky brown Coverlet


Lowe's Gift Cards (we're going to be buying our first house soon and someone gave us the wonderful [and practical] idea to register at a home improvement store)

So far we received several of our wedding registry items as gifts for Christmas. Score! One of those items was an electric fondue pot. On NYE we filled the pot with hot oil and fondue’d our hearts out. Items on the menu: steak, chicken, shrimp, andouille sausage, mushrooms, new potatoes, green bell peppers, onion, and bread chunks. Dipping sauces included honey mustard, horseradish, cheese, cocktail sauce, and bbq sauce. It was a lot of fun and VERY yummy. I can’t wait to invite another couple over to enjoy our next fondue experience.

And in final news, Dave and I decided at the last minute to make a fun outing to the San Diego auto show this weekend. My highlight was sitting in my dream car (Lexus IS 250) and finding that it really was as wonderful as I had dreamt it would be. Even better was looking at our finances and realizing that we’ll be able to buy my dream car after the wedding!!!! Can you see me drooling over here? I LOVE this car!

3 Things That Suck

1) Not being able to blog from work. For awhile blogger was a blocked website according to the federal government. I really never have time to blog from home.

2) Flying with a cold. I caught a mild cold over the holidays while visiting my in-laws in Northern California. The usual sore throat, lethargy, and runny nose. Nothing noteworthy so I didn’t think twice about flying home with the cold. BIG mistake. While descending my congested ears weren’t able to handle the change in cabin pressure. Worst pain imaginable. I thought my ear drums were going to burst and spew blood all over. Horrible.

3) The fact that my future mother in-law (MIL) likes to ask me questions and then immediately after confronts Dave with the information she gathered from me.

SCENE: Living room sofa. MIL and I are watching a chick flick on tv.
MIL: (casually) So since you and Dave are buying a house in San Diego does that mean you wont be moving back to Northern California for awhile?
ME: At this point and time Dave is pretty tired of moving all the time. He really just wants to find a house and settle for the next 5 years. He doesn’t even want to talk about our next move.
MIL: He doesn’t even want to talk about moving again?
ME: Nope. He really just wants to find a place to make a home. He’s tired of moving.

5 minutes later, Dave walks into room.
MIL: Why don’t you want to move back to NorCal?!?!?
Dave: Huh? Wha???
MIL: I heard you don’t want to move for the next 5 years!
Dave: (restates what I just said above)
ME: (fuming)

A Fairytale

Once upon a time, the City of Los Angeles stole the water rights from a small California town. Thus turning a fertile valley into an arid desert. 100 years later, LA is trying to make amends. The end.

Read This

Over a period of 48 hours I read all 518 pages of Audrey Niffenegger's Time Traveler's Wife. It has been a long time since I've found a book that completely consumes me with its characters and story. Even after I had finished the book, the tale haunted me with its interesting thoughts and theories. I highly encourage reading this book. Not only is it a unique and thought-provoking book but also an AMAZING love story. It made me laugh and cry and then cry some more (which is rare for me). Just posting about the book makes me want to re-read it again!



From Publishers Weekly
This highly original first novel won the largest advance San Francisco-based MacAdam/Cage had ever paid, and it was money well spent. Niffenegger has written a soaring love story illuminated by dozens of finely observed details and scenes, and one that skates nimbly around a huge conundrum at the heart of the book: Henry De Tamble, a rather dashing librarian at the famous Newberry Library in Chicago, finds himself unavoidably whisked around in time. He disappears from a scene in, say, 1998 to find himself suddenly, usually without his clothes, which mysteriously disappear in transit, at an entirely different place 10 years earlier-or later. During one of these migrations, he drops in on beautiful teenage Clare Abshire, an heiress in a large house on the nearby Michigan peninsula, and a lifelong passion is born. The problem is that while Henry's age darts back and forth according to his location in time, Clare's moves forward in the normal manner, so the pair are often out of sync. But such is the author's tenderness with the characters, and the determinedly ungimmicky way in which she writes of their predicament (only once do they make use of Henry's foreknowledge of events to make money, and then it seems to Clare like cheating) that the book is much more love story than fantasy. It also has a splendidly drawn cast, from Henry's violinist father, ruined by the loss of his wife in an accident from which Henry time-traveled as a child, to Clare's odd family and a multitude of Chicago bohemian friends. The couple's daughter, Alba, inherits her father's strange abilities, but this is again handled with a light touch; there's no Disney cuteness here. Henry's foreordained end is agonizing, but Niffenegger has another card up her sleeve, and plays it with poignant grace. It is a fair tribute to her skill and sensibility to say that the book leaves a reader with an impression of life's riches and strangeness rather than of easy thrills.

A Picture Update

Lately it feels as if the days are going by in one quick blur. I get in bed at night and it feels like just a short while ago I was getting out of bed. I get to work, look at the clock, and then look at the clock again to find 4 hours has already passed. Before I know it the work day is already over and once again I'm fighting traffic to get home. I can hardly believe that there is only 6 months until the wedding since it feels like just yesterday there was a year left. Why does time seem to be moving so quickly lately? I really just want it to stop. *sigh*

Needless to say, I have a list of things to-do that is a mile long. I've barely had enough time to eat, let alone blog. Here is my catch-up picture post:


Dave and I picked up out wedding bands while we were in the Bay Area last weekend. I LOVE both of our rings and was really pleased with the price and quality. I've already told Dave to hide the rings because if he doesn't then I'll just keep putting it on my finger and walking around the house.

We were in the Bay Area for a wedding of Dave's childhood friend. We had a really nice time seeing Dave's family and friends. I miss the Bay Area so much.

This is the bride and groom. They looked wonderful.

We arrived home on Sunday to our normal 80 degree Southern California "winter". I was driving down a street near our house when I took this picture. Note the ocean in the horizon, the palm trees, the wreaths on the palms, and the blue skies. Sad to say the wreaths look out of place and do a poor job of putting me in the holiday spirit.

On Thanksgiving Day weekend we went to the San Diego Chargers vs. Oakland Raiders football game. The Raiders lost only because of a bad referee call (boo!). Other then that the game was a lot of fun especially since we had club level seats. It was nice being able to call a waitress over to our seats every time we wanted something to eat or drink. Laziness at its best!

I made a complete Thanksgiving meal for Dave, my Dad, and my brother. The turkey was brined (according to Alton Brown) and turned out delicious. The whole meal was a success (if I say so myself) and I can't wait to cook my next Thanksgiving meal.

To serve Thanksgiving dinner we used our new (to us) china. The china had been given to us by Dave's grandma (now deceased). The complete 12 piece set of china is from the 1920's. I love the pattern so much and could never imagine a more beautiful set of china.

2 weeks ago, Dave bought his very own PS3. Yes the same PS3 that was sought by many and re-sold for several times it's value. So far he has greatly enjoyed the new gaming station and how high quality the screen resolution is. The other day we used the PS3 to watch a Blue-Ray movie. It was very nice looking but I give most of the credit to our plasma screen tv.

Fluff is getting bigger and bigger. The wild man loves getting dressed up. (sarcasm)

1 for the Good Guys

Finally, San Diego makes me proud.

Suddenly Sexy

I've been listening to John Mayer's new album Continuum. I can't get enough. Yum.

I'll Be Eating Turkey By The Pool

I’m wearing khakis, sandals, and a cardigan and I’m hot. Its 80 degrees outside and the Southern California heat doesn’t make me feel like celebrating Thanksgiving much less begin preparations for Christmas. I’m usually first in line for the Black Friday sales but this year I think I’ll have a hard time getting my sandal covered feet to get in the shopping mode at all. Sun + 80 degrees = Not Holiday Time. I’m in desperate need for some rain, clouds, and a cold front.

Yesterday, I went shopping in preparation for my first attempt at cooking Thanksgiving dinner. I walked into the store with my long list of groceries needed and quickly became overwhelmed as I glanced from the massive crowd to my list and back again. Luckily the World’s Best Fiancée had known that I would be grocery shopping after work so he decided to surprise me in the bakery aisle with a Starbucks Green Tea in hand. He pushed the very full cart while I darted between the mass of people, grabbed items off the shelf, and checked them off my list.

Dave and I won’t be celebrating Thanksgiving until Saturday. My Dad and older Brother will be driving down from the LA area to eat with us. The next day all 4 of us will drive to the football stadium where we have season tickets to see the Chargers v. Oakland Raiders game. The Chargers hate the Raiders and we all happen to be Raiders fans so it should be a fun time! And by fun I mean my older brother will instigate drama with the Chargers fans and I will spend my day yelling at him to shut up.

I can't wait ;-)

I've Been Hobbled

I'm bloated, my right foot is covered in blisters, my left ankle is swollen, I have a bruise on my left thigh, and I'm extremely hungover. A good weekend trip to Las Vegas will do that to you.

I went to Vegas for a random girls weekend. I wasn't excited about sleeping in a non-luxurious hotel, over consumption of alcohol, nor the late nights spent dancing in high heels. In the past all 3 would have made me excited for weeks but I've found as I've gotten older (and less wild) that I have more fun when I'm relaxing.

I was eager to spend quality time with 2 of my best friends (B & M). We started out our trip by eating at a 4 star french restaurant (Lutece in The Venetian). While enjoying our delicious meal overlooking the canals, I presented B & M with cards asking them to be my bridesmaids. The sweet moment combined with a really good bottle of wine resulted in B spending the rest of the dinner crying. Too complete the evening we took a ride in the gondolas and then went to Olympic Gardens to watch some hottie boys dance for dollars. (If you go to Vegas with a group of girls, Olympic Gardens is a MUST see!)

The next day we went to Bellagio to enjoy the champagne brunch. Another excellent (and reasonably priced meal!). We then walked the strip (hence all the foot blisters) before returning to the hotel for a food induced slumber. After waking we explored one of the newest Vegas hotels, Wynn (now one of my favorite places to stay and explore). For dinner B and I went to Tao for an assortment of sushi and dim sum. We left Tao just as Paris & Britney arrived. The evening ended with drinks at an open air bar. Good music with good friends followed.

I had originally planned to spend only one night in Sin City. I've been trying to lose weight and I wanted to do the least possible damage to my body. Unfortunately, my one night trip got extended since all flights to San Diego were canceled and/or full do to fog. I finally was able to leave Vegas this afternoon on a flight bound for the Land of BMWs (Orange County). My wonderful fiancee picked me up from the airport and brought me back home where I promptly took a 4 hour nap. Good times.

Tres Redonk*

Tomorrow's to do list involved waking up at 4am and standing in line at Walmart/Target/Sears/Best Buy for four hours trying to get a new Sony PS3. Unfortunately our plans were thwarted when we learned that Sears didn't receive any PS3s and Target/Walmart/Best Buy already had people camping out in line at 7pm on Wednesday. Yes Wednesday. Which means that people were going to camp in front of the store for 36 hours in hopes of buying a $600 gaming console. I'm not sure whether to be jealous or outraged. Oddly enough I was looking forward to standing in line with Dave amongst the crowds. Now that the lines are already hundred deep and each store was only allocated 10 PS3 units, Dave and I have decided to throw in the towel and leave the line debauchery to the youngsters.

In other news, today was the Great American Smokeout. As I was leaving the house this morning I tossed a roll of commit lozenges and a QuitAssist brochure at Dave's head. Dave is a smoker and has tried (unsuccessfully) quitting several times in the past. When Dave and I first began dating Dave assured me that he only smoked the occasional drunken cigarette. He also told me that he wasn't a Republican so it really came as no surprise when I realized that Dave's occasional cig was really a pack a day habit (and his voting leaned more towards GW versus my Al Gore tendencies). I've never dated a smoker before but surprisingly I'm really not too peeved by Dave's dirty habit. He always smokes outside and for some strange reason never smells of nicotine. He has promised me that he will quite (someday) so I've made an effort not to nag or berate him. Honestly I'm not looking forward to him quitting. Smoking is a very serious addiction and will involve many days of cranky Dave before he's able to break his habit. That will make for some fun blogging!

*Tres Redonk = Very Ridiculous. Get in the Know.

Things I Love

• Veggie toasted sub from Quizno's. Seriously YUM. So good that I sometimes crave all the veggie and avocado goodness.
• Cold Stone. I've only recently discovered Cold Stone ice cream about a year ago. I know. How the hell I went so long with out trying them out is beyond me. Now I can't get enough. Today for lunch I had a Like It serving of some chocolate/brownie/caramel concoction. Sinlicious.
• TIVO. World's greatest invention. I don't know how I ever watched TV without the ability to stop, fast forward, rewind, and record.
• Healthy options at McDonald's. I was running late to a meeting so I swung by McDs for a quick lunch. I looked at the menu and saw that they've added quite a few new healthy options. Fries can now be replaced by a side salad and water can be subbed for soda on the Meal Deals. I walked out feeling like I had made a healthy eating choice (I had the grilled chicken sandwich with no mayo, cheese, etc).
• The Weather. Well this goes in love/hate category. It's been 80 and sunny which is nice but it's mid-November and I want it to be cold so that I can get in the Holiday spirit! On the other hand I was able to eat lunch (Cold Stone ice cream) while sunning myself on a patio and reading a book. Nice.
• 7 Months Til Our Wedding. Time flies when your having fun. This past month I completed several wedding related tasks. Honeymoon location has been selected and deposit put down, officiant selected, wedding dress ordered and delivered, bridal attendants selected, save the dates sent out, wedding registry set up. For the next few months I'll be able to relax and enjoy the holidays.

Beware: Things May Appear Easier Then They Really Are

Dave and I established our wedding gift registries at Bed Bath & Beyond and Crate & Barrel this weekend. “Sounds fun!” is probably what you are thinking. Before hand I was thinking the same thing. I’ve been looking forward to this event almost as much as I looked forward to cake tasting. And I really love cake so that tells you something.

Now after a weekend full of browsing store aisles with a scan gun in one hand and a list in the other, I can tell you that wedding gift registry = lots of work + not fun. Why you ask?

Reason # 1 that Gift Registering Sucks - Shop for today or shop for the future??? I think that was the constant question in my head this weekend.

Now: we don’t do much entertaining. We just moved to a new part of the state where we don’t have many friends or family.
Future: Well I hope we make friends and are able to entertain. Which leads me to believe that I need this to serve punch/sangria at friendly BBQs, etc.

The Problem: OK. So I would need this in the future but where do I store it (and other "future" gifts) for now??? The kitchen pantries and one-car garage are already packed full in our 1,000 sq ft condo. And I just don’t feel like packing my guest bedroom with boxes that I wont need for 2-3 more years.

Now: Our dining table is set up as part of the living room / open kitchen space. The décor matches both the kitchen and living room well.

Future: Our plans are to buy a house in a year (or so). I hope to have a formal dining room or at the very least a dining room that occupies a more defined space from the living room. I would love to decorate the future formal dining room in a dramatic fashion much like this painting (in fact I would hang a very similiar painting in the future room).

The Problem: OK. So do I register for linens, plates, etc that match the current décor or the future décor? And even though our plans are to move in a year, what happens if our future home doesn’t have a formal dining room???

Reason # 2 that Gift Registering Sucks – Choices! Choices! Choices!!!

Which bedding do I choose???? So many to pick from!




Reason # 3 that Gift Registering Sucks – He Said. She Said.

I love these plates. Dave does not.


Dave loves these plates. I do not.


Errrr …

Blech (aka Vomit Trifecta)

My last 3 posts (including this one) have all had titles that reference vomit. I haven't thrown up since June 2005 (Jayme's graduation party, too many long beach iced teas) so I have no idea why the idea of up-chuck seems to be such a popular word in my brain these days. Hmmm ...

I'm sick this week. And stressed out. Really stressed out. Which really hasn't helped me get over this horrible cold. Things stressing me out:

* Weight Loss - I've been steadily losing 1 pound a week which is good. Just not good enough. I need to lose more if I want to be in tip top shape for my wedding ;-(

* Work - My desk is full of things that need to be done yesterday. I came in sick on Monday and Tuesday but stayed home Wednesday. Sick = not very productive. Desk full of things that need to be done = me stressed.

* Work - I had a tiff with a colleague (totally her fault) and now I'm angry at her and situation she has put me in. AND I have a problem contract that needs to be fixed but just seems to be making a bigger problem (kinda my fault). Vague, I know but I'd hate to get dooced.

* Wedding - My mom has disinvited herself from my wedding (woo! Really. I need to write about my non-mom someday soon. You'd woo too) but my mom's attitude is making my grandparents upset and they (once again) are looking to me to make everything better. I don't want to make things better.

* Wedding - A certain family member on Dave's side of the family invited a group of people to our wedding that we had no intention of inviting. Lots of drama has ensued.

Things that make me feel better:
* 3 day weekend - Thank you veteran's day.
* Wedding Gift Registry - I've been waiting my whole life to actually have a wedding gift registry. This weekend I'll be visiting Crate & Barrel as well as Bed Bath & Beyond to set up our registries.