So yeah, where did the time go?
I'm back at work after a 3 day weekend, and despite ridiculous amounts of sleep, I don't feel all that refreshed, and I certainly don't feel like I accomplished much. Want the super boring recap of my weekend where I tell you all sorts of fabulous things like don't paint your nails with quick dry nail polish and think you can do the dishes? Well here ya go...
Friday I took a half day and headed out for a Ladies Night with my mom and grandma in Lincoln. I left early to miss the ever present Weekend Tahoe Traffic which just becomes a fixture on 80 every Friday afternoon and Sunday evening throughout the Winter -- and I try to avoid like the plague. Partly because it sucks, and partly because it reminds me that I am not going to Tahoe, and that just bums me out. She cooked my favorite chicken enchiladas and my aunt came over and we all played cards for a while but then I crapped out early on the couch while the Ladies continued to play cards. I'm a real party starter, eh?
Saturday we got up early and I knit for a bit and we watched some movies. I'm trying to help you out by telling you not to watch We Are Marshall if you are PMSing. Oh my god it was just an emotional sobfest and I think my face was pink and puffy until Sunday. I headed to Garrett's in the afternoon because both of his Uncles came up for the day from the Bay Area to say goodbye to his parents. I'm not sure if I have mentioned that they have been staying with Garrett since Christmas and were heading back to New Mexico on Sunday morning. Yup, that's right, my boyfriend's parents have been living with him for the last 3 weeks -- it has done wonders for my social life. All joking aside though, it was nice to see them and catch up-- his family is really such a good time. They are all hysterical and when everyone was in the same room, I don't think I stopped laughing for like an hour. Garrett's mom made a feast of Cornish Game Hens, which were fabulous, and then we headed over to our friend Jeremy's for his 30th birthday 70's celebration Saturday night.
This is where the weekend went awry...I started feeling totally sick at Jeremy's and we ended up having to leave the party early. I ended up in a food poisoning induced fetal position for the rest of the night, which I would NOT recommend to others! It was a blessing that Garrett went home to his own house since it was his parents' last night in town because I was NO FUN all night. When I wasn't feeling physically horrible, I was feeling bummed and guilty that Garrett's mom made such a nice meal and I had to go and get sick from it! Luckily it was short lived and by Sunday morning I was feeling a bit better.
Sunday was the Lord's day, let me tell you. Sunday was the first time Garrett and I have been able to hang out at his house without parental supervision since Christmas...can I tell you how overdue that was? Like I said earlier, I love his parents and all, but we are creatures of habit, and our relationship has been out of our routine since December, so it was nice to just chill out and relax and not feel guilty that his parents were sitting at home and not being entertained, or worrying that he should be "getting home". Aside from some random trips to Target and Costco, we didn't do anything we didn't feel like doing for the next two days straight. I even took 2 naps on Sunday -- TWO NAPS -- and I think during that time Garrett might have locked himself in the back room with his Xbox, but I can't be sure. I mean seriously, the relaxation was in full force.
But as it usually does, the work day came early today and it was time to go back to real life. I feel like I didn't do enough or finish enough and I feel like I'm looking down at the long week ahead of me, and really I just want to go back. Boring as it was, my dear weekend, I miss you already!
January 22, 2008
January 17, 2008
Things you don't want to see when grabbing something from the communal printer at work....
"The Effect of Arsenic on the Human Body"
Note to self: No more eating at company potlucks.
Note to self: No more eating at company potlucks.
January 14, 2008
I've never been quite so anxiety ridden about the fact that Sacramento is called the "City of Trees"
Enough of the bad weather already!
January 12, 2008
The Book List: 2008
My goal is to read 30 by the end of the year. This will be a working document and I have added a link in my sidebar. Here's to page turning! (** denotes "In Progress")
1. The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini - I put off reading this book for so long because I really thought it was going to be overrated. I was SO wrong! Heart wrenching story that is staying with me. I'm excited (and nervous) to see if the movie is just like the book.
2. Kitchen Confidential by Anthony Bourdain - This is HYSTERICAL! I loved everything about it. A must read if you enjoy all things food.
3. The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls - This is kind of stalling for me right now in the middle. I'm tempted to put it down, but I kind of want to know how it all works out.
*Ok, I'll have you know I finished it. What a heart wrenching story. Definitely not a beach read, but worth it to finish.
4. The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell - New Book Club selection. So I didn't love this book...and actually my whole book club hated it so much we never even finished it. Interesting...I guess I would NOT recommend this book to others.
5. **Make Him Look Good by Alisa Valdes-Rodriguez - My cousin Jenny gave this to me last summer (sorry Jen!)and it looks like a dishy read. I need a bit of a break after all the heavy, depressing boooks I've been reading. So far, so good.
*Yeah, haven't finished this yet...I'm an ass.
6. The Friday Night Knitting Club by Kate Jacobs- Wow, so that took me like 6 months to read, didn't it? Looking at my list so far I'm kind of embarrassed by how few books I've finished this year. The ratio of books to magazines is staggering. This book should have been a quick read, but again, I kind of got bored in the middle. By the time I finished it, I was like "Finally! I'm glad that's over." But in all seriousness, had I just read it in a weekend like I should have, I would have enjoyed it.
7. ** The Divide by Nicholas Evans- My Aunt Martha always recommends delicious reads. When I was in Fremont a few weeks ago she passed this along to me. So far, so good.
8. Twilight by Stephenie Meyer - Yeah, so I read Young Adult Vampire Romances, what of it? I resisted reading this for a long time -- shocking, I know. But it was 25,000 recommendations and one too many trips to the book section in Target (again, shocking!) that finally convinced me to at least pick it up. All I can say is it was a total page turner, and everyone needs to revisit their teen angst once in a while. The fangs were just a nice accessory. Mindless reading, perfect for Summer -- I will totally be reading the sequels.
9. Such a Pretty Fat by Jen Lancaster -- See here...I think that was a pretty thorough explanation of my opinion of this book.
10. Bright Lights, Big Ass by Jen Lancaster - Though not quite as linear as Such a Pretty Fat, Lancaster's sardonic wit is in full effect in this collection of essays regarding city living. Her books make me laugh, and again, great reading for Summer!
1. The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini - I put off reading this book for so long because I really thought it was going to be overrated. I was SO wrong! Heart wrenching story that is staying with me. I'm excited (and nervous) to see if the movie is just like the book.
2. Kitchen Confidential by Anthony Bourdain - This is HYSTERICAL! I loved everything about it. A must read if you enjoy all things food.
3. The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls - This is kind of stalling for me right now in the middle. I'm tempted to put it down, but I kind of want to know how it all works out.
*Ok, I'll have you know I finished it. What a heart wrenching story. Definitely not a beach read, but worth it to finish.
4. The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell - New Book Club selection. So I didn't love this book...and actually my whole book club hated it so much we never even finished it. Interesting...I guess I would NOT recommend this book to others.
5. **Make Him Look Good by Alisa Valdes-Rodriguez - My cousin Jenny gave this to me last summer (sorry Jen!)and it looks like a dishy read. I need a bit of a break after all the heavy, depressing boooks I've been reading. So far, so good.
*Yeah, haven't finished this yet...I'm an ass.
6. The Friday Night Knitting Club by Kate Jacobs- Wow, so that took me like 6 months to read, didn't it? Looking at my list so far I'm kind of embarrassed by how few books I've finished this year. The ratio of books to magazines is staggering. This book should have been a quick read, but again, I kind of got bored in the middle. By the time I finished it, I was like "Finally! I'm glad that's over." But in all seriousness, had I just read it in a weekend like I should have, I would have enjoyed it.
7. ** The Divide by Nicholas Evans- My Aunt Martha always recommends delicious reads. When I was in Fremont a few weeks ago she passed this along to me. So far, so good.
8. Twilight by Stephenie Meyer - Yeah, so I read Young Adult Vampire Romances, what of it? I resisted reading this for a long time -- shocking, I know. But it was 25,000 recommendations and one too many trips to the book section in Target (again, shocking!) that finally convinced me to at least pick it up. All I can say is it was a total page turner, and everyone needs to revisit their teen angst once in a while. The fangs were just a nice accessory. Mindless reading, perfect for Summer -- I will totally be reading the sequels.
9. Such a Pretty Fat by Jen Lancaster -- See here...I think that was a pretty thorough explanation of my opinion of this book.
10. Bright Lights, Big Ass by Jen Lancaster - Though not quite as linear as Such a Pretty Fat, Lancaster's sardonic wit is in full effect in this collection of essays regarding city living. Her books make me laugh, and again, great reading for Summer!
The Movie List: 2008
It was so depressing that I couldn't remember any of the movies I saw in 2007. I'm resolving to keep better track this year. This will be a working document and I have put a link in my sidebar.
1. Atonement - (January) Beautiful adaptation of Ian McEwan's novel with phenomenal costumes, music, and heartache. I wasn't thrilled with the ending, it felt a little to "neat" for me, but I did find the story compelling.
2. Music and Lyrics - (January) This movie is why I don't have HBO. I caught it one of the like 500 times it was on while I was out at my mom's recently and even though it was pure garbage I found myself really enjoying it. Plus Hugh Grant's bumbling Brit is a character that I (sadly) never get sick of.
3. The Kite Runner - (January) While nowhere near as good as the book, I enjoyed this movie. It was our bookclub outing after finishing the book and I found myself annoyingly listing all the things they were leaving out in my head as the film played. Hmmm...this may have been why I didn't enjoy it as much.
4. Because I Said So - (January) Ugh! This movie is why I don't want HBO...it was terrible. I was so exhausted by Mandy Moore and Diane Keaton's constant yappying and totally unrealistic relationship that I fell asleep like 30 minutes before the ending. Cute outfits can't make up for the fact that getting sucked into this movie cost me two hours of my life I will never get back.
5. The Last Kiss - (January) There are many reasons I loved this movie even though I didn't think it was great. Honestly, first go watch the trailer here, I can wait. See, wasn't it good? Ok, so if you are like me and you may have a teensy little crush on Zach Braff, or if perhaps the soundtrack houses a majority of artists in your record collection too, please go rent it. Also as an added bonus when you see this scene you will have an immediate understanding the dynamic of my own relationship. Jacinda Barrett and Zack Braff are seriously a richer, glossier, better looking version of me and Garrett. They have us down to a tee -- well until he starts hanging out with stupid Rachel Bilson...but OMG she is so freakin pretty in this movie. Hate her.
6. We Are Marshall - (January) I'm just telling you, don't watch this movie if you are PMSing. Unless of course a pink puffy face for days is a good look on you.
7. Breach - (January) Spies, Government, FBI, Ryan Phillipe -- I mean there are worse things you can spend your time watching. I thought this was entertaining.
8. Live Free or Die Hard - (January) This is what happens when you send the boyfriend to the video store. Hmm...should we even call it the video store anymore, does anyone actually get videos there? DVD store just doesn't have that same ring to it. ANYWAY, long story short it was entertaining -- way better than I thought.
9. The Bourne Ultimatum - (January) See above. Also better than I thought, but by the end of this movie I had had just about enough of things blowing up, people being chased, gun shots, etc. One can only suspend disbelief for so long, right?
10. Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End - (February) I want you to know that I will never again spell the word Caribbean incorrectly after losing a game of Cranium over it. Anyway, that story (boring as it was) is probably more entertaining than this movie. My general reaction -- meh. It didn't really keep my interest. I loved the other two, but this one not-so-much. In its defense, I was very tired both times I tried to watch it and fell asleep. Sleeping through integral parts kinda does that to a movie.
11. Kissing Jessica Stein - (February) I love the quirkiness of this movie. I've seen it a couple of times and every time I like it a little bit more. Watching parts of it with the boyfriend really made me aware of how hyper-neurotic the main character is, but nonetheless its an interesting concept...and the Rilke quote is a good one. English nerd alert!
12. Made of Honor - (May) Yep, that's right I haven't seen a FREAKING movie since February! Isn't that depressing? I either can't stay awake, and I never get to the theater...so it was quite a treat to catch this, popcorn in hand, by myself at the Fashion Valley Mall in San Diego this week. McDreamy TOTALLY came through in the clutch!
13. Juno - (May) Yay for $1.99 Blockbuster coupons! Was excited to see this since it got so much hype, and for the most part it delivered. Parts of the dialogue bugged me and were a little reminiscent of that Dawson's Creek style teenage verbosity, but overall it was fun, quirky, and entertaining. Is it weird that it made me kinda hot for men in sweatbands?
14. No Country For Old Men - (May) Listen, in case you weren't aware, Javier Bardem is one scary dude. I covered my eyes in numerous parts because, frankly, I'm kind of a pussy -- but overall a very engaging flick! The end was a little abrupt, but the acting was stellar throughout. Is it just me or was there no music anywhere in that movie? Weird, now that I'm thinking about it.
15. Untraceable - (June) Listen, if you had just played hostess to 2 guests and a dog for a whole weekend, attended a rehearsal dinner and then went to a wedding with 300 guests knowing only know the bride and the groom and your boyfriend (who is in the wedding party) -- then curling up with this movie on a Sunday night might be so pleasurable you'd die of happiness. However, if you are just looking for a GREAT! MOVIE! to watch, you will probably find better. It was entertaining, but had I been less tired I probably would have thought it was 2 hours of imitating the movie Seven with Diane Lane wearing bad pants.
16. Sex and the City - (June) I really wasn't sure I was going to like this movie because I LOVED the series that much -- and ya know, it may not translate. It was so good, however, that when I left the theater I had that feeling you have after a long catchup conversation with a good friend you haven't seen in a while -- nostalgic, fulfilled, and looking forward to the next visit. I would totally see it again!
17. Michael Clayton - (June) Pretty good -- Actually it was probably really good, except that I was tired when I watched it and slept through like a half an hour right in the middle. The nap was just what I needed, but I was too lazy to rewind. Consequently, all the pieces didn't make total sense to me at the end, but I could see how, with a few more details, it probably would have. Definitely worthy of a rental.
18. Gone Baby Gone - (June)Wow -- this movie was super engrossing and even a little disturbing. You get through what you think is the entire movie, and then all of a sudden the twists and turns abound! I love a good movie where the ending kind of takes you by surprise. Good, but only if you are in the mood for something serious and kinda heavy.
January 06, 2008
I'd assume you were laughing with me -- but I'm not actually laughing
Can you believe it? We all survived!
Boy this weekend's sure storm caused quite the stir up here in these parts. With pounding rain and 70 mph winds you would have thought a hurricaine was about to hit Friday afternoon with the way everyone was acting. The thing is then you would have realized that you live in Sacramento and a hurricaine is like practically impossible. Then you would have gone on to realize that the ocean is like practically in a different time zone. Do you hear that muffled laughter? That is the East Coast laughing at you like a gaggle of junior high girls.
With dramatic flair worthy of an Oscar, my office closed down at 2pm on Friday afternoon due to "Extreme Weather Conditions." It felt like a glorified fire drill and even though it was like Grand Theft Auto getting home, I certainly didn't let a little rain get in the way of enjoying those extra few hours off. I headed straight the the store and bought all the fixins to have a serious soup party (dude, I bought 7 quarts of Chicken Stock -- who does that?) plus a handy dandy duraflame and I was pretty much set. I ended up making a bitchin Roasted Potato and Fennel Soup and some homemade parmesan croutons and spent the evening hanging with Garrett polishing off a bottle of Zinfandel. I'm not gonna lie, if this is what Extreme Weather is all about, I may just be destined to head East.
Saturday morning, on the other hand, was less than stellar. With a little bit of sun peaking through the clouds Garrett and I hedged our bets and headed out to Placerville to pick up our wine club selections at Lava Cap. Yeah, we're pretty much Last-Minute-Larrys and this weekend was the last weekend you could pick up your case of wine, otherwise you would be relegated to shipping and handling hell. (Basically what I'm telling you here is we're cheap, and we would rather risk life and limb in a storm than pay shipping and handling. Wanna be our friends?)
So we drive all the way out there and the whole winery was like deadsville. I mean seriously I think I saw a tumbleweed blow by as I was reading the 'Closed' sign, which by the way was hanging suspiciously close to another sign proclaiming "Only closed on Easter, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's." (Um...Dear Lava Cap, Last Saturday was none of those holidays, so you can take your shipping and your handling and your signature of a 21 year old with an ID in the middle of a Wednesday afternoon and SUCK IT! Have a nice day. XOXO Holly) Bet hedging not really working out for us, we got a taste of Mother Nature's wrath on the drive home and we didn't even have wine to show for it. HUMPH!
What we did have, however, was excitement in the form of an audio book! AN AUDIO BOOK! I mean could you just die? Who, under 80, listens to audio books? Oh, hang on for a sec, let me put down my LARGE PRINT copy of North and South and just adjust my pocket protector real quick. But seriously, can I just tell you for a minute how audio books are right about to change my life? As someone who is trying to maximize their reading time this year, it is so damn efficient to be reading one book, while simultaneously listening to another book in the car while commuting, running errands, trying to avoid shipping and handling-- I mean whatever tickles your fancy, really -- IT IS SO EFFICIENT! I can't tell you how much I'm loving it. On Saturday our fancy happened to be tickled by Anthony Bourdain's Kitchen Confidential which I highly recommend even though he's kind of -- oh, how do I put it? -- a brash asshole. This may or may not be up your alley, but if you have any interest in food or cooking or drugs or sex or catering(?) it really is quite an entertaining read/(listen?). It actually made the sting of Mother Nature's wrath a little more bearable Saturday afternoon.
Oh, and while we're discussing what a nerd I am, can I tell you what I did on Saturday night? Well after a delicious dinner with Garrett's parents, the two of us headed over to Matt and Lisa's where we played Guitar Hero III -- for almost seven hours. SEVEN HOURS. I want you to let that sink in for a minute. Don't worry, I'll wait. Yeah, actually now that I think about it, let's just keep that between you and me, internet, k? In my defense, it was with some fun friends who are equally as cool (hint: nerdy) as us and the most delicious quesadillas on the planet, but can I tell you what the worst part about it was? When I woke up this morning -- I WAS SORE!
What has my life come to?
On second thought, don't answer that.
Boy this weekend's sure storm caused quite the stir up here in these parts. With pounding rain and 70 mph winds you would have thought a hurricaine was about to hit Friday afternoon with the way everyone was acting. The thing is then you would have realized that you live in Sacramento and a hurricaine is like practically impossible. Then you would have gone on to realize that the ocean is like practically in a different time zone. Do you hear that muffled laughter? That is the East Coast laughing at you like a gaggle of junior high girls.
With dramatic flair worthy of an Oscar, my office closed down at 2pm on Friday afternoon due to "Extreme Weather Conditions." It felt like a glorified fire drill and even though it was like Grand Theft Auto getting home, I certainly didn't let a little rain get in the way of enjoying those extra few hours off. I headed straight the the store and bought all the fixins to have a serious soup party (dude, I bought 7 quarts of Chicken Stock -- who does that?) plus a handy dandy duraflame and I was pretty much set. I ended up making a bitchin Roasted Potato and Fennel Soup and some homemade parmesan croutons and spent the evening hanging with Garrett polishing off a bottle of Zinfandel. I'm not gonna lie, if this is what Extreme Weather is all about, I may just be destined to head East.
Saturday morning, on the other hand, was less than stellar. With a little bit of sun peaking through the clouds Garrett and I hedged our bets and headed out to Placerville to pick up our wine club selections at Lava Cap. Yeah, we're pretty much Last-Minute-Larrys and this weekend was the last weekend you could pick up your case of wine, otherwise you would be relegated to shipping and handling hell. (Basically what I'm telling you here is we're cheap, and we would rather risk life and limb in a storm than pay shipping and handling. Wanna be our friends?)
So we drive all the way out there and the whole winery was like deadsville. I mean seriously I think I saw a tumbleweed blow by as I was reading the 'Closed' sign, which by the way was hanging suspiciously close to another sign proclaiming "Only closed on Easter, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's." (Um...Dear Lava Cap, Last Saturday was none of those holidays, so you can take your shipping and your handling and your signature of a 21 year old with an ID in the middle of a Wednesday afternoon and SUCK IT! Have a nice day. XOXO Holly) Bet hedging not really working out for us, we got a taste of Mother Nature's wrath on the drive home and we didn't even have wine to show for it. HUMPH!
What we did have, however, was excitement in the form of an audio book! AN AUDIO BOOK! I mean could you just die? Who, under 80, listens to audio books? Oh, hang on for a sec, let me put down my LARGE PRINT copy of North and South and just adjust my pocket protector real quick. But seriously, can I just tell you for a minute how audio books are right about to change my life? As someone who is trying to maximize their reading time this year, it is so damn efficient to be reading one book, while simultaneously listening to another book in the car while commuting, running errands, trying to avoid shipping and handling-- I mean whatever tickles your fancy, really -- IT IS SO EFFICIENT! I can't tell you how much I'm loving it. On Saturday our fancy happened to be tickled by Anthony Bourdain's Kitchen Confidential which I highly recommend even though he's kind of -- oh, how do I put it? -- a brash asshole. This may or may not be up your alley, but if you have any interest in food or cooking or drugs or sex or catering(?) it really is quite an entertaining read/(listen?). It actually made the sting of Mother Nature's wrath a little more bearable Saturday afternoon.
Oh, and while we're discussing what a nerd I am, can I tell you what I did on Saturday night? Well after a delicious dinner with Garrett's parents, the two of us headed over to Matt and Lisa's where we played Guitar Hero III -- for almost seven hours. SEVEN HOURS. I want you to let that sink in for a minute. Don't worry, I'll wait. Yeah, actually now that I think about it, let's just keep that between you and me, internet, k? In my defense, it was with some fun friends who are equally as cool (hint: nerdy) as us and the most delicious quesadillas on the planet, but can I tell you what the worst part about it was? When I woke up this morning -- I WAS SORE!
What has my life come to?
On second thought, don't answer that.
January 03, 2008
2007: Year in Review
1. What did you do in 2007 that you’d never done before?
Ate oysters -- and they were DELICIOUS!
2. Did you keep your new year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
I did go to the library more, but I didn't read 30 books. I made new resolutions and you can find them here.
3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
Not last year. I think everyone I knew was too busy getting married.
4. Did anyone close to you die?
No, thank goodness.
5. What countries did you visit?
This one.
6. What would you like to have in 2008 that you lacked in 2007?
The ability to keep up my success at work, while also maintaining my social life, seeing my friends and family, pursuing my hobbies AND getting enough sleep!!! I don't think that's too much to ask.
7. What dates from 2007 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
June 4th - when I started my new position at work.
Nov 17th - my two year anniversary with Garrett
8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Getting my new position and getting accepted in the Emerging Leaders Program at my work.
9. What was your biggest failure?
Not being able to juggle my job success so that it could include time for me and time with friends.
10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
I got in a car accident August 9th and my car was totaled. It wreaked havoc on my body a bit.
11. What was the best thing you bought?
A cute laptop bag. Wow...I'm starting to feel like my life revolves around work! Boo!
12. Whose behavior merited celebration?
My mom -- for always having an ear to listen, always giving great advice, and being my biggest cheerleader even though I am almost 30! Also Jeremy -- for dealing with divorce with more grace than anyone I know. He deserves a medal.
13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
I think it's a toss up between Spears and Lohan. And if we are being honest, the aforementioned EX.
14. Where did most of your money go?
Debt -- hey, it's getting paid off though!
15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
Taking Garrett to Humboldt, work successes, time that I spent with my family this summer.
16. What songs will always remind you of 2007?
Amsterdam by Peter, Bjorn, and John
Modern World by Wolf Parade
17. Compared to this time last year, are you:? a) happier or sadder? b) thinner or fatter? c) richer or poorer?
Happier, Fatter, Richer -- meh. Two outta three ain't bad.
18. What do you wish you’d done more of?
Spent more time by the ocean. Got out of town a bit more. Garrett's house has been in the process of being remodeled for almost 6 months now, and even though it's pretty much done, it definitely took the wind out of our vacation sails for the latter part of the year.
19. What do you wish you’d done less of?
Staying in.
20. How did you spend Christmas?
In Lincoln with my family and with Garrett -- it was super fun!
21. Did you fall in love in 2007?
No but I stayed in love. It amazes me how truly smitten I still am.
22. What was your favorite TV program?
Barefoot Contessa, Grey's Anatomy, The Hills, Top Chef -- TV is for zoning out, not always for changing the world.
23. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year?
Nope.
24. What was the best book you read?
The Kite Runner. Such a page turner, plus quite a bit of it takes place in Fremont, where I grew up, so it was a bit nostalgic.
25. Who were your favorite musical artists?
New Pornographers, Of Montreal, Peter Bjorn & John, Jenny Lewis and the Watson Twins, Cold War Kids
26. What did you want and get?
To live with Garrett.
27. What did you want and not get?
To live with Garrett permanently.
28. What was your favorite film of this year?
God I hardly remember any movies that I saw this year. Did The Descent come out this year -- cuz I'm STILL talking about how scary that was!
29. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
It's ironic that this is the 29th question because I celebrated my 29th birthday -- at Apple Hill for the day and then in keeping with tradition dinner at Latitudes.
30. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
Not much -- it was pretty satisfying.
31. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2007?
I think I described my personal fashion concept pretty well here.
32. What kept you sane?
Venting.
33. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
Ryan Gosling, Peter Sarsgaard, Joaquin Phoenix, Max from Dancing with the Stars. They do it.
34. What political issue stirred you the most?
Reducing my "carbon footprint." Although I have 2 things to say about that. 1. I hate that phrase, it is lame. It's so lame that I want to obdurately oppose it, except that behind the stupid semantics its probably a smart thing to do. 2. Does that count as a political issue? Because I think it is a human issue and shouldn't have anything to do with politics, but it is what sprung to mind first when I thought about political issues. Also lame.
35. Who did you miss?
Jenny Penny. MOVE UP HERE, damnit. And bring your ugly Christmas Sweaters.
36. Who was the best new person you met?
I quite like my cousin Jim's girlfriend Gina.
37. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2007.
Time is precious and you are the only person who chooses how you spend it.
38. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year.
Physics makes us all its bitches.
Ate oysters -- and they were DELICIOUS!
2. Did you keep your new year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
I did go to the library more, but I didn't read 30 books. I made new resolutions and you can find them here.
3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
Not last year. I think everyone I knew was too busy getting married.
4. Did anyone close to you die?
No, thank goodness.
5. What countries did you visit?
This one.
6. What would you like to have in 2008 that you lacked in 2007?
The ability to keep up my success at work, while also maintaining my social life, seeing my friends and family, pursuing my hobbies AND getting enough sleep!!! I don't think that's too much to ask.
7. What dates from 2007 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
June 4th - when I started my new position at work.
Nov 17th - my two year anniversary with Garrett
8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Getting my new position and getting accepted in the Emerging Leaders Program at my work.
9. What was your biggest failure?
Not being able to juggle my job success so that it could include time for me and time with friends.
10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
I got in a car accident August 9th and my car was totaled. It wreaked havoc on my body a bit.
11. What was the best thing you bought?
A cute laptop bag. Wow...I'm starting to feel like my life revolves around work! Boo!
12. Whose behavior merited celebration?
My mom -- for always having an ear to listen, always giving great advice, and being my biggest cheerleader even though I am almost 30! Also Jeremy -- for dealing with divorce with more grace than anyone I know. He deserves a medal.
13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
I think it's a toss up between Spears and Lohan. And if we are being honest, the aforementioned EX.
14. Where did most of your money go?
Debt -- hey, it's getting paid off though!
15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
Taking Garrett to Humboldt, work successes, time that I spent with my family this summer.
16. What songs will always remind you of 2007?
Amsterdam by Peter, Bjorn, and John
Modern World by Wolf Parade
17. Compared to this time last year, are you:? a) happier or sadder? b) thinner or fatter? c) richer or poorer?
Happier, Fatter, Richer -- meh. Two outta three ain't bad.
18. What do you wish you’d done more of?
Spent more time by the ocean. Got out of town a bit more. Garrett's house has been in the process of being remodeled for almost 6 months now, and even though it's pretty much done, it definitely took the wind out of our vacation sails for the latter part of the year.
19. What do you wish you’d done less of?
Staying in.
20. How did you spend Christmas?
In Lincoln with my family and with Garrett -- it was super fun!
21. Did you fall in love in 2007?
No but I stayed in love. It amazes me how truly smitten I still am.
22. What was your favorite TV program?
Barefoot Contessa, Grey's Anatomy, The Hills, Top Chef -- TV is for zoning out, not always for changing the world.
23. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year?
Nope.
24. What was the best book you read?
The Kite Runner. Such a page turner, plus quite a bit of it takes place in Fremont, where I grew up, so it was a bit nostalgic.
25. Who were your favorite musical artists?
New Pornographers, Of Montreal, Peter Bjorn & John, Jenny Lewis and the Watson Twins, Cold War Kids
26. What did you want and get?
To live with Garrett.
27. What did you want and not get?
To live with Garrett permanently.
28. What was your favorite film of this year?
God I hardly remember any movies that I saw this year. Did The Descent come out this year -- cuz I'm STILL talking about how scary that was!
29. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
It's ironic that this is the 29th question because I celebrated my 29th birthday -- at Apple Hill for the day and then in keeping with tradition dinner at Latitudes.
30. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
Not much -- it was pretty satisfying.
31. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2007?
I think I described my personal fashion concept pretty well here.
32. What kept you sane?
Venting.
33. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
Ryan Gosling, Peter Sarsgaard, Joaquin Phoenix, Max from Dancing with the Stars. They do it.
34. What political issue stirred you the most?
Reducing my "carbon footprint." Although I have 2 things to say about that. 1. I hate that phrase, it is lame. It's so lame that I want to obdurately oppose it, except that behind the stupid semantics its probably a smart thing to do. 2. Does that count as a political issue? Because I think it is a human issue and shouldn't have anything to do with politics, but it is what sprung to mind first when I thought about political issues. Also lame.
35. Who did you miss?
Jenny Penny. MOVE UP HERE, damnit. And bring your ugly Christmas Sweaters.
36. Who was the best new person you met?
I quite like my cousin Jim's girlfriend Gina.
37. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2007.
Time is precious and you are the only person who chooses how you spend it.
38. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year.
Physics makes us all its bitches.
I resolve to be resolute: 2008 edition
My habit has always been to commit goals to writing. I like to cross things off lists and I'm ashamed to admit I can totally have the "Called it!" mentality at times. Though I'm not particularly ceremonial about New Year's Resolutions -- as evidenced by last year's random post -- I always at least think about them and at least make a few.
This year I'm taking a new approach. I decided that if I combined my year round goal setting with my New Year's "Resolution-ing" (even though they are kind of the same thing) I would thereby assure myself a better than average chance of completing all resolutions. See how this works? More resolutions made, more to pat myself on the back for completing. It's all convoluted mind trickery up here in my brain. I can rationalize with the best of them, I swear. You should see me at the mall, or reading the dessert menu.
Anyway, with that being said (and fully acknowledging that I owe all of you the Part 2 to my Construction Delays story), I thought I would post my New Year's resolutions for 2008. I've put them in categories because I'm a hyper-organized list maker but also because I am the type of person who can get focused on one specific aspect of my life at times, so I figured at least if I had a categorized list I could still be somewhat productive even when I'm completely other ignoring things. Hmm...maybe for 2009 I will try some type of life-integration strategy so I can spin all my plates at once, but at this point that is neither here nor there. So without further ado, here are my goals for 2008 -- what are you all doing?
Daily Life
Consistently dress professionally at work (including hair, makeup, and all those details -- and even on casual Friday)
See more movies by myself
Floss nightly
Pack lighter on trips
Swear less
Stretch Daily
Be more diligent and timely about Thank You Notes
Get back to my old more "creative" habits (I hate the word crafty, but basically get my craft on!)
Home
Organize a crafting space
Print out more of my photos
Throw out old clothes
FINALLY find a closet organization system that works
Grow an herb garden
Get a dog
Health and Wellness
Exercise for at least 30 minutes, 3x per week (outside as much as possible!)
Do yoga once per week
Get back to my free weight loving self
Use sunscreen more vigilantly (especially on face -- SPF make up is not enough! Do you want to look like a leather face?)
Do the Couch to 5k program
Run 5k
Go hiking (preferably with Garrett) at least once a month
Get teeth cleaned twice
Family and Friends
Acknowledge all birthdays at least with a phone call
Give presents and send cards on time
Host at least one party/bbq/soiree
Make and send more mix CDs
Send a care package for no reason
Be a better emailer
Keep address book updated
Send Christmas cards with non-obnoxious update letter
Cooking and Baking
Go to Farmers Market at least once per month
Make Jam
Use crock pot more
Try Pickling peppers and veggies
Make an infused Olive Oil
Make at least one meal from one of my MANY cookbooks per week
Make chicken stock from scratch
Plan meals
Purchase and wear apron
Take a cooking class
Go wine tasting twice this year (even if that just means to pick up your wine club shippment and have a glass you have never tasted)
Try at least one new restaurant per month (hello, entertainment book!)
Go out for dinner with friends at least once per month
Bake something every other week (but take to work so it doesn't sit around the house forcing me against my will to eat the whole thing)
Brain
Read at least 30 books
Start learning a new language
Blog about books that I read
Learn to knit again (see: get craft on)
Blog 2-3 times per week
Make the move to typepad
Take a photography class
Purse freelance writing opportunities more diligently
Money
Get student loans under control
Continue with debt reduction plan
Start saving 10%
Purchase a bookkeeping program for computer
Love
Make something for Garrett
Listen more, talk less
Plan at least 2 weekends out of town just for the two of us (not for weddings, not for holidays, not for parties)
Think before I speak when I'm angry
Commit his small daily gestures to memory and keep in mind during the "thinking before speaking when angry"
Go on more McKinley picnics
Career
Fret not, I do have a multitude of career goals, though I won't be posting them here. I did, however, get into an awesome program this year at my job called Emerging Leaders which is definitely going to help me fine tune some of my long term career goals which I am really excited about. I may post a bit about that, but I'm pretty much sticking to my No Talking About Work rule.
Consumption
Buy a car
Buy a new computer
Buy a brown coat
Buy an SLR
Buy photoshop
This year I'm taking a new approach. I decided that if I combined my year round goal setting with my New Year's "Resolution-ing" (even though they are kind of the same thing) I would thereby assure myself a better than average chance of completing all resolutions. See how this works? More resolutions made, more to pat myself on the back for completing. It's all convoluted mind trickery up here in my brain. I can rationalize with the best of them, I swear. You should see me at the mall, or reading the dessert menu.
Anyway, with that being said (and fully acknowledging that I owe all of you the Part 2 to my Construction Delays story), I thought I would post my New Year's resolutions for 2008. I've put them in categories because I'm a hyper-organized list maker but also because I am the type of person who can get focused on one specific aspect of my life at times, so I figured at least if I had a categorized list I could still be somewhat productive even when I'm completely other ignoring things. Hmm...maybe for 2009 I will try some type of life-integration strategy so I can spin all my plates at once, but at this point that is neither here nor there. So without further ado, here are my goals for 2008 -- what are you all doing?
Daily Life
Consistently dress professionally at work (including hair, makeup, and all those details -- and even on casual Friday)
See more movies by myself
Floss nightly
Pack lighter on trips
Swear less
Stretch Daily
Be more diligent and timely about Thank You Notes
Get back to my old more "creative" habits (I hate the word crafty, but basically get my craft on!)
Home
Organize a crafting space
Print out more of my photos
Throw out old clothes
FINALLY find a closet organization system that works
Grow an herb garden
Get a dog
Health and Wellness
Exercise for at least 30 minutes, 3x per week (outside as much as possible!)
Do yoga once per week
Get back to my free weight loving self
Use sunscreen more vigilantly (especially on face -- SPF make up is not enough! Do you want to look like a leather face?)
Do the Couch to 5k program
Run 5k
Go hiking (preferably with Garrett) at least once a month
Get teeth cleaned twice
Family and Friends
Acknowledge all birthdays at least with a phone call
Give presents and send cards on time
Host at least one party/bbq/soiree
Make and send more mix CDs
Send a care package for no reason
Be a better emailer
Keep address book updated
Send Christmas cards with non-obnoxious update letter
Cooking and Baking
Go to Farmers Market at least once per month
Make Jam
Use crock pot more
Try Pickling peppers and veggies
Make an infused Olive Oil
Make at least one meal from one of my MANY cookbooks per week
Make chicken stock from scratch
Plan meals
Purchase and wear apron
Take a cooking class
Go wine tasting twice this year (even if that just means to pick up your wine club shippment and have a glass you have never tasted)
Try at least one new restaurant per month (hello, entertainment book!)
Go out for dinner with friends at least once per month
Bake something every other week (but take to work so it doesn't sit around the house forcing me against my will to eat the whole thing)
Brain
Read at least 30 books
Start learning a new language
Blog about books that I read
Learn to knit again (see: get craft on)
Blog 2-3 times per week
Make the move to typepad
Take a photography class
Purse freelance writing opportunities more diligently
Money
Get student loans under control
Continue with debt reduction plan
Start saving 10%
Purchase a bookkeeping program for computer
Love
Make something for Garrett
Listen more, talk less
Plan at least 2 weekends out of town just for the two of us (not for weddings, not for holidays, not for parties)
Think before I speak when I'm angry
Commit his small daily gestures to memory and keep in mind during the "thinking before speaking when angry"
Go on more McKinley picnics
Career
Fret not, I do have a multitude of career goals, though I won't be posting them here. I did, however, get into an awesome program this year at my job called Emerging Leaders which is definitely going to help me fine tune some of my long term career goals which I am really excited about. I may post a bit about that, but I'm pretty much sticking to my No Talking About Work rule.
Consumption
Buy a car
Buy a new computer
Buy a brown coat
Buy an SLR
Buy photoshop
November 15, 2007
Construction Delays (Part One)
During the summer of 2002 I was scouting out the Sacramento area Peet’s Coffee locations in preparation for my move up from Los Angeles in August to finish school. After a four year hiatus from college I wanted an easy transition back to student life so I had decided to step down from my management position with Peet’s and transfer to a NorCal location as a regular barista to work fewer hours.
At the time I only knew my family who lived in Lincoln, so I began to look around Roseville for an apartment. Roseville was a 25 minute commute to school, but a brand new Peet’s was supposed to be opening there that summer across from the GREAT! BIG! MALL! I'm sure you can imagine my excitement. But as moving time grew closer, I kept getting the same update about the Roseville Peet’s.
Construction delays.
I realized that my only option was going to be to work at the one Sacramento Peet's location, which meant it would make more sense to move to Sacramento proper. I was bummed because this meant I would be farther from the only souls I knew(and of course that GREAT! BIG! MALL!) but I figured living closer to school and work would afford me the opportunity to meet more people -- and let me tell you, it was one of the best things I ever did. Those construction delays brought me to a major turning point in my life.
In November of 2003, a little over a year after settling into my new Peet’s and my new Sacramento life, a few new holiday hires joined our store. One of them happened to be a guy named Garrett and the first thing I ever noticed about him were his incredible eyes (fret not, his cute behind I would notice later). I was instantly attracted to him, but this is far from a love-at-first-sight story.
If you must know the truth, I can be a little judgmental. Snap judgments seem to be my biggest flaw, but trust me when I tell you this particular situation has certainly taught me a lesson in that. The thing about Garrett's arrival is that I wasn’t the only girl who had noticed. There was plenty of buzz surrounding him, and I thought to myself smugly, "Let the rest of these chicks swoon over him just because he's pretty. I'm so beyond that!" You see, I had just spent 4 years doing some soul searching in Los Angeles (remarkably enough you can find your soul down there if you know where to look) and I felt like I was discriminating, damnit! I had come to Sacramento with a fiercely independent attitude, and I certainly was not going to fall prey to another pretty boy with too much gel in his hair who used to work at The Gap. Been there, done that.
I decided just about instantly that Garrett and I had nothing in common and thus acted accordingly. In my book he was just another prepped out, spoiled douchebag and my independent, all knowing self just didn’t have the time for that.
To this day, that is something I regret.
I spent a good 6-8 months not being the friendliest to him, though I never could quite get those eyes out of my mind. I remember once we had a conversation standing behind the pastry case at Peet’s and the entire time I don’t think I heard a word he was saying. I was absolutely hypnotized by his eyes, and I managed in that conversation to unknowingly twist a button off the back pocket of the green Capri pants I was wearing. When I did, there was sort of an awkward pause in the conversation, I can still see it vividly. And it was in that moment I knew that I had feelings for him.
It was this giant tidal wave of emotion, and I immediately felt self conscious – sure that it was written all over my face. At the time I don't think Garrett even noticed it, but in hindsight I am surprised that I even kept myself speaking in coherent sentences. I don’t wear those pants at all anymore because they are covered in coffee stains and not to mention kind of out of style, but every time I clean out my closet I can’t bring myself to throw them out because they absolutely remind me of that moment when I knew. That moment of realization that all of my self righteous ignoring and immature behavior had really just boiled down to that elementary school style of showing affection – be mean to the ones you truly love.
I wrestled with that epiphany for a while and put it in the back of my mind. As I realized what a jerk I had been and amended that behavior, we slowly became better friends (there's a shocker) and piece by piece we told each other our stories over shared pitchers of Newcastle, and long phone calls that didn't end until one of us fell asleep. We exchanged CDs with each other, and began a tradition of doing pub trivia at Streets of London every Sunday night with a few of our other co-workers. Now, as a fully corporate Monday thru Friday 9 to 5-er, I can tell you with one hundred percent certainty that I have never looked forward to a Sunday night with such anticipation as I did during that time in my life.
The best part of our newfound friendship was that on top of Garrett being a wonderful guy that I was loving to get to know, he was also my coworker (which, hello! meant I got to see him ALL THAT MUCH MORE). A few mornings per week he would be the first face I saw at 5am when we would roll into Lyon Village with our sleepy faces on and claim our regular parking spots. Those mornings are some my clearest and fondest memories of that time – the days when I got up a little bit earlier to plan my outfit and used just a little extra anticipatory Cool Mint Listerine.
I can see those days in my mind still– how on the outside they must have looked like dark, foggy, winter mornings so full of routine when the rest of Sacramento was still asleep -- but on the inside it was actually toasty warm, we were drinking espresso, cracking inside jokes, and accidentally brushing arms while making drinks. The intimacy was palpable and we built a relationship over coffee beans that plays over and over in my head to a soundtrack of Radiohead, Stars, Muse, and The Arcade Fire. To this day when I hear Muse's "Endlessly" it makes my heart beat just a little bit quicker in remembrance of that time.
But this phase in our relationship did ultimately cause a problem of its own. Not really dating, but having a relationship that didn't really qualify as being "just friends" meant we were in limbo-- and this went on for a LONG time. For OVER A YEAR! And let me tell you, for a high strung gal like me who is always trying to take action in her life– that limbo phase ate me up inside. In my mind it all made sense-- Boy: check, Great Chemistry: check, Butterflies: check, Shared Values: check – the potential was amazing and every day that it wasn’t being realized it began to irritate me more and more. All this philosophizing about life and agreeing about relationship standards-- all the laughing and having fun and the late night phone calls just weren't working for me without a label (I know, I’m a total spaz – spare your comments, I’m totally aware). BUT I WANTED A TITLE DAMNIT! I was an English major, I liked definitions, words that identified things. Words, to me, brought clarity, and I wanted it settled in my mind already. I wanted to know what we were doing, where we were going, and I definitely wanted that fairytale exclamation that Garrett had loved me this whole time-- you know, confessed preferably in some romantic, grandiose fashion
Ha!
Unfortunately that wasn’t exactly how we came to be. The beginning of my relationship with Garrett was wrought with its own construction delays...
Story Continued here
At the time I only knew my family who lived in Lincoln, so I began to look around Roseville for an apartment. Roseville was a 25 minute commute to school, but a brand new Peet’s was supposed to be opening there that summer across from the GREAT! BIG! MALL! I'm sure you can imagine my excitement. But as moving time grew closer, I kept getting the same update about the Roseville Peet’s.
Construction delays.
I realized that my only option was going to be to work at the one Sacramento Peet's location, which meant it would make more sense to move to Sacramento proper. I was bummed because this meant I would be farther from the only souls I knew(and of course that GREAT! BIG! MALL!) but I figured living closer to school and work would afford me the opportunity to meet more people -- and let me tell you, it was one of the best things I ever did. Those construction delays brought me to a major turning point in my life.
In November of 2003, a little over a year after settling into my new Peet’s and my new Sacramento life, a few new holiday hires joined our store. One of them happened to be a guy named Garrett and the first thing I ever noticed about him were his incredible eyes (fret not, his cute behind I would notice later). I was instantly attracted to him, but this is far from a love-at-first-sight story.
If you must know the truth, I can be a little judgmental. Snap judgments seem to be my biggest flaw, but trust me when I tell you this particular situation has certainly taught me a lesson in that. The thing about Garrett's arrival is that I wasn’t the only girl who had noticed. There was plenty of buzz surrounding him, and I thought to myself smugly, "Let the rest of these chicks swoon over him just because he's pretty. I'm so beyond that!" You see, I had just spent 4 years doing some soul searching in Los Angeles (remarkably enough you can find your soul down there if you know where to look) and I felt like I was discriminating, damnit! I had come to Sacramento with a fiercely independent attitude, and I certainly was not going to fall prey to another pretty boy with too much gel in his hair who used to work at The Gap. Been there, done that.
I decided just about instantly that Garrett and I had nothing in common and thus acted accordingly. In my book he was just another prepped out, spoiled douchebag and my independent, all knowing self just didn’t have the time for that.
To this day, that is something I regret.
I spent a good 6-8 months not being the friendliest to him, though I never could quite get those eyes out of my mind. I remember once we had a conversation standing behind the pastry case at Peet’s and the entire time I don’t think I heard a word he was saying. I was absolutely hypnotized by his eyes, and I managed in that conversation to unknowingly twist a button off the back pocket of the green Capri pants I was wearing. When I did, there was sort of an awkward pause in the conversation, I can still see it vividly. And it was in that moment I knew that I had feelings for him.
It was this giant tidal wave of emotion, and I immediately felt self conscious – sure that it was written all over my face. At the time I don't think Garrett even noticed it, but in hindsight I am surprised that I even kept myself speaking in coherent sentences. I don’t wear those pants at all anymore because they are covered in coffee stains and not to mention kind of out of style, but every time I clean out my closet I can’t bring myself to throw them out because they absolutely remind me of that moment when I knew. That moment of realization that all of my self righteous ignoring and immature behavior had really just boiled down to that elementary school style of showing affection – be mean to the ones you truly love.
I wrestled with that epiphany for a while and put it in the back of my mind. As I realized what a jerk I had been and amended that behavior, we slowly became better friends (there's a shocker) and piece by piece we told each other our stories over shared pitchers of Newcastle, and long phone calls that didn't end until one of us fell asleep. We exchanged CDs with each other, and began a tradition of doing pub trivia at Streets of London every Sunday night with a few of our other co-workers. Now, as a fully corporate Monday thru Friday 9 to 5-er, I can tell you with one hundred percent certainty that I have never looked forward to a Sunday night with such anticipation as I did during that time in my life.
The best part of our newfound friendship was that on top of Garrett being a wonderful guy that I was loving to get to know, he was also my coworker (which, hello! meant I got to see him ALL THAT MUCH MORE). A few mornings per week he would be the first face I saw at 5am when we would roll into Lyon Village with our sleepy faces on and claim our regular parking spots. Those mornings are some my clearest and fondest memories of that time – the days when I got up a little bit earlier to plan my outfit and used just a little extra anticipatory Cool Mint Listerine.
I can see those days in my mind still– how on the outside they must have looked like dark, foggy, winter mornings so full of routine when the rest of Sacramento was still asleep -- but on the inside it was actually toasty warm, we were drinking espresso, cracking inside jokes, and accidentally brushing arms while making drinks. The intimacy was palpable and we built a relationship over coffee beans that plays over and over in my head to a soundtrack of Radiohead, Stars, Muse, and The Arcade Fire. To this day when I hear Muse's "Endlessly" it makes my heart beat just a little bit quicker in remembrance of that time.
But this phase in our relationship did ultimately cause a problem of its own. Not really dating, but having a relationship that didn't really qualify as being "just friends" meant we were in limbo-- and this went on for a LONG time. For OVER A YEAR! And let me tell you, for a high strung gal like me who is always trying to take action in her life– that limbo phase ate me up inside. In my mind it all made sense-- Boy: check, Great Chemistry: check, Butterflies: check, Shared Values: check – the potential was amazing and every day that it wasn’t being realized it began to irritate me more and more. All this philosophizing about life and agreeing about relationship standards-- all the laughing and having fun and the late night phone calls just weren't working for me without a label (I know, I’m a total spaz – spare your comments, I’m totally aware). BUT I WANTED A TITLE DAMNIT! I was an English major, I liked definitions, words that identified things. Words, to me, brought clarity, and I wanted it settled in my mind already. I wanted to know what we were doing, where we were going, and I definitely wanted that fairytale exclamation that Garrett had loved me this whole time-- you know, confessed preferably in some romantic, grandiose fashion
Ha!
Unfortunately that wasn’t exactly how we came to be. The beginning of my relationship with Garrett was wrought with its own construction delays...
Story Continued here
November 14, 2007
Three Cheers for Girls Night!
I've been jonesing for some girl time this week and tonight really quenched that thirst:
6 pm - meet Garrett for tea over at Peet's just to check in. With his mom in town our visits have been few and far between, but we spent a little time together just to say hi and chit chat face to face. Even though he's a boy, that quick visit was a great way to start my evening.
7 pm - Talked to my mom...for an HOUR! About what, you ask? Who Cares? It didn't matter that I had already talked to her twice today -- we somehow mustered up 60 minutes worth of stuff to gab about.
Put on Pajamas.
8 pm - Watched America's Next Top Model with the roommate and made bitchy comments about how stupid all the models are. (Bianca is such a hater -- and dang that photo shoot made her look like Dennis Rodman!) Threw in a few sarcastic remarks about Tyra Banks just for good measure.
Ate Dessert.
9 pm - Watched tonight's episode of Oprah aptly titled "The Greatest Love Story Ever." In tears after 10 minutes. Holy hell, have you heard this story? It was just about the sweetest love story every!! I dare you not to cry!
Now we are just waiting for the Season Premiere of Project Runway, which I'll be watching right before I curl up into bed with the ubiquitous Eat, Pray, Love.
What can I say, some nights are Ladies' Nights, and tonight there are no boys allowed.
6 pm - meet Garrett for tea over at Peet's just to check in. With his mom in town our visits have been few and far between, but we spent a little time together just to say hi and chit chat face to face. Even though he's a boy, that quick visit was a great way to start my evening.
7 pm - Talked to my mom...for an HOUR! About what, you ask? Who Cares? It didn't matter that I had already talked to her twice today -- we somehow mustered up 60 minutes worth of stuff to gab about.
Put on Pajamas.
8 pm - Watched America's Next Top Model with the roommate and made bitchy comments about how stupid all the models are. (Bianca is such a hater -- and dang that photo shoot made her look like Dennis Rodman!) Threw in a few sarcastic remarks about Tyra Banks just for good measure.
Ate Dessert.
9 pm - Watched tonight's episode of Oprah aptly titled "The Greatest Love Story Ever." In tears after 10 minutes. Holy hell, have you heard this story? It was just about the sweetest love story every!! I dare you not to cry!
Now we are just waiting for the Season Premiere of Project Runway, which I'll be watching right before I curl up into bed with the ubiquitous Eat, Pray, Love.
What can I say, some nights are Ladies' Nights, and tonight there are no boys allowed.
November 13, 2007
Asked and Answered
So if you refer to yesterday's wishlist, it included getting out of jury duty and having a day off of work so that I could just read and relax. Although I also did a ridiculous amount of errands, today was spent mostly reading, killing time on the internet, enjoying tea and pancakes as I watched the View (shut up!) in my pajamas -- and this was all because I ended up NOT have to go to jury duty today. CAN YOU BELIEVE THAT? Is that a 24 hour turnaround or what? Hallelujah!
If you must know the truth though, the real reason I got out of jury duty was because I didn't read the form correctly and I actually just have to call tomorrow night to see if I have it on Thursday. So all this time worrying about "Tuesday's Jury Duty" has kind of been for naught. Huh. So sue me, I guess I'm a bit of a rookie at this. But while we're talking about I was wondering -- if you have it in your heart, will you cross your fingers for me tomorrow that I get the word that I don't have to go back on the following day-- because frankly, I got the sitting-around-doing-nothing out of my system today and I certainly don't feel like doing it again on Thursday at a Courthouse. I mean, I hear down there that there is no wi-fi OR pancakes. And that would be a travesty!
If you must know the truth though, the real reason I got out of jury duty was because I didn't read the form correctly and I actually just have to call tomorrow night to see if I have it on Thursday. So all this time worrying about "Tuesday's Jury Duty" has kind of been for naught. Huh. So sue me, I guess I'm a bit of a rookie at this. But while we're talking about I was wondering -- if you have it in your heart, will you cross your fingers for me tomorrow that I get the word that I don't have to go back on the following day-- because frankly, I got the sitting-around-doing-nothing out of my system today and I certainly don't feel like doing it again on Thursday at a Courthouse. I mean, I hear down there that there is no wi-fi OR pancakes. And that would be a travesty!
November 12, 2007
10 Things I Want Right Now
1. You to forgive me. So, apparently my smug Next Iron Chef prediction yesterday was incorrect, and actually Michael Symon won. Humph!
2. A Doctor's Note to get me out of jury duty tomorrow.
3. My pride back. I just fell down the stairs at my work and totally clawed up my hand. There was someone at the bottom watching. Awesome.
4. A home cooked meal. I went home for lunch only to find that basically my fridge is empty except for condiments, one Corona, old orange juice, mascarpone cheese, and a ball of pizza dough from Trader Joe's.
5. A massage. See #3.
6. A day off to lay in bed and read. Although if you see #2, it is sort of a happy medium. I won't be in bed, but I will be armed with reading material, and most likely hours of free time.
7. A new car. It's not what you think. I'm not that spoiled. My car was totalled on August 9th and I have yet to replace it. I've been lucky enough to have Garrett loan me his second car (don't worry, he's not spoiled either, it's a hand me down 1991 Toyota Cressida that belonged to his granmother). This has worked swimmingly until this weekend when the radiator started acting up. It's old, it's allowed to, but I just hate that feeling of unreliable transportation and think it is probably time to start looking for cars seriously.
8. A day off work.
9. Grey's Anatomy to be on 7 nights a week.
10. The heater in my apartment to start working.
I dont know, is that too much to ask?
2. A Doctor's Note to get me out of jury duty tomorrow.
3. My pride back. I just fell down the stairs at my work and totally clawed up my hand. There was someone at the bottom watching. Awesome.
4. A home cooked meal. I went home for lunch only to find that basically my fridge is empty except for condiments, one Corona, old orange juice, mascarpone cheese, and a ball of pizza dough from Trader Joe's.
5. A massage. See #3.
6. A day off to lay in bed and read. Although if you see #2, it is sort of a happy medium. I won't be in bed, but I will be armed with reading material, and most likely hours of free time.
7. A new car. It's not what you think. I'm not that spoiled. My car was totalled on August 9th and I have yet to replace it. I've been lucky enough to have Garrett loan me his second car (don't worry, he's not spoiled either, it's a hand me down 1991 Toyota Cressida that belonged to his granmother). This has worked swimmingly until this weekend when the radiator started acting up. It's old, it's allowed to, but I just hate that feeling of unreliable transportation and think it is probably time to start looking for cars seriously.
8. A day off work.
9. Grey's Anatomy to be on 7 nights a week.
10. The heater in my apartment to start working.
I dont know, is that too much to ask?
November 11, 2007
I just want bragging rights if I call it...
My guess for the winner of Food Network's Next Iron Chef is John Besh.
I'm crossing my fingers.
I know, my life is EXTREME.
I'm crossing my fingers.
I know, my life is EXTREME.
November 10, 2007
I can't see.
Dear Internet,
I can't see myself blogging today. I'm not even sleeping at my own house, and the computer I am on at the moment uses dial up internet. Extensive blogging might blow it up.
Until Sunday...
I can't see myself blogging today. I'm not even sleeping at my own house, and the computer I am on at the moment uses dial up internet. Extensive blogging might blow it up.
Until Sunday...
November 09, 2007
Doing My Homework
I'm working from home today for a multitude of reasons. The most pressing reason is that I have like 500 things to take care of before Monday, and my office is full of other obligations that ironically enough can sometimes keep me from doing actual work. My boss is awesome and was like "hey, do it at home, in your pajamas, drinking some tea." Awesome, right? Home is supposed to hold less distractions, less stress. Honestly though, I am feeling totally possessed right now by the idea of the laundry I could be doing, the kichen I could be cleaning, um...the blog I should be writing -- yeah. This is harder than it looks. Wait, hang on a sec, I think I just stepped on a crumb, I should go grab the vaccuum.
IT'S SO HARD.
It's funny how something that seems like such a relief -- "working from home" (sigh)-- is actually proving to be more difficult that keeping chatty coworkers at bay. Advice?
IT'S SO HARD.
It's funny how something that seems like such a relief -- "working from home" (sigh)-- is actually proving to be more difficult that keeping chatty coworkers at bay. Advice?
November 08, 2007
The Devil is in the Details: A Photo Essay
Before we get started, I feel obligated to state that I do not think I am the most fashionable person on the planet. In fact, I am quite sure I would be laughed right out of Rachel Zoe's office due to the fact that just about my entire wardrobe consists of cheap and easily mixable pieces -- namely GAP favorite tees, jeans, and sometimes the occasional colorful item from oh, I don't know Target. For the record though, most of the time I think I look relatively put together and it has mainly to do with how I accessorize my bare bones wardrobe. In my humble opinion, the quickest and easiest way to spice up any plain jane ensemble is in the details, and the following are some tactics I employ on a regular basis. For Example:
1. Heels
I double dog dare to you to wear heels and not feel pretty. Okay so if you have a hard time walking in them and fall on your face, you may not feel so pretty -- That one I'll give you. But seriously it only takes a little practice, start with a kitten heel and move up from there and you will immediately have a foolproof way of making even jeans and a t shirt look classy.
2. Cute Flats
Because hammer toes ARE NOT sexy. Wanting to feel pretty and spending everyday in heels is like wanting to look young and laying in a tanning bed on your lunch hour. No bueno in the long run, ya know? But that doesn't mean you can't rock the flats, or quite frankly your creamsicle complexion -- the world has no shortage of leather faced girls! Cute, flat shoes can add some sugar and spice to even the simplest attire.
3. Flip Flops
Oops! Wait, scratch that. I'm pretty sure flip flops never "make" the outfit, but who doesn't love them? What did I ever do before Old Navy and their Rainbow Brite wall of $3 flip flops?
4. Baubles
Haha! I just like that word. I don't actually have any, really, but I do like a big fun necklace every once in a while. If nothing else, 9 times out of 10 they are a great conversation piece, and nobody notices that underneath it is that plain black favorite tee again.
5. Scarves!
Silk scarves, wool scarves, it doesn't really matter. They are all absolutely fabulous and worthy of wear whenever you have a chance. I love to tie them on my neck, on my purse, on my head -- the possibilities are kind of endless, no?
And last but not least, if nothing else works and you must call in for reinforcement, you should always have an option or two for going incognito:
It beats wearing a paper bag over your head, right?
1. Heels
I double dog dare to you to wear heels and not feel pretty. Okay so if you have a hard time walking in them and fall on your face, you may not feel so pretty -- That one I'll give you. But seriously it only takes a little practice, start with a kitten heel and move up from there and you will immediately have a foolproof way of making even jeans and a t shirt look classy.
2. Cute Flats
Because hammer toes ARE NOT sexy. Wanting to feel pretty and spending everyday in heels is like wanting to look young and laying in a tanning bed on your lunch hour. No bueno in the long run, ya know? But that doesn't mean you can't rock the flats, or quite frankly your creamsicle complexion -- the world has no shortage of leather faced girls! Cute, flat shoes can add some sugar and spice to even the simplest attire.
3. Flip Flops
Oops! Wait, scratch that. I'm pretty sure flip flops never "make" the outfit, but who doesn't love them? What did I ever do before Old Navy and their Rainbow Brite wall of $3 flip flops?
4. Baubles
Haha! I just like that word. I don't actually have any, really, but I do like a big fun necklace every once in a while. If nothing else, 9 times out of 10 they are a great conversation piece, and nobody notices that underneath it is that plain black favorite tee again.
5. Scarves!
Silk scarves, wool scarves, it doesn't really matter. They are all absolutely fabulous and worthy of wear whenever you have a chance. I love to tie them on my neck, on my purse, on my head -- the possibilities are kind of endless, no?
And last but not least, if nothing else works and you must call in for reinforcement, you should always have an option or two for going incognito:
It beats wearing a paper bag over your head, right?
November 07, 2007
Dear Target,
Ok seriously, the fact that Christmas is around the corner is totally blowing my mind. You see Target, every year come the first of November, all of a sudden the greedy "I want" monster that usually lives dormantly inside of me is fiercly unleashed. Everywhere I go, there are multitudes of things I just want to run off with. And everything feels like a MUST HAVE. I need that turtleneck, I must hang that wreath, that purse would be perfect for the holiday party, wouldn't those new plates make that dinner taste better? You don't help with this my dear friend, you are making me lose all sense of reason.
Don't get me wrong, Target, I've always liked you, but seriously, during this time of year you feel like a compulsion that I am working daily to fight off. I need a remedy. Maybe there's there a vitamin for that? Ooooooh, might you perhaps sell it in your Toiletries Section? Hey- wait- No! Damn you Target! There you go again, luring me in with your sensible products. You are like the super strength sickness that has become immune to all antibiotics. I mean how am I supposed to be able to my q tips and toothpaste in peace when I have to see stuff like this lying around:
Seriously. I want that kitchen. I NEED that kitchen. But look, its not even really a kitchen! Your marketing folks are geniuses, you know. I mean really, just randomly placed appliances sitting on a table? Yet I still feel an immediate lust for it. It doesn't matter that I have almost everything there already because I don't have them in RED! And don't even get me started on your adorable TV ads with their catchy songs. ARGH!
Look, I'm trying to be nice here. I don't want this to get all ugly or anything, all I'm saying is -- quit reading my diary, ok? Oh yeah, and one last thing -- did I hear correctly that your cover charge is going from $50 per visit to $150? Get back to me, could ya?
XOXOXO,
Holly
Don't get me wrong, Target, I've always liked you, but seriously, during this time of year you feel like a compulsion that I am working daily to fight off. I need a remedy. Maybe there's there a vitamin for that? Ooooooh, might you perhaps sell it in your Toiletries Section? Hey- wait- No! Damn you Target! There you go again, luring me in with your sensible products. You are like the super strength sickness that has become immune to all antibiotics. I mean how am I supposed to be able to my q tips and toothpaste in peace when I have to see stuff like this lying around:
Seriously. I want that kitchen. I NEED that kitchen. But look, its not even really a kitchen! Your marketing folks are geniuses, you know. I mean really, just randomly placed appliances sitting on a table? Yet I still feel an immediate lust for it. It doesn't matter that I have almost everything there already because I don't have them in RED! And don't even get me started on your adorable TV ads with their catchy songs. ARGH!
Look, I'm trying to be nice here. I don't want this to get all ugly or anything, all I'm saying is -- quit reading my diary, ok? Oh yeah, and one last thing -- did I hear correctly that your cover charge is going from $50 per visit to $150? Get back to me, could ya?
XOXOXO,
Holly
November 06, 2007
Does YOUR Nightstand Do This?
Mine seems to multiply when I'm not looking. It starts off with the book I'm reading, then I get an idea about what I want to read next, then I get a recommendation...and then it all goes downhill.
Current Read: Eat Pray Love by Elizabeth Gilbert. Quick and easy, I am burning through this one at every opportunity. Too bad I picked it up in the middle of reading our BookClub book.
BookClub Selection: The Emperor's Children by Claire Messud. I'm only about 60 pages into this one and I have to have it read by the 19th.
Beach Read Without A Beach: Make Him Look Good by Alisa Valdez Rodriguez. My cousin gave this to me in August at The Treehouse -- it looks fun and sugary, but still unopened.
Rest In Peace: IV by Chuck Klosterman. One of my favorite writers, this is a collection of unabridged magazine articles such as SPIN spanning the past decade. He's hysterical and I read about half of this at Pajaro Dunes and it has now apparently come to my nightstand to die.
On Loan From My Aunt: Grace (Eventually) Thoughts On Faith by Anne Lamott. Graciously given to me by my Aunt (hi Elizabeth!) who is one of the only members of my family who loves Lamott as much as I do. Yup, still sitting there.
Too Pretty To Read: Glamorama by Bret Easton Ellis (who I LOVE!) But sunshine and summer don't always mix with an Ellis novel. This one had to wait.
Overhyped Now Undermotivated: Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro. Garrett bought this for me at 1/2 Price Books because it has been on my "To Read" List for ages. Before I had a chance, my roommate read it and said it was only alright. HUMPH!
Less Than 300 Pages, No Excuse: Old School by Tobias Wolff. Enough said.
Pretty Cover But Needs to be Retitled: How To Be Good by Nick Hornby. Too bad it's not called How to Be Good at Reading the books that are multiplying like gremlins on your nightstand. Maybe then I would be further along.
So...What are you reading?
November 05, 2007
Whining and Dining
Though I'm not usually one to frequent your your run of the mill franchised dining establishments, on Friday night Garrett and ended up at Mimi's Cafe. Shut up! Don't judge me, their French Onion Soup kicks ass and means I don't have to spend hours in my kitchen in tears slicing onions and then caramelizing them (although I did get new soup crocs for my birthday and I am dying to use them!) Um, Quick sidebar: I'm pretty sure all of my birthday presents involved food or the preparation of food, is that weird? Wait, don't answer that.
Anyway, back to Mimi's...Our meal was only ok, but I have to say the environment was what was most entertaining and almost a bit Twilight Zone-ish. Did you know that the only people who go to Mimi's on a Friday night are members of the Red Hat Society and men and women who are meeting their Internet Blind Dates for the first time? Well it's true. And although the last one made for great people watching, I can't say I'm dying to go back there on a Friday night -- oh and did I mention the parking lot smelled like sewage? Yeah, so if you are interested in that, you should really head over there pronto. Me, not so much.
On the other hand I am quite interested in eating at the following three places, in no particular order. Not only do I have coupons but they're NEW! And who doesn't love new restaurants? Well okay, not all of them are new, but at least new to downtown:
*Chicago Fire - okay so it's not new -- anyone who has had a drunken night at Powerhouse Pub in Folsom knows of the delights that are Chicago Fire Pizza, but now instead of the trek to Folsom, there is one on J Street. Yay. That one is a bit more in walking distance, if you know what I mean. On a totally unrelated note, did you know that you can have the World Famous Giorodano's Pizza in Chicago overnight you a pizza in dry ice for only $16? My God, I love the internet!
*Stonegrill and Bar - Okay, so I pretty much HEART Nishiki Sushi, and since they are the masterminds behind this restaurant, I am definitely interested in giving it a chance. And cooking on stones? Ok, maybe. That could be fun. But did I mention I have a coupon for a free entree? FREE. DINNER. That did it. Now I'm definitely interested in giving it a chance. The weird part though, check out the "menu" section on their website. I hope they're using that term loosely...Pretty informative, eh? And no I'm not from Canada, so shut up.
*Three Monkeys - The idea that they serve Modern American Cuisine, Sushi, and have a "Saloon" has sort of piqued my curiosity. How are the owners going to get these ideas together under one roof succesfully? And do they hang out with Guy Fieri eating Rock-n-Roll Sushi/BBQ on the weekends? Because I think we all know how that turned out...
Any other must-eats that you recommend?
Anyway, back to Mimi's...Our meal was only ok, but I have to say the environment was what was most entertaining and almost a bit Twilight Zone-ish. Did you know that the only people who go to Mimi's on a Friday night are members of the Red Hat Society and men and women who are meeting their Internet Blind Dates for the first time? Well it's true. And although the last one made for great people watching, I can't say I'm dying to go back there on a Friday night -- oh and did I mention the parking lot smelled like sewage? Yeah, so if you are interested in that, you should really head over there pronto. Me, not so much.
On the other hand I am quite interested in eating at the following three places, in no particular order. Not only do I have coupons but they're NEW! And who doesn't love new restaurants? Well okay, not all of them are new, but at least new to downtown:
*Chicago Fire - okay so it's not new -- anyone who has had a drunken night at Powerhouse Pub in Folsom knows of the delights that are Chicago Fire Pizza, but now instead of the trek to Folsom, there is one on J Street. Yay. That one is a bit more in walking distance, if you know what I mean. On a totally unrelated note, did you know that you can have the World Famous Giorodano's Pizza in Chicago overnight you a pizza in dry ice for only $16? My God, I love the internet!
*Stonegrill and Bar - Okay, so I pretty much HEART Nishiki Sushi, and since they are the masterminds behind this restaurant, I am definitely interested in giving it a chance. And cooking on stones? Ok, maybe. That could be fun. But did I mention I have a coupon for a free entree? FREE. DINNER. That did it. Now I'm definitely interested in giving it a chance. The weird part though, check out the "menu" section on their website. I hope they're using that term loosely...Pretty informative, eh? And no I'm not from Canada, so shut up.
*Three Monkeys - The idea that they serve Modern American Cuisine, Sushi, and have a "Saloon" has sort of piqued my curiosity. How are the owners going to get these ideas together under one roof succesfully? And do they hang out with Guy Fieri eating Rock-n-Roll Sushi/BBQ on the weekends? Because I think we all know how that turned out...
Any other must-eats that you recommend?
November 04, 2007
Because Thank You Notes Show Gratitude
Dear Universe,
Thank you so much for recently making all of my Le Creuset dreams come true. I wanted you to know how much I appreciated you understanding that enameled stoneware and I go together like ham and eggs, spic and span, um...gin and tonic? Right...so anyway, like I was saying -- Thanks! I wouldn't want you to think I wasn't grateful. Because I'm very grateful, I have had so much fun with that pot and plan on many more future shenanigans just me and my dutch oven. Did you like the picture I posted? Yeah, pretty neat huh, all shiny and red and stuff. Well, since you asked, I took that with the digital camera I currently have. It's cute, and small, and fits in my purse and stuff, but sometimes it takes me 5 or 6 attempts for me to get the shot I'm trying to get. It's not the camera's fault, I mean it has proved to be quite the companion over the years while I was learning to docuement my life digitally. But it's nothing like, oh...I don't know...this guy:
Have you heard of him? Yeah he's supposed to be pretty cool. And I was just thinking that if you have one hanging around, that needs a new home -- I mean, I'm nice, and I like pictures you know. So, uh, it's just something to keep in mind.
I'm just saying...
Thank you so much for recently making all of my Le Creuset dreams come true. I wanted you to know how much I appreciated you understanding that enameled stoneware and I go together like ham and eggs, spic and span, um...gin and tonic? Right...so anyway, like I was saying -- Thanks! I wouldn't want you to think I wasn't grateful. Because I'm very grateful, I have had so much fun with that pot and plan on many more future shenanigans just me and my dutch oven. Did you like the picture I posted? Yeah, pretty neat huh, all shiny and red and stuff. Well, since you asked, I took that with the digital camera I currently have. It's cute, and small, and fits in my purse and stuff, but sometimes it takes me 5 or 6 attempts for me to get the shot I'm trying to get. It's not the camera's fault, I mean it has proved to be quite the companion over the years while I was learning to docuement my life digitally. But it's nothing like, oh...I don't know...this guy:
Have you heard of him? Yeah he's supposed to be pretty cool. And I was just thinking that if you have one hanging around, that needs a new home -- I mean, I'm nice, and I like pictures you know. So, uh, it's just something to keep in mind.
I'm just saying...
November 03, 2007
The Art of the Give and Take
Have you seen the people who lurk in the video game aisles in Best Buy? Well today that was me, and not really because I'm a gamer or anything. Wait a minute, did I just say "gamer"? I don't know where that came from because I'm fairly certain that I've never said that word aloud. Hmmmm. Anyway, so Garrett was looking for something specific (sorry I'm outing your video game habit baby) and so lucky for me I got to hang around with people who ya know, might potentially be looking to spend their time playing things called Alien Disco Safari and whatnot.
They're an interesting group. (*Note: Just to clarify Garrett wasn't there to buy Alien Disco Safari, but I totally made him take a picture with it because it was so ridiculous. In the middle of Best Buy. You'd love me too if I was your girlfriend.)
So afterwards just because I was trying to make up for taking random photos in the video game section, I also happily headed over in the Sci Fi/Horror section of DVDs. (It was there that I made the connection that people who play things Alien Disco Safari also seem to have a hankering for movies that involve aliens as well. Hmmm...what does it all mean?) So I think it goes without saying that I was slightly out of my element, but I was still enjoying myself because I was in such good company. The whole shopping trip, though not exactly my cup of tea, was still a major blast because Garrett was so enthralled. And do you know, lo and behold, the Universe rewarded me...
You see, afterwards, after all the hob nobbing with Halo Freaks, Yoda fans, the occasional person who actually knows the difference between Blue Ray and HD DVD and has a vested interest in which company comes out on top -- do you know what I go to do? I got to traipse around Old Navy looking at clothes and shoes and crappy plastic headbands and metallic clutches and shruggy off the shoulder sweaters made out of wool (which really, do those make sense to anyone?) -- and the entire time Garrett followed me, holding my crap, encouraging my purchases, and all the while telling me that I looked cute. And at the end -- at the end of my little shopping excursion -- HE BOUGHT ME SHOES!!! Super Incredibly Cute shoes that I promptly put on when we left the store. I mean seriously, could a Saturday afternoon end any better.
How did I get so lucky?
They're an interesting group. (*Note: Just to clarify Garrett wasn't there to buy Alien Disco Safari, but I totally made him take a picture with it because it was so ridiculous. In the middle of Best Buy. You'd love me too if I was your girlfriend.)
So afterwards just because I was trying to make up for taking random photos in the video game section, I also happily headed over in the Sci Fi/Horror section of DVDs. (It was there that I made the connection that people who play things Alien Disco Safari also seem to have a hankering for movies that involve aliens as well. Hmmm...what does it all mean?) So I think it goes without saying that I was slightly out of my element, but I was still enjoying myself because I was in such good company. The whole shopping trip, though not exactly my cup of tea, was still a major blast because Garrett was so enthralled. And do you know, lo and behold, the Universe rewarded me...
You see, afterwards, after all the hob nobbing with Halo Freaks, Yoda fans, the occasional person who actually knows the difference between Blue Ray and HD DVD and has a vested interest in which company comes out on top -- do you know what I go to do? I got to traipse around Old Navy looking at clothes and shoes and crappy plastic headbands and metallic clutches and shruggy off the shoulder sweaters made out of wool (which really, do those make sense to anyone?) -- and the entire time Garrett followed me, holding my crap, encouraging my purchases, and all the while telling me that I looked cute. And at the end -- at the end of my little shopping excursion -- HE BOUGHT ME SHOES!!! Super Incredibly Cute shoes that I promptly put on when we left the store. I mean seriously, could a Saturday afternoon end any better.
How did I get so lucky?
November 02, 2007
Wishful Thinking - Rewarded!
I sent a little love letter to the Universe around this time last year via the blogosphere stating that All I Really Wanted was a Le Creuset Dutch Oven that was shiny and sparkly and new. Well the Universe sure doesn't have a 24 hour turnaround, but fortunately for me I have a pretty stellar boyfriend who took the hint (or perhaps just couldn't take the constant ooh-ing and aah-ing Every Single Time we passed one) and look what showed up at my house for my birthday:
Don't you just want to kiss it? I wanted to kiss it! In truth, my love for it was so intense that I wanted to take it out of the box immediately and curl up with it and whisper sweet nothings, but I read once somewhere that enameled stoneware doesn't really like to cuddle, so instead I made soup! Delicious soup, as it were, which by the way was also made possible in part due to the other fabulous birthday gift I received.
All in all I'm starting to think this Love Letter thing might work. And I definitely know it's going to be a good Winter!
Don't you just want to kiss it? I wanted to kiss it! In truth, my love for it was so intense that I wanted to take it out of the box immediately and curl up with it and whisper sweet nothings, but I read once somewhere that enameled stoneware doesn't really like to cuddle, so instead I made soup! Delicious soup, as it were, which by the way was also made possible in part due to the other fabulous birthday gift I received.
All in all I'm starting to think this Love Letter thing might work. And I definitely know it's going to be a good Winter!
November 01, 2007
Just Say the Word....
There is a gentleman who works in the cafeteria/Starbucks at my office who looks a bit like Tone Loc. So much so that almost every morning when I see him I inevitably get some terrible song like "Funky Cold Medina" in my head for at least 15 minutes afterward. So this morning I am waiting in line to order my usual latte (shame on me) and he busts out with an impromptu version of Phil Collins' "Sussudio" and honestly it brightened up my whole morning. I mean I didn't even have to start playing mindless Fergie songs on loop in my head just to stop the singing of "Wild Thing" under my breath -- which mind you, is probably not the most appropriate utterance while walking through the hallways at my place of employment.
But as I was walking back to my desk I kept wondering to myself, what in the hell does Sussudio mean? I mean seriously, is that even a word? Well hallelujah! internet, I just googled that exact question (complete with punctuation, thank you very much) and found this. I mean really, who knew? Did you? If so, kudos my friend, you are smarter than me. I bet you also knew that Falco died in a helicopter crash in the Dominican Republic, didn't you, you smug little shit? If not though, feel free to thank me later when you are on Who Wants to be a Millionaire? and that is the million dollar question and Regis or Meredith Viera or whoever hosts that god awful show now asks you and you are able respond with zeal! Or at least call me so I can Tivo it, ok?
But as I was walking back to my desk I kept wondering to myself, what in the hell does Sussudio mean? I mean seriously, is that even a word? Well hallelujah! internet, I just googled that exact question (complete with punctuation, thank you very much) and found this. I mean really, who knew? Did you? If so, kudos my friend, you are smarter than me. I bet you also knew that Falco died in a helicopter crash in the Dominican Republic, didn't you, you smug little shit? If not though, feel free to thank me later when you are on Who Wants to be a Millionaire? and that is the million dollar question and Regis or Meredith Viera or whoever hosts that god awful show now asks you and you are able respond with zeal! Or at least call me so I can Tivo it, ok?
October 30, 2007
Til Death (or December) Do Us Part
Enough with the wedding posts, right?
Actually this has nothing to do with the impending nuptials of anyone I know; however, it does have to do with a big commitment I'm making. That's right, for all of you blog nerds out there (hi! how's it goin?) November is NaBloPoMo! and I'm going to do it. I missed out on it last year because - well, I was lazy. This year I'm still lazy, but I also figure that I started this blog to write, right? (ha ha -- write, right?-- see what I did there? I'm just oozing with this kind of repressed wit that only a silly Blog-Posting challenge can relieve!)
So this is me committing right here, right now that I will post everyday for the month of November. Every Day. Yup, one post a day. That's right. Hang on a sec. What? Shit! Every SINGLE day? Really? What if I forget? What if my day is boring? I can't seem to catch my breath -- hang on while I grab. a. paper. bag....
Oh My God.
So yeah, I'm a little freaked out, and sort of feel like I'm making a lifetime commitment right now. Since I'm used to posting a few times a month MAX, posting every day is going to be quite a change, but we'll see how it goes. I figure I'll just start oversharing until y'all tell me to stop. (Y'ALL????? no idea where that came from.) It'll be great -- I'll tell you about my favorite deoderant, why I think the caged bird sings, and all the riveting things I do when I'm not working like purchasing nacho cheese and counting the hairs on my arms. Stuff like that. It'll rock!
You excited?
Actually this has nothing to do with the impending nuptials of anyone I know; however, it does have to do with a big commitment I'm making. That's right, for all of you blog nerds out there (hi! how's it goin?) November is NaBloPoMo! and I'm going to do it. I missed out on it last year because - well, I was lazy. This year I'm still lazy, but I also figure that I started this blog to write, right? (ha ha -- write, right?-- see what I did there? I'm just oozing with this kind of repressed wit that only a silly Blog-Posting challenge can relieve!)
So this is me committing right here, right now that I will post everyday for the month of November. Every Day. Yup, one post a day. That's right. Hang on a sec. What? Shit! Every SINGLE day? Really? What if I forget? What if my day is boring? I can't seem to catch my breath -- hang on while I grab. a. paper. bag....
Oh My God.
So yeah, I'm a little freaked out, and sort of feel like I'm making a lifetime commitment right now. Since I'm used to posting a few times a month MAX, posting every day is going to be quite a change, but we'll see how it goes. I figure I'll just start oversharing until y'all tell me to stop. (Y'ALL????? no idea where that came from.) It'll be great -- I'll tell you about my favorite deoderant, why I think the caged bird sings, and all the riveting things I do when I'm not working like purchasing nacho cheese and counting the hairs on my arms. Stuff like that. It'll rock!
You excited?
October 18, 2007
And They Lived Happily Ever After...
Matt & Lisa Sotelo - October 13, 2007
Monte Verde Inn, Forresthill
October 16, 2007
Because God is watching...
While getting ready for Lisa and Matt's wedding this past Saturday:
Holly - So what are you going to wear tonight?
Garrett - Well, is it a religious ceremony?
Holly - Yeah.
Garrett - Damnit! I guess I have to wear a tie.
And thus, he did...
Please excuse the fact that my neck has disappeared. I think it is on Holiday somewhere in the South of France.
Holly - So what are you going to wear tonight?
Garrett - Well, is it a religious ceremony?
Holly - Yeah.
Garrett - Damnit! I guess I have to wear a tie.
And thus, he did...
Please excuse the fact that my neck has disappeared. I think it is on Holiday somewhere in the South of France.
October 10, 2007
Top 10 Confessions of a Trashaholic
So I totally just stole this post idea about confessing your trashy habits from MegFowler.com because it is BRILLIANT! But now that I think about it, that actually might be kind of trashy in itself. (The complicated rules and regulations of the vast blogosphere are still new to me - maybe if you stop by her site and say hi, I will somehow appear less trashy. Help me out here.) Actually, how I even found that blog is a still kind of hazy, but it is hysterical, and she might like Wham! as much as I do, so check her out. So, clearly I could probably go on for days about my own trashy tendencies, but (for now) I will keep it to ten.
1. My favorite hangover breakfast is a McDonald's McGriddle with Sausage, a hashbrown, and a Large Diet Coke.
2. I own at least one cd by all the following artists: Michael Bolton, Kenny G, Yanni, and Wilson Phillips.
3. Sometimes when I clean my house, I do run throughs of my old dance routines from when I was like 9 (yes! I can still remember some. Especially the one to "Chantilly Lace.") Wow...that sentence was kind of a punctuation mindf*ck, that I am too lazy to correct.
4. In the bathroom at work yesterday I noticed a hole in the forearm of my sweater (boo!). So I promptly went back to my desk and STAPLED it closed.
5. I have, on more than one occasion, eaten canned frosting for dinner
6. I know the words to more than 5 Too $hort songs
7. I'm secretly planning a new iPod playlist that is comprised completely of songs by ex-boy-band stars pursuing a solo career. I'm doing this solely so I can download Jordan Knight's "Give it to You."
8. I worked at Peet's Coffee for more than 6 years preaching quality and snobbery, yet I drank a Starbucks latte yesterday. And the day before that. And the day before that.
9. This morning I sang along while the radio blared Billy Joel's "Piano Man". Right as I was rolling in to the parking garage, they played "You Give Love a Bad Name" and for a moment, I felt like all the planets were aligned
10. I want the new Britney Spears album
1. My favorite hangover breakfast is a McDonald's McGriddle with Sausage, a hashbrown, and a Large Diet Coke.
2. I own at least one cd by all the following artists: Michael Bolton, Kenny G, Yanni, and Wilson Phillips.
3. Sometimes when I clean my house, I do run throughs of my old dance routines from when I was like 9 (yes! I can still remember some. Especially the one to "Chantilly Lace.") Wow...that sentence was kind of a punctuation mindf*ck, that I am too lazy to correct.
4. In the bathroom at work yesterday I noticed a hole in the forearm of my sweater (boo!). So I promptly went back to my desk and STAPLED it closed.
5. I have, on more than one occasion, eaten canned frosting for dinner
6. I know the words to more than 5 Too $hort songs
7. I'm secretly planning a new iPod playlist that is comprised completely of songs by ex-boy-band stars pursuing a solo career. I'm doing this solely so I can download Jordan Knight's "Give it to You."
8. I worked at Peet's Coffee for more than 6 years preaching quality and snobbery, yet I drank a Starbucks latte yesterday. And the day before that. And the day before that.
9. This morning I sang along while the radio blared Billy Joel's "Piano Man". Right as I was rolling in to the parking garage, they played "You Give Love a Bad Name" and for a moment, I felt like all the planets were aligned
10. I want the new Britney Spears album
October 08, 2007
What's Not to Love?
One thing that I truly love doing is planning dinner. You will never hear me sitting at work complaining that I have to go home and cook. It's my release! I absolutely love reading cookbooks, writing shopping lists, and there's nothing I love more than leisurely making my way up and down every aisle at the grocery store with marked anticipation for the meal to come. Afterwards I always go home, reorganize the refrigerator, make a giant mess in the kitchen, and then I wait. I simmer, I steep, and all the while my house is fragrant and warm and I'm relaxed. I think that is part of the reason that I love Fall so much -- its very conducive to curling up on the couch with a good book while a big pot of soup simmers on the stove. Or taking a mid day nap while a roast cooks in the oven smothered in garlic and peppercorns while red potatoes and root vegetables get golden brown. Hot sun and sand are nice, but they've got nothing on Autumn. Who can resist:
Scarves - I have a drawer full in whimsical patterns from cashmere to wool. The perfect remedy to brighten any outfit.
Down Comforters - I love to fall asleep in a chilly bedroom knowing that underneath my duvet is a cozy paradise
Snow - makes everything feel cleaner
Apple Hill - wineries and pumpkins and caramel apple pie!
Spiced Pumpkin Soup with Chives - just trust me, YOU SHOULD MAKE IT.
Red Leaves - Garrett's house has been undergoing an extreme home make, including the gutting of the front and back yard. The only thing staying is a giant tree in the backyard that has the most beautiful leaves. It's gorgeous to wake up to.
The smell of Fireplace - the only perk of my tiny downtown apartment (ok besides being walking distance from some pretty fun bars) is the fireplace! There's something comforting about the smell of duraflames.
Hot Cocoa on the couch - No whipped cream, no marshmallows, just extra chocolate!
Reading in bed - Ok really, I can do this in any season -- but when it is freezing cold and overcast outside, it just feels SO RIGHT.
Waking up in the middle of the night and hearing rain - It's almost as good as a lullaby
Wooly Coats with lots of buttons - In black! In Red! In Cream! I think this year I even need a a brown or green.
Striped Socks - Because even if you are the only one who knows you are wearing them, they are worth smiling about.
Mulled Cider steeping in the crock pot - a house filled with scent of comfort
Fall TV - New shows to get addicted to, Old shows that are brought back, Water cooler conversation.
So seriously, HOW CAN YOU NOT LOVE THIS SEASON?????
Scarves - I have a drawer full in whimsical patterns from cashmere to wool. The perfect remedy to brighten any outfit.
Down Comforters - I love to fall asleep in a chilly bedroom knowing that underneath my duvet is a cozy paradise
Snow - makes everything feel cleaner
Apple Hill - wineries and pumpkins and caramel apple pie!
Spiced Pumpkin Soup with Chives - just trust me, YOU SHOULD MAKE IT.
Red Leaves - Garrett's house has been undergoing an extreme home make, including the gutting of the front and back yard. The only thing staying is a giant tree in the backyard that has the most beautiful leaves. It's gorgeous to wake up to.
The smell of Fireplace - the only perk of my tiny downtown apartment (ok besides being walking distance from some pretty fun bars) is the fireplace! There's something comforting about the smell of duraflames.
Hot Cocoa on the couch - No whipped cream, no marshmallows, just extra chocolate!
Reading in bed - Ok really, I can do this in any season -- but when it is freezing cold and overcast outside, it just feels SO RIGHT.
Waking up in the middle of the night and hearing rain - It's almost as good as a lullaby
Wooly Coats with lots of buttons - In black! In Red! In Cream! I think this year I even need a a brown or green.
Striped Socks - Because even if you are the only one who knows you are wearing them, they are worth smiling about.
Mulled Cider steeping in the crock pot - a house filled with scent of comfort
Fall TV - New shows to get addicted to, Old shows that are brought back, Water cooler conversation.
So seriously, HOW CAN YOU NOT LOVE THIS SEASON?????
October 07, 2007
Dear Internet,
Why has no one ever invented a suitcase that unpacks itself?
And while I'm at it, why is it that I have to pack the same amount of toiletries to go out of town for one night as I do for 7 nights?
It just doesn't seem right to me.
XOXO
Holly
October 06, 2007
Girls Gone Wild: The PG-13 version
Heading up to South Lake this afternoon for Lisa's bachelorette party which I was totally looking forward to until I just heard on the news that it is 28 degrees up there! Um, its like almost 11am...really? Only 28 degrees? I'm thinking I'm going to have to pick out a new outfit for this evening and maybe bring a coat. Actually the thought of busting out a cute coat is kind of exciting, but then if you are out and about you always have to think about checking it and remembering it at the end of the night.
It's funny, when I was picking out something to wear tonight I realized that although I have a ton of cute clothes in my closet, my go-to "going out" outfits have really changed since, you know, acquiring a boyfriend and all. Not that I ever harnessed my inner skank that regularly or anything, but my night out wardrobe has definitely evolved. As a matter of fact, one of the initial outfit options that I was excited about wearing for tonight's festivities involved pearls. Seriously, PEARLS! (I promise it was still incredibly cute, but c'mon, pearls?) Count how many girls you see in Mikuni wearing pearls the next time you are there on a Friday night. Ha! Actually, scratch that, because then you would one the type of person who goes to Mikuni on a Friday night, and please, tell me you're not? Pretty Please?
I'm coming to realize that I definitely don't miss the days of hitting up the bars with friends gussied up and on the prowl. (Yes, I did just say gussied up. OK and On the Prowl, but you know what I meant!) Maybe it's because I am in a relationship, maybe its because I'm about to turn 29, but it surely doesn't mean I have forgotten how to have a good time. I'm definitely relieved that tonight there will not be strippers involved...I always hate that awkward grossness that goes along with these types of events when they involve strippers. You know, when you have look the other way and cross your fingers you are blending in with the wall, just so some oily stranger doesn't demand to lick whipped cream off some part of your body while a room full of screaming drunk people watch? ICK! So it's awesome that tonight will just officially be a Girls' Night Out with some ladies I dig. It's been a while, and I am thoroughly looking forward to it.
Cheers!
It's funny, when I was picking out something to wear tonight I realized that although I have a ton of cute clothes in my closet, my go-to "going out" outfits have really changed since, you know, acquiring a boyfriend and all. Not that I ever harnessed my inner skank that regularly or anything, but my night out wardrobe has definitely evolved. As a matter of fact, one of the initial outfit options that I was excited about wearing for tonight's festivities involved pearls. Seriously, PEARLS! (I promise it was still incredibly cute, but c'mon, pearls?) Count how many girls you see in Mikuni wearing pearls the next time you are there on a Friday night. Ha! Actually, scratch that, because then you would one the type of person who goes to Mikuni on a Friday night, and please, tell me you're not? Pretty Please?
I'm coming to realize that I definitely don't miss the days of hitting up the bars with friends gussied up and on the prowl. (Yes, I did just say gussied up. OK and On the Prowl, but you know what I meant!) Maybe it's because I am in a relationship, maybe its because I'm about to turn 29, but it surely doesn't mean I have forgotten how to have a good time. I'm definitely relieved that tonight there will not be strippers involved...I always hate that awkward grossness that goes along with these types of events when they involve strippers. You know, when you have look the other way and cross your fingers you are blending in with the wall, just so some oily stranger doesn't demand to lick whipped cream off some part of your body while a room full of screaming drunk people watch? ICK! So it's awesome that tonight will just officially be a Girls' Night Out with some ladies I dig. It's been a while, and I am thoroughly looking forward to it.
Cheers!
October 05, 2007
Things I've done besides blogging over the last 3 months
*Received a promotion
*Began new job which is slightly more labor intensive
*Taught a 16 week class (5 days a week) to folks who are new to insurance
*Became an expert on Facilitating Webinars
*Got in a car accident which totalled my car conveniently on the day I was supposed to leave on a road trip (not my fault, for the record!)
*Drank a lot of wine
*Hung out with 19 members of my family in a 2 bedroom/1.5 bathroom cabin for 3 days (by far the highlight of my summer!)
*Drank some more wine
*Watched Tania and Sean (finally) get married! So cute.
*Spent 4 days in a beach house at Pajaro Dunes with fun friends
*Helped build a Habitat for Humanity house
*Ditched my Company Picnic
*Attended Garrett's (how's that fair?)
*Celebrated my cute cousin Jim's 30th birthday with 75 of his closest friends and family, a margarita machine, and a taco truck parked in the driveway
*Toasted my darling cousin Kelly's 30th birthday on Labor Day over some ridiculously delicious Lemon Raspberry cake that was, frankly, unforgetable
*Realized that I am the next cousin to turn 30.
*Cringed
*Watched the ENTIRE last season of Grey's Anatomy in under 2 weeks because I'm a loser
*Started a bookclub
*Helped plan the PR for my first Junior League Event
*Let Garrett move in since his house is undergoing an Extreme Home Makeover
*Realized just how small my apartment is
*Realized just how NOT on schedule home renovations usually go
*Slept a bit
This weekend has me attending Lisa's Bachelorette Party in South Lake Tahoe and next weekend is the actual wedding -- conveniently scheduled on the day before my 29th birthday (haha). I still have not purchased a new car, though I'm looking, and I still haven't fully exhaled. I'm thinking I will spend my birthday napping, because after recapping the last 3 months I feel EXHAUSTED -- but grateful that my life is so abundant!
*Began new job which is slightly more labor intensive
*Taught a 16 week class (5 days a week) to folks who are new to insurance
*Became an expert on Facilitating Webinars
*Got in a car accident which totalled my car conveniently on the day I was supposed to leave on a road trip (not my fault, for the record!)
*Drank a lot of wine
*Hung out with 19 members of my family in a 2 bedroom/1.5 bathroom cabin for 3 days (by far the highlight of my summer!)
*Drank some more wine
*Watched Tania and Sean (finally) get married! So cute.
*Spent 4 days in a beach house at Pajaro Dunes with fun friends
*Helped build a Habitat for Humanity house
*Ditched my Company Picnic
*Attended Garrett's (how's that fair?)
*Celebrated my cute cousin Jim's 30th birthday with 75 of his closest friends and family, a margarita machine, and a taco truck parked in the driveway
*Toasted my darling cousin Kelly's 30th birthday on Labor Day over some ridiculously delicious Lemon Raspberry cake that was, frankly, unforgetable
*Realized that I am the next cousin to turn 30.
*Cringed
*Watched the ENTIRE last season of Grey's Anatomy in under 2 weeks because I'm a loser
*Started a bookclub
*Helped plan the PR for my first Junior League Event
*Let Garrett move in since his house is undergoing an Extreme Home Makeover
*Realized just how small my apartment is
*Realized just how NOT on schedule home renovations usually go
*Slept a bit
This weekend has me attending Lisa's Bachelorette Party in South Lake Tahoe and next weekend is the actual wedding -- conveniently scheduled on the day before my 29th birthday (haha). I still have not purchased a new car, though I'm looking, and I still haven't fully exhaled. I'm thinking I will spend my birthday napping, because after recapping the last 3 months I feel EXHAUSTED -- but grateful that my life is so abundant!
July 13, 2007
Coming Attractions
originally uploaded by Hollywouldifshecould.
So I realize I'm basically a total hack. I went to Humboldt like 2 months ago and promised wonderful pictures and fabulous stories of my vacation, and what did you get....Nothing! What a jerk. Well this weekend I'm hoping to get really nerdy and I've set aside some "blogging time" so I will definitely do some Humboldt highlights as well as an update or two...maybe some pics...so I give you this, my friends...a pic in Humboldt of our smiling faces, because SERIOUSLY it was such a great time. I'm also, coincidentally testing my very novice flickr skills in the meantime, so we'll see how that works...
until then.
June 27, 2007
Brevity
One-Word Answers Only
1. Where is your cell phone? Desk
2. Relationship? utopia
3. Your hair? ponytail
4. Work? Training
5. Your sister? Non-existent
6. Your favorite thing? challenge
7. Your dream last night? work :(
8. Your favorite drink? coffee
9. Your dream car? Shiny
10. The room you're in? Office
11. Your shoes? tall
12. Your fears? overcome
13. What do you want to be in 10 years? relaxed
14. Who did you hang out with this weekend? Family
15. What are you not good at? silence
16. Muffin? Scone
17. Wish list item? patience
18. Where you grew up? Fremont
19. The last thing you did? blogged
20. What are you wearing? black
21. What are you not wearing? socks
22. Your pet? none
23. Your computer? cute
24. Your life? rich
25. Your mood? sleepy
26. Missing? irresponsibility
27. What are you thinking about? errands
28. Your car? Honda
29. Your kitchen? small
30. Your summer? anticipating
31. Your favorite color? black
32. Last time you laughed? yesterday
33. Last time you cried? wedding
34. School? studious
35. Love? wonderful
1. Where is your cell phone? Desk
2. Relationship? utopia
3. Your hair? ponytail
4. Work? Training
5. Your sister? Non-existent
6. Your favorite thing? challenge
7. Your dream last night? work :(
8. Your favorite drink? coffee
9. Your dream car? Shiny
10. The room you're in? Office
11. Your shoes? tall
12. Your fears? overcome
13. What do you want to be in 10 years? relaxed
14. Who did you hang out with this weekend? Family
15. What are you not good at? silence
16. Muffin? Scone
17. Wish list item? patience
18. Where you grew up? Fremont
19. The last thing you did? blogged
20. What are you wearing? black
21. What are you not wearing? socks
22. Your pet? none
23. Your computer? cute
24. Your life? rich
25. Your mood? sleepy
26. Missing? irresponsibility
27. What are you thinking about? errands
28. Your car? Honda
29. Your kitchen? small
30. Your summer? anticipating
31. Your favorite color? black
32. Last time you laughed? yesterday
33. Last time you cried? wedding
34. School? studious
35. Love? wonderful
June 12, 2007
We'll Be Falling in Love, to the Rhythm of a Steel Drum Band
Holly: Oh, so I meant to tell you, Katie and Esty's wedding this weekend is cocktail attire.
Garrett: Cocktail attire? So I get to show up in shorts and a Hawaiian shirt and juggle bottles of vodka while you follow me around with a boombox playing 'Kokomo'? SWEET!
Garrett: Cocktail attire? So I get to show up in shorts and a Hawaiian shirt and juggle bottles of vodka while you follow me around with a boombox playing 'Kokomo'? SWEET!
May 29, 2007
I Was So Close to Hell, I Could See Sparks!
Yeeeeeeeeehaw!!! I'm so glad to be back!
I spent the better portion of last week out of town for work, and by out of town, I mean out of touch. Literally. I spent 4 days discovering what the greater Northern Nevada area had to offer and I have come to the conclusion that it includes alot of desert, rocks, radio stations that play the karaoke version of songs, and plenty of franchised dining establishments . And did you know in Nevada semi-trucks can pull more than one trailer? Sweet Jesus there is nothing scarier than being passed on the 395 when you are going 70 mph by a semi that is pulling like 3 giant trailers!!!! They have like 72-wheelers up there...sheesh!
Anyway, along with discovering ALL. THE. SIGHTS. that Reno, Carson City, Garndernville, Minden, Fallon, Fernley, Yerington, and Sparks had to offer, I discovered a fellow Woodcock. He was a nice gentlement who coincidentally worked down at Sips, the coffee shop inside the Silver Legacy. Actually the first morning I was there I couldn't really sleep so I stumbled groggily down to the espresso bar in my sweats and ponytail at like 5am, and halfway through the transaction the gentleman who was helping me looked up very seriously and said "Whoa! That's amazing!" and then he just kept staring at me. Actually, you know what, now that I am replaying it in my mind I think had I been more awake I might have been creeped out a little, but since I was still on auto-pilot I just said "huh?" and continued to look very perplexed. He responded in a somewhat hypnotic voice saying, "Your name is my name. My name is your name." And it took me a minute to get it, lucky for me he just kept repeating it....kind of like the way that Grover does on Sesame Street when he is explaining "Near" and "Far" but not quite so cartoon Louis Armstrong-ish, ya know? By the way I just stopped typing and did an impromptu google search in hopes of finding a You Tube clip of that skit for the sake of nostalgia, and not only did I not find it (I think I have finally stumbled upon the only thing thing that CAN'T be found on You Tube - boo!), but I also think I stumbled upon a very sick cross section of adult Grover fan-sites that are so seriously disturbing I almost deleted the entire reference.
Regardless, I'm getting off topic, the point of this story is that I met another Woodcock, and it was kind of cool -- and kind of weird all at the same time. Actually it wasn't that weird until he asked me if I was Mormon, to which I responded "Oh no, I dodged that bullet" and then immediately realized why it is that people shouldn't make jokes before they've had caffeine. But lucky for me he didn't hold it against me really, and for the next 3 days he treated me like we were family, which was kinda cool when you are on a lonely business trip. I mean it's isn't everyday that I meet another person who must have also been tortured with woodpecker jokes in his youth until his peers got old enough to start thinking pornographic jokes were even funnier, right?
I spent the better portion of last week out of town for work, and by out of town, I mean out of touch. Literally. I spent 4 days discovering what the greater Northern Nevada area had to offer and I have come to the conclusion that it includes alot of desert, rocks, radio stations that play the karaoke version of songs, and plenty of franchised dining establishments . And did you know in Nevada semi-trucks can pull more than one trailer? Sweet Jesus there is nothing scarier than being passed on the 395 when you are going 70 mph by a semi that is pulling like 3 giant trailers!!!! They have like 72-wheelers up there...sheesh!
Anyway, along with discovering ALL. THE. SIGHTS. that Reno, Carson City, Garndernville, Minden, Fallon, Fernley, Yerington, and Sparks had to offer, I discovered a fellow Woodcock. He was a nice gentlement who coincidentally worked down at Sips, the coffee shop inside the Silver Legacy. Actually the first morning I was there I couldn't really sleep so I stumbled groggily down to the espresso bar in my sweats and ponytail at like 5am, and halfway through the transaction the gentleman who was helping me looked up very seriously and said "Whoa! That's amazing!" and then he just kept staring at me. Actually, you know what, now that I am replaying it in my mind I think had I been more awake I might have been creeped out a little, but since I was still on auto-pilot I just said "huh?" and continued to look very perplexed. He responded in a somewhat hypnotic voice saying, "Your name is my name. My name is your name." And it took me a minute to get it, lucky for me he just kept repeating it....kind of like the way that Grover does on Sesame Street when he is explaining "Near" and "Far" but not quite so cartoon Louis Armstrong-ish, ya know? By the way I just stopped typing and did an impromptu google search in hopes of finding a You Tube clip of that skit for the sake of nostalgia, and not only did I not find it (I think I have finally stumbled upon the only thing thing that CAN'T be found on You Tube - boo!), but I also think I stumbled upon a very sick cross section of adult Grover fan-sites that are so seriously disturbing I almost deleted the entire reference.
Regardless, I'm getting off topic, the point of this story is that I met another Woodcock, and it was kind of cool -- and kind of weird all at the same time. Actually it wasn't that weird until he asked me if I was Mormon, to which I responded "Oh no, I dodged that bullet" and then immediately realized why it is that people shouldn't make jokes before they've had caffeine. But lucky for me he didn't hold it against me really, and for the next 3 days he treated me like we were family, which was kinda cool when you are on a lonely business trip. I mean it's isn't everyday that I meet another person who must have also been tortured with woodpecker jokes in his youth until his peers got old enough to start thinking pornographic jokes were even funnier, right?
May 17, 2007
You could always just say you feel sick...
I am constantly trying to talk to Garrett about the idea that language itself is a barrier when it comes to the way that all people communicate. Isn't that such a fascinating idea? I mean, what you say to me, may not be what you actually mean, and how I interpret it can be affected by the words you choose? HUH! That is such a fascinating idea to me! But I guess I sort of wore out my welcome philosophising about it, because now when I go off on a little tangents to Garrett, he gives me a cute smile and nod and says, "yeah, yeah, babe, I know. Its the 'barrier of language'." (In his defense, I practice my own smile and nod when he talks to me about the Fed).
Most of the time I'm pretty sure he thinks that my fascination with Structuralist philosophies and linguistics are totally over the top, and in all honesty I will be the first to admit that the amount of Saussure and Derrida that I have happily devoured while laying on my bed is not your mama's Danielle Steel -- but I can't help it -- I am fascinated by the ideas of how we derive meaning from language.
Now before you go thinking that I am a pompous idiot, and assume I am trying to spit you some amateur philosophy, let me assure you first that I don't spit (ew! gross!) and second that is totally not the point of this post. I mean, I read books with Hot Pink Covers all the time, and happily admit to doing so, so that should eliminate any smugness right there. Actually, the point of this post is that when you spend alot of time thinking about words, aside from really obliterating the possibility of having a normal social life, you can also have ALOT of fun! YAY! FUN! Repeat after me -- words are fun! Ok nevermind, I guess I'm just going to do my part to cliffs notes a little funny and common word slaughter (Ok, somebody call the dork police...it's getting dire in here).
For instance:
Did you know that the word nauseous is an adjective?
[adjective: a word describing a person, place, or thing (commonly know as a noun)].
Yes, that's right, NAUSEOUS is a descriptive word that means "causing nausea".
On the other hand, did you know that the word nauseated is a verb? [verb: a word expressing action or occurence] And when used without an object (don't worry about that part, I won't even elaborate), it means "to become affected with nausea".
So what does all this grammatic inundation mean to you, you say?
Well, its simple really. Anytime you say "I feel so nauseous right now" you are inadvertantly letting your conversational partner know that you are currently causing nausea. That's right, you are saying that YOU are making other people sick. Instead, my word obsession and I are going to suggest saying "I feel so nauseated right now," because this more clearly communicates the fact that you have become affected by a sick feeling.
Now, does anyone care about this besides myself and of course my dear friend Sarah (hi Sarah!) who has chatted with me about this fact on numerous occasions? Probably not. But I'm putting it out there for what it's worth, and to also give you the same smug chuckle that I get when I hear someone misusing it.
That's right, the next time your annoying co-worker (you know, the one who is always feigning illness and begging for sympathy or just being lazy) tells you they are "really nauseous" you can look at them empathetically and say "WOW, YOU REALLY ARE!"
Most of the time I'm pretty sure he thinks that my fascination with Structuralist philosophies and linguistics are totally over the top, and in all honesty I will be the first to admit that the amount of Saussure and Derrida that I have happily devoured while laying on my bed is not your mama's Danielle Steel -- but I can't help it -- I am fascinated by the ideas of how we derive meaning from language.
Now before you go thinking that I am a pompous idiot, and assume I am trying to spit you some amateur philosophy, let me assure you first that I don't spit (ew! gross!) and second that is totally not the point of this post. I mean, I read books with Hot Pink Covers all the time, and happily admit to doing so, so that should eliminate any smugness right there. Actually, the point of this post is that when you spend alot of time thinking about words, aside from really obliterating the possibility of having a normal social life, you can also have ALOT of fun! YAY! FUN! Repeat after me -- words are fun! Ok nevermind, I guess I'm just going to do my part to cliffs notes a little funny and common word slaughter (Ok, somebody call the dork police...it's getting dire in here).
For instance:
Did you know that the word nauseous is an adjective?
[adjective: a word describing a person, place, or thing (commonly know as a noun)].
Yes, that's right, NAUSEOUS is a descriptive word that means "causing nausea".
On the other hand, did you know that the word nauseated is a verb? [verb: a word expressing action or occurence] And when used without an object (don't worry about that part, I won't even elaborate), it means "to become affected with nausea".
So what does all this grammatic inundation mean to you, you say?
Well, its simple really. Anytime you say "I feel so nauseous right now" you are inadvertantly letting your conversational partner know that you are currently causing nausea. That's right, you are saying that YOU are making other people sick. Instead, my word obsession and I are going to suggest saying "I feel so nauseated right now," because this more clearly communicates the fact that you have become affected by a sick feeling.
Now, does anyone care about this besides myself and of course my dear friend Sarah (hi Sarah!) who has chatted with me about this fact on numerous occasions? Probably not. But I'm putting it out there for what it's worth, and to also give you the same smug chuckle that I get when I hear someone misusing it.
That's right, the next time your annoying co-worker (you know, the one who is always feigning illness and begging for sympathy or just being lazy) tells you they are "really nauseous" you can look at them empathetically and say "WOW, YOU REALLY ARE!"
May 15, 2007
Restaurant Rules
Whenever I go out to eat I try to follow a few simple rules, whether it is some fancy schmancy restaurant, or whether it's just the Olive Garden. Wait, who am I kidding, I don't eat at Olive Garden. Ok, Ok, whether it's fancy, or whether it's Hot Rods on a rowdy Friday night:
1. Order something you wouldn't make at home.
Now I don't religiously follow this, obviously, because I do cook a lot at home, but for the most part I think that if you have to go through the inconvenience of finding parking, waiting to be seated/waiting in line, and waiting to pay, I think the end result should be something fun, or new, or full of expensive ingredients I don't have in my pantry. I mean otherwise, really what's the point? Why go through all the hassle to pay someone else to chop your lettuce for you? Unless of course that lettuce is covered with Gorgonzola Vinaigrette from Jack's Urban Eats, which -- MY GOD -- can somebody get me that recipe? Mmm, it's delish!
2. Don't bite the hand that feeds you.
After working in a coffee shop for years, it never ceased to amaze me how rude people could be to those handling their food. Didn't they realize that the only thing standing in the way of their delicious handcrafted beverage, and a passable-but-seriously-tampered-with concoction that just looked liked a delicious handcrafted beverage, was the way they treated the person behind the counter? I'm not saying everyone should have kissed my feet, but it sort of went without saying that if you were a jerk, instead of typing your name above your drink when I took your order, I typed BGD (Bitch Gets Decaf). Here's your $4 afternoon pick me up, dick! (said with a smile, of course). Now certainly, everyone is not as spiteful as I was after working in retail for almost 9 years, but just in case, I'm quite nice to my food server, even if my order does come out wrong.
3. Oh yeah, and be a good tipper. Enough Said.
4. If I hate it -- I give it one more chance -- then if I still hate it, I just don't go back.
But seriously, there is nothing worse than someone going off on a blanket tirade about how terrible some restaurant is when they have only been there one time. Maybe it was an off night? Chefs are human. Maybe you didn't order their best dish? Maybe their concept just isn't for you? But might I suggest trying it one more time, and seeing how it goes? If you continue to dislike it, fine. Go ahead and scratch that off your list of places to make a Friday night reservation. But for god's sake, whatever you do, don't keep going back there and reiterating to the wait staff how terrible everything they serve is everytime you go there, and how you hope it doesn't happen again this time. Ugh! I'm doing the full body eye roll right this minute. Maybe this is also residual baggage from working at Peet's for way too long, but as far as I'm concerned - if you don't like a restaurant -- DON'T GO THERE. I know, novel concept, eh?
So none of this is rocket science, I suppose, or really revolutionary in any way, but I got to thinking about it while reading this article by Ann Patchett that gives 7 Reasons the Food is Better at Home. I'm all for eating out, but I thought it was cute...and so true! Although unfortunately at my house, there is a man that jumps out of the pantry and offers me dessert when I'm already full. That must be why I still eat it, right?
Do you have any rules when you dine out?
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