2009 in Pictures

Just a few highlights of 2009. From left to right:
Me and Dan at his toga-themed birthday party
Juliana's wedding
Me and Dan as Jon and Kate for Halloween
Me and Dan in Bidwell Park during his first visit to Chico
The wedding party at Matt and Juliana's bachelor/bachelorette party in SF
With Clarke and Denise at Slide
With Sylvie, Nahal and Carolyn during a night out
In snowy Central Park with Jason in the background
Me and Sylvie at a Habitat for Humanity build
With Tommy, Carolyn and Lee. Go Broncos!
With Maria and Denise at Oktoberfest in SF
Race for the Cure with Matt, Juliana, Carolyn and our Moms!
Bay to Breakers as boy and girl scouts
Getting ready to ski in Tahoe with the Clarkes
At one of the four weddings we went to this summer
Rooting for the Giants in the second row behind homeplate

Emails from a Friend

I have this friend who sends me totally random emails nearly everyday. They are usually one liners or little thoughts that, I assume, pop into her head while she's at work and she just HAS to share them with me. And everytime, without fail, they crack me up. It's like a little ray of sunshine as I'm sitting at my desk working away. Whenever I see anything come into my inbox from her, I know it's going to be good.

Here's a sampling:

Dude. Our receptionist called in sick today so we are short staffed AGAIN!!! I hate sitting up at the front desk! I can't get anything done up here with the phone ringing off the hook and people telling me the copier needs toner. I am going crazy!!!!! UGH!

Shellers (that's what she calls me) what's the proper way to say this: "I got beat with a funny stick!" or "I got beaten with a funny stick!" Which one?

I wonder who will get married first. You, me, Sally* or Jane*. LOL

How is my beezie doing? Like my new email signature? PS. I had lunch with President Ronald Tucker* (our company president) today!

Like my new(er) email siggy? I changed the font colors

(I invited her and Sally* over for dinner and this was the response I got)
I guess I'll come over! Please don't make that horrible poor woman's beef stew again! That is what they serve at homeless shelters! (She was kidding. I think.)

Just listened to Shellers fav band on Pandora! Fleetwood Mac Go Your Own Way and thought of you!

You ain't gotta lie to kick it girrrrrrl! (I have no idea what this was about. I think it's a song lyric)

Which is the correct spelling of a brochure? Is it flier or flyer?

What up in the dog pound lady?

*Name has been changed to protect the innocent

(I hope this post makes Alison happy. No more bird's nest!)

The Nest

I hate crows. Even more so after one built the biggest, ugliest nest on my roof. Normally I would have ignored it, but it was blocking the drain pipe. So, not only was there a threat of water damage, but the clogged water made the most annoying noise every time it rained. Unfortunately, an email to the homeowner's association accomplished nothing, so we had to take measures into our own hands.

Keep in mind, this is about four stories off the ground.

No wonder it made so much noise...almost half of it was made from metal! I don't know if you can tell here, but the reddish brown sticks are actually rusted pieces of a barbed wire fence or something. My goodness those crows are strong!

Thrill the World

Today was "Thrill the World." In order to try to break a world record, people around the world danced, simultaneously, to Michael Jackson's "Thriller." Of course, they didn't just dance...they did THE Thriller dance. Dan and I happened to be in Chico where people had practiced the dance every night for a week. We heard what was going to happen, so we went down to the plaza where a HUGE crowd (well, huge for Chico) had gathered. It was pretty cool. People had some really elaborate costumes and, although not everyone should quit their day job to be a dancer, they did a great job! Here's how it went:

Flying South

I've been seeing a lot of this lately:

I must live and work in the flight path of Canadian Geese who head south for the winter. It started a couple weeks ago when I was in bed one morning and heard them honking as they flew over my house. Since then, I've seen several groups fly by my office window (I'm on the 5th flow so they are easy to spot). Just another reminder that fall is here!

A Few Updates

1. You will be relieved to know that I have found Alison. I've called off the search party and I thank everyone who helped me look for her. She did in fact see my blog posting and responded by posting a comment on my Facebook wall. We are so 2009! Of course, I have yet to get back to her...but I will! And we WILL have dinner some night. I swear.

2. I'm going on day six of less back pain. I tell you folks...it's a miracle! I am virtually pain free right now. I never thought it would be possible. Yes, I do think the exercises I learned have helped, but you know what I think it really was? I had my office chair set to recline, so my back was extended all day long. For eight hours a day, I was in the position that caused me the most pain. I don't know why I didn't think of changing it before, but I honestly think that was a huge contributing factor to my pain. I still have one more class to go to, but I think I may be cured!

3. Remember this post? I had gotten this home placed with a video feature on the KRON-TV website so I thought I'd share it with you. Check it out for yourself! The agent is actually reading a portion of the column I wrote about the house. Oh, and here's another one I did that you might like.

While I'm tooting my own horn, I wanted to tell "Wine Chick," a friend of Dan's and one of my newest readers, that I had actually done the PR for this home. (Make sure you take the time to look at the pictures. Amazing!) I was driving through Pacific Heights with a few of Dan's friends awhile ago and I mentioned that I had just done PR for that house and they said; "really? Wine Chick (not her real name) just posted it on Facebook and said she wished she had $10 million to buy it." Sorry Wine Chick! Had I known you at the time, I totally would have hooked you up with a tour!

4. This is by far my most favorite video right now. I want to watch it over and over again, every minute of every day. I just can't get enough!

Whoa

I saw this video today and that it was cool...but weird. Click here. Wait for the parakeets to come in. It's the best part!

Bliss

My computer was slow to load this morning, hence my thought: I wonder if this is a real photograph. If so, I bet whoever took it made a lot of money.

Back Class

Well, I attended my first back class today. I say first because the instructor/physical therapist is making me go to at least two more classes. After that, I may have to graduate to the masters program, which is seeing a physical therapist one-on-one.

So, what did I learn today? you ask. I learned that I am currently failing the proper positions for: sitting, standing, getting in the car, getting out of the car, lying down, sitting on the couch, getting in bed, getting out of bed, brushing my teeth, pulling, pushing, leaning, bending, turning, picking stuff up and all in all...avoiding pain. I am getting an "F" in pain free living.

The good news is that there is hope. And that hope better fulfill itself before I turn out like the other 15 or so people in that class. I'm tellin' ya, they were in WAY worse shape than me. Even the dumb 18 year old chick who got in trouble for texting walks as stiff as a board. Younger is not always better. I feel sorry for the people who have resorted to shots, acupuncture and regular physical therapy sessions. A lot of people have numb legs too. That totally freaks me out. I just hope I get better before that happens to me. I'm not sure what my next classes are for, but I think I'll be learning certain stretches to help. If I'm good, maybe that will bump me up to a solid C.

Immediate action plan:

• Stop running on hills
• No more sitting on the couch (hopefully just temporary)
• Sleep on my side with a pillow between my knees or on my back with a pillow under my knees. No more tummy sleeping.
• Buy an SUV so I don't have to bend down to get in my shorty car.
• Use the "hip hinge" method to bend or lean - spread legs apart and lean from hips
• Adjust my office chair so it doesn't lean back.
• Eat dinner. It won't help my back, but I'm starving.

I'll keep you posted on my studies.

Have You Seen This Woman?

Name: Alison
Sex: Female
Age: 35...just kidding! 31
Height: Kinda short
Weight: None of your business
Hair: Red...and I mean RED!
Eyes: Green...right?
Last seen: End of July at La Pinata for dinner
Distinguishing characteristics: Great smile, sharp wit, incurable workaholic, funny sense of humor, snazzy dresser, and excellent partner in crime

It's been awhile since I've seen Alison and it's about time we got together for dinner to catch up. I'm hoping she'll see this blog and give me a call. Sure I could call her myself, but what's the fun in that? Alison, if you're out there...I miss you! Let's dish...

Beef Wellington

Have I mentioned that Dan likes to cook? He's been wanting to try to make Beef Wellington for awhile now. It was supposed to be my Valentine's dinner but, since I was so sick at the time, it got postponed. He finally decided Saturday would be the night. Here's how it went.

(I got him that gorilla apron from the San Diego Zoo)

Yummy!

Can't have a nice dinner without a nice table setting

So Sweet

Heard this from a friend today and thought it was sweet:

Boy and girl go on a date. Things go great. Lots of chemistry. Lots of potential. She LIKES him. They spend the next day texting while they should be working. He asks her out again for that night. She says yes. Butterflies. And he says to her; "I want to talk to you everyday, but I have to stop myself from calling because I don't want to bother you."

Cheesy? Player? Or just a sweet guy being honest and vulnerable? I choose to believe the latter. Maybe I'm gullible, or just a romantic. Either way, I hope it works out for her.

I've Got Class

I've been out of school for years, but I signed up for two very different types of classes today. The first is a writing class because if I don't start investing some time in writing something a little more creative than press releases, as much as I do love my job, I may go insane. My intermittent entries on this blog just aren't doing the trick anymore. The second is a back class to help get rid of the lower back pain I've had for the past three months. Hopefully they'll teach me how to stop sitting at my desk like a twisted pretzel.

Laundry - The Perfect Chore

You know what I love about doing laundry? It has the power to make you feel extremely productive, or wonderfully lazy.

For instance.

I spent a few days in San Diego this weekend and returned to find that I had left my home in dire need of cleaning. Of course, being the hardworking professional gal that I am, I only have about a two hour window in the evening before exhaustion sets in. So, chores must be split up and done on separate days. I set Monday aside to tackle the kitchen and downstairs. Tuesday, was going to have to be laundry and bathroom day.

It only takes me a minute or two to sort my darks from lights. Pretreat? No way. I just turn a few dials, sprinkle in some Tide, throw in the load, and I'm on my way. A few minutes later, as my head was buried in the toilet bowl and I was scrubbing away, I realized...I'm doing two chores at once. This. Is. Awesome!

I had to run errands the next day after work, so I didn't get home until dinner time. I was pooped. I made my dinner, selected The Closer on my DVR and prepared to veg out. But then I remembered...craaaaap. I still have another load of laundry to do. Ugh. So, up the stairs I stomped. Again with the Tide, again with the throwing of the load in, again with the gettin' on my way. I plopped back down on the couch and a few minutes later realized...I'm doing a chore while I'm watching TV. This. Is. Awesome!

It's no wonder the Vatican named the washing machine as the invention that contributed most to the emancipation of women in the 20th century. Sure it was a controversial choice. But man! Imagine how dirty my bathrooms would be and how many hours of TV I would miss if I had to hand wash all my clothes. I LOVE doing laundry!

(I still hate ironing)

A True Delight

Do yourself a favor. Drop what you're doing, grab your keys, drive to the nearest grocery store, find the snack/chips/popcorn aisle and buy yourself 1,000 boxes of these:

The cashier may look at you funny, but that's ok. Just explain how these taste almost exactly like Thin Mint Girl Scout Cookies, but are WAY less bad for you. The cashier will understand.

Mad Men!

One of my favorite shows, Mad Men, starts in a few weeks. Oh, I have had the WORST Don Draper withdrawls! So, to gear up for the show, I've Mad Men'd myself. Here's what I look like if I was on the show! (and if the show was a cartoon)

My daytime look:

Happy hour with Don. Don't tell Betty!

Funny

Video Recaps | Full Episodes | Webisodes

Bird Brain

It's no secret that I like birds, but I guess I never realized just how much. At least, not until I started dating Dan. I assume that, after numerously interrupting conversations with him to point out a bird that I thought was doing something adorable, he must have caught on. That's when he started calling me Bird Brain. And it is with that in mind that I share THIS VIDEO, which I think anyone would enjoy. Bird brain or not!

The Little Things

Woke up without an alarm this morning to make coffee and oatmeal for breakfast before putting on a baby doll dress (with capris underneath) and heading to the grocery store for only a couple items, paying $10 at the self check out with no technical problems (rare) and back home in less than 15 minutes to hit the road to Petaluma, spending the hour drive catching up with Tonia about wedding, honeymoon and various life events, laughing about dropped calls until pulling up to Kim's cozy apartment for big hugs and smiles, then walking in the sun down the hill for a burrito at our favorite, Velasco's, for a couple hours of good-friend conversation and a walk around town, gelato in the shade, the smell of old books at Copperfield's, returning texts to fella and a $6 purchase of a uniquely beautiful brass and gold bracelet, another hour at the cozy apartment to sit on the couch, looking through pictures and feeling the breeze from the open doors and windows, rubbing my toes on Luke's fur and giggling at Beau's sneezes (must be the kitty flu), before saying goodbye with more hugs and hitting bumper to bumper on 37 with no worries, stopping dead with windows rolled down, listening to the birds chirping in the brown hills near Infineon, then hitting a stride through the marshes with a new favorite radio station (103.7) on full volume with CCR, Queen, Crosby, Stills and Nash, Pat Benatar and (happy surprise) Fleetwood Mac's "Landslide," hair up in a clip, wind whipping through the bangs and little traffic on 80, none on 780 or 680 while chatting with sister and arriving home to MY home, owned and welcoming, to open windows and now lay in bed (fan set up nicely) to use properly functioning wireless router for fella's laptop, waiting for him to come over so we may work on the 1,000 piece puzzle we started last night (yes, we're old) and say goodnight to a very, VERY good day.

Black and White Photos

Dan's Dad took a few photos of us (and a couple with Dan's brother Jose) with his black and white film during our visit last month. Here's the link! Funny story about the first picture of Dan...his Dad told him to look at me and smile how he does when he first sees me. He made that goofy face and it just happened to be caught on film!

PhotoWorks: Share - View slideshow

Lost

I had to go to the sleepy town of Sonoma yesterday to tour a property that we're trying to get coverage for (details to come if I'm able to get it published) and on my way home I got lost. I had forgotten what a bummer it is to get lost. Normally, I'm very good with directions. I take pride in not needing to have an annoying GPS talk at me from my dashboard. I even enjoy teasing friends who are directorily challenged (Tonia and Katie).

But, long story short, I took a right when I should have taken a left and there I was, lost in the bowels (yes, I said it) of Sonoma County. In case you've never been to Sonoma County, let me give you an idea of what it's like. There are a lot of these:

And all you see are these:

I eventually realized I was not going the right way when the road split into highways 121 and 116. Neither of which I took to get to where I went, so I didn't think they were going to get me where I wanted to go. I pulled over into a parking lot of one of the 3 million wineries in the area and attempted to call Kim who, having lived in Sonoma County nearly her entire life, could have surely told me which field or cow I should turn at. But, she was off touring the great Southwest on her Hog and didn't answer the phone. So I sat there. About to cry. Mad at myself for almost crying. Wondering what to do.

It reminded me of when I was 3 years old and we moved from L.A. to the Bay Area. I vividly remember my Mother getting lost CONSTANTLY whenever we would go anywhere. (Remember this Mom?) And I would just sit there, fuming! I would say; "We're lost again aren't we?" And she'd tell me; "No, we're fine. This will just help me learn my way around." She was right. So, I took my adventure as an opportunity to get to know Sonoma County. I continued on 121 and eventually saw this:

I thought; HA! I've been there! Great wine. Now I know where I am! And sure enough, I was spit out on to Highway 32 right by Infinion Raceway. It wasn't quite where I started, but close enough. Of course at the time, I was convinced that this detour added a good 30 minutes to my drive. But, I just mapped out the way I should have gone and the way I actually went, and it was only eight miles and eight minutes longer. Whatever. I still hate getting lost!

Trip to LA

I've posted pictures from my trip to LA with Dan! They're in order so you'll need to scroll down to start with Thursday's post. It was a great trip! We got to spend a lot of time with family, but managed to fit in plenty of touristy activities too. We can't wait to go back!

Huntington Beach, Family and Home

On Sunday, we went down to Huntington Beach to visit with my Nana, Auntie Ann, Uncle Steve and cousins. I took Dan to lunch at Ruby's at the end of the pier and then we spent some time laying in the sun. Unfortunately, the cooler weather and breeze tricked us and we ended up getting sun burned. We went to dinner with family that night and stayed at a new hotel right on the beach. The next morning we went to breakfast, for a walk on the beach and then to lunch with Margaret (HI MARGARET!!!) in Moorpark before heading home.

With Auntie Ann and Nana

Me and Nana

Kelly and Danielle

One last visit to the beach before leaving. Our hotel is one of those buildings in the background.

Pasadena and Portraits

On Saturday, Dan showed me around Pasadena where his parents live. We went to the San Gabriel Mission, Old Town and he took me for a milk shake and sundae at Fair Oaks Pharmacy, an old time soda shop that had been around since like 1916. Also that day, Dan's dad, who is really into photography, took some portraits of us with his camera so I had him snap a few of us with mine. I also took some pictures of Joey, the family's dog.

The mission is filled with cacuts!

The cemetary. Spooooky.

Look at the little treasure I came across at the Fair Oaks Pharmacy. Can you believe it? It was made for me!!

The Getty Museum and Santa Monica Pier

Friday was our touristy day. We first went to the Getty Museum, which neither of us had ever been to. There are five buildings filled with paintings, artwork, sculptures, photographs and artifacts so it would have taken all day to really see everything. But the museum itself is so amazing and has such a gorgeous garden, that we spent nearly the entire time outside. We'll have to go back sometime and actually tour the exhibits. After our tour, we went to the Santa Monica Pier to try to cool down.


Riding the monorail up to the museum

The view of LA

Santa Monica has the coolest city hall

We HAD to play a little skee ball at the arcade!

If you look closely, you can see a red hot dog on a stick stand on the strip. That's where we had...hot dogs on sticks!