Michelle Tells Tales

We're Married!

2011-12-20T20:56:00.000-08:00

October 15, 2011

Owl Update

2011-08-27T22:15:00.000-07:00

Remember this post? Well, they're back and I was finally able to take a few pictures.

Life Update

2011-06-24T20:13:00.000-07:00

Yes I'm still here. Life has been pretty crazy lately and not just with wedding stuff. Every weekend has been booked with one thing or another for months and the weekdays are just as busy. I haven't been taking as many photos as I should, even when Dan and I escaped to Palm Springs a few weekends ago. But, I thought I'd share a few pictures from what's been going on lately. Went to Vegas for a work conference and met Madison from Million Dollar Listing.
Threw a Minute to Win It birthday party for Dan and his friend Clarke. Their gifts were flights to Portland to visit a friend of theirs who lives up there. From what I hear, they had a fabulous time.
Went skiing in Tahoe with Dan and Carolyn for my birthday. That was the last time I'll ever ski without taking a proper lesson. I had a really rough fall on the last run of the day.

Dan and I also spent a weekend staycation for my birthday exploring new places around the Bay Area. One of them was Stanford University and we stumbled across a very cool street on campus.

We took a couple trips down to LA, which included a visit to Griffith Park and the Observatory on what may have been the coldest day in LA ever!

I took Dan horseback riding for the first time in his life.

That's just a little look into what's been going on. We've also had a mini-engagement party, gone to a friend's rainy wedding on Memorial Day weekend, celebrated another couple's engagement and much much more. Life is busy...but it's fabulous!

Solved

2011-04-14T13:18:00.000-07:00

This mystery has been solved. I wish I could go into details, but the identity of the mysterious woman must remain only between me and one of my co-workers who helped me crack the case.

Perception

2011-03-30T07:46:00.000-07:00

You see cars?

I see funny-shaped Easter eggs. Or giant M&Ms!

Invites

2011-03-22T21:33:00.001-07:00

I have a genius idea for a new trend in wedding invitations. Just a simple email that says:

I'm getting married

Wanna come?

Please respond ASAP with "yes" or "no"

It may be slow to catch on, but it would sure save us brides a ton of time.

Chillin' in Vegas

2011-03-17T18:36:00.000-07:00

Brenda took me to a very cool bar while I was in Vegas for a conference this week. Just how cool? Minus 5 degrees to be exact. It was the Minus5 Ice Bar in the Mandalay Bay hotel. Everything was made of ice, including the drink glasses, but they give you gloves, coats and boots to keep you comfortable. Definitely a gimmicky place, but the music was good, the drinks were delicious and the company couldn't be beat.

Busted!

2011-03-02T06:59:00.000-08:00

Caught on camera! The culprit returned with another kill. This time, we made him leave before he could dine on our balcony again. Reservations only. We don't accept fly-ins.

Ew

2011-02-23T19:00:00.000-08:00

We got a not-so-welcome surprise the other morning. It seems something decided to have its dinner feast on our balcony. Looks like a bird-on-bird crime to me. There were feathers all over the place and all that was left were these:

Happy Valentine's Day

2011-02-14T07:47:00.000-08:00

It's Going

2011-02-12T09:59:00.000-08:00

Now that I'm engaged, the one question I'm asked over and over again is, "how are the wedding plans going?"

Other forms of this question have been known to include;
"What's new in wedding world?"
"What's the latest with the wedding?"
"Anything new with the wedding?"
"How's the wedding planning treating you?"
"Wedding wedding, your wedding wedding wedding?" (This one may not be verbatim, but it's what I heard)

Makes sense I suppose. People want the scoop. But after hearing it several times in a week, it gets a little tiresome.

Most of the time it's from friends who are genuinely curious about how things are going, which is fine. I certainly don't mind sharing the latest item I've checked off my list. But other times, it's from mere aquaintances who I assume have this train of thought:

Oh, there's Michelle.
I should say something to be polite.
What should I talk to her about?
I know!
She's getting married.
I'll ask her how the wedding plans are going.

It's with these people that I'm not exactly sure how to answer. I mean, other than the big details of when and where, what else do they really want to know? The latest vendor I've written a check to? Whether we've chosen the color of the napkins?

Do brides usually want to share every detail of their planning? Some things I do get excited about and will tell friends. But for the most part, I feel very private about it. Especially with people who won't be there. This may not be a normal response, but this entire process is out of the norm for me so I'm just going to go with whatever weird reactions I have.

To help deal with my adversion to these questions, I've put together a few responses that I think I will start putting into rotation whenever anyone asks me how the wedding planning is going. They include:

"I'm not sure. Dan is planning the whole thing."
"Well, we've just booked the location. I assume most people would be ok with a nudist colony, right?"
"We've decided to go with chocolate pudding instead of a cake."
"Wedding? We got married three years ago. Where have you been?"

"We're over budget. Can I borrow some money?"

"I'm having a hard time finding the perfect kaftan."

"Do you know of any chimpanzees who are authorized to perform a wedding?"

"It's pretty easy since I have my four sister wives to help me."

I think this is a pretty good start. These should get me through at least a couple weeks of questioning. After that, I may need a new strategy. We'll see...

Tina

2011-02-09T17:42:00.000-08:00

I was flipping through the channels last night when I came upon "What's Love Got to do with it?" Good movie. A bit over-dramatic and a little sad, but the story is interesting and the costumes and set design are totally groovy man. **insert peace sign here**

A couple hours later when I was laying in bed, I had a flash of a memory. I had to have been about six or seven and I was at this after-school daycare program that my sister and I would go to while we waited for my Mom to get off work. One of the "teachers" (I put that in quotes because they didn't actually teach us anything. They were more like glorified babysitters and I didn't particularly care for any of them) was asking a group of us girls who our favorite singers were. When she came to me, I confidently answered that my favorite singer was Tina Turner. She looked at me strangely, burst out laughing and accused me of lying. "No she's not!" she said. "Why would you say that?" I was utterly confused. Still am quite frankly. In fact, after this memory flashed through my mind, I racked my brain for any possible explanation and still couldn't figure out what was so funny about it.

It would have been 1986 or so which was, as I learned from the movie, right around the time of Private Dancer and her big comeback. Would it be strange for a six year old girl to like her? I probably just figured she was an older version of Whitney Houston. Did grownups see her as some kind of joke? Maybe it was the wigs. I admit they were a bit much, but it was the 80s after all.

Maybe it would be like if a six year old told me her favorite singer was Miley Cyrus and I burst out laughing, but Miley ended up becoming a music legend 30 years later. The joke would be on me.

Or maybe my tastes were just too sophisticated for my age. I'm going to assume that is it because to this day, I have to say, I think Tina Turner is awesome. Great voice, great music, killer legs, crazy outfits and hair. In fact, I think I'll put her on the ipod right now...

Inside the Mind of an Annoying Driver

2010-12-23T16:08:00.000-08:00

Uh oh. There's a red light up ahead I really need to turn right at the next block. It looks like there is one less car in the far left lane so I'll get in that one, then cut over two lanes as soon as the light turns green. I'm sure no one will mind letting me in.

I really need to get out of this parking lot. There's a car coming with no one else behind him. I could wait until he passes and be in the clear, buuuuuut...no, I'll just go right now.

Everyone is going way too fast on this freeway. I should slow down. To 50.

If I start driving in the bike lane and slow down, it's totally obvious that I'm going to turn right up ahead. Why signal?

As long as there is at least one car behind me, I'm safe driving through a stale yellow/red light. I risk getting into an accident but if there's a cop around, the guy behind me will get the ticket.

Eh. I can turn right from this left turn lane.

Mystery of the 5th Floor Ladies Room

2010-12-14T17:16:00.000-08:00

I would like to tell you a story. It's a mystery story. There are twists and turns and the ending will leave you in chills. And it's all true.

It's called Mystery in the 5th Floor Ladies Room. It takes place, interestingly enough, on the 5th floor of my office building. Where that office building is doesn't matter, but what you do need to know is that there are many people who work on the 5th floor. Many people. And many of those people are women. I'd say, maybe 50-75 of them. I can't say for sure because I rarely roam the hallways and when I do, I'm usually not polite enough to make eye contact or say hello. So I don't know if the person I'm passing works at another company or in the cube next to me. Plus, with that many women working here you rarely see the same ones in the restroom. In fact, there are some women who I've never seen in there at all. Like my boss. But that's another story....

So, these 50-100 women share one restroom. It's a nice restroom. Very typical of an office building I'd say. There are six stalls, four sinks and two large mirrors. But, just below the surface, this restroom is anything but typical.

Someone here on the 5th floor is oddly obsessed with toilet seat covers. Looking back, I suppose I noticed signs of her obsession months ago. Possibly even a year or more. A bunch of them would be shoved in the garbage can or in the sanitary trash holder thingy in the stall. At first I thought, Huh. That's weird. They must have gotten wet or something. But I started seeing them more often. Not all the time of course. Maybe a few times a month. It really depended on how closely I paid attention to the trash or if I chose the stall that she had stuffed them in. I never thought much of this woman...until today.

It was a typical morning and I was making first visit to the restroom for the day. I saw that the second stall door was closed and when choosing my stall, I usually like to give someone a little space (for my sake and theirs). So, I went into the fourth one. As soon as I locked the door, I knew something wasn't right. I hadn't seen anyone in the hallway walking ahead of me so I knew this woman hadn't just arrived. Yet, I could hear the rustling of a toilet seat cover being removed from the dispenser. Then another one. Then another one.

Oh no, I thought. She's here!

The rustling continued while I hurriedly did my business. One after another, they were being removed. I could hear them crunching and crinkling.

No, no! I must hurry! I must find out who this is!

But before I could finish, I heard the toilet flush and then her stall door open.

Noooooooo! Damn all that water! Why did I wait so long to go? Just a minute sooner and I could have been done by now!

Then I heard the water start running. She washed her hands, dried them and left. I rushed out of my stall, but she was gone.

And all that was left was.....

A stack of toilet seat covers sitting neatly on the counter between two sinks.

I was stunned. I went into the second stall and sure enough, the dispenser was empty. I was left cold and confused.

Why? Why does she do this? I don't understand. Is it vandalism? Does she have an obsession with paper? Does she just like the sound they make when you take them out of the dispenser? I feel so lost.

I went back to my desk and told my coworker what I had heard. She too knows of this woman but has no idea who she is. She was sad to learn that I was not able to solve this mystery for her as well.

So there you have it. The mystery continues. I hope I'm able to solve it someday. I hope you've enjoyed this tale. Maybe next time I'll tell you about the mysterious cosmetic company that is down the hall. All of the girls who work there are young, pretty...and I've never seen the same one twice. Cosmetic company...or front for a high class call girl service? We don't really know....

I'm Still Here

2010-11-05T07:28:00.000-07:00

My Mom reminded me that I have some big news that I need to share with my blog (which I've ignored for the past few months), so here it is!

Dan proposed! And I said yes of course :) It just happened last Thursday. I knew he was going to be making dinner that night and I thought we were just going to hang out and watch the second game of the World Series. But when I came home, there was a note for me by the garage door telling me to leave all my things and come upstairs. When I turned the corner, the entire two-story flight of stairs up to our living room was covered with rose petals and candles, then music started playing. He was waiting for me at the top with champagne, chocolate covered strawberries, more candles and rose petals. It was quite the spread. Then he got down on one knee and popped the question! Afterward, he made one of my favorite dinners; pork chops with a wine and cranberry sauce, potatoes and asparagus.

Pretty huh? Then we watched the Giants beat the Rangers. It was torture because we knew all of our friends and family were watching the game so we couldn't call anyone until afterward. But when we did start making our calls, everyone was very happy for us.

That included my Mom. And, since she wanted me to write this blog post, I have to tell the WHOLE story! I flew down to Orange County the next morning for my Nana's 90th birthday party. I had tried to call my parents the night before to tell them (and the rest of the family) but my Dad wanted me to keep it a secret until I arrived so I could tell them in person. When I arrived to my Nana's house, Mom was out shopping. When she came back, I wasn't really prepared for how to tell her so I had to think on my feet. I had my phone next to me so I asked her if I could take her picture...holding the phone with my left hand of course. It went something like this:

Me: "Mom, come here. I want to take your picture."

Mom: "Oh ok."

Me: "Look right here at my phone."

Mom: Posing

Me: "Mom! Are you looking at my phone?"

Mom: "Yes. Are you taking my picture?"
Me: Wiggling my left ring finger. "Right here Mom. Are you looking at my phone?"
Mom: "Yes I am." Still posing.

Me: "Mom! Make sure you're looking RIGHT AT MY PHONE."

Mom: "OK!" Still posing.

Carolyn: Pointing at my left ring finger. "Mom! Are you looking RIGHT HERE?"

Mom: AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! Crying.

It looked like this:

I just wish I had taken a video instead of a picture. I would have posted it on You Tube and it would have gone viral by now!

The Mall

2010-08-25T13:31:00.001-07:00

The following events happened just moments ago at the mall:

Drive, drive, drive
Man, there's like no parking here. Why is everyone at the mall?
Drive, drive, drive
Oh! There's a spot! Hmm, I'm quite far away. Oh well, I don't mind walking.
Take 10 steps
OMG! IT'S SO HOT!
Walk some more
Oh ok, this is ridiculous. Why is it so hot? I have to get inside.
Enter the mall, let the air conditioning wash over me
Now this is more like it! Ahhhh. This is the life.
Enter a store
Bleph. Whoa. What's happening?
Body temperature immediately starts rising
Oh geez, is their air conditioning not working? Why is it so hot in here?
Go up the escalator to the second floor
Oh my gosh it's even hotter up here
Go up the escalator to the third floor
DAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAANG. What is up with this place?
Walk around the store for awhile looking at stuff
Oh God.
Walk around more, pretend not to be miserable
I cannot even handle this right now. There's no air in here. I can't breathe. I'm going to have an anxiety attack.
Try to decide between a couple items
My feet are swelling. I can actually feel my feet swelling. Where's a clerk? I'm seriously going to ask someone about this. Oh no, she looks too nice. Dang it! I have to get out of here. No more. Must decide. Just purchase! PURCHASE AND ESCAPE!
Choose something to purchase, take it to the register
Hurry it up lady.
Lights start turning off on the floor, politely ask: "is the air conditioning not working?" She answers: "yes, it's on. They're turning off the lights like they did yesterday so we save power and we can make sure the air conditioning doesn't go out. We're just on the third floor, that's why it's so hot."
LIAR! It's hotter in here than it is outside. There's no way the air conditioning is on. How can you stand it? HOW CAN YOU STAND IT??? I have to get out of here.
Go downstairs and exit
Wait. This doesn't look right. Oh crap. This is the second floor. I parked on the first floor. I have to go back in the building? Are you SERIOUS?
Go back in the building, go down to the first floor
It's just as hot down here as it was on the third floor.
Exit the building
Oh geez. My car is all the way over there. It's so HOOOOOOOOT!
Whine to myself silently
I hate my life.
Start walking down the aisle to my car
It's so far away. So. Far. Away.
Realize I'm on the wrong aisle
Lord, take me now.
Walk, walk, walk
Is that it? NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
Walk slower, slower, slower
I'm not going to make it. I'm so thirsty. Why? Whyyyyyyyy?
Find car, get in, turn on air conditioning
I'm too weak to drive. I'll never make it back to work.
Drive back to work, enter air conditioned building
Ahhhh. Life is good again.

The Owl Family

2010-08-05T17:46:00.000-07:00

I guess you can file this one under "bird brain," but I'm excited that there is a family of burrowing owls living at the corner of one of the busiest intersections in my city. I noticed them a couple weeks ago on my way home from work. There were three little brown owls scurrying around on the ground, hopping up and down from a fence, flapping their wings and bouncing around. I've seen them a few times since then and it really looks like they're living there. Today I was stopped at the red light and saw one, nearly completely camouflaged against the dirt, standing on one foot and keeping a watchful eye on a ground squirrel that was rummaging around him.

I don't know much about owls or why they would be hanging out in a field at 5:00 in the evening, so I looked it up! Turns out, they are burrowing owls. They live in the ground, are most active at dusk at dawn, and often perch themselves on fence posts or mounds of dirt. How cute! I really want to go take pictures of them, but since they are at such a busy intersection, I think I'd be a little embarrassed. I don't want a bunch of people driving past me wondering what on earth is that girl taking pictures of? An owl? What a wacko!

So I'll settle for sharing these cute pictures with you:

On a final note, when I texted Dan to tell him where the little owl family is living, he told me that there are more owls living just down the street from there. "They are large breasted and have orange bottoms." It took me awhile, but I finalize realized that he was talking about these owls:

Angry Birds

2010-07-29T18:04:00.000-07:00

One could argue that the best thing about having an iPhone is that you can easily stay connected to the world. You have email, the Internet and, most importantly, Facebook right in the palm of your hand. I can see some validity to this argument, but in the end...it is false. The best thing about having an iPhone is Angry Birds.

Angry Birds is a little game that I discovered one day while surfing the App Store. I had never heard of it before, but it was the highest rated game and it contained the word "birds" in the title. I was sold. For the wise investment of 99 cents, I immediately purchased myself a lifetime of fulfilling entertainment. And by fulfilling entertainment...I mean social isolation.

Here's how it works. First, you have your team of birds.

By using a sling shot, you shoot them one at a time at a fort that is protecting a bunch of pigs:

You try to knock down the fort and kill the pigs by using the least amount of birds as possible. Why? Because they have stolen your birds' eggs and you need to get them back!

To say I'm addicted is putting it mildly. I had completed all 135 levels in a matter of days and immediately went back to replay each one until I had bettered my scores. I have just a few levels left that I still need to get all three stars, the highest amount you can get. On the nights that Dan works late, I tuck myself into bed early and spend nearly two hours hovered over my phone flinging birds at pigs until my battery dies or my eyes become too blurry to see. On the nights that he is home...I play for one hour. After all, I don't want to completely ignore him. I also play while watching TV, listening to the radio and I've even been known to play a level or two at a red light.

Luckily, this is one of those games that are constantly being updated so every couple weeks I get a new level to play. It's great! And I would like to take this opportunity to thank the people in Sweden for making my life a little better. One angry bird at a time.

Michelle's Key Strategies for Becoming a Millionaire by Age 30 - A New Series

2010-06-24T17:46:00.000-07:00

Last week I decided that I should start writing a series on my blog. In part for my readers' enjoyment, but mostly because it would encourage me to start writing more. It's not that I've been at a loss for material lately, it's just that I haven't really been that inspired to sit down and write. (Hence the week and a half between me deciding to start a series and actually writing it) So, I'm hoping this will change.

Of course, then it came time to decide what to write about. It had to be something that could sustain several posts, but not be redundant or boring. Since I couldn't actually think of something new to write about, I decided to reach into the archives of my brain and pull out one of my favorite gems...Michelle's Key Strategies for Becoming a Millionaire by Age 30.

Now I know what you're thinking...But Michelle, you're 30. Are you a millionaire? No I'm not. But that's only because I started developing Michelle's Key Strategies for Becoming a Millionaire by Age 30 when I was like 27. I'm sure you can agree that three years, no matter how many strategies you adopt, is not much time to become a millionaire. I've changed my own personal plan to be called Michelle's Key Strategies for Michelle to Become a Millionaire by Age 40. But for everyone else, it will stay at 30.

Now some of you may be thinking...But Michelle, I am older than 30. Can I still become a millionaire? Yes you can. But, you need to bump up your goal age to the next big decade you'll be hitting. And, if you're a LOT older than 30, you should probably bump it up two decades because you have been a non-millionaire for a very long time and are probably really set in your non-millionaire ways, so it will be more difficult for you to adopt my key strategies. Consider that my first key strategy for you.

There are a few things you need to know about Michelle's Key Strategies for Becoming a Millionaire by Age 30. First off, you need to keep in mind that they are not tips. These are strategies. So while the item may seem menial or strange to you, there is probably a good reason why it is on the list. Which I will explain. Secondly, these are extremely easy items to incorporate into your life. There are a lot of articles out there about how to become a millionaire that involve investment strategies, mutual funds, stocks etc. That stuff is way too complicated for me. My key strategies don't require you to know much, or anything, about money or finances. Lastly, there are no guarantees that these strategies will actually work, so please don't hold me responsible if they don't. Until I actually become a millionaire, I consider these strategies to still be in the testing phase.

So, without further ado, I present to you Michelle's Key Strategies for Becoming a Millionaire by Age 30. The first entry is below. I'll tag these entries with "Millionaire" so it'll be easy to follow along. Enjoy!

Becoming a Millionaire - Get a Low Paying Job

2010-06-24T17:45:00.000-07:00

(I thought it would probably be best to shorten Michelle's Key Strategies for Becoming a Millionaire by Age 30 to just "Becoming a Millionaire." At least for title purposes.)

There's no better way to introduce Michelle's Key Strategies for Becoming a Millionaire by Age 30 than with one of the most important key strategies...getting a low paying job. This may seem contradictory to the long term goal, but it's not. Here's why.

Low paying jobs teach you a lot. When you are making hardly any money and are forced to live on your own, pay your own rent and bills, buy your own food and clothing, and attempt to put away something for the future, you learn a LOT about money.

The best time to get a low paying job is right out of college. That's because:
A) Your parents have been paying for everything for like 22/23 years, so you will be grateful for any salary that allows you financial freedom and a sense of pride.
B) You've never had a real job before so you have no idea about how much money you should be making and you will be content to live happily in ignorant bliss.
C) You will learn how to live inexpensively and spend the rest of your life living as if you're making hardly any money.

Sure that's the time that you want to go out, show off your brand new education and make a big splash in the working world, but you need to put that on hold. You can make a splash anytime. Out of college, you want to accept a job making peanuts.

In my first job out of college, I made $24,000 a year. Yup! And I'm not ashamed to admit it! (well, maybe a little) I was the morning news producer for a TV station in Fresno working 11:00 pm to 7:00 am. In fact, I was offered another job at the same time at another TV station and I would have made $23,000, produced the 6pm show (very prestigious) and lived only about an hour from home. But when I did the math and compared the cost of living, I chose the crappy overnight job in nowhere-Fresno because, due to the dirt-cheap cost of living, I would actually be making $8,000 a year more than the other job. Now who's the chump?!

Working at that job I learned how to balance a budget, find happiness buying my food at Grocery Outlet, wear clothes until they either didn't fit or were horrifically out of style, and eat at only cheap hole-in-the-wall restaurants (which were usually the best anyway). I managed to save enough money to buy a car, move to a nicer apartment ($650 a month rent was considered moving up!) and, most importantly, spent the next several years living as if I still made $24,000 a year. Not that I made THAT much more money at my next job, but I had learned to love a hermit and Scrooge-like existence that allowed me to save nearly every penny I earned. And those pennies come in handy!

So forget about applying for jobs where you'll make a comfortable living. Those jobs are highly overrated, at least until you're in your late 20s. Take a job that allows you to enjoy many years of a Scrooge-like existence, counting your stacks of pennies by candlelight and waiting for the day for it to all add up to a million dollars.

Why I Don't Watch Disaster Movies

2010-06-09T17:36:00.000-07:00

About a month ago, Dan rented the movie 2012 from Netflix. He asked if I wanted to watch it, but I said "no, I don't like disaster movies. Plus, 2012 is like two years away so I'm probably going to get really depressed and think that the world is going to end soon." Obviously.

Over the next few weeks, the movie just sat around the house. I kept telling him that he needed to watch it so we could return to get a new (better) movie, but he always claimed he never had the time. Finally, Carolyn was over on Saturday and suggested we watch a movie. Driven purely by the motivation of getting this movie out of the house and returned to Netflix so we could get something that I wanted to see, I said "fine, let's watch 2012. That was followed by two hours of scenes like this:

It was a fairly ridiculous movie actually. In reality, the main characters should have died in the first 10 minutes, but they were always spared thanks to their sheer determination and unbelievable speed and agility of their car/camper/plane/feet. Dan kept laughing and saying how unbelievable the scenes were, and that nothing like that could ever happen. And I believed him. Surprisingly, I wasn't totally depressed afterward and didn't have too many thoughts about squeezing as much living as I can into the next two years before the world ends. I was fine. Or so I thought.

Then came Sunday night. There I was, fast asleep in my nice comfy bed, when I was gently transported to Las Vegas in my dream. Dan and I were walking down the strip hand-in-hand and having a great time. All of a sudden, the sky turned black. People started screaming and running everywhere. It was mass chaos and total pandemonium. What's going on?? I asked. Dan pointed up at the sky. LOOK! he screamed as the hotels started crumbling around us. Piece by piece, huge chunks of the buildings were slamming down around us, flattening the poor, helpless tourists who were standing just feet away. RUN! I yelled. We ran across the street dodging chunks of debris. Noticing that the buildings were now falling into the street, I figured that we needed to get to water and then we'd be safe. I spotted the lake in front of the Bellagio, pulled Dan in and swam to the center. Phew! We were safe. That's when I looked up and saw this headed right for us:

The top of the stratosphere hotel. We were killed immediately and transported to heaven, where everything was orange and glowing and looked sort of pixelated like watching a TV channel that was out of focus. I remember thinking ok, this isn't so bad. Then I woke up. It wasn't until I was doing my make up and getting ready for work that I realized the dream was, in all likelihood, inspired by 2012. And that is why I don't watch disaster movies.

The Stairs

2010-05-24T17:54:00.000-07:00

Have I mentioned that I have stairs in my house? Like a lot of stairs? Like four flights of stairs? Well, I do. And from time to time, I fall down them. Usually it's just down a step or two and I land on my butt. I sprained my ankle once which was pretty bad, but last week really took the cake. I was about to leave for work when I remembered something up in my bedroom. I ran up, got what I needed, and ran back down. That's when it happened. It was like all the elements came together to make the perfect storm...it was dark, my pants were too big and falling down, my shoes were slipping off, my hands were full so I couldn't use the handrail and I was in a hurry. I had only gone down three steps before I went head first, end over end, bounced my way down and slammed into the wall at the bottom. Ka boom! I ended up in whimpering crumpled ball with a sore neck and this bruise on my hip:

Just kidding. That's totally not me. My bruise IS huge and nasty, but I'm too modest to post a picture. Plus, I thought this picture was much more impressive. Actually, this entire blog post is less about me falling down the stairs and more about the disgusting pictures of bruises you can find on the Internet when you're bored and wasting time. So cool!

Fancy House

2010-05-18T07:39:00.000-07:00

I got to tour another fancy house last week. I'll have to write more about my experiences when I go to these houses later, but for now I thought I'd share with you just fabulous and fancy this house is. Click here to check it out.

Bay to Breakers 2010

2010-05-17T17:52:00.000-07:00

In the Dressing Room

2010-05-14T17:15:00.000-07:00

Have you ever found yourself staring at your reflection in a dressing room mirror and wondering is this cute or ugly?* What about is this a shirt or dress? Or where does this strap go? Is this on backward? How am I going to get this over my head? Is this really a medium? Did they design it to look like this? I found myself asking these questions and more while trying on items I had pulled from the clearance racks at JC Penney today. (Yes, I realize there is something wrong with that statement) I probably tried on 15 things and came out with four. And the only reason why I bought them was because they were about $9 each and I just can't pass up deeply discounted clothes. I came away with a $44 tank top for $10 (score!) and the lifelong lesson that things are probably on the clearance rack for a reason.

*I asked this question about a gray striped sailor-type shirt similar to this one. It was really flattering and made me look FABULOUS (if I do say so myself), but it had these funky slits/cut outs running down the sleeves with silver disco ball mirror button things. I can't even describe it. It was totally bizarre. It was basically saying I'm nautical from the front and club wear from the side. I just stared at myself trying to decide if it was cute or ugly. I wondered if it would be possible to wear it and not let people see my arms. But that would mean I would have to wear a jacket or a sweater, which would also cover up the cute part. And, I was worried about thinking it was cute, buying it, then wearing it and realizing that it wasn't cute about halfway through the day and being stuck in it and totally embarrassed that people were looking at me and thinking why would that girl buy that ugly shirt? So, I didn't buy it.

I'm just going to stick with shopping at H&M where all the clothes are purposely designed to be so ugly that they're cute. At least I know that they're supposed to look that way. It makes it a little easier to decide if I like it or not.

Bike to Work Day

2010-05-13T12:18:00.001-07:00

Did you notice all the bicyclists on your way to work this morning? That's because today is Bike to Work Day! I was determined to participate last year, but alas...I did not. This year was a different story. I was ready. I marked it on my calendar weeks in advance and even tested out the route on Saturday. (I wanted to see what I was getting myself in to) It's exactly eight miles from my house to work and, depending on how much of a workout I want to get, takes 40 to 45 minutes.

It's actually a pretty easy ride. It's about two miles to the Iron Horse Trail and from there, it's a smooth, flat and peaceful ride with just the sound of chirping birds to keep me company. Too peaceful actually. It was quite boring. Saturday's ride was awesome! There were bikers and runners, three kids who hopped a fence to break in to a public storage facility, a little boy on roller blades who ran me off the trail and almost took me out, two kids climbing up and sliding down a mountain of manure at a construction site, a woman walking a Blood Hound, and seven crows flying overhead harassing a hawk. Today's ride was more like; Dang I'm tired. This is really early to go on a bike ride. Oh look, another bird. Yawn. What's wrong with all these people jogging so early? Am I there yet? I hope the ride home will be more entertaining.

My coworkers, Marcos and Jenna, also rode their bikes this morning. My eight mile ride is totally unimpressive compared to theirs though. Jenna rode 11 miles and Marcos rode 19 miles on a fixed-gear bike. It took him two hours. He's a little nutty like that, but at least he's smart enough to have his wife pick him up after work!

Another coworker took this picture and posted it on our company blog and Facebook pages. I guess that means they're proud of us. Though I'm sure they're secretly thinking we're crazy.

The good thing about my ride today is that I feel accomplished, healthy, proud, and capable of doing things that I wouldn't normally do. The bad thing is that I feel like I have no excuse not to do this again. I mean, before next year's Bike to Work Day. I guess I could do it once in a while. We'll see...

Bumper Stickers

2010-05-06T22:01:00.000-07:00

I was walking through the parking lot after work today when I passed a car with a bumper sticker that caught my eye. It said "STOP!" (I paused) and in smaller letters underneath..."Recycle your oil." Huh? That wasn't worth pausing to read let alone stopping for. Now, I get their point. Obviously, they care about the planet and want us to stop and think about what we do with our oil before we just throw it away. But really? You feel so strongly about this issue that you wanted to put a bumper sticker on your car? Do you know the percentage of people who actually change their own oil these days? And of those, don't most recycle it? Do people really dump their oil down the drains anymore?

Either way, it got me thinking about bumper stickers. I'm definitely not a bumper sticker person. Maybe it's because I don't feel passionately enough about something to want to risk my car's paint job. Don't get me wrong, I've seen a few pretty good ones. They're usually humorous ones that I assume were chosen with care. And I don't actually mind the "preachy" ones. (Though don't expect to win me over in the 10 seconds that I'm speeding past you on 680) But it's quite apparent that there are many bumper stickers out there that aren't strategically chosen. Ones that were given out free to someone who thought...Oh cool! Something free! I'll put this on my car right now! One of which I assume was the "recycle your oil" one.

My favorites are the old election stickers. Yes, you supported Obama in '08. Why is that sticker on your car two years later? Either you want to express your continued support for our President, or you just want everyone to know...you were right. Although, even better are the McCain and Palin '08 stickers that are still out there. It's time to give up on that dream. Not only is your support irrelevant, but your opinions are not supported by the majority. You support losers.

Side note to the guy I saw on the freeway yesterday: Bumper stickers are meant for your bumper, not the passenger side door. Don't think you're fooling anyone. You can still see the dent that you're trying to cover up.

I don't know. Maybe someday I'll be the proud parent of an honor student and want to advertise it to the world. But probably not. After a year or two, my kid won't be going to that school anymore so it will quickly become outdated. Maybe someday I'll find a sticker that says "I have no opinions, hobbies or political views." For that...I might actually consider risking my paint job.

Dan the Elephant Man

2010-04-28T15:16:00.001-07:00

Dan is finally getting down to business and trying to take care of his sleep apnea. I'm so proud! But ene more...I'm amused! Here's what he looks like with his mask on.

Poor guy is having a hard time with it though and it's been difficult for him to fall asleep. Here's hoping that tonight goes a little better :)

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The Lettuce Hater

2010-04-22T19:28:00.000-07:00

Sometimes it just astounds me how absolutely clueless some people can be about their own behavior. You would think that by the time a person is 20, 30, 40 years old, they would have some sense of who they are and the persona they put out to the world. It's called self-awareness. And, I know someone who doesn't have any. At all.

Now, I'm not talking about those people at the beach who wear bathing suits when they probably shouldn't. Those people are just a little clueless. Or maybe they're brave, who knows. I'm talking about the other people. The people who think they are one way, but are the complete opposite. How about an example?

The person I am referring to, above all else in the entire world, hates lettuce. (she doesn't actually hate lettuce, but I'd rather not go into the true behavior she exhibits so I will use this lettuce analogy instead. I thought of this example last night while I was in the produce section of the grocery store.) And I mean she HATES lettuce! She can't stand to look at it, talk about it, touch it or even think about it. She'll change the channel when a cooking show comes on that features a recipe that contains lettuce. Above all else, she despises people who eat lettuce and has on many occasions, tried to get them in trouble for it. Most recently, she contacted a member of local government to complain about a woman (<--this part is actually true) who ate a salad (<--this part is not true).

The problem is, this woman is a lettuce farmer. She owns thousands of acres of lettuce and sells it to make a living. She is the president of the National Association of Lettuce Lovers and the Lettuce Eaters of America Federation aka. L.E.A.F. (I totally made that acronym up and it is awesome!) She spends about 12 hours a day talking about lettuce and eats it for every meal. But, if you were to tell her that it seems she actually loves lettuce, she would kill you. I mean, she could be eating a salad in front of you, telling you how much she hates salad eaters and still not get the irony. Then she would stab you with her fork. Well, not literally, but she would probably scream in your face and call you dirty names. Seriously. It's happened. (<--this part is true)

Now, this is obviously a silly analogy and her actual dichotomy is much more sinister. But, my point is that it amazes me that someone can act one way and absolutely despise people who behave the same way. I just don't get it. Just another mystery of life I guess.

Sculpt

2010-04-22T07:25:00.000-07:00

I wanted to try something different for my workout yesterday and while I was driving home from work, I remembered that last Wednesday I saw an interesting class going on at my gym. It looked easy enough, so I looked it up and found out that it was called "Sculpt." I was a little nervous to try it because I've never taken a class at my gym before. I've seen them going on, but never had the guts to try something new. But, I worked up the courage and decided to go for it!

So, walking into the class, I immediately activated my standard plan of action when I'm in a place where I don't know anyone and I have no idea what's going on or what I'm supposed to do - pretend that I know what I'm doing by repeating what everyone does just a little bit slower and just a few seconds after everyone else. It works every time. At restaurants, public libraries...anywhere where I'm unfamiliar with my surroundings.

I started with walking in and choosing a mat. Yes, these are where the mats are EVERY time I take this class. Then claiming a spot. This is my usual spot. I'm such a regular that everyone knows not to put their mat here. Then stretching and following the teacher during warm ups. I totally know what I'm doing because I've taken this class a million times.

But here was where I hit a snag. Apparently, everyone knows to bring two sets of weights. One lighter set for the shoulder exercises we started with, and a heavier set for the bicep exercises. Oops. I was stuck with my 5 pound weights which were WAY too heavy for the 100 shoulder presses we did. (By the way that is not an exaggeration. We literally did like 100 shoulder presses...AFTER we did 100 squats.) I do this class so often that I need 5 pound weights. Three pounders would be too light for my strong, totally buffed arms. I ended up doing ok with my weights, but when the teacher said "if this set is too much with weights, feel free to put them down"...I totally took her up on the offer.

Then came the set with the body bar. Or balance bar. I'm not exactly sure what it's called, but everyone knew to bring one to class. The gym supplies them, but they are outside of the classroom and when it was time to use it, I couldn't go outside and get one. That would go against my plan of acting as if I knew what I was doing. So, I just pretended that I CHOSE not to get one and did the exercises with my weights instead. But, about halfway through, I noticed a bar sitting against the wall next to me that no one was using. So I picked it up. Yes, this is the body bar that I brought into the class for myself. I was just choosing not to use it up until this moment. OMG. This was the heaviest thing ever!! The sticker on it said 15 pounds. I looked around the room and couldn't figure out how everyone was doing these exercises so easily with this massive stick. Not after all the exercises we had done up until this point. Turns out...there are different weights for the bar. Obviously, someone had brought this one in and decided it was too heavy and got a different one instead. Smart girl.

All and all, I was able to keep up for the entire hour. For the most part. When it was time for the mat work at the end, I took advantage of the fact that everyone was staring at the ceiling and not me in the mirrors, and took a nap. Well not quite, but I did totally slack off. There was no way I could do 50 bicycles. My entire body was on fire. The teacher was lucky she got push ups out of me.

Needless to say, I am sore. I considered not brushing my teeth last night or this morning because my toothbrush is just way too heavy. And washing my hair was torture. But, the next class is on Sunday at 9am...and I'll be there!

Turning 30 is for the Birds

2010-04-11T22:25:00.001-07:00

Here's how I spent part of my last day in my 20s.

Ostrich Land just outside Solvang. More on my birthday trip later!

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A New Favorite Picture

2010-04-06T12:50:00.000-07:00

April Fools!

2010-04-01T07:10:00.000-07:00

Did you visit Google today? Did you notice that the company "changed" its name to Topeka? Check it out! There are some fun people working over there!

Creativity

2010-03-30T07:22:00.000-07:00

There's only about a month left until the government's Homebuyer Tax Credit expires. Trying to communicate that to the public and actually get people motivated to buy isn't easy. But it's my job. So, I wrote this piece for our agents to use as a prospecting tool. Ah creativity. Sometimes it's a blessing and a curse.

Amazing Race Birthday

2010-03-29T20:14:00.000-07:00

Dan and his friend Clarke have birthdays only a week apart, so each year they like to have joint birthday parties. Last year it was the toga party.This year, Clarke's wife, Denise, and I decided we wanted to throw them an Amazing Race themed party. It took weeks of planning, which was fine because we both are super planners. (surprise) In fact, we probably had as much fun putting the tasks together as we did at the the actual party. Here's how it turned out.

For the first task, a member of each team had to complete the Blazin' Wing Challenge at Buffalo Wild Wings. They had to eat 12 of the restaurants spiciest wings in under six minutes. Four competitors finished (Dan was the fastest at 2 minutes 18 seconds) and two (including Clarke) took the time penalty because the wings were too hot. I don't blame them!

They even made it on the wall of fame!

After they finished the wings, they had to find Dan's car hidden somewhere at the nearby BART station. Then it was on to the park where they either had to play bocce ball or soccer.

After this, it was on to the pit stop. Clarke and Maria were the big winners!

The best part of the race was how seriously people took it. Lloyd and Cri (aka Croyd) showed up in shirts they had made earlier that day.

Here you can see some of the clues we made them. We wanted to to be as authentic as possible!

It was a great party and I'm so happy that Dan has friends who are not only fun, but great sports!

Name That Bird

2010-03-29T20:04:00.001-07:00

Does anyone have any idea of what kind of bird this is? Yes, he is just as creepy in person as he is in this picture.

Happy Birthday Dan

2010-03-26T16:08:00.000-07:00

Lookin' good on your new wheels!

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You Know You're Turning 30 When...

2010-03-23T07:42:00.000-07:00

For gifts, you ask your family for a medicine ball, rain jacket, vacuum and doormat.

It Wasn't Me

2010-03-12T10:49:00.000-08:00

Company memo:

To all employees,

Please be careful when you are dialing long distance (9, 1, XXX-XXX-XXXX) that you do not dial 9,1,1 in error. The police department has visited us twice recently due to someone in our office dialing 911 and hanging up. Per the police department, if you dial 911 in error stay on the line and explain to the dispatcher that it was dialing error.

Double Rainbow

2010-03-04T14:15:00.001-08:00

Drove under this on the way home from work yesterday. It was nice to see after all the rain we got!

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Domesticated

2010-03-03T07:30:00.000-08:00

Dan and I have decided to take the next step in our relationship. We've talked about it for a while now and we've decided that now is the time to fully commit to each other, to settle down and become domesticated. So...we got a Costco membership.

We definitely got the full Costco experience on our first trip; crappy parking, crowds, free samples of hummus, long lines and even a chicken bake. (That was for Dan. I'm much more of a frozen yogurt-type myself, but I passed this time around.) We made sure we checked out everything in the store and made note of what we might need some day. That's kind of what Costco is to me really...a place where I see stuff that I might want to buy some day, but probably never actually will. It's fun to look around and dream though.

In the end, we went home with chicken, cereal, Panda Express orange chicken sauce, and a pack of 4,000 napkins. Of course, I MEANT to buy dinner napkins, but picked up beverage sized ones instead and didn't realize the mistake until I got home and opened the pack. I was FURIOUS! Curse you Costco and your over abundant ways! Thanks to you, picking up the wrong item at the store has gone from a simple error to a colossal mistake and year's worth of dinnertime inconvenience!

So now it's official. Dan and I are a suburban couple. Looks like we'll have to stay together for at least another year while we have this membership...or until the napkins run out.

Blossoms

2010-02-28T17:55:00.000-08:00

My Gramma used to tell us a story about my Dad as a little boy. One morning, he went out to the backyard and saw that a tree had bloomed. He ran back inside and said "Mother! You have to come and see what God did overnight!" She loved that story and I always thought it was cute. I was reminded of it last week when I drove out of my garage and saw that all of the cherry trees in my complex had literally bloomed overnight. It was winter the night before, and spring the next morning. I love it!

2010-02-26T13:19:00.001-08:00

These are the ones who survived Thanksgiving and are happy it's almost spring.

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Cabo

2010-02-24T21:32:00.001-08:00

I've finally gotten around to getting all my pictures together from Cabo. After looking at these, I'm sure you can imagine how difficult it was to come home.

View from our room at the Hilton

Happy to be on vacation!

The infinity pool where we spent hours each day

Each day we had a little towel creature from the housekeeping chicas. This was a sea turtle!

At the rehearsal dinner. This was the worst day of my cold so I really wasn't feeling well unfortunately. I'm nursing a cup of theraflu.

With Mike, Julie, Denise and Clarke. I have NO idea why Dan is making that face!

The beach where the wedding was held

Emily coming down the aisle

The happy couple!

The entire East Bay crew

Just the ladies!

Emily and the groomsmen doing their dance

Celebrating Valentine's Day and our last night on vacation

Dan had the steak and lobster dinner...for $15. Awesome!

Mmmmm...and I had the chicken fajitas. My mouth is watering just remembering them.

Update

2010-02-22T13:16:00.000-08:00

Update to this post...I just lost the battle. Who was I kidding? I'm not strong enough to resist chocolate cake! And yes, there were chocolate chunks and they were goooood.

2010-02-22T12:42:00.001-08:00

It's very difficult to concentrate on work today because this is sitting on a conference table five feet from my desk.

I'm trying to be strong, yet I feel like "today is one if those days....."

Ugh, I think it might have chocolate chunks in it. I hope I'm not fighting a losing battle.

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A Couple's First Dance

2010-02-16T11:57:00.000-08:00

I just got back from a five day trip to Cabo where Dan was the best man in his friend's wedding. More details on the trip to come, but first...I thought I'd share with you a video of the couple's first dance. The bride and a few of the groomsmen put together a surprise for the guests. Enjoy!

Christmas 1991

2010-02-10T07:45:00.000-08:00

What was Christmas like as an 11 year old? This email from my sister this morning reminded me:

OMG, I was watching a couple home movies last night and laughed my butt off at how awkward we looked when we were younger. I was watching one from Christmas 1991 and we were so ecstatic because we got new sweats. We're like "oooh yes! Look at the colors! They're exactly what I wanted!" And then I'm hugging Mom and Dad saying "thank you" after each gift and you're off on the side thinking "give me more presents." Then Dad says "why is it that the only time my name is on a present, it says FROM Michael?" That was really funny. Then, we're done opening gifts and when the camera turns back on, we're dressed in our brand new sweats playing a game, and Michael Bolton is blaring on the stereo.

My Favorite Super Bowl Commercial

2010-02-08T08:15:00.000-08:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X1Sv_z9jm8A

New Fave Accessory

2010-02-02T07:55:00.000-08:00

I've had this pair of tights in my drawer for about two years, but have been too chicken to wear them. Today I got the nerve and I love them! Here's to taking a fashion risk!

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An Evening of Firsts

2010-01-29T07:27:00.000-08:00

Dan and I had an evening of firsts yesterday, which is always fun. I was at the grocery store on Wednesday and saw that pork chops were on sale. They looked good so I bought them! Problem is, I don't know how to cook pork chops. But guess who does?? So, Dan cooked pork chops for me for the first time last night and it was delicious! (He'll be cooking them for awhile since I got a ridiculously huge jumbo pack) He also made spinach, which I had never had before. At least not as a side dish. I guess my introductory bite shouldn't have been such a large one because I immediately felt the need to gag. Sorry Dan! Turns out, I hate spinach.

After dinner, we went bowling! It seems like a popular activity that couples would do at some point during more than a year of dating, but we'd never gone. We tend to be a bit competitive with each other, so there was a bit of trash-talking before the game. Here's how it turned out:

Mine is the top score. I don't know if you can see it but I wouldn't consider squeezing out one more point than me "winning." Here's how the second game turned out:

Yeah! I kicked his butt! 136 to 114. Since we each won a game, he considers that a tie. No way. We all know who the REAL winner is ;)

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The Garden State

2010-01-24T20:31:00.000-08:00

I thought I'd take a few minutes and reflect on the great state of New Jersey while my visit is fresh on my mind. The poor state seems to be getting quite a bad wrap thanks to a certain, extremely popular MTV show (which I love), and I can't help but notice that its residents feel the need to convince people that they aren't the Jersey stereotype. In fact, the comments I heard the most during my visit were; "see, we don't have big hair" and "ugh, Jersey Shore." And as far as I could tell, they're right. I didn't see any big hair, Guidos or any fist pumping. Granted, I didn't go to any clubs or bars, but I'll give them the benefit of the doubt.

There were a few things I did notice however. Just driving down the freeway, New Jersey looks different than California. There aren't any sculptured, lush, green islands or banks along the sides of the freeway. Everything is brown. What I couldn't get over, oddly enough, were the trees. Along the streets and freeways, there are big open spaces that in California would be filled with rolling green hills, but in New Jersey, are filled with these bare, thin, stick-type trees. Hundreds of them. They look like mini forests on the side of the road. I wish I could have taken a picture. You'd think that a tree is a tree, but Jersey trees are very different from California trees.

The people are different. They speak differently. I don't mean they sound different (though they do), they just speak differently. Different mannerisms, different words, different inflections. I learned that at my last job when I spoke with dozens of East Coasters a day. They speak faster, are more abrupt. It's quite interesting to listen to.

A couple funny things happened during dinner my first night there. We went to an Italian restaurant and were offered a fixed menu. One of the girls I went with is on a low carb diet. There wasn't anything on the menu that didn't include pasta or rice, so she asked the waiter if they could make any of the dishes "low carb." He looked at her like she was speaking another language. Then, after an explanation of what she wanted, he looked at her like she was from another planet. In California, restaurants have entire low carb menus. In New Jersey, carbs are the most important part of the meal!

During dinner, I sat close to a native New Jersian (New Jerseyite?) who has lived in several places throughout the country during his professional career. He spent most of the meal explaining how great New Jersey is, though I did notice that he used the term "not that bad" quite a bit when describing the people, places and things of his beloved state. But when I asked him, of all the places he has lived, which was his favorite, he said..."California. And I would move back in a second if I had the opportunity."

Weather Report

2010-01-18T17:40:00.001-08:00

I'm starting to pack for a trip to New Jersey, so I checked the weather report. It is 38 degree there right now. Just for the heck of it, I checked the weather for Cabo San Lucas where I'm going next month. It is 72 degrees. Guess which trip I'm looking forward to the most?

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Egret on Highway 680

2010-01-08T17:15:00.000-08:00

Have you seen the egret that hangs out on the hill next to northbound 680 between the Livorna and Rudgear exits near downtown Walnut Creek? He just stands there. Everyday. Watching cars drive by.

Of course, I don't drive that portion of the freeway much anymore, but when I did I would see him nearly every night on my commute home. And I saw him again last night on my way to Walnut Creek. There he was. Just watching the cars.

Everytime I see him, I think shoot! I should have tried to take a picture. Of course, that's probably not a good idea while I'm driving and I'm sure that the day I would remember to take his picture he wouldn't be there. Here's a visual for you anyway:

That's the 680 egret's hippie friend who likes nature and hanging out by the water. The 680 egret is more the urban type. He likes the hussel and bussel of the big city. He doesn't mind the dirt and grime of the freeway that turns his fluffly white feathers to an ashy shade of gray. He's the kind of bird who thinks marshes are for pansies, who drinks his coffee black and likes Martin Scorsese films. He battles insomnia and spends the twilight hours watching haggard commuters battle their way home, cursing and flipping each other off. And he laughs at you while you sit in traffic.

You pathetic human.

Snowflakes

2010-01-06T21:23:00.000-08:00

This is my new favorite picture of me and Dan :)

Ok...sappy moment over!

Testing

2010-01-06T16:33:00.000-08:00

I've downloaded an app on my iPhone that should allow me to blog from anywhere! But, I don't really understand how it works so I need to try it out. If you're reading this, it means I was successful! I like the idea of blogging from my phone. It means I won't have to climb all 27 flights of stairs up to my computer in the loft. Ah, what luxury!

And now I will attempt to upload a picture to see if that works too!

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2010 Rose Parade

2010-01-03T15:44:00.000-08:00

Dan and I went down to Pasadena for New Year's this year. We wanted to see the Rose Parade and his parents live at the very end of the parade route where they park the floats. That means, not only could we see the parade live, but we got free passes to tour the floats at the post parade celebration.

We got a late start to the morning, but the timing worked out perfectly. It takes about two hours from the start of the five mile parade route, to the end. So, we had time to watch the entire parade on TV, eat some breakfast, walk around the behind-the-scenes area to see the horses and marching bands, and battle the crowds to find a spot to watch the remaining hour or so of the parade live!

Afterward, we toured the floats to see them up close. It was so cool! The amount of work that goes in to designing and making the floats is just mind-boggling. Here are a few of my favorites:

This is the float the Rose Court rides on

The Getty Museum!

The South Pasadena float with the Fair Oaks Pharmacy soda fountain. Dan took me there the first time we went to Pasadena in June.

We LOVE Trader Joe's!

2009 in Pictures

2009-12-30T21:24:00.000-08:00

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

2009-12-28T07:41:00.000-08:00

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

2009-10-26T21:39:00.000-07:00

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

2009-10-24T21:55:00.000-07:00

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

2009-09-30T07:45:00.000-07:00

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

2009-09-21T06:03:00.000-07:00

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

2009-09-17T18:10:00.000-07:00

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

2009-09-15T07:59:00.000-07:00

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

2009-09-09T17:08:00.001-07:00

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?

2009-09-09T07:08:00.000-07:00

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

2009-09-07T20:41:00.000-07:00

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

2009-09-03T18:20:00.000-07:00

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

2009-09-02T17:46:00.000-07:00

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

2009-08-21T17:35:00.000-07:00

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

2009-08-11T17:33:00.000-07:00

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!

2009-08-04T17:14:00.000-07:00

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

2009-07-29T14:54:00.001-07:00

Video Recaps | Full Episodes | Webisodes

Bird Brain

2009-07-28T18:18:00.000-07:00

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

2009-07-19T19:03:00.000-07:00

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

2009-07-13T12:19:00.000-07:00

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

2009-07-08T17:57:00.000-07:00

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

2009-06-30T20:34:00.000-07:00

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

2009-06-28T20:14:00.000-07:00

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

2009-06-27T12:00:00.000-07:00

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

2009-06-26T12:00:00.000-07:00

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!

Road Trip!

2009-06-25T17:00:00.000-07:00

On Thursday, Dan and I headed down to LA to visit friends and family. Here's how the trip went...

2009-06-23T16:25:00.001-07:00

Remember this post? It's the end of an era and I'm bummed. But I'll still watch!

Giants vs. A's

2009-06-15T17:15:00.000-07:00

Where's the best place to see the Giants sweep the A's in their series this weekend? From the second row right behind homeplate!

HOME RUN!

Matt Cain on the mound
STRIIIIIKE!

Good game boys!

2009-06-10T08:56:00.001-07:00

Driving to work, I remembered I had a dream last night that I accidently sliced open my left ring and pointer finger tips. When I pulled the skin apart, they looked like they were filled with crumbled blue cheese. Here's a visual:

I think that means they were infected. I ended up at the doctor and she stapled the skin back together, then I had to walk home. Not much point to this post...I just wanted to share.

2009-06-09T16:22:00.000-07:00

Just bought Carolyn her birthday present!

Countdown to October 10

2009-06-05T15:04:00.000-07:00

Four months and five days until I'm allowed to get one of these:

Season Premiere

2009-06-04T13:23:00.001-07:00

Michelle Tells Tales took a brief spring hiatus but, thanks to its supporting fans (I got tired of hearing "you haven't updated your blog in awhile"), debuts today with its new summer season!

On the winter season finale, I had mono and it wasn't clear whether I would live or die. Well good news...I lived! It was touch and go there for about a month, but I made a full recovery. Let's catch you up on some of what's happened in my life since you last saw me:

I bought a condo, moved in and threw a happy 29th birthday/housewarming party

Celebrated Katie and Jason's engagement (I'm going to be a bridesmaid!)

Went to Vegas for Tonia's bachelorette party

Tommy came to town for Juliana's wedding and we goofed around

Was a bridesmaid at Juliana's wedding

Was a girl scout in Bay to Breakers

And that's not all...

As part of the new season, to keep things fresh and exciting, I've added a new member to the cast. Dan has been brought in as "the boyfriend." He's been around for about six months and in focus groups with friends and family, he has received favorable reviews. Let me introduce him to the rest of the audience:

(I totally made him pose for this picture and I think he hates it. But it's my favorite!)

Here is some of what we've been up to:

Celebrated his (and his friend Clarke's) birthday with a toga party

I took him to Chico, showed him around town and we hung out at Bidwell Park

Went to Juliana and Matt's rehearsal dinner

He was my date to the wedding

He was the boy scout to my girl scout at Bay to Breakers

Spent Memorial Day Weekend in Monterey

But wait, there's more...

You'll also notice that the format of Michelle Tells Tales has been revamped and an updated photo and new "gadgets" have been added. For your enjoyment, I'm featuring a "goose photo of the day" and "Einstein quote of the day" over in the right hand column. Why? Because they were two of the most totally random gadgets this blog offered and I figured...why not? Who doesn't like geese or Einstein? Check it out ---------------------------->

So thank you for tuning in. I hope to provide you with more updates as time allows. I appreciate those of you who checked in with me and mentioned you were disappointed to not see any new updates. I'm happy to know that you enjoy this so much! And Katie, now that you're on summer break from law school, maybe you won't feel as guilty when you take the time to read this! :P

10 Reasons Why I Hate Having Mono

2009-02-15T18:01:00.000-08:00

1. It's 6pm and I've been sleeping all day. I'll have just enough energy to write this blog and then I'll have to take another nap.

2. The glands in my neck are so swollen that I look like this guy:

3. I haven't been able to eat solid food in three weeks.

4. My tonsils look like they're covered in blue cheese and my breath smells about five times worse.

5. Who knew mucus came in such a variety of colors?

6. I found out that you sweat more by having a 102 fever for two straight weeks than you do while running a triathlon.

7. There's nothing good on TV on weekdays.

7a. I'm home to watch the fourth hour of the Today Show. That is some HORRIBLE programming.

8. I've spent more time at the doctor in three weeks than I have in 5 years.

9. How many times do I need to hear; "oooooh. Who gave you mono??" *wink wink, nudge nudge* Seriously people.

10. I'm too exhausted to think of a number 10.

Thank you and goodnight!

Why Hello!

2009-02-04T19:58:00.000-08:00

Ok, no excuses for not writing. But, I have news! My condo is just about final and I will officially be a homeowner on February 20!! Yay! I'm waiting for Dad to email me some pictures he took so I can post them.

In the meantime, I've written about my trip to NYC, so scroll down and read about each day of the trip.

NYC - Day 3

2009-01-01T19:02:00.000-08:00

Ah, my last day in NYC. After celebrating New Year's Even in Times Square, it was my brilliant idea to wake up at 6am to head down to the Today Show and see if we could get on TV. So, we bundled up...

Yes, that says 14 degrees!
We passed St. Patrick's Cathedral on the way.

The Rockefeller Christmas Tree!

We made it to the Today Show! But wait...why isn't there anyone outside???

Or inside??? Oh that's right...they taped the show because it was a holiday and Al Rocker was in Pasadena hosting the Rose Parade. We were bummed! Katie and Jason were a little upset that I got them out of bed so early for nothing :(

So instead, we walked around Times Square again to see what we couldn't quite see the night before. The cool thing was, it was completely empty! And THAT is rare.
And we did a little souvenier shopping

Then we went back to the scene of the crime and Katie and Jason reenacted waiting for the ball to drop in the same spot we stood the night before.

And I just had to see where the Late Show was taped!

That night we went out to celebrate the end of my trip. We went out to a couple bars in Midtown and the East Village. It was a great night and a wonderful way to end my first NYC visit!!

NYC - Day 2

2008-12-31T18:23:00.000-08:00

This was probably my favorite day in NYC. We woke up to a little bit of drizzle and light snow. Jason had the day off, so the three of us decided to go to lunch, then head for somewhere warm...the American Museum of Natural History. But to get there, we decided to walk through Central Park. It was a very long, but BEAUTIFUL walk.

I used Jason as a windbreak. It was a VERY cold breeze!

The Central Park ice skating rink

After our very long day, we went to a delicious New Year's Eve dinner at a little Italian restaurant around the corner from Jason's apartment. After, we decided to walk off our food by heading toward Times Square, just so we could see how large the crowd was of crazy people willing to stand around for hours to watch the ball drop. We ended up getting much closer than we thought we could and, with two hours to go, made the decision to join the other crazy people and watch the ball drop. The next morning, I heard on the news that it was the third coldest NYE in NYC since like 1869. I BELIEVE it! But, it was a once-in-a-lifetime experience and I think we're all glad that we did it.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!!!!!!!!!

NYC - Day 1

2008-12-30T17:54:00.000-08:00

It's been more than a month since my trip to NYC, so it's about time that I write about it! I flew out on a red eye flight and arrived in the Big Apple around 6am. After a quick, and yes crazy, cab ride to Jason's appartment in Midtown, Katie and I headed out on a hop-on hop-off bus tour of the city. I have to say, this is the BEST way to see everything in a very short amount of time. We had a blast! It was a bit chilly riding on the top part with no roof, but we had the best view and saw all the sites. And we were only yelled at by two tour guides for talking too much!

Central Park

Times Square. We even saw where the ball was going to drop the next night and if you look at the picture below, you can BARELY make out the 2009 that lit up at midnight.

My first official NYC meal was of course a slice of pizza! Actually, we had a hot dog on our way to the pizza place. We just couldn't resist.

Brooklyn Bridge

World Trade Center construction site

NY Stock Exchange

Grand Central Station was actually one of my favorite sites. Not only was it busy and exciting, but it was beautiful. I could stay there all day!

My Apologies

2008-12-13T15:44:00.000-08:00

I've been getting several complaints about me not updating my blog lately. I'm so sorry to disappoint everyone!

Katie, who is in law school now, says she needs something to read when she takes a break from studying. Of course, she SHOULDN'T be taking a break from studying because finals are coming up, but she reminded me that I haven't made the announcement that I'm going to New York City for New Year's with her! Her boyfriend, Jason, lives there now and they've been generous enough to invite me to stay with them for a few days over the holiday. I can't tell you how excited I am! I've never been there and I can't wait to see it all decorated for the holidays. I'll be sure to take lots of pictures and post them when I get back.

We had a get together a couple weeks ago with the gals I used to work with; Priscilla, Alison, Julie, Hilary and Ann Marie. I miss these girls so much! We always have a good time when we get together. Lots of laughs, a few drinks and plenty of catching up. My picture died halfway through the night, but here are a few pics.

Pressreleaseitis

2008-12-01T19:43:00.000-08:00

Pressreleaseitis (n) – A rare disease contracted primarily by Public Relations Specialists in the field of real estate. Symptoms may include, but are not limited to; irritability, nervousness, hives, headaches, writer’s block, twitching, sudden outbursts of cursing and/or tears, double vision, coma-like states while staring at computer screens and death. There is no known cure. Symptoms tend to alleviate slightly between the hours of 5:00pm and 8:00am, though avoiding texting, personal emails and letter writing to relatives is highly recommended during these hours since activities are considered “writing” and could further aggravate writer’s block symptoms. Patients are encouraged to rest, avoid computers, stare out windows and drink coffee as often as possible. More severe cases of Pressreleaseitis tend to be found in Public Relations Specialists with less than six months of experience who have an ever increasing list of press releases to write. Press release templates have been found to help patients lessen their symptoms, though redundancy may lead to madness. While not medically proven, the use of thesauruses is widely believed to help avoid redundancy and said madness. As cases worsen, patients are encouraged to find the humor in their disease and write comedic passages to share with coworkers—or take a long vacation.

From Boot Camp to Evening Gowns

2008-11-09T09:36:00.000-08:00

Busy, busy, busy. A lot has been going on the past few weeks and whenever I log on to write, I am always way too tired to write more than a few sentences.

Sylvie and I (pictured here in less painful days) joined a boot camp this past week. It's one hour, three nights a week for three weeks. Let me tell you, it's tough. We do a lot of running, a million squats and lunges, weights, obstacle courses etc. I was really sore after the first night but then I think my body just went into shock after that and now I feel nothing. I have to do a little workout today to get ready for another round tomorrow night. Phew! We're hoping we're going to be really tone by the end of it all. Sylvie jokes that she'll be able to open jars with her legs. I think that sounds about right.

In other news, we went shopping for bridesmaids dresses for Juliana's wedding yesterday. She and Matt are getting married in May, so we figured we'd better start looking for dresses. Little did we know it would take less than 1 hour to find the one! And all of us bridesmaids actually agreed on the style. I thought it was a mini miracle. Here's what it looks like:

All of us maids - Jessica, Sarah, Me and Kristen. There's one more girl, but she lives in San Diego and couldn't make it for the fashion show. But, reports say she likes the dress too :)

Already??

2008-11-02T20:29:00.000-08:00

I was just in the grocery store and I heard...are you ready for this?...wait for it...wait for it...Christmas music! Seriously! I was reaching for a package of turkey and I paused because I heard something strange over the radio but I couldn't quite make it out. And then, I heard it...Jingle Bell Rock!

I was shocked. Appalled. Is today not November 2nd? We still have 53 days until Christmas! And you know they probably started playing it yesterday, the day after Halloween.

For the rest of the time in the store, I kept searching people's faces for the same bewilderment I was feeling. It wasn't until I was in the check out line that I heard a girl ask her mother "are they playing Christmas music?" And her mother said, in utter disgust and to my delight, "yes they are."

Have you ever...

2008-10-29T18:45:00.000-07:00

...been sneezed in the face by a parakeet? Let me tell you, bird boogers aren't fun.

It's the perfect end to a very odd day today. Everything started off fine, but it all went downhill starting at about 2:00. Not bad downhill, just awkward downhill.

I'm now going to go watch "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" which I rented more than a week ago. Maybe it will help me feel more normal.

Half Moon Bay Art & Pumpkin Festival

2008-10-21T20:07:00.000-07:00

Carolyn and I went to the Half Moon Bay Art & Pumpkin Festival this past weekend. It wasn't quite what I expected (more Halloween crafts) but it was still pretty fun. Of course the highlight was the gigantic pumkins. And the delicious pumpkin roll with cream cheese frosting :) Mmmmmm. Then we went to Poplar beach and spent some time admiring the beautiful ocean. I'd never been to HMB before. They have a really great stretch of beach! Probably the best I've experienced in Northern California. Every beach I've been to is rocky and the water is gray. Bleh. Here are some highlights: