30 April 2011

today.

Getting a little nervous about how much the wisdom tooth hurts. I hope it doesn't get infected. I had nightmares about the dentist. And also about the house burning down. And also another one that left me anxious but I don't remember the content. Odd dreams last night.

On the agenda:

Head to the mall to use up some coupons that expire today, then car shopping with Akhtar! With any luck today I'll have a new car.

27 April 2011

read it

Went to the library to get some books, and came home to a new magazine. Stocked up with reading materials makes me happy.

Also. Been neglecting to update the GF blog, so I'm going to try and do that more regularly.

Tonight for dinner: Chicken cacciatore.

26 April 2011

... what?

Me, laughing: Hey mom, haha, there's a bedtime book called Go the Fuck to Sleep.

Mom, deadpan: Hm, I think I wrote that.

25 April 2011

fire burning

I walk into my room.

*sniff*

"What the hell is burning?" 
"Dad!"

"What?"

"Come in here!"

"Why?"

"Something's burning!"

He grudgingly walks in with Luke behind him, and they start sniffing.

"Do you have the oven on?"

No.

Is it the AC?
The dryer?
The hot water heater?
The fan?
Anything plugged in?

No. No.

"Well, I don't know what it is, so I guess we just have to wait for flames to see what it is."

They walk out.

Nice...

24 April 2011

dynamic

I realized yesterday that I have no friends.

Wait, wait, let me rephrase that. I have awesome friends. My group of friends has changed. Or, rather, the dynamic has changed.

I hadn't noticed it while I was busy in school studying all the time, but now that I have more free time, I've started to notice it.

Most weekends I'm perfectly content to laze around, do some shopping with mom, maybe hang out with friends Saturday night or something.

But yesterday I felt good; I wanted to do something. It was a gorgeous day. However, it seemed there was no one to hang out with. Everyone was busy, working, out of town, or something. Even mom didn't want to do anything. I realize Easter weekend played a factor, but there's definitely been a trend.

It seems lately that most of the friends I used to hang out with are preoccupied with other things- Either they're busy with their spouse or significant other, or they've got kids to spend time with. Where did my single friends who like to hang out go? It seems they all got commitments while I was in school and I didn't notice until I got more free time.

The pool of that category of people is slowly dwindling. It seems the days of random hanging-out-age are dying. (Akhtar, you are the one exception to this, haha)

And this is not a post to bitch. I'm not angry at any of you, or blaming anyone, trying to replace anyone, or trying to say that I don't like your kids or your spouse. Not the issue.

It's just something that happens, and it's just happening to a lot of my friends. People grow up and have different priorities, which makes spontaneous hanging out a lot less doable.

So, the next logical step is to make some new friends that have a little more flexible schedule. But dude, when you get older and you're not in school, it's really hard to make new friends! I could re-kindle some friendships that have turned into acquaintances, but with the exception of a few people, that happened for a reason. You know?

I need a hobby, one that is time-consuming enough that I won't be bored, one where I can meet people my own age, but one that doesn't require a commitment.

I've looked into volunteering, and it seems promising. Also there's that meetup website that I might look at. Jen, what was that one that you had put the Jogtography on?

All I know is I don't want to sit around bored!

23 April 2011

saturday

Someone's about to get married in the park next to my house. Good thing it's a gorgeous (if warm) day. I wonder if I can crash it? ;o)

Tempted to go test drive some cars, but that's kind of an all day thing and I kinda don't feel like getting involved today. Next weekend shall be my "test drive cars" weekend.

Looking forward to this tonight.

Wanted to get some new books at the library but they're closed for Easter.

The people having the wedding just asked if they could plug something into an outlet in our backyard. We're doing them a favor, so I'm thinking crashing is totally more doable now, haha.

*update*

I was peeking outside and it's a MARINE getting married! I'm so crashing. At the very least I'm gunna creep on the back porch and watch it. :o)

22 April 2011

Reading:

The Five People You Meet in Heaven.

I picked it up because it's one of those books that I've heard about and figured there might be something behind the hype.

If you haven't read it, go read it.






Great, great book. Once I started reading, I didn't want to put it down. One of those kinds of books.

20 April 2011

morning sunshine

The only time I really hate my job is when my alarm goes off in the morning. Once I'm up and at work, it's not so bad. But the dragging my ass out of bed part... Ugh.

This morning my phone alarm went off and I hit the snooze button. About a minute later, it went off again. What. The hell.

Usually I hit the snooze by groping about my nightstand, locating my phone, and pushing this little button on the side, but this time I looked and it was actually a phone call. From a strange number.

I've been instructed to answer any strange numbers.

So I did. I was greeted with the best wake up call ever:
"Hey toot."
(and then an echo.)

Yay, Chris has made it safely to the other side of the world! It's 11 hours time difference. The phone call was a bit funky with the echoing and lag time. I guess call quality isn't supposed to be awesome when you're that far away. We chatted for a bit as I slowly woke up, and suggested that he try and call in the mornings when I'm driving to work. How convenient, and a motivating way to make sure I'm up and driving to work on time.

So far he's doing okay. Still trying to shake some sinus/ cold/ cough thing, but they're pumping them with tons of drugs to ward off malaria and God knows what else, so he's starting to feel better. I asked him what they would be doing, but of course their mission is classified. He did say it was a little different from most missions, and that he was looking forward to it. Knowing Chris, that could be either a good thing or a bad thing.

I'm going to choose to believe that it's a totally safe, mellow mission. Like petting kittens. Haha, could you imagine a bunch of guys in camouflage and gear sitting around petting kittens? Sounds like the start to a very bad gay porn.

Anyway. Dinner's almost done.

19 April 2011

garden progress

So the garden is looking pretty green.

Got some dill...



Some basil...



Some parsley, which doesn't seem to be thriving as well, but is hanging in there...



And I think this is trying to be rosemary. I think.



also, surprise, one of last year's sunflowers (or its baby) made it through. I didn't plant any, but it's growing like a mofo.




Also, I found these two guys living in my garden. Love it.

18 April 2011

Reading:


Far From Home, Anne DeGrace

Saw it recommended for summer reading in a magazine last year and been keeping an eye out for it. A Borders near my house is closing and has everything marked down, so I bought it.

So far a good read, and oddly enough just what I need for my mood the past few days.

17 April 2011

sunday musings

I was having a very real, intense dream about a zombie trying to eat me. I was ready to kick some ass.

The phone rang, and I knew it was Chris, but I really wanted to see what happened in the dream. At the last second, I picked up. It was 640 am.

I was so sleepy that I couldn't make sense of the melancholy voice on the line and was halfway concerned that a zombie was still going to eat me.

Calling me on a pit stop on their way to the opposite side of the world.

Currently reading a book about people's life stories; the choices we make and what happens after that. Makes me hyper-aware of the fact that I'm sittin on my couch in my pjs while he's on that airplane.

I know it's small, but I really look forward to the daily text message, and now I won't get them for the rest of the year. It's like the tiny things that I'm holding on to for comfort are slowly being taken away from me.

It's not that I'm uneasy being alone; I'm fine being alone. If I were truly alone it would be so much easier. This relationship is not on hold; it's still going, and still growing and changing just like any relationship, just very differently than anything I've done. This is a new dynamic that I have to get used to.

I can't wait till I get used to it. This is still not easy.

16 April 2011

it's my favorite color, right?

I used to be able to proudly say that I have never accidentally turned something pink in the washing machine.

Until today. My favorite white cardigan is now pink, thanks to the bridesmaid dress that was washed with it. I just kinda dumped everything in there and put it on cold water.

It didn't bleach back to white, but I've heard of this stuff that Rit makes. If it doesn't work, I have a pink cardigan and also I get to go shopping. :o)

Still got that lingering sinus/ throat uckies. Don't want it any more.

Chris leaves for Afghanistan soon. The next 8 months, please go by fast and safely.

14 April 2011

time to say goodbye

This morning was the last straw.

I have to break up with Jake.

He's been slowly annoying me more and more, and while he's a great car, he's just not for me.

I've never been truly smitten with Jake, nothing like my first love Pedro. Jake was kind of like a rebound. I needed something quick after the sudden and tragic end of Pedro. He was good to me for a while, but I'm just not feeling it.

A smattering of problems. It takes me 20 minutes to fill up my tank, leaving me with my hand cramped and gas on my shoes. And every time I hate it. I've taken it to the Chevy dealership, but I feel like the ugly stepsister Saturn. And they tell me it will take several days to fix and it's not covered under warranty, even though it's something that has everything to do with the construction of the part and nothing to do with user wear & tear. A few days without transportation? How am I supposed to get to work? Pay for a rental on top of the labor and parts? Psh.

And I still have the sub-par radio that was replaced by the dealership after my nice one stopped working. Again, shitty parts & service. I've said it many times; no wonder they went out of business.

Since I have no noises to remind me that I'm leaving my lights on, I leave them on quite a lot. I try to remember, and I remember a lot, but I forget a lot too. Apparently yesterday was one of those nights, because when I went to drive to work this morning, the car would not turn on. The battery was dead.

Then, when I went to go back inside the house and wake up dad, the key would not come out of the ignition so I couldn't unlock the door. So I had to pound on the door until my dad woke up. Then, I figured out that the trunk will not pop if the battery is dead. The battery is in the trunk. And they keys to open it manually were still stuck in the ignition. Great design, Saturn.

I found my spare key and we got to work at 430 in the morning. The battery did not charge, but while the jumper cables were hooked up I was able to get my keys out of the ignition.

I took my mom's car to work.

My dad eventually got the battery charged enough to start it, and it seems to be holding a charge now. But I've had enough. It's time to move on. It runs fine as far as getting from A to B, but there are some serious electrical and mechanical flaws with that car and they only seem to be piling up.

I think it's obvious in relationships, the less you annoy me; the better. Even metaphorical car relationships.

So begins the car hunt. I have time to do research and test drive more than one car. I have no idea what kind I want, but have to admit I'm leaning toward one of Pedro's cousins, a Toyota. He was just such an awesome car, not to mention he saved my life.

Who wants to go car shopping with me?

13 April 2011

junk in my trunk

Little known fact:

I am always beach-ready.

No, not in the I-shave-my-legs-every-day kind of way. The opposite is quite true.

I keep beach supplies in my trunk, so that any time the beach calls, I can be there.

I have:

1 striped beach umbrella
1 beach towel
1 bathing suit
travel size sunscreen
flip flops
sundress coverup
white cotton tshirt coverup
frisbee
beach blanket
beach buckets/shovels/sandcastle molds

I used to keep it in there when I was in college and would get random "come to the beach!" calls, or would just drive down to the beach on a whim. God, I love that first whiff of salty air.

Now that I'm older and me and all my friends are less likely to go to the beach at 3am to light a bonfire and catch the sunrise, I use it less. But I still keep it there, just in case.

It came in handy today, when it was so nice and pretty out that my coworker invited me over to her apartment to hang out by the pool after work. Or, I invited myself. :o)

I'm curious- what do you keep in your trunk?

11 April 2011

The past few days

I knew how much planning it takes for a wedding, but this is the first time I've really been actively involved. Months of planning for a few hours of fun- it's crazy. Of course things go wrong, and plenty of crises were avoided. I helped make a lot of the stuff, and it was stressful making sure the things I was responsible for did not fall apart.

The garter did not fall apart.
The cake stands did not fall apart.
 The cakes themselves were a little hectic to put together, but they did not fall apart.



 The bouquets did not fall apart.They were actually kinda fun to put together.



When Collin started to say his vows, I fell apart. I did not expect to cry.
The look on his face when he said his vows totally made the chin quiver, and when I tried not to cry, it made it worse.
I managed to compose myself, though.

The ceremony was beautiful, Ashley was absolutely stunning, and the reception was so much fun. You could tell everyone was happy and having a good time.

I loved that Chris was able to be there. He looked so handsome in his dress blues, and he was the calm and collected one when I started to get stressed out. When I got a little snippy he could have easily gotten frustrated. Instead he asked me how he could help.

I'm so thankful he was there, especially after I cut a huge gash in my finger while trying to level a frozen cake. I thought I might need stitches, but needed to finish the cakes without getting blood everywhere. A paper towel and some plastic wrap saved the day, and he helped me finish the cakes and get them out on the cake table.

I thought he was cramping my style, but the truth is that he just comes home and fits right back into the groove like he was never gone.

I don't know if it was all the excitement winding down or what, but I am crashing today. I feel like this again. Ugh, God, no. Please no.

P.S. The finger does not require stitches, but keeps breaking open and bleeds a lot. It started bleeding during the night and stained my pristine white sheets. Nooooo.

10 April 2011

whirl

Ten days flew by. It was so hectic, it was hard to stop and take it all in. Don't get me wrong; it was a blast, but what I wouldn't give for a few more days.

Such a tease- a few mornings of waking up next to a warm body that isn't my cat, instead of waking up to text messages. I didn't realize how much I missed him until he was here, seamlessly inserting himself into my life right where he left off.

Still, I've done this before and I can (and will) do it again (and again).

I know this doesn't count as a post, Ash, but I figure you're too busy on your honeymoon to check my blog. Hopefully when you get back I'll have something good for you, haha.

06 April 2011

almost!

The cakes are finally nestled safely in the freezer. All 6 of them. They came out a little thin... we might have some squatty cakes in the end, but I'm not going to sweat it. And by that I mean I hope Ashley won't sweat it. I can fix it with triple layer cakes if I have to.

Family is all migrating towards us. Maybe I can squeeze in a manicure this morning before I have to pick up Frankish at the airport. Today is my CA dad's birthday, so I think me and Ash are taking him out to dinner.

The flowers arrive today, ready to be made into bridesmaid bouquets, corsages, and boutonnieres. And we have to keep them alive and fresh until the wedding. Hm.

It's all coming together, going to be a few busy days and a hell of a party Friday night!

03 April 2011

weekend

Good weekend. I seriously do not want to go back to work tomorrow. AT ALL.

Friday morning I went to pick up Chris at the airport, waiting in suspense for about 45 minutes at the baggage claim. When he finally arrived, we headed over to this place that my friend had seen, Mary's Gluten Free Bakery, and got some goodies. OMG. Freaking YUM.

Oh, and I totally got laid about 5 seconds after we got in the car.


Haha, actually I got "lei'd." I don't know what kind of flowers they are, but they smell amazing.

After driving around town running errands and having lunch with his mom in CS, we finally got to the beach Friday night. The lady at the hotel tried to put us in a room with two full beds instead of a king. I was like, "Um, NO bitch." It was fixed.

Had dinner poolside and spent some time at the in-the-pool bar. I love that place. It was such a pretty night and it was so chill and comfortable.

Saturday we slept in and went to the beach for a little bit, got some snowcones and enjoyed the sunshine and people watching. There was a plethora of ridiculously cute babies everywhere. It was like take your cute baby to the beach day.

There were also a bunch of these really cool rocks that someone had balanced perfectly.



We played some mini golf at this really creative place. It wasn't your typical crappy mini golf obstacles. Had dinner at Mario's on the seawall, complete with gluten free pasta and gelato. Mmm.

Today we woke up and it's one of those overcast days, perfect for laying around in bed all day. But I don't get to. Hmph. Back to laundry and paying bills, getting ready for the week.

The only downside of the weekend was this cough/ cold Chris can't seem to shake, and it sucked that he didn't feel well. After a while it got kind of annoying and I wanted to be like freaking stop coughing! And then I felt guilty just wanted him to feel better kuz I know how much it sucks when you want to enjoy yourself and you're sickly.

And it's weird. On one hand, I've gotten so used to not having him around that I feel like he's kinda cramping my style; I want to spend all my free time with him while he's here, but I kinda want to get some breathing room. And I know he was also looking forward to vegging around his house, taking care of his stuff.

Well, we both get our breathing room until Thursday, and this is going to be a superbusy week, at work and at home.

I haven't even baked any wedding cakes yet. I should get on that.