Road Trip: Day 1 (10/11/12)

On Thursday, October 11th, the Boyfriend, his mom, the cat, and I piled into the car we packed the night before and hit the road. My oh my was it a full car. Between all our luggage, the cat, and all our necessities, I was doubting the car's ability to move down the street let alone across the country.

We had every intention of leaving by 6 am, but didnt end up leaving until closer to 8 am. By the time we made our way down to Encinitas, the cat was crying up a storm and panting like crazy. We ended up medicating him so he would calm down. It broke my heart to see him so drugged up and confused. It also cracked me up to see him sleeping like this:

Because I had stayed up super late (like until 3 in the morning late) I was running on less than 4 hours of sleep. This posed a MAJOR problem for me because I kept dozing off. I don't have any clue when we ended up in Arizona...but we made our first gas stop and got our first of many gas station meals.

I don't recall ever seeing a Love's before. We ended up getting a couple of hot dogs and those tornado cheese taquito thingys.

Throughout the drive, there were amazing lightening storms in the distance. Apparently in my narcoleptic state I missed most of the good ones. I also missed when we crossed into Texas, went through the border checkpoint, and portions of Mexico that were visible from the freeway (or is it called highway?? interstate??) The plan was to drive for 12 hours and stop somewhere between home and Mansfield, Texas to sleep for the night.
 

Like the crazy people we are, we decided to just drive on straight to Mansfield. Man oh man, was that a bad idea....

Blogfail!

It appears that I have failed miserably (again) at this consistent blogging thing. So here I am a month and a half later trying to reboot (again) this whole blogging thing. I've been busy (still) and as much as I wanted to blog about what's been going on, I just haven't had the time (still). So one more again!

A recap of what went one when I was gone from blogland:

End of September was kind of crazy. There were various birthdays, celebrations, and a concert attended. I spent most of my *free* time preparing for my 3 week long vacation. That no only involved a lot of laundry and packing, but also setting up people at work to carry my work load while I was gone.

October was spent in Texas and Arkansas. I had fully intended on blogging while on the road, but it was vacation and I was trying to enjoy as much of it as I possibly could! I will recap those adventures later. We returned the day before Halloween and slept until November 1st when I returned to work.

The past two weeks of November has been spent catching up at work. I've actually managed to work out a new work/sleep schedule for myself that I'm actually liking: Wake up between 5-5:30, get to work by 7-730, leave work 4-430, and in bed and usually sound asleep shortly after 10. I like it, even though its dark when I wake up, but still. I feel like I have more time and more sleep!

So that's what been going on in a nutshell. I hope with this new schedule, I can incorporate more "me" time in there and get my craft on!

Currents*

Time: 10.43 AM
Location: my lovely apartment
Watching: Keeping Up with the Kardashians is on in the background, but I'm not really watching it.
Drinking:  Coffay :)
Eating: about to make some breakfast for me and The Boyfriend.
Feeling: Sad that we lost to Stanford...again...for the 4th year in a row!!
Thinking: about my upcoming trip to Texas and Arkansas 
Wanting: Brownies, but I know its not a good thing for me.
Needing: some quiet time

Loving: that the Sunday routine is a lazy day in watching football (for him) and scrapbooking (for me)

* Currents is inspired by Tina

Go USC!

I was in the little kitchen near my department at work getting a glass of water. On my way back to my office I see the Regional Manager giving a well dressed man a tour of our office. As we walk towards each other he politely says hello followed by a "GO USC!". I giggle and agreed enthusiastically say, "YEP!"* As I turn into my office I hear him tell the well dressed man, "It really hurts to say that"**. I start cracking up along with some of my co-workers within earshot. hehe.

* At this point of being a Trojan, my automatic response would usually be "FIGHT ON SC!", why I only managed a yep just goes to show you that I'm a little bit rusty from all the sanctions the last few years.
** the Regional Manager, along with many of the other uppers in my company, hail from UC Berkeley. I'm surrounded! but that's okay.

September Goals

Before I proceed with this month's goals, lets revisit August's goal list:

• Clean up that little corner - it looks better but it's not really what I would consider clean, oops.
• Blog several times a week - I managed to blog a total of 4 times in August, which averaged ALMOST once a week.
• Complete a crafty project - does setting up my Project Life album count? I think it does.
• Take more pictures - Between the Cowboy's Training Camp, Offspring at Del Mar, and SeaWorld, I have definitely taken tons of pictures. I hope to post them soon.
• Visit someplace new - Never been to and NFL training camp.
• Exercise at least 3 times a week (booo. I'm not looking forward to that one) - I begrudgingly lifted weights at least twice a week, walked to church once a week, and did some activities that involved a lot of walking (why is everywhere at SeaWorld uphill??) I'm counting this one as done!

And now onto the September Goals:

• Clean up that little corner
• Blog at least once a week
• Complete my own version of 30 days of lists
• Try 4 new recipes
• Exercise at least 3 times a week (still don't like this one)
• Drink the proper amount of water a day (half your body weight = oz of water you should be drinking everyday)

Back home

I took the day off from work to take a trip back in time. Well not really back in time, but back to my favoritest place, USC. Xtine started grad school this week and while she's in class I'm pretending to be a grad student myself. I'm coming to you live from the, um....where am I. This building was not here when I attended USC ten years ago. TEN? I digress. I'm at the Ronald Tudor Student center, lounging on a couch with my faux-fellow students. Some observations:

• Everyone has a laptop or tablet of some sort. I don't even think everyone had a cellphone when I attended school. Part of me wishes I has such technology in class, but a big part of me knows that way too much time would have been on Facebook, pinterest, playing angry birds, blogging and chatting....or maybe not since most of those things did not exist 10 years ago. There wasn't even wifi so I wouldn't even be able to go on napster. Haha
• Everyone looks so young. Which makes me wonder if I look so old.
• Matt Barkley is just as cute in person. I almost ran into him at Heritage Hall. I was too shy to ask for a picture even those he was just asked by someone else.
• Sound travels weird in here making it impossible to pinpoint exactly where the snoring is coming from.
• I think I NEED an iPad. I've been able to do some work while here, and play around on the internet.

Okay that's all for now. I might be back with some pictures if I can figure out how this iPad works...and if I could build up the nerve to be one of those iPad picture takers. Haha.

I know. I'm lame. I haven't really blogged even though I said I would. I do have several posts that are almost ready to go..I just need pictures! I could post them without the pictures, and update it later once I get the pictures edited, but lets me realistic. The chances of me going back and adding them are slim to NOT GONNA HAPPEN. So at some point this week I am going to sit down and start getting on that ish. really. i swear. I am!

Currents*

Time: 1.06 PM
Location: sitting at my desk at work (shhh!)**
Watching: an occasional flicker of my computer screen and the silly little hour glass...i think its time for a new computer bossman!
Drinking:  Diet Dr. Pepper
Feeling: regretting that Big Mac I ate for lunch
Thinking: about my dog, Bhoo, he's not feeling well and is sluggish today
Wanting: ice cream. Ice cream will make my tummy feel better right? Ice cream always makes things better ;)
Needing: more patience with people who say "supposably"
Writing:  an email to Xtine
Loving: that life is good.

* Currents is inspired by Tina
** as always, I am at work. I'm taking a break from the wonderful world of financial engineering to say 'ello!

August Goals

Hello August. Since its the first, I've decided to get back into the monthly goals. It was good setting monthly goals and seeing a progression at the end of the month, even if I didn't end up fulfilling everything on the list. So here goes...

• Clean up that little corner
• Blog several times a week
• Complete a crafty project
• Take more pictures
• Visit someplace new
• Exercise at least 3 times a week (booo. I'm not looking forward to that one)

I figure make this month's list fairly easy and breezy, well except for the exercise part. I want to enjoy the rest of my summer and the fact that the end of the busy season at work is near. woohoo!

This Tomato...

On Friday my co-worker gave me this tomato...

He sat on my desk all day.
Anytime anyone came into my office, they would comment on his appearance.
I know.
I'm slightly bothered by him.
But he's organic and home grown, so I guess that makes up for it.

He's now sitting in my fridge and greets me (freaks me out) every time I open the door.

In celebration of...

ME! My 32nd Birthday was last Friday and everyday since then I've done a little bit of celebrating.Here is the rundown of the festivities:

Friday

I had decided to take Friday off earlier in the week, with no real plan as to where I wanted to go or what I wanted to do. It wasn't until Thursday afternoon that we had a list of things to do each day of the long weekend. On Friday afternoon I stopped at my parents house to drop off some dog food for the puppies. My parents greeted me with a warm happy birthday and a Kate Spade bag, named Jane. ooh la la.

I left my parents house and The Boyfriend and I made our way to the OC Fair where we shared a giant jalapeno and cheddar corn dog, tri-tip sandwich, ranch beans, ice tea, beer battered bacon wrapped dog, bacon wrapped Gouda filled mushrooms, fries, and lemonade.We looked at farm animals, watched the pig race and received a coupon for a free pound o' bacon (weird), looked at the photography and art exhibits, and listened to some live music. Over in the craft area we finally found ourselves a fountain for the bedroom, because all bedrooms should have fountains. Its very zen you know. ;)

After a long day at the fair, we made our way home where my gift from the Boyfriend was waiting in our mailbox. I ripped through the amazon box and found a card with a sweet message (he writes the best cards) and Season 7 of Friends. My collection is now complete! Best Birthday EVER!

Saturday

On Saturday we met up with my college friends and their husbands for a late lunch at Avilas. We sat outside and enjoyed the sun and company. It was a very nice and relaxing lunch. After lunch we made our way home. We were going to go out again in the evening, but lets face it, I'm old and was tired out from the fair the previous day so we just made ourselves a light dinner and watched movies and TV the rest of the evening.

Sunday

On Sunday we had decided to wake up early and head over to the Farmer's Market over at the Great Park. It has been something I've been wanting to do FOREVER. The only thing better would have been if it was the first weekend of the month so that I could go to the Antique Market too. Unfortunately, we did not get out of bed until after 11 and seeing that the Market closed at 2, and we are the slowest movers (which is fine for us because we move at the same pace hehe) we decided to ditch the market and do another semi lazy day. The Boyfriend's mom was down at the pool with some friends so we strolled down there around 3 to hang out and eat some freshly made hotdogs off of the grill. It was nice, relaxing, and I was able to get a little more color on my whiteass legs.

After about an hour, we drove down to the Fresh & Easy Express to check out whats they gots going on over there. It was pretty uneventful. We ended up buying the few items we needed and quickly headed home.That evening we made dinner and watched the Bachelorette finale. Every season I say its going to be my last and then I'm right back there watching it yet again. I blame the Boyfriend.

Monday


On this day, the Boyfriend's mom had planned on making me dinner in celebration of my birthday. The schedule didn't really work out so it was postponed to the next day.

Tuesday

Birthday dinner at the Boyfriend's mom's place. She made the most delicious fettuccine alfredo with blackened chicken. For dessert she had bought a german chocolate cake. It was sooo good..and I was soooo full. Its Wednesday and I'm still feeling the grossness from overeating such yummy food. Why does good food have to hurt so bad???

Wow this was a long post. I will come back later and insert some pictures from the fair so that it doesn't look so wordy.

Currents*

Time: 1.27 PM
Location: sitting at my desk at work (shhh!)**
Watching: The clock slowly tick away
Digesting: Big Wave with Cheese, no bun, that I had for lunch today
Feeling: overall happy and good about life, but sad that I'm in my windowless office working on a database
Thinking: I need to blog more often. Life is good.
Wanting: to be home with The Boyfriend
Needing: more free time!
Making: another database (see "location" and "feeling" above)
Loving: having someone to go home to after a long day of work

* Currents is inspired by Tina
** yes I am at work, and no I'm not supposed to be blogging while at work, but decided to do it anyways.hehe.

Hello..long time no blog...

It is half way through 2012 and I have not made one single blog entry on any of my 3..er 4? blogs. The reason for the MIA status is due to life. I'm living it...actually living it and not sitting in front of a computer when I get home from work.

When I was last here, it was one day after my 31st birthday. I was lamenting about how my family did not really do much celebrating for that day, but I was also excited at the adventures my boyfriend had planned for us. It was a fun birthday weekend indeed. Concert Friday, dinner cruise Saturday, and my favorite home made meal (pot roast) and pie (pecan) on Sunday. All in all, it was a great way to kick off year 31. I also included The 31 List. I should do a recap of that really really soon. I'd like to say that I'm going to, but based on my track record as of late, its very unlikely that it will happen...maybe.

On to today, I am still with the earlier mentioned boyfriend. Known here on the blog as "the boyfriend" (how clever hehe). I moved to Long Beach at the end of October, on Halloween night to be exact. After an extensive search all over Southern California, we found an apartment that was in a safe area with decent amenities and walking distance shopping centers, movies, restaurants, and even church! In December we had a dramatic move in, followed by several months of unpacking and settling in. We just completed another dramatic move in to a new apartment in the same complex a few weeks ago. I may or may not get into that whole dealio at a later date.

In the between moves, I've experienced extreme happiness, joy, laughter, there have been babies born (not by me), marriages (again not me), and life milestones achieved by me and/or the people in the my life. With the good there has been some bad, I experienced two deaths, dealt with some broken relationships, and there has been some unnecessary dramas in my life.

Yes, its been a year full of changes. In a week and a half I will be 32!! I hope to be here more often to recap Year 31 and document life throughout Year 32.