Marriage, Animals & Politics, Oh My!

Adios Blog land!

2010-07-09T20:07:00.000-07:00

Here we come, Boston!

We leave early (very very very early) tomorrow morning for Boston. We fly into Chicago, then Rhode Island. We are driving from there to Cape Cod for two nights, then to Boston for 6. I am scared to death of flying, but am really excited to get to Boston. Someone needs to work on a teleporter for me.

So I shall be back with lots of vacation pics :)

Irish Fair

2010-06-19T20:56:00.000-07:00

We had a great day today! We spent the day with my family at a local Irish Fair, and it was a really well put together shindig. I seriously had a blast listening to the Irish bands and bagpipes along with some GREAT people watching. Put a whole bunch of Irish people together and add a lot of beer (Guiness to be precise), you will never be bored! The also had a lot of Irish shops so The Husband got a shirt and I got a really neat Irish necklace.

The highlight was watching the band The Fenians play. They are a blast to listen too and had everyone up and dancing. After we got our picture taken with the drummer in his leather kilt.

The Husband also sported his Laker jersey in a sea of Celtics jerseys. One guy was a good sport and we got this great pic:

We ended the day with dinner at Peppinos, which was the perfect end to a great day. We are going back to the fair again next year for sure.

Our Lakers Did it!

2010-06-17T21:30:00.001-07:00

What an incredible game....I was on the edge of my seat the whole time. In fact, The Husband and I ended up sitting on the floor close to the TV. Basketball fans really could not have asked for a better Finals and game 7, it was close the entire time. I am happy, and The Husband is happy :)

Earthquake!

2010-06-14T22:11:00.000-07:00

Just had a little jolt here in So Cal, nothing too major though. The cats barely looked up but our light fixture was swinging pretty good! The pool was also pretty wavy. Oh the fun of living in Southern California! I would totally take earthquakes over Hurricanes and Tornados though...those are way scarier.

Day 2 of Nutrisystem & Weekend Plans

2010-06-11T20:37:00.000-07:00

And the verdict is: Yummy food.

The food is actually really good for diet food. No, it is not as good as a cheeseburger, fries and chocolate cake, but it is much better than I expected. It is also filling, I have hardly felt hungry at all.

I also find it really easy, especially as someone that is working full time and going to school full time. I don't have to really think about it. Put some food in the microwave, pick out a veggie and a fruit and you are good to go. LOVE not having to cook or plan meals. So that is that.

This weekend is going to be busy, but it should be nice. The Husband is not going to be home tomorrow, so I get the house to myself. YAY! I plan on watching crap TV and working on both of my essays...and taking Charlie the cat to get shaved for summer. I hope to also get some laundry and cleaning done..but we shall see about that. Sunday we are taking my Grandma to brunch for her birthday, her 85th birthday. 85 and still going strong! We are heading to Duke's in Huntington Beach, should be a fun day. Then coming home to do MORE homework.

The last day of food.

2010-06-09T20:05:00.000-07:00

Well, the last day of eating whatever I want that is. I am starting Nutrisystem tomorrow at the suggestion of another blogger, Heir to Blair. No diet that I have tried has ever worked for me, so I am hoping that having built in portion control on the 3 big meals will make a huge difference. Nutrisystem provides breakfast, lunch, dinner and a desert/snack. Everything else comes for a list of suggested foods which is mainly fruits, veggies and dairy. I am also in counseling (for a few reasons), but one of them is my emotional and stress eating. Here is to hoping the combination of the two will help me re-learn how to eat without feeling deprived all the time.

Since I feel like my food freedom is ending, I decided to splurge one last time tonight (at least until I am pregnant) and eat pizza. Lots of pizza. And Cinniman sticks with icing. SO.FULL. I think after that I am more than ready to eat less. It is sitting like a brick in my stomach right now and I must weigh and extra 20lbs at least. Lesson: Food Splurge is not as much fun as it sounds.

So, um, yeah.

2010-06-08T20:48:00.000-07:00

Just noticed that it has been 7 months since my last post. That is some dedicated blog slacking right there! Lots of changes in 7 months, most of them good :)

We moved into a townhouse in RSM, which I LOVE. I never knew how much I could love a two car garage.

I am going to school full time to get my BA in Sociology, and will probably go on to get my Master's in Human Behavior. At least that is the plan as of now. The Husband is going to go back and get his BA after I am done with mine. We both had finished our AA, but never went any further. It is time for us to finish.

Hopefully part of that plan will include me updating this blog more! I have a new laptop (purchased for school since I am doing it all online) and this leaves me plenty of time to sit on the couch and type to my hearts content. Plus it is a really good way to avoid doing school work.

In other exciting news, The Husband and I are working on adding to our family. I have some medical issues so it might be a long journey, but right now we are both optimistic. We even bought a new family friendly vehicle...a 2010 Honda CRV. I LOVE IT.

Other than that nothing too exciting has happened. Life has been happily steady. We have LOTS of fun plans for the summer. We are going to Boston, then Comic Con again, then Pageant of the Masters, then girls weekend in Palm Springs. Somewhere in there I will be working and going to school full time, and hopefully growing a human. So summer should be lazy ;)

On an unrelated note, happy Primary Day CA! Hope everyone voted. *Crossing my fingers that Gavin Newsom won the primary for Lt. Governor*

By The People: The Election of Barack Obama

2009-11-04T20:17:00.000-08:00

Two posts in one day...crazy!

I just had to recommend the new documentary by Edward Norton called "By The People: The Election of Barack Obama". It was very well done and totally made me cry, again. (Seriously, I never used to cry, what is up with this??)

Edward Norton and his crew were given unprecedented access to the entire campaign, it shows the behind the scenes stuff we have never seen before. I especially loved the vigor and emotion from all of his young staffers around the country. Another cool moment? A glimpse into Obama's hotel room when the election was called for him and the reactions of all of his staff at that moment as well. (Including Plouffe, Axelrod, Favreau ect.)

It premiered on HBO last night, so catch it on re-runs if you didn't see it the first time around. Well worth it.

So my new resolution is to post more...

2009-11-04T19:54:00.000-08:00

but I know that you have heard that before! To be honest, I used to post most of my blogs from work in any spare moment of downtime I could find. Now Blogger is blocked (as are all blogging sites) and I do not have the option anymore. When I get home from work the thought of blogging is usually the last thing on my mind!

My hope is to try to update this blog at least once or twice a week from now on, as there are many things in my crazy brain that are just dying to come out.

For now, all I will say is this: BOOOOOO Maine. Why is it that every time we take a step towards equal rights in this country it gets ripped right out of our hands? ::sigh::

On a lighter note, my sister turned 16 and my husband and I celebrated 3 years of wedded bliss. THREE YEARS. Holy crappola. That flew by.

And happy One Year since the day Obama was elected. He still has much to prove to all of us, but I will continue to hope that the change he promised will come. That is all we can do, right? (well besides call our senators and representatives ;) )

In posts to come: Our trip to LA with my sister, our anniversary trip to San Diego ect.

The Husband and Shannon outside of the Echo Park Time Travel Store aka 826LA (a writing workshop for inner-city kids)

Motorcycle Accidents, Fires and Pageant of the Masters

2009-08-29T20:09:00.000-07:00

I mentioned in my last entry that we were going to see Kings of Leon in concert last weekend. That never happened...

We were getting ready to go, when our neighbor told us that there was a fire right by our apartments. If you know us, we live in wildfire danger zone, right up against a canyon full of dry brush. 2 years ago we actually had to evacuate as a huge wildfire burned right up to the property line of our apartment complex. Scary. So naturally we were concerned. We went outside and watched it for a little and The Husband took some pictures:

We determined that it wasn't bad enough to cancel our plans, so off we went. After being on the road for about 20 min we witnessed a horrible accident involving a motorcycle. The 2 people on the bike ran into the rear end of a car and went flying into the air, at least 25 feet. We were right behind them so we stopped and called 911. By some miracle there were THREE off duty paramedics at the scene who got to the victims within seconds. And by another miracle they were both alive with seemingly minor injuries. We stayed at the scene for a long time and gave our police statement, and after all that, we just weren't in a concert mood. I was REALLY shaken by the whole thing. So home we went to watch a few silly movies to take our minds off the nights events.

On a much happier and lighter note, last night we were able to attend the Pageant of the Masters in Laguna Beach. It is a great art festival that includes an orchestra playing music to live re-enactments of famous masterpieces. This was the second year I attended and the first for The Husband. We had a great time looking at the artwork, had a yummy meal with live jazz under the stars then got to watch an awesome show. Here are some pics:

Unfortunately I don't have any pictures from the actual show, they do not allow photographs. If anyone has a chance to see this show I would HIGHLY recommend it. It is really an amazing evening.

Today we relaxed and went and saw Inglorious Basterds (I will get a review up on my review blog) which was a great way to escape the heat. It was in the high 90s here today! Tomorrow we are hoping to get down to the beach and pay a visit to my grandma, so it should be a nice, relaxing Sunday :) Hope everyone else is having a good weekend!

I stink as a blogger....

2009-08-16T14:12:00.001-07:00

Sorry I haven't posted in ages, my only excuse is that it has been a busy, crazy and fun summer so far.

To recap, we went here:

Stayed in these condos on Lake Travis:

And had a ton of fun doing things like this:

University of Texas

The Alamo

Texas State Capital

Water skiing & Tubing

Waterpark

Barton Springs

Capital Dome

Duck Tour

San Antonio River Walk

Congress Street Bridge Bats

Austin City Limits Tour

LBJ Presidential Library

We went to a wedding of a lifelong friend (Congrats Pete & Amy!):

We had a blast for my birthday at the San Diego zoo:

We celebrated the 4th with family and fireworks:
Ed & Char

Mom and Dave

All of us with Sparklers

After that my best friend's son turned 2 and we celebrated with a big party at the park:
Blowing out his candles

Pinata!

Birthday Boy

The birthday boy's little brother

And last but certainly not least, we went to Comic-Con in San Diego and got into the LOST panel! It was such an amazing experience, we are certainly planning on going back next year. Here are some highlights:

The LONG line to get into the LOST panel

The full Panel

Jon Favreau

Gene Simmons

The Husband and The Sister

The Simpsons Panel

The Husband and Bumblebee

Fringe Panel

True Blood Panel!

Superhero Costumes

Best costume of the day

Last weekend we were in Palm Springs for our annual weekend getaway thanks to my parents timeshare. We always have a great time just relaxing by the pool. This weekend was our first real weekend with down time, so we stayed home for the most part and got lots of chores completed around the house. Last night we had dinner with my Family at Peppinos, and this morning we had brunch with The Husband's family at the Queen Mary in Long Beach, which is always super yummy. And filling. Yes, I feel like I may explode. My eyes were MUCH bigger than my stomach!

That pretty much catches me up to speed. I will try to be a better blogger, though I make no promises!! Next weekend is the Kings of Leon concert, and I cannot wait. Hopefully I will be able to take pictures!

Prop 8 Upheld :(

2009-05-26T10:43:00.000-07:00

I figured this was coming but it still royally sucks. All I can say is 2010 here we come. We are not backing down until we have equality for ALL.

A Long Time Coming

2009-05-22T14:43:00.001-07:00

So I have been a huge blog slacker. I know I said that LAST time I posted, but I couldn't help it. life has been busy as heck fire. For the most part it has been "good busy" though.

We have done a ton in the last few weeks lots of movies, a couple concerts, some awesome day trips and great family time.

The Husband and I went to see Rufus Wainwright with Lucy Wainwright Roche a few weeks ago. It was awesome! The House of Blues in Anaheim is a great little venue and the performances were great. Plus the people in the audience were a blast as well. We were really excited to see Rufus, but we were even MORE excited when we realized that his dad, Louden Wainwright, was there as well. We are big fans! Here are a couple really crappy cell phone pics from the night.

The other concert was Jimmy Buffet last night. Shannon, my Dad, the Husband and I gave the tickets to my Mom for mothers day this year, and we had a great time. How can you not at a JB concert? :) We had a real "girls night out" too, it was just my Mom, Shannon and myself. I do have to say that the parking lot looked like a tornado had gone though when we left. I do not envy whoever has to clean up the following day...

Here are a couple pics from the concert:

We went to the Nixon Library last weekend. What an amazing place! I can't believe we had lived so close to it an never been. My husband and I aren't exactly big Nixon fans, but it didn't matter. All the history that they had there appeals to anyone who enjoys history (and politics!). Here are a few pics from the Library:

My Grandma (Mom's Mom) had major surgery this week, and I am happy to report that she came through with flying colors. She exceeded all the doctors expectations! For a 84 year old, that is amazing. The doctors were able to remove all of her cancer, so we are so relived that we will be able to have her around for hopefully many many many more years to come. A couple days before her surgery The Husband and I went to brunch with my family at Las Brisas in Laguna Beach. YUM.

We also saw Wolverine (blech) and Star Trek (Awesome!), had a trip to the Grove up in LA and spent some great time with friends. Whew!

OK, so I think I am basically caught up. I swear to try and update more often!

Happy Earth Day!

2009-04-22T19:09:00.000-07:00

Wow, I am slacking big time on the blog front. Life has been busy! Last weekend The Husband was out of town visiting his grandparents, so I kept myself busy with various things. Friday night I hung out with my best gal pal and her two adorable sons. We had pizza and beer and watched Wife Swap and Super Nanny...a perfect Friday night. Saturday I was invited to a bridal shower for a family friend I have known my whole life. It was a really nice to visit with the family friends and also spend time with my Mom and Sister. That afternoon I took on the task of organizing our office. I cleared out the room, added decorative details and built a huge new bookshelf. It took me 6 hours, but I LOVE the results.

Sunday was the annual Earth Day Fair at Balboa Park in San Diego. I went down with my Mom, Sister and my Sisters friend Katie. It was an amazing day! The fair was incredible and I highly recommend it to anyone living in the area. It took up the entire park and there were thousands of people there. I took a lot of pics, here is a sampling:

Hippie Bus

Just what Jesus would have done...

Katie and Shannon getting in the fountain to cool off. It was HOT!

It was very crowded, but fun :)

They were singing "Heal the Gyre"

Bamboo Bus!

Love the old architecture

My Mama and Obama!

Katie and Shannon

Then we headed to the Del Coronado Hotel. It was a beautiful day to be by the beach in a gorgeous landmark:

So Monday was back to reality. My boss is on vacation this week which means a LOT of work for me and mucho added stress. Plus I have 2 midterms and a paper due next week. :sigh: So that means back to studying for me!

I don't have an artistic gene in my body...

2009-04-09T22:10:00.000-07:00

but my sister has enough for the both of us. She recently just posted some of her artwork on facebook, and I had to share with the blogging world. It is just incredible! She is only 15 and she kicks some serious booty.

Since I don't have much to say right now, I will just let the pictures speak for themselves.

The artist herself:

I love you Sis!

Frustrating, Upsetting friday

2009-04-05T10:05:00.000-07:00

This past Friday was a really crappy day. There were more layoffs at work and unfortunately my closest "work friend" was let go along with one of our most productive title officers. I am heartbroken and upset for my friend, as she was one of the best employees that we had. It is always sad when someone is let go, but when it is someone that excels at their job and is a huge asset to the company, it is even harder. We were already slammed at work due to all the cutbacks, and this is just going to make it that much worse. I was approved to work overtime, which is great, but also stressful. I know that it is going to be pretty much a necessity now.

I am venting, but I have to say, I feel incredibly lucky to still be employed in the industry I work in. It is really rough out there right now, and I need to make sure I take a moment to count my blessings. Work may be stressful, but at least it is work.

Since Friday was such a craptastic day, I said screw my diet and The Husband and I went out for Italian food and drinks at Peppino's. Peppino's is a locally owned Italian restaurant that is spectacular. I dinned on some Pizza Margherita and The Husband had veal, lobster, shrimp and pasta. The owner's father was even there checking on the customers and chatting with people, which was a great personal touch, esp. since he is an elderly Italian man, complete with accent and boisterous personality.

After dinner we went and saw Adventureland, which was great. It was sweet and heartwarming while also being very very funny. Plus it had a great soundtrack of 80's hits, which really makes any movie that much more fun. So I would definitely recommend Adventureland :)

As far as my diet is concerned, I have lost 7lbs so far, so that scale is moving in the right direction. As my Mom likes to say, I will get in that thong bathing suit yet!

Colds Suck.

2009-03-27T20:38:00.001-07:00

I actually think having a cold is worse than having the flu. Sure, you are more functional with a cold, but all you really want to be doing is lying on a couch watching mindless TV. At least with the flu it's usually a day or two then it is out of your system. Colds linger FOREVER.

I started feeling sick on Wednesday, got worse on Thursday then got a little better today. I was beginning to feel optimistic. Then BAM!, now I am starting to cough. DAMN YOU COLD!

I am really really wanting to get back into a steady workout routine, and between surgery and sickness I am wondering if that is ever going to happen.

At least it is Friday, and I can sit my lazy bum on the couch alllllll evening.

Maybe I should invest in this device:

Movies, Friends and Food

2009-03-23T09:58:00.000-07:00

I had a fantastic weekend! It was just one of those weekends you really really do not want to end. I had a date night with The Husband, a day with friends, brunch with family and got a lot done around the house to boot! Plus I have stayed on track with my diet and have lost 4lbs so far. I am feeling pretty good right about now.

Friday night The Husband and I went to Red Robin for dinner (don't judge us, we had a coupon and they have awesome veggie burgers) and then out to see I Love You Man, which was fabulous. I needed a good, solid, funny movie, and this delivered. I think I have a little Paul Rudd crush blooming ;) (Sorry Husband!) I highly recommend this movie to anyone looking for a great comedy. As a fair warning there are some raunchy parts, but nothing over the top. Plus a little potty humor never hurt anyone, right? I happen to find it quite funny (because I am apparently a 13 year old girl).

Saturday The Husband was out of town, so I spent the day with my best girl friend, her kids and family. We headed out to the swap meet at the Orange County Fair Grounds and had a blast checking out all the fun, random stuff you find there. They were even having a karaoke contest, which is ALWAYS amusing. We got to have some good girl talk, which is always nice, and I love being able to see the kids. Her boys are the cutest (and biggest!) babies in the world. (I am not biased or anything) I am so lucky to have such great friends!

I was also able to get grocery shopping done on Saturday which included spending a lot of time in Whole Foods. I love the store. I wish I could afford to do all my shopping there and eat completely organic, but that is not feasible at this time. Right now I am trying to buy organic dairy and certain produce, which is a good start. I also picked up a little bit of fish for my non-veggie husband. He was stoked, I usually won't buy meat for him ;)Sunday we went to brunch with my Mom and Sister at Marmalade Cafe which just opened at The District in Tustin. We had eaten at the Grove location last year and LOVED it, so we were all very excited that there was a new, local location. The food there is superb! It is all organic as well, which is always nice. I had scrambled eggs with cheese and avocado, breakfast potatoes and 1/2 half a bottle of champagne. My mom and I finished a bottle by ourselves. Lets just say we were both plenty giggly after that! The Husband and my sister were certainly getting a kick out of us. Champagne or no champagne, I highly recommend Marmalade Cafe to those who enjoy a good Sunday brunch. I have not eaten lunch or dinner there, but I am sure that the food is awesome for those meals as well.
Sunday afternoon was productive and Sunday night relaxing. It was the perfect weekend and just what the Dr. ordered. Hope everyone else had great weekends as well!

About Me

2009-03-20T13:29:00.000-07:00

This was a fun little list that I found while perusing different blogs. It I bold the item I have done it, If I italisize it is something I intend on doing eventually.

1. Touched an iceberg

2. Slept under the stars

3. Been a part of a hockey fight

4. Changed a baby’s diaper

5. Watched a meteor shower

6. Given more than you can afford to charity

7. Swam with dolphins

8. Climbed a mountain (I have odne plenty of hiking, but I don't think that is what they are talking about)

9. Held a tarantula

10. Said “I love you” and meant it

11. Bungee jumped

12. Visited Paris

13. Watched a lightning storm at sea

14. Stayed up all night long and watched the sun rise

15. Seen the Northern Lights

16. Gone to a huge sports game

17. Walked the stairs to the top of the Statue of Liberty

18. Grown and eaten your own vegetables

19. Looked up at the night sky through a telescope

20. Had an uncontrollable giggling fit at the worst possible moment

21. Had a pillow fight

22. Bet on a winning horse

23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill

24. Built a snow fort

25. Held a lamb

26. Gone skinny dipping

27. Taken an ice cold bath

28. Had a meaningful conversation with a beggar

29. Seen a total eclipse

30. Ridden a roller coaster

31. hit a home run

32. Danced like a fool and not cared who was looking (alcohol may or may not have been envolved ;)

33. Adopted an accent for fun

34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors

35. Felt very happy about your life, even for just a moment

36. Loved your job 90% of the time

37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied

38. Watched wild whales

39. Gone rock climbing

40. Gone on a midnight walk on the beach

41. Gone sky diving

42. Visited Ireland

43. Ever bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant

44. Visited India

45. Bench-pressed your own weight

46. Milked a cow

47. Alphabetized your personal files

48. Ever worn a superhero costume

49. Sung karaoke

50. Lounged around in bed all day

51. Gone scuba diving

52. Kissed in the rain

53. Played in the mud

54. Gone to a drive-in theater

55. Done something you should regret, but don’t

56. Visited the Great Wall of China

57. Started a business

58. Taken a martial arts class

59. Been in a movie

60. Gone without food for 3 days

61. Made cookies from scratch

62. Won first prize in a costume contest

63. Got flowers for no reason

64. Been in a combat zone

65. Spoken more than one language fluently

66. Gotten into a fight while attempting to defend someone

67. Bounced a check

68. Read - and understood - your credit report

69. Recently bought and played with a favorite childhood toy

70. Found out something significant that your ancestors did

71. Called or written your Congress person

72. Picked up and moved to another city to just start over

73. Walked the Golden Gate Bridge (I have driven it many times, but never acutally walked it)

74. Helped an animal give birth

75. Been fired or laid off from a job

76. Won money

77. Broken a bone

78. Ridden a motorcycle

79. Driven any land vehicle at a speed of greater than 100 mph

80. Hiked to the bottom of the Grand Canyon

81. Slept through an entire flight: takeoff, flight, and landing

82. Taken a canoe trip that lasted more than 2 days

83. Eaten sushi

84. Had your picture in the newspaper (In a Laguna Beach paper when I was about 10. Was with my Girl Scout Troop)

85. Read The Bible cover to cover (Years ago)

86. Changed someone’s mind about something you care deeply about

87. Gotten someone fired for their actions

88. Gone back to school

89. Changed your name

90. Caught a fly in the air with your bare hands

91. Eaten fried green tomatoes

92. Read The Iliad (I read the Oddessey, but not the Iliad, and I am A OK with that)

93. Taught yourself an art from scratch (Hoping to do this soon with chrocheting)

94. Killed and prepared an animal for eating (Could never do this)

95. Apologized to someone years after inflicting the hurt

96. Communicated with someone without sharing a common spoken language

97. Been elected to public office

98. Thought to yourself that you’re living your dream

99. Had to put someone you love into hospice care

100. Sold your own artwork to someone who didn’t know you

101. Had a booth at a street fair

102. Dyed your hair

103. Been a DJ

104. Rocked a baby to sleep

105. Ever dropped a cat from a high place to see if it really lands on all fours

106. Raked your carpet

107. Brought out the best in people (At least I hope so!)

108. Brought out the worst in people (I am sure I have done this too)

109. Worn a mood ring

110. Ridden a horse

111. Carved an animal from a piece of wood or bar of soap

112. Prepared a dish where four people asked for the recipe

113. Buried a child

114. Gone to a Broadway play

115. Been inside the pyramids

116. Shot a basketball into a basket

117. Danced at a disco

118. Played in a band (Elementary School Band!)

119. Shot a bird

120. Gone to an arboretum

121. Tutored someone

122. Ridden a train

123. Brought an old fad back into style

124. Eaten caviar

125. Let a salesman talk you into something you didn’t need

126. Ridden a giraffe or elephant

127. Published a book

128. Pieced a quilt

129. Lived in an historic place

130. Acted in a play or performed on a stage

131. Asked for a raise

132. Made a hole-in-one (mini golf)

133. Gone deep sea fishing

134. Gone roller skating

135. Run a marathon

136. Learned to surf

137. Invented something

138. Flown first class

139. Spent the night in a 5-star luxury suite

140. Flown in a helicopter

141. Visited Africa

142. Sang a solo

143. Gone spelunking

144. Learned how to take a compliment

145. Written a love-story

146. Seen Michelangelo’s David

147. Had your portrait painted

148. Written a fan letter

149. Spent the night in something haunted

150. Owned a St. Bernard or Great Dane

151. Ran away

152. Learned to juggle

153. Been a boss

154. Sat on a jury

155. Lied about your weight

156. Gone on a diet

157. Found an arrowhead or a gold nugget

158. Written a poem

159. Carried your lunch in a lunchbox

160. Gotten food poisoning

161. Gone on a service, humanitarian or religious mission

162. Hiked the Grand Canyon

163. Sat on a park bench and fed the ducks

164. Gone to the opera

165. Gotten a letter from someone famous

166. Worn knickers

167. Ridden in a limousine

168. Attended the Olympics

169. Can hula or waltz and polka.

170. Read a half dozen Nancy Drew or Hardy Boys books

171. Been stuck in an elevator

172. Had a revelatory dream

173. Thought you might crash in an airplane

174. Had a song dedicated to you on the radio or at a concert

175. Saved someone’s life

176. Eaten raw whale

177. Know how to tat, smock or do needlepoint

178. Laughed till your side hurt

179. Straddled the equator

180. Taken a photograph of something other than people that is worth framing (I think it is worth framing, others probably wont LOL)

181. Gone to a Shakespeare Festival

182. Sent a message in a bottle

183. Spent the night in a hostel

184. Been a cashier

185. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt

186. Joined a union

187. Donated blood or plasma

188. Built a campfire

189. Kept a blog

190. Had hives

191. Worn custom made shoes or boots

192. Made a PowerPoint presentation

193. Taken a Hunter’s Safety Course (What is with all the hunting stuff??)

194. Served at a soup kitchen

195. Conquered the Rubik’s cube

196. Know CPR

197. Ridden in or owned a convertible

198. Found a long lost friend

199. Helped solve a crime

And it starts...

2009-03-18T13:41:00.000-07:00

Today is the first day of my new diet/lifestyle. I have made tons of excuses in the past, and because of those excuses I am 50lbs over weight. I love food, and therefore I eat way too much of it. Combine that with my very light exercise and you get a disaster!

I signed up on Spark People. It's a great website where you can track your daily calories as well as chat on message boards with people trying to lose weight just like you. This will give me more accountability and make me actually write down what I eat. You also get to see this little weight loss ticker that shows how much weight you have lost to date, and I really want to see that sucker move! Who knew a weight loss ticker would really be the thing to make me want to get my butt in gear?

I am also going to work on picking up a new hobby, I am thinking crocheting. Having something to do with my hands and keep me from being bored will be extremely beneficial in keeping me away from bad foods. My Grandma also crochets and I love the blankets she made us growing up. I hope to be able to make blankets for our future kiddos.
Then there are the pictures. I have a couple of pictures of me recently that make me look like a house. I can't stand it, and looking at those pictures on occasion really helps me to remember WHY I am doing what I am doing.

I have also decided to give yoga a try. I have anxiety issues, and I think that it may do a lot to help me relax more. It's also great exercise! If I pair that with more walks around the lake and more Wii Fit, I think I will do great.

Last but certainly not least, I am going to try and purchase more organic foods. I strongly believe that the hormones and pesticides we are consuming on a daily basis are making us ill. After my surgery I decided that I really wanted to do everything I could to keep from having to do that again, and I feel this is something small that might make a big difference. Yes, organic is more expensive, but it is one thing I don't mind spending a little extra money on.

My first goal is to lose 20lbs by the time we go on vacation to Austin, which is the end of June. That gives me 3 months, which is a little over 6lbs a month. I think I can do it!

Surgery Recovery (Fun with Drugs!)

2009-03-16T10:29:00.000-07:00

So I am mostly recovered from my surgery, thank goodness. I don't do well when I am trapped inside on a couch for extended periods of time. I am even back at work today!

The first day was rough. I felt like crap, I was in pain and the anesthesia stole my brain and my energy. I slept all day and all night. The Husband kept coming in and checking on me, I am sure he wanted to make sure I was still alive. All I can say is thank goodness for drugs. Norco and IBUPROFEN, you were my best friends that day. Plus the Norco not only helped with pain, it made me go to my happy, sleepy place every time I took it. The next day I felt much better, but my brain was really fuzzy. I had a hard time processing thoughts and a REALLY hard time speaking. My sentences never came out like they sounded in my head. Anesthesia is a weird weird thing. By Thursday I was going stir crazy, so I decided to drive myself to the store and buy cake mix and make a cake. (?????????? I'm telling you, it was the drugs) That turned out to not be the best plan as I was pretty sore afterwards, but I was so happy to have left the house I really didn't care. I made my cake and didn't eat it since I had no appetite. I'm a freak I tell you. Finally on Friday my Momma came and took me to the movies. Escape!

We went and saw Race to Witch Mountain (yes we are nerds, don't judge us). I had loved the original growing up (called Escape to Witch Mountain) so I was actually really excited to see the remake. I also think The Rock is awesome. The movie was nothing spectacular, but it was entertaining and that is really all I wanted and was looking for at that point. I would probably not recommend that you see this in the theaters unless you were a big fan of the original. The original was better, but it was fun to see a modern interpretation of the story. After the movie we went to lunch at Islands which was wonderful. Thanks Mom!
Saturday I spent the day relaxing again. We watched some movies, one of which was Death at a Funeral. AWESOME movie. It was hilarious. It is British humor which I adore, but be forewarned that it is not a typical American comedy. It hurts to laugh still, so this movie was very very painful, but worth it. It made me look at Valium and little people in a whole new way. We also watched Samantha Brown in Ireland and dreamed about going there. Sigh. Is there any place on earth full of such happy, drunk people surrounded by such beautiful landscape? I think not.
We also went out and saw Coraline in 3D, and I HIGHLY recommend this movie. It is hard to find in 3D, but I can't imagine it being nearly as amazing without that aspect. The 3D was done so well. The story was also very very very good, and actually really suspenseful for an animated film. It is definitely not for young children...probably kids over 10. So if you can find it playing in a theater it is worth spending the money on.

Sunday we were fortunate to have tickets to the Laker game. I was feeling pretty good, so The Husband and I headed up to LA. Unfortunately, we got a ticket on the way. We were a little lost and arguing about directions and I told The Husband to turn. To make the turn he had to quickly get over into the left hand lane and in doing that cut someone off on accident. Cop saw it and gave us a ticket. Sigh. I take the blame, unfortunately I cannot take the traffic school. At least the game was a blast and the Lakers won! WOO HOO! I even had a beer since I was completely off my medication (just taking IBUPROFEN on occasion). We also walked around the new Nokia Theater complex. Looks like it is going to be really neat when it is completed.
Another amazing thing happened while I was stuck inside, it seems like the economy finally made a turn for the better. Apparently all that needed to happen was for me to have my cysts removed! (Yes, I am totally taking credit for single handedly turning the economy around). I am knocking on every single thing I have that is wood, but we finally had some good news. Madoff is going to jail, the stock market rebounded a bit, retail sales did much better than economists had predicted and CitiGroup actually recorded profits. Hallelujah! I know that it will be a long long road to economic recovery, but my only hope is that we have reached the bottom. If we have reached the bottom I may actually stay employed and I am hoping I won't have to watch any more of my friends lose their jobs. My fingers are permanently crossed.

So, back to work and reality for me. I have my post op appointment next week, so hopefully I can get back to my normal activities then. (And get the heck off pelvic rest! he he)

Harvey Milk Day

2009-03-16T10:05:00.000-07:00

SB 572 Harvey Milk Day
This bill would require the governor proclaim
May 22 each year as Harvey Milk Day. It would encourage public schools and
educational institutions to conduct suitable commemorative exercises on that
date. Status: Introduced on February 27, 2009.
Lead Author: Senator Mark Leno Principal
Co-Authors: Senator Kehoe and Assembly Members Ammiano and John A.
Pérez
Sponsor: Equality California

Above is a bill that was introduced last month in CA. It is a repeat of a bill that was introduced last year, passed, but was vetoed by the Governator under immense pressure from the religious right. (Shame on him) They touted it as a "gay day" which was shameful. I guess they must think MLK day is a "black day" too. Ridiculous.

I am posting this here so that more people will be aware of this effort and so that we can put pressure on Arnold to not make the same mistake twice. Harvey Milk was a transformative political figure for many people, not just the GLBT community. He deserves this recognition.

Fun with Surgery!

2009-03-09T10:42:00.000-07:00

Well tomorrow is the day that I have to go under the knife for the first time in my life. SOO not looking forward to it. The surgery is very routine and is an outpatient procedure, so thank goodness for that! I am just very ready for it to be over and for my butt to be on the couch drugged up watching trashy daytime TV.

If I make any incoherent blog posts over the next week, blame it on the drugs.

The LOST Obsession

2009-03-04T15:01:00.000-08:00

I think that people who are not fans of LOST will never truly understand the devotion of LOST fans. It's not just a show that you watch for one hour a week and forget about until the following week...it's a lifestyle ;) There are blogs, message boards, websites created by the shows producers (including ones for Oceanic Airlines, Dharma, Hanso ect ect that all have clues in them about what will be happening on the show), podcasts and vodcasts. I always frequent the blogs and message boards (which can be seen in my favorite blogs on the right hand side on MY blog) and really am so impressed with the little things that others catch that I am just not observant enough to notice.

So for the last couple of weeks I have decided to dive into re-reading some episode summaries and analysis over on http://www.longlivelocke.blogspot.com/ . (This is a GREAT blog, I highly recommend it to other LOST enthusiasts) I ended up re-reading every.single. write up for every.single. episode. Crazy much? I have to tell you though, my amazement and love for this show has been completely renewed. It was amazing to see all the hints they dropped WAY back in Season 1 that apply to things that have only started happening NOW. The writers and producers really have had the whole show's arc planned from the very beginning, and it is really impressive. It was also fun to realize just how many questions we have had answered. People always complain that we never get any answers, but we really do! They are just always accompanied by a billion more questions. My favorite? All the literary references that were made, and how so many of them had elements of time travel. (ie A Wrinkle in Time).

Now that I have read all the episode summaries, I am going back and re-watching all the episodes. This will give me something to do next week when I am stuck on the couch after my surgery. (Blech)

So yes, I am a crazed fan. And a huge nerd.

Cranium ROCKS

2009-03-02T08:54:00.000-08:00

I love board games. LOVE them. I grew up in a house where we were always playing games (and still do!) so I have probably played almost every major board game there is. I love Scategories, Life, Sorry, Monopoly, Trivial Pursuit, Apples to Apples and many many others. All of those pale in comparison to the funniest board game ever created, Cranium.

The only problem with this game is that you have to have at least 4 people to play it, so it is not one that The Husband and I can play together on our game nights. Maybe that is why when I DO get the chance to play it I enjoy it all the more. This weekend I was able to spend almost an entire day with my best girl friend and her family. In the evening a couple other friends came by and we all sat down and played this game for a couple of hours. We laughed so hard we cried. Between drawing with our eyes closed to charades to humming songs, we made complete asses of ourselves and loved every.single.minute. This was only compounded by the fact that "Team Mommy" was trying to take care of/breastfeed their infants in the middle of doing all of this. Seriously, it was probably the funniest thing ever. (Shout out to K & A, thanks for the great time!)

So I highly recommend the combination of good friends, good booze and Cranium.

Shame on You Michael Steele.

2009-02-26T10:44:00.000-08:00

Yesterday Michael Steele was asked about Civil Unions for gay and lesbian couples. Here is his response:

Do you favor civil unions?" Gallagher asked:
STEELE: No, no no. What would we do that for? What are you crazy? No. Why would we backslide on a core, founding value of this country. I mean this isn't something that you just kind of like, "Oh well, today I feel, you know, loosey-goosey on marriage." I mean, this is a foundational principle of this country. It is a foundational principle of organized society. It isn't something that, you know, in America we decided, "Let's make it between a man and a woman; oh well now, let's change our mind and make it between anyone and anyone." No.

GALLAGHER: So no room even for a conversation about civil unions, in your
mind?
STEELE: What's the difference?
GALLAGHER: Well, you're not calling it marriage.
STEELE: Is it?
GALLAGHER: I don't know. I mean, I... I...
STEELE: I mean, like Sarah Palin said, you put lipstick on a pig, it's still a pig.
GALLAGHER: Yeah yeah yeah, but the argument that Sean Penn is making, and I agree that this is, the squeaky wheel doesn't have to get the grease and there's not a state that says, we favor redefining marriage as anything other than one man and one woman. But there are a lot of people who say, "but yet, this country isn't a country that wants to discriminate against two people if they're in a committed relationship. We don't want to deny them benefits, we don't want to deny them opportunities."
STEELE: Ok, but wait a minute. Is it going to -- what is it? Is it going to you want the benefits or you want something else? If you want the benefits, there's a little thing called contract law, you've got power of attorney. There's a whole number of ways in which two individuals can care for each other and look out for each other without having to put the imprimatur of marriage on their forehead.
GALLAGHER: right right.
STEELE: So, I don't understand why you need to weaken an institution that is a foundational institution of not just America, of mankind. I mean this is something that as human beings, we have organized ourselves around. This thing called a family unit. This is how we've defined it. And, sure, things have changed over the years. And, sure, you know, gays adopt and all this other...but when you go to that foundational principle of marriage and you're now saying, "well, you know, we're going to backslide away from that." What are you saying as a society of people? What are you saying as human beings? I don't...I guess that's the question that we're going to debate, but all due respect to Sean Penn, I just, you know, I disagree with that view. I don't think there's hate in it. I don't think there's discrimination. It's just a core, foundational principle of our society that this what we believe and this is what we adhere to.

First off Mr. Steele, Palin put her lipstick on a pit bull, not a pig. Obama was the one putting his lipstick on a pig.

Second, who is the crazy one here? It is a fact that a majority of the people in this country AT LEAST support the right for gay couples to have a civil union. By saying that you do not even support the "separate but equal" doctrine of civil unions you have just alienated a large majority of the country. THAT is crazy Mr. Steele.

And last but certainly not least, I am unsure how ANYONE thinks that not allowing gays and lesbians the right to marry is anything BUT discrimination. Just because it was tradition or "value" that this country was founded on doesn't make it right or non-discriminatory. When this country was founded Mr. Steele wouldn't have even had the right to vote. I would not have had the right to vote. So Mr. Steele, should we go back to those founding values as well? I mean they are traditional! That means they couldn't possibly be discriminatory, right?

And FYI Mr. Steele, contract law does not allow the same benefits of marriage. Before you spout off your ignorance and hate you may want to do a little research.

RNC Chair Michael Steele, my pick for Douche Bag of the month of February.

The Pets

2009-02-25T09:26:00.000-08:00

I realized today that I have not had one post about my "kids". This is a travesty. The world really needs to see the cuteness that is our animal children.

I adopted our first kid a couple of years before I met The Husband. He has moved with me multiple times and we have been through a lot together. He is the best cat in the whole world. He loves cat nip, escaping to the outdoors and watching us chase him, his scratching post, ranch dressing and his spot next to me on the bed. He is also very contemplative, taking minutes to decide exactly where and how to lie down or to decide what he wants to do next. It gets pretty humorous ;) This is Mason:

Next came Roarke. When The Husband and I first moved in together Mason came with me (of course), but we were worried about him being alone all day. So one day we were in PetSmart and there was this adorable little black kitten up for adoption. We had to fight another couple for him, but we won :) Roarke is a talker who is a total Daddy's boy. He loves to be held, to lick you, his treats and food in general, playing with his feather toy and cuddling and play fighting withe the other cats. He also has the attention span of a gnat. This is Roarke:

Last but certainly not least is our newest addition, Charlie. One of The Husband's colleagues found him skinny, dirty and matted outside near her house, but she couldn't keep him. We decided that if he got along with our other cats we would take him. The first couple days were a little rough, but now he is best buds with the other cats. Charlie like to play with all the toys we have, to kneed for long periods of time on your stomach and too talk up a storm. He also has the oddest facial expressions which tend to send us into laughing fits. This is Charlie:

All of our cats are very friendly and love people. There is no hiding under the bed and being shy in our house! They also all greet us at the door every night when we get home from work. Aren't animals the best? We really do believe that we have the best cats in the world. Don't even try and argue with us.

We think they still love us too.

Milk - My Pick for Best Picture of the Year (Spoilers)

2009-02-23T07:50:00.000-08:00

Bear with me. This is going to be a long post and it is going to involve my soapbox, because Harvey Milk loved his soapbox and wanted us all to use ours.

First, the movie itself was phenomenal. I knew who Harvey Milk was, but not all the details of his story. The story is powerful, inspirational and heartbreaking. Sean Penn fully and completely became Harvey Milk in this film. The rest of the cast was also superb, including James Franco, Emile Hirsche and Josh Brolin. (And on a side note, this movie made me want to get back up to San Francisco). The love story between Milk and Scott Smith was also inspirational. Although tumultuous, their love for each other never ended, even when they were no longer together. The role of Scott was played amazingly well by James Franco.

The other person I fell in love with was Cleve Jones. Emile Hirsche did a great job in this role, I love the picture above of Emile with the real Cleve Jones. The most poignant scene of the whole movie came after his death, when tens of thousands of people marched to city hall, all carrying candles. The streets were FULL of people. This is where the tears started coming. I really appreciated that they showed us original footage of this march so we could see the enormity of the outpouring of love for Harvey. He was not just loved by the GLBT community, but by many groups in San Francisco because he was always championing the rights of the little people. I also really give a lot of credit to Josh Brolin for his portrayal of Dan White, the assassin of Harvey Milk and Mayor Moscone. It can't have been an easy role to take on, and he played it fabulously. It was understated, but you could really see the hate beginning to brew within him because he didn't receive the acclaim and power that Milk received.

Now for my soapbox. The parallels to what is happening today in the struggle for equal rights are obvious and abundant. Harvey Milk campaigned tirelessly for the end of discrimination and made huge strides in San Francisco, California and the United States. He inspired a generation of people to come out of the closet and embrace their identity. During Milk's service as Supervisor he had to fight a proposition aimed at taking away gay rights. Prop 6 was sponsored by an assemblyman from Orange County (shocker!) and was majorly funded my church groups, specifically evangelical Christians. (Sound familiar?). This prop would have taken away the right for an openly gay person or anyone that supported them to teach in public schools. It was basically a witch hunt bill. At first the bill was shown to win, but through Milk and thousands like him our state ended up voting no on that prop and many other anti-gay initiatives that followed. That is until Prop 22 passed banning gay marriage and now of course Prop 8, banning gay marriage in our constitution.

I am also disgusted that the story of Harvey Milk is not taught in public schools nationwide. His story is not just about gay rights, but about the struggle in this country for civil rights for all people. Leaving out the history of the first openly gay man elected to public office is inexcusable. There was a bill passed in our state legislature last year to create a Harvey Milk day where schools would teach about Milk and we could celebrate his life, but it was vetoed. The Evangelical/Mormon movement came out against it in full force, calling it a "Gay Day". Our Governor bowed under the pressure. Shame on him.

Why are we regressing? Why are we again listening to the hateful rants of a few religious people instead of overwhelming message of love? What this movie taught me is that we did not fight hard enough. When people forget history we are doomed to repeat it, and we did not remind people enough of the history of gay rights in this country. We didn't promote love and banish hate enough. I blame myself for not being more active. I could have given more money than I did. I could have passed out campaign literature. I could have attended rallies. My small monetary donations and painting No on 8 on my car were not nearly enough, and I know that now. If the current lawsuits do not overturn Prop 8 you can bet your life that I will be campaigning long and hard to overturn this amendment during the next election. Harvey Milk was and is an inspiration to all people, not just GLBT Americans. He taught us that you have to fight for Civil Rights and that the fight is worth it. He taught us that love always wins over hate and that all people really truly are created equal.

Last night at the Oscar's, a young openly gay Dustin Lance Black won for best Original Screenplay and his speech made me tear up. The producers, director, Sean Penn and Black all wore white knots symbolizing the struggle for gay rights. I loved that he said:

"When I was 13 years old, my beautiful mother and my father moved me from a
conservative Mormon home in San Antonio, Texas, to California, and I heard the
story of Harvey Milk. And it gave me hope. It gave me the hope to live my life;
it gave me the hope that one day I could live my life openly as who I am and
that maybe even I could fall in love and one day get married. . . .
Most of all, if Harvey had not been taken from us 30 years ago, I think he’d want me to say to all of the gay and lesbian kids out there tonight who have been told they
are less than by their churches, or by the government, or by their families,
that you are beautiful, wonderful creatures of value. And that no matter what
everyone tells you, God does love you, and that very soon, I promise you, you
will have equal rights federally across this great nation of ours."

And of course Sean Penn won for His amazing acting job. Those "commie homo loving sons of guns" did the right thing and gave the most deserving man the Oscar. Penn joked that it is not always easy to appreciate him, which is true LOL I think he has a huge heart and sometimes his good intentions are a little, well, over the top and actually have the opposite effect. His speech last night hit the perfect note though, and I am very very happy about his win.

I think Harvey Milk would have been proud and ready to continue fight for marriage equality and equal rights in this country. And I truly believe that in my lifetime gay marriage will be legal in all 50 states.

A Weekend Getaway

2009-02-20T09:20:00.001-08:00

Last weekend The Husband and I decided to splurge on a quick one night trip down to San Diego to celebrate Valentine's Day and our tax return. We are so lucky to live so close to such great destinations.

So Sunday afternoon we made the hour and half long journey down to SD and arrived in the gaslamp district. We had never stayed in this area before (we usually stay in the Mission Bay area), so it was a new experience. I found a great deal on Hotels.com for a small boutique hotel called The Ivy. Let me just say this hotel was AWESOME. The location was perfect, service great, and the rooms/views were fantastic. The room had a huge bathtub and shower, a great view with 2 huge windows with window seats, a good size flat screen TV and a great mini-bar. The rooms were small, but we knew that when we booked a boutique hotel. The only complaint we had was that the toilet started making random noises in the middle of the night and the nightclub across the street apparently had some issues since the police were there in for at about 1:30am. This of course wasn't the hotels fault, but it did wake up The Husband.

When we booked the room we also received a $25 credit to the restaurant that they have on site, The Quarter Kitchen, so we decided to have dinner there. The food was excellent! The Husband had the Rack of Lamb, which came with Ratatouille (we were really excited about that being huge Disney nerds), and I had garlic cream of spinach and macaroni and cheese which was to die for. I would highly recommend this restaurant even if you are not staying at the Ivy. It was on the pricey side, but not over the top.

After dinner we walked around and explored the gaslamp district, stopping briefly at TGI Fridays to have a drink. The whole area is really fun, full of little shops, pubs and bars. There is also Horton Plaza, which is huge! We spent a little time there as well.

After returning to our room we discovered that the bar across the street had a mechanical bull that we could see from our wonderful window seats. We sent probably way too much time watching drunk people try and stay on that thing, but it was hilarious.

Monday morning it was pouring, so we decided to head home in the morning. It was a great trip and a much needed escape from reality.

Jr. High Reminiscing

2009-02-17T12:25:00.000-08:00

I recently found an old friend on myspace and scanned in a couple old pictures to share with him. They made me giggle, so I thought I would share. I am sure we can all remember the styles of the mid-nineties. Yuck! I would also like to point out the M & Ms costume I was sporting in the 2nd picture. Hot. My nerdiness runs deep.

We Are Up for Adoption!

2009-02-11T10:15:00.000-08:00

We have a couple super cute new dogs up for adoption, so I wanted to share.

First up, Rufus!

Rufus is a wonderful little dog. He weighs in at only 5lbs but is a complete lover and what we call an "issue free" dog. That means he is as perfect a companion as you could want. Plus he is really really cute :)

Next we have Tiffany and Sterling, 5 year old Italian Greyhound Mixes.

These would make fabulous companions. They love nothing more than snuggling with each other and people on a comfy couch or bed. They are a little shy and would do better in an adult only home with a calm enviroment. The are also very bonded to each other, so we want to make sure we find them a home that will be willing to take both dogs.

Back To School

2009-02-09T09:37:00.000-08:00

Last week marked the beginning of the spring semester at Orange Coast College, and hopefully my last semester there. I have been in college for 7 years. Yes, 7. At the Jr. College level. While most people probably think that is not an accomplishment to be proud of, I actually AM proud of myself. I have been through quite a bit in those 7 years, changed my major multiple times and worked full time throughout. Through it all I have kept going, only taking off a semester here and there. Now I can finally apply to state schools and get down to the hard work of earning my BA in Political Science.

This semester I am taking Sociology. Seems like it will be very interesting and I think it complements Political Science very well.It is important to know why people do things and what motivates them when working in government. My professor seems great, she has a sarcastic and dry sense of humor, which is right up my alley. I am also happy to report that I am not the oldest person in my class! A majority of the students look 18 or 19, but at least I don't stick out like a sore thumb. So my Tuesday nights will now consist of sitting in class from 6-9:10. American Idol will have to be DVRed :(

I am also taking Real Estate Law online. This will be a great class as it will actually help me out with my current job. Last semester I completed Real Estate Principles, so this class will delve more into detail about the laws surrounding real estate. Since I work in the real estate industry in the title underwriting area this class should be immensely beneficial. I don't have to start this course until the end of March and it is online only, which is wonderful. I wish I could take all of my classes like this. I am guessing that some day most classes will be offered online. I can't wait.

The Steeler's did it!!

2009-02-02T15:14:00.000-08:00

What a great game! The Husband and I headed over to my parents house for a fantastic Super Bowl party. We ate tons of junk food (pizza, salsa, ranch dip, 7 layer dip and spinach artichoke dip) and I made Cocoa Krispie footballs which turned out really yummy. Since they turned out so well I wanted to share the recipe:

CHOCOLATE FOOTBALL RICE KRISPIE TREATS
Ingredients:
6 squares Bakers
semi-sweet baking chocolate
1/2 cup light corn syrup
1 tablespoon
margarine
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
4 cups of Rice Krispies OR Cocoa Pebbles
cereal
White decorating gel
Directions:
Microwave chocolate, corn syrup
and butter in large bowl on HIGH for 2 1/2 minutes. Stir well.
Add in
vanilla. Add cereal. Mix well.
Cool for 10 minutes.
Shape into 18 (3
inch long) football shapes with lightly moistened hands. Place on wax paper and
cool completely.
Use decorating gel to add laces. Let stand until laces are
firm.

Watching the game was really a blast. It was one of the best super bowls I have ever watched and that was only intensified by the fact my team was playing! I have been a Steeler's fan for about 5 or 6 years now. I proclaimed my fandom the year before Big Ben started playing. I never had a team to root for before the Steeler's (since we have no team in LA) so I have really enjoyed backing such a great organization. I have really come to appreciate the Rooney family as well as the coaching staff. I mean really, there is no better defensive coordinator than Dick LeBeau. I also love the hard hitting, defense based, physical football that they play. Luckily, The Husband was a also a big Steeler's fan and has been for most of his life. We look super cute when we are decked out in our Steeler gear wildly waiving our terrible towels and yelling at the TV.

The game last night almost induced a couple of anxiety attacks during the 4th quarter. I couldn't believe the Fitzgerald TD! I have learned to never ever count the Steeler's out though. Big Ben is awesome in the clutch and has very rarely failed to deliver. That last drive was AMAZING and the catch by Holmes will go down in super bowl history as one of the best receptions ever. As one sports reporter put it "The Immaculate Reception 2.0".

One of my favorite parts of the super bowl is watching the raw emotion at the end of the game. Seeing Hines Ward cry while holding his son just about put me over the edge. It was also great to see Mike Tomlin hoist the Lombardi trophy as the youngest head coach to ever win a super bowl.

Since we have been together the Steeler's have won 2 super bowls. I think we are their good luck charms :) It was a fantastic night in our house yesterday!

Tax Time!

2009-01-30T13:38:00.000-08:00

I have a love hate relationship with filing taxes. I love the end result, which is usually a pretty sizable return, but the process is bound to give me a few grey hairs.

I have used Turbo Tax for the past three years and it has been fabulous. I love being able to punch in the numbers and have the program do all the math for me. Anyone who knows me knows I will do anything to avoid math :) I also love the e-file option and the fact they deposit your return directly into your bank account. Its like magic! You open your online banking one day and all this money is in there! BEST.FEELING.EVER. I know this money is mine, always has been mine and I am just having what was mine rightfully returned to me, but it still seems like free money. I like that feeling, no matter how irrational.

The problem I am having this year is that to e-file you need to have last years adjusted gross income. That would be fine and dandy if our computer hard drive hadn't been wiped clean last year, along with all tax return records. That will teach me to keep a printed copy from now on! So after trying multiple suggestions from Turbo Tax to retrieve this figure, I have had to resort to calling the IRS. Which has to be the worst place ever to call. I am currently on hold while blogging, and have been for over 16 minutes so far. Oh the joy! I'm considering hurling the phone out the window. I have to keep repeating to myself "This will get you your money faster". Sigh.

In any case, once we get our refund we are going hog wild! We are really letting lose this year. We are buying :wait for it: TIRES! and BRAKES! I know I know, you're jealous. It's understandable. The rest will go into savings.

What are you doing with your tax return (if you get one)?

A Weekend of Movies and Family

2009-01-27T09:50:00.001-08:00

The husband and I had a great, full weekend. My Aunt, Uncle and cousins were in town from Reno, NV. and we were able to spend some great quality time with them. We had a great family game night at my parents house on Friday night with pizza, Wii and Scategories. My family always has a blast when we get together, and Friday night was no exception. We are all officially addicted to Raving Rabbids TV Party on the Wii, that game is a BLAST. I highly recommend it.Saturday was rainy and gloomy, so we decided to see a movie with my family. The kids wanted to see Paul Blart: Mall Cop so we tagged along. The movie was actually better than I had expected. I think I was still twitching from the awfulness that was I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry and wasn't ready to see Kevin James in another movie. I wouldn't actually recommend you go and spend money to see this movie, but it might be fun for a brainless rental. The kids all loved it. (By kids I mean 14 and 16 LOL)

We then went to a fabulous dinner at The Cheesecake Factory. Its one of my favorite restaurants and I scarfed down a cheese quesidilla and a side salad. YUM.

Sunday was a day of laundry, grocery shopping and cleaning. We did manage to find a few hours to go and see The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. I will be honest, I wasn't very excited by this movie. I wanted to see it because it was nominated, but I wasn't enthusiastic about it. I was pleasantly surprised. This movie was actually fabulous! I didn't like it more than Slumdog Millionaire, but I really really liked it. The acting was good but the real stars were the special effects. I cannot believe how realistic the aging process was. Both Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett looked amazing as they grew younger and older, respectively. It did remind me quite a bit of Forrest Gump and I could tell that the two movies shared a screenwriter, but it didn't bother me as the story itself was so original. I think this is one worth seeing on the big screen because of the special effects, sets and overall feel.

The only snag in the perfect weekend was a flat tire on the husband's car. Sigh. Not sure if it was just something he ran over or if it was intentional. We have Obama stickers on our cars, so I can never quite get it out of my mind that someone was pissed off about it and slashed his tire. At least it was a tire that needed to be replaced anyway!

LOST is back!

2009-01-23T12:41:00.000-08:00

The LOST addicts of this world have been waiting for almost 8 months for a new episode. EIGHT MONTHS! I think that is a new form of torture.

Wednesday night we finally got 2 new episodes, "Because You Left" and "The Lie". They were awesome! I am not going to post any spoilers, but lets just say that this could be the best season of LOST yet. We might actually get some answers to our questions and tie up some loose ends. Watching Sawyer walk around with no shirt on for most of both episodes certainly didn't hurt the episodes, either :)

If you have never had the pleasure of watching this show, I would highly recommend picking up Season 1 and starting up. But be warned...you may end up addicted. With that addiction comes the chance you will watch the entire first season in one week, meaning little sleep and crazy looks from anyone that you share this information with.

The Roe V Wade Decision

2009-01-23T11:33:00.000-08:00

Yesterday was the 36th Anniversary of the Roe V. Wade decision. I am not going to get too much into the abortion debate on this blog because it is one of those things that never seems to end pretty. I just wanted to make a post to mark this anniversary. The anniversary of the day that women finally became fully free.

Sometimes we take things for granted living in a country like the United States, we don't always think about or thank the people that had to fight so hard for what we have. That includes the military, but also the men and women on the front lines of the Women's Rights movements and other Civil Rights movements in this country. Take a moment today to be thankful for living in a country that treats women as equals and not as second class citizens.

We always have to keep fighting for what we believe in and we always have to continue to make progress.

"As for our common defense, we reject as false the choice between our safety and our ideals."

2009-01-20T17:35:00.000-08:00

What a day. What a marvelous, historic, emotional day.

The husband got up about 6:30 this morning to start watching the coverage, I followed about an hour later. (Hey, I was still going to sleep in on my day off!). Looking over the crowd that had gathered at The Mall, most of the waiving American flags was nothing short of awe-inspiring.

As the former presidents walked out, I think it finally hit me. The man I had supported since long before he even announced he was running for President of the United States was going to be sworn into that very office on this very day. WOW.

Watching him take the oath of office caused me to tear up. His d

aughters and Michelle were looking so proud. What their husband and father had accomplished was extraordinary. He was POTUS.

The people in the crowd were crying, laughing, yelling, screaming and waving their flags. Everyone was excited and hopeful and inspired.

"What the cynics fail to understand is that the ground has shifted beneath them - that the stale political arguments that have consumed us for so long no longer apply."

I think that sometimes people underestimate hope and inspiration. Many right wing pundits have made fun of his "celebrity" status. Said that people thought Obama was the Messiah. That he could do no wrong. No on I know believes that, says that, or expects miracles from Obama. What we are is inspired. Inspired to serve, to dream, to believe. We are inspired to get involved in politics and take charge of our democracy once again. They can make fun of that all they want, but it is a powerful thing.

"And so to all other peoples and governments who are watch

ing today, from the grandest capitals to the small village where my father way born; know that America is a friend of each nation and every man, woman, and child who seeks a future of peace and dignity, and we are ready to lead once more."

The above quote was my favorite line from the speech. I am ready for America to be a moral guiding light once more. Not because of our religion, but because of our desire to always do right, to abide by our founding documents and others agreed upon thereafter, and because of our desire to help humanity as a whole. Not just Americans, but all people. In the end, we are all just people, no matter where we are born, and we all deserve the same basic rights.

Combining Politics and History = Love

2009-01-19T21:27:00.000-08:00

Tonight the husband and I were off to see Frost/Nixon, a movie I have been dying to see since I first heard it was coming out. Anything with politics and history is right up my alley!

I have to say, the movie was fantastic. The plot wove in and out of the historic interviews and mixed it with the behind the scenes information that made the event so pivotal. The Acting was perfect, especially that of Frank Langella who played President Nixon. He had those facial expressions down pat.

This is a definite must-see this Oscar season, and it is firmly in second place for best movie of the year for me. Only Slumdog Millionaire exceeded this film in my eyes.

Border's Shopping Spree

2009-01-17T20:31:00.000-08:00

Going to borders is a sure fire way to empty the bank account for both my husband and I, and today was no different.

After a great lunch at the Irish pub The Auld Dubliner ( www.aulddubliner.com, has great great food and atmosphere) we headed over to Borders. I picked up Freakonomics, A Thousand Splendid Suns and we both decided on Yes we Can, a great coffee table book about the Obama campaign with some amazing photos.

I really didn't need any new books, but how is it possible to enter a Borders (or any bookstore for that matter) without bringing a new book home? I think I have an addiction. If only you could see our apartment. I think we need a second apartment just for our amassed reading material.

The book Yes We Can by Scout Tufankjian is a masterpiece of photos from Obama's campaign. The images she was able to collect are nothing short of extraordinary. I even teared up looking at the photos, esp. of the older people with tears streaming down their faces and of the children with looks of awe. I don't cry easy, so that should really say something about the emotional depths of this book. Not only did it have these amazing photos, but included quotes from his speeches and first hand accounts from this photographer that followed the campaign from before Obama was even officially a presidential candidate. This is really a must have for anyone that was inspired by this tremendous campaign.

So I was able to satisfy my book habit today. I just have to steer clear of any and all bookstores for the next month, as my budget for books was far exceeded.

I'll admit it, I love trashy reality TV.

2009-01-16T13:43:00.000-08:00

Like, really really love it. I can't justify this love in any way shape or form, but it is there. I was looking through my DVR last night and realized that I watch way too much TV, and most of it is crap.

I was addicted to the Hills, and now I have moved on to The City. Yes, I am eating up Whitney's new adventures in New York. Will she stay with Jay even though he is a bit of a douche? Will she do well at Dianne Von Furstenburg? Oh the DRAMA!

Then there is Wife Swap. Really, how can you NOT watch this train wreck? Parents who make their kids be pirates paired with a women who refuses to let her daughters look at or speak to a person of the opposite sex. More DRAMA!

I have to watch the staple, American Idol. Right now we get to sit and laugh at people that think they can sing but are really horrendous. It makes us sit and wonder "How has NO ONE told these people they are really really bad?" Then you find that one person with a sob story that you just have to root for. Will it be blind guy or the widower that we pull for as a nation (just to more than likely crush a few weeks into the live shows)? DRAMA!

I have also started watching the Real World again. How much of a teenage girl does this make me? The last couple season were good, but there were way too many blond bimbos and meat heads. This season we have more educated people, at least it seems like it so far. We have a gay guy dolphin trainer, a transgendered woman, a black beauty queen, and Iraq War vet, a body builder, a (very very very closeted gay) Mormon fashion designer and a dancer. I have a feeling this is going to be a GREAT season. A great season for DRAMA!

Of course, The Girls Next Door have to be set up to record on my DVR. 3 blondes vying for the affection of a really really old rich guy? Whats not to love?! I admit, I was a little sad when they all broke up. (DRAMA!)The world just wont be the same without this trashily awesome show. Although maybe they will incorporate the new blonde twins and keep it going! A girl can wish.

We also have the wonderfully mindboggling 17 Kids & Counting. Ah yes, the Duggar family. We have seen them make soap, go to the Creationism Museum, watched their older son Josh NOT date his fiance (or really even touch her for that matter) and even saw them pick out their 18th (good lord almighty) child's name. I just watch this show in wonderment, these people most be on a LOT of Prozac. Like, truckloads.

Think I am done? Think again! I also love The Amazing Race, 30 Days, Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, Project Runway, Tori & Dean, all those crazy specials on TLC (like Toddlers & Tiaras), Ghost Hunters and Ghost Hunters International.

It really is a miracle my DVR doesn't grow arms, bitch slap me and tell me to get a life. I swear, I do occasionally watch intelligent programming. Maybe that is my saving grace.

Hitting the Ground Running

2009-01-15T09:36:00.000-08:00

During the transition two very important announcements have come out of our President-Elects office. The first being the proposed closing of Guantanamo Bay and the return of Habeus Corpus and then yesterday, the announcement that Don't Ask Don't Tell will be repealed and that gays and lesbians will be able to openly serve in our armed forces.

"Thadeus of Lansing, Mich., asks, 'Is the new administration going to get rid of
the "don't ask, don't tell policy?'" said Gibbs, looking into the camera.
"Thadeus, you don't hear a politician give a one-word answer much. But it's,
'Yes.'"

I can't explain properly in words how excited, happy and proud this makes me. We are finally going to listen to the supreme court ruling and uphold the constitution again while at the same time making strides toward more progressive civil rights and equality. I believed in Obama during the campaign and was a proud supporter of his, but even I didn't expect him to hit the ground running, especially on two such controversial but important issues.

Now our military will join the ranks of countries like Israel, the United Kingdom, Canada and Italy (plus many more) in allowing gays and lesbians to serve openly. We can really be proud. It took us awhile, and we may fall behind other countries in regards to equality for all, but we will get there.

Guantanamo will be a much longer process, and I certainly do not expect miracles. I will be happy if it completely closed within 2 or 3 years. As long as we work on getting trials for the detainees and do not sanction torture during the process, I think the world along with our own citizens will begin to see America in a better light. Our country always has been and always will be better than that.

5 days until Obama officially takes office. It still seems surreal.

Oscar Buzz: Movie Reviews

2009-01-14T08:47:00.000-08:00

The husband and I were lucky enough to get quite a few gift cards to different movie theaters for Christmas and have made it our mission to see most of the movies with Oscar buzz this year. These are the movies on our list: Milk, Frost/Nixon, The Wrestler, Revolutionary Road, Doubt, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, The Reader, Slumdog Millionaire & Gran Torino.

We have officially crossed the last 3 off our list, so only 6 more to go! Here are the reviews of the 3 we have seen so far.

First up, The Reader. Synopsis from imbd.com:

Post-WWII Germany: Nearly a decade after his affair with an older woman came to a mysterious end, law student Michael Burk re-encounters his former lover as she defends herself in a war-crime trial.

I really liked this movie. The story was extremely interesting and the acting top notch. My only complaint was that the middle was very slow, I wish that they had spent more time delving into what happened at the end of the movie or even spiced up the middle with flashbacks. Overall, absolutely worth seeing.

Now for Slumdog Millionaire. Synopsis from IMBD.com:

The story of the life of an impoverished Indian teen Jamal Malik, who becomes a
contestant on the Hindi version of "Who Wants to be A Millionaire?", wins, and
is then suspected of cheating.

This was my favorite movie of the year. The way the story was told was very original, the acting was first rate and it was heartwarming, gut wrenching and funny at different times throughout the movie. When a movie can successfully do all of those things it always goes to the top of my list. I really believe it deserved its win at the Golden Globes and as of right now, I hope it does the same at the Oscar's. I reserve the right to change my mind after I see the other nominated movie ;)

And last but not least, Gran Turino. Synopsis from IMBD.com:

Disgruntled Korean War vet Walt Kowalski sets out to reform his neighbor, a
young Hmong teenager, who tried to steal Kowalski's prized possession: his 1972
Gran Torino.

This movie was also fantastic. Clint Eastwood is a genuine bad ass, even at his old age. The acting from the other characters (namely the Hmong neighbors) was a little spotty though. Apparently none of them had acted before, so I can understand why they are certainly overshadowed by a veteran like Eastwood. I don't think that this movie should win best picture, or even be nominated. I just don't think it was up to par with some of the other films, but most certainly worth seeing. It was hilarious and dramatic, and since this is supposedly Eastwood's last acting role, see it just for that.

New Dogs up for adoption (and PUPPIES!)

2009-01-13T13:30:00.000-08:00

I am going to try and incorporate any new dogs we get into the rescue group where I volunteer into this blog. We get some amazing dogs but since we are such a small group we dont always get tons of activity. Here's to hoping this helps!

This is Banjo, a 5 year old Pomeranian Mix. Isnt he stinkin' cute?

This cutie is Kazoo, an 8 year old Pomeranian mix. He would be very happy just hanging out on a couch with you! *UPDATE* Kazoo has been adopted. YAY for Kazoo!

Last, but certainly not least, we have puppies! Cute pit mixes with wonderful dispositions. I am not going to post every picture on the blog, but you can see all of the puppies plus more in depth descriptions of all the dogs at http://www.greatpets.org/

I will try to update the blog as the dogs are adopted.

I have succumbed.

2009-01-13T13:20:00.000-08:00

So here we go, I officially have a blog. I really didn't think that blogging was for me, as I am not much of a writer. I am very opinionated, but many times have a hard time putting those opinions into words that actually make the point I am trying to convey. I guess now is the time to learn to do that effectively!

I am going to start out this blog with a list of my goals for this year. I refuse to call these New Years Resolutions becuase I never ever keep my resolutions. This year, we will just have goals :)

Lose 30 pounds by July
Work out 5 days a week for a min. of 30 minutes
Incorporate more current event and history books into my reading. Less fluff, more substance.
Declutter the house and actually keep it that way
Give more to my marriage and take less
Volunteer more of my time
Make more time for friends
Cook at least 2 nights a week (Maybe I should add learn to cook here as well? LOL)
Learn at least one new hobby/skill
Amend spending habits to focus on saving and paying off debt and less on "things"

So I have my work cut out for me, but I have a feeling this will be a great year. I am motivated and not willing to give up on any of my goals.