I'm Dreaming of a White Christmas

In San Diego, the locals decorate their palm trees and red rock boulders with Christmas lights. Instead of snow, they use bubble machines. And instead of hot cocoa, they drink mai thais. OK, that last part's a lie, but you get the picture. Having Christmas here will be great with Justin's family's tamale festival and bake night, but there will certainly be no snow. So live it up, East Coast! Take your puppies outside, eat snow cream, and catch snow flakes on your tongue for me. I'll be baking in the sun for you ;)

I wish you all a happy holiday and healthy new year!

With love,
Steph

Photo Proof of Santa and the Reindeer!

I've been meaning to put these photos up for some time now (actually, just about a month) and between moving, the holidays, conferences, and getting out the February edition of the magazine it just didn't happen. Now that I have a moment to breathe, I'm going to post them for all to see. I'd like to give serious props to my mom, sister, cousin, and landlord for the amazing job that you did during the race. What a way to spend the holiday :)

Photo 1: Mom making the final push up that beast of a hill. Wait to go, Mom! "Good for YOU!" Look at that determination. Head down; eyes straight ahead.

Photo 2: Jen coming through the chute. Hair whipping in the wind. The end is SO CLOSE!













Photo 3: Justin, me, Casey, Mom, and Jen after the race. Santa and the Reindeer are there to support us...aka hold us up. It was a hard race! :)

Giving Thanks!

As some of you know, I brought Justin home with me for Thanksgiving break this past weekend. Although he'd met my parents, sister, and her husband a few times earlier, he'd never met my extended family. "Coming out of the closet," as my mother called it, regarding our living situation was a great leading stressor to the event, but luckily the rest of the weekend was nothing short of relaxing and smooth. Except the 5K run that is.

My mom and I decided to run a trot over the holidays to try to balance the stuffing, corn pudding, and booze. So she found a 5K in Laurel, MD to benefit Sarah's House (sort of a halfway-house for people without homes). Aside from the burning in my lungs and now searing pain in my hips (I'm so OLD) it was an amazing experience. We're going to try to make it a family tradition. It was also the first 5K that my sister, Justin, cousin Casey, and I participated in. And everyone, including my experienced Mom, got a PR (personal record)! So fun! Here's the info: http://www.tomsraindeerrun.org/. We have photos on their Web site here.

Justin: photos 19 and 20.
Me: photos 38 and 39.
Mom: photos 62, 63, 65, and 119 (superstar!).
Jen: photo 118.
Mrs. Claus: photo 103.
Santa Claus: photos 112 and 113.


Unfortunately, Casey was too fast for the camera so I'll have to put up our ending shot with her in it later. After the run, we headed to the Amish Market where the Amish people come FROM THEIR HOME IN LANCASTER (No, I don't live with the Amish, Justin.) and stuffed our faces with yummy goodness that is freshly-made strawberry jam, enormous eggs, and ham gravy. People of the West Coast, I dare you to find food better than that of the Amish.

I hope all of your holidays were as fabulous as mine.

Thanks to Justin for braving the Maryland cold and Methodist singing.
Thanks to Jen and Lou for a fabulous time!
Thanks to my parents for putting us up and for putting up with us.
Thanks to the rest of my family for welcoming Justin and I into your hearts.
Thanks to Rocky for only licking the turkey neck and not the WHOLE turkey.
And thanks to the turkey for FINALLY defrosting. I didn't really want Arby's for dinner.

A Few Notes From the Field

1. I bought gas yesterday morning on my way into work for $2.05. On my way home from work it had already dropped to $1.99. Can I get a holler?

2. I went to the Twilight premier last night with a few old and new friends. Let's just say if you didn't love the book, maybe you should wait for it to come out on DVD...if not to save yourself the money, to save yourself the ear damage caused by 12-year-old girls screaming every time Edward Cullen comes on the screen. I mean, really? It's not NKOTB. Obvi.

I'd never done the midnight premier thing before and wanted to try it on for size. It's exhausting! I'm sitting at work sucking down coffee trying to stay awake until 5pm when I can drive home and fall immediately asleep! I'm just too old for this stuff :) On the brighter side, I went to this great restaurant/bar in the Gaslamp last night before the movie. It's called Dussini. It's three levels: restaurant downstairs and on the second "floor," and a fire bar and pool tables upstairs. Super cute.

3. Six days until Thanksgiving!

Las Americas or Los Mexicanos?

People are always shocked when I tell them how close I am to the Mexican border. Well, friends, here's a glimpse of how close I am. Last night Ginny and I drove down to the Las Americas Outlets. Although it's still in the US, we drove right next to the chain link fence that is the Mexican border. Puts things a bit into perspective.


View Larger Map

An Apple a Day

After the trip to the Julian apple fest two weekends ago, I've finally started USING said apples. Last weekend I made an apple crisp that my sister suggested. And the other night I made this apple pork chop dish while Justin was at softball and oh my God, it was delicious! So, I thought in the spirit of fall (it's 90 here this weekend, but I hear it's much colder elsewhere) I'd offer my version of the recipe for anyone interested. I am, after all, a foodie at heart. <3

1. Clean and slice apples. Use these for one layer in a pie or casserole dish/pan.
2. Rinse and season pork chops with salt and pepper. Dip in flour and sear both sides in a frying pan.
3. Sprinkle apples with maple syrup while the pork shops are searing.
4. Place chops over apples. Cover in aluminum foil (pronounced AL-u-minium fo'l) and bake at 350 until cooked all the way through. Mine were skinny and needed only 25 minutes.

We served ours with mashed potatoes and peas (me) or corn (Justin).

Enjoy!

My Drive

This, my friends, is my view on my way home from work. It's a shot of Mission Bay and a trailer park peninsula during twilight. Only in California would a trailer park be located on prime real estate :) This is one of the many reasons I love living on the West Coast. It gets me every time.
What does your drive home from work look like?

Yes We Can!

We've elected Obama, and now it's just a matter of waiting to see what he can do. I'm quite proud to be called an American right now. Unfortunately, I'd rather be called a Marylander rather than a Californian after the Proposition 8 debacle. I guess we'll have to wait to see if the lawyers and law makers overrule the ban as a civil rights issue. I just have a hard time believing that we live in a country where a black president is elected, but at the same time gay and lesbian rights are taken away from people. You'd think that the population is becoming more accepting of differences, yet clearly that doesn't count sexual differences, eh Arizona and Florida? And on top of that, we passed a proposition that gives animals rights, but can't pass one that supports human rights? What does THAT say about the hierarchy of gay and lesbians in our American society?

Just a few things to think about:
The 15th Amendment (which said that citizens could not be kept from voting based on their race, color, or past condition of servitude) passed in 1870.

The 19th Amendment (which said that citizens could not be kept from voting based on their gender) passed in 1920.

$73 Million was spent toward campaigning on Proposition 8.

On Election Day...

Thank God we live in America.

Trip to Fall

This past weekend, in addition to having a huge Halloween party at the house (which will probably be the last big event we have at that house), Justin and I went to Julian, CA. Julian formed ages ago as a mining town. It's about an hour east of El Cajon, up 3,000 miles into the mountains. Although the town center is only about four blocks, visiting is exactly what I needed to satiate the lack of Autumn in my life.

On the way to Julian, we drove through a light rain (also something I'm no longer used to). So, when we arrived and parked it was a relief to no longer be in the car. We walked the town, poked into the used book store and the craft show, and doubled back to look for lunch. We headed into a soda shop for a bowl of hot chili. When we were done, we headed back outside into the elements in search for a slice of hot apple pie.

Julian is known for their apples. We were there for the apple festival when you get to pick your own, but unfortunately missed it by a few days. So instead, we bought a slice of original apple pie (no dutch for us!) and a coffee. They even warmed the pie and slapped on a scoop of vanilla ice cream to make it a la mode! Oh my god was it amazing! I don't even LIKE apple pie all that much, but this apple pie was one of a kind.

When we were sufficiently full and had walked the four blocks a few times, we got in the car and drove around the outskirts a bit checking out the picked over pick your own orchard and wineries. On the drive back home we stopped by the look out point for an amazing view of the mountains. It was a bit blustery, but being in the clouds reminded me of back East. Gotta love California!

Token Election Blog

I'm going to put out this one blog about the upcoming election and then that will be it for me.

In California alone, there are a little over 23 million people eligible to vote. (To register to vote you must be a U.S. citizen, a _____ state resident, at least 18 years of age on Election Day, and not in prison or on parole for the conviction of a felony. It does NOT matter if you have a parking ticket, although apparently there are people in some states trying to convince you that this is true. Also not true: your party votes on Wednesday, November 5. EVERYONE votes on Tuesday, November 4. Silly tactics.) Only 69.79% of eligible voters are registered. In California it's too late to register, but some states you still have time.

For a map of your voting location click here.

And if you're still not sure...take a cue from Snoop Dogg. :)



...or there's always the kids (thanks Ing)!

We Didn't Start the Fire...But Someone May Have

Apparently, for San Diego and Southern California, October happens to be Fire Season. I didn't realize there was a "season," but with the combination of the Santa Ana winds coming in from the north and the dry heat, fires are frequent. Surprisingly, it seems as though many of these fires are made on purpose. Most are man-made of course (think cigarette butts thrown out car windows), but some are considered arson. I can't imagine the mind of the person who willingly starts a fire. Thousands of people loose homes, animals, lives. It takes thousands of tax-payers dollars to fight the fires, and years to rebuild. There are stories all around the media this month about people who are just now able to move back into their houses that were destroyed by last year's fires. Crazy. If it's not hurricanes, it's something else.

In other natural disaster news: Spray Foam on Extreme Home Makeover House.

UPDATE: Check out California Department of Forestry and Fire Prevention's Web site for updated information throughout the fire "season."

Royal Disappointment

I'm pretty sure yesterday was one of my top five most disappointing days of all time. Here's how my day went:

I got dropped off at work at little early since Justin needed to get to work for a meeting (we car pool as often as possible). It worked perfectly because I was supposed to pick up a Pier One gift card for my boss for National Boss' Day. I jumped in my car ready to head to the nearest grocery store (they have name-brand cards now there) when I had an epiphany. 7-11 should have the cards! So I run into the 7-11. It's in the same complex as my office. I pick up the Visa check card for $25 and head to the cashier. The gift was supposed to be $30 so I ask for five $1 scratch-off cards also. The transaction goes through on the scratch-offs, but it declines my debit card for the gift card. OK. Let's try the AmEx gift card. No dice. The lady hands it back to me with a 'whatever' look and tells me it's not working. Perfect. There's a 7-11 right down the block. So, I drive down the road and try again. The lady behind this corner, however, mentions that it might not work because I'm using debit. Apparently you have to use CASH, which would have been nice to know THE FIRST TIME. Do I have cash? Of course not. I'm a member of the Debit Card Society. So clearly I need to go somewhere I can get cash because the rest of my office is depending on me to get the gift for my boss.

To the Albertson's grocery store I go! I go on a five-minute detour around the block to get out of the 7-11, but make the light. I head 10 minutes into PB, take cash out of the ATM, and hit the check-out guy. Unfortunately, the first two Visa cards he picks up have the actual cards stolen out of them. (Note to grocery store thieves: There is NO MONEY on these cards. Stealing them is dumb and useless.) I finally get a card that works, which costs an extra $10 just to BUY IT. Rip off. When the clerk says "it's 9.95 just to get the card, are you sure you only want to put $25 on it?" I lose it. I just started yelling about how he can put whatever he wants on it. It didn't matter at that point. So, he takes a step back, puts the $25 on it, and I walk out the door.

By the time I get back to the office I've been gone for an hour. I'm now LATE to work and extremely flustered. Luckily, I get my articles finished and photos uploaded. I'm running on cruise control until 5 o'clock hits and it's officially time to head to the Jimmy Buffett show!

I'm taking Shannon for her birthday. The tickets are $20 a piece. I have to pay cash to our hookup when I get there. So, we drive in rush-hour traffic TOWARDS the border (for you East Coasters, this means towards traffic). It takes an hour to get there, but in no time we're in the parking lot drinking a Coors Light and munching on graham crackers in the back of Shannon's SUV. I've never met my ticket hookup before, so when I finally get the reception to text and call him, his "meet us near the RVs" is less than sufficient.

We walk through the gravel, dirt, and straw toward the stadium and were waiting in line for the port-a-potty when I realized I was missing the wristlet with my wallet. Shannon and I spent the next 45 minutes walking up and down the path we took to get there. Nothing. When we got back to her car I looked in my bag and pockets just to be sure, but it was definitely missing. I had the money to get in, so we were out of luck. I know this sounds ridiculous, but if you imagine your favorite band, the band you've loved since before you hit elementary school, the band that reminds you of your best childhood memories, you would have Jimmy Buffett for me. Yes, I've seen him before, several times, but dammit! I wanted to see him again! So, I'll be honest, I cried several tears for Buffett last night. I wiped them off like Cry Baby and tried to get on with my night. (Justin buying my anniversary gift definitely helped!)

Luckily, the amphitheater people called me later that night to tell me they found my wallet. Which is nice.

All in all, quite a disappointing day :(

UPDATE: When I tried to go get my purse back from Chula Vista, I realized WHILE I WAS ALREADY IN MY CAR that I needed gas. So, I start to pull off towards a gas station, when it hit me that I didn't have my wallet! Which means no money. Which means no gas. Which means I sat and waited for Justin to come back to his work from lunch because my phone died while I was trying to track him down. I did get the purse, but of course my money was stolen. Oh well. I shouldn't have been surprised, but I still have hope for humanity.

Epidemic

Not one, but TWO people farted in my Yoga class last night. And NEITHER of them was me! :) Nike!

Reduce-Reuse-Recycle!

I am aware of how simple this sounds, but Justin and I used our very own reusable bag at the grocery store last night for the first time and it felt so damn good! We kept forgetting to bring it with us and would get home to realize that we had yet another 20 plastic bags with no home. So, last night Justin (props to the Booger) remembered to bring the bag with us to Alby's. Holler! He'll probably never let me live it down that I wasn't the one to remember, but I'm OK with that. At least we're using our reusable bag :)

Mission: Accomplished

Last night I went to my first Yoga class at 24 Hour Fitness in Santee, Calif. I've been trying to make it there for a week now, but kept getting there after the class had already started. So, last night, I left promptly at 715pm for the 730pm class. I got in, grabbed a mat, and got to it! And THIS time, I did not fart in class! There were a few touch-and-go moments, especially during the half-pigeon pose (ask me, I'll be happy to show it to you). But I held strong and made it through the entire hour without one hiccup (or it's opposite). Mission: Accomplished! Now, I'm off to tackle some other new activity!

Concert Goers

Saturday night, Justin and I headed down to Chula Vista, Calif. for the Maroon 5/Counting Crows/Augustana concert. I was there to see Maroon 5 and Justin was there to see Counting Crows. (Only Ginny knows how this Augustana is.) Unfortunately, on the carride there with Ginny, Jason, and Kimmie, we were informed that the frontman from Counting Crows was sick and so they wouldn't be performing. I've never had that happen to me before, probably because I don't attend too many concerts, but boy was Justin bummed :( Good thing we brought adult beverages, our bean bags, and Kimmie's handicap parking ticket. We partied up in the parking lot--some more than others--and then headed in for the show. The vote: Augustana=sleepytime. Maroon 5=good times!

And in between the two, we just relaxed. The other kids were in the lawn, but I splurged and got seats. Maybe next time we'll see Mr. Jones, too!

The Fall of September

In honor of September 11th, seven years after the attacks, I would like to offer a little sign of love. I saw a red leaf near the base of a tree in El Cajon last night. It was the first change of the season I've seen so far, and I was shocked I could see some resemblance of autumn in Southern California. Not only is fall my favorite season (I was inspired to make pumpkin bread last night too), but it also serves as an annual reminder that things change. Sometimes for the worse, sometimes for the better, but they're continually pushing us to be better. We get second chances, we get to try again, start a new year, and start over. So enjoy fall and enjoy your chance to evolve and change!

With Love,
Stephanie

San Francisco Pictures

I'm attaching the link to my slideshow here: Kodak Gallery Pictures, but if the link doesn't work someone let me know! (I have the password so it obviously works for me.)

Just in case, here's a shot of Justin, Sean, me, and Nate (Justin's friend from college) at the Chargers game at the 49ers stadium. It was cold, but we had a blast!

And here are a few more.

Figs

PS. I had a fig today. My first ever! My suite mate at work brought on in for me to try. It was bright green on the outside and a light purple on the inside. It kind of tasted like a sticky Vitamin Water. Random! :) If you think I'm nuts, try one yourself!

Saturday in SF

The second day we were in San Francisco we headed to the Fisherman's Wharf. I loved it there! It was chilly, but super clean and there was a ton going on around us. Justin said that SF is known for the street performers. We saw the normal silver guys doing the robot, but also this lady dressed like a mermaid with a fisherman's body "holding" her (her boobs mostly), and a guy with an instrument like Dick Van Dyke plays in Merry Poppins. We saw tons of sea lions sunning and fighting for spots on the floating docks. A few of them held their arms up to dry off just like Kath used to in college :) We went to Ghiradelli Square which was great for people watching and warming up in the sun. There was a cute little fountain in the middle and a guy singing to the crowd. I had clam chowda' for lunch, but we avoided the trolleys since they looked too crowded and touristy (for Justin).

Finally after a few hours of Sean driving us around--including down Lombard Street--we headed to our new hotel near the airport. We took a nap, had some munchies, and just chilled. We were meeting up with my friend Tracy from grade school who moved to SF to go to Berkeley as well as this girl Sean's dating, who was home in San Jose for vacation. So around 630pm we headed back into the city to Little Italy and landed at Delucca's. It was super cute! I had an amazing bowtie pasta and it was great catching up with Tracy. So afterwards the four of us headed to a little bar down the street for a few drinks while we waited for Meliza and her friend to catch up with us. After much drinking, another bar where we ended up at a birthday party, and some dancing, it was time to head home. Unfortunately, the car was locked in a parking garage. With no way in the garage, we were forced to find a cab home. It was a little dicey for a bit--none of us were happy about having to cab it back to the airport--but Justin, Sean, and me are still friends, so that's a good sign I guess :)

After a silent cab ride back, we hit the sheets and passed out. We'd deal with the car situation on Sunday.

The City by the Bay

Justin, Sean, and I visited San Francisco (please don't refer to it as San Fran unless you want people to know you're a tourist) this past weekend. I had half of Friday and all of Monday off of work for Labor Day and this was Sean's last weekend of freedom before his senior year begins, so we took advantage of the timing! Justin and Sean drove up the coast Thursday night and picked me up at the airport Friday afternoon. We checked into our hotel and went right to the Charger game. It was the last preseason game: Chargers v. 49ers. We played a little corn hole or bags (depending on where you were born) and then headed into the stadium. It was freezing, but it was fun to see another stadium. I might have to make a tour one of these days. Unfortunately, we left in the fourth quarter right before the Chargers returned a fumbled punt for a touchdown. At least it was only preseason :) We drove back to the apartment downtown, changed, and were off to meet Justin's friend Nasty (aka Nate) and his buddies at a little bar called John Collins. SO cute! If I wasn't so tired and grumpy it would have been great. We still managed to have some fun. Nate's friends and brother are super friendly, of course. Sean and I hit our wall around midnight so we parted ways from the rest of the group and headed back to the hotel. Justin and his friends stayed out to go clubbing, but eventually made it back to the room. Thank God! We would have liked to sleep in a bit later than we did, but we had to get up to check out. And to see San Francisco!

More to come tomorrow, along with my pictures. I hope everyone had a wonderful Labor Day weekend!

A-parrot-ly Annoying

These are the lovely wild parrots that sit outside my window and squawk each morning. On the weekdays, I don't notice them because I have to be awake and driving to work by 8am. On the weekends, though, life with the parrots is much different. They travel in gaggles (?), sit on wires and tree limbs, and wake up the neighborhood around 9am EVERY Saturday and Sunday. They're the rooster of El Cajon.

If you live on the East Coast or Midwest where parrots are less likely to show up in your backyard than a dodo bird or unicorn, then I'm sure you don't understand my pain. I too thought they were precious when I first moved to San Diego, but since then, they've quickly become an unwanted wake up call.

Justin assures me that they'll leave by the end of summer. I'm not sure where they migrate to, but I'm hoping it's somewhere like Tahiti or Figi. Somewhere tropical that ends in an "i" where I don't have to hear them. Or I'll go on vacation from them :) Like San Francisco for Labor Day. How about that, parrots? How about that!

I Should Have Done This Yesterday

I just thought to put this on here, but it's never too late to extend a birthday :)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, JEN! Love you!

Wine Tasting!

Ever since I watched Haley Mills in the orginal Parent Trap I have loved California for the wineries. And although I moved here over a year and half ago, I only seem to get to the Southern California wineries for Bridal Showers. I guess that's OK with me :)

For my friend Teresa's Bridal Shower, we started at the house of another friend and had Tea for T! Super cute. At 3pm we headed in two large SUVs (they're good for something I guess) to a super close winery off the 15, one which some of you may get to see when you come to visit for it will quickly become my favorite place to take visitors. It's called Chateau Dragoo. Interesting, but the castle and wine tasting rooms made the place quaint. Meanwhile, the grapevine-covered portico was to die for! After hitting up a lesson--led by Sniffles McGee from the winery--and then tasting some more, we bought two bottles and headed out to the portico to soak it all in. What a great way to catch up with old Vistage friends I haven't seen in forever! Melissa, Bree, and Kristi are pictured below. We were the red wine drinkers, and all previous/current employees of Vistage. Love these girls!
And it just so happens that in the October issue of SprayFoam magazine I wrote a story about a winery in Northern California where they sprayed SPF on the outside of the wine tanks. It allows the owners to keep the tanks at a controlled temperature. Oh the crazy things you can do with spray foam! My text is due this Friday so I've been spending most of my time during the day trying to come up with a finished issue. Hopefully I'll meet my deadline so that you good people can have yet another fabulous magazine to read when it drops October 1, 2008. Look for it in your mailboxes (if you've asked me to put you on the circulation list, that is). Otherwise, ask me about it. My B'more girls (and RayRay) can attest to my growing SPF knowledge. Hootie hoo!

On the home front (many have been asking about it, and I thank you for your interest), we haven't gotten any word yet about either Pepper or Estelle. Justin's real estate agent (and good friend from grade school) gave us an update yesterday that we should hear back in yet another 14 days. We're trying not to get our hopes up, but a yes OR no would be great sometime SOON! Please, real estate gods, please let us know!

So, if you're planning a visit sometime soon, you can picture a new house and a visit to a newly discovered winery. And if those two don't pan out, then you can picture a new bottle of wine in a newly decorated guest room. :) And if THAT doesn't pan out (which would mean I'm broke and homeless), then you can picture me, a bottle of wine, and a paper bag. Let's hope it doesn't get to that! Have a fabulous Hump Day!

Golfs-R-Us

I played golf for the first time! I've been nervous about playing because Justin's so freaking good, but we decided on Sunday to play a three par course down the road from us. It was crazy hot and I got quite the sun burn, but I had a great time. I'm a wicked putter (though I already knew it was in my blood, Chizik PuttPutt what?!). The rest I'll need to work on, but it was super nice how patient and understanding the Loomis crew were with me. Justin stayed home to try to break into his car (it's been sitting in the driveway for over a week now because he misplaced the FAB), so it was Justin's brother and sister--Mason and Carmel--her boyfriend Grey; their dad, Mark; Sean, my date for the day; and me! My favorite shot was when I "put a little mustard on it" and whacked the thing into a tree two feet away. It ricocheted off the trunk and flew off at a 90 degree angle. I couldn't have made that shot again if I tried.

Maybe we can go more often and I can try my hand at a real course. Or maybe I'll just stick to the mini guys.

Lackluster

I've lost my love for this blog momentarily. Any suggestions as to how to gain that back?

ALSO, new SprayFoam Magazine dropped this past Friday. Let me know if you want a copy! (Not in a store near you.)

And, my friend Brian Oliu from LoCo has an essay published in an anthology that I used to have to buy every semester for school. Go Brian! How fun to be in the writing field.

Earthquake or Hurricane? Choose Wisely.

I just felt an earthquake. It's not the first one I've felt since moving out here, but the biggest one for sure. They're always a bit weird for me because when I have low blood sugar I sort of get a little woosy and that's what being in an earthquake feels like. So, until someone validates the fact that they feel it too, I just assume that the room is swaying because I need to eat. Now, should I feel good or bad about the fact that no one made us leave our 50 year old building?

Update: it was a 5.8. I need earthquake training!

Trying Out My Blonde Side

I got pulled over today on my way back to work after my lunch break. Apparently I was going 37 in a 25mph zone. I'm not really surprised by this considering I do tend to have a bit of a lead foot (and give white knuckles to Justin). The thing that really gets me, though, is my shear stupidity with the whole situation. I mean, I KNEW they were there! I'd seen them on my way home and thought to myself, "I should text my roommates to let them know about the cops." Well, apparently I should have texted myself because in the interim I forgot they were there and whipped around the corner. Luckily I wasn't talking on my cellphone, however, not luckily my windows don't roll down when I'm inside the car. So, I get the hand gesture to move over. (You know the one, the sideways hand slide that says, "Yes, you can move over now.") So when he walked towards my passenger side window, I popped out my door, snuck my head out, and informed him that my windows don't go down. Humiliating. Yes, sir, I WAS speeding. Yes, sir, I'd love to pull over. No, sir, I can't talk to you through the window, neither can I talk to the drive-in ladies or use the drive-in ATM window, but do I remember that BEFORE I get to afore-mentioned window? No. No, sir, I'm not a COMPLETE idiot. Here's my license, and thanks for the warning.

July Fourth SD Style

Justin and I spent most of July Fourth this year at his Mom's house in Escondido. She has this amazing party home (not Frat party, but fun party) with kayaks and a pool, stocked liquor cabinet and Wii. So we lounged all day around the pool eating sausages and salmon. It was a great Fourth. We almost missed the fireworks, but we managed to catch the last bit at his house in El Cajon...soon to be OUR house in El Cajon :) These are pictures of the sun setting over Lake Hodges right from Lily and Ken's house. It was quite amazing.

The rest of my stay at 944 Loring St will be hectic. Nissa and Jason are getting married this evening in Ocean Beach. Should be a beautiful ceremony on the cliffs overlooking the ocean. Then tomorrow is Annie and Adam's not-so-secret going away party. And Sunday we'll be having our Last Supper :( I've already started getting choked up about them leaving. I really love their senses of humor and kindness. Adam has been a nice man around the house :) And Annie has become a best friend in such a short amount of time. Makes me wish I'd known you in grade school! Although I'm sad that they're leaving so soon, I genuinely appreciate that I was able to get to know them at all. I'll miss you two!

The Del

I have a new work up online! Check it out:
Visiting Coronado on Bike. And I took the pictures, too :) Thanks to Shannon Kenney and Ginny for joining me on the adventure!

RIP

Etta the Jetta may be on her last leg. I know many of you have come to love and cherish my little coche, so I thought I'd give a warning about her health. Her battery died yesterday. Laura--my friend visiting from the 'Burgh--and I got a jump from this guy who just HAPPENED to be sitting in the alleyway with a portable battery. (My trunk, which holds my jumper cables, wouldn't open either so thank god for THAT guy!) We drove around for 2o minutes and then parked at a Midas just in case. Well, the battery needed changed, of course. What we didn't know was that the windows that would no longer move up or down and the trunk that wouldn't pop open were a symptom of something "MUCH BIGGER," so says Mr. VW Midas man. So, for the next couple of days I can live without the windows or the trunk, although when I lock the doors, the alarm goes off and the trunk pops open. Not exactly what I usually intend to do.

If you'd like to stop by and say goodbye to Etta, sooner might be better than later. I'm not sure how much longer she'll last. Maybe a year. Maybe a month. Who knows :( At least she has a new battery.

Continental Update

My friend, Laura, is supposed to be taking Continental from Pittsburgh to San Diego with a stop somewhere in between. At 315 her time, she texted me that there were maintenance issues. At 427 her time, she texted me that they just announced that they're not having maintenance issues, but in fact cannot find a pilot to fly the plane. She's wondering who they're asking. We're hoping not random people.

Cross Walk Stalker

Yesterday, on my way home from work I was came upon a right hand turn. The light had just turned from a green right arrow to a red light, and so I was planning on pausing and then turning. However, this lady and two little boys had just started walking across the cross walk. So I slammed on the breaks and waited. The lady turns around, looks at me, and points at the little white man signalling that she had the right of way. So, I'm wondering, what did she want me to do? I stopped for her. I didn't honk. Was she expecting me to get out of the car and put orange cones around her? I mean, REALLY, lady. What else did you want me to do?

Bachelorette's on the West Side

Justin bought me a new shiny camera for my birthday. It's red and sparkly :) I'm trying to figure out how to upload all of my pictures onto my computers, so while that is happening I will make a few notes about Nissa's Bridal Shower that took place this past Saturday.

1. The Company Picnic. It was thrown by Nissa's coworkers (including her manager) from Lulu's nail salon in San Diego. This means that the owner's wife (aka the manager) was in attendance as well as all of the other techs and receptionists.

2. And They're Off! Nissa invited Shannon and I to join her and her coworkers. I was under the impression (due to the evite) that we'd be getting drinks and appetizers at one bar and then going to a kareoke bar afterwards. To me, that means we'd be mingling at a bar, sipping cocktails, and munching on finger foods. To the manager, however, that apparently meant a sit-down affair with food and drink. I skipped on food since I'd just had dinner, but got a pomegranate martini (yum!), which the manager paid for...first round on her!

3. Set of Lungs. We eventually headed to the Lamplighter for some good ol' American fun: kareoke! I thought I might try my newly found kareoke skills, but once I realized it was jam packed full of college kids and old men, I changed my mind. Luckily, Nissa works with this adorable Japanese girl who sang an amazing rendition of "I will survive." She brought the house DOWN!

4. Queen Bee. About half way through the night, Shannon and I realized we'd be the only one's going home with our dignity. The owner's wife was all over the bar flies like whoa, while her minions were buzzing around trying to emulate her. And Nissa, of course, was the bachelorette, although she was very well behaved (no worries, Jason!). It definately made for some great people watching. Unfortunately, they were with us!

5. Negative Nancy. Around 1AM, after hours of me trying to make the best out of the situation (i.e. being Sober Sally in a room full of drunk and disorderly college kids, and surrounded by raspy-singing kareoke fools in white polyester pants. One lady sang "Enter Sandman" like James Hetfield himself. I'm talking scary. She threw down the mike, girated her hips, stood on a chair, and scared the poo out of the entire audience.), we realized that we needed to go home.

6. Lesbian Humping. The icing on the cake came right before we left when a lesbian woman started freak dancing me from behind. I was wearing a short brown dress and my new flowered wedges, but I have never been molested from behind by a woman before. The lesbian molestor eventually moved on to Nissa and then up to the stage, but soon after she dismounted my butt, this other lady comes up to me and goes "Were you just hitting on my girlfriend?" And I go "NO! She was hitting on ME!" She must have been trying to do damage control because her mean face turned soft and she started laughing. We had a good chuckle about how her girlfriend needed help standing up straight and how she must have found me hot to hit on me. Well, not hit on me, more like hump me. I guess there's a first time for everything!

7. Go Back to Your Home. Finally, we were making our rounds to head back to the car to go home when some girl bumped into Nissa's shoulder. So what does my 5'2" 100 lb friend do? She turns around and whacks the girl with her purse. And when the other girl tried to fight her, little Nissa (the elf) stood her ground. Go Nissa! Go...HOME! :) And go home we did, leaving the hoochies from her work to their devices at the bar, of course. I guess girls will be girls.

Thanks for NOTHING! :)

I've showered, shaved, slept, and snacked. I am officially a human again! After two days of traveling back from New York (a thunderstorm disrupted our travel plans and forced Justin and me to stay in a hotel in Atlanta), I am back in the saddle. I thought I'd just put a quick note on here about the trip. Note: it was amazing! I had a fabulous birthday and got to see so many friends. Thanks to Michelle, Tosha, RayRay, Kate Lally, Linds, and Kath for making the trek out to see me! I loved seeing you all and can't wait until the next time. And of course thanks to my family for spending time with Justin and me. Oh, and thanks to Justin for missing the US Open, which you've been waiting to see your WHOLE LIFE at Torrey Pines. I love you for coming home with me :) But NO thanks to AirTran and the La Guardia crew for making us sit on the tarmac for three hours and causing us to miss our connecting flight in Atlanta.

Hopefully, pictures will be up soon of our travels. I think that I'm going to have to either do a coffee table photo albumn or buy a digital frame for all of our pictures. So be out on the lookout for THAT! To be continued...

Festivas for the Restofus

I am neither Greek NOR a year older (yet!), but this weekend I got to spend my time celebrating birthdays and eating delicious food of the Mediterranean. Scrump-tious!

For Nissa's birthday, Shannon and I met Nissa and her family at Island Prime for some drinks. The layout of the restaurant wasn't exactly condusive towards mingling at the bar, but the view was priceless. We were practically floating on the San Diego Bay with dahntahn and the Coronado Bridge glowing off in the background. Although we didn't stay there for too long, it was a super fun night. I will definately be going back there!

On Saturday, I tagged along with Ginny and Jason at the Greek Festival. Ginny's of Greek heritage so we go to a lot of the festivals to celebrate her culture. It was pretty small compared to the ones I've been to in MD, which apparently always happen the first weekend in June, but it was super fun. We ate gyros and loukoumathes (puffed pastry with honey and cinnamon, of course) and then I bought an oil painting. It's a picture of the streets in Paris. Oh la la! :) Hopefully, when Justin gets a house and I move into it (wink wink) I'll get to put my current bedroom set into the guest bedroom, painting and all. Should work perfectly...

I haven't been to a festival in a while and it reminded me how much I love to go to them. Parking's always a hurtle, but once we got inside it was a blast. I'll have to see if I can find another group of people I don't belong to so I can taste their foods and buy their goods. Anyone want to adopt me for a day?

Vegas, Baby!

I was staying at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas on Wednesday and Thursday for the Construct Conference (that's right, I work for a trade publication). I had never been to LV before and my first experience was one I won't forget, although NOT because I saw the lions. (Not that I even knew they were there until after I'd already checked out and left!)

The walking the show on Wed and then attending seminars all day Thurs were fine. But my Saturday was an interesting situation. The challenge: make my $30 per diem go as far as I could. It wasn't as hard as it may sound. Some may think that $60 for two days in LV isn't enough--think transportation, food, entertainment, but a. walking the show was exhausting + b. I was by myself in a new big ol' city + c. I wasn't comfortable going around town alone at night + d. my rent was due on the 1st = e. my $60 went a long way.

The other challenge: get over my social anxiety to be able to leave my room.

I'm not sure if many people know this about me, but I get quite nervous when I don't know what to expect and don't have someone to show me around, so my sister Jen had to help coach me out of the room. I get this feeling where the thought of mingling around dozens if not hundreds of new people overwhelms me and I'd rather just give up before I start and stay in my room. It only really happens when I'm in a place I don't know, but it still happens nonetheless. Quite interesting and humbling. I'm not sure if anyone else gets like this, but I made it! My Saturday evening consisted of taking a twilight tour of the monorail, then walking out to the pool in my bikini. After a not-so-hot minute outside on the pool deck, I sauntered into a TV screening for a new show called "Game Show in My Head." If you see it on cable, don't blame me! I "changed the channel."

And finally FINALLY I decided to get a few of my dollar coins exchanged into dollar bills to play the slots. I took my five dollars to the $1 slots and sat there for three minutes before I was broke again. When I got the courage to look around a bit more closely for the 1 cent slots, I was out of bills. I had pennies though! New lesson: it's taboo to talk to anyone playing the slots that you don't know. I tried asking some lady if the machine would take slots, but she was NOT having it. And to top it off, I caught the eye of some guy down the row who was watching our exchange and he gave me the weird eye. So, back up to my room it was! Socializing over!

This is a picture of me first leaving my room after talking to Jen. Disregard the double chin and try to focus on the fear in my smile/eyes. Nice, eh?

Issues

I've been trying to create a new masthead banner for my June site, but am having technical difficulties. Apparently recreating something I've ALREADY DONE is not my forte. Please bare with me. And in the meantime, I thought I'd say: Happy Month of My Birthday! :) Only ten days until I fly home. First, I'll be flying to Las Vegas for a conference for work. I leave tomorrow morning and then return the following day. I have exactly $60 so the challenge to do as much as I can in Sin City will be a big one. This is my second work trip, my first was back to Maryland, ironically enough. I didn't get a chance to show this shot from Ego Alley downtown Annapolis after I returned, so I'm using it now. Hopefully I'll have something equally as beautiful to look at in LV. Doubtful.

I also wanted to give an update on my weekend. I was so busy! Friday night Annie, Sam, two other girls, and I went to the Sex and the City movie premier. It was a great evening. Although I did not dress up to the nines, there definately were a few sorority sisters there in full regalia! On Saturday Ginny, Shannon Kenney, and I biked Coronado. What an amazing way to see a town. I'll be posting those pictures soon (again, part of the wonders of the blog world that I'm still figuring out). We were there for four hours, had a lovely time, and then--after missing the first ferry--rushed back home to get ready for roommate's dinner. Annie, G, and I went to Kemo Sabe in Hillcrest. It was AMAZING. We're all foodies, Ginny's a veggie, and we still all loved the concoctions. We managed to get quite sloshed afterwards, so my Sunday took a little longer to get started than I'd anticipated. I'm not a drinker anymore, so thanks, G, for making my breakfast since I couldn't stand up to do it myself! :) Oh to be 20 again...

And THEN, Justin and I went house hunting. We found some really great homes in the North Park/Mission Hills area. Hopefully something will work out. I really loved this batch of homes and they're in a great location. Not too far from downtown, the zoo, the beach, work. It would be amazing. So, hopefully we'll have a house soon!

OK, now let's see if I can figure out this whole picture thingie. Help welcome. Also, why is some text 1.5 spaced and other text is not? Random.

This is a Travesty

It has come to my attention that there is an entire group of people who have missed out on a wonderous creation called gravy fries. I thought it was weird that Justin had a. never tried them and b. never HEARD of them, but when we went to his Grandma Jackie's yesterday for dinner and were amongst six other native San Diegans, I realized it's not just one ignorant man. It's a whole ignorant city! An ignorant state or, worse, coast! How is it that these poor, poor people NEVER HAD GRAVY FRIES? Is it because they don't have diners? And if that's the case, does that mean they've never had country fried steak or malt milkshakes or challah bread french toast? Where does the travesty end?! And when will these people realize that not only do they need to try gravy fries, but they need to demand that Governor Schwartzeneger build diners so that they, too, can have gravy fries at 2am? Bring the gravy fries, A'nold, or it's hasta la vista, bebe.

We Look Cute, but We're Double Trouble

These two adorable creatures--Crew, aka Crewbiedoobies, on the left and Rawley, aka Mr. Pants, on the right--have been creating quite the stir in the Summers household recently. Apparently they like to create mayhem when those annoying humans have left the house (and the bedroom doors ajar). Justin thinks it's because they're so wrestless, others think it's because they aren't getting enough attention. Either way, every morning we leave the boys out on the back patio with the doggie door locked. And every evening when we return home they're waiting anxiously inside the front door. They like to break through the locked doggie door and find something to attack. I think Mr. Pants is the brains behind the mayhem. Look at that face; it says "Look at my face. I DARE you to yell at me." While Crewbie's says "Did you see me jump? Did you see me get the ball? Did you see it? Did you?" That's clearly not the face of a killer. They've eaten the loveseat a couple times. They stole our chicken off the counter one night. And now, they've done this:

That USED to be a bedroom pillow. Made out of cotton. You can sort of see the end of it on the far left. What you can't see is that they somehow managed to leave the pillowcase on while ripping it to shreds. I guess they wanted a challenge. You can also see the blue duct tape on the sofa where they've emptied the stuffing twice now. Justin had to use a rake to clean up the sofa stuffing and I presume he'll be doing the same thing tonight. A rake. In the living room. Should I say rake again to hone in on the point of rediculousness? They're quite incorrigable.

I heard Justin last night when he finally let them back into the house. He said "Daddy doesn't like when you mess up the house. He has to clean it up after you and he doesn't like that. Be good boys." It was super cute, a bit delusional, but cute nonetheless.

Toolan's Visit

Jen came to visit San Diego this past weekend on a girls' trip. It was looking like we weren't going to meet up with all the stuff planned, but finally I got to see her and her sisters Monday night at the PB Shore Club. It was so much fun!

We just spent the night catching up on our lives. I think I haven't seen her in over a year. A lot has happened in that time :) Marriages, boyfriends, new jobs, new schools. Crazy stuff. I think we're becoming (gasp!) adults!

She assured me she'd start reading my blog, so here's a shout out to Toolan, aka Jen Judy! I think I'm going to start vacationing like you...more of an active rest like the good ol' days on the crew team. No more of this lazy crap. It's kayaks and hikes for me on my future vacations! What a way to see a city.

Summertime

And the living's easy. I'm not sure how often I'll be living two blocks from the beach, but while I'm here, I'm loving it. Not in a let's-go-surfing-at-Tormaline way like Annie and Sam. I have more of a passive maybe-I'll-bring-a-book-down-to-the-water sort of way.

Since it's still technically spring, which means May Gray and June Gloom, the "Marine Layer" (aka FOG, to the non San Diego natives) sticks around until noon. It's not all sunny San Diego, people :) Noon used to also mean that magical hour when alcohol miraculously appeared from the heavens (or our coolers), but now that the city has banned alcohol from the beaches there won't be any more of that...or will there? The entire beach used to count down the last ten seconds before noon hit. You could hear the beers pop open all along the Pacific shoreline, but nowadays it'll have to be a more subtle affair. A more cultured affair, some might say, but I'm from Preakness country and we do things the right way: flying cans full of beer, portapotty-top races, and Thai buckets. What more could a girl ask for?

I suspect this summer will be more of a BBQ and poolside sort of life. Either way, it's more sunshine that I ever saw in Pittsburgh so bring it on!

Pre Running Water Scenario

Last night I arrived at Justin's house to find a ticket at his front door stating that the water had been turned off. It also said that if you tried to get water out of the pipes, you could be taken to court. OK, so what that means to me is: a. we have no water, and b. if i even TRY to turn the faucet on, I could go to jail. Needless to say, I didn't touch anything that might produce water...no faucets, no toilets, no dishwasher, nothing.

So how, in fact, do you live without running water, you ask? I recommend you try it for a few hours like I did. It's a lot harder than you might think.

First I had to figure out how to supply drinks for myself and Justin's menagerie of pets. I decided I could just settle with Diet Coke instead of water, but that wouldn't do for the dogs and cat. For them I dropped as many ice cubs as I could fit into their water bowls--big chunks for the boys and little ones for the girl.

Drinking water. Check! All animals accounted for.

Next I had to figure out how the whole bathroom thing would work. I'd managed to hold it during my TV dinner (Jack in the Box has stellar salads, for anyone on the West Coast, by the way), but when Justin's friend Sean came over to play some pool, I'd reached my limit. As Grandma Martin used to say, "my teeth were floating." I decided rather than leave a puddle of yellow in the toilet for Justin's grandma to see the next day, I'd use the natural toilet out back. Unfortunately, grabbing toilet paper was a bit beyond my plan. A little shake (something I learned in Girl Scouts) and I was on my way. Crew, Mr. Pants, and Olivia could use their regular toilets, of course.

Bathroom. Check! All animals accounted for.

Eventually Justin came home from his softball game. Apparently the water issue was a big mix-up with the direct deposit, but it couldn't be dealt with until the next day. We'd just have to continue playing camp until the next morning. So, after a night of Diet Coke and un-brushed teeth, we woke up and drove to my house for showers.

Hot showers. Check!

And that, my friends, is what it's like these days to live a night without running water.

And So The Season of Visitors Begins...

Will and Scida dropped into town this week for a work trip up in Fullerton, but made it down to SD to meet up with me for dinner on Wednesday. It wasn't the rockstar night like I think they may have expected, but it was a lot of fun to catch up and talk about poop. Man, I've missed the innocent times of college when poop was a regular topic of conversation :) We had some oysters, some ice cream, and some laughs. Good clean American fun!

Trouble flew back east on Thursday and today in comes Jen Toolan aka Jen Judy with her sisters. I was worried we'd have a crappy May Gray weekend for them, but it's ending up as one of the best weekends so far to date this year. Today alone is supposed to be 95 degrees. There are a ton of beer fests going on so I'm thinking some alcohol may be consumed in the near future. Plus, I've seen Jen with a keg :)

I'm supposed to go to Ian's welcome home from Iraq BBQ tomorrow evening and then Justin and I are going boating with Sean and Marissa. Hopefully I'll get to see Jen at least one night this weekend!

I'm sorry I'll be missing Michelleyness at Preakness this year. It's my first year missing it :( But, I had to cut my losses. With flying home in April for work and then again in June for my birthday, I just can't rationalize going home AGAIN in May. Besides, last year I didn't get a chance to really get into things with my jet-lag and all.

So, giddy-up, Michelle!

Laura's coming into town June 25-July 2--right before I move out of my apartment--so for anyone else considering visiting in the near future, pretty soon you may get your very own bed in the guest room of Justin's house. On that note: the house hunt continues!

PS. I could barely walk this morning. That jump rope is the DE-vil!

False Alarm

Last night at midnight, the smoke alarm went off on the second floor of my apartment. I'm not sure if you've ever had a soke alarm wake you up outside of college (where there really wasn't much of a fear of burning alive from a drunken boy reheating french fries), but it was terrifying. I threw back my comforter, lept over my bed, and ran upstairs. I didn't see any smoke, although I can't see much of anything without my contacts. Ginny joined me a second later and confirmed the lack of fire. Annie and Adam--the other two roommates--were clearly not concerned by the alarm. Either they were dreaming they were back in college where you ignore the constant noises at 3AM or they were so drugged out on nightquil that they just didn't hear it. Either way, the noises stopped and we went back to sleep. Try setting off the smoke alarm on your roommate. I guarantee it will be fun to watch them scramble.

PS. My left calf is sore from jumping rope last night. I'm a rope jumping super star :)

Jump for Life?

What was that fundraiser in elementary school where your jump rope team pledges a certain amount of time to jump? Like a jump-a-thon? Anyway, I bought a jump rope today from Target for $5! I'm hoping that I'll be able to take it with me to Justin's to use. I've been feeling really guilty lately watching him run around the softball bases and then I do nothing. So, maybe while he's making dinner (wink wink) I'll put on my tennies and jump around! on the patio out back. We shall see. At least if I lose interest I'll only have wasted a few bucks.

Weekend Update

I was right. The weekend was a blur. Justin and I looked at about 20 houses on Saturday, finding three that were pretty damn perfect. We're waiting to hear back about the status on them (whether they have any bids or not), but I'm starting to get excited. I love the idea of checking out a new neighborhood and finding the coffee shop and deli. We're going to take a day trip up to Oceanside this weekend to check it since I expressed some reservations regarding the distance to the city. I am excited, though!

We also went to Justin's mom's family celebration Sunday morning for Mother's Day. It was intense, but I'm getting to know his family little by little so each event I know more and more of them. About 3/4 were of Mexican heritage so we had the salsa that "will kill you" as his Auntie Ellie warned, and of course the white people salsa too for the German relatives. They made omlettes on the grill, waffles on the griddle, enchiladas and burritos on the side. They had a chocolate fountain--which had to be removed after blowing chocolate on the side of the house--and an orange juice fountain for mamosas. I love me some mamosas. After we listened to his uncle Art and aunt Nan play the guitar, we left for his dad's.

As opposed to the forty people at his mom's, the barbecue in Carmel Valley was much tamer. We'll just say if Justin and I were in "My Big Fat Greek Wedding," he's from the Greek family and I'm from the white one. Smaller is more my style :) After stuffing myself silly--AGAIN--we sat around the fire pit and chatted. One thing's for sure: I need to work my stomach up to this eating all day thing if we're going to continue to hit up multiple functions for every holiday. I do NOT know how people do this!

So, the weekend went well, we got a lot done, and now the work week begins! We're going through Proof's Two and Three this week of my official first magazine, which means that in no time it'll be out on "news stands!" Should be interesting :)

Mother's Day Weekend

I have a pretty busy weekend ahead of me. They seem to fill up quicker and quicker each week. I missed my friend Teresa's birthday a month ago so Justin and I are going to dinner with her and her new fiance tonight at a little French restaurant called Blue Boheme. I'm really excited for some crepes (please use appropriate French accent here) and mussles.

On Saturday, Justin and I are heading to Oceanside to look at houses. I've been told it will be an all-day event so I may pack trail mix and waters for the dusty trail ahead. Hopefully we find some things we like. I'm moving out of my apartment at the end July and don't want to be homeless! :)

And then Sunday, of course is Mother's Day. I won't get to spend it with my mom, but Justin has a few to share. We're having brunch with his mom's side of the family and then going to a barbecue afterwards. I guess this is what it's like to have a big family, huh? I would like to put a "hi, Mom!" here for my fabulous mother. I wish I could be there to spend it with you. Kick your shoes off and have a cocktail for yourself! I insist.

Thanks, Ron Burgandy, Thanks

I walked by the marquee for my office building and noticed that on the third floor of my building there's a business by the name of: Stay Classy, Inc. I wonder what they're selling...

New Blog Addition

I added a new element to my page called "Price You Pay for Living in a Democracy" whereby I'll be listing the price of gas that I've experienced that day. I feel as though the rest of the country should experience--along with me--in the horrors that are California gas prices. This morning I went to the Shell off of Grand Ave. in PB and refused to fill up on $3.80/gallon of 89 octane. I charged $15 and added a desperately needed car wash. (I nearly hit a woman yesterday turning onto Mission Bay Drive because I couldn't see her through the grit on my driver's side window. No bueno.) Anyways, gas prices suck, but they're only going to get worse. So eat your heart out New Jerseyites! You're state may smell like poo, but your gas rocks!

A Few Updates

Today marks the first official day of San Diego's crappy spring months. It's rainy and dark outside. Today starts May Gray and next we'll have June Gloom, both of which are kept a secret until you've already decided to visit or move out here (myself included). Luckily, I live a mere seven minutes from my office, so the weather doesn't affect me too much. If I had to hop on a freeway, I'd be stuck in traffic behind people who don't know how to:
a. pump the breaks when stopping;
b. turn their headlights on when using the windshield wipers;
c. drive at a reasonable speed on slick roads;
d. use turn signals when changing lanes.
I swear, you'd think these SoCal natives had never seen WATER!

But I am in fact back at work from a long weekend at my first conference. Ironically, I was sent to Baltimore. "You moved to San Diego to get flown back to Baltimore?" Yes, Mom and Dad, it's true. I had to move across the country to get a free ticket back home :)

So thanks for everyone who came out to dinner on Thursday at James Joyce. The Irish Coffee was delectable. And paid for by the magazine. Which reminds me: thank you dearly for listening to my speal about spray foam. Never in your life did you think you'd know so much about something so random, did you? Well, I appreciate you listening. I've certainly absorbed a lot of information from this job and will probably be regurgitating it for the next few years.

I think I'm headed to Las Vegas for my next trip. Let's see who I can talk to about foam down there!

And, happy belated Cinco de Mayo. I'm not sure what we're celebrating, but I'm a big fan of taquila and Mexican food so bring on the Hispanic Holidays!

I'm going on my first work trip tomorrow! I'm very excited, very nervous, very excited. It just so happens that my first trip is back home so I'll be flying to Baltimore on Wednesday and then out again on Saturday. I will get to see my parents and General Mahem (aka Rocky) for a night. Other than that, I hope to see a few friends, a couple of crabs, and nice weather. Come on, East Coast, give me a few days of sunshine!

Hopefully I'll come back in one piece.

San Diego Radio Rocks My World

I just heard "Tootsee Roll" on the radio. I feel a whomp coming up!

Natural Disasters: Take 2

I thought I'd stick a Natural Disaster update on here for all those concerned about the shark attack and fires in Southern California.

What I understand about the shark attack was that it was a random act, very unusual for the area. It was the first known attack in 50 years in the San Diego area. It occurred on Friday about 20 miles north of where I live in a town called Solana Beach. The 66-year-old man was training for a triathalon, wearing a wet suit, and the theory is that the great white mistook him for a seal. The sharks come down through our area during the mating season and generally leave humans alone. I worked with his son's best friend for my last few days at Vistage. It's a small world.

As for the wildfires, they're near LA and, therefore, not a threat to anyone this far south. Hopefully they'll get them under control soon.

So, there you have it. California at its finest. I hope all is well on the Eastern Front.

A most humble thank you to Steve, Steve, Andy, and George

I had the most rediculous night last night. If anyone tried to call me and couldn't get through, I appologize. Apparently I wasn't able to receive incoming calls. Therefore, I called Verizon from my phone (obviously I could make outgoing calls) so that we could resolve the problem. After a misconnection with Steve, the FIRST tech that helped me, I called back and got Andy, who would be happy to send Steve a text to call me back. To which I replied, "That would be great, except I can't get incoming calls." Right. So back to square one. Andy decided that the tower problem in Carmel Valley (20 minutes north of PB) might not be the problem, so let's reprogram your phone. I turned it off, he did his thing, I turned it back on to reprogram, and then it shut down completely. I couldn't turn the damn thing back on for the life of me!

Meanwhile, my friend Tara was flying into the San Diego airport from a family vacation to St. Pete, FL. I had her car keys, house key (spare thank god, because it turns out I lost it!), and car all at my house. I didn't have her number to call and set up a meeting place. I didn't have my phone to receive her texts. I couldn't receive incoming calls even on Adam's phone, which now received both his and my calls after the THIRD Verizon tech service member forwarded my cell number in the interim. The third guy, also named Steve, couldn't understand why my phone died and refused to agree that it wasn't my fault, that the only reason it died was because of the reprogramming, and that Verizon now owed me a new phone. He didn't seem to think so, and I couldn't wait any longer to go find Tara at the airport.

So, I took Adam's phone with me, parked the car, and went in on a (wo)man hunt for my friend. Luckily she's maybe a buck thirty at 5'11''. She stuck out out of airport crowd. And after almost crying from relief that we found each other, I realized, maybe it was just a power issue... So I plugged the thing in, and up she came. So, yes, Steve, Steve, and Andy, I am the idiot. I am the reason the phone died, and you do NOT owe me a new one. George, the FOURTH and final Verizon tech savvy man I will hopefully talk to in a very long time, forwarded my phone number back to my phone so Adam's identity was back to normal. Next time, I might try the plug first before harassing any more Verizon men. :)

You've Been Forewarned.

Dear 2008 Stephanie,

This is Stephanie from the future. There is something quite serious that I need to discuss with you at this juncture. I'm older, wiser, a bit wider. Please listen.

Put down the taco. Ignore Taco Tuesdays. You do not NEED a fried fish taco every week, covered in yummy white sause, cabbage, and lime juice. You may be able to afford aforementioned goodness each week, but, listen to the Stephanie of the future. You WILL look like a fun house mirror if you don't put down that taco. And for heaven's sake, stop licking the wrapper! Have some self-control, woman!

With love and concern,
Stephanie of the future

Recreation of a conversation I had with my suite-mate at work today regarding my radio choices

Me: Holler! I typed in The Who in Pandora and got the exact song I wanted to hear!

Husna: Who?

Me: The Who.

Husna: Who?

Me: THE Who. The band The Who?

Husna: Oh, OK.

Me: (sigh of relief) OK.

Just so everyone knows that I'm on the cusp of cool

Justin says that no one thinks I'm cool, but I beg to differ for the following reasons:
1. My favorite blog just made it to The Wall Street Journal today. Granted, it's in the same section as an article about power pumps. Check it out here.

2. My favorite TV show, The Office, starts up again tonight with an episode called "The Dinner Party." I have to DVR it, but I'm OK with that since I too am going to a dinner party. I'll just pretend that Jim and Pam are there with me, so Aragon/Loomis/Summer family, if I start talking about putting my co-workers mouse in jell-O, just play along :) PS. If you haven't seen Jim's best pranks, be sure to do so to gear up for tonight.

3. I write about spray foam at my new editing job. Take that!

(Maybe that last one doesn't make me cool, but it certainly makes me unique, eh?)

In conclusion, I read cool things, I watch cool things, and I do cool things, therefore, one would have to also assume then that I am indeed cool.

Stone Cold

I'm sitting at the front desk at work (I have four days left at this job and have been asked to return up here while they continue to look for my replacement), and in walks a man looking for one of our execs. Picture a long pony tail, khaki shirt, mis-matching khaki shorts, and boots. He calls himself Stone Bob. He asks me about the company and how long we've been in this new building, and then all of a sudden the discussion turns whack.

"Is it a bunch of gay guys?" he asks. And then in response to my look of utter confusion, continues, "Or is it lesbians?" I respond with something completely unintelligent to try to pass onto something else. Up walks the exec, and as they're walking into one of the conference rooms--the first stop on the tour, I presume--he turns, looking over his shoulder and says, "Do you know so-and-so?" I do. "He's both gay AND a lesbian." And the door shuts behind him.

So, I'm left still sitting at the desk wondering what exactly just happened. Who's this Stone Bob and what business does he have here? What makes him think that those kinds of questions are a. appropriate EVER, b. appropriate for a place of business, or c. appropriate to ask someone who may or may not be gay or lesbian? Although, I am neither (can you be both at one time?), he doesn't know that. And, from the look on his face, I'm the only one here that thinks this is ridiculous. Actually, it seems that Stone Bob thinks that this is funny. Am I taking myself too seriously on this one? That happens sometimes :)

Things I've Decided You Should Know About

1. Pasadena, California just passed a no cursing law for the first week of every March. I'm a bit confused with this seeing how we have that little amendment entitling free speech. Interesting. Also, when I was telling this to my roommates last night, Ginny thought I meant Pasadena, MD. Gotta love a Maryland girl!

2. Bree passed this blog on to me the other day and I've been highly entertained by it ever since. It's called "Stuff White People Like." I think that should be enough of a teaser to get you interested :)

3. It's Friday. I love Friday. I know I'm not original, but just give this one to me, please. You can have next Friday if it'll make you happy.

Hiking Lake Poway

Lori, Emily, and I went hiking this past Saturday around Lake Poway. We took the girl's puppies--Rocco and Zeus--with us on the walk. They loved jumping around in the mud and scaring the geese, of course :) It was such an amazing walk, though. The fires this past autumn went right through the Poway/Rancho Bernardo area, and this was my first time seeing the effects of the disaster. I can't believe how much damage was done to that area. The charred, leaf-less trees were striking. The black sticks sprouted out of the rocky terrain. They must be the pioneers of Lake Poway. Maybe in a few months there will be bushes or something else to help the vegetation grow upwards. Anyway, it was surreal to be a part of the fires, and I see that I'll continue to be affected by them at least for a little while longer. Check out the pictures on http://www.flickr.com/. Or try this: pictures.

Embarassing Tale

Let's just get right to it: I farted in yoga last night. We were three students and one instructor in a 9' x 9' dimly lit room. We were doing some sort of sun or dolphin or ashanti pose (I have no clue; they're really all the same to me). My legs were spread apart, my tailbone was tucked in, my arms were outstretched. I was IN the pose. The energy was flowing out of my out-stretched fingertips. In through the nose, out through the mouth. In through the nose, out through the...FLOP! It was short and sweet. Frankly, it could have been the mat on the floor as far as the other three members of our crew were conscerned. Regardless, I immediately locked eyes with my mirrored image and continued on my way. The backwards headstand proved a challenge in self-control, but I managed to last the rest of the one-hour class without any more, shall we say, hiccups. Maybe releasing my toxins will help me reach nirvana. Or maybe it's just an embarassing tale.

I'm Living the Life of a Muppet

It has come to my attention that as a child I may have taken the Muppets from "Sesame Street" a bit too seriously. It's Friday, and Bree and I (my co-receptionist, meaning we share the same desk) are in dire need of both sleep AND a martini. And when these desperations come together, what occurs is a conversation much like this (whilst playing online Scrabble):

Bree: Your turn.
Me: What?
Bree: You.
Me: Meh?
Bree: Huh?
Me: Muh?
Bree: Muh.

We have very intelligent conversations. Today, the noises became increasingly rediculous and inelligable (it's been a long week and a longer day) and I realized that we sound like those red muppets I'll now refer to as the muhmuhs. Side note: if anyone knows what these guys are called, your help is much appreciated. I cannot, for some reason, get Jeeves to answer "Who are the Muppet muhmuhs?"

While I was looking on youtube for a Muppet video to help in sleuthing out the muhmuhs' real name, I fell upon Beaker. Might he be what I'm mistaking as the muhmuhs? Answer: no, however, he is in fact the character that Justin compares me to when I whine. I had no idea I was so unoriginal! Nor did I realize that this was what he was doing when my voice turns to the high-pitch range, something that's hard to listen to, I'd imagine, since my voice on a normal day sounds like a mouse on helium.

So, I leave work today wondering if it's just these two Muppets that I embibe, or, as I suspect, is my hole life ONE BIG MUPPET SHOW?

PS. Here's a video of Beaker with a Nose Warmer, and as a half-breed Jew or Italian (the NOSE!), I can say with certainty that this invention is genius. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7S3K9kEASOw&feature=related

Welcome to Paradise

Dear “Sunny” Southern California,

OK, so when I first moved out here in 2007 you gave me May Gray and June Gloom. It took me a while, but I eventually forgave you for that; it really wasn’t your fault that my best friend since 1991 failed to tell me about the crappy spring weather. Then, however, you gave me wild fires in the fall. Scary, yes, but we’ve agreed to disagree and move on. Finally, your weather started to prove to me that you deserve that fabulous nickname, until yesterday that is. It was upon the arrival of a nasty storm—unpredicted, of course—yesterday morning that has caused much upheaval in my life and the lives of all Southern Californians, transplants and natives alike.

You should know by now that Southern Californians cannot handle any sort of inclement weather. On a day of drizzles, traffic slows and accidents abound. On rainy days, roads become parking lots and accidents rule. And yesterday, we found out what happens when the shit hits the fan. What happens, you ask? Because of the rain yesterday, there were 167 documented automobile accidents. Documented. Because of the snow yesterday, major highways were closed, drivers were redirected to shelters, and the fear of black ice (NOT black guys as one radio-listener heard) caused people to strap on chains and head out of the mountains.

Don’t forget, dear SoCal, that yesterday was Valentine’s Day. For many people, your ridiculous weather wreaked havoc in their romantic plans. Fortunately, despite my hour-long home commute, my plans were unaffected, but for those who had to cancel their reservations due to the weather, I feel as though you owe us all an apology. Your behavior yesterday was ridiculous, and in the future, it would be much appreciated if you would change your attitude. Let’s show those East Coasters how you roll! So I ask you, Southern California, nay, plead with you to stop with the wind, the rain, the snow, the hail, the sleet. Give the US Postal Service a break. They’ve proven their worth. And the residents, we’ve proven chaos.

With love,
Stephanie of Pacific Beach

PS. If I have to scrape my windshield one more time, I’m going to move. Not really, but you’d better keep that in the back of your mind anyway.