Wednesday, December 24, 2008
I'm Dreaming of a White Christmas
I wish you all a happy holiday and healthy new year!
With love,
Steph
Thursday, December 4, 2008
Photo Proof of Santa and the Reindeer!
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! :)
Tuesday, December 2, 2008
Giving Thanks!
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.
Friday, November 21, 2008
A Few Notes From the Field
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!
Thursday, November 20, 2008
Las Americas or Los Mexicanos?
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Friday, November 14, 2008
An Apple a Day
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!
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
My Drive
What does your drive home from work look like?
Thursday, November 6, 2008
Yes We Can!
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.
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
Sunday, November 2, 2008
Trip to Fall
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
Token Election Blog
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)!
Thursday, October 23, 2008
We Didn't Start the Fire...But Someone May Have
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."
Friday, October 17, 2008
Royal Disappointment
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.
Friday, October 10, 2008
Epidemic
Thursday, October 2, 2008
Reduce-Reuse-Recycle!
Friday, September 19, 2008
Mission: Accomplished
Sunday, September 14, 2008
Concert Goers
Thursday, September 11, 2008
The Fall of September
With Love,
Stephanie
Saturday, September 6, 2008
San Francisco Pictures
And here are a few more.
Wednesday, September 3, 2008
Figs
Saturday in SF
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.
Tuesday, September 2, 2008
The City by the Bay
More to come tomorrow, along with my pictures. I hope everyone had a wonderful Labor Day weekend!
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
A-parrot-ly Annoying
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!
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
I Should Have Done This Yesterday
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, JEN! Love you!
Monday, August 18, 2008
Wine Tasting!
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!
Monday, August 11, 2008
Golfs-R-Us
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.
Friday, August 8, 2008
Lackluster
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.
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
Earthquake or Hurricane? Choose Wisely.
Update: it was a 5.8. I need earthquake training!
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
Trying Out My Blonde Side
Thursday, July 10, 2008
July Fourth SD Style
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!
Wednesday, July 9, 2008
The Del
Visiting Coronado on Bike. And I took the pictures, too :) Thanks to Shannon Kenney and Ginny for joining me on the adventure!
Wednesday, July 2, 2008
RIP
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.
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
Continental Update
Cross Walk Stalker
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
Bachelorette's on the West Side
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.
Friday, June 20, 2008
Thanks for NOTHING! :)
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...
Sunday, June 8, 2008
Festivas for the Restofus
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?
Friday, June 6, 2008
Vegas, Baby!
Tuesday, June 3, 2008
Issues
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.
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
This is a Travesty
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
We Look Cute, but We're Double Trouble
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.
Toolan's Visit
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.
Monday, May 19, 2008
Summertime
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!
Friday, May 16, 2008
Pre Running Water Scenario
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...
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!
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
False Alarm
PS. My left calf is sore from jumping rope last night. I'm a rope jumping super star :)
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
Jump for Life?
Monday, May 12, 2008
Weekend Update
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 :)
Friday, May 9, 2008
Mother's Day Weekend
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.
Wednesday, May 7, 2008
Thanks, Ron Burgandy, Thanks
New Blog Addition
Tuesday, May 6, 2008
A Few Updates
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!
Tuesday, April 29, 2008
Hopefully I'll come back in one piece.
Monday, April 28, 2008
Natural Disasters: Take 2
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.
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
A most humble thank you to Steve, Steve, Andy, and George
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. :)
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
You've Been Forewarned.
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
Thursday, April 10, 2008
Recreation of a conversation I had with my suite-mate at work today regarding my radio choices
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
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.
Monday, March 17, 2008
Stone Cold
"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 :)
Friday, March 7, 2008
Things I've Decided You Should Know About
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.
Monday, March 3, 2008
Hiking Lake Poway
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
Embarassing Tale
Friday, February 22, 2008
I'm Living the Life of a Muppet
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
Friday, February 15, 2008
Welcome to Paradise
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.