journal my life is so bizarre, or boring, but either way, i'm writing about it right here as often as possible! really, you should make a habit of reading missywyatt.wordpress.com tuesday 22 january 2008 11:22pm "when you think tim mcgraw i hope you think my favorite song some day you'll turn your radio on i hope it takes you back to that place" -- taylor swift "tim mcgraw" well, my weekend wound down quietly.  i hung out, took it easy, watched sports.  went to see "27 dresses," which was cute and didn't make me nauseous.  ;)  actually, it was fun and kind of made me have a little crush on james marsden.  definitely a fun romcom. :) yesterday and today were busy days around a very quiet office.  most people are out right now up in santa clara at a show.  marke's out sick with the flu.  so that makes it very quiet and also means that i managed to get a ton of work done, which is good news.  and today was a little weird, but in a strange (and probably a little selfish) way, i think it was a good day.  i feel good about it. after a good workout at the gym tonight, i went to target to get the brand new chuck wicks album.  gah!  that boy really makes me swoon! :)  the album's wonderful!  definitely check it out! and speaking of celebrity crushes, i might have a completely inappropriate (due to age) crush on ryan sheckler.  i've been loving "life of ryan" since it debuted, and i loved tonight's episode.  he made me cry.  seriously!  gah!  i love how normal the guy is.  (and that he's always gotten straight a's in school.)  anyway, yeah.  stop judging me. ;) and finally, heath ledger.  i'm really sad about his sudden death.  i think he's among the best young actors.  amazing, really.  i feel absolutely awful for michelle williams and matilta rose.  what else can i say about this?  it's upsetting, and now i really want to go and watch a bunch of his movies. and so for tonight, i'm off...  saturday 19 january 2008 10:36pm "got the radio on, my old blue jeans and i'm wearing my heart on my sleeve feeling lucky today, got the sunshine could you tell me what more do i need and tomorrow's just a mystery, oh yeah but that's okay" -- taylor swift "a place in this world" wow!  it's been quite a while since i've last written.  i promise i've been very, very busy.  and now i'm just relaxing at home, so i have a few minutes to make sure you get caught up on everything. :)  i'll try to keep this orderly. ;)  first of all, i've been working a lot lately.  or just really hard.  things there are busy, i have some new responsibilities, and it's all fun but a lot.  also, we have two new girls who started monday.  they're called sandra and michelle, and they're both going to work on producing our trade shows.  they both seem nice. and speaking of work, i made my first ever real business trip.  yes, i've gone to conferences and to meet our big printer, but this was different.  it was meeting a client.  our biggest client.  anyway, tuesday night after work, i headed up to oregon (the portland area; wilsonville, specifically) with lauren, cindy, and sandra.  we met up with sally, who lives in portland but works for rtc, for dinner at macaroni grill.  always delicious.  then we made our way to our hotel room for the night.  and then wedesnday morning, arrived at our client's offices at 9am.  and we were there until 5, except for a lunch out with them.  and we learned a lot about our upcoming new project, so that was good.  even i still have a lot more to learn about my part, specifically.  anyway, it all went well, and i didn't mess anything up or anything like that. :)  and i was back home at 11pm wednesday night. but i've been having some of my own fun lately, as well. :)  thursday after work, i raced up to la to pick up adam at ucla.  then we had a delicious dinner at his local chipotle before heading to the wilshire theatre in beverly hills.  we had tickets to see one of my very favorite current performers, taylor swift!  we had great seats in the front row of the mezzanine but on the side, where it was just those two seats.  like in a theatre.  i'm sure there's a name for that.  anyway, we had awesome seats!  and the surprise (at least to me) opening act was teddy geiger, who i like.  he was good, especially with his all-strings band: fiddles, cello, guitars, him sometimes on keyboard, as well.  anyway, he was good!  and i'm glad i got to see him live!  anyway, then it was time for miss taylor!  she was so great!  i wasn't sure how she'd compare live to her recorded album, which i love dearly.  but anyway, she was incredible!  so much better live!  and that's quite a feat!  so anyway, i had a wonderful time through the whole show.  she played about an hour and 45 minutes.  and afterwards, she took photos and signed autographs for anyone willing to wait in line.  adam and i were near the back of the line and ended up waiting just under 2 hours to meet her, but i totally think it was worth it!  she was so nice and giving everyone hugs and just wonderful!  love love love it!  and i got home at 2am, pleased with an awesome night! check out all the photos from the show on flickr!  and last night, i was tired but had an invite to the movies, so i went with katrina, marke, and marke's friend matt to see "cloverfield."  well, i really liked the story and the idea of how to tell it.  on the other hand, the intentionally shaky camera work was over-the-top.  the guy would have had to have been the worst cameraman ever to move the camera that much.  and i was getting really nauseous.  i can't ever watch the movie again because i know now what it does to me.  and i wasn't alone.  marke had to leave for a bit.  and he saw somone else throwing up in the hallway when he left.  so anyway, cool story but it made me very physically sick. and tonight i'm enjoying "air guitar nation."  it's a documentary about the world air guitar championships.  so fun! :)  definitely not making me sick. ;)  and i would recommend it to just about anyone. so that's enough out of me for right now.  i'll be back soon. :)  sunday 13 january 2008 10:11pm well, i've been a bit remiss in updating this recently, but i have a few minutes right now.  i haven't been up to too much that's super exciting, but i do feel like i've just been enjoying myself.  things seem good. :) i've been working, like usual.  work's going well.  i'm excited about some new projects and keeping up with the old, regular ones.  and i'm getting ready to head up to oregon on tuesday evening, so that's cool. and i've been good about going to the gym, as seems to be usual these days.  it's a little busier there than usual, as happens at the start of  each year with all the new year's resolutions made.  whatever.  they'll be gone soon enough. ;) and it was a sports weekend.  yesterday, i caught some of mavericks online, which was cool.  great waves and reminds me of home!  :)  and i caught lots of football and basketball.  i went over to marke's last night to watch my tom brady win! :)  and then we ended up hanging out last night afterwards with katrina and their other friend adam.  we rented "wet, hot, american summer" and ordered pizza and just hung around.  good fun. :) and as it's now sunday night, i gave myself a nice manicure and pedicure and am catching up on some tv.  and of course, i'm eagerly awaiting a new episode of "brothers and sisters" in a few minutes! :)   one of my fave shows! anyway, so that's about it.  fun but quiet.  more next time. :)  tuesday 8 january 2008 9:00pm just wanted to post a quick little update. :)  let's see... things are good here.  i've just been working the past couple of days.  i've been working super hard, which is kind of nice.  i know that'll end quickly.  immediately.  haha!  anyway, there has been some fun stuff, too.  i played guitar hero (on wii) for the first time ever at lunch today.  i'm not so good at it, but it's cool.  and something really funny happened today that i can't really tell you about, but i promise i laughed really hard. i've been going to the gym.  the gym totally sucks in january.  it's full of people about to break their new year's resolutions.  but until they do, they're really just in my way.  glad this only lasts a couple weeks. :) did way, way, way too much laundry last night.  laundry here sucks.  but i did it, and i'm planning on cleaning out lots of old clothes in the very near future.  that should be awesome! :) and it's cold here!  what's with that? oh, and i'm starting to get really into the elections.  it's bad this is happening in january because november is far enough away that i could make other people very crazy.  at least marke likes to discuss these things even more than i do! ;) i'm going to bed early tonight.  my bed is warm, and my eyelids are heavy.  more next time...  sunday 6 january 2007 11:33pm "everything is fine, fine, fine through the sunshine and the rain i got a peace of mind you know i can’t complain i make it a point to thank the Lord when i got Him on the line i’m feeling good and everything is fine" -- josh turner "everything is fine" well, it was a good friday and a fun weekend, so things are looking up, even with all the rain coming down right about now. friday at work was cool.  i got a ton of work done in the morning -- way more than i had anticipated i could -- and freed up enough time to finish up my desk.  i cleaned a ton of stuff out, took down my bulletin boards, and figured out how to keep way less stuff on the surface of my desk.  and i put up a couple new ... i guess they're still bulletin boards.  they're similar to what i have in my apartment.  they're foam covered in gray fabric, and i put up some photos and mementos with pins.  it's much cleaner now.  i am really excited about it, and it's a good step towards keeping my entire life fully organized. :) also on friday, i learned i'm officially going on my first business trip.  not like to a conference for me or anything, but for meetings with a client.  in a week and a half to portland to talk about a huge deal.  pretty exciting, though i'm also a little nervous!  cool, though. :)  my friday evening was quiet.  i went to the gym.  i talked to some friends online.  i caught up on a little tv.  i tucked in relatively early.  that's about it. :) saturday i got up early for a day of disneyland.  i met lindsay (marke and katrina's friend i've met several times before) and a bunch of her friends (of course including marke and katrina) at disneyland.  the enormous threat of rain scared a lot of people off from the park, but we enjoyed the park and all its short lines all day long with zero rain.  basically we win!  i think the happiest place on earth must have just had a little bubble around it!  anyway, lindsay's other friends were really nice (i'd been worried about spending the whole day with a lot of strangers), and we had a lot of fun!  and in the evening, we met up with even more people at the rainforest cafe in downtown disney for a late dinner.  by the end of that, it was after midnight, and i was completely and thoroughly exhausted, so i headed home.  after walking through the door, i pretty much just crashed. today, as sundays should be, was my day of rest. :)  i lied around the apartment for the majority of the day.  watched some tv and some sports.  napped.  it was fun.  and in the afternoon, i went to see "juno," which was really, really good.  funny and interesting and sweet.  definitely worth seeing.  made me smile. :) and now i'm just hanging out.  i probably should have unpacked some more (my suitcases have exploded in my living room), but i'll do it later.  tonight, it's been dinner, tv, and talking to friends online, and it's good stuff.  so i'm off soon to get some sleep before another week.  hope you had a good weekend! thursday 3 january 2008 11:02pm "why would you wanna make the very first scar why would you wanna break a perfectly good heart it's not unbroken anymore how do i get it back the way it was before" -- taylor swift "a perfectly good heart" well, it was back to my regular life today.  and i really enjoyed it! :) so yesterday, i spent the day hanging out with adam a bit.  we lied around on the couch hanging out, and then we went to chipotle for lunch.  delicious!  and we wandered around the stanford shopping center brieftly.  and in the afternoon, mom took me to the airport.  i flew home uneventfully to john wayne.  marke picked me up there and brought me home.  and i opened up my suitcase, made a mess, and went to bed (late). this morning, it was straight back to my regular routine.  i was up with the alarm, packed up my stuff, and was off to work, stopping at 1 <3 bagels for my favorite breakfast. and work.  well, i started out the morning by sorting through some stuff and taking care of the stuff that needed to happen.  and then brian and chris were discussing moving around all the desks in the art department.  they came up with a cool plan, so we started at lunchtime.  we moved around nearly everything in the room!  i have a new desk in a new spot, and i think it turned out really cool.  a new desk for a new year!   and then in the afternoon, it was back to more work before taking off for the day. went to the gym.  that felt awesome.  i missed that place when i was home.  sick, i know. ;)   and then i ran a couple quick errands before heading home for the night. my big plan for the evening was to watch the ucla-stanford basketball game.  well, it got really messy in the second half.  the officiating was a joke.  i know, you probably don't believe me because i might be biased, but it really was atrocious.  and for whatever reason, i really was way too into the game.  good thing i wasn't there in person.  who knows what i might have done! ;)  anyway, it's over and there's another game saturday. and i've been watching fab tv since then!  it was two episodes of "newport harbor" and the latest "project runway."  and i am thinking i should probably be off to bed very soon.  tuesday 1 january 2008 11:38pm "learning to turn the outside inside out having the courage to find what life is all about loving so purely can surely melt a frozen heart knowing sometimes all over's the perfect place to start welcome to my revolution lucky you, lucky me the way we were meant to be this is my one resolution and i make it with no fear to live, to love, today 'cause it's a brand new year" -- shedaisy "brand new year" happy new year!  i hope you have an awesome 2008! well, my time in san carlos this holiday season is quickly coming to an end.  i've been having a really nice time seeing friends and family and all that, though i'm also missing my regular schedule and my own bed and things like that.  i head back to my place in the o.c. tomorrow night. so anyway, i just wanted to post a little update.  yesterday was spent doing a little baking and then ringing in the new year with the family and a few friends here at the house.  this time around, i was really craving a quiet new year's eve, so that's what we did.  we ordered pizzas from my favorite local place, toto's, and we watched tv and had the cake and cookies i had baked for dessert.  it was lovely. :) and today, i really just hung out with adam and dad.  we watched entirely too much college football on tv, napped some, made some popcorn, and just relaxed.  in the afternoon, we did make one little outing to the bookstore, but nothing too exciting.  and tonight we watched some of "planet earth," which was cool. and now i'm ready to crash.  i am sleepy!  tomorrow, i'll hang out with the brother some more and then fly out in the evening.  should be a good day. :) monday 31 december 2007 12:19am well, it's been entirely too long since i've updated, i know.  i've been keeping myself quite busy the past few days, so i'll try and recap for you. :) 1) adam turned 19!  wow!  how'd he get that old?!? ;)  anyway, we celebrated by lounging around all morning doing nothing, which is adam's very favorite activity.  we made it all the way through the first two seasons of "how i met your mother" while lying around.  so fun! :)  and then we went up to the city to stonestown (a shopping center) to do a little shopping with mom, auntie lily, theresa, and grandma.  and then we met up with the whole rest of the family for a giant dinner at the olive garden, where i seriously ate way, way too much.  and then there was cake at grandma's house.  really a good time. :) 2) i went to visit sarah in woodland.  we did a little shopping at the outlets in vacaville, and i found some excellent deals!  and then i got to meet her boyfriend, ryan, and the three of us had dinner at the cheesecake factory in sacramento.  so delicious!  again, too much food.  and i spent the night at her place before the two of us headed down to san jose together.  she wanted to go to santana row, so we did some shopping there.  plus, we had the most fabulous dinner at maggiano's!  the (very handsome) host was so nice to us and we got just the best service.  i loved it! :)  and then sarah had to go back to woodland, so she took the train from san jose back home. 3) i had a really fun lunch at chipotle, which is new to me.  that place is so good.  i'll soon be completely hooked, i'm sure.  anyway, we had a good time just chatting and catching up and exchanging christmas presents.  then meg was off to morro bay, and kath and i went to see "enchanted."  first of all, i'm kind of peeved it was shown with spanish subtitles because nothing informed me of that before i was at the theatre for that particular showing.  it's a little distracting!  and i think 2 people in the busy theatre actually used them.  anyway, i love loved the movie!  seriously!  i want to watch it over and over!  :)  it's so adorable and there were no parts that i didn't enjoy.  so good! 4) i had dinner with the girls tonight at sneakers.  it did take us a long time to decide where to go, but it was worth all the effort for the good food and great time!  :)  jackie, tiffany, annahita, jessica, katherine, stephane, and i all met at sneakers, a very popular spot in san carlos, for a fun evening out.  we all got to catch up with each other, as we're kind of all over the place, and it's very hard to get us all in the same place at the same time.  anyway, we had so much fun and pretty much ended up closing down the place 3 hours after we'd sat down. a few other little highlights have been a walk with dad around the area in the rain and getting to see mel and steph (and fam) for a little bit this evening.  steph's stepson, bran, is a.d.o.r.a.b.l.e!  so cute! :) also, there are photos from adam's birthday and my evening out with the girls up on flickr.  enjoy!  tuesday 25 december 2007 11:57pm "what is it about this time of year that makes our troubles disappear 'cause don't you get the sense tonight that for now the world is right and as another christmas ends my mind drifts and once again i'm thinking like a six-year-old only 364 days to go" -- brad paisley "364 days to go" i hope you had a lovely christmas.  i definitely did.  :) i picked up grandma from her house this morning and brought her back here.  the rest of the family came over.  we had a big christmas lunch and opened presents together and played some blackjack.  it was so fun!  it was just really good to see the family. :)  and i got some fun things, too!  highlights include new music, a purse, a jamba juice giftcard, and cold hard cash. :) and tonight, adam and and i just hung around.  we watched "waitress," which was really good. :)  i definitely recommend that one. and i suppose it's sort of late and i'm getting pretty tired.  i think i'll tuck in soon. until next time, enjoy the flickr set of photos from our christmas. :)  tuesday 25 december 2007 1:04am "a thrill of hope, the weary world rejoices for yonder breaks a new and glorious morn fall on your knees, oh, hear the angels' voices oh night divine, oh night when Christ was born" -- "o holy night" first off, merry christmas to you.  i'm not exactly sure why i'm even up this late on christmas eve, but i am.  and i have a few minutes to write a little before crashing.  tomorrow (christmas day) should be busy, especially early. so yesterday (sunday), i got up a little early.  i mean, i was planning on getting up much earlier until i realized that i couldn't watch tom brady and the pats on tv.  see, the problem with having two (terrible) home football teams is that those are the only two games you get on tv during the day.  i live in orange county, where we get lots of games, and they're usually just the best ones, not making sure that any one team is on tv every weekend.  anyway, so i had thought being home by 1 was important, but it turned out not to be, so adam and i slept in a bit later.  anyway, we did get up in the morning and headed off to the mall.  yes, adam left all his christmas shopping until 23 december.  it's just how he rolls.  haha!  anyway, so we went to the mall, the bookstore, and best buy.  and he actually didn't take too long to get his shopping done.  and then we picked up a few goodies at trader joe's and picked up lunch at taco bell/pizza hut. and i spent the rest of the afternoon lounging around the house watching tv and whatever.  then dad picked a bunch of apples from the yard, auntie nancy came over, and we baked.  i made apple cobbler, which turned out fabulously!  i didn't even use a recipe.  i just used a bit of this and a little of that and mixed it all up and yeah.  awesomeness. :)  i'm just that good.  and she made apple dumplings, which i'm less a fan of, though i hear that was also pretty good. and today we hung out around the house in the morning.  we were trying to make sure the house is ready for hosting a big christmas lunch tomorrow.  and we made good progress.  also, i baked like 6 dozen cupcakes for tomorrow, including 2 dozen of a new recipe: peanut butter chocolate chip cupcakes with chocolate frosting.  again, i rock, and they're delicious!  the real test will be tomorrow, though, when they compete with my black-bottom cupcakes that are legendary. ;) in the afternoon, dad, adam, and i went to the movies to see "charlie wilson's war," which was really good if more serious than i had anticipated.  it was really, seriously good, though. :)  and then we picked up a christmas eve pizza on our way home for dinner. tonight, adam and i went to midnight mass at 10pm, like we do every year.  it seemed a lot less crowded this year for some reason.  anyway, it was good.  and then we came home and opened presents with the parents.  normally this happens christmas morning, but we're hosting christmas lunch this year (so i don't die of my cat allergies) so that time will be spent preparing for that.  i got a couple fun things, dvds and new music. and now it's late and time for bed.  i have to be up in 8 hours, after all. merry, merry christmas! sunday 23 december 2007 12:49am "nothing's quite as right as a girl on the mend" -- shedaisy "burn down the house" well, well, well... i made it all the way home to san carlos, where i'll be hanging out through new year's.  and it's good to be here and catch up with old friends.  i think i'm getting ahead of myself, though.  let me start from where i last left off, and i'll bring us all the way to right now. :) so yesterday (meaning friday), i went to work for about half a day, took care of all the lose ends before the company shut down for the holidays, and then headed out around 1.  it was straight to the gym for a workout and then straight home to get everything there in order.  then marke picked me up and brought me to the airport.  i caught a flight to sfo.  dad picked me up.  and that got me all the way to san carlos. today started out with watching lots and lots of college basketball, which i love.  it was a huge saturday for that!  dad made breakfast, i hung out with the family, presents got wrapped.  it was good stuff.  and i did a few loads of laundry, because nearly everything i brought home with me was dirty.  also, it turns out i brought a ton of clothes home (though not all the dirty laudry i have).  oops!  ;) and this evening was a big event!  it was the (second annual?) st. charles reunion.  just to get you up to speed if you don't know, i went to st. charles for kindergarten through eighth grade with pretty much the same class of 35 people.  we really grew up together and were very close.  and so now, all these years later, we're gathering to catch up with each other, find out what we're all doing with our lives, and have a great time.  so a small group of us (brian, ryan, meg (and her boyfriend, noah), cassie, q, kath, edita, pilar, and me) had a delicious dinner at the gordon biersch brewery.  and then we moved on to a palo alto sportsbar (well, it used to be a sportsbar and now it's all trendy and popular) the old pro.  more people met us there: dante, ashley (and her boyfriend), mel, val, jv, allison, jen, and possibly more than don't come to mind at this late hour.  anyway, it was a decent group of us, and it was so fun to catch up with people!  seriously, so awesome!  we really area  pretty cool group of people, doing all sorts of exciting things.  and i did manage to get one picture taken while we were out. :)  what a great night! and for the moment, i think i'm off.  i promised to take adam to the mall tomorrow so he can do his christmas shopping.  should be fun!  and with lots of friends in town, it's hard to say what other fun might arise! thursday 20 december 2007 11:00pm "i'm a little anxious, a little relieved i'm a little cynical, a little naive it makes it kind of hard to figure makes it kind of hard to figure out what do i do now i can do whatever i want to" -- shedaisy "what do i do now?" well, the week is nearly over, and i made it!  it's been so busy at work that it's made me just generally busy.  but i'm done with so much stuff, and i'm so excited about a break and a trip home to san carlos. so what have i been up to?  well, that'd be working, working, the gym, the gym, and packing.  :)  and yes, i packed way, way too much stuff, and nearly all of it is dirty.  but i'll do laundry saturday at home.  it'll be free and work just fine. hmm... what else?  i don't know.  i watched some great basketball at the gym today.  so great i just kept going on the elliptical machine for nearly an hour until it wouldn't let me add any more time so i just stood and watched the end of the game.  gah!  i'm so looking forward to lying around watching basketball with adam and dad in the next few days!  so fun! :) and yeah, that's about it.  i fly home tomorrow evening, so that's where my next update will come from.  tuesday 18 december 2007 9:49pm "i don’t feel hung over, i don’t feel strung out could i be clean and sober, did i finally lay it down the drug of his love is out of my blood it’s a revelation, like being born again have you ever had that feeling, when you wash away your sins your soul is set free does anybody know what i mean?" -- shannon brown "can i get an amen" well, i figure it's about time i sit down and write a little update.  it's been a few days, and they've actually been pretty busy.  things are a bit quieter now, especially since i am pretty much refusing to go out in the rain. ;)  so i'll do my best to organize my thoughts tonight... 1) i cut off all my hair!  okay, that's not really true.  but i did have bobby cut off 8-9 inches of hair, which means it's still long but a whole lot shorter than it's been in years and years.  i just felt like it was time, so i went for it.  and i'm so glad! :)  bobby was so nervous cutting off so much!  he had to cut it twice.  he first cut less and let me see it and then i had him cut some more.  anyway, i am happy! :) 2) i did some christmas shopping friday night because the malls are open late during the holidays.  it was fun to be out amongst the crowds, though i didn't actually find a ton.  anyway, it was good, and i know there's more crazy christmas shopping (despite me being totally beyond done) in my future because adam's waiting to do all of his until after i get home, which won't be until the 21st.  that'll be so crazy and so fun! :) 3) i went to a big christmas party at marke and katrina's place saturday night.  it was a good time and just about the right level of crazy for me.  their friends are cool, and i knew some people there, which makes it more comfortable for me.  and we played a game of white elephant and the gift i brought went over really well. :)  anyway, i was there until really late, and it was a good time. :) 4) i baked my annual christmas cookies.  this year it was chocolate shortbread and white chocolate-butterscotch cookies.  both turned out deliciously and the people who got them (everyone at work) enjoyed them. :)  i do enjoy baking those each year.  also, i finished all my christmas cards, which feels like quite a feat.  i really enjoy writing them, but it can be a bit time consuming.  5) i watched "i'm reed fish," which i really enjoyed!  i didn't know that much about it going into it, other than it seemed like it'd be cute.  and it was! :) 6) work's insane this week, and i'm just trying to survive until i fly home friday afternoon.  i think i'll make it, but i have loads of work ahead of me, still.  at least i also get to have fun with the boys while i'm there.  today involved lots of non-work-appropriate jokes and me "helping marke wrap his christmas presents" (read: wrapping marke's christmas presents for him).  good fun. ;) and so i think i'm off for the evening.  it's raining here.  what's that about?  not sure.  think i'll tuck in and read some before crashing early.  thursday 13 december 2007 11:37pm "so let the wind chase you i can’t do it anymore let the road run after you like i always did before let the stars catch your eye ‘cause i’ve tried and tried and tried and i won’t do so let the wind chase you" -- trisha yearwood "let the wind chase you" well, it's been a good couple of days.  i mean, mostly i've just been busy at work and relaxing quietly at home.  but that's good for this week.  it's good to have a few quiet moments.  i started a new book.  i am nearly done writing christmas cards.  i caught some volleyball on tv.  and i had great workouts at the gym.  my thoughts all seem to be out order at the moment. okay, so work is really, really busy right now because lots of projects need to get done before we take a week and a half off for the holidays.  and some things are running late and running into the schedules of other projects.  it's a little messy, and i'm working some long(ish) hours, but it's fine.  i'm just hoping we get it all under control in the next couple of days. of course, the projects at working aren't being helped by our holiday celebrations.  the second portion of the rtc christmas celebration was today.  we had a big company lunch at the local italian place, romano's, and then john did a big gift giveaway that involved some luck and good guessing.  basically, when it was your turn, you had a choice between a few wrapped up gifts.  whatever you opened was yours.  and the presents were not at all of equal value or usefulness.  but i ended up with something really nice, so that's rad.  i was expecting nothing. anyway, at home i've been working on christmas-y things like baking and cards and a little bit more shopping online.  though really, i'll probably find myself at the mall this weekend picking up a few more little things.  :)  and i've just been relaxing.  i started reading "the cheese monkeys," which is really good but totally art nerdy. and so i think i'm off for tonight.  not sure what's up for the next few days, really.  i'm definitely attending a christmas party, and i have some little chores to take care of.  and baking.  christmas means lots of baking. :)  you know it's hardcore baking when i have to wear tennis shoes because i'm on my feet for the entire day. anyway, i really am off.  it's getting late, and i want to read a little bit before i crash.  until next time...  tuesday 11 december 2007 10:57pm "it's a tumbling rush, it's a helpless kind of feeling when your heart doesn't know which way is up or down 'til you hit the ground hard and fast, bruised and barely breathing i guess they call it falling for a reason" -- trisha yearwood "they call it falling for a reason" well, i'm feeling good about this week.  nothing too major.  just have a smile on my face.  you know, i've really managed to surround myself with good people.  they might not even be aware, but i promise they help me through each day.  i'm so grateful for them. anyway, let's see... what have i been up to?  working, of course.  the gym.  picking up new music at borders.  watching a little tv.  writing christmas cards, which has turned into a week-long chore.  trying to keep warm in this wintry weather (yes, 50s qualifies as that). today was the first part of the christmas celebrations at work.  we gathered this morning for a white elephant gift exchange.  it's not my favorite game to play, especially at work, but it went as well as could be expected.  i brought scrabble as a gift.  i ended up with two movie tickets, which is awesome.  the gift i started out opening was a bottle of wine (not exciting to me).  anyway, that kind of set the tone for the whole day: friday.  we didn't work especially hard, but it was a really, really fun day. :) and i'm thinking i should probably go to bed now.  or start a new book.  we'll see... :) sunday 9 december 2007 11:54pm well, i ended up with a pretty good weekend.  i took care of stuff i needed to, and i've just relaxed.  and honestly, i wasn't sure if that'd be enough for me this weekend, but it seems that it was.  and i'm really glad for that. you know, i am listening to all these albums i have and love with new ears these days.  it's amazing what different things now stand out to me, and it's amazing how i'm hearing old songs with whole new meanings.  it's like a brand new music collection, all of a sudden. speaking of music, i went to see "august rush" tonight at the movies.  my regular sunday night tv wasn't on, and i wasn't up to much of anything, so i went.  it probably wasn't the smartest choice in films tonight, but i ended up really, really enjoying it.  and no crying, despite sarah warning me that i'd probably be a goner in this one.  anyway, it's really a sweet movie, and the music is so rad.  oh, and my celebrity boyfriend, jonathan rhys meyers, is super hott in this movie!  especially singing or playing the guitar! and what else did i do this weekend?   went to the gym twice.  watched my fair share of college basketball and pro football.  (tom brady continues to impress... and be the perfect sports eye candy.)  worked on the huge stack of christmas cards.  tried to stay warm in this chilly weather. and now i think i should be going to bed.  it's kind of late, and i know i could use the sleep.  saturday 8 december 2007 1:41am "when i lay my head down at the end of another day did i keep it all to myself or did i give my love away?" -- little big town "vapor" a new day.  pretty crazy. today went differently than expected, and it turned out really nicely. :)  i'm so grateful. i started my morning with a bagel from my favorite place, and then headed off to work.  i had tons and tons to accomplish today, so i ended up pretty much just keeping my nose to the grindstone all morning and into the afternoon.  by about 2:30, i was starving, so i made a quick starbucks run before a bit more work.  but around 4, the work slowed and so did i.  and i was definitely gone by 5. :) this evening, i met up with marke, katrina, and lindsey(sp? -- their friend), and we all headed up to disneyland.  they're really fun to hang out with, and we had a good time.  we even managed to dodge any rain!  we did california adventure first so katrina and i could go on tower of terror.  marke and lindsey both won't do that ride, so it was katrina's first time!  i love that ride, so i'm glad i got to share it with her. :)  and we did soarin' over california, too, because it's rad.  and then that park closed so we headed over to disneyland.  we did indiana jones and the haunted mansion and pirates and buzz lightyear and space mountain.  and we even paused for a snack and to watch fantasmic.  we actually got a lot done considering we didn't get there until 7:30ish.  anyway, they closed at midnight(ish), and now i'm back home.  it was a really fun way to spend my friday evening, and i'm so glad marke invited me last-minute this afternoon. :) and now i suppose i should get some sleep, so i'm off for tonight.  tomorrow's plans include watching basketball, the gym, and continuing to prepare for christmas.  and perhaps a movie?  we'll see.  anyway, i'm off.  thursday 6 december 2007 10:35pm "this is the window to my heart i just want us to be free baby, i’m sorry for the way things are goodbye is always hard but we both will be stronger" -- faith hill "stronger" wow.  like a major, giant wow.  today was huge.  i don't really know what to write about it.  i really don't.  after all the talking i feel like i somehow ended up doing today, now i am not sure what to say. i was so brave.  that's the general consensus.  and i continue to live without regrets.  and i'm good. :) and i learned some other things today that kind of all came after my morning.  they were also very important. 1) marke rocks.  i mean, i knew but he rocks especially hard today.  even if he's crazy. ;) 2) annahita is totally capable of completely surprising me when i least expect it.  we're doing celebratory cheesecake once i am home for christmas. 3) my other friends are also so cool.  of course, this one i totally knew, but i just really feel very connected to them today. 4) oh, and my dad's awesome, too.  of course, you already know i'm daddy's little girl, but i love him tonight in particular for not asking too many questions.  i love when certain people (sarah, marke) ask tons and tons of questions, but tonight i love dad for just letting me talk.  it wasn't like this revolutionary talk or anything; it was just our normal evening chat, but it was good.  i feel good about it. :)    and in case you were wondering, i did the regular things today, too.  i worked really hard and have to do that again tomorrow.  i did the gym.  i caught last night's "project runway."  and now i need to go to bed.  i feel like i'll be sleeping better tonight. wednesday 5 december 2007 11:46pm "no way over it, no way around it if we want it, we have to go through it fight for a love and the world tries to break us down but the world will bend and the fight will end love will always win" -- garth brooks "love will always win" well, it was a decent wednesday.  wednesdays often feel very long, but today might have gone too quickly.  anyway, just a little bit from me before i attempt to get some sleep. work was... well... a lot of work!  i mean, i realize that's what i am there for, but this week seems especially busy with lots of projects that are out of the ordinary.  they're mostly really fun, but still i need more hours in my workday to complete them all.  which means i was there late.  at least i had a fun lunch break with marke watching the rest of "elf" and lying around wishing we were napping, him under brian's desk and me under mine.  no one would find us there, right? so anyway, after an extra-long day of work, i headed for the gym for a much-needed workout.  with a lot on my mind and after too much sitting in a chair, it's good to get moving.  so that went well. and this evening, i've been hanging out.  i talked to the parents and remembered to eat dinner.   i caught washington st.-gonzaga while starting to address christmas card envelopes.  i watched tonight's "the real world" (hilarious) and "gossip girl" (made me totally swoon over dan). and i've been thinking more about that jimmy v speech i referenced last night.  i wanted to pull out a little bit i've really been considering: to me, there are three things we all should do every day. we should do this every day of our lives. number one is laugh. you should laugh every day. number two is think. you should spend some time in thought. number three is, you should have your emotions moved to tears, could be happiness or joy. but think about it. if you laugh, you think, and you cry, that's a full day. that's a heck of a day.  yeah.  well said.  and i've done those things today, so i suppose it really has been a heck of a day. :) and i don't know what's in store for tomorrow.  could be anything, right?  but it'll probably be laughing, thinking, and tears.  hope you can say the same.  g'night. ;) tuesday 4 december 2007 11:43pm "so cry for me baby, and i’ll cry for you and we’ll both break down and we’ll both break through ae’ll find our way and we’ll face the truth and we both will be stronger" -- faith hill "stronger" it seems as though it's been quite a day.  or like i have a lot to say about today, despite it really being pretty ordinary.  there were lots of things that made me smile. :) i went to work today on a day that was not was warm as the weatherman promised.  and i got a lot of work done today, though i have plenty ahead of me.  but the definite highlight of my workday was hanging with the rest of the department (marke, brian, chris, and jason) deciding who qualified as which geeks on this awesome(ly geeky) chart.  i'm 5: bargain bin geek, sports geek, travel geek, tv geek, and of course geek geek.  only a geek geek would enjoy this chart, right?  but my 5 make me the least geeky in the department.  marke won with his 14, chris and brian had 8, and jason 7.  yeah. :) in the afternoon, my cousin jeff called (about garth tickets he knows i have).  this is how it started, which made me laugh (and proves i'm full of lies if i can get a laugh ;)). me: hello? jeff: hey, kirsten.  it's jeff... your cousin jeff, not that guy you met at the bar last friday night. me: well that's unfortunate.  he was really hott! after work, i headed for the gym and had a decent workout.  but the best part was that i got to once again see the video of jimmy v's espy speech.  honestly, it's amazing.  if you don't have 10 minutes to commit to the video, try this transcript.  while i'll say the speech has different effects on me depending on what's going on when i see it, today it really made me feel like i can kick some ass.  and like i should make sure i am getting the most out of each day.  awesome.  seriously.  and if you can, give to the jimmy v foundation, which does really amazing work in cancer research. tonight i was a giant multitasker.  i chatted with adam online while watching usc and memphis play a great game.  and at the same time, i was organizing my cd collection, which was so messy.  i just needed to get it all back in alphabetical order.  but it's done now, which is so exciting!  and i realized i might own a disgusting number of albums.  but i love them! :) and lastly, i watched the season finale of "beauty and the geek," which was so much fun!  i really do love to watch those people all learn from one another on that show.  if you're not already into it, you should be.  it's nice to see people on tv growing. :) anyway, i guess it's kind of late.  i should get some sleep.  hope you had a good day.  g'night. ;)  monday 3 december 2007 11:40pm p.s.  i.  love.  this.  little.  article! :)  and that man is way adorable! monday 3 december 2007 9:39pm "and when you smile that smile the world turns upside down" -- vince gill "whenever you turn around" interestingly, i enjoyed my monday, despite its rocky start.  i slept horribly.  so bad that i considered just getting up when i was lying in bed unable to sleep at 4am.  but i didn't.  i did get a couple more hours in.  and soon i was dressed in a red sweater (wearing bright colors usually cheers me up when i'm not 100%) and headed off to work on a chilly morning. work went well.  i got some stuff done, and also found a few minutes to clean up my messy desk.  :)  and diana (and baby amber) stopped by in the morning to say hello.  good see them. :)  and i did lunch with marke.  we picked up food and watched the first half of "elf."  we're planning on watching some christmas movies during lunch this month.  that movie is really funny!  and work appropriate. :) anyway, after work, i headed for the gym, where i had a good workout on the treadmill today.  and then it was straight home.  i've been keeping myself busy here.  there are a few things that i like to do when i  am stressed or freaking out.  first, i made some serious progress organizing my desk here.  being a grownup involves way more paper than i know what to do with: receipts, bill stubs, other crap.  so i made a serious dent.  and now i'm baking chocolate chip cookies.  i'll have a couple while they're still warm, and i'll bring the rest to the boys at work tomorrow.  marke and i were talking about cookies today.  it'll be a nice treat. :)  and i watched tom brady and the patriots pull out a pretty crazy win tonight.  oh, tommy.  what a hero.  ::swoons:: :) and next up, a little tv and then bed, i think.  hope you also had a good monday.  g'night. ;)  sunday 2 december 2007 8:06pm "i feel so helpless, i feel just like a kid what is it about you that makes me keep my feelings hid i wish i could tell you, but the words can't be found" -- vince gill "whenever you come around" ::sigh:: i'm not sure where this sunday went wrong, but it now feels like it has. i love sundays, but right now i'm all stressed out and tired and not feeling good. it started out okay. how did i get here? well, i got up this morning so i could watch my chiefs get beat by the chargers. no surprise there, and we played a respectable game. and i had a little nap afterwards. that was all fine. and then i went to the gym. well, that didn't go as planned. it was all hot and stuffy in there, and i think the elliptical machine i was on was broken. i ended up on a treadmill halfway through my workout because i wanted to make sure i wasn't crazy for thinking the elliptical was reading my heartrate wrong. turns out i was right. anyway, the treadmill was a fine alternative. not a big deal. but why was it so warm in there? i was dripping sweat by like minute 7, instead of a more usual minute 14 or 15. anyway, the workout was fine. and then i went to the apartment office. i need a new parking sticker for my car because mine got thrown away when i had my car washed recently. not sure why, but it's true. anyway, that's turning out to be a g.i.a.n.t. pain in the ass because they want to charge me $75. yeah, that's ludicrous. it's a sticker that accidentally got lost. i realize other people take advantage of the complex and try to get free passes for their fleet of cars. i am not. i have one car. i would like a sticker for it. that's it. anyway, the customer service here s.u.c.k.s., which i've known now for a while, so we're still battling it out. i hate this stuff, but i also don't have $75 to just burn. this is the major source of me being all crazy. it might have already made me cry on the phone to dad. maybe. ;) anyway, then i ran a couple errands. i needed to go to the grocery and trader joe's for just a couple essentials. and then it was back home. adam and i watched ucla basketball lose to texas together on the phone. he wasn't so happy, but he'll get over it. it was a good game, anyway. and now i'm just here. i feel tired and a little bit crazy and i don't even know what else. there's too much going on in my head. too many scenarios i'm picturing for something i am probably too chicken to even address. too many things i should just come to peace with but haven't yet. too many friends too far away. too much of me just being a girl. and so i think i will go do some straightening around my messy apartment and then relax with "desperate housewives" and "brothers and sisters," both of which look to be particularly exciting tonight. i'll be back tomorrow, probably less moody but still thinking about you.  g'night. ;)  saturday 1 december 2007 11:41pm "the face of an angel, pretty eyes that shine i lie awake at night wishing you were mine i'm standing here holding the biggest heartache in town whenever you come around i get weak in the knees and i lose my breath oh, i try to speak but the words won't come i'm so scared to death and when you smile the world turns upside down whenever you come around" -- vince gill "whenever you come around" saturday was bigger than i had really anticipated, though i really did get to spend a lot of it just lying around. :)  it was a good day. i got up entirely too early this morning.  garth brooks is going to play a benefit concert in la next month, and i was desperate for tickets, which went on sale this morning at 9am.  garth's one of the greatest performers around, and there aren't many opportunities to see him.  i've wanted to see him perform for a long time now, so him playing this special show in la was a great chance.  so i was up and ready to buy tickets bright and early.  4 minutes after 9, all i could get were two individual seats.  not ideal for dad and me, but at least we'll be in the building, right?  and then over the course of the next 30 minutes or so, four more shows were added: 2 on the day before the original saturday show and 2 more on that same saturday.  that's 5 shows in 2 days.  garth is a crazy man!  so, as those went on sale and sold out (all tickets to all shows were gone by 9:59, in large part thanks to ticket resellers, i'm sure), i bought a few more seats.  i got a pair to the 6pm friday show and a pair to the 1pm saturday show.  and we'll work out which show(s?) to attend and sell the remaining tickets, i think.  and no, i won't be selling them for thousands of dollars, like the various ticket resellers out there.  anyway, i'm going to see garth, and i'm beyond excited!  less than two months away! :) and then i spent the rest of my morning hanging out.  they're painting the apartment complex right now, and today was my day to have my door painted, which required me to leave it open for a bit.  and it's cold here right now!  but i survived. ;)  anyway, i have a kind of pukey green door now, instead of blue.  whatever. and i napped through most of the ucla-usc snoozer of a football game today.  but i did watch lots of college basketball today, which was really fun!  i still think the nap was the best part, though. ;) and i went to the gym today, which isn't really news except that i hadn't been in a while because of thanksgiving and then me being a bit sick.  i'm still a little bit sick, but it felt great to get moving again. :)  yay! and tonight, i finished my christmsas shopping!  woot!   i'm done on 1 december, which means any more shopping between now and christmas is just a bonus.  sweet!  oh, and it helped that all the things i had left were easily taken care of online.  i did the shopping in my sweats. :) and this evening, i baked myself chocolate chip cookies!  from scratch.  so delicious! :)  i should do that more.  it's always fun to make something come together from scratch, as opposed to those tubes of dough. ;) and i really should get to bed and get in some extra sleep, so i think i'm off for tonight.  g'night. ;)  friday 30 november 2007 11:21pm "but my heart cried out for you you're in my heart, you're in my soul you'll be my breath should i grow old you are my lover, you're my best friend you're in my soul" -- rod stewart "you're in my heart" woot!  friday!  and weekend!  :)  i'm beyond ready to lie around a little bit (and finally get back to a gym now that i am feeling a little better).   but first, today.  today went well. so there was work.  the morning started with me being on a roll all productive and everything.  and then i found myself in the conference room with a bunch of other people helping to decorate the company christmas tree.  and it was pretty much downhill from there. :)  but it was rainy and gloomy and a perfect day to be lying on the couch in pajamas or napping, not at work.  by the way, what's with the rain?!?  it's been raining like crazy for like the last 20 hours.  last night they told me i might get 1/10" and it was a 30% chance i'd get any rain at all.  wrong.  so anyway, i might have been a little bit lazy around the office this afternoon. ;) and after work, the rain had let up a little (just momentarily, i assure you), so i ran an errand.  i went to costco for my fresh christmas wreath that is now over my fireplace and making my apartment smell like christmas.  yay!  i am not getting a tree this year because i'm headed home to san carlos 4 days before christmas and would have to throw it all away before that.  anyway, at least it smells good in here. and i spent the rest of the evening catching up on things on my dvr from the past week.  tv junkie, i know.  but seriously, i was never going to go out in the rain if i didn't have a good reason.  :) and i think that's it from here tonight.  g'night. ;)  thursday 29 november 2007 10:48pm "but i still feel the feeling of how you telephoned me and it may be no big deal to you but it's a very big deal to me" -- lyle lovett and his large band "no big deal" well, the week's coming to a close, and i'm so excited about truly getting some rest this weekend.  nothing's planned.  that's exciting.  but first, i have to finish the rest of the week out, and that meant doing today.  and actually, i feel pretty good about today. :) first off, i had to go to work.  i stopped for a bagel first.  i am completely, totally addicted to i <3 bagels.  seriously.  it's bad.  they're so amazingly delicious, though!  anyway, and then i went to work and spent most of the day working on the company holiday card.  it turned out wonderfully, if i do say so, and i managed to cut the cost a disgusting amount from last year.  seriously a lot.  it prompted a "you should be in charge of all art department projects" from marke.  :)  so yay! and after work, i might have gone to best buy.  i was after the lyle lovett album with this song.  i haven't stopped thinking about it since i heard it on "brothers and sisters."  anyway, they changed the cd racks there, and the new ones are terrible!  they're basically unusable.  they are very horizontal in nature and yet the cds are ordered on them vertically, which is annoying.  and they have these huge flaps that hang down from the bottom of each row with totally useless ads on them.  they're in the way of seeing the row below, so you have to hold them up.  and the racks go all the way down to the floor, meaning the cds down there are truly impossible to see.  it's just bad.  and if you now think i'm totally insane for even noticing the racks... well... you might be right.  but!  it's a mui (say it like mooey; stands for mechanical user interface; is an acronym brian and i conveniently made up earlier today) problem. anyway... then i went home and did a bunch of work for bobby, talked to the parents, and planned a st. charles reunion for christmastime.  and watched last night's "project runway."  so i've been really busy.  i meant to get to more relaxing and tv and less work, but it just didn't happen. so now i'm tired and ready for bed, so i guess i should be off.  g'night. ;)  wednesday 28 november 2007 10:00pm it smells like a man's chest "it’s sunday morning the coffee’s on that gray cat’s still yawning ‘cause saturday is gone and i still feel the feelin’ of how you felt upon me and it may be no big deal to you but it’s a very big deal to me" -- lyle lovett "no big deal" yeah. marina really said that. about air freshener. and you know... she had a funny way of saying it, but it does smell exactly like men's deodorant. :) where i work is fun! and the other moments of my day also went well. :) i got a good night's sleep again last night. amazing! and then i was off to work on time today. so basically, i win. ;) and i spent the day at work designing our company's holiday card, which went pretty well. i'm not 100% done yet, but i'm pleased so far. and i spent plenty of time talking to marke (who was absent yesterday because he's sicky) from about 10 feet outside his office door. i don't want whatever he has. anyway, it was a good day at the office. and then i came home, wrapped some stuff for bobby, and relaxed on the couch. i need another restful night to keep getting better. so it's been basketball, "brothers and sisters" (how much did i love the senator getting lyle lovett to perform for him and kitty at the hollywood bowl?!?), and "beauty and the geek." nice. :) and so i guess i'm off for tonight. g'night. p.s. new blog layout. i like it. do you? :) tuesday 27 november 2007 9:52pm "i may never sail virginia again and as this current moves slow for me this much you must know of me again and i'll have you know i'm scared to death tell me once again that you'll love me to the death and should i die, you swear that you will come for me as i fade away, you reach out your hand and please don't let me go" -- mayday parade “you be the anchor that keeps my feet on the ground, i’ll be the wings that keep your heart in the clouds” well, it was a pretty normal tuesday, really.  pretty good, but i'm feeling pretty exhausted right now. i got to bed pretty early last night (and i plan to do the same tonight) and got some good rest.  i can't remember waking up at all last night, which pretty much never happens to me these days.  anyway, i got up with the alarm but would have preferred sleeping a few more hours. :)  anyway, i headed off to work, picking up an awesome breakfast of jamba juice and a bagel on the way.  mmm... so good! anyway, work went fine today.  nothing too crazy.  i got some stuff done, and even managed to help john with a proposal he's working on.  so yeah, went fine. after work, i meant to go to the gym but i'm feeling not so great.  besides the tired (i'm working on recovering from that one), i have a throat thing.  so i figured i'd give my body one more day of rest.  and so i spent a relaxing evening getting a little work done for bobby, watching some tv, and enjoying dinner.  nothing crazy.  and soon... bed. hope you're well.  g'night. ;)  monday 26 november 2007 8:22pm "and honestly i have been begging for answers that you and only you can give to me a voice crying loud i've been crying for days now and as i start to run, i stop to breathe and i was nearly scared to death why you left in paragraphs the words were nearly over us you stop and turn and grab your bags and i'll be here by the ocean just waiting for proof that there's sunsets and silhouette dreams all my sand castles fall like the ashes of cigarettes and every wave drags me to sea i could stand here for hours gust to ask God the question, 'is everyone here make-believe?' with a tear in His voice, He said, "son, that's the question" does this deafening silence mean nothing to no one but me?" -- mayday parade "you be the anchor that keeps my feet on the ground, i'll be the wings that keep your heart in the clouds" well, thanksgiving weekend is officially over, and i'm back home (another of my homes, anyway) in laguna after a great weekend at home (my first home, san carlos).  i could have used a bit more relaxing, but that's okay.  it was good fun all the way around. :) yesterday (sunday) was so much fun!  i had lunch in redwood city with meg at a weird place, and we did a little shoe shopping, but i think we were both too cold to be out and about wandering.  and i spent the afternoon relaxing a little bit and packing and getting myself all cute and set to go out again. last night, mom, dad, meg, auntie lily, uncle ken, and i headed down to san jose for the "so you think you can dance" tour at hp pavilion.  i'd been looking forward to the show for a very long time, so it was exciting that it finally came!  anyway, we started the evening by having dinner at gordon biersch, which was delicious.  and then we headed over to the arena.  we were there early enough that i could (turn into a 7-year-old girl and) get myself a fun neil t-shirt and a program.  :)  and then it was showtime!  and hmm... what can i even say to explain how much i loved it?  i'm not sure.  it was so excellent, though!  the dancers are even more impressive in person, there were tons and tons of numbers, which meant a great variety of highlights from the tv show and a few new pieces.  i got to see some of my personal favorites, including hok and jamie doing the hummingbird and flower; neil and danny doing the two princes; and neil and sabra doing the table dance.  incredible!  and i just thought it was so excellent and enjoyed every single minute of it!  they're just amazing!  oh... and neil continues to be so hott, in case you were wondering. ;) and then the weekend ended abruptly this morning at 4am when mom woke me up.  i had to be at the airport in san jose at 5 to catch my 7am flight (last year the airport was insane the monday morning after thanksgiving).  so i got my stuff together and we headed out.  and i caught my flight and made it here fine, if also really tired.  and i spent the day at work tending to little things and being just a little bit out of it.  and i did a little grocery shopping at trader joe's on my way home. and tonight, i'm just hanging out.  i'll watch a little bit more tv before crashing hard.  hope you also had a wonderful thanksgiving holiday.  g'night. ;)  saturday 24 november 2007 11:59pm "if i had it all to do over i'm sure i'd win and lose just as much but spend a lot less time on right and wrong and a lot more time on love" -- gary allan "half of my mistakes" well, it was a family day today.  dad, adam, and i got up (relatively) early this morning so we could head up to san francisco to the annual auto show.  we do that pretty much every thanksgiving weekend, after all.  it's fun to sit in all the new cars without anyone trying to sell you anything!  and it's much easier to wander around one convention center than tons of dealerships.  anyway, we went up there.  it was a decent show, but there weren't really many exciting concepts or anything.  for the first time, the la auto show is also going on during thanksgiving weekend and kind of has all the rad stuff.  anyway, it was still fun to sit in lots of cars, and i picked out a few for myself.  my favorite of all is the volvo c70 hardtop convertible.  that's for sure what i want!  and after wandering the whole show, we had a good lunch at chevy's. :) we spent the afternoon watching some college football and napping.  and then the whole family went out for a little bit.  we went to rei (1) so mom could look at some shoes she liked and (2) so i could try to find something there to spend my giftcard on.  i ended up with a really nice north face jacket that was deeply discounted.  sweet!  and we wandered best buy for a bit, as well.  and then we picked up a delicious dinner at toto's.  mmm... i love that place! :) and now we're just hanging out.  i need to get a little sleep now, though.  g'night. ;)  saturday 24 november 2007 12:23am "let your memory soak me to the bone reminds me that i'm not alone in yesterday's rain it's just yesterday's rain that's just yesterday's pain think i'll walk in yesterday's rain" -- gary allan "yesterday's rain" well, it was a good day, though i'm ready to crash now.  and i'm planning on getting up relatively early tomorrow, too.  so i hope you had a good black friday.  i did. :) i got up this morning (not too early, considering they opened at 6) to do a little shopping with mom at target.  mostly, i picked out somethings for me and for dad that mom can wrap up for us for christmas.  and we did costco, too. :)  dvds and cds.  love it!  and we stopped for breakfast on the way home. i hung out around the house with dad for a while.  i even napped on the couch for a bit.  delightful!  and then it was time to get myself all ready and cute to go out with the girls tonight. nao, mel, meg, kath, annahita, and i headed up to san francisco for the evening.  i knew going into union square (the heart of all shopping in s.f.) on black friday was going to be a little crazy, but it actually wasn't bad at all getting there and parked and everything.  we had dinner at zingari, which was pretty good.  i mean, the food was good but probably a little overpriced.  that's what you get right in union square, i suppose.  anyway, we had a nice dinner together. and then we all went to see the reduced shakespeare company perform "completely hollywood," which was their telling of 175 movies in 100 minutes.  so funny!  probably not my favorite of their shows (i've seen three others before), but it was stilly really good.  also!  all 5 other girls got pulled up on stage as extras in a scene!  so funny!  the photos i snuck (no photos allowed in the theatre) of them are up with the others from the evening on my flickr.  that was really cool.  i'm glad i was the first person to walk into our row from our group.  that's the only way i didn't get pulled up on stage. :)  anyway, it was a wonderful evening out in the city with everyone!  it's great to get to see all of them. and now i'm just getting ready for bed.  the s.f. auto show in on the plan for tomorrow.  not sure what else. did you buy me lovely things on black friday? haha!  g'night. ;)  thursday 22 november 2007 11:59pm "well, i've been told i shouldn't stand in your rain that's the only place i see your face i can see your face" -- gary allan "yesterday's rain" happy thanksgiving. :)  it was a good, rowdy one here, and i must say i did really enjoy it.  even if i never did get the nap i had planned on. i was up pretty early so i could have time to get myself ready and then help mom with the final preparations.  and the family started arriving around 11:30.  and we started out on the wii right away!  pretty much everyone played at one point or another, with bowling and boxing being the favorites, it seemed.  anyway, we eventually all had a huge lunch.  i don't do holiday food particularly well, so i ended up with the interesting combination of lasagna, mashed potatoes, and rice.  yep.  oh, and rice was totally my contribution to the meal.  i made it! :)  anyway, lunch was good and there was more wii afterwards.  and then grandma started up her blackjack game.  and she was singing traditional filipino and american songs.  loudly.  very loudly.  it was pretty hilarious!  and then there was more wii and just hanging out with the whole family.  it was just simple and nice and relaxing.  the photos from my camera are already up on flickr for you. and then tonight, dad, adam, mom, and i just hung out around the house.  we watched some college basketball, too.  and that's really about it! time for bed now.  hope you had a lovely thanksgiving.  g'night. ;)  thursday 22 november 2007 1:37am "sometimes i think about the touch of your skin the taste of your lips and it all comes rushing back again and i start to spin i think about you when the skies turn grey always reminds me of the love we made back when you were here well, here come the tears" -- gary allan "yesterday's rain" okay, so i really did mean to post last night, but all of a sudden i discovered it was really late and i wanted to crash.  and tonight... well... it's extremely late tonight (technically, very early this morning now).  but it's thanksgiving, and even if i have to get up earlier than i might like tomorrow, i'm pretty much guaranteed a nap.  :)  so i guess i'll take a few minutes to write.  life seems good, so i want to share a bit. yesterday was spent partly at work, where i got a ton of stuff done and all before 4.  so i might have wrapped up a few loose ends and bailed about 30 minutes early.  i headed for a good workout at the gym, and then i went home.  i did 4 loads of laundry (hit a little snag, but it turned out okay).  i caught some basketball on tv.  i did some work for bobby.  i packed (and i promise you that picking out 6 days' outfits is no easy chore for me, especially when i'm trying to coordinate everything around a bright red handbag).  i caught up on a little bit more tv.  and i chatted with some friends.  i was very busy all the way until bedtime, but it was good fun. :) today was kind of spent at work... i suppose... but not really.  i was there until about noon, and part of that time include marke, chris, and me watching "the santa clause."  but i did actually take care of a couple little things that needed to get done before thanksgiving, so i was good, too. :)  oh!  and it was a lovely, sunny day, which meant i got to wear a cute dress!  anyway, next stop was the gym for my workout before heading home.  i cleaned up, finished packing, and found some lunch.  and by about 5, i was off again. i was headed to the airport, but first i had a very important stop to make.  i went to sprinkles and picked up 4 cupcakes to bring home to the family with me!  so fun!  i got two of my fave (peanut butter chocolate chip), one ginger maple, and one pumpkin.  i wanted to try the fall flavors. :)  anyway, then i was off to the airport to catch my late flight home.  the whole trip was really, really uneventful, really.  dad met me at the airport in san jose (while mom picked up adam in san francisco), and we ran into the bertram family at baggage claim.  that was cool!  it's good to see all of them, especially around the holidays.  that's a good time to see people you've known for 20 years, right? and now i'm just hanging out.  mom, dad, and i tried the fall cupcakes (delicious, of course!), and adam and i watched tonight's "project runway" (i agreed with the winner totally).  and i played my first wii.  okay, i actually have no idea whose wii it is.  i think my cousin's.  but it was brand new and it was our chore to set it up for video game fun tomorrow during our thanksgiving celebration.  so anyway, we set it up and i beat adam at bowling. :) and i really do need to go to bed now.  happy thanksgiving.  g'night. ;)  monday 19 november 2007 10:18pm "i'm just trying to understand it's all in someone else's hands there's always been a bigger plan but i don't need to understand i'm still learning how to bend how to let you in in a world full of tears we'll conquer all our fears i'm still learning how to fly i wanna take you higher i'll be there 'til the end i'll be your lover and your friend i'm still learning how to bend" -- gary allan "learning how to bend" oh, monday.  i was tired, but i made it through, got some work done, and had some fun. :) work was uneventful today.  i got some stuff done but didn't push it too hard.  by about 3:30, i was totally over today and just survived until 5.  oh, and i lunched with brian and chris at scpc.   anyway, it was a pretty good time there. after work, i headed for the gym, where i had a really good, tough workout.  the first in a few days.  felt good.  and then i came home, had some dinner, and caught a little basketball from the maui invitational.  i wish i was there again this year.  it was so much fun!  but anyway, the basketball was good.  and meg called (i can't even remember her random question anymore) and we ended up chatting away for like an hour!  it was really good to talk to her about just whatever.  i'm anxious to see her (and several other friends) this weekend!  and then i talked to the parents for a little bit.  and now i'm watching tonight's "how i met your mother" before i crash. hope you had a good monday.  g'night. ;)  sunday 18 november 2007 10:26pm "so my heart's been broke so i keep on falling i'm nothing but all in when i let go i wear it on my sleeve yeah, they call me a fool 'cause i still believe like it's a bad thing i dont know about you but i was put here to live and love so what if i dont do it like everybody else does i'm out on the edge, i'm too willing to risk every bone, every breath, they say all i am is a crazy dream like it's a bad thing" -- gary allan "like it's a bad thing" wow.  what a fun weekend i had with sarah!  and now i'm completely exhausted just in time for monday morning. ;)  but anyway, let me take a few minutes to tell you about the last few days.  they were excellent! so friday i worked my butt off all day long so i could get out of the office on time.  seriously, i worked really, really hard.  and by the end of the day, i was pretty spent but i felt very accomplished.  i got a ton of stuff done.  i think i'm all set for the coming week now. i picked up sarah in long beach in the evening, and then we headed to maggiano's (one of our ultimate favorite places to eat) for a late dinner.  that place (we were at the one in costa mesa) is really insane!  we got there at like quarter to 10 and still had to wait 30 minutes for a table.  of course, it was so delicious neither of us cared one bit. :) saturday we were up relatively early.  we headed up to orange to steve and barry's.  sarah'd never been there before, and we wanted to check out what they have right now.  we each found a few fun things, so that was cool.  and we had a nice little lunch at the corner bakery. and then we were off to disneyland.  except!  as we got in the car, i realized i had left my annual pass back at my apartment, so we made a little detour back home so i could get it.  and we made it to disneyland around 2, which was fine with us.  we've been there many times before, so it was a very low-stress affair.  we didn't need to see every ride.  we just wanted to hang out there a while. :)  so anyway, we had a really great time on the rides and just enjoying it.  we went on the nemo ride for the first time ever, which was really cool!  i really like it, and i think however they do it (how do they do it?!?) is really neat!  and we went on peter pan and mid-ride got stuck.  seriously stuck!  it just stopped suddenly while we were right over captain hook's ship.  someone then made an announcement on the loudspeaker to stay put.  and then!  the really exciting part!  the lights came on!  so we got to hang out there for like 15 minutes and look all around at the stuff you're not ever supposed to see.  and we were hoping someone would have to rescue us with a ladder, but it didn't happen.  they eventually put the ride on manual and emptied out all the ships that were still inside.  but anyway, a pretty cool experience! :)  and in the evening, we watched the fireworks, which were holiday-themed (as is much of disneyland right now).  and they ended with it snowing on main street, which was really awesome!  it's so magical!  i love it! :) we crashed when we got home and got up early again today.  we made it to carlsbad right around 10, when the outlets there open.  we wanted to get in a little bit of shopping there.  we found amazing deals at the banana republic outlet, which had everything 40% off.  sweet! :)  and then we met elizabeth for a good lunch at a brewery in carlsbad (or san marcos, perhaps?), followed by ice cream.  it was great to see her and catch up a bit. :)  and then, sadly, i had to bring sarah back to long beach so she could catch her flight home.  i had a really great time with her this weekend, and i'm glad she came to visit! :)  tragically, i couldn't get her to continue to live on my couch so we can hang out more. ;) after leaving sarah, i headed back towards home, but i stopped at ikea first.  i wanted to see if i could get a little more christmas shopping done there.  i didn't find any gifts there, but i did find a few things i needed for the apartment: shoe racks and bins for the linen closet.  and that means i spent my evening organizing my closet and my linen closet (while also watching the patriots rock!).  but both closets look way, way better now.  i mean, i can see all my shoes now! :)  love that!   oh, and i'm working on catching up on some tv that i'd recorded now.  first was "men in trees," which caused sobbing (i love jane and plow guy!).  now it's "the next great american band," which is a show i've been enjoying a lot more than i ever thought.  the bands on it are actually really good.  i promise.  not like "american idol" good but like actually good!  two of them i already knew.  like i own albums from them.  and they can all play.  so if you're looking for something to watch that hasn't lost its writers, that is what i recommend. anyway, i should crash.  i'm tired.  hope you're well.  g'night. ;)  thursday 15 november 2007 10:51pm good thursday.  :)  i mean, pretty normal, but seemed good.  had fun. so it was another beautiful day here, which i love.  i mean, it's a week from thanksgiving.  i'm fully prepared to say "the beautiful weather" when asked what i'm thankful for this year. ;)  anyway, i headed out to work in a dress and stopped for a bagel at my favorite place on the way.  oh, and driving around with all the windows down in a dress can be a little dangerous!  haha! ;) work.  well, there's plenty to be done there, but i did accomplish a few things today while i was there.  and brian was in today, which he normally isn't on thursdays, so it was even more lively around there.  and we all had a good time.  it's pretty much everyone constantly making fun of everyone, all in good fun. :)  so anyway, it was a good day, and i also managed to do some good work. then i was off to the gym for a tough workout.  and the came home and cleaned this place up for real.  i don't remember the last time i cleaned the bathroom, honestly.  but i cleaned.  all that's left is vacuuming tomorrow.  not bad. :)  oh, and i did some work for bobby, too, in between dinner and talking to my parents.  oh, and i'm trying to catch up on some tv because my dvr is very full. and sarah and i decided on some pretty big plans for the weekend! :)  i mean, we were always going to have a lot of fun, but now we have something actually planned.  saturday, we're doing disneyland!  woot! :)  i haven't been in a while, and we always have a good time there. oh, and one more thing.  i am beyond excited that my boyfriend matt damon has been named sexiest man alive by "people" magazine.  love it love it!!! :)  i will certainly be investing in an issue (or two).  gah!  so hott! okay, well i'm off to a little more tv and maybe some reading before i crash.  g'night. ;)  wednesday 14 november 2007 11:05pm "she's a warm summer breeze with bleach blonde hair like a fine red wine she can take you there she's a walk in the sand at sunset she's the top pulled down on the 405 she'll take you higher than humbolt sky she's an earthquake and you're the fault line so when you feel the ground start movin' around hold on tight, you're in for a ride 'cause she's so california" -- gary allan "she's so california" i love today.  i mean, not exactly the perfect day all the way around, but it's november and it was a perfect 85-degree, sunny socal day.  gah!  so awesome! :) hmm... so what did i actually do today?  normal stuff.  i headed to work on a gorgeous morning and got straight to work.  actually, there's a lot to get done there this week (and probably into the next one, too), so i was just working away.  and i did actually get a lot done, which is cool.  i just also know that there's plenty more for me tomorrow.  and i had a great break in the middle of the day to drive around with all the windows down and then eventually pick up some lunch.  sweet! :)  oh, and there was yet another crazy afternoon conversation with marke.  turns out he thinks drinking milk (even the skim kind i prefer) isn't healthy.  yeah.  it was an adventure!  haha! after work, i headed for the gym, where i got distracted by the basketball game on tv instead of the reading i was going to do.  oh, well. :)  had a good workout and then headed home.  had some dinner.  took care of some chores around here.  caught up with bobby about some lusk stuff we're working on.  caught a little tv.  talked to the parents. and now i'm watching "the real world," which might have actually made me cry.  yeah, i know that's ridiculous, but i swear this episode was actually moving. oh, and i put up a few photos (none of the ones of me are particularly amazing, but still) from jan's birthday party on my flickr. :)  they come courtesy of jan himself. hope you're well.  g'night. ;)  tuesday 13 november 2007 11:02pm "when i look back i'm glad we found each other with no regrets along the way and what was like an endless summer now it's just yesterday we touched the sun we held the stars we fell in love with open hearts" -- gary allan "we touched the sun" like 5 hours ago, i wasn't so sure about today.  but looking back now, it was actually really good. :)  i'm quite content at this point.  and i'm exhausted and totally ready for bed, too. so it was a gorgeous day out.  honestly, i didn't see too much of it, but i did enjoy the drive to work this morning.  stopping for breakfast at my favorite bagel shop probably helped. :)  and it's always good news when i can wear a little dress and open-toe shoes. work.  well, there was a lot of it today, but it was nice to have marke and brian around to chat with.  and after working pretty much constantly from 9 to 5, i was pretty tired but i got a lot done.  oh, and brian wins because he picked up lunch from super bowl for me, marke, and chris. after work, i headed straight to the gym, though i did get a good chat with meg in while i was on my way.  good to catch up with her a little bit. :)  and i had a good workout, too. then it was straight up to newport to try to get to sprinkles before 7, when then close.  yeah, somehow sarah and i ended up talking about sprinkes cupcakes today, so i really, really wanted one.  and i made it with about 10 minutes to spare.  plus, i talked to mel on the way, which was really fun!  and i got a couple cupcakes.  might as well pick up more than once since i went all the way there, right? :)  peanut butter cake with chocolate chips and peanut butter frosting.  and orange (this will be tomorrow's adventure in eating!)  and then i headed back home. tonight, i've managed to keep myself quite busy.  i worked on the three(!) shirts i'm working on for bobby and made some real progress.  i worked on my christmas card, which i'm designing myself.  and i caught up on some email and such. and i'm thinking that it's about time i go to bed.  i'm sleepy, and there's plenty more busy ahead.  g'night. ;)  monday 12 november 2007 10:56pm "we touched the sun we held the stars we fell in love with open hearts we chased our dreams that went beyond we did it all we thouched the sun" -- gary allan "we touched the sun" well, it was a busy monday.  fun.  but also lots of work.  i kind of feel like i've been working throughout my entire day.  anyway, i had a good time, so here it goes... :) i headed off to work only a few minutes late today. :)  i was glad to discover it was all sunny and warm out.  nice break from the usual morning fog. work.  i was plenty busy at work today, but there were some fun parts of the day today, as well. 1) sometimes, i'm apparently really funny.  "i can't afford to have a swear jar."  yep, i said that today.  i think it will live on as a classic.  we keep track of these things at work.  it's fun. :)  oh, and it's true that i would be even more broke if i had to pay a quarter for each swear word.  this used to be great for me, as i never said any of the words on our official list.  not so much these days, though. 2)  brian, marke, and i played poker in the afternoon for a little bit.  $2 buy in.  i was the first out, but i lasted a really long time and marke went out like two hands later.  brian took home $4.  and that's after he only offered up two "brian dollars" (i owe you-s) instead of the cash.  yeah. after work, i did more work.  i went to the gym for a really tough workout and read something for work while i was doing it.  yeah, doubling up.  you know it's bad when i'm doing work at the gym.  but i think the info was really useful (i really, really hope so!), and at least i made it to the gym. :) and then i came home, grabbed a little dinner, and started working on three more shirt designs for bobby.  we're trying to have a super-quick turnaround on them, so i'm working a lot on those.  i made some good progress today, though, so that's good. and i'm working on a plan for another st. charles class of '97 reunion at christmastime.  probably drinks in palo alto again.  anyway, i'm working on it.  and speaking of little, personal projects, i'm also working on a custom christmas card.  i should do that, right?  i mean, i am a designer.  i can do better than store-bought, right?  well, at least i should try. :) anyway, clearly i am keeping myself busy.  now it's time for a little tv before i crash.  g'night. ;)  sunday 11 november 2007 10:12pm "when she looked back you didn’t even budge an inch you stood there like stone but now that she’s gone how strong are you now without her around you can’t even keep one little bitty tear from falling down" -- rascal flatts "how strong are you now" well, i've been quite the slacker, it seems.  i owe a whole weekend update.  and i will say that it has been quite a nice weekend. :) friday afternoon, i headed from work straight to the gym.  exciting way to kick off the weekend, right? ;)  well, after relaxing at home for a little bit, i headed out.  i needed a couple things at target and then headed to the bookstore to browse the magazine racks and look for any potential christmas gifts.  and i browsed for the rest of the evening.  very fun. :) saturday day was spent not doing a whole lot, really.  in the morning i went to the big-size shoe even at nordstrom rack, where i found some adorable flats and a pair of nike free shoes (those were in the men's section, however, and thus not really large sized).  i am already in love with those shoes!  seriously.  amazing.  they're ridiculously comfortable, i promise.  and in the afternoon, i napped.  mmm... i love a good afternoon nap. :) then i got all cute and ready to go to jan's 30th birthday party.  i picked up marke and katrina on the way.  it was fun!  i got to see some people i haven't seen in a while, including the birthday boy himself.  anyway, it was a just a chill party, and i had a good time. and i met dad and adam back here at my apartment.  they went to the football game earlier in the day, and then came over to crash with me.  it was just good to see them, really. :)  we did breakfast at the original pancake house this morning.  so delicious! :)   and then dad brought adam back to school and headed home. i lazed around the apartment a while, took another nap, and caught the stanford men's basketball game on tv. :)  they're 3-0, which is good news.  nonconference games are going to be really important this season with the pac-10 being so good. anyway, then i hit the gym, came home, had a little dinner, and caught part of the indy-sd football game.  what a mess!  oh, well.  and i'm just relaxing this evening.  it's been good. :) so i hope you also had a good weekend.  g'night. ;) thursday 8 november 2007 10:40pm "if i had one call to make i would dial yesterday and warn myself tell my lips the words to say not let you just walk away" -- rascal flatts "better now" who would you cast to play me in a movie about my life?  who would you cast for yourself?  i don't have a good answer for myself, but what do you think? :) it was a good thursday, i guess.  i hate this "wintry" weather.  i mean, it's not actually very cold, but there's no sun and it's so gray.  bleh.  i want some sunshine!  :)   anyway, i went to work and actually made some good progress while also managing to read up a bit on the writers' strike and the upcoming basketball season, about which i'm totally pumped!  and really, it was a pretty uneventful day. after work, it was already dark.  lame.  but i headed for the gym and had a good workout.  then it was straight home for some "dinner."  chocolate chip pancakes count as dinner, right?  i counted them for dessert, as well. :)  delicious!  and then i talked to my brother briefly.  he sucks at returning phone calls lately.  lame.  and then i gave myself a (much deserved) manicure.  short and red.  or berry hard.  cute. :)  step one in trying to be as cute as jennifer nettles complete. ;)  and i talked to my parents.  i think they're coming down here to see adam this weekend.  it's poorly planned (adam's fault, not theirs), but i might get to hang out with mom a bit on saturday, so that's cool.  and i caught a little tv: last night's "gossip girl," tonight's "ugly betty," and "the office."  so fun! and i am thinking i'll tuck in a little bit early tonight.  hope you're well.  g'night. ;)  wednesday 7 november 2007 11:22pm pst don’ touch nuthin’/how it works/the cma post "baby, look here at me have you ever seen me this way i’ve been fumbling for words through the tears and the hurt and the pain" -- rascal flatts "winner at a losing game" i had a hard time deciding on the title for this post. normally, i have a hard time coming up with just one, but today three all seemed quite appropriate. so there you go. :) first up, the end to my trip to shephersville and lebanon junction, kentucky... at breakfast at the hotel, i was joined by about a dozen handsome, young men, apparently navy seals. they were staying at the same hotel. and they made for a good (early!) morning. ;) and then starla picked up jason and me and brought us over to the publshers press plant. we had an awesome tour of the presses and the bindery. amazing! the guide did a really great job of explaining the details of how the machines all work, and it was really cool to see them all. they have tons of just like connected warehouses full of equipment printing and folding and cutting and all sorts of other things. i felt like i was in the middle of an episode of "how it works" (do you ever watch that show on the science channel?). so cool! and i got to meet a few more people i talk to on the phone all the time but had never met in person before, so that was good. and then we had a couple hours before needing to be at the louisville airport, so starla gave us a brief tour of louisville. we drove by the university of louisville campus, through downtown, and by churchill downs, home of the kentucky derby. i definitely will get there one day for the derby, and i'll wear a fabulous hat. :) anyway, then it was time to head back to orange county via houston, texas. the trip home felt very long but was also really uneventful, which is good news when you're traveling. i made it back home by about 11:30pm. and then i had to be to work this morning bright and early... and i made it about half an hour late, not that i think anyone actually noticed. it's so relaxed around there. :) and i caught up on email and got a few things done. plus, it was good to catch up with marke. we talk so much normally, so we got back on track. and then we snuck out of the office about half an hour early because it was dark already and we were the only people in the office. :) it was straight to the gym for me, where i had a really good, hard workout. i needed that after being crammed on planes for two of the last three days. i feel much better now. and tonight is so fun because it is cma awards night... i'm thoroughly enjoying the show, i must say! i love that there are like 4 performances for every award handed out. they're the most exciting part of the show, i'd say. but then again, i've really enjoyed watching a few of these awards being presented. my jaw really did drop when they presented the brooks and dunn duo of the year award to sugarland! sugarland! aaahhh! no one wins that award besides brooks and dunn! seriously! i'm so excited for my girl jennifer nettles! amazing! i'm still smiling about this one! and then taylor swift rocked the horizon award (best new artist), like i knew she would! so cool! and keith looks so dapper despite nicole being on his arm. ;) and i love love the rascal flatts-jamie foxx duet, even if gary's voice was so wrecked tonight. the recording on the album is awesome! gary and jamie were roommates before either were famous. and i will always be happy to see kenny win entertainer of the year because he's incredible. especially live. and he has helped and befriended so many other artists along the way. i'm happy for him. :) great show tonight, really! (by the way, no tim and faith tonight. very interesting.) and so i should be off for tonight. i can always use a little extra sleep. seems like i'm not getting any. g'night. ;) monday 5 november 2007 9:43pm est "help me remember the way that we used to be when nothing else mattered 'cause you were loving me" -- rascal flatts "help me remember" okay, so i'm actually much closer to kansas now than when i started back in laguna, but i'm still kind of having a dorothy moment.  this place is so far from home.  i can appreciate it, especially with all the dense, pretty fall trees, but it's just not home.  starla drove us through the town of lebanon junction, which is where the larger of the two printing plants is, and it's really like podunk to me.  there are a few small homes, a hole-in-the-wall pizza place, a grocery store that's no longer in business, and a caution light.  and there's not a whole lot else around.  even shepherdsville, where we're staying, is teeny tiny.  there are like 10 fast food places, this hotel, and gas stations, from what i can tell.  so this really does feel like traveling, which is pretty cool. :) okay, so i got basically no sleep last night between trying to adjust to eastern time and needed to get up bright and early for our classes today.  after a quick hotel breakfast, we headed to publishers press.  we got classes and tours of printing presses and mail sorters and all sorts of other stuff for most of the day.  it was good to see a lot of that, as well as meet all the reps i've only ever known on the phone. this evening, after a brief rest back at the hotel, i had dinner with jason, starla, tina (another of our pubpress reps), two more clients, and another rep those clients use.  we ate at a place in elizabethtown (like the orlando bloom movie, which was actually filmed there), which was pretty good.  i was glad for a hot meal. and now i'm just hanging out.  we have more classes tomorrow before two long flights back to orange county.  houston is not exactly a convenient layover place between louisville and john wayne.  oh, well.  i think i'm about to crash.  i know i need the sleep. hope you're doing well.  g'night. ;)  sunday 4 november 2007 11:23pm est "it's twisted messed up and the more i think about it it's crazy, but so what i may never understand it i'm caught up and i'm hanging on i'm gonna love you even if it's wrong" -- carrie underwood "twisted" well, i made it to a brand new state.  kentucky!  honestly, i've seen pretty much nothing because it was already quite dark when we landed here.  but here i am in a hotel room in shepherdsville, kentucky.  it's a small town full of fast food restaurants, from what i can tell.  but i'll report back tomorrow on how it actually looks around here. :) so anyway, let's see... today.  i did a lot of flying.  i met jason at his house for a ride to the airport.  we had a long flight to cincinnati, which could have been worse (obviously, because i survived) but definitely could have been better.  i was next to a (really very nice) couple from west virginia that was very chatty and i was behind a guy who instantly reclined his seat into my lap and kept it that way for the whole flight, even though he was moving around the entire time, not sleeping.  in fact, he would lean back on the seat really hard about every 30 seconds.  seriously.  for over 3.5 hours.  and on top of the fact that he was so close to my face i couldn't hold my book in front of me (i switched between holding it on my lap and holding it out in the aisle).  and!  he had his dog with him in a little carrier thing and he took it out!  right after they'd served the snack so everyone was eating!  ugh.  but anyway, like i said, i survived fine. once in cincinnati, we had over an hour.  there was a tv right in my gate area with the pats-colts game, so i got to see most of the 4h quarter, which tom brady rocked so hard. :)  woot!  he just needed me rooting him on to play great! ;)  that was really fun to get to watch.  a nice little surprise. and the flight on a teeny, tiny plane from cincinnati to louisville was very short and totally fine.  i am making serious progress on the third book from the "sisterhood of the traveling pants" series.  almost done.  such fun reading! and starla, our rep at pubpress (the printer we're here to visit), picked up jason and me at the airport.  she brought us to outback for a little food before dropping us off at our hotel.  so yeah, that brings me to here, my room.  exciting, right? ;)  well, i have to get up really early tomorrow, especially considering i'm on west coast time, so i should probably at least get into bed like i'm ready to sleep. hope you had a good sunday.  i'll be back tomorrow to fill you in on all the printing press excitement! ;)  g'night. ;)  sunday 4 november 2007 8:33am a note before flying... i find it completely tragic that i'm spending all of today (it'll end up taking me at least 9 hours, door to door) flying instead of watching super bowl 41.5: new england-indianapolis.  the biggest game of the year.  and i'll have to get text updates during my layover in cincinnati to find out what's going on.  who scheduled this thing?!?  feel free to watch on my behalf, so long as you're rooting for my boyfriend tom brady and the rest of the pats. ;) saturday 3 november 2007 10:58pm "if i got down on my knees and told you i was yours forever would you get down on yours too and take my hand would we get that old-time feeling would we laugh and talk for hours the way we did when our love first began would you tell me that you've missed me, too and that you've been so lonely and you've waited for the day that i returned and we'd live and love forever and that i'm your one and only" -- carrie underwood "i told you so" well, it's been a good couple of days, and i admit that i'm not exactly ready to devote my sunday (sunday!  i love quiet sundays!) to work-related activities.  but that's what i'll be doing.  but i'm kind of getting ahead of myself.  let me rewind and tell you about the past couple days first. yesterday was a pretty normal friday.  i magically ended up in a really cute outfit, pairing a super old top that i hadn't worn in years with jeans and super high, super hott heels.  :)  so i win. ;)  haha!  okay, so actually, i went to work and kicked some butt there.  i got a ton of stuff done, including a promo piece, and mock-up of an upcoming project, and sending out the first november magazine for proofing.  so yeah, we never got to a game of bingo or any of the other goofing off that tends to come along on fridays, but at least i feel like i left things in excellent condition while i'm out monday and tuesday. then it was straight to the gym.  there's lots of gym in my life these days.  or at least i'm doing my best to make it happen.  i went this afternoon, as well.  feeling good. :) i talked to megs on the phone for a while last night, which was good.  it's nice to catch up with her, even on friday evenings when we're both exhausted. and then i spent the rest of my night straightening up this apartment and doing a little laundry.  seriously, the place was a mess.  i hadn't unpacked from either of the previous two weekends when i was gone.  the dishes hadn't been done in a long time.  there were clothes and shoes everywhere.  but now it's all totally under control, so that's great! and today was really quiet.  i hung around this morning not up to a whole lot.  i met up with bobby for a few minutes so i could (finally!!!) get some new shirts from him.  i picked up a few and i'll get photos of them up on flickr in the next few days.  and i'll let you know how to get your own! :) and after the gym, i went to target where i spent too much money on things i needed.  or wanted.  i mean, i went there with a list of essentials.  and i then i found a couple adorable, really cheap dresses that'll be great for winter.  so anyway, it was a good trip there. :) and then i talked to the parents and caught a little football and packed.  yep, packing again.  tomorrow morning, i'm headed to louisville (or shepherdsville, to be precise), kentucky, with my boss (jason) to visit our printer there.  we'll have classes and tours of the plants monday and tuesday, and then fly all the way back tuesday night.  so it's a quick trip and a long way, but i'm looking forward to seeing the place in person finally.  also, i'm bringing my computer, so you can still expect updates from me, and i'll get email and be online and all those things. :)  so anyway, i guess i'm once again off to a new state for me. don't forget to fall back tonight (2am).  g'night. ;)  thursday 1 november 2007 10:02pm "suppose i called you up tonight and told you that i love you and suppose i said i want to come back home and suppose i cried and said i think i finally learned my lesson and i'm tired of spending all my time alone if i told you that i realized you're all i ever wanted and it's killing me to be so far away would you tell my that you love me too and would we cry together" -- carrie underwood "i told you so" i probably am actually in no state to watch this much dramatic tv.  i am not talking "the office" jim-pam drama.  i'm talking "grey's anatomy" drama.  or even "ugly betty" with the craziness with henry.  anyway, i probably am not emotionally stable enough.  and yet, here i am watching intently.  it's what i do to myself. so thursday.  well, it started out kind of crazy.  i had weird dreams last night.  i know they're dreams but i also don't know if the information revealed in them is true or not.  i mean, it's very improbably, but it's weird to just not actually know.  anyway, that didn't really get things off on the right foot.  oh, well. and then work.  i discovered my reese's that i'd left on my desk last night were missing this morning.  john stole them.  i was so disappointed.  it's so sad when food you're anticipating enjoying is stolen!  i mean, it's november 1.  that is the only day of the year when eating candy at 9am doesn't include guilt.  so no candy.  i ended up picking up some more at lunchtime.  and a couple magazines to enjoy, because that's what happens when i go into a grocery store. after work, i headed for the gym.  had a great workout.  came straight home and had a great dinner.  got cleaned up.  talked to the parents.  and now i'm watching too much tv instead of straightening up around here.  (i'll take care of it tomorrow. :)) i'm tired.  hope you're well.  g'night. ;)  wednesday 31 october 2007 10:20pm "i wish you were where you're supposed to be close to me but here i am just staring at this candle burning down still no sound" -- carrie underwood "i know you won't" happy halloween.  i'm not huge on this particular holiday, but i did get into the spirit a little bit.  i went to work today dressed in a t-shirt that's printed to look like a doctor's lab coat, kind of like those t-shirts that are printed to look like a tuxedo.  yes, very tacky.  also, very cheap and very easy. :)  anyway, almost no one at work was dressed up this year, which is neither here nor there, really.  work was work.  nothing too crazy.  john did tell us yesterday that we could leave at 3 today, though, so that was an excellent treat! i headed straight for the gym for a good workout.  i worked really hard yesterday, so i needed to get back in there and loosen up my tight muscles.  felt good. :)  and it's great to go at like 3:30 when no one's there. then i came home, cleaned up, and headed back out again.  i went to the movies to see "lars and the real girl."  it was between that and "dan in real life," but marke suggested "lars," so i went with that.  plus, i figured my window to see "dan" is probably longer.  anyway, the movie was good, but it was very different than what i had expected.  i was thinking more romantic comedy and less family drama.  and i often found myself torn between laughing at lars and crying for him.  anyway, it was a good movie and really well acted, so i'm still glad i saw it.  but i am looking forward to "dan," which is definitely a romantic comedy.  maybe saturday? anyway, i was back home around 8.  i had a really good dinner (thanks to that trader joe's run last night), and i've just been hanging out in front of the tv.  i don't really get trick-or-treaters here, so it barely feels like halloween right now. so things are decent.  i'm still going a little bit crazy, but you know.  you never know what tomorrow brings.  g'night. ;)  tuesday 30 october 2007 10:26pm there were a couple things i forgot to add to my earlier post: 1) i added new photos to my flickr.  i added to my set of photos from ucla's family weekend, and added a couple of photos of me and dad from last weekend. 2) i am in love with meg allison's new ep.  check out some tracks on her myspace, especially "i want you to" and "i'm with you"  tuesday 30 october 2007 10:16pm "baby, why'd you have to leave me, why'd you have to go i was counting on forever, now i'll never know i can't even breathe it's like i'm looking from a distance, standing in the background everybody's saying, he's not coming home now this can't be happening to me this is just a dream" -- carrie underwood "just a dream" i admit that i was less than anxious to get back down here yesterday (monday morning). i had a great weekend in san carlos with the parents. but it was back to reality bright and early. i was at the airport by 7 and landed in the oc before 10. and i was in the office around 10:30. so back to reality i went. work's been quiet, which is fine by me. it's going to pick up in the next few days, though, as we prepare the month's three magazines, jason and i go to kentucky to visit our printer, and the company shuts down for the thanksgiving holiday. anyway, yeah,work's fine. and really, i've just been catching up on errands and such. tonight, i did a load of laundry (i desperately needed that) and picked up some actual groceries at trader joe's. and i've had way too much time for thinking. that happens to me. my head's all everywhere. anyway, hope you're doing well. g'night. ;) sunday 28 october 2007 10:57pm "if we leave tonight and drive fast enough all our troubles will be just like us long gone, baby let's get out of this town tonight" -- carrie underwood "get out of this town" it's been a wonderful weekend back home. seriously. i'm so thankful. :) i really am wishing i had a couple more quiet days around here to just continue to relax. but anyway, i'll head to the airport bright and early tomorrow morning and get back to my regular life. this morning, mom, dad, and i went up to the city to the ferry building. they have lots of little specialty food shops, and we ended up with amazing cheeses, bread, and chocolates. mmm... my favorite things, really. :) and we just wandered around a bit. it was nice. and we ran into the parents of one of my friends from high school. it was great to see them! and dad and i spent the afternoon baking apple pies. he picked a bucket of apples from his tree in the backyard, and we put a couple pies together. awesome! and quite delicious. :) though i didn't actually try a slice until just a few minutes ago. for dinner, i picked up kath from her dorm at stanford and we had a very mellow dinner at pizza chicago, which was really good. it's great to see her and get her to take a little study break. she has midterms coming up this week, so she's been stuck in a room reading for the weekend. and i didn't get to meet up with troy today, but i did at least get to chat with him a bit. he sounds like he's doing well, though we somehow ended up talking way more about me. anyway, it was a lovely evening. now i'm making sure i'm all packed up and enjoying tonight's "brothers and sisters." i should get to bed soon. hope you also had a really nice weekend. g'night. ;) saturday 27 october 2007 11:33pm "don't need directions don't need a map if we get lost i'll be good with that yeah, we'll find a way to make the time pass windows rolled down with the heat on high stars all aligned in a runaway sky holding my hand as the miles roll by long gone, baby" -- carrie underwood "get out of this town" wow. i'm beyond glad i decided to come home to san carlos this weekend. so far, it's been lovely. the thing about coming here totally at the last minute is no one knows i'm here. and i don't have many plans. it's quite relaxing this way. and after what felt like a crazy, stressful week, that's exactly what i'm needing. :) so i had a really nice saturday. i slept in a bit (i think it helped that mom was out the house, so it was super quiet), and then hung around with dad watching football. he even made me waffles for breakfast. :) and i did eventually get cleaned up and dressed and put on a cute outfit. sarah came down from woodland this afternoon, so we did what we do: shopping and eating and shopping. we went down to stanford shopping center and walked all around and had fun, though we pretty much bought nothing. and so we decided to venture farther south to santana row. we were hungry even though it was a little bit early for dinner (5:30ish), so we went to maggiano's, where they informed us that they were totally full on reservations for the entire night. crazy! but we found a couple spots at the bar, where they also serve the full menu. so we had a delicious (and quick) dinner there before doing a little more shopping. turns out they opened a brand new h&m there this week, so we explored that. sarah and i both spotted the same red handbag on a display. it was the only one left in the store. so we split the cost and plan to share it! fabulous idea, right? :) she has it first, and she'll bring it to me when she comes to visit in a few weeks. excellent! and now i'm just hanging out. my parents are tucking in, and i will crash soon, too. we're planning on going to the city in the morning to the ferry building to enjoy the harvest festival there. i'm mostly looking forward to the artisan breads and cheeses. mmm... :) and i'll probably find a friend or two to have dinner with. should be wonderful, right? now, i just have to figure out how to get all my trips to san carlos to be this quiet. ;) hope you're having a nice weekend, as well. g'night. ;) thursday 25 october 2007 11:11pm (wish!) "got it all figured out inside of my head there's a bag packed up at the foot of my bed you say the word, baby, i'm all set we'll cover our tracks tell a couple white lies make sure we got a good alibi and by the time they catch on we'll be outta there sight long gone, baby let's get out of this town tonight nothing but dust in the shadows gone by morning light somewhere we won't ever get caught, ever be found baby, let's just get out of this town" -- carrie underwood "get out of this town" i woke up thinking perhaps today's air would be better than yesterday's.  then i looked outside.  nope.  the same.  maybe worse.  my apartment smelled like fire, too.  not a good sign.  and i headed out this morning into ash and smoke definitely worse than yesterday, though i'll admit that san clemente was better than here. so i worked some today.  nothing that exciting, really.  it's weird.  i had to go out to get lunch (i only want pizza delivered so many days in a row) and there was no one out.  the schools are closed.  it's like a ghost town or something.  anyway, i worked today.  exciting. ;) went to the gym.  worked my butt off.  came home.  had dinner.  watched some tv.  cried like a baby at the end of "ugly betty" (stop judging me ;)).  and am now enjoying "the office" and chatting with some friends. there is some fun news today, though!  i booked a last-minute trip home to san carlos.  i am getting out of this smoke and going to see the family and some friends, and i couldn't be more excited. so i'm off for tonight.  hope you're doing well.  g'night. ;) wednesday 24 october 2007 9:28pm "when the morning breaks i'll awake and then i won't want you to go and when you're gone i'll hold on to the memory all day and, baby, when the sun comes up, yeah, yeah, yeah so listen here now, i know you've been hurt by the one before, i know your pain and i know you never thought you could love again but i know the way, yeah, yeah and i know about your circumstance but love is here at a second chance so take my hand and follow me you'll never wanna leave" -- john legend "sun comes up" i thought it might get worse.  it did.  the smoke from a few different fires around here feels like it's closing in.  it's not windy anymore, so the smoke is just hanging around.  it's covered the whole sky.  i woke up to brown instead of lovely blue.  it was still brown when it got (prematurely) dark, as well.  everything seems dusty or ashy.  it's definitely not healthy to be outside.  i put a few photos i took around town up on my flickr just so you can get an idea. it is good to hear some of the fires have slowed and are closer to containment.  i just am not quite feeling the effects of that here yet.  i'm also glad to hear some remarkable stories, particularly that everything is going quite well down at qualcomm stadium.  amazing.  thanks, san diegans.  so we'll see how things go tomorrow, i suppose.  i am feeling a little bit anxious to get back outside again. :) work went fine today.  the building is a decent, but not perfect, refuge from the smoke filling san clemente.  it did eventually work its way in.  but it was much better in there than other places.  marke brough tai, his dog, into the office because his apartment was just too smoky.  since i feel like i already know tai, i didn't really mind having a dog around most of the day at all.  oh, and i did get a fair amount of work done considering how distracted i was between trying to follow fire news and trying to keep an eye on the dog. :) after work, i headed for the gym.  they have air conditioning.  it was pretty decent air.  i had a great workout, though i did have a weird incident.  there was almost no one there, but two other guys and i were watching the baseball game (game 1 of the world series) on one of the tvs.  there was only one other guy in the room and he was reading a book intently.  anyway, a y employee walked in, realized that particular tv wasn't on cnn, and changed the channel.  i asked him not to since everyone in the room was watching that.  he insisted that that particular tv must be on cnn exclusively.  no.  one.  else.  was.  watching.  tv.  in.  the.  whole.  room.  after putting up a little bit of a fight, he conceded and put the game back on.  i was just astounded at how a guy who just happened to be walking through the room (he doesn't like sit in that room or anything) decided purely because of crazy y bureaucracy that he should change the channel on the 1 tv everyone was watching.  think, people.  don't let silly, unimportant regulations ruin the fun your customers were having.  put all the other tvs on cnn for all we care!  anyway, it turned out fine.  i just thought it was silly. :) and now i'm hanging out with my tv and the air conditioner.  i'm doing fine.  hope you are, too.  g'night. ;)  tuesday 23 october 2007 10:08pm "wait a minute, baby, i'm not through i intend to spend more than one night with you a love affair that never ends like the old song says, 'let's do it again' come with me, i know you'll stay you'll wake up in the morning to a brand new day" -- john legend "sun comes up" i know.  i know.  it's about time i post an update, especially with all the craziness that is socal right now.  so not to worry, i'm fine.  not on fire. let me start with the weekend.  i went up to la (westwood, century city) to meet up with my parents and brother for ucla family weekend.  really, though, we did very little that was actually related to the official family weekend activities.  we did dinner at an italian place in the century city shopping center friday night that was way more delicious than i had anticipated!  and saturday we went out to pasadena to the rose bowl to see the ucla football team take on cal.  um... what to say... it was a pain in the ass to get out there, park, and get out, but i wanted to go to the rose bowl.  it's a sports landmark.  so i did it and enjoyed the game, but i don't think i'll be out there for all the ucla home games. :)  at least we got to spend a little time in downtown pasadena afterwards, including a perfect pizza dinner and a little shopping.  sunday morning, we did breakfast at jerry's and then parted ways.  i headed back to the century city shopping center to officially start my christmas shopping.  and i did a pretty good job!  oh... and i might have found a few wonderful things for myself while i was at it. ;) and since then, i've really just been working.  though, honestly, we've been a bit distracted while at work.  the news is constantly changing and takes some tracking down.  but i did ship the final magazine of the month today, so that's great. :) okay, so there are fires in socal.  before i really get to what i want to write, let me just acknowledge that they're really devastating to lots of people who aren't me or my loved ones.  there are thousands and thousands way more affected than i am.  i'm lucky to be very safe and not really worrying for my own safety.   now, onto how it has been for me... there are a few fires that are too close.  first there was the malibu fire that struck extremely close to pepperdine.  seems like things will be okay there, but looking at these photos i definitely was scared.  and then there's the santiago fire that started in irvine.  it's not actually that far from here, it will burn a whole lot more, and it'll come too close for comfort to the homes of several people i know.  it doesn't get much news coverage because it's not as big as some of the other fires.  and there's the rice fire out near fallbrook that is contributing to the smoke out here, as well as blocking some roads people i know use regularly.  and of course, there's the witch fire north of san diego that's evacuated homes of people i know.  and there are some smaller fires here and there contributing to the chaos.  again, it's pretty smoky here (though it depends on the winds at the moment), and it's extremely hot and dry.  honestly, i'd probably love this weather if there weren't all the fires and i could stand to be outside for more than a few moments.  i turned on my air conditioning for the first time ever because it's too warm to have it off and the windows closed.  my sinuses hurt from breathing all the ash and whatever other nasty pollution is in the air from the fires, causing me to have a headache.  i probably should just to go bed.  i'd feel better.  but anyway, i think the air conditioning is helping with it. so i am managing, and so is everyone else i know.  on the other hand, there are lots of other people who aren't, and my thoughts are with them. and i think that's about enough from me for tonight.  hope you're doing well and keeping safe.  g'night. ;)  sunday 21 october 2007 10:27pm ... a few notes from me tonight. 1) i'm back from la, where i spent the weekend with the family. 2) we had a good time. i have a few photos, but i'm trying to get more from mom. 3) the malibu fire makes me sad, though thankful it wasn't worse. thursday 18 october 2007 10:34pm "baby, when the sun comes up i'm gonna be holding you it's destiny that you're next to me i'm in love with you oh, and, baby, when i wake up i'm gonna be there with you a new day rise i wanna look in your eyes when the sun comes up" -- john legend "sun comes up"   honestly, it wasn't a particularly eventful day.  at least that i can write about. ;)  i mean, it surely feels like i've been working my ass off all day long, but it might not necessarily make for a good post.  i considered not even posting, but this could be my last post before next week.  tomorrow i'm headed up to westwood to join the fam at ucla for family weekend.  i should be back sunday afternoon/evening.  anyway, about today... got up.  had an amazing chocolate croissant again for breakfast.  seriously, go to your trader joe's to the frozen section, find the chocolate croissants, and bake yourself some.  i swear, you're thank me. :)  anyway, i headed off to work after a strange attempt to visit the atm near me. work.  i did lots of it and also lots of waiting on other people to do their work, too.  it ended with me handing off two magazines at 5:20 to becky (they have to be delivered to the ups store by 5:30) and wrapping things up being the last person in the office.  lame.  whatever.  i did take an early lunch to head over to costco for a flu shot (went so great!  no lines, nice nurses) and then pick up lunch at pedro's. after work, i headed for the gym and had an amazing workout on the elliptical.  i think i was working out some aggression.  :)  anyway, that went well.  then i came home, had dinner, packed for the weekend, and watched (too much) tv.  there's more tv ahead, as i still need to catch "the office."  and then i'm crashing. not sure if i'll update before the weekend because i'm not sure about my plans for heading up there.  anyway, i'm off until next time.  g'night. ;)  wednesday 17 october 2007 10:56pm "you were ready to fly i was ready to fall anything was possible there wasn't a cloud in the clear blue sky the world was low we were up so high looking down on the road not getting lost in the love that we were making and you asked me if you ever crossed my mind hey, girl i go back there all the time" -- drew davis band "back there all the time"   i feel like i really want to write tonight, though i'm not quite sure what it was that i wanted to say.  hmm. well, work went pretty well today, but i would say there were a couple highlights.  marke told the funniest story ever which i'll never be able to properly retell, partially because i'd be laughing too hard and partially because it was kind of (very unintentionally) obscene.  something about him installing the computer monitor into the arcade cabinet he's building.  anyway, i also loved lunch while reading the new "instyle."  i <3 that magazine! after work, headed for the gym.  it was strangely crowded at the moment i went in, so there were no elliptical machines for me.  i got on a treadmill instead.  a few ellipticals opened up quickly, but i stuck with the treadmill, despite the fact that i really wasn't enjoying it.  but i survived and headed home. i cleaned up, had a quick dinner, and headed back out.  i wanted to check out a new shoe store near here that we'd been talking about at work today.  turned out it was way bigger than i had anticipated, and they had lots to choose from.  i found a pair to meet one of the two needs i had established before i headed to the store: good, brown heels i can wear a lot.  excellent! :)  and i went to trader joe's for more of those chocolate croissants before heading home. and tonight i've just been hanging out.  i talked to the parents.  i'm excited to see them on friday and for the weekend! :)  and i've been watching tv: "gossip girl," "private practice," and now "pushing daisies."  fun. :) and i am headed to bed soon.  g'night. ;)  tuesday 16 october 2007 9:20pm "took a long walk after midnight trying to make sense of it all tried to catch a glimpse of my old life but your face was all i saw blue eyes staring through me baby, what are you doing to me" -- kenny chesney "scare me"   i had an unintentionally quiet tuesday, but i guess that's alright.  i think i'm going to try to tuck in early.  but before i get to that, i'll write just a little bit for you. :) i got up a few minutes early so i could put those chocolate croissants into the oven before i got into the shower.  and wow.  they turned out amazing!  what a great breakfast.  i could get seriously addicted. ;)  anyway, i had a wonderful breakfast and headed off to work. work was a little bit crazy today as i feel like i'm doing a lot of unexpected hurry-up-and-wait stuff with the magazines this month.  i tried to avoid that happening but that's how it's going.  oh, well.  i got my stuff done and that's really all i could do today.  also, i did get out of the office for a few minutes to grab lunch at pedro's.  that was a much-needed break, i'm sure. and after work, i headed straight for home.  i was meant to meet up with bobby, but i got stood up.  again.  that's kind of how it goes with us.  i'll never, ever get those shirts i've been designing, but oh, well.  maybe some time eventually.  it's still such a rad project we're working on, so i put up with our completely misaligned schedules. and so i watched "beauty and the geek" tonight instead. :)  it was the makeover episode, always the best of the season!  and oh wow!!!  seriously?!?  the makeovers were incredible.  everyone (except joshua, who has no hope but still looked a thousand times better) looked so hott!  seriously!  hott!  and i already know they're crazy smart.  i love this episode!  i think i was grinning from ear to ear through the whole makeover reveal segment.  awesome! :) and now i'm going to do a bit of straightening around the apartment, listen to the opry a bit on my tv (woot!  taylor swift and emerson drive!), and tuck in early with a magazine. g'night. ;)  monday 15 october 2007 10:52pm "he said it's crazy how love stays with me you know it hurts me that i didn't figure it out before and now it's too late for a soliloquy it's way too late for dignity it's time for apologies" -- grace potter and the nocturnals "apologies" the rockies are national league champions and get to make their first ever world series appearance.  that's fun for them!  i just had the game on as i've hanging out here, so i thought i should mention.  i'll pull for them in the series, whether it's against boston or cleveland.  i don't have ties to any teams, but maybe it would earn the national league and the national league west a little respect.  anyway, october's baseball season...? in other news, it was a good monday, and the day really went very differently than i had planned. i got up this morning to discover it was quite gray out, so i threw on a sweater and jeans and headed out, stopping only for a bagel on my way to the office.  and i wasn't exceptionally late despite the fact that i was moving very slowly this morning.  anyway, i got to work fine.  brian decided to make an appearance today, which is not normal for mondays.  of course, he's more than welcome any day of the week, and i like it busy around there.  it's fun! :) john took everyone out to lunch at wahoo's today for no particular reason.  he did, however, take the opportunity to grill the newest rtc group employee, carrie.   that was fun. :)  mostly, he's harmless (if perhaps also a little inappropriate ;)).  and it's a good thing i was well fed because i spent the afternoon working quite hard.  i didn't think i'd get enough done by 5 to leave on time, but i did!  i win! ;) so i headed to the gym, chatting briefly with dad on my way.  the gym went well.  then i came home, had dinner, cleaned up, and went to trader joe's for a few little things, including chocolate croissants that i'm definitely looking forward to for tomorrow morning. :)  and since then, i've just been hanging out.  i enjoyed tonight's "how i met your mother," and i also tried a new show, "samantha who?"  it was cool.  i'll give it another episode next week. and now i'm so sleepy i just want to crawl into bed.  more from me next time.  g'night. ;)  sunday 14 october 2007 8:50pm "my love is like a blanket that gets a little bit too warm sometimes i wanna wrap somebody in it who can hold me in his arms 'cause when it got a little too hot in there he was always stepping out for air and he froze oh, he froze" -- grace potter and the nocturnals "apologies" it's been a nice weekend, even if it did kind of get off to a rocky start.  and i'm ready for more weekend, actually, not really wanting to get back to work quite yet.  but anyway, here's kind of how my weekend went. :) i woke up at 3am on saturday morning with the rain pouring down. i couldn't get back to sleep until about an hour later.  i tried everything i could think of, but it eventually came to "the fresh prince of bel-air" reruns.  and so i slept in too late on saturday, but i didn't have a whole lot planned anyway. so saturday.  well, i spent a good portion of the afternoon on the couch watching tv and just hanging out really.  it was nice. :)  and i did eventually put on clothes and head to the gym for a workout.  i knew that'd help with the sleeping thing for saturday night, and that's good news when i'm kind of dreading sleep because of how poorly the previous night went.  so anyway, the gym.  and then i got cleaned up and spent too much time at target digging through the dollar bin for "the office" merchandise, like pens, pencils, and post-it notes.  so fun! :)  i mean, i totally need these i <3 jim post-its! ;)  oh, and i picked up some actual essentials while i was there.  and then i spent the rest of the night watching more tv: "legally blonde: the musical" on mtv, and jon bon jovi (looking hott) hosting "snl." and then there was today. i did more actual things today.  i went up to orange to go to steve and barry's.  i'd been meaning to check out the amanda bynes collection there, as well as the new winter pieces of sjp's line.  i actually didn't find a ton, but i did come home with a cute little dress and a halloween "costume."  and since i was already there, i checked out a few other stores but didn't find a whole lot.  then it was down to mission viejo to macy's looking for a couple other things.  that was pretty successful. :) then i raced home, caught the end of tom brady kicking some cowboy butt, and headed off to the gym.  yep, twice in one weekend.  this girl is trying to be really good these days.  anyway, then i came home and totally finished catching up on my tv from the past two weeks.  i swear, "brothers and sisters" has some, like, magical powers over me.  i'm so involved in the characters' lives.  i love them!  and because of the nature of the show, that means i pretty much cry with each episode.  but i love it!  so anyway, now i'm all caught up and looking forward to a new episode later tonight. okay, so that's about it from here.  exciting, right? ;)  haha!  well anyway, hope you had a good weekend. until next time... g'night. ;)  friday 12 october 2007 10:37pm "i'm not afraid of lonely i've gotten good at being that ain't seen nothin' that could hold me say goodbye and don't look back running, always ready feel as strong and steady but you scare me" -- kenny chesney "scare me" well, it's has been a pretty good couple of days, and i'm very excited that it's now the weekend.  i'm exhausted, ready for some rest, and mulling the possibility of spending tomorrow in my pajamas. :)  anyway, i guess this is where i get on with telling you about the past two days or so. :) yesterday and today, quite frankly, have been pretty uneventful.  they've mostly been filled with me working (not so hard but getting enough done to get by).  it's probably not so healthy that i miss the boys when i'm gone for a week, so it's nice to have them keep me company a bit when i'm around the office.  yesterday, brian and i picked up lunch together and then planned to read but i think just ended up chatting at our desks instead.  today, i picked up lunch myself and did actually get some reading done (i'm working through "in search of excellence).  good times at work! ;)  anyway, that's all been fine. i've also, as you might have already noticed, totally on a tv binge this week.  it's like a double dose as i try to catch up on what i missed last week as well as try to keep up with the new shows this week.  anyway, the weekend should give me some time to fully get caught up.  oh yes, this is unhealthy.  i will need to cut some shows, but for now the new shows (you know, besides old favorites) that i'm loving are "big shots," "gossip girl," "private practice," and "dirty sexy money."  fun stuff all around!  i guess i really am a sucker for those nighttime soaps. and what else is up?  well, not too much really.  gym.  talked to the fam.  the normal stuff.  so i will let you know how the weekend develops. g'night. ;)  wednesday 10 october 2007 11:19pm "but now when the whistle blows the difference is night and day 'cause it means i'll have to head on home and spend another night alone counting memories that you left behind" -- joe nichols "the difference is night and day" well, it was a pretty good day around here, though nothing too interesting or out of the ordinary. put on a cute new shirt, went to work, did a little actual work, hung out with the boys a bit. brian, chris, and i did a good lunch together at scpc. left on time (woot!). went to the gym. watched too much tv (so fun!). am about to crash. okay, so i promised to tell you about me getting pranked while i was on vacation. so here it goes. i hope this translates from life to blog. here it goes. so the background to this is that (in case you don't remember) there was a guy named barry who worked with me for a few months. we didn't get along well at all. he disappeared, and we've all moved on at work. awesome. well, the fact that barry and i (and everyone else) didn't get along is not a secret. monday morning when i arrived at work, i found some things wrong with my desk. wrong keyboard and the new one had all the keys arranged with barry's last name in the middle. my clear cup had a photo of barry's face taped to the bottom so i could see it while drinking. and then i found some more photos around my desk. let me state this very clearly: these are all very, very fake and would never ever ever ever ever happen in real life. ever. this would be a photo of katherine and me from bainbridge island, and tragically, kath has been replaced. this is me at wyatt way on bainbridge island with barry added in and the car wash sign changed to feature his name. me and the girls taking our cheezy space needle photo. barry (and his fake photoshop arm) has been added. me in lahaina. it's impossible for barry to be standing there because there's a wall. anyway, this photo really grosses me out. this is an edited version of an annie leibovitz photo that i have a postcard of on my bulletin board. yeah, they even went so far as to ruin actual art. this is my wallpaper at work on my (huge 30-inch) monitor.  it's santorini, and i cannot take credit for such a beautiful photo.  anyway, there are 8 hidden barrys in this photo now, so click on it for the full-size version to see if you can spot all of them.   this might be my favorite part so far. the left is a poster of dwight that was featured in an episode of the tv show "the office." the right is the version that features a drawing of barry instead. so funny! (again, this is totally fake. don't freak out.) and i am told that there are more pieces of barry around my desk that i haven't yet discovered, so i'll continue to update you. but anyway, this was really quite a hilarious idea, even i'm a little nervous about putting these photos on the internet at all. but they're fake! so fake! :) okay, so i need to get to bed now. g'night. ;) tuesday 9 october 2007 11:08pm "if you just realize what i just realized that we'd be perfect for each other and will never find another just realized what i just realized we'd never have to wonder if we missed out on each other now" -- colbie caillat "realize" well, it was a decent tuesday.  it turned out to be really quite relaxed, and that's awesome. :) so got up, took too long to get ready but got to put on the new dress i got in hawaii, and headed to work only a few minutes late. :) work went well today.  it was pretty quiet around the office, and i spent the day taking care of the minor tasks on my plate.  and actually, i accomplished everything i intended in less time than i anticipated.  awesome! :)  and i did a chill lunch, picking up pedro's and eating at my desk while reading the latest issue of "us."  (i don't normally read that magazine but i thoroughly enjoyed the style issue this week.)  and i left on time with the rest of the department. we all went to the chart house for to celebrate the arm conference being over (for this year).  so jason, marke, katrina, chris, brian, taylor and i met at the chart house in dana point.  wow!  the building is really cool, and the view from there is even more amazing.  that's awesome!  of course, it was a little weird because jason brought us there for drinks and appetizers, and i don't drink and i don't care for any of the appetizers on their menu, so yeah.  but!  i ordered dessert instead, and that was amazing!  chocolate lava cake!  my favorite! :) then i took marke and katrina home (figured i'd drive them so they could take advantage of free drinks), and i headed home myself.  i talked to adam and also my parents, which was good.  and i've just been watching some tv and relaxing since i got home.  nothing too exciting.  but that's good.  and i'm about to crash for the evening. hope you're well.  g'night. ;)  monday 8 october 2007 9:52pm "here and now, dear all my love i vow, dear promise me that you will leave me never i will love you longer than forever" -- hawaiian wedding song well, i'm back from hawaii, sadly. ;)  actually, i had a wonderful time there, but there are always things about home i miss while i'm away.  anyway, it was so relaxing and great, and i figure i'll take a few minutes to write about how things went since my last update. but first, all the photos i'll post are now posted on my flickr in the maui set.  enjoy those! :) so wednesday morning, mom and i headed up to paia, which is the last town before you set out on the road to hana.  it's an old sugar plantation town but is now full of old buildings that have been converted into boutiques and cafes.  so mom and i wandered around a bit, which was good fun. :)  then it was time to get sarah from the airport and grab some lunch.  and after letting her get settled and lying on the beach a little bit, we put on cute dresses and headed into lahaina.  we wandered around a bit and then had dinner at the best restaurant on the island, david paul's.  delicious!  of course! :) thursday we managed to get up a little bit early and headed down to wailea.  we wanted breakfast at longhi's there, and that went pretty well.  the actual restaurant was awesome!  just the perfect atmosphere blending inside and outside.  so lovely!  also, i spotted steven tyler dining with a couple other people several tables down (though there were only a few tables occupied there).  that's a real celebrity!  anyway, then we did shopping at the shops at wailea, which was really fun!  found a few great things.  sarah even found a gorgeous dress at banana republic on the sale rack.  and she could wear it to the wedding!  we just needed to find a good pair of black shoes to go with it!  so we went to the mall in kahalui, but didn't find much so decided to head back to the condo for a little rest.  but eventually we were hungry, so we went to the whalers' village to leilani's for dinner, which was another place that was just awesome to dine in!  so cool!  i want dinner outside more often. and we really didn't have much planned for friday.  sarah and went to java jazz for breakfast because it was just across the street, and it turned out to have amazing chocolate chip pancakes!  so we ate too much and loved it all! :)  and then we tried to go lay on the beach but it started to rain a bit, so we changed our plans.  we got dressed and all headed to the whalers' village for some shopping.  there, sarah found her shoes and i found a lovely casual dress for myself! :)  so adorable!  and then we did find some time to sit outside and read and relax by the ocean.  and then mom wanted to attend a cocktail party that was being held in caren and clayton's (the bride and groom) suite the night before the wedding, but sarah and i weren't so interested since we wouldn't really know anyone.  so instead, we had dinner at spat's, also at the hyatt.  well, the dinner was pretty delicious (if overpriced), but more fun was the wacky restaurant.  we counted 20 different floral patterns just from where we were sitting!  so weird!  and very quiet.  i don't know how to describe it, i guess, other than odd.  but we had a good time. :) and saturday we didn't do too much.  we had breakfast at cj's, which was pretty good, and then we laid out in the sun reading for a bit.  it was actually just really quiet and nice.  and then we picked up a quick lunch at maui tacos.  kind of like maui's version of all these socal taco stands.  anyway, then we got all dressed up and went to the wedding at the hyatt, the reason any of us were in hawaii in the first place.  caren is the daughter of some of my parents' oldest friends, the mchughs.  we spent a lot of time with them especially when i was a kid, as caren and her younger sister, ashley, made great playmates.  it'd been a while since i'd actually seen any of the mchughs, though.  anyway, it was a lovely wedding right near the water in the afternoon, and then they served dinner and there was dancing.  it was great to see charlene, greg, caren, and ashley again, too!  and though it was a little  weird not to know anyone else, sarah and i survived. and sunday was leaving day.  after seeing mom off, sarah and i went back to java jazz for one more round of chocolate chip pancakes, equally good the second time!  and then we headed to the airport oursevles, and i was back home at 10pm.  hawaii over. today was back to reality. work was pretty mellow, though, which was good.  we have a new girl, carrie (or is it kari, karri, karie, cary...?), who seems really, really nice and will be working with the sales team.  very cool! and i got pranked while i was gone.  of course.  payback for the post-its.  more on this tomorrow, though. :) for now, i'm going to catch up on some more tv and then crash.  g'night. ;)  thursday 4 october 2007 11:21pm i will write more about these later, i swear.  briefly tonight before i crash... there are a couple new photos on my maui flickr set. yesterday: pa'ia with mom shopping at little boutiques, picking up sarah at the airport, lying on the beach, fancy dinner in lahaina. today: drove down to wailea, had breakfast, saw a celebrity, shopped, went to kahalui for a bit more shopping, rested and watched a little tv, did dinner in kaanapali. it's been lovely!  will write more soon. :) g'night. ;)  tuesday 2 october 2007 9:41pm "don't know how i'm going to find her all i know so far she's on the coast of somewhere beautiful running with my heart oh, she's running with my heart on the coast of somewhere beautiful" -- kenny chesney "on the coast of somewhere beautiful" yes.  that would be correct.  dining options are selected from the frommers guidebook i have.  and believe me, that's an excellent way to go.  they don't steer me (or anyone else, for that matter) wrong, i swear.  mom finally put the pieces together today (this is not the first occasion on which i've consulted a frommers guidebook while with her).  we're eating based on frommers.  otherwise, how do i know a place is going to be good.  you can't really tell just by looking, i promise. so anyway, mom and i have been relaxing a lot while in maui, and that includes some excellent meals.  but maybe i should tell you about them in the larger context of our day.  after kind of just hanging around a bit this morning, we decided to go for a drive, so we drove up through kahana, napili, and kapalua (though that place is dead right now with the ritz carlton being closed for renovations).  and then we ended up driving south all the way down to kihei, which was alright.  we walked around a bit and then had an amazingly delicious pizza for lunch at shaka pizza, which frommers says is the best in south maui.  anyway, very good white pizza there! then we headed back up to the condo, i switched into a bathing suit, and we went and laid out oceanside and took in some sun.  i read some and i napped some, and it was all-around excellent!  and then it got crazy windy (it's been a blustery day all day, but it got really bad in the afternoon) and a little cloudy (obstructing my sun!), so we came back up here.  i sat on the lanai (confusing because i could also see the island of lanai from there) and read some more. and this evening, we went down to lahaina for dinner at kimo's and then to walk around the shops a bit.  dinner was incredible.  of course, kimo's is a maui institution, so it figured it was good.  anyway, the highlight of the meal was definitely the hula pie for dessert: macadamia nut ice cream in a chocolate shell and with an oreo crust with hot fudge and whipped cream on top.  amazing! i added a few photos of dinner to the maui set on my flickr so you can see! sarah arrives tomorrow, which is exciting!  and i'm guessing there will be more great meals and more lying around and more shopping in the coming days.  sounds great, right?  for now, g'night. ;)  monday 1 october 2007 10:31pm the first batch of photos from maui are up on my flickr.  i'll continue to update when i can while i'm in the islands and definitely upon returning to the mainland.  i'll keep you posted. :) monday 1 october 2007 10:05pm "sometimes when the sun goes down shadows fall across this little town and i close my eyes and i drift away to another place in another time when the world was ours and she was mine i dream of holding her again someday" -- kenny chesney "on the coast of somewhere beautiful" so maui.  it's lovely, really. :)  the whole plan, of course, is really do to as little as possible, and that's pretty much how today went. when i woke up (at 6:30 because of the 3-hour time change), it was raining and it continued to do so until about 10:30 or so.  but then it cleared up and it was a beautiful, warm, sunny day.  wonderful!  mom and i had breakfast here before heading down to lahaina for a little shopping.  we picked up a couple souvenirs and wandered around a little.  we even made the requisite trip to hilo hattie's.  and then we did lunch at cilantro (thanks to frommers).  there's lots of good mexican on maui, which is cool.  they have award-winning flautas, so i tried those and a quesadilla.  everything was really good! in the afternoon, i laid out by the pool & ocean and dozed and read.  i started "eat, pray, love," my second book of the trip so far.  and i'm quite enjoying it.  i think it'll be a super-fast read.  and then we came back up to the condo, caught a bit of tom brady on monday night football, and napped some more.  this trip is supposed to be relaxing, after all! :)  and then mom and i had dinner at another little place recommended by frommers that happens to be within walking distance to where we're staying.  pizza paradiso.  mmm... my pizza was really good. :) and now we're just lounging.  i'm really tired but trying to stay up a little later to adjust better to the time.  i don't need to get up at 6:30 again tomorrow.  and i'm working on getting the first few photos up on flickr.  i'll post again when they're up. :) aloha and g'night. ;)  sunday 30 september 2007 9:18pm hawaii standard time "on the coast of somewhere beautiful trade winds blowing through her hair sunlight dancing on the water man, i wish i was there don't know how i'm goin' to find her all i know so far she's on the coast of somewhere beautiful running with my heart" -- kenny chesney "on the coast of somewhere beautiful" aloha! :)  i made it to maui safely and met up with mom at the aiport.  actually, let me go back a little bit.   my morning started at 5am with my alarm.  i made it out of the apartment before 6 and was to lax before 7, which is really incredible time.  anyway, i had zero problems checking my luggage and getting through security.  and i pretty much i spent all the time in the airport and my whole 5+ hour flight reading.  oh!  and there was a way cute guy sitting next to me and got off the plane with these like special cases that had skydiving stickers on them.  he was nice (to look at). ;)  kidding! anyway, i met up with mom at the airport here in maui, rented a car, and headed out.  about 5 minutes into our journey towards kaanapali we stopped at costco for a quick lunch.  :)  so cheap!  anyway, then we headed up to kaanapali to the resortquest papakea resort, where we're renting a really nice condo from someone mom knows.  it has one bedroom plus an upstairs loft that's basically a second bedroom and bathroom.  it's right on the water and pretty much perfect for us, which is exciting! after settling in and unpacking, we changed into bathing suits and headed out to the oceanside lawn and lounged in the afternoon sun for a little bit.  perfect! :)  and then we did dinner in the sand at the hula grill at the whalers' village.  there's not a lot better than dining with your feet in the sand, i swear. we made a grocery run this evening, and now we're just relaxing in front of the tv.  we're both totally exhausted between the travel and the 3-hour time difference.  so hawaii.  i love it! also, yay chiefs!!! from maui, g'night. ;)  saturday 29 september 2007 11:58pm "knew i could never hold that girl she was born to see the world all i got is a picture she mailed me barefoot in the snow white sand a bag of sea shells in her hand she finally found a paradise it seems" -- kenny chesney "on the coast of somewhere beautiful" i leave for hawaii in the morning.  :)  that's the biggest news.  and i spent a fair amount of time today just preparing for that.  but i believe i'm finally ready now, and i'm excited to finally just arrive in maui tomorrow and take in a bit of that hawaiian air.  you know, i am already looking relaxed and refreshed and this vacation hasn't even really gotten started.  if i'm allowed to say so, it's much-needed and much-deserved. there were other things today, though.  i got up entirely too early just because my body was ready to wake up at 8am.  way too early.  but i got up anyway.  i hung around here and packed very, very slowly, avoiding making decisions on what i should and shouldn't bring.  but anyway, i spent the morning lazing around. in the afternoon, i finally(!) met up with bobby for a few minutes.  he had shirts with the latest designs to show me but not to give to me.  i swear one of these days he really will fill the order i gave him.  anyway, we talked lusk for a while, which was good, and that really got me motivated to wrap up the two designs we've had in the works for a few weeks now.  so off and on all day long today we were working on touching up two shirts we call "lucky strike" and "love is a battlefield."  and by this evening, we were so pleased with them that he had me send them to the printer!  that'll be 5 total designs!  and the other three are already in some stores and bobby's taking orders online through myspace.  things are just going so well!  it's very exciting! and after getting totally packed and everything, i sat down to give myself a manicure and pedicure while watching "miss potter," which i surprisingly quite enjoyed.  :)  and my nails look good.  i guess i just had to move my sunday night to saturday night this week. ;)  need cute toes for the beach! and after returning the dvd to blockbuster, i stopped at the grocery to pick up a couple snacks for tomorrow's flight.  there's no meal on it.  the airlines are super cheap these days.  anyway, i handed the cashier my three items and he was like, "that's it?!?  no cigarettes?  no alcohol?"  and i told him that was it.  he was shocked.  "at 11:14 on saturday night?"  so i explained to him my need for snacks and we chatted and whatever.  it was just funny to me how much i had shocked him for only buying a few snacks. and now i am thinking i need to get to bed quickly.  i have to get up 5 to make my 9am flight out of lax tomorrow.  so this is my last post before being in hawaii, but i am bringing my computer with me, so stay tuned for updates and photos! aloha!  g'night. ;)  friday 28 september 2007 10:49pm "if i could only fly, if i could only fly i'd bid this place goodbye to come and be with you but i can hardly stand and i got nowhere to run another sinking sun and one more lonely night" -- joe nichols "if i could only fly" i'm currently having a moment.  quite unexpectedly.  and i'm sure it's a combination of me being overprotective and me just plain having a moment, but it's still happening.  i've been talking to meg, though, and that totally calms me down.  it's what we do for each other. :)  oh... so you probably want to know what's up.  it's adam and him being at ucla.  i am his big sister, so you know.  i worry.  anyway, it'll be fine and i'll keep you updated as things progress. speaking of adam and ucla, i finally put up a few photos of us from last weekend when he moved in.  they're on my flickr.  enjoy! :) as for the rest of my day, well it's been pretty good.  i got so much done at work today, partially out of necessity (projects do have deadlines, after all) and partially because i wanted to wrap up as many loose ends as possible before i take next week off.  and actually, i managed to tie everything up!  amazing!  and i even cleaned my desk, so it's all neat!  my inbox is at zero, the projects are all taken care of, and it should be a quiet week around the office next week with our big conference going on, which means most people will be out.  great timing for my vacation!   also, we had a big company lunch at sonny's to celebrate a couple birthdays, a couple going aways, and an upcoming wedding.  it was pretty good. after work, it was straight to the gym to try to work out the knot i discovered in my back this morning.  that worked pretty well, so i headed home.  and after getting cleaned up, i picked up a movie at blockbuster and a pizza (i had a free coupon) and headed home for a quiet evening.  and actually, i haven't gotten to the movie yet, but that's okay.  i'm just hanging out. tomorrow will be pretty quiet, as well.  i just need to make sure i'm ready to go to hawaii sunday morning.  i'm so thoroughly looking forward to the trip! and for now, g'night. ;)  thursday 27 september 2007 9:54pm "almost felt you touching me just now i wish i knew which way to turn and go i feel so good and then i feel so bad i wonder what i ought to do" -- joe nichols "if i could only fly" thursday didn't go exactly as planned, but i think it turned out just fine. :) got up, got cleaned up and dressed, headed out on time. work was pretty uneventful.  i spent the morning on a project that i kind of thought would take longer, actually.  that's awesome. :)  and loved spending the afternoon hanging out with the boys, marke and brian, while nearly everyone else was out of the office.  we did lunch at pick up stix and the boys were intensely discussing computery things, but still i enjoy their company.  and it was a relaxed afternoon.  by 4:30, i looked around and everyone was gone, so i snuck out, too. i headed for the salon to see if i could catch bobby.  he was in the middle of doing someone's hair so i saw him for like 30 seconds and he promised to call an hour later and come by with some shirts.  so i headed home (instead of to the gym) and started on my laundry, which needed to happen before i can pack for hawaii.  anyway, all of a sudden it was a few hours later and i still haven't heard from him.  but i've really made the most of my evening.  i did all my laundry and even put it all away.  i did dishes and took out the trash.  the apartment is actually pretty clean, which will be great for when i leave in a few days. and now i'm enjoying lots of new tv tonight!  "ugly betty" was really fun, even though the last 15 minutes or so made me cry.  and i am in the middle of "the office" right now (it's paused), and it's wonderful!  i love the jam pb&j reference.  and i'm planning on "grey's anatomy" and "big shots" later.  so fun!  haha!  this is bad.  i'm a junkie.  i'll get better as the season goes on, but this week is a tv week. :) so that's it from here for today.  g'night. ;)  wednesday 26 september 2007 9:23pm "and i'm tired of being all alone and this solitary moment makes me want to come back home" -- secondhand serenade "your call" so it was a pretty good wednesday, i would say. :)  i was wearing a cute dress that mom got for me at j.crew last weekend, so that made things even better, i swear.  i love those easy dresses that feel like t-shirts but look great! so work went fine today, nothing too out of the ordinary.  worked.  lunch at pedro's.  you know, just the usual. after work, i headed for the mall to macy's to look for bathing suits.  they had sooo many there!  and all very deeply discounted.  :)  it isn't exactly bathing suit season, after all.  so anyway, i spent some time sorting through all their racks and trying things on.  i ended up with a bunch of cute bottoms to match the black top i already have a like.  it was fun! :)  and then i headed for costco for a couple essentials and a new suitcase (mine's on its last legs).  the new one is larger and purple.  it'll work until i can afford a nice travelpro set someday. my apartment complex is doing some remodeling (is that the right word for outdoors?) of the space around all the buildings.  that's fine.  the paths are all crazy as they are right now and i'm not a huge eucalyptus tree fan.  but they've chopped down all the trees near my building.  all of them!  it's like a scene from "the lorax" with just stumps here and there.  it's really weird.  who cuts down trees?!?  i'm assuming they'll plant new ones eventually, but still i find it very strange. and i'm still overdosing on tv!  tonight's a big one with "kid nation," "private practice," "gossip girl," and "dirty sexy money."  i'm having fun taking it all in! :) enough from me tonight.  g'night. ;)  tuesday 25 september 2007 8:55pm "i was born to tell you i love you and i am torn to do what i have to to make you mine" -- secondhand serenade "your call" okay, so it's been a long time and i kind of feel like there's plenty to write about tonight, so i'll write in list format.  but anyway, just briefly, things are going pretty well and i'm looking forward to sunday very much.   here goes... 1) adam now lives in westwood in the dorms at ucla.  even after seeing it, it's still weird to me.  my baby brother!  grown up (sort of) and living away from home.  he's already adjusting to ucla, it seems, though he hasn't actually started classes yet.  anyway, that's where he is.  crazy!  and of course, i'm so excited to have him so much closer so i can visit a little. :) 2) because adam was moving into the dorms over the weekend, mom and dad were also in la.  so i picked out a really nice hotel (the hyatt century plaza in century city) and stayed with mom and dad for the weekend.  a weekend in la was a nice treat.  except for the rain.  la is not designed for rain.  at all.  where do you go that is cool in la in the rain?  nowhere.  everything revolves around being outdoors.  but we made due.  we had dinner friday night at the fancy food court at the century city mall and then had dessert at a very uncrowded diddy riese, my favorite dessert place!  :)  and saturday we spent some time with adam and some time at the grove (not too rainy) shopping.  mom bought me a couple of really fabulous items! :)  and we had an amazing dinner at tanino in westwood saturday night.  frommers guidebooks are the best for choosing places to eat!   so it was nice to hang out with the family for a weekend, and i'm glad we'll get to do that again in about a month during family weekend at ucla.  oh!  and i got a ucla hat and t-shirt while i was there, which is big for me considering i've never been much of a bruin fan.  but i'll root for them on occasion, i suppose. ;) 3) i had lunch and hung out with wednesday on sunday.  it's much easier to pop on over to her place when i'm already up in la.  so wednesday, carmen, and i had lunch at their local thai place (you know this is a stretch for me, but it was pretty good) and then wednesday and i hung out for hours reminiscing about london.  we even watched her home movies, which was so amazing.  i really, really miss that house and living in crazy close quarters with 39 other people.  that was a great year.  also, i was sad to learn that one of my fellow londoners, travis, passed away recently, though wednesday didn't know why.  very tragic. 4) work is pretty good this week, as it's quiet for me.  marke, brian, and i spent about half of today going down to la jolla to check out one of our rtecc shows, which was a good experience for us, even if we spent more time getting there and back than actually at the show.  and of course, it's always fun to hang out with those boys. :) 5) fall tv is ramping up, so i'm spending a lot of this week checking out the new shows and celebrating the return of other favorites.  last night i went to marke's to watch "how i met your mother" (loved it!), "the big bang theory" (didn't love it), "chuck" (saw it already and still think it's just okay), and "heroes" (thoroughly enjoyed it).  and the week will continue with me overindulging in tv, so just be prepared for more of my opinions. ;) 6) today's rascal flatts day!  woot!  of course, i went to target before work to pick up their new album, "still feels good."  i must say, i'm quite impressed.  it's better than i thought it would be and i love it way more than their last album, which is my least favorite of their catalog.  so anyway, i'm still listening and choosing favorites, but it's good stuff and i certainly recommend it. :) 7) i leave for hawaii in 5 days!  i am beyond excited at this point.  and besides all the chores (laundry/packing/cleaning) leaving requires, i also want to look for an additional bathing suit and maybe even a new suitcase because i've pretty much destroyed the one i currently own.  oh, and i'm thinking i'll get lots of reading in while i'm there because i'm not planning on doing a whole heck of a lot, so i need to get my books together.  i'm thinking some novels and some non-fiction-so-i-can-learn-stuff books. :) okay, so that's enough out of me for tonight, don't you think?  more next time.  g'night. ;)  thursday 20 september 2007 10:09pm "waiting for your call, i'm sick, call, i'm angry call, i'm desperate for your voice listening to the song we used to sing in the car, do you remember butterfly, early summer it's playing on repeat, just like when we would meet" -- secondhand serenade "your call" so it was a pretty normal thursday, really.  but there was a huge highlight, as well. :) okay, so i was off to work at a normal time on a this kind of chilly morning.  work.  it was pretty normal most of the day, though also really quiet because chris is off the rest of the week and brian was working from home.  anyway, i got some stuff done, but i also worked on something different with marke.  we set up google calendars for the department so we can all see what tasks we're each working on and try to make sure the time and projects are being managed efficiently and effectively.  anyway, i think it's going to work great with the new system, so i'm excited about it. :)  oh, and we did lunch at marke's place, which was perfect for just relaxing a little.  we watched "the simpsons" and "tmz." :) and after work, after running around town a little bit and catching up with kath on the phone (i miss that girl!), i headed to loehmann's to look for bathing suits.  kind of random, i know, but i had time and it's so close to home.  well, it turns out they had zero bathing suits, but i did end up browsing the shoe section.  and finding the most perfect pair of shoes!  in my size!  that fit awesome, and they actually fill a hole in my shoe wardrobe.  amazing!  except the pricetag.  yes, they were half off the original price, but even at half off they're the most expensive pair of shoes i've ever bought.  though it did help that i got 10% off for signing up for the loehmann's club card.  i'd been meaning to do that anyway.  so yeah, now i have gorgeous new shoes!!!  i'm beyond excited for their first wear, which won't be until next week. and i've just been hanging out tonight.  i talked to the family and packed a weekend bag.  i'll be meeting up with them in la tomorrow after work.  adam's moving into his dorm tomorrow so he can start as a freshman at ucla!  so crazy to me, but also exciting. :)  and i love that he'll be so much closer to me!  i'm anticipating lots of trips between here and westwood now. so anyway, i'm off for the evening.  i don't think i'll be brining my computer with me this weekend, so i'm not sure when my next update will be coming.  so stay tuned!  g'night. ;)  wednesday 19 september 2007 10:32pm "i still dream about that look on a woman's face that says i love you through the good, the bad, the sunshine, or the rain sometimes i wish i had someone to share my life with maybe i'll have a wife and kids maybe someday" -- kenny chesney "wife and kids" it's been a good couple of days, if not particularly exciting or amazing.  i'm content with them. :) work's been a little busy.  just because of how the work flow is going, i ended up with way too much to do yesterday and working until almost 8.  but at least i got a ton of stuff done and everything's back under control again.  worked until the regular hour of 5:00 today!  awesome.  oh, and the boys are keeping me entertained when i'm not working so hard, which i love. been watching entirely too much tv, as well. :)  way.  too.  much.  currently, it's "gossip girl."  as i also told marke, sometimes i really am a 13-year-old girl. ;)  haha!  and i caught "kid nation" earlier. so that's really all for now.  should get more exciting in the coming days, though.  adam's moving to ucla on friday.  i can hardly believe it. i'm off.  g'night. ;)  monday 17 september 2007 8:26pm "i've got more than i deserve, more than i ever dreamed but there's always a price you pay it's been an amazing road i've been blessed, i know but at the end of the day i go home alone i still hope someday i'll have a wife and kids smiling faces running to the door when i walk in" -- kenny chesney "wife and kids" alright, i'll try to organize my thoughts and work through them quickly.  not too much rambling from me tonight--despite having plenty to update on after a few days away--because i'm tired and wanting to get some extra sleep tonight.  here we go, kid. ;) 1) i headed up to sacramento (woodland, actually) to visit sarah on friday night.  getting there was very uneventful, and she brought me to her house from the airport.  i hadn't been there since she had just barely gotten the keys and i was helping to strip wallpaper.  i must say, it has been quite a transformation!  the house is lovely now. :)  sarah's great at things like that.   oh, and she has that cat (she got it down here a few months ago, you might remember), and it turns out i'm pretty allergic to it.  i could tell right away, after about 15 minutes in the house.  luckly, i anticipated that happening and brought plenty of benadryl with me, so i was fine. 2) saturday we went to the huge outlet mall in vacaville for some shopping.  j.crew, my absolute favorite, was awesome.  lots of great stuff there.  and then banana republic was good, too. :)  i found a w.o.n.d.e.r.f.u.l. purple dress there! 3) then we got dressed up (me in my new dress) and headed to sacramento.  we did dinner at a cool little place and then went to see "jersey boys," which i loved!  it was so much fun, and now i really just want to listen to four seasons music. :)  definitely they were a part of my childhood.  i can see why my parents also loved the show, too.  so fun! :) 4) sunday we were up bright and early for sarah's weekly 8am sunday breakfast with her girlfriends.  too early for me, but i did it anyway, and her friends were really nice.   then we got cleaned up, took in a street fair in folsom, and did some lunch and more shopping in roseville.  then it was time for me to head home. 5) today i was so tired i didn't get as much done as i needed at work, but i survived.  i might have taken off about 10 minutes early, but that's okay. :) 6) i'm now catching up on a little tv.  i really just want to write about one show, though.  "nashville."  it's like someone tried to create the perfect tv show for me, i swear.  it's a reality show just like "laguna beach" (same creators) but about a handful of beautiful people in nashville trying to make it as recording artists.  oh.  wow.  i love it!  the boys are both crazy hott and wonderful singers!  so i'm fully addicted just one episode in.  awesome!!! :) i need to crash.  hope you also had a wonderful weekend.  g'night. ;)  friday 14 september 2007 12:26am "people say she's only in my head gonna take time but i'll forget but when she's in every minute of every day every thought i think , every breath i take she's everywhere and she's everything she's more than a memory" -- garth brooks "more than a memory" well i've been pretty busy, but in a good way. :)  anyway, i have a few minutes before i crash to fill you in on what i've been up to, so here it goes. it's been busy enough at work, though i've also been pretty good to make sure i get out of there on time.  so that's good.  and i've even been making time for lunch -- yesterday charo chicken with marke and today stillwater cafe with brian (we even walked!).  and yesterday i had the office to myself, which mean country music all day.  today, it was full again but i love the company of marke and brian. yesterday after work was chore day.  five loads of laundry.  some work for bobby.  cleaning the apartment.  talking to some friends online. :)  making sure the apartment is straightened. today after work, i went up to costa mesa to the south coast rep to see sondheim's "a little night music," which i didn't know that much about really, other than that sarah told be it'd be good.  and wow!  i really enjoyed it!  it was kind of a different musical, too, because almost all the music is waltzes.  i totally feel like i can waltz now!  ;)  anyway, i enjoyed myself. and since i've been home (like an hour), i packed a bag for the weekend.  i'm heading up to woodland (near sacramento) to visit sarah for the weekend, which should be really fun. :)  and i won't have a computer, so i don't know how much i'll update between now and monday.  but anyway, i'm excited to see her! so i'm off.  g'night. ;)  tuesday 11 september 2007 11:44pm instead of all sorts of other things i thought i might write about 9/11 today, i will just share this little note. i think it's really cool, and it was a great thing to come across today. (this is pieced together from aaron lines's website) "somebody’s son" is the 2nd single from aaron lines’s "moments that matter" cd.  aaron performed many of his top hit singles, along with “somebody’s son,” this past saturday during an operation hope fund raising event for the u.s. pentagon.  he met with and entertained soldiers and their families at fort carson army post in colorado springs.  “i cried when he sang,” stated a mother who lost her son in iraq this past summer.  “his message brought me the hope and healing that i have been looking for.  i could feel in my heart the emotions aaron was feeling as he sang.”  as the event came to a close, aaron was given the greatest honor of his career to date.  his song “somebody’s son” will be played at every “welcome home ceremony” for soldiers who arrive back to the post after fulfilling their tour of duty, replacing the song they’ve used for years, toby keith’s  “american soldier.” that's awesome.  this is such a different song than "american soldier."  below are the lyrics.  it's a special song. somebody's son - aaron lines i was watching the news tonight anchorman said there was a fight and a young man died from his wounds showed pictures of the battle and i almost turned the channel like i always seem to do then it hit me like a freight train coming through that's somebody's son, somebody's husband somebody's everything out there someone's coming undone it made me wonder if anyone really wins when every war has to be won with somebody's son i walked down the hall to check on my youngest lying in bed and i stood there watching him dream i tried by i couldn't imagine how would we feel if something happened and i didn't have him here with me then i cried for that dead boy and his family that's somebody's son, somebody's husband somebody's everything out there someone's coming undone it made me wonder if anyone really wins when every war has to be won with somebody's son that's somebody's son, somebody's husband somebody's everything out there someone's coming undone it made me wonder if anyone really wins when every war has to be won with somebody's son tuesday 11 september 2007 11:11pm <-- wish! "took a match to everything she ever wrote watched her words go up in smoke tore all her pictures off the wall that ain't helping me at all 'cause when you're talking out loud and nobody's there you look like hell and you just don't care you're drinking more than you ever drank sinking down lower than you ever sank when you find yourself falling down upon your knees praying to God, begging, 'please' that's when she's more than a memory" -- garth brooks "more than a memory"   there are lots of things i wanted to title this post, but they were somehow all inappropriate.  i mean, i just don't usually use such language here (or in general, actually).  anyway, today was kind of full of inappropriateness.  that's work for me, though. :)  it's often crazy around the office. so anyway, let me just tell you about my day already.  i'm tired and having trouble seeing at this point. i started off my morning my calling my dad as i drove to work.  9/11 is still so fresh in my memory, it seems, and i called him that morning, as well.  it was good to just call this morning without any sort of tragedy. and then there was work.  it was madness this morning as i had to revisit the project i shipped yesterday.  had to make adjustments and resend the whole thing today.  but i got my act together and did it and also managed to finish my planned morning work before lunch.  marke, chris, brian, and i did carl's jr. for lunch and went to baskin-robbins afterwards.  that's a good lunch right there.  haha! :)  anyway, then i took care of some smaller chores in the afternoon.  not too stressful but needed to get done. and after work, i headed up to target for new music tuesday.  kenny chesney day.  :)  and i've already listened to the album and i quite enjoy it.  there are some tracks i love love and one i don't really care for at all, but i'd still say it's all-around very good. then it was out to laguna for dinner at gina's while watching the sunset.  i really do like that place.  it's cheap and the view's great. this isn't an amazing photo because it was still too bright, but i think you get the idea.  that's the sun setting into the pacific from where i was sitting eating. :) anyway, my next stop was the laguna playhouse to see the play "art."  sarah's been telling me i should see it because i would love it for a long time now, and it was finally playing nearby.  also, the ticket was half-price, as goldstar informed me yesterday.  anyway, i bought a ticket yesterday for way cheap and ended up with a great seat!  and the show was so funny!  it's about art and friendship and three crazy men who fight.  it was wonderful, though i'm not sure everyone would appreciate it.  anyway, so fun! :) and now i'm just hanging out.  i should go to bed soon, though. one other thing.  sarah's going to meet mom and me in maui for about half our time there!  that'll be so much fun!  and hopefully it won't rain our entire stay in maui, like it did the last time sarah and i went there. ;) so i'm off for now.  g'night. ;)  monday 10 september 2007 10:05pm "people say she's only in my head gonna take time but i'll forget say i need to get on with my life what they don't realize is when you're dialing six numbers just to hang up the phone driving 'cross town just to see if she's home waking a friend in the dead of the night just to hear him say it'll be alright when you're finding things to do at night not to fall asleep knowing she'll be there in your dreams that's when she's more than a memory" -- garth brooks "more than a memory" it's been an interesting day.  i've really liked it.  somehow i feel more connected.   vague, i know.  whatever. so i didn't sleep well at all last night and was therefore really sleepy all day.  but i managed.  it probably helped to know it was a gorgeous day out here. :) so work was pretty uneventful.  i worked all day on getting a big project off to press and i think i actually succeeded, so that's good news.  i shall return to my normal magazine duties tomorrow.  oh, and all those other things that are starting to fill up my to-do list.  so anyway, good, productive day at work.  and then there was the delicious lunch i picked up for myself.  and the random chat with scott at the end of the day.  that man can talk forever, i think. and then i've been home.  i caught up on some tv.  the "tmz" show premiered today, and i quite enjoyed that.  it's not good news that i can get celeb gossip sort of news both on the internet and on my tv now. ;)  and i ended up chatting a lot with both sarah and marke online, which was good.  i need those crazies around. ;)  they rock.   and i just enjoyed the premiere episode of "tell me you love me."  interesting.  and definitely about a world i know nothing about.  and coming up will be "the hills" and "life of ryan." hope you had a good day.  i seriously did.  g'night. ;)  sunday 9 september 2007 10:01pm "i want to roll down main street, the back roads like you did when you were a kid what made you who you are tell me what your story is" -- rascal flatts "take me there" it's been a good weekend, though i haven't actually been up to too much.  i'm not planning on being here for the next 4, so i figured a weekend just lounging would be a very good idea. yesterday i wasn't up to much.  i did manage to take care of some errands, though, like getting a bunch of photos from seattle printed and picking them up at costco, going grocery shopping, and picking up a book at barnes and noble.  exciting, right? ;)  and i stayed up too late chatting with (tipsy) marke and sarah.  good fun. :) and today i once again just hung out around here.  i did go out and wash my car a little bit, though.  i mean, i can't properly wash it myself here because i don't have a hose, but i did take a bucket out there and wipe it all down and dry it.  and i cleaned the inside a lot, so it's looking pretty decent.  i thought about taking it to a carwash but i'm going to leave it at the airport next weekend, so that just seemed like a waste.  anyway, i've been talking about this too long now. ;) what else did i do today?  well, i got more photos from seattle up on flickr and organized a few other things on my computer.  and i read some.  and there was lots of sports on my tv today.  exciting, right? ;) okay, so yeah, i didn't really do much this weekend but it was nice.  i have another busy week of work ahead of me and then a trip to visit sarah next weekend.  fun stuff! :) g'night. ;)  friday 7 september 207 11:09pm "i want to know everything about you and i want to go down every road you've been where your hopes and dreams and wishes live where you keep the rest of your life hid i want to know the girl behind that pretty stare take me there" -- rascal flatts "take me there" okay, so at this point in my day, i'm really, really tired and can barely see the computer screen anymore, but i have some time to write a little about my day.  and then i'm going to crash happy that i have a lazy weekend ahead of me. :) so i went to work, crack bagel in hand, this morning.  and then i realized just how much needed to get done today.  like immediately.  so after momentarily freaking out and then quickly determining my priorities, i got straight to work.  i threw on the headphones, put on some loud music, shut out everyone else, and just went for it.  and i actually got more than i thought i could done today.  it went great, even if i was so tired by the end.  my brain was sore! ;)  oh, and marke rocks because he picked up lunch for me today.  i really didn't leave my desk between 9 and 7. after work, i headed over to olamendi's to meet up with marke and some of his friends for dinner, which was really nice.  i needed to get out and relax a little.  :) and now i'm just hanging out.  i'm really ready for bed.  not too much planned for the weekend other than a carwash.  i'll be back later to write about how it goes.  g'night. ;)  thursday 6 september 2007 8:14pm "there’s a place in your heart nobody's been take me there things nobody knows, not even your friends take me there tell me bout your momma, your daddy, your hometown, show me around, i wanna see it all, don't leave anything out" -- rascal flatts "take me there" today.  was.  one.  of.  my.  favorite.  days.  of.  work.  ever.  :)  okay, so it's definitely not going to come through in how i write  this because i can't really explain the atmosphere today, but it was so much fun!  i just really, really enjoyed hanging out with marke and brian around the office messing around and chatting and laughing like crazy people.  it was just a blast! of course, i also worked my butt off today and was there way too early working away.  but i survived, got some stuff done, and then had to call it a day eventually out of shear exhaustion. now i'm just hanging out.  g'night. ;)  wednesday 5 september 2007 9:32pm it's the one you've all been waiting for! ;) with baited breath, i'm sure. haha! so i'm all ready to write about seattle. first of all, my photos are up on flickr, though i definitely plan on adding more as i get them from the other girls. i'll keep you updated. and then there's the amazing trip... DAY 1: FRIDAY the flights there were not too bad. i left john wayne on time and met up with meg and mel at the gate in san jose. then the three of us got on our flight to seattle together. it's nice to arrive in a city with people already so the adventure starts on the plane, instead of after a flight and taxi and everything else it takes to arrive at a hotel. kath was already checked in to the seattle sheraton, which was a gorgeous hotel right in the middle of downtown that we got a great deal on. and we were put in a room on the 17th floor in the brand new pike place tower, which isn't that interesting except that rooms in that tower feature original artwork by seattle artist dale chihuly, of whom i am a big fan. :) i can't believe we had paintings and etchings by him in our room just hanging on the walls like cheap, cheezy hotel art might. so awesome! so anyhow, we met up with kath and put our stuff down. by the it was nearly 10, but we wanted a little food in our stomachs, so we decided to walk down to shea's lounge, the loung that accompanies the very high-class chez shea (say it out loud. it's funny.). it was a neat little place with a huge window and a gorgeous view, and we split three amazing desserts. it was a perfect way to start our trip. DAY 2: SATURDAY saturday was our very seattle day. it's good to take care of all the major tourist attractions right away in case there are any snags in visiting them. so we were up bright and early and walking down to pike place market by 10. we had breakfast there (i had the most amazing donuts ever and the other girls had crepes) and then walked down to the waterfront. we strolled along the waterfront north to the olympic sculpture park, which opened only a few months ago and features some really notable pieces, including calder's "eagle," which is pretty gorgeous. we wandered around there a bit just soaking it all in in the wonderful seattle sunshine. it was nice to just be out and walking around. then we headed up to seattle center. it was extremely crowded around there for the weekend because of the annual bumbershoot music festival. but we found our way around anyway. we went up to the top of the space needle, which was neat. i love that the elevators are on the outside of the structure. and then we went to the gehry-designed experience music project, which was incredible. the building itself was spectacular, but the collection was also very impressive. also, because of the festival going on, there was live music in the galleries the whole time, which made it even better for us! then we lunched at a local pizza place (so good!) and wandered around trying to get to the monorail back to downtown. lots of paths there were closed to us because of bumbershoot, so we did a lot of walking but survived. and the monorail ride is pretty cool. :) and because we were there, we went to the flagship nordstrom store, where i might have found a couple pairs of shoes on sale. awesome! after naps, we went to the icon grill for a wonderful dinner in a really neat place. frommers guidebooks have the best selections for dining, so we followed their suggestions a lot. anyway, dinner there was wonderful and we had a huge ice cream dessert there that was really good and way too much for us. so fun! DAY 3: SUNDAY we got up early on sunday so we could make the most out of our day. we grabbed coffee at seattle's best and caught a ferry from pier 52 in downtown to bainbridge island. the views from those ferries of seattle and also the rest of the area and spectacular and we even had good weather! the ferry takes 35 minutes and then we were on bainbridge island and a very short walk from their downtown. we had breakfast at the blackbird cafe and then just enjoyed the area. the main street is full of cafes and little boutiques that we explored thoroughly. and we even walked to wyatt, a block from downtown. also, there's a waterfront park that we enjoyed relaxing in during the afternoon. oh, and we had a late lunch at a diner. and then we caught a 6:30 ferry back to seattle. the views were awesome going this direction, as well, of course, so i enjoyed just watching from the outside portions of the boat. once back in the city, we went to dinner at the pink door, which has no sign but is simply marked by a pink door in an alley. i had the most amazing lasagna ever, and i think all the rest of the food was wonderful, as well. also, they have performers over the tables, which is neat to watch, if also a little odd. :) after resting in the hotel room a little bit, meg and i went up to the hot tub on the top floor of the hotel. through the glass surrounding, you can see all the lights of the city. pretty awesome. and then the four of us crashed. DAY 4: MONDAY monday was our shopping day. we started in pike's place market browsing all the stalls and such. and then we moved up to downtown. really, we shopped. not sure what else to say. :) i found awesome jeans and a few other things at the huge american eagle. and there were a few other things i picked up here and there. anyway, it was lovely. and then we did dinner at wasabi bistro for some great japanese. :) of course, i had less sushi and more chicken, but it was still a great place. and then we did gelato at a little place in pike place market. wonderful! DAY 5: TUESDAY we got up early, checked out of the hotel, and headed for a starbucks for breakfast. then we wandered by the foster/white gallery (exclusive home of dale chihuly's works), which was closed despite it being their regular hours. then we walked by the seattle central library, designed by architech koolhass. very interesting architecture! and then it was up to the seattle art museum. it was rainy all morning, but we survived getting wet. anyway, the museum was awesome and it was kind of disappointing not to get more time there. still, i'm glad we went! their modern collection is really, really good considering it's not in new york. then we went to lowell's in the market for lunch because they have decent food and amazing views. that turned out to be a really good spot for us. and then it was time for me to head to the airport and get back to orange county (via las vegas). i survived the travel in this direction, as well. and so that's that! it was so much fun, and i hope we get to do more trips together. :) friday 31 august 2007 12:18am okay, so it's late, i'm not done with my night, and so i'm trying to write this pretty quickly.   forgive me for being sort of brief. got up.  put on a cute, casual summer dress.  headed to work.  made a u-turn moments into my drive because my car was making a terrible banging noise in the front driver's side wheel well and definitely needed to go to the shop.  drove there so cautiously, as i feared the whole wheel might just fall off.  turns out a rubber piece between the stabilizer bar and the bracket wore away or something.  i rented a car (seabring), drove to work, and went back for my car in the afternoon.  it works now. work was crazy today.  i spent my entire day working on an event guide for a conference we're putting on in october that needs to go to press a week ago.  it was a lot more challenging and time-consuming than anyone anticipated.  so other than when i was dealing with the car, i was working away until about 9:30, when i finally finished and headed for home. i've been packing since then.  i think i'm in good shape now, though, which is awesome.  so i'm going to go finish reading my book so i can mail it to the next person tomorrow.  then i'm going to crash. tomorrow afternoon, i am headed to seattle for the long weekend.  i'll be there until tuesday night and am not sure if i'll have computer access.  i'm not bringing mine with me.  but computer or not, i'll be busy having a blast exploring a new city with meg, kath, and mel.  there will be stories and photos as soon as i return.  hope you also have wonderful plans for the long weekend! g'night. ;) wednesday 29 august 2007 11:49pm "do you break things when you get mad eat a box of chocolate 'cause you're feeling bad do you paint your toes 'cause you bite your nails and call up mama when all else fails who are you when i'm not around when the door is locked and the shades are down do you listen to your music quietly and when it feels just right are you thinking of me i wanna know, i wanna know, i wanna know" -- joe nichols "who are you when i'm not looking" so it was an all-around decent wednesday, even if it was kind of weird, as well. it started off really strange when i woke up from the second alarm in a really vivid dream.  i spent my shower sorting it all out mentally -- what's real and what was a dream.  but anyway, i actually managed to get myself out the door on time this morning, so that's excellent. work was okay today.  i was less than 100% motivated, but i pulled through and got some stuff done.  it was a bit of a weird day because marke was freaking out about something and that meant catering to him a bit and making sure he was okay.  but we all made it through the day, including a surprisingly good lunch at wahoo's.  left a little later than 5 today, but that's okay. then it was straight to the gym.  as i was nearly there, i noticed my outside temp gauge said it was 94 out.  i didn't believe it and didn't really notice it was that warm when i'd been out at lunch or walking to my car.  but when i got out of the car at the y, it was definitely that hot.  and that was 7pm.  so it's really hot here, kid!  hot!  but you know, i love summer, so it's okay.  i have the apartment all opened up and the ceiling fan in the dining room going and so i'm good. :) anyway, after a good workout, i took care of some stuff around the apartment.  i did dishes and laundry (at least enough so that i can pack a suitcase tomorrow night) and cleaned up so the apartment is all tidy.  i like packing when things are neat, and i like leaving the place neat when i'm out of town. and then there was a little of me enjoying myself tonight. :)  i read some more and then i enjoyed a little tv.  currently, i'm loving "hard knocks" (on hbo about the chiefs), though this is kind of a depressing episodes because a lot of guys are getting cut.  anyway, it's this, probably a little more reading, and then bed. another busy day awaits.  g'night. ;)  wednesday 29 august 2007 12:36am "do you pour a little something on the rocks slide down the hallway in your socks when you undress do you leave a path then sink to your nose in a bubble bath my, oh my, you're so good looking hold yourself together like a pair of bookends but i've not tasted all your cooking who are you when i'm not looking i wanna know, i wanna know, i wanna know" -- joe nichols "who are you when i'm not looking" i never meant to be up this late tonight.  but i will say that i'm actually ready for bed right now, and normally when i write i'm not at all ready.  tonight, i'm tucking in immediately after i write this.  i think i'm digressing from what i mean to write about.  it's been a pretty good tuesday, i got stuff done, and i'm in a good mood. :)  how was your day? after yet another morning feeling completely incapable of dressing myself, i managed to pick out jeans, a tank (well two, layered), and dressy sandals.  exotic, i know. ;)  anyway, i made it to work only a few minutes late.  anyway, work.  there was plenty of that today, but i didn't mind too much.  i mostly worked on the smaller items on my list and finishing and printing the newsletter we do for st. jude's.  and i managed to get enough things wrapped up by about 4:30 so that i could have a really funny chat with brian and chris about naming kids (who's last name do they get when the parental situation is complicated?) before taking off at 5.  oh, and that's even with a nice lunch out at scpc with them factored in to my time.  anyway, it was a pretty good day around there. :) then i headed straight home.  my boyfriend andy roddick was playing his opening round match at the u.s. open (of tennis, in case you have no idea who/what i'm talking about) at around 5:30, so i wanted to get home and enjoy that tonight.  and i am so so so so glad i did!  it was an awesome match in that it was a little bit close, i always knew andy would win, and him and justin gimelstob (his opponent and close friend) were so funny!  i loved watching them interact with each other, especially when they talked to the ref who wanted to penalize gimelstob for pausing before serving because the crowd erupted in applause when a bunch of members of the u.s. military got up to leave.  the whole thing was awesome to watch.  and then the post-game interviews were great because gimelstob is retiring and will become a commentator and therefore took the mic and interviewed andy, who then proclaimed he was boring and decided to take the mic from justin and interview him.  awesome. :)  and now you're bored because you don't care about tennis so i will move on... ;) i spent a good chunk of time working on stuff for bobby tonight, as well.  we're working on two new shirt designs right now (that'll bring our total to 5), and i was focusing on getting a really solid draft of one done tonight.  so that went really well, and i love how it's turning out.  rad! and then i read for a couple hours because i need to pass on this book to another person at the end of the month per wednesday's instructions.  i made some serious progress on that tonight, and i'm really enjoying the book.  the highlight from the (huge) section i read tonight was about a fundamental difference between christianity and buddhism and hinduism regarding passion and desire.  anyway, i'll keep that for another discussion another day, but i found it particularly enjoyable to read about because i've always enjoyed reading about the eastern religions and at one time thought i should become a buddhist.  so yeah, it was a good way to spend an evening. and now i'm here and ready for bed.  should be another busy day tomorrow between my actual job, working on bobby's lusk stuff some more, finishing that book, and doing laundry so i can pack for seattle.  wow.  i'm kind of already tired. ;)  but anyway, i'm off for tonight.   g'night. ;) monday 27 august 2007 11:20pm "i'll miss you when i breathe until you're back here, back here with me" -- meg allison "i'm with you" it really, really felt like monday today.  i was kind of dragging my feet, i felt sleepy, and i definitely didn't accomplish enough.  but i survived and i'm just about to crash.  i do have a few minutes for you first, though. :) i had issues dressing myself this morning.  sometimes i swear it's impossible to choose anything.  but anyway, i managed to find something and head out the door only 5 minutes late and still with wet hair. work.  well, i really didn't get enough done there today, but i accomplished what absolutely had to be done.  so at least there was that.  and there was a really good lunch at costco with marke and chris.  and i left on time, which hasn't happened in ages!  woot! so i headed for the gym, where i had a workout harder than i really had planned because the elliptical was broken, couldn't take my pulse, and stayed on the hard level it started on instead of adjusting to me.  i didn't realize it until like 20 minutes in when i was sweating my butt off.  but i survived anyway, so that was good. then i came home, caught up with kath before she heads to portland tomorrow (before meeting me and the rest of the girls in seattle on friday), and watched some tv.  that's about it.  boring.  oh!  and i really, thoroughly enjoyed "the hills" tonight.  that show is awesome and also featured one of my favorite places: malibu.  love it!  and then!  tonight's mtv featured another place i quite enjoy: san clemente.  "life of ryan" (a new show following ryan sheckler, a pro skater) takes place in his hometown, san clemente.  he ate at the wahoo's i frequent twice in the episode.  and he drove down the street i work on.  it's weird and kind of awesome! :)  i'm totally going to keep watching. anyway, i need to crash.  enough about my boring, tv-watching life. ;)  though you know it's going to continue tomorrow.  haha! g'night. ;)  sunday 26 august 2007 11:28pm "i understand and i'll give it time i'll pray every night for some sort of sign the truth is i know you might go back home but i won't let go, no, i won't let go and if you wonder where i am and what's been running through my mind if you want to know just how i've been or how i'm killing time in every day, in every way, in everything i do i'm with you, i'm with you, i'm with you, i'm with you" -- meg allison "i'm with you" ah, sunday.  today seemed more like a wintry sunday than an august one, but that's okay.  i survived. :) so i was abruptly woken up this morning by what i think was the sound of thunder.  it was very loud!  loud enough to wake me, and i was very asleep.  and the thunder continued through a good part of my morning.  crazy!  i guess we had thunderstorms as part of hurricane remnants.  i only got a few drops of rain, but i got lots of clouds, humidity, and thunder.  i thought this was southern california!  what's with the summer storm? anyway, i didn't do a whole lot today.  trying to take it easy because i have lots of things planned in the near future and i need the rest.  so i hung out and read some and really did nothing. i did get dressed at one point to go to old navy and the shoe store next door (famous footwear, perhaps?  i can't remember).  really, i was looking for jeans, and i actually found some good ones.  so that was a good little outing. :) and tonight's been surprisingly good.  i worked out here and then got cleaned up and had dinner.  i watched "entourage" "with" marke (we both started our recorded versions at the same time and chatted online about it).  that was fun!  and now i'm just watching a little more tv before i tuck in. that's about it for me.  should be another busy week, but there's lots of good stuff to look forward to.  g'night. ;)  sunday 26 august 2007 12:42am "by now i know i outta act like you don't love me but i'm just sitting out here watching airplanes take off and fly i'm just sitting out here watching airplanes take off and fly trying to figure out which one you might be on and why you don't love me anymore" -- gary allan "watching airplanes" i'm trying to catch up with myself this weekend.  am i'm doing alright so far. :) so i crashed last night and didn't wake up until nearly noon today.  i have no idea when i last slept that late, but it was so great!  i definitely needed the sleep.  and even once i did get up today, i really didn't do a whole lot.  i watched a little volleyball on tv, had some lunch, and just hung around. the bulk of my day was spent reading my seattle guidebooks and taking notes and doing planning and all sorts of things like that.  it actually look me way, way longer than i thought it would, but that's okay.  i'm more excited than ever to be going to seattle on friday.  i created a loose sort of schedule for us so we can see some rad stuff.  and i made notecards with various places to eat on them so we can choose places when we're hungry (and so i don't have to carry around guidebooks all the time).  i even emailed all the girls (kath, meg, and mel) with all our info so we're totally set to go.  it's going to be great!  now it's just a matter of surviving the week of work between now and our trip. ;) i also took a little time this evening to go "outside."  i went out on the deck and swept it off (it was covered in eucalyptus leaves) and hosed it down.  it is much more suitable for sitting now. :)  the fact that i just wrote about that should be a sign to you about how little i actually did today. :) okay, so i should just go to bed now.  i have... pretty much nothing planned for tomorrow, as well.  delightful!   g'night. ;) friday 24 august 2007 11:51pm "i would've lied, could've cried, should've tried harder done anything to make you stay i wonder what you'd do if you looked out your window saw me running down the runway just like i was crazy that fence is too high, so am i so i'm just sitting out here watching airplanes take off and fly trying to figure out which one you might be on and why you don't love me anymore" -- gary allan "watching airplanes"   damn.  so many things feel like they just didn't go right today that i kind of feel like i might have been better off if i'd turned off that alarm at 7:45 and went straight back to sleep.  but i didn't, so here's a recap of today, in all its madness. got up.  went to work.  ended up kind of racing a saleen mustang on my way there and definitely won.  had a donut for breakfast because jason brought them in.  it wasn't that good but i knew he was bringing breakfast today so i didn't have anything before i left the apartment.  and there was no milk.  donuts and water just don't go together quite right.  this turned out to be a theme today.  anyway, work.  it was alright.  i got some stuff done and really wore myself out by about 3.  i was having problems seeing the monitor anymore.  at least there was that lunch at charo chicken (pretty good!) and then me nudging the tire of a truck as i tried to u-turn into a parking space back at the office.  no damage but not good form either, especially with two passengers.  worked until nearly 5 when i bailed.  glad the workday was over. headed over to the bookstore and chatted with mel on the way, which was actually good. :)  we're both so stoked about the fact that we'll be in seattle in exactly a week!  in fact, this weekend's big plans revolve around me making a loose itinerary for us and making sure we all have all the things we need.  i'm a tiny bit neurotic when it comes to traveling, and i think it comes through more when i feel like i'm responsible for the group and i'm traveling with people i haven't traveled with too much (especially as a grown-up), even though we've all known each other since we were 5.  anyway, after talking to mel, i browsed the store for a couple hours, which was actually really fun.  i even came home with a book that i don't know why i haven't yet read, "love in the time of cholera."  it's going to be pretty high on the stack.  i just need to finish "soul cravings" before i leave for seattle.  anyway, love the bookstore. got home and ordered a pizza online from papa john's, one of my faves as far as things like that go.  i never got my email confirmation so i wasn't sure if they were coming.  they did and they brought a 2-liter of coke instead of diet, which was very sad for me, especially since it was kind of overpriced (i just have no drinks here and it was convenient to have it delivered with my dinner).  well, i was so not excited to be drinking water with my pizza, much as i didn't want it with my donut this morning.  oh, well.  at least the pizza was awesome. :)  and i sent in a complaint to papa john's. then i attempted to bake chocolate molten cakes because i saw a recipe in a book in barnes & noble that was to make only 3-4.  it looked simple, so i just memorized it when i was in the store.  well, they turned out terribly because i used large ramekins and made only 2 and they baked too long at too low a temperature so they just baked all the way through.  not good.  and then i picked one up to turn it over onto a plate to try it and i dropped and spilled all over the kitchen floor.  and the other one, like i said, didn't turn out well.  i need to try them again later but tonight i was just too tired and discouraged.  so anyway, i've been reading magazines and hanging out.  i even chatted with my parents briefly. i think it's time for me to go to bed.  here's to a great weekend.  g'night. ;)  thursday 23 august 2007 10:47pm "like an old photograph time can make a feeling fade but the memory of a first love never fades away i had a barbecue stain on my white t-shirt she was killing me in that miniskirt skippin’ rocks on the river by the railroad tracks she had a suntan line and red lipstick i worked so hard for that first kiss a heart don’t forget, no, a heart don’t forget i said a heart don’t forget something like that oh, not something like that" -- tim mcgraw "something like that" well, it was a little bit of a crazy thursday.  it might have been the fact that i didn't get to sleep last night until nearly 2, but it just felt all hectic and like everyone was really cranky.  i swear i don't think it was just me being short-tempered due to my lack of sleep, though.  i think everyone's a bit over-worked at the moment.  anyway, so work felt all crazy and i was trying to keep so many projects going that i don't think i actually got enough done.  but i do what i can.  so anyway, i spent a long day at work, breaking only for a few minutes at lunchtime to pick up chinese and get a tank of gas. i  closed down the office before 7 and headed out.  target was on my errands list as i was looking for the new joe nichols album and the $15 dresses advertised in their weekly ad.  i didn't find any dresses, but i found the album, a new book, and a few other odds and ends.  i definitely could have gotten into more trouble than i did, though. ;)  and then i picked up milk at the grocery and headed home. i've just been hanging out tonight reading and relaxing.  i needed to unwind from work, i think.  but i'm doing well now and am thinking i should continue reading and then crash soon.  so anyway, yeah, nothing too exciting for today, but i'm excited tomorrow's friday! g'night. ;)  thursday 23 august 2007 12:08am "sitting out here on the hood of this truck looking up at a caramel colored sunset sky checking my watch doing the math in my head counting back words to when you said goodbye well those runway lights are getting brighter i'm just sitting out here watching airplanes take off and fly trying to figure out which one you might be on and why you don't love me anymore right now im sitting out here watching airplanes" -- gary allan "watching airplanes" love love that song.  love. :) it was a sleepy wednesday, especially the first half, but i pulled through and am in a good mood now. :)  i'm not even sure i want to go to bed soon, even though i'm actually really tired.  anyway, i'll just get on with telling you about it... it was a long morning.  or at least it felt that way.  i wasn't getting ready fast enough.  and then i wasn't getting any work done.  i needed a mental break, so marke and i went to starbucks so i could get a snack and he could get coffee beans for the office that weren't sucky.  that was a great break!  and then back to the grind.  i felt like i was just spinning my wheels until about 4 when i got some traction and made some real progress before calling it a day around 6:30.  at least i eventually felt like things were getting done.  i have some more big stuff to take care of as i wrap up the week, but it's also kind of exciting.  new, different projects are good. after work, i headed for the gym because i really, really needed it, probably more than i even realized.  i was so not interested in going but i went anyway.  and the workout was rough.  but i survived and now i feel awesome!  woot! so i came home and ended up talking to meg as i arrived here.  it was great to catch up with her.  it'd been too long, i think.  plus, we're totally gearing up for seattle in 9(!) days.  and then i just hung around here until now.  honestly, i really just watched entirely too much tv. :)  i mean, there was enough on tonight to fully entertain me and it was great to just relax on the couch.  "the fashionista diaries," "hard knocks," "the real world," and "newport harbor."  that's some awesome tv right there! ;) and now all of a sudden it's midnight(ish) and i guess that means i should head for my bed.  g'night. ;)  tuesday 21 august 2007 11:33pm "and if you wonder where i am and what's been running through my mind if you want to know just how i've been or how i'm killing time in every day, in every way, in everything i do i'm with you, i'm with you" -- meg allison "i'm with you" okay, so i'm a little bit in love with meg allison's new song.  listen.  seriously. :) so it was a day that doesn't seem like i should have enjoyed.  and yet i did.  that's good news all the way around, i'd say. so i got up too early (or as early as all other days i have to go to work), threw on a cute dress (love dresses that feel like t-shirts!), and headed off on yet another warm morning. work was busy.  i mean, it didn't feel as hectic as some days do, but i just have a long list of things to accomplish.  and i'm starting to really believe that i work best in the late morning and in the evening.  that's when i actually accomplish things, it seems.  so anyway, i worked all day long and was most productive then.  which means i ended up being totally on a roll when 5 rolled around, so i stayed and continued to work through some projects.  and then all of a sudden it was 8:30.  i have no idea where the time went, but i also know that i made good progress.  i feel good about the day, even if i was at work for nearly 12 hours straight (i ordered lunch in).  at least i got to chat with kath for a few minutes while i was eating lunch at my desk! after work, it was late so i headed home. i did a little workout here, worked on some more stuff for bobby (everything with him is going awesome and i think we're close to having clothes in actual stores, which is totally insane!), and had a little dinner.  and now all of a sudden it's way later than i realized.  i think i'll tuck in with a book and then crash. a couple more notes before i leave, though! :)  i booked a trip to go visit sarah in a few weeks, which should be a blast!  i'll get to see her house now that's it's way more done than the last time (when i was helping her strip wallpaper and the house was still uninhabitable).  and i also have a plane ticket to maui for a trip with mom (and maybe dad if i beg enough).  woot!  yay for traveling so much that i'll never see my apartment all fall! okay, i'm off.  more tomorrow.  g'night. ;)  monday 20 august 2007 10:32pm "what say we work on one day at a time i'll always be yours and you'll always be mine and we'll be an exception to the rule baby, what say we stay together let's start with loving kindness and leave no room for hurt and when times get hard and we want to give up baby, what say we stay together" -- george strait "what say" hello, again. :)  it's been a few days, but i have time tonight to catch you up on things. i had a lovely weekend with the family.  we really didn't do much, but it turned out to be fun.  we slept in (relatively) late on saturday and then went down to r.j.'s in dana point for breakfast.  we sat outside on a gorgeous summer morning.  couldn't have been better!  and then we lazed around a little bit before deciding to do a little shopping.  mom wanted to go to the container store up in costa mesa, so we did that and also visited the nordstrom rack, which is in the same shopping center.  mom found me an awesome piece of kate spade!  i hardly ever see any kate there.  i think it gets snapped up too quickly.  anyway, it's cute, so that's happy! :)  then we headed back towards home for dinner at the macaroni grill (i ate entirely too much, but it was really good!) and to the movies.  i took them all to see "the bourne ultimatum," which was even better the second time around, i'd say.  i caught even more things.  so fun!  you must see the movie!  and then when we got home, we watched "high school musical 2" together and crashed.  that's some good, quality family time right there! :)  sunday morning, we all went to mimi's cafe for another great breakfast, and then they took me grocery shopping because they think i don't have any food.  admittedly, i don't keep too much food in the apartment, but that's because i'm only one person!  i can't eat that much!  so anyway, we picked up some good stuff and brought it back.  then it was time for the family to leave, as they had a long drive home ahead of them.  and i took the rest of the day to just hang out.  i went to target but didn't find too much other than white tanks and the "hairspray" soundtrack (finally!).  and i napped and watched some tv and that's really about it.  oh!  and i gave myself a much-needed and well-deserved manicure. :) and today  it was back to work.  there was plenty to get done, as usual.  i accomplished enough and then took off before it was dark outside, a nice change. ;)  anyway, my toe has been bothering me (feels like a pulled muscle) so i took the day off from working out and just headed home to relax.  i've been working on some stuff for bobby (he called today with a new idea for a shirt) and catching up on some reading so the magazines won't take over my apartment again.  it's been quite lovely, actually. :) and after a little more tv tonight, i'm going to crash.  more next time from me.  g'night. ;)  friday 17 august 2007 11:59pm just quickly before i crash... :)  i just wanted to write for you... work was crazy today.  it was more than i expected, really.  i wanted to get out of there at 5 for a change, but i couldn't make it happen, so i worked late once again.  it didn't exactly go like i wanted it to, but i think i got enough done for the day. and tonight, i raced home and straightened up around my apartment before mom, dad, and adam arrived.  they're visiting for the weekend.  they were in la for adam's orientation at ucla.  anyway, they brought dinner and we watched last night's "so you think you can dance" (they missed it).  and now they're sleeping and i just don't really get to bed as early as they do. also, i got to catch up with sarah on the phone a bit, which was cool.  i'm trying to arrange a time to go visit her. :) anyway, i'm off to bed and ready for a chill weekend with the fam.  g'night. ;)  friday 17 august 2007 12:10am "seasons change, rivers wind tumble weeds roll and the stars shine wind howls, dawn breaks cowboys ride and time slips away and i love you, it just comes natural it's what i was born to do don't have to think it through baby, it's so easy loving you it just comes natural" -- george strait "it just comes natural" it was a pretty good thursday. :) i feel like i actually accomplished a lot, which is awesome. things got crossed off my to-do list! amazing! so anyway, i was busy at work but sent two huge projects to press and left much earlier than i have been. oh, and there was a crazy art department conversation with john that i accidentally started. oh, well. after work, i came home and did a bunch of stuff for bobby, which went awesome. i sent three shirts to a screen printer and a postcard promo piece to a printer. that's exciting! :) woot! lusk. so that's all awesome. and then there was the season finale of my very favorite show right now, "so you think you can dance." i enjoyed the whole think thoroughly, even if my neil didn't win. sabra was my second choice and she's probably actually a better dancer than neil (but not as hott). i'm sad the show's over, but i'm stoked to see the tour in november, especially now that it's official that hok (and three others) will join the top 10 on tour! :) woot! okay, so i'm going to watch a little more tv, take care of a few things around the apartment, and crash. g'night. ;) wednesday 15 august 2007 11:53pm "i didn't have to turn my head whenever you walked in the only one to let these chills roll down my skin my heart beats faster, i hear your name" -- george strait "wrapped" well, just a few notes about today... :) work was extremely busy, but i feel like i actually accomplished things, so that's great!  and i managed to sneak out of there after only 10 hours.  ;)  also, i got to see diana and her daughter amber during lunch out with them, stacy, and lauren.  that was a nice treat i never saw coming.  diana and fam are doing great, so that's wonderful! after work, i headed for the gym.  i got there, opened my trunk, and discovered my gym bag was not inside.  i forgot it at home.  oops!  so i picked up a few groceries and then headed home.   my goal, after all, was to make it home by 8.   tonight was the first half of the "so you think you can dance" season finale!  woot!  :)  so i got to watch lacey, sabra, danny, and my fave neil dance for two hours, which was so wonderful.  other than neil's solo (gorgeous.), my favorite of the night was neil and danny in a battle of kings.  (i'll post video once it's somewhere on youtube.)  and i might have voted once or a thousand times tonight after the show. ;) and now just hanging out.  i need to go to bed.  g'night. ;)  tuesday 14 august 2007 11:57pm "let's put our two hearts back together and leave the broken pieces on the floor make love with me, baby 'til we ain't strangers anymore" -- bon jovi "stranger"  so i'm trying to get to bed pretty quickly here, but i wanted to share a little bit. :) today tiring and had some pretty crappy moments.  on the whole, however, i feel great about it.  i got some work done (though i was there for like 11 hours, so i was bound to accomplish something ;) ).  i had a nice lunch out with starla (and a crew of others from work), our rep from our printing company in kentucky.  a got a lovely little present from lauren and stacy just for being helpful, which really made my day. i came home, did some laundry, worked out a bit, and caught up with bobby for awhile.  i'm excited about working with him some more on shirts and such. i talked to adam for awhile.  he's at ucla for orientation, which started late tonight.  that's pretty exciting! :)  and then i talked to theresa, who made the usc soccer team and arrived at school today early as the team starts practice.  i'm so thrilled for her!  she's even on the usc athletics site already!  strange how there's no mention of me on that page, though. ;) okay, i need to go to sleep.  g'night. ;) monday 13 august 2007 11:16pm "sometimes it's hard to love me sometimes it's hard to love you too i know it's hard believing that love can pull us through it would be so easy to live your life with one foot out the door just hold me, baby 'til we ain't strangers anymore" -- bon jovi "stranger" you know, i think it's a good thing i watch "so you think you can dance" by myself.  noises come out of my mouth that would probably be embarrassing.  seriously, neil is crazy hott, especially when dancing.  the sounds just come out!  haha! :)  hmm... maybe i shouldn't put that on the internet. ;) oh, and for the rest of the day... well it was a pretty good monday.  worked a lot.  was glad to have brian back in the office for the day.  had great lunch at scpc with brian and chris.  worked late.  went to the gym.  caught up with kath and then my family. and now i'm enjoying tonight's "so you think you can dance" and fully intend on watching "the hills," as well, before i go to bed.  hope you also had a lovely monday.  g'night. ;) THIS JUST IN: neil's in the finale!!!  wooohooo! :D  sunday 12 august 2007 11:14pm "lay your head on my pillow  i'll sit beside you on the bed don't you think it's time we say some things we haven't said it ain't too late to get back to that place back to where we thought it was before why don't you look at me 'til we ain't strangers anymore" -- bon jovi "stranger" first of all, a big happy birthday to katie! :)  yeehaw!  ah, sunday. :)  i needed a sunday desperately.  and so it came and i always intended on taking full advantage.  i slept in late(ish), lazed around the entire day, and pretty much that's it.  i watched "happy feet" because i've had it from netflix for forever and am ready for the next thing in my queue, the beginning of the first season of "entourage" so i can fully catch up.  anyway, "happy feet" was pretty cute if not as good as other animated films out there right now.  anyway, my whole day was me lying around on the couch. eventually, however, i started to feel pretty bad.  that happens when i literally do nothing.  so i got up off the couch and did a little workout right here in the apartment -- part cardio, part strength training.  i feel a million times better now. :) i had a little dinner, talked to the fam, and enjoyed tonight's new episode of "entourage."  that's about it from here.  should be another busy week but i'm going to try to be home earlier and make it to the gym and write and all those things that are my normal life. anyway, i'm off.  g'night. ;)  saturday 11 august 2007 11:59pm "and i say, 'baby, yes, i feel stupid to call you but i'm lonely and i don't think you meant it when you said you couldn't love me'" -- maria mena "sorry" so i do realize it's been awhile since i've taken a few minutes to write.  i promise it's because i've been so busy and trying to just get enough sleep to keep up with myself.  but i have a little time tonight for you. :) i've been working a lot lately.  a lot.  seriously.  there's just a lot going on there right now, so that means plenty of extra hours and less time for me.  it comes after a much slower week.  that's kind of how things go around there, i suppose.  anyway, there are more long days in the future, but i'll survive.  anyway, that's what's been keeping me from writing mostly.  getting home, having something to eat, and crashing has been the routine. yesterday, i managed to leave work a little early, do some grocery shopping, and come home for a little rest.  then i headed over to marke's place for a big birthday party for alex, his roommate.  i'm not sure when i was last at a proper party like that, but it was pretty fun. :)  everyone was tossed, but it was still fun.  i chatted with a whole variety of marke's friends there and even with drunk marke, too.  haha!  and i ended up there until like 2am.  so i got to bed at like 3.  that's really late after the week i had. and i was up at 10am this morning because i'm a bit of a dork. :)  tickets for the "so you think you can dance" tour went on sale at 10 and i wanted to make sure i got some for me, auntie lily, uncle ken (they're like the only people i know to chat with about it), theresa, mom, and dad.  it's going to be so fun! :)  that reminds me i should get plane tickets for thanksgiving.  anyway... so then i was up, even though i didn't get enough sleep at all.  i decided to go up to the nordstrom rack because they were having a big size shoe event today, meaning lots and lots of shoes in size 10.5 and up (and 13 and up for men).  i'm 11 or 11.5 (those don't actually exist), so that meant more shoes in my size (they're hard to find).  i wasn't, however, really impressed with too much there.  i found a few cute things, but only ended up getting a pair of dressy sort of flats that are white leather with a gold ring like above where the toe piece is.  i'm not sure how to else to describe them.  anyway, they're cute. :) and i spent the rest of the day cooking and cleaning in preparation for my little dinner party, which was really a very late birthday celebration that turned out really small but still nice.  plus, small let me keep it really casual.  anyway, i made a salad, parmesean popovers, three-cheese stuffed shells, and s'mores brownies.  all of it was good, even the popovers that i was unsure about.  all the recipes were new to me, so that was pretty cool!  very experimentational. :)  my guests were lea, marke, katrina, and wednesday.  we had a good time. :) and now i'm just hanging out. :)  i watched last week's "so you think you can dance" that i had missed.  that was the.  best.  episode.  ever.  all the dances were spectacular, though i found neil and sabra's jazz and paso doble to be the best, though that's only because i <3 neil.  pasha and lacey's hip hop was right up there.  awesome!  seriously.  if you watch the videos i've linked you will love them, even if you currently think i'm lame for watching "so you think you can dance." :) also, a quick note.  this clip of zac efron from leno made me love him even more. :)  he likes the giants! okay, now i really do need to go to bed.  i'm exhausted.  i'm looking forward to sunday fully being a day of rest.  g'night. ;)  tuesday 7 august 2007 10:19pm "on any other day i might just go crazy the grace is knowing that you're gonna save me maybe luck and love will pull us through" -- bon jovi "any other day" since all i really did today was work, i'll give you a short recap and then give you some interesting links to keep you entertained. :) i worked a lot today. until kind of late. there's a lot to be done there. it's no big deal, but really, that's mostly what i did. oh, and then i came home, had dinner, and watched the baseball game while talking to my dad on the phone because that's what we do. :) i love matt damon making fun of himself. the man is awesome. i promise this is worth your click. barry bonds is amazing. 756 home runs. i sure as hell couldn't do that. i tried not to cry watching the celebrations. and i love how gracious mike bacsik was afterwards both with barry himself and the media. i hate that a mets fan "caught" the ball. and this article pretty much sums up what i feel about bud selig. it really has been a treat watching barry chase the record. :) i offer my congratulations like these other amazing men did. i'm off to bed now. g'night. ;)  monday 6 august 2007 10:24pm "i close my eyes and picture your hand in mine i still hear your voice, it takes me back to that time" -- bon jovi "whole lot of leaving" so it was actually a pretty quiet monday.  that's probably good news. i didn't sleep at all last night.   i think i looked at the clock about every 90 minutes, which means i was never asleep enough to get some real rest.  at least that leaves me pretty sleepy and with higher hopes for tonight.   thta's what i get for having a lazy sunday, isn't it?  oh, well. work was pretty uneventful today.  the office is a little bit busier this week with cindy and sally both in town (they normally work from georgia and oregon, respectively).  i got a bit of work done, but probably not enough.  i'll make us for it later, i'm sure.  marke, chris, and i lunched at marke's place after i picked up a (free) pizza at z pizza.  the dog was out of control today, but whatever. i came home after work to do some more cleaning around here.  i have a few huge stacks of magazines that i need to go through and then throw away, so i'm working through that.  it's a major chore, but the magazines were taking over my apartment.  that means there are lots to sort through. i like that all the giants games are on tv right now. :)  i've been watching because there's nothing else on tv tonight.  and it's good to have on while i'm doing other stuff. and that's about it.  boring, i know.  i'm off to get some sleep.  g'night. ;)  sunday 5 august 2007 10:24pm "i'd take another chance, take a fall take a shot for you and i need you like a heart needs a beat" -- one republic "apologize" just a quick update at the end of a quiet sunday for you. :) slept in deliciously late.  hung around.  cleaned the apartment.  made serious progress.  serious. :) enjoyed "so you think you can dance" from last week.  i <3 neil enough that i might have to vote next time.  best show! remembering where i was exactly three years ago with a smile on my face. :) after "entourage" and "army wives," i'm off to bed.  g'night. ;)  sunday 5 august 2007 7:50pm oh, goodness.  i seriously love love this show.  neil and lacey doing the mia michaels contemporary routine that was so personal was perfect!  i <3 neil!  amazing! sunday 5 august 2007 7:20pm so i'm just now catching up on last week's "so you think you can dance," and how come no one told me about neil dancing shirtless and being so crazy hott?!? hott!!! :) saturday 4 august 2007 11:10pm "a thousand miles seems pretty far but they've got planes and trains and cars i'd walk to you if i had no other way our friends would all make fun of us and we'll just laugh along because we know that none of them have felt this way delilah, i can promise you that by the time that we get through the world will never ever be the same" -- plain white t's "hey there delilah" i love the weekend, and i seriously needed this one. :)  and it's been really fun, thus far. yesterday was pretty uneventful.  i went to work, did some stuff, and came back home.  oh, and there might have been a trip where marke and i went to the grocery store in the middle of the afternoon so he could get groceries for the enchiladas he was making for dinner for his parents and the rest of his family that night.  and we got starbucks and frozen yogurt for the rest of the department.  he seriously needed my help with the grocery shopping.  how does he eat?!? then i came home and actually ended up crashing for like two hours before spending the rest of the evening just hanging out watching the giants game and reading. this morning, i got up at a decent hour and got cleaned up and had breakfast and everything.  i headed down to carlsbad to the outlets for my first stop of the day.  and the 40ish-mile drive took me 90 minutes.  that's not good news.  but i survived and had a good time wandering out the outlets there.  i'd never been to those before.  they were pretty insane, but i guess that's not too surprising for saturday in august.  anyway, i found a few great things and the headed out. i met up with elizabeth at a random movie theatre in san marcos, which we agreed upon because it was pretty much right in between where she lives in san diego and where i live.  it was kind of a strange spot, but it worked for us.  we saw an afternoon showing of "the bourne ultimatum," which was so awesome!  it was two hours of matt damon kicking serious ass.  it might be my favorite of all the "bourne" movies, though i'll have to see it again just to make sure. :)  anyway, i loved every single second of the film, and i think everyone should go see it immediately! then we had dinner at a random italian restaurant near there, bruno's.  it was pretty good.  the portions were ridiculous.  my baked ziti was the size of a pie.  huge!  anyway, i ate enough, and it was good. :)  and then i headed back home, and it only took me 40 minutes. :) i've just been hanging out tonight.  i got to talk to kath a little bit.  it's her 24th birthday, so now she's old like me. ;) i'm off for now.  g'night. ;)  thursday 2 august 2007 10:19pm "hey, there, delilah i've got so much left to say if every simple song i wrote to you would take your breath away i'd write it all even more in love with me you'd fall we'd have it all" -- plain white t's "hey there delilah" just briefly before i crawl into bed with a book and then crash... it's been a pretty good thursday.  i had a pretty good time at work playing with marke and brian. :)  and i got some actual work done.  and i feel like things are under control at the moment, even if i am completely certain they're be totally out of control a week from now. after work, i headed home.  just as i was settling in on the couch, my phone rang.  katie!  i've been trying to get her to return my calls for like two weeks now.  i will, though, admit that it usually takes much, much longer.  anyway, we got to catch up a lot, which was awesome.  now, how do i get her out here for a few days from san antonio?!?  we need to hang out in person! and i've been hanging out since then.  i watched barry, barr, and the rest of the giants.  i talked to the family.  i did some reading and had a great dinner.  now it is time for me to sleep. g'night. ;)  wednesday 1 august 2007 9:10pm "hey, there, delilah don't you worry about the distance i'm right there if you get lonely give this song another listen close your eyes listen to my voice, it's my disguise i'm by your side" -- plain white t's "here there delilah" well, it was a quiet wednesday.  i seriously wasn't up to much at all, but that's fine. :) so i got up and dressed and everything and headed to work this morning, but i stopped first at i <3 bagels.  crack.  there is crack in their bagels.  i'm completely addicted.  and so are lots of other people because the line there is always out the door.  mmm... so good! work was pretty uneventful today.  it seemed really quiet around the office, which allowed me to get some actual work done.  of course, i played with marke some, too.  we listened to lots of national anthems, comparing the various countries' to see which we most prefer.  i think the finnish one won.  or iceland?  hungary lost.  oh, and we lunched at marke's and wathced more of "how i met your mother."  we're nearly done with the first season.  it's really funny!  oh, and sarah and i got to chat a lot today, which was fun.  it's good to keep up with her.  it seems like we have both been so busy lately that there wasn't time to chat every single day, but now we're back on track.  :) after work, i was so sleepy!  i just wanted to come home and nap, though i resisted the nap and cleaned up around the apartment instead.  it was really messy after a busy weekend with adam and theresa here.  but things are much more in order now and the dishes are all clean once again.  that's huge.  and really, i've just been hanging out.  i read some (and will probably read some more once i'm done with this) and have the giants game on the tv.  that's about it. i'm off for now.  hope you had a good wednesday!  g'night. ;)  tuesday 31 july 2007 10:15pm "you really left your mark on this old house, in this old heart i see you everywhere and when i close my eyes you're still there" -- brad paisley "with you, without you"   it's been a pretty good tuesday.  i mean, it's tuesday, so i had to do lots of normal sorts of things, but it was still really good. :) so i went to bed early last night.  that's my goal for all the nights this week.  i want to catch up on the sleep i haven't been getting.  and then i was up early this morning because i needed to make sure i was at work a little bit early.  so i put on my awesome new shoes and headed to the office. :) the reason i needed to be in early was that marke, chris, jason, and i kind of pulled a giant prank on brian while he was on vacation last week.  we covered his entire desk and area in post-it notes.  all of it.       for the whole set of photos, check out the flickr set. :) so i had to be there when brian arrived at work.  and it was great fun seeing him see it. :)  and the rest of the day was fun.  we took notes on brian's desk and walls, where most of the post-its remain.  he just removed enough so that he could do some actual work.  so we are having fun around there! after work, i ran a couple errands and also did a little shopping kind of on accident.  i stopped at payless because it's next door to the beauty supply shop where i get shampoo.  just to see.  and it turns out their american eagle brand shoes are so cute, totally comfortable, and really cheap!  so i might have bought some really great flats for myself!  woot! i got a book in the mail today.  it's from wednesday via someone i don't know.  she read a book that she loved and wanted to share with her friends, so she mailed it to one with instructions on how to pass it to the next person.  everyone gets a month to read it.  i think it's a cool idea, and i'm looking forward to reading it.  what i also think is pretty rad is that i don't know anyone else on her list except carmen.  it's really sharing this book with strangers.  anyway, i love serendipitous mail! mom's working on plans for maui in october, and i'm already very excited!  i'm sure i'll need a very relaxing vacation by then!  and i'm just hanging out tonight.  i plan to crash pretty soon.  more next time.  g'night. ;)  monday 30 july 2007 9:30pm "oh love deep as the life from God’s own breath endless even after death gone like the sunset you can break a heart in pieces put it back together again you can break down sweet forgiveness you’re the one that never ends oh love" -- brad paisley "oh love" oh goodness.  wow.  i really have been neglecting this journal for the past week or so.  but i'm here now and have a few minutes to write before i crash.  i've been quite busy, and it's all been an adventure.  here's kind of how it all went. :) adam arrived in town on thursday night, so i picked him up at the airport and we grabbed some dinner.  we hung out a little bit and then met marke, katrina, alex, matt, and a bunch more of their friends at the movie theatre for the midnight showing of "the simpsons movie."  i'm not cool enough or devoted enough to "the simpsons" to really warrant going at midnight, but adam was stoked on the idea and marke and his crew love love the show.  so i went, and actually i think that was a good way for me to watch the movie.  movies are funnier if you're surrounded by other people cracking up.  i enjoyed it, even if we didn't get home until about 2am. friday morning, we were up bright and early so we could meet auntie lily, uncle ken, and theresa at their hotel in anaheim and then head over to disneyland for the day.  there were complications with adam's ticket/annual pass, but we got it all straightened out eventually.  we had a lot of fun at both disneyland and california adventure all day!  we went on a lot of rides, and i even got to finally ride the new space mountain.  twice.  :)  of course, it's also great to just get to hang out with the family.  i don't see them enough, though that should get a little better with adam and theresa both moving to la in the fall.  and after seeing fantasmic! and the fireworks show, adam, theresa, and i headed back to my apartment for the night. saturday was the reason this whole weekend got planned.  the three of us got up, put on bathing suits, and headed up to huntington beach for the u.s. open of surfing.  we found a little spot on the beach (among the tens of thousands of other spectators) and hung out there all day.  the surfing was awesome, and i loved just lying around on the beach for a day. :)  i might have gotten a tiny bit sunburned, but i'll survive. :) then we came home, got cleaned up, and headed up to the spectrum for dinner and a movie.  i left my car with the valet and we had a great meal at cpk.  then we went to see "ratatouille," which i thought was really excellent.  it's funny, and i like the story.  good stuff. :)  and then we retrieved my car at like midnight.  and it had a completely flat tire.  suck!  so i pulled into a nearby parking lot and waited for aaa to come and put my spare on.  then we headed home... very slowly because i can't go more than 50mph on my little spare. in the morning, i was up early once again so i could rent a car.  normally, driving on the spare until i get the tire fixed is not a problem.  but it was a problem this time because i needed to drive theresa all the way up to usc before lunch.  and it was sunday.  so i rented a car -- a red hhr -- and brought theresa up to her soccer camp at usc.  it wasn't too bad of a drive, luckily.  i'm sure i'll be doing that drive more once theresa actually lives at usc.  and on the way back here, adam and i stopped at the block at orange to go to steve and barry's.  i found a few more great things from sarah jessica parker's clothing line, bitten.  and we found a little lunch, too.  then we came home and napped because we were sleepy! and then last night, we went over to marke's for dinner with him and his friends.  it was marke, katrina, alex, lindsey, liz (alex's sister), adam, and me.  it was super low-key, perfect for a sunday night.  it totally reminded me of when elizabeth and i lived together and josh would come over with a box of pasta, some sauce, a loaf of bread, and a salad.  he'd cook a quick dinner for us at our place and we'd just hang out.  it was just like that.  so fun! :) and today was a little bit hectic between getting my car repaired (at least i got service, which it needed, too), returning the rental, going to work, and getting adam to the airport by 6.  but i got it all done! :)  and after dropping him off at the airport, i went over to the nordstrom rack to avoid some rush hour traffic.  and!  i found really, really great stuart weitzman shoes.  black peep-toe heels.   they're my first stuart weitzmans ever, and i love them!  :)  i might even be wearing them right this second as i hang out in the apartment because they're so hott.  haha! anyway, i am going to crash nice and early tonight.  g'night. ;) p.s. happy birthday to my dear megs! :)  monday 23 july 2007 10:19pm well, i'm exhausted after the past two days, which have been pretty busy.  but it's been good.  i had a wonderful weekend in san carlos, but now i'm back in the o.c. and returning to my regular life. so yesterday, mom threw a family birthday party for me at the house.  she had a lot of italian food (woot!) and invited the family over for lunch.  of course, that also meant that she sent me to retrieve grandma from her house in the city before the party.  at least i got to take the new car and enjoy listening to the satellite radio.  also, grandma was really chatty on the way back to the house, so that was surprisingly fun. :)  and it was great to see the family, even if my cousins brenda and jason weren't able to make it.  also, theresa is back from her tour through europe, so it was great to see her and hear about her adventures there. :) in the evening, mel, kath, and i went out for a birthday dinner. :)  we had amazing japanese food at ozuma (a san carlos institution).  mmm... veggie tempura and the best ramen ever!  and then we went over to bj's for pizzookie for dessert.  we only needed one to share.  we ordered two.  haha!  it was a wonderful time!  just look...       see?  looks amazing, right? ;) and then today!  i had to get up at 5:15 to make my 7:30 flight out of san francisco so i could get to work this morning.  turns out, however, that the flight was delayed because the crew's flight last night got in late.  yeah.  so i was half an hour late and didn't actually make it to work until 10:30, but that's how it goes. work was pretty uneventful today.  i worked, though i was really tired, so i avoided some of the bigger projects.  tomorrow will be better for those, i am thinking. after work, i had a couple errands to take care of, and then i planned to get home early and crash early.  one of the few things i wanted to pick up tonight was the sountrack to the movie "hairspray."  so looked for it at target (it was in their sunday ad, after all).  sold out.  so i looked for it at costco.  sold out.  so i looked for it at best buy.  sold out.  irvine best buy?  sold out.  borders?  sold out.  barnes and noble?  you guessed it... sold out.  seriously?!?!?!?  i should have bought it when i was at best buy on saturday morning before i saw the film.  so i told adam he must find one near him and bring it to me when he comes down on thursday.  how are there no copies anywhere?  the guy at b&n told me they sold them faster than "harry potter" books, which i'm sure was an exaggeration, but still!  so anyway, i was out until about 7 looking and failing. and since then, i've just been hanging out at home enjoying a little dinner and catching up on some tv.  i am thinking i need to get to bed, however, so i'm off.  g'night. ;)  saturday 21 july 2007 11:35pm well, it was a pretty busy day around here, especially considering i hadn't really planned on doing a whole lot.  it was good fun! :) i got up and lazed around a bit until around lunchtime.  then dad, adam, and i basically ran errands, which means we went to look for lumber at home depot and for some sort of electrical box at the lighting supply place (which turned out to be a failure).  then we went to best buy to wander around.  i convinced dad and adam to pick up a few cds for me for my birthday: george strait's 50 #1s double album, the new blake shelton, and cole deggs and the lonesome.  good stuff! :) in the afternoon, adam and i went out into the street and i got on his longboard.  i am just not used to the balancing required for a skateboard, so i was holding onto him and trying to ride.  i actually did a decent job for never having done it before, i would say, though i'm going to need more lessons for sure.  i kind of wish someone would have documented the whole thing, because i think it'd be pretty hilarious.  i was definitely laughing through the whole thing!  then meg came over and picked up adam and me.  we went down to redwood city to the new movie theatre there to see "hairspray," which i'd been looking forward to more and  more recently.  well, it definitely lived up to expectations! :)  it was so fabulous and fun and happy!  i'd definitely recommend this one whole-heartedly, and i fully intend on buying both the soundtrack and the dvd (when it's available).  i might even go see it again in the theatre, it was so fun! and after hanging out a the house for a little bit, mom, dad, adam, meg, katherine, and i went to toto's for delicious pizza for dinner and then next door to baskin-robbins for ice cream.  it was a really great dinner, actually! :)  toto's is one of my very favorite pizzerias around, and i miss it when i'm in the o.c. then kath, adam, and went mini-golfing.  it was quite fun, and it also really reminded me of the last time i did that, which was three summers ago.  this time, though, there was no flower tucked behind my ear and there were no donuts in the dirt parking lot afterwards.  still, i had a great time, and it was pretty funny because i'm a terrible golfer. :)  i did manage a respectable score fo 69 (same as adam and 6 strokes more than kath's 63).     i think it's time for bed now.  more of my birthday weekend at home next time.  g'night. ;)  saturday 21 july 2007 12:09pm wow.  it took me longer to get here (san carlos) than i had anticipated.  but i made it, and i'm so thankful for that. :) so i got up and made it to work only a few minutes late. :)  i had to wrap up the packing and make sure the apartment was all set so i could leave it for the weekend, so that delayed me a little.  plus, i stopped to pick up breakfast, another absolutely delicious bagel.  mmm! anyway, work was fine.  i was really busy trying to take care of a variety of things.  so i put on the headphones and kind of just worked away.  it went pretty well, though i did kind of give up by about 4:30.  it's been quite the week! then i decided that there was something better than going home between work and going to the airport.  i went to nordstrom rack, which happens to be quite close to the airport.  so i browsed the store and found fabulous dior sunglasses that were about 80% off their regular price!  still a little expensive, but affordable.  and i also found great yellow heels!  awesome! :) and then the airport.  i got there just after my flight got canceled because of a mechanical problem.  so after a lot of waiting and discussion and other craziness, i ended up getting on the southwest flight to san jose (instead of my american flight to san fran) that i tend to usually book but was kind of avoiding this time (because it's nice to have an assigned seat and american happened to be cheaper this time).  so back to southwest.  anyway, i made it here, thankfully, instead of having to wait for another american flight tomorrow morning. and now i'm home for the weekend just hanging out mostly.  i'll write more later.  g'night. ;)  thursday 19 july 2007 11:14pm "what if i told you, what if i said that i love you how would you feel, what would you think what would we do do we dare to cross that line between your heart and mine or would i lose a friend or find a love that would never end what if i said" -- anita cochran and steve wariner "what if i said"  well, it was another good day, though probably less exciting than the last two.  but anyway, it's been fun, so i thought i'd take a few minutes to update you on things. :)  and then i'm going to start a new book while tucking into bed.  so, um, i might have been up way too late last night watching "so you think you can dance" and then conan.  that's definitely too late.  but i managed to roll out of bed and into the shower this morning. ;)  anyway, i made it to work, after stopping for a bagel on the way.  i seriously own zero food. work.  there was lots of work today, but it kind of felt like there was also a lot of playing, especially with the boys taking apart and rebuilding the nerf guns.  so while i got a lot done today (sent another book to press), it was still pretty fun.  also, chris, brian, and i went over to marke's for lunch and watched a couple episodes of "how i met your mother," which i'd never seen before.  pretty good! and after work, i headed for the gym for a tough workout.  i'm thinking more and more that i should have a subscription to "vanity fair," though, because there's so much good stuff in there!  it's good reading for the gym, where i like long, intense articles. :)  anyway, i survived the workout (barely ;)) and headed home. and i've been hanging out since then.  i ordered dinner in because i have no food, and i straightened up around the apartment because it was a total disaster.  and then i managed to pack a suitcase for the weekend, though most of it's dirty clothes i'll need washed right away.  i'm sure that can get taken care of at home. ;)  oh, and i talked to the parents for a little bit, as well. i watched "so you think you can dance" and am now severely disappointed that hok got cut and therefore won't be on the tour.  he's a.m.a.z.i.n.g. and i desperately want to see him dance in person!  especially because what he does is so unique.  anyway, i still really love that show, and i absolutely loved jason samuels smith's tap!  i love tap! :) anyway, i need to get to bed now, i think.  i'm headed home for the weekend, but i think i'll just take my computer with me so i can update while i'm there. if you live near me or want to visit me, a belated birthday bash is in the works, so i'll get you the details! :) okay, i'm off.  g'night. ;)  thursday 19 july 2007 12:17am "i'm looking out ten stories high and like a blanket lifted the quiet night the city finally waking up the morning light" -- mandy moore "few days down" wow.  24 is starting out wonderfully. :) so i wasn't feeling too peppy when the alarm went off this morning.  i need more sleep.  but i managed to get up and around and all that.  got dressed.  headed out on time.  stopped for a donut.  normal morning, really. work was very busy today.  there are a million things to be done all at the same time, so it's a matter of switching between tasks quickly and filling all gaps of 60 or more seconds with work.  anyway, i did actually manage to get a lot done today, despite some things taking longer than i had really anticipated or wanted.  and i was there until 8:30 because that's how it goes sometimes.  i left work undone, too.  there's always more, it seems.  anyway, there was a lot of this today. but there were other parts of my workday that were more interesting.  i cashed in on the lunch i won from john by playing high card with him the other day.  john, aaron, cindy muir, marke (because i forced him and now owe him), and i went to wahoo's for a pretty decent lunch together. and yet!  my day got more interesting.  ;)   i got a promotion!  i'm now the art director at the rtc group, which is quite exciting.  i've been working my butt off there since day 1, and i'm so excited to be rewarded for that, or to feel like someone's noticed.  i'm not exactly sure what else to say about this.  it's major! ;) and so i was at work a long time.  but afterwards, i managed to make it to the gym to squeeze in a workout before they closed at 10.  that was good.  i was feeling great and probably could have gone on for another hour.  i think i got really sucked into the "vanity fair" i was reading. anyway, then i came home and mel rang like the instant i got here.  i got to chat with her awhile and catch up, which was really great. :)  we both needed that, i think! and then i showered, talked to the fam, found a little dinner, and watched tonight's "so you think you can dance."  it was wonderful, of course!  i really do love this show so much!  tonight, my favorite was neil and lauren with the contemporary routine.  awesome!  and i learned there's a tour of the top 10!  oh my goodness!  i'm so in for that! :) and now that the show's over, i need to get to bed.  i'm already up past my bedtime.  g'night. ;)  tuesday 17 july 2007 10:38pm "you really left your mark on this old house, in this old heart i see you everywhere and when i close my eyes you're still there" -- brad paisley "with you, without you" happy birthday to me! 24. i can hardly believe it, actually. and it's been a pretty good birthday. :) i got to bed a little early last night so i got a little bit of extra rest. that was definitely needed, i know. so i got up this morning and got all dressed and ready and everything. i wanted to put on a cute outfit for my birthday. :) anyway, i headed out and stopped for a delicious bagel for breakfast on my way to the office. there's plenty of work to be done right now, so i spent my day working. i wasn't sure what i'd do with a tuesday off when the only people i know around here are working, anyway. so i worked today. and i got some stuff done, which was good. of course, the day was also full of distractions. :) there's the boys who are not only obsessed with the nerf dart guns but are now taking them apart and modifying them so they shoot harder and faster. awesome. ;) actually, it's pretty geeky and still fun, so it's fine with me. and then i went out to lunch with brian, marke, and chris to sonny's for a delicious italian lunch. mmm! it was nice to get out and chat and hang out and whatever. and we stopped by the hardware store (for parts for the nerf guns) and the grocery (for something sweet to follow lunch). and when i got back from lunch i found this: my desk had been decorated while i was out! :) so fun, right? and after work, i headed home to relax a bit. i knew that i'd get to catch up with a few friends today, and that's how it went. i caught up with katie rugh. i swear i really have a relationship with her voicemail, so it was nice to have an actual conversation! :) haha! and then i talked to kath for a while, as well, though we'll get to do more catching up this weekend when i'm home. and then i went and got some really great takeout! i picked up pizza and a slice of cheesecake from california pizza kitchen. mmm! so great! and i talked to the family while i ate, so that was good. and now i'm just hanging out. i watched the posh tv special from last night and i am totally going to replace "hot" or "cool" or whatever with "major." my birthday has been so major! :) there's more birthday celebration to come, i'm sure, but that's it for tonight. g'night. monday 16 july 2007 10:32pm "just wait for me patiently and you'll get all of me" -- mandy moore "most of me" it was... um... an interesting day.  i don't know.  it didn't go how i thought it would really.  it was okay, though.  had its highs and lows. got up.  went to work.  didn't accomplish enough due to a variety of things, including john taking me out for coffee and the constant fire of nerf darts across the room.  don't plan on accomplishing enough tomorrow either because it's my birthday and i really don't even feel like going to work tomorrow.  except i really do need to. lunched with marke and chris.  ate at marke's place.  that's a nice little treat!  good to get out of the office and still feel comfortable. :)  went to the gym after work.  very exciting, no? ;)  actually, they had the giants game on, so i watched that a lot.  though they did end up losing.  no surprises there. ;)  oh, well. then came home, cleaned up, and headed out to target.  i needed lotion.  i found a cute top, a new book, hand soap, and licorice.  because that's how target is.  haha!  yeah. and now i'm just hanging out.  i talked to the family for a bit and watched some tv and that's really about it.  i think i'll try to get to bed early. and don't forget what tomorrow is!!! :D  my 24th(!) birthday!  woot! g'night. ;)  sunday 15 july 2007 9:42pm "i expect you to fly from new york to la and land on my doorstep and smile at me and say it was worth it to see most of me do you love most of me" -- mandy moore "most of me" it was a pretty good sunday, though things went a little differently than i had envisioned.  it was fun, though. :)  oh, and i'm loving this summertime weather! i got up at a decent hour this morning and lounged for a few minutes before putting on some clothes and heading to the gym.  i worked out really hard, which was a great way to start the day.  of course, that's not exactly what i was thinking when i was there, but it's how i feel now that it's over. :)  anyway, i headed home and got cleaned up. then i headed up to tustin to a park to go to a birthday party for jan's son, lucas, who is turning two.  i can't really believe he's two, but at least he's still as adorable as ever!  marke and katrina were meant to come with me, but katrina got sick, so i went solo.  but up there, i met up with melissa and chris, jan & tey, tim and his two kids, and of course the birthday boy!  it was good to catch up with everyone a bit, and i'm glad i got to hang out in the great summer weather.  i mean, a bbq in the park?  so summer! :)  love it!  i even played catch with tim with a football, which i'm completely incapable of throwing.  good fun! :) and this evening, i watched a little tv and gave myself the manicure i've been desperately needing.  nothing too exotic, but perfectly mellow for a sunday evening.  so yeah.  i'm just hanging out. i also watched "for your consideration," which was okay.  i definitely don't think it's as good as the other christopher guest films, but that's okay. anyway, i'm off for the evening.  g'night. ;)  sunday 15 july 2007 12:50am it's been a fun -- though pretty mellow -- couple of days. :)  there have been some good highlights, so i thought i'd take a little time to write for you. yesterday (friday), i worked all day.  until kind of late, actually.  there was plenty to be done, as well as the usual distractions, which seem to be more effective on fridays.  anyway, so there was that.  i know i didn't take care of quite everything i needed to, but perhaps monday.  anyway, yeah, i went to work. after work, i grabbed some dinner and talked to megs while i was eating (in a parking lot out of a paper bag because i just needed food and didn't want to go all the way home).  it was good to catch up with her, though. :) then i went over to marke's to hang out with him, katrina, and alex on friday the thirteenth.  the plan was to rent a scary movie, though we ended up with "shaun of the dead," which isn't exactly a scary movie.  but anyway, i'd never seen it before.  pretty good, especially considering it's way different than what i normally would watch.  and of course, it was cool to just hang out with some friends for a bit.  oh, and i met their dog, tai, finally.  he was fine.  chased his tail a lot.  brought me my shoe at one point. today was pretty quiet.  i went to costco for a few things and might have ended up with seasons 1 and 2 of "the office" because they were a good deal. :)  that place is too crazy for me on the weekends, though, and i need to stop going there on saturday afternoons.  anyway, then i went over to the bookstore to look for presents for lucas (jan's son), who is turning two!  just like last year, i had to call mom for some advice, but i picked out a few books. :) and then i watched some of the giants-dodgers game and napped, which is kind of how a good saturday afternoon should go, right? ;) and tonight i went to see "once," which is an irish film that's a musical about two singers.  it was wonderful, and i highly recommend it.  it's not exactly you're typical musical.  no dancing.  just two people who sing a lot because they're singers.  anyway, it was very good, and i kept it together at the end when i could have broken down crying.  haha!  not that it matters that much because i pretty much cry in all movies. :) and i'm just hanging out now.  but i should probably get to bed.  what happened to that manicure i wanted to give myself tonight?!?  forgot, i guess.  anyway, g'night. ;)  saturday 14 july 2007 2:21pm this is very accurate. also, lauren and neil were a.m.a.z.i.n.g. this week.  (here's the longer video, if you care.)  and wade robson is a genius, i am now thoroughly convinced.  and i'm not just saying that because i have a small crush on neil. ;) thursday 12 july 2007 11:11pm <-- wish! "i won't hold anything back and i won't hold anything in feel like i know where this is going and i might know how it ends but i'm still willing to begin" -- mandy moore "most of me" well, i'm once again quite tired, but i haven't updated in a few days and i really do mean to do this every day.  so anyway, here's a bit about how the past few days have been.  i can't even believe it's already thursday night. so it's been really crazy busy at work.  seriously.  i'm working lots and lots of hours and was there especially late tonight.  i think it helped to have brian and chris's company tonight, though.  anyway, there's so much to get done around there and a lot of it is interesting, so that's where i usually am.  no, no one is surprised. ;) i must say that things have been a little bit stressful, but it's been really good to have some people to talk things through with, even if they're like dad and totally lecture me.  he's generally right, anyway, so it's good to hear.  um, what else?  i'm not exactly sure.  went to the gym last night.  meant to go there tonight, but i wouldn't have made it before they closed. oh!  "so you think you can dance!"  gah!  i absolutely love love love love that show!  they're so amazing! :) and i'm thinking in need to get to bed.  g'night. ;) p.s. only 5 more days until my birthday!  monday 9 july 2007 11:46pm well, it really is about time i finish up writing about my trip to chicago. :)  plus, i have today to write about as, well. so saturday.  dad and i had a quick breakfast at dunkin donuts, which i had wanted to do because we don't have those around here.  then we rented a car (old taurus -- very unexciting) and drove about 70 miles east around the bottom of lake michigan to michigan city, indiana.  we met up with some of dad's family: my aunt anita, uncle paul, and grandma wyatt.  it was good to see them because it happens so rarely.  we met at an outlet mall there, so we got to do a bit of shopping.  i absolutely love the j.crew outlets, so that's where i did the most damage.  i also found some good stuff at the banana republic outlet, where the entire store was 40% off.  awesome!  and then before heading back to the city, dad and i went to indiana dunes state park to see the huge sand dunes and the lakeshore.  the "beach" there was totally packed!  those crazy people from the middle travel for miles and miles to gather at the edge of the lake.  and then we made it back to chicago with only a brief detour as we got lost in south side chicago and dad had to get directions at a very shady gas station.  yikes!  but we survived.  and after a little rest in our hotel room, we completed our pizza triangle.  the story goes that chicago deep dish pizza was invented at uno.  then two cooks left to start gino's east.  and two cooks from there left to start giordano's.  so we had to eat at giordano's.  and wow!  it was also really great pizza!  i am not sure which of the three was even my favorite. :) and sunday was also really great. :)  dad and i had a quick breafast at mcdonalds before taking the el out to oak park, a chicago suburb where frank lloyd wright really got his career going and created his style of architecture.  we took a tour of his home and studio, which was very cool.  i especially love the studio, built once he was really into his own style.  the whole place is absolutely gorgeous.  i'm sad we couldn't take any photos in there at all, but i really was amazing.  and then we used our architecture map to tour oak park on foot looking at several other homes designed by flw.  they're really incredible and so different from all the victorian homes that fill the rest of the neighborhood (which was gorgeous itself, by the way).  it's crazy to think people own those homes and live in them, but at least we get to see them from the outside.  and we rounded out our trip to oak park with lunch in a little local italian place. then dad and i had to head back home, so we got on our flights and did that.  my flight was mostly uneventful, but two things stand out in my mind.  i finished reading "second summer of the sisterhood," the second book in the "traveling pants" series.  i had started it on my flight out to chicago.  anyway, i loved every page and really want to pick up the third book now and read it immediately.  and if i hadn't been in a plane, i likely would have cried through about three quarters of the book.  that's good stuff. ;)  and secondly, there was a girl putting in her hair extensions while sitting in her seat about 15 minutes before landing.  i wanted to laugh right then and there, but her dad was sitting next to me.  seriously?  putting hair extensions in in such a public place?!?  anyway, i made it all the way back home safely. and finally, today.  as weird as it may be, it was good to get back to work.  i think that's mostly because i miss my friends there when i'm away so long.  anyway, i got to catch up with the boys, so that was nice. :)   and after work, i picked up groceries and chatted with kath on the phone, which was about all i had planned for tonight.  marke invited me to come with him and his friends to "the buck" (a bar in capo beach actually called buckingham palace) to hang out.  pool's free there on monday nights.  so i met up with marke, katrina, alex, and alex's sister liz there.  we hung out, played darts, and shot some pool.  i am disastrously bad at pool, but it was still a good time.  i am glad i got to get out of the apartment and spend some time with good, mellow, fun people. :) and now i need to get to bed.  it's past my bedtime.  haha!  g'night. ;) p.s. all the photos from chicago are now up on flickr.  friday 6 july 2007 10:49pm in chicago hey hey!  chicago's still treating us quite well. :)  i'll try to keep it brief so i can get to bed. we went up to the top of the john hancock center, where we could see a long way in all directions on a pretty clear morning.  they say you can see four states from there, though it's hard to tell because the state lines aren't as obvious from the 94th floor of the john hancock center as they are when you're looking at a map. ;) then we took the el up north and had breakfast at a really cool place called orange (saw it on the food network), which was delicious.  i had chai tea french toast, which was like french toast with apples on top and then like someone had poured their chai tea latte on top of it.  very good!  and you get to choose fruit for your own custom juice, so we did that, too.  mmm! and then we walked a few block further north to wrigley field, which hosted the police in concert last night and tonight.  it was very cool to see the place, even if it was only from the outside, and i picked up my own cubs hat, too. :) then we went and walked around the gold coast area with all it's old mansions, which was pretty cool. :)  and we walked along the lakefront back towards michigan ave.  it's not exactly a beach like in laguna, but i guess it's easier to go there than 1800 miles west if you live out here in the middle.  and then dad and i did some shopping (though we bought very little) along oak street (where they have all the very fancy shops) and then along the magnificent mile (where they have normal sorts of shops).  it was fun, though we were pretty spent by the time we had wandered all the way back to our hotel.   so we napped here a little bit. :) then we had dinner at a place troy said we must absolutely visit and which happens to be right outside our hotel room window (31 floors down).  gino's east.  it was amazing!  the pizza was definitely good. :)  and there was writing all over the walls there, marks people left behind.  pretty cool. and now we're just hanging out.  we're off to michigan city in the morning to meet up with some family, which should be a good time. :)  i'll let you know.  g'night. ;)  thursday 5 july 2007 10:51pm in chicago greetings once again from the windy city! :)  dad and i saw so much today and are now completely exhausted.  i think i walked my legs off. ;)  but we had a wonderful time and saw a lot! we started out the morning with a quick breakfast at the corner bakery before getting on our chicago architecture foundation river cruise.  it goes all around the chicago river and the docents (all volunteers; ours was a little old lady) talk about all the buildings.  chicago's an architecture city, after all.  it was a fantastic way to see all the buildings and the city.  it really was a must-do chicago attraction. :)   then we headed to the art institute of chicago to see seurat's "a sunday afternoon on the grande jatte," the real reason i wanted to come to chicago at all.  actually, the collection of impressionist, post-impressionist, modern, and american art was really quite impressive.  and i love love that seurat.  amazing in person! :)  tragically, hopper's "nighthawks" is on loan to someone else.  anyway, it was a great trip to the museum. then we grabbed a quick lunch before decided we actually wanted to wander the taste of chicago, this h.u.g.e. annual food festival that features booths of food from what seems like every single restaurant in chicago.  there's an incredible amount of food there, really.  troy had recommended i go there if at all possible, so dad and i went.  it was really fun, actually!  i got to see grant park and buckingham fountain, as well as all the food the city has to offer.  dad and i ended up really enjoying frozen chocolate-dipped cheesecake on a stick and grilled corn on the cob.  delicious!  it was quite the experience, that's for sure.    we also walked down to soldier field, where the chicago bears play football.  that was an interesting sight, and we were able to walk around and up into the stadium, though not all the way into the seats.  very cool to see this chicago landmark. and we walked back towards our hotel through millennium park and enjoyed the crown fountain with lots of kids enjoying the water.  a very unique fountain. :)  also, we walked back through the gehry concert shell because i think it's so cool looking and it was on the way.  and now we're back at the hotel totally spent and pretty ready for bed. there's plenty more planned for tomorrow.  for now, you can enjoy the photos from today on flickr.  g'night. ;)  wednesday 4 july 2007 10:14pm pdt, 5 jul 2007 12:14am cdt honestly, i don't have too much time to write tonight because i'm pretty exhausted after a very full day, but i'll give you a quick rundown. dad and i both made it to chicago and met up at the airport.  from there, we took the train (subway?  what do they call this thing here?) into downtown and made it to our hotel right on michigan avenue, the magnificent mile.  i should stay in the heart of the city's best shopping, right? :) we did lunch at the famous pizzeria uno (amazing!) and strolled around a bit.  we made it all the way across the river and into millennium park to see the gehry concert shell and the bean. after a brief nap, we headed out to the navy pier, where we wandered around a bit and then enjoyed their patriotic fireworks show.  they get bonus points from me for using my favorite fourth of july song, shooter jennings's "fourth of july." :) then we found a tiny bit to eat at t.g.i. friday's before heading back to the hotel.  we're ready to crash (i think dad already has, actually).  we have plenty more on our agenda for tomorrow! :) the first set of photos is on flickr.  my camera finally gave up the ghost, so i'll be using dad's for the rest of my trip, it seems.  we'll see how it goes. :) for now, g'night from the middle! ;)  tuesday 3 july 2007 10:07pm it's really been an uneventful few days, as busy as they might have felt.  mostly, though, i'm just really excited about heading out tomorrow for chicago.  i'm pretty much all packed and ready to go, but i have a few minutes to write. so i rounded out the weekend with a quiet sunday.  wasn't really up to too much.  i did, however, go see "knocked up," which i was pretty disappointed with.  oh, well.  and really, i didn't do a whole lot else.  i read a lot. i got up really early (5:45) on monday morning to watch tennis.  i went to bed early on sunday so i wouldn't lose too much sleep doing this.  anyway, i wanted to watch andy roddick at wimbledon and knew the match would probably just fit in before i needed to head off to work.  well, i got up and by the time i was coherent enough to get the tv on and to the right channel, i discovered the morning was being rained out.  it was pouring.  great.  it was really too late to try to get back to sleep, so i just got ready for work and hung around the apartment for a little bit.  but eventually, i decided i might as well just go to work and get started with my week. work was super busy both yesterday and today trying to get an array of things done before having wednesday through friday off.  i think i did a decent job, though.  we'll see come monday. ;) and i'm all packed and ready for chicago.  i'm so excited about the trip!  we have a lot of things planned, though who really knows if we'll get to everything.  at least we'll have fun trying and with all the things we do get to.  oh, and it'll be exciting to see some family while we're out there, as well. so i'm thinking i should crash because i have to get up at 4:30 tomorrow so i can catch my 6:45 flight.  yikes!  early! i'm going to try to keep updating from chicago both here and on flickr, so stay tuned.  g'night! ;)  sunday 1 july 2007 12:32am "i just know that you're worth the wait it's of no concern it's a risk i'd gladly take" -- mandy moore "slummin' in paradise" it's been a great saturday for me, though i have small things that excite me more than the average person. :)  but it was my day, i enjoyed it, and that's what concerns me at this particular moment. i went to see bobby for a haircut this morning.  i absolutely love haircuts with bobby!  plus, i never get there enough, so that makes it even better.  i mean, he washes my hair for me!  awesome!  and of course, bobby's rad, he does a great job, and we get to catch up with each other in person, which happens way too infrequently considering he works next door to where i live.  i even walked over to the salon this morning.  so that was great!  my hair is now summer short.  okay, that's a total lie.  it's still quite long, though he took at least three inches off. i hung out around here all afternoon doing nothing really.  i read some and napped some and talked to dad some.  oh, and i did leave at one point to pay the rent and pick up a few little things at trader joe's -- just enough to sustain me until wednesday, when i leave for chicago. speaking of chicago, i really planned out an itinerary for dad and me this evening.  we arranged what we're doing with auntie anita and grandma, too.  j.crew outlet in michigan city, here we come!  haha!  but actually, i think dad and i will keep extremely busy in chicago proper, as well, between art, architecture, fireworks, and food.  yay! :) tonight, while enjoying a little dinner, i watched "this film is not yet rated," a documentary about the mpaa and its ratings system.  very interesting.  this may also be my first nc-17 film.  though after watching the film, i'm pretty convinced the whole ratings thing is a scam and it's no wonder the mpaa was pissed about the film and gave it that rating.  anyway, do check it out if you like documentaries. and that's about it.  i'm going to hang out a while longer because i don't feel like going to bed yet. :)  who cares if it's definitely already the middle of the night?  g'night. ;) friday 29 june 2007 11:30pm "lost inside of my head empty side of the bed i feel this place without you i keep pushing the bruise 'cause i don't wanna lose what i love about you" -- mandy moore "all good things" i must say, it's been a good couple of days, even if i haven't been up to a ton.  i've just generally really enjoyed myself, and it seems like that's what matters anyway. :) work's been pretty good.  i have enough to keep me busy, but i'm not too overwhelmed at the moment.  it's good.  and i'm slowing getting chris going on a few things that are coming off my plate.  it's mostly just a matter of me finding time to train him on stuff, not of him being unwilling or anything like that.  i ended up late at work a bit yesterday because i was kind of in a zone, so that was good, i suppose.  i did manage to leave pretty much on time tonight, though.  i'm trying to be decently good about that.  and it has been a little bit quieter around the office the past two days because marke's been out.  he's off to alaska. i spent yesterday evening baking a cake. tomorrow's brian's 24th birthday, so we needed some cake to celebrate, right? :)  plus, it's always really fun for me to do things like this.  i mean, there aren't a ton of occasions for me to bake an actual cake and even attempt to frost/decorate it.  it's chocolate cake with cream cheese frosting, brian's fave, apparently. and i think he enjoyed eating it!  he took the portion with his name.  yes, that's a huge piece of cake! hmm... what else have i been up to?  not sure.  but it feels like it's been a long week.  this evening i actually fell asleep on the living room floor, where i had been sitting watching tv.  yeah.  and i woke up at 8:30 and couldn't figure out if it was the next day, what day it was, or anything.  i was very confused.  i am pretty sure now, though, that it's still friday night. ;)  and i've been straightening up around the apartment for a bit now.  exciting, no? ;) also, i made a simpsons avatar at the movie site. not bad, right? :)  haha! what else?  um, i'm headed to chicago on wednesday, so i'm getting really excited about that.  i plan on creating a sort of itinerary this weekend with the help of the guidebooks and some recommendations from friends (troy wins for this, as he had lots of detailed ideas).  should be a great trip with dad!  we're still working out how to see some family while we're out there, too, which would be pretty cool. :) i think that's it from here for tonight.  i don't have too much planned for the weekend, other than getting a haircut with bobby tomorrow.  yay!  needed that! :)  so i'll be back with more next time.  g'night. ;)  thursday 28 june 2007 11:21pm you must watch this. amazing. thursday 28 june 2007 11:18pm here they are, the cast of characters at work (minus marke, who had the day off). brian   jason   chris (and his morning dose of monster)   and of course, me. :) that's me proving i do have a soul because i made all the green liquid go to the top little bulb. wednesday 27 june 2007 11:55pm "still undiscovered but you might see me in the corner of your eye and now i'm ready, and now i'm ready and now i'm ready to be extraordinary" -- mandy moore "extraordinary" most of the day felt normal.  bits felt kind of crazy, though.  and now it's late, i'm feeling more tired than i had really anticipated, and things seem different than this morning.  i'm not sure how this will all come out in writing, but we'll see. work was fine.  the office seemed a little bit quiet, but it was fine.  i was enjoying listening to music on my headphones and just plowing through some work.  also, we had a little potluck for jessica's last day at rtc, which was good.  i mean, i always feel like i leave those potluck lunches hungry because the mixture of foods is weird, but that's okay.   she gave a great little speech, too, which was sweet. talked to mel today.  her parents have a house in south lake tahoe, so i wanted to scoop on how things are for them.  so far, the place is okay, and i'm hoping for the best for them, as well as for everyone else up there.  talked to meg, as well. :)  we're all counting down the days to seattle and admit there are far too many to count. ;) tonight's "dancing with the stars" was kind of really amazing.  i might have cried a few times watching it.  i have issues?  maybe.  or maybe it really was that touching when sharing all the stories.  and hok and jaimie dancing that incredible wade robson piece was breathtaking.  seriously.  that is what makes me really love this show. and then there's people thinking i'm grumpy, argumentative, or just generally disliking them.  i'm still not quite sure what's with that and why it seems people think that about me a lot lately.  dad said i can be righteous when i think i'm just explaining how i am right.  perhaps.  i think a huge part of the problem is that i have so many relationships that count on instant messaging or even phone calls, at best.  that's a part of living so far from the vast majority of people i know.  it also leads to miscommunication a lot, though.  it's harder to understand tone without being able to see someone.  there's no non-verbal communication with phone calls and there's even less with instant messages.  and it's a little frustrating to me because i think i'm in a good mood and am being really nice.  so what do i do?  i'm not sure.  just apologize, i think.  but anyway, i rarely am trying to be mean, so you know. i need to go to bed, though i don't really feel like it at this point.  g'night. ;)  tuesday 26 june 2007 10:25pm "not sure where to go everybody i know says i'm too forgiving and now that i'm gone i don't want to move on i just keep reliving" -- mandy moore "all good things" it was a good tuesday, i'd say. :) i wasn't so excited when the alarm went off this morning at 7:30, but i managed to get up and ready and all of that.  i was also really glad i had picked out a cute outfit last night before bed, so i didn't even have to think about that this morning.  i just put it on and went.  stopped at i <3 bagels on my way to the office.  so delicious! :) work went pretty well today.  i got a lot of stuff done, i think.  it seemed that way, anyhow.  and it's fun to have the boys around to play catch with me or make fun or me or whatever.  yes, i do the californian thing where all my sentences sound like questions, even when they are not.  it's how i talk.  i'm from here. :)  anyway, we had fun. marke, brian, and i got into a discussion about bushels, which led to a discussion about corn and how there are different varieties.  that led to me calling dad on speakerphone to get the facts all right.  everyone was very impressed with his crazy corn knowledge.  popcorn, field corn, sweet corn.  all different.  anyway, it was so random, but we all learned stuff and everyone acknowledges dad as super cool (in that farmer sort of way). ;)  oh, and brian, chris, and i enjoyed a lunch from z pizza out in the sunshine.  we were out there long enough that i got tan lines from my shirt on my shoulders.  oops! ;)  i love that it's feeling like summer so much these days. after work, i headed off on a series of errands.  i needed to take care of a little shopping, so i headed to the shops at mission viejo.  i found what i needed, as well as a couple other (deeply discounted) things for myself.  and then i dropped by best buy before hitting ralph's, where i picked up baking ingredients because i have lots of that to do this week.  i also bought corn (the sweet variety) because i love corn (it means it's summer!) and i was totally in the mood after today's earlier discussion. and i didn't get home until pretty late, but since then i've been hanging out, making a little dinner, and taking care of round 1 of the week's baking.  peanut butter chocolate chip cookies.  yeah, you wish you were going to the jessica's last day potluck tomorrow at work. ;)  i'm so tired now!  i'm thinking i'll try to crash early. g'night. ;)  monday 25 june 2007 10:38pm "i'm not afraid of dying, it's something we all do but i'm scared to death of living the rest of my life without you" -- jason michael carroll "let it rain" today was a little different than i had really thought it'd be, but it was still a good time.  i'm generally feeling better about things, especially at work.  yeah, some projects can be frustrating or exhausting, but things are okay there right now.  am i getting ahead of myself?  okay, so i went to work today, which was a little bit painful after a weekend where i thought about work like not at all (besides telling frequent marke or brian stories, which happens when you spend your weeks with people).  but anyway, i got some work done this morning but eventually got a little tired of the same project, though i know it's the one that needs to be done the soonest.  very soon, in fact.  anyway, i took a short break from the work to grab a salad for lunch, which was especially delicious after a weekend of eating foods that are terrible for me. ;) in the afternoon, marke called brian and asked for some help unloading his u-haul truck at his new apartment (with katrina and alex) extremely close to work in san clemente.  i decided to tag along (with some encouragement from brian).  it went well.  the boys did the big furniture, but i totally helped with the tons of boxes they have.  mostly full of books.  anyway, the boys were like "you don't have to carry anything," but i am perfectly capable.  perhaps more capable than marke, whose knee is totally busted and making strange noises.  anyway, i helped some (not as much as i'm capable of) and everything make it inside. i headed home after that.  i picked up some packages from the apartment complex office.  mom got me some makeup, so that's what it was.  so fun, though i haven't tried any of it out yet. :)  and i've just been hanging out.  i even snuck in a tiny nap accidentally for like 15 minutes (more would have totally devastated my sleep tonight).  and i watched bon jovi unplugged and now i'm enjoying "crossroads" with reba mcentire and kelly clarkson.  "since you been gone!!!"  yeah, that's definitely me singing along!  haha!  you're glad you're not here. ;) but i should get some actual sleep.  more next time.  g'night. ;)  sunday 24 june 2007 10:28pm "i remember back in college you loved these kind of days when we'd run off to your apartment and hide away we'd talk about forever and how we'd share our lives it never crossed my mind i'd be without you here tonight" -- jason michael carroll "let it rain" sarah and i had another wonderful day before i had to bring her to the airport so she could head home. we slept in a bit once again just because we enjoy that and we can. :)  and then we got all dressed and ready and headed out to old towne orange.  i'd never been there before but had heard it was a cute place to wander around.  well, it was a gorgeous summer day and we had a nice time walking around checking out some antique stores and just browsing.  we also had a good lunch at a little pizzeria.  and we followed that with amazing gelato!  so it was a fun place to just hang out a bit. then we went to the nearby dsw to look for shoes.  there wasn't a whole lot, but i actually ended up finding a really cute pair of brown flats, and i've been looking for cute flats that aren't black. :) and then we headed to south coast plaza to check out paper source, which i'm totally addicted to and which sarah's been meaning to visit.  we each found some really cute cards.  we also checked out h&m while we were there, though i didn't find a whole lot other than a pair of sunglasses and a couple basic tanks. after stopping by the apartment to pick up sarah's luggage, we headed down to dana point to salt creek grille for dinner.  wow!  we both had really good meals and thoroughly enjoyed the chocolate souffle that came at the end.  amazing!  sarah and i concluded that we ate entirely too much this weekend but everything was so so so so good! and sarah got to the airport and i came home to relax a bit.  i'm enjoying last week's "so you think you can dance," which i love love.  it makes me want to dance! :) anyway, i'm off for tonight after a wonderful, fun weekend with sarah.  g'night. ;)  sunday 24 june 2007 12:52am "my heart beats like thunder as i call out your name and all my tears start falling down like the rain" -- jason michael carroll "let it rain" sarah and i had a day that was perfectly us, and it was so much fun! :) first of all, we started things off by sleeping in a bit.  by the time we were ready to head out of here, it was just about noon. our first stop of the day was the original pancake house, which is very close to hear and that i've been meaning to try.  i had bacon pancakes that were amazing! :)  that place is a little odd, though.  the tables are extremely close together.  we might as well have been dining with the group of three guys to our left or the group of four guys to our right.  anyway, it was a good first meal. :) next up was laguna beach for some shopping.  we browsed in all sorts of stores and even bought a few things.  it wasn't a particularly pretty day out there (the marine layer never burned off), but it was still nice.  i hadn't done much shopping there before, really. then we headed up pch into newport to sprinkles, a fancy cupcake shop that's all the rage.  i knew it was the trendy place to pick up a snack, but i didn't know what i was in store for really.  there was a huge line (see photo below), but we decided to wait in it with all the other crazies.  and i might have walked away with four cupcakes (dark chocolate, black and white, peanut butter chocolate, and cinnamon sugar).  we brought them over to the food court at fashion island and sat and enjoyed one each.  delicious!  not worth the $3.25 price tag, probably.  but worth a try. :)   then we did some browsing at fashion island, which was fun, even if i actually ended up buying nothing.  and we had an absolutely delicious dinner at the italian restaurant there.  sooo good! we then headed to the movies to see (finally!) "ocean's 13."  we meant to see it together when we were in atlanta two weeks ago, but never made it.  anyway, it was such a fun movie!  back to how fun the first was.  plus, i love my boyfriend matt damon in it!  so wonderful! and now it's finally time for bed.  i'm pretty spent and we have more plans for tomorrow.  g'night. ;)  saturday 23 june 2007 12:55am "some days i think that i've come through the worst of it and i'm on the healing side and then she kicks up like a dustbowl wind and covers up my mind i lose hours, i lose days in the haze that used to be" -- jason michael carroll "angel of broken hearts"   it was a wonderful friday and a great way to kick off the weekend! :)  i'm excited about what's to come, but i'll give you a little recap of what i've done this weekend thus far. work was not too exciting today.  i accomplished a few things this morning, which was good.  at least i was productive.  and then jason, chris, brian, marke, and i went to selma's for a (mmm... delicious chicago deep dish) pizza lunch.  then i gave my little presentation about what i learned at the how conference.  it was pretty fun and i hope everyone remembered at least a little of what i said.  i can still send them links to lots more to learn, as well.  i loved how, and i really hope that's what came through. :) then i snuck out of the office around three (basically right when we got back from lunch) and headed up to anaheim.  on the way, i got to chat with kath for a little bit, which was good.  she had her huge test yesterday, so she finally had a minute to breathe.  and then i met up with my parents at the hilton in anaheim, where they're staying.  the three of us headed to the block at orange.  dad loves shopping at steve and barry's whenever he's in anaheim, and he wanted new jeans.  plus, i wanted to check out sarah jessica parker's new clothing line there, bitten.  it's actually pretty admirable teaming with steve and barry's to create well-made, affordable basics for all women.  if you take the time to learn about her doing that whole deal, it's really cool.  anyway!  the important part was the clothes i found, right?  i found a couple cute tops (for less than $10 each) and two pairs of nicely-fitting khakis for about $15 each.  awesome!  good stuff, definitely.   anyway, then we had dinner at the corner bakery and gelato for dessert before heading back to the hotel.  we hung out a bit, and i even got to drag adam away from his volleyball teammates to hang out with me for about an hour! :) then i went to retrieve sarah from the airport.  it took me longer than expected to get there because i got caught behind a cop stopping all traffic temporarily.  but i got her and we made it back to the apartment.  we hung out, but now it's late, she already crashed, and i'm well on my way.  we're planning fun (but probably pretty mellow) things for the weekend!  should be wonderful! i'll let you know how it goes.  g'night. ;)  friday 22 june 2007 12:12am "how do i move on from here when everything i lost is what i want this ocean left inside of me has become her memory's favorite place to haunt how can the best i ever had hurt so bad, hurt so long you know i'm not that strong" -- jason michael carroll "angel of broken hearts" work was work, though i will say it was nice to have everyone in the office because it just seems more fun that way.  even if it also means i get made fun of pretty much incessantly. ;)  lunch at pedro's was a good chance to be out of the office.  plus, it's delicious.  and jason, chris, marke, brian, and i went to borders in the afternoon for "inspiration."  wow.  i didn't know i could be so disinterested in browsing a bookstore (since i'm pretty much addicted to doing just that), but turns out it's a lot less fun in different circumstances. but i had the chance to browse through art books later today at my own leisure, which was delightful!  after work, i headed up to the orange county museum of art for one of their orange crush nights.  it's basically like turning the museum into a club with a dj and a bar.  and then a band plays.  so anyway, i got to browse the gallery before meeting up with marke and a bunch of his friends (katrina, matt, alex, rose, lindsey), who're all cool.  the art was interesting, as was the gift shop (where i browsed art books).  and the band was pretty good.  it was fun to hang out and whatever, though i probably wasn't actually cool enough to be there.  turns out it's like a very hip place to be.  all the people were beautiful and dressed like they fell out of fashion magazines.  anyway, it was good fun. :) and now i'm just trying to get to bed.  the family just arrived in anaheim for the weekend, so i'm hoping i'll get to spend some time with them tomorrow evening.  and then sarah arrives late tomorrow night!  we get to hang out all weekend! :)  that means shopping and eating delicious things.  perfect! but for now, i must crash.  i'm so spent.  g'night. ;)  wednesday 20 june 2007 11:09pm "i just can't turn around, walk away give it up without a fight, love won't let me say goodbye after all this time love won't let me" -- jason michael carroll "love won't let me" finally a moment! :)  it's been so crazy lately, particularly regarding work, but i have a second to stop my mind temporarily.  so i write. :) work was again very busy today with meetings, shipping a magazine to press, and lots of big upcoming projects.  i do, however, feel like i was actually able to accomplish a lot, which is amazing!  i thought most of today would be a wash with all the meetings, but i found more time than i had really expected.  so anyway, i'm officially a web designer now!  i designed a site (that marke and brian will now have to actually build) that people seem to really like and got approved pretty quickly. :)  i'm so rad! ;)  haha!  okay, and i might have also talked jason into going to golden spoon to go get frozen yogurt for me.  i'm that good.  or i just had to ask. at lunch, i picked up z pizza and ate at my desk while reading the newest issue of "lucky," which i found terribly disappointing.  i don't actually like about 95% of the clothes/shoes/accessories in it.  and about 90% of them are so high end i wouldn't even think about actually buying them, even if they were cute.  what's up?  i used to really like what they had in that magazine.  weird. after work, i headed home and have been really cleaning cleaning the apartment.  it really hasn't been clean in a long time, but now it is once again.  :)  good thing, too, because sarah's coming friday for the weekend.  she doesn't want this place to be dirty. also, megs called so we got to chat and catch up until she lost her reception when she got home.  it sucks where she lives.  anyway, it was good to hear from her. :) and i've been loving the mandy moore album, which i've been blasting while working around here.  so good! :) but now i'm off to catch a little sleep before yet another busy day.  g'night. ;)  tuesday 19 june 2007 10:39pm "i know you said it's over but my heart's telling me that ain't right  i know it can't be over 'cause i still wake up reaching for you in the night" -- jason michael carroll "no good in goodbye" hmm... how do i even summarize today?   i'm not sure.  it was a lot more of the madness.  i'm really quite tired.  especially my eyes.  i can't see so much right now.   anyway, i have a moment, so i'll write a little bit before i crash. work.  work's so incredibly busy right now.  i'm working 10-hour days (or at least, i stop counting on the occasions i reach 10) and still not really getting enough done.  of course, it doesn't help that on days like today i get stuck in very long meetings i didn't know about until today.  that's not helping me schedule things.  anyway, i'm working my butt off, with my hands in all sorts of projects.  nearly all the projects, actually.  at least marke and i took a little time out today to go for lunch with chris and chat with him.  not exactly sure what he thought of that lunch, but i think marke and i both enjoyed it. :)  so anyway, i left work around 7.  locking up the office again.  love that (not really). after work, i called dad to unwind and drove up to target for new music tuesday. :)  the new mandy moore album sounds good from what i've heard of it.  and i picked up the new brad paisley, as well.  the album artwork is terrible, but the music is good. :)  the man can play a guitar, whether it's paisley printed or not.  and i picked up dinner from the corner bakery on my way home.  i'm really loving that place lately! and i'm just hanging out doing nothing now.  i should be cleaning but i am not.  i'm instead chatting with marke, who's freaking out because we accidentally are seeing some musician he loves at the art museum on thursday night. but i need to go to bed.  i have another crazy day ahead of me.  i'll let you know how it all goes.  g'night. ;)  monday 18 june 2007 9:25pm "baby, in my heart i know there's nothin' as beautiful as you" -- jason michael carroll "lookin' at you" long day.  tired as hell.  or maybe just don't want to deal with today's crap and am ready to move on to tomorrow.   work, work, and more work.  crazy drivers commuting home.  nothing too exciting. so more from me next time.  g'night. ;) sunday 17 june 2007 10:51pm "yeah, some things in this world might have passed me by and i might have missed a chance or two but you won't find any regret in my eyes 'cause i'm still lookin' at you" -- jason michael carroll "lookin' at you" i do like sundays. :)  did you know?  they're great for doing very little, which is how i did spend the day. first of all, i forgot to mention yesterday that i watched "music and lyrics," which was really cute if not my favorite hugh grant romcom.  fun, though!  :) and today... well i slept in a bit just because i could, but i eventually got out of bed because it was too warm.  it's getting more summer-like around here.  yay!  and i lounged around a bit before decided to get dressed and go to the grocery.  i had zero food around here, really, but i took care of that.  and i didn't get strange looks from the cashier or bagger at vons.  rad!  and now i have plenty to eat. :) i watched (read: napped through) the end of the u.s. open.  tiger couldn't pull it out in the end, so angel cabrera took it, the first argentine to do it.  cool. then i went to see "pirates of the caribbean: at world's end."  can you believe i hadn't seen it already?  i do kind of suck at being a "pirates" fan, huh?  but i really enjoyed the movie!  so piratey and very fun!  love johnny and orlando. :)  also, i discovered something about movie concessions.  they have these combos listed with big photos and such but no prices.  when i inquired about the price of one, i discovered that it simply cost what the individual items cost when combined.  there's no savings.  so you know.  anyway, enjoyed the movie! :) just hanging out here tonight.  i talked to dad awhile and wished him a happy father's day.  i'll see him in less than a week, so he can have his present and card then.  and i made cookies (from a mix in a box), which are pretty decent.  love cookies! :) and i am considering turning in early tonight.  would be good for the week of work ahead, probably.  anyway, i'm off.  g'night. ;) p.s. only one more month of shopping until my birthday! :) saturday 16 june 2007 11:51pm “well some people like starin’ at the sunset and some prefer a tropical view and some like gazin’ at the stars and the mood but i like lookin’ at you” — jason michael carroll “lookin’ at you” it’s been a good couple of days, though i admit that i’m taking things pretty slow.  resting. :)  it’s like summer speed or something. today i did almost nothing, which was pretty much always the plan.  mom woke me up at 9 when she called to tell me about something on tv.  i just hung out here all day, really.  i read and watched some tv and cleaned up around here (though i’m still not quite done with that).  super exciting, right? ;)  but i don’t mind so much, and i promise to actually leave the apartment tomorrow. as for yesterday, well i actually feel like i did a lot.  it was a very busy day at work with three books all in the works, though i did manage to get one off to press in the morning, so that’s great.  and i spent the rest of the day working pretty hard on everything else.  i made progress!  woot! yesterday was also a good friends day.  i caught up with kath right in the middle of my workday, which was good.  she’s still working out seattle plans, so i wanted to bug her about that.  and make sure she’s not dying of stress from school. ;)  so we got to chat while i was working away. :)  and then i got caught in crazy traffic on my way home (which is weird considering i just take pch), and i ended up on the phone with stephenie.  i wanted to hear about disneyworld and married life and their new pool and everything else.  sounds like she’s doing great! :)  very exciting!  plus, i got a couple emails from friends i hadn’t talked to in awhile, so it’s just good.  glad people are still around to catch up every now and then. :) anyway, i’m kind of tired despite doing nothing all day.  i’m off to bed now.  more weekend to come!  yay! g’night. ;) thursday 14 june 2007 i nearly forgot to mention it! happy flag day, everyone! :) thursday 14 june 2007 “pain, it’s only a little pain it’ll be gone in a couple days or maybe a life or two a heart, it’s only my poor heart just that little thing you tore apart” — jason aldean “grown woman” i must admit that i’m a little bit confused about what day it is exactly, but i’m getting back into the swing of things after a few days on the road. :) so i crashed nice and early last night, which made getting up this morning a little bit easier.  i even managed to iron the pants i wanted to wear.  and i pretty much never iron anything. :)  anyway, so i got all ready and headed out a few minutes early, stopping only to pick up a quick breakfast at sc donuts.   might as well tack one more fried meal onto that atlanta trip. work.  well, it’s not always so easy to get back into everything.  it continues without me when i’m out of the office.  but anyway, i managed to get back on track and pick up where i left off last week.  and believe me, there’s a ton of work to be done right now.  the new guy, chris, helped out a lot, which was great.  and i worked my ass off pretty much all day and into the night, but i’m in an okay spot for tomorrow.  anyway, at least there were a few breaks.  i unpacked all the swag from the conference, which all came to the office with me this morning.  there’s some good stuff in there, though it was actually mostly paper samples.  also, marke, brian, and i did lunch at super bowl, which was good (and not fried).  and there was, of course, the usual goofing off — throwing stuff at each other or at random things we turn into targets. :)  it’s a good atmosphere. :) after work… well… it was kind of late.  i headed home and found some dinner and enjoyed terry bradshaw and shia labeouf on leno from last night.  plus, there was “pirate masters” and “so you think you can dance.”  plus, there was marke checking up on me making sure i wasn’t at work too too late and a fun chat with brian, who has now decided he should be online when he’s home.  not sure why, but i’m not complaining that i have one more person i can bug if i’m not up to too much. ;) adam’s back from waikiki tonight, though i haven’t had a moment to talk to him yet.  dad said they’d call back after they found something to eat.  i hope he bought me wonderful hawaiian things! ;)  so i’ll talk to the fam in a little bit and then crash.  i think i’m still a little bit on eastern time. anyway, i’m off.  g’night. ;) wednesday 13 june 2007 i had such a wonderful time in atlanta!  i’m back in the o.c. now, though.  i have to show up at the office tomorrow for lots of work, so i’m going to try to get to bed at a decent hour.  but anyway, i wanted to take a little time to write some more about my trip to atlanta for the how design conference. yesterday was the best day of the conference.  i started early with a 7:30am bonus session of photoshop tips and tricks from an adobe exec.  it was excellent, even that crazy early!  and then i met up with sarah for a quick breakfast before the rest of the morning sessions.  i went to one about psychology and it’s effects on how people receive design and what makes design most effective.  it was very interesting and the speaker was really knowledgeable.  and then i heard a really good presentation about dealing with common in-house issues from an exec at mtv.  very, very good.  glad to hear others deal with similar problems.  for lunch, sarah, kate, ivan, and i ate at the hard rock cafe because it was close and because i’ve eaten in them all over the place.  it’s fun. :)  anyway, the afternoon had a couple more awesome sessions.  the first was done by two guys from 3 dogz creative, and they were really good.  their presentation was aa-themed.  haha!  anyway, good stuff!   and the second one was done by two awesome guys who are both foreigners.  they were so funny and presented lots of good info, as well as good work.  one of them was responsible for bembo’s zoo, which is pretty amazing. then sarah and i headed to atlantic station, which is an outdoor shopping area.  we did a little shopping, and i found two new pairs of really cute flats.  yay! :)  and we had dinner at a restaurant called the cheesecake bistro, which was a bad rip-off of the cheesecake factory.  pretty funny!  the food was good, though, so it was fine. :) and this morning, we got checked out of the hotel and headed to the final two classes of the conference, both of which were quite good.  the first was about the pitfalls experienced while working as a designer and lessons learned.  the second–the closing keynote–was about balancing life and work, even though designers are unable to turn the design-loving parts of their brains off.  it was good to hear advice about avoiding burning and have passions about a few things in life.  good stuff.  also, they announced that next year’s conference is in boston, a place i’ve really been meaning to get to. :)  rad!  hope i can make it there for that. after the conference, sarah and i had just a little bit of time.  we grabbed a quick lunch at the corner bakery and then headed up to the high museum of art.  they’re having an exhibition of annie leibovitz, who’s simply amazing.  it was such a treat to see her work on a much larger scale than printed in a magazine.  so glad we had time for this! then we met up with ivan (kate left yesterday) to head to the airport and fly home.  pretty uneventful, and now i’m home. :) so that’s it for now.  more next time.  g’night. ;) tuesday 12 june 2007 today was awesome.  need sleep.  g’night. ;) monday 11 june 2007 first full day of the how design conference. :)  it’s been pretty good. the morning started out with breakfast in the hotel lobby (free!)  and then a walk through the drizzle to the hyatt regency for the first session of the morning, which started at 9.   it’s only a few blocks from here but hot and humid! ;) first up this morning was chip kidd, a pretty notable designer (does mostly book covers).  he was an awesome speaker, full of great stories, with very good slides to accompany his talk, and just a wonderful personality.  i really, thoroughly, enjoyed this session.  best of the day.  next up was a session about time management and making sure designers get time to be creative and such.  it wasn’t a lot of new ideas and the speaker seemed really shy.  but i don’t feel like he was wrong about anything, at least. then we had a two-hour lunch break.  we went to the mall, which happens to be attached to the hyatt, to the food court.  mmm… chick-fil-a. :)  don’t get that so much in my part of the country.  delicious!  and then we went back to the conference to explore the exhibit hall and gather as much swag as we could carry.  in the end, we picked up even more swag that we were really capable of carrying.  but after sorting through it all this evening (more on why i had time to do this later), i picked up some really fun things. :) the afternoon sessions were both alright.  the first one was about designing album artwork (mostly a history of).  it was interesting, if not particularly relevant to my job or well-presented.  and the second one was a crazy man who started by playing a beatles song with a back-up band and then telling lots of sort of weird stories about design or not about design.  i’m not exactly sure how to describe it, actually.  it was more disorganized than his notes provided, so at least i have those to sort through what it was exactly that he said.  anyway, it was entertaining, if also strange. :) sarah and i then headed back here with the intention of putting our stuff down (tons and tons and tons of swag) and then heading out to atlantic station, a big shopping center with a movie theatre.  well, as we were halfway out the door, sarah’s boss, kate, called a meeting for the three of them (ivan being the other person) to discuss the day’s sessions.  that was two hours, so that left me with two hours of downtime to go through swag and get photos uploaded to flickr and things like that.  and once sarah got back, we had to scrap our atlantic station plans because it was getting too late, so we went to a really nice italian restaurant for a wonderful dinner.  so delicious!  and now we’re finally back here. more conference tomorrow.  it should be another busy day. :)  anyway, there are some photos on flickr if you want to explore.  more next time.  g’night. ;) sunday 10 june 2007 now today is what i call a good day of travel. :)  sarah and i fit as much as possible into today, i’m pretty sure.  and we had a great time doing it!  briefly (so i can go to bed because i’m falling asleep as i write)… 1) went to the brand new (weeks old) world of coca-cola!  it was really fun.  the building is awesome, and i love seeing all the coke memorabilia through the years.  really fun!  and they had a huge gift shop.  very cool!  oh!  and i tasted lots of drinks from around the world–most of which were absolutely disgusting–so you can’t go around saying i don’t try new foods. ;) 2) went to the virginia-highland district of town, which has lots of restaurants, bars, and boutique shops, often compared to new york’s soho.  we had a delicious brunch at a place called murphy’s, which was awesome!  and we walked around a little bit before making it all the way to the jimmy carter library.  we toured there, which was interesting.  it was a bit odd, however, that we were the only people around.  but it was cool, and jimmy’s sarah’s favorite president. :) 3) we made it to the hyatt to pick our registration packets and badges and such, and then they transported us to the world congress (what atlanta calls their convention center) for the opening keynote of the how conference.  we were entertained by a gospel choir while we waited for it to start.  it is sunday in the south, after all.  and then the speaker was pretty interesting.  i enjoyed it and even took notes. :)  dork.  whatever. ;) 4) we had dinner with sarah’s co-workers, ivan and kate, at a mexican place in midtown.  it was a cool place, though my food was just alright.  i’m spoiled by living in socal, though.  there’s a lot of mexican food there. :)  it was still a nice meal, though. now i’m ready to crash.  so tired from the day!  on top of just keeping very busy, it’s very hot here, which makes it a bit more tiring.  so i’m off.  g’night from atlanta. ;) saturday 9 june 2007 hahaha!  yeah, i can’t really say that and get away with it. :)  anyway, i made it all the way to atlanta.  the flight was okay.  i slept through most of it and read my book through the rest.  and i arrived in baggage claim in atlanta at the same time as sarah and her two co-workers, ivan and kate.  so we all headed to our hotel downtown, the glenn.  it’s fancy but also kind of weird.  more on that another time.  and from there, we went to this random place called harold’s barbecue that was across the street from the state penitentiary.  it was recommended to kate for real, authentic atlanta food.  well, it was a real locals sort of place, but it was also crazy greasy (yes, like the place was actually greasy, not just the food) and had several people who clearly work as guards at the prison inside.  i found the two items on the (very short) menu that i eat: hot dog and french fries.  then we were off to a section of town called little five points, which is like the haight in s.f.  we strolled around and had drinks (sprite for me, diet coke for sarah) at a pub.  it was interesting to see what it’s like to travel with kate and ivan, though i would also say it’s not like just me and sarah traveling at all.  we really wanted to do our own thing because we’re comfortable with that and probably more fast-paced than kate or ivan.  we want to see as much of the city as we can while we’re here, not just sit around sipping on sodas.  so anyway, after a break back at the hotel, sarah and i went for a late dinner at the varsity, the largest drive-in restaurant in the world.  it’s also just a huge place in general, and it’s a very atlanta thing to do.  my dinner was delicious, and the fried peach pie at the end was quite nice. :)  and now we’re back to the hotel and ready to crash.  we have A LOT planned for ourselves for tomorrow, and i’m not even including the opening keynote of the conference tomorrow night when i say that.   pretty exciting! :)  so for tonight, i’m off.  i’ll update again soon, though! :) friday 8 june 2007 11:12pm "maybe time's been playing tricks on me these days or maybe these old feelings never went away but all that i remember is i'm still in love with you and if i'm losing my mind, i hope you are, too it's crazy, holding you close to me, seeing you smile at me is all that i recall baby, it don't matter how hard i try i still can't remember why we said goodbye, why we said goodbye why did we say goodbye" -- jason aldean "my memory ain't what it used to be" the day's been crazy, as expected.  i've had fun, though. :) got up early.  got cleaned up and dressed and all that.  headed out early, though i made a jamba juice stop on my way into the office. :)  delicious! work was insanely busy, but i think that by the time i left at like 6:30, that i had enough done to be out of the office until thursday.  i didn't have a whole lot of time for the fun that fridays usually contain, but i tried. :)  chris, the new graphic designer, started today.  i won't get to really train him until next friday, though.  we did have a big company lunch, though, to welcome him, which was good.  i should have spent the nearly two hours working, but at least i got a mental break.  it was fun. :) after work, it was straight home to pack and make sure everything around here is in order.  i'm pretty much packed now, though, and i think i'm all set to go.  i even managed a moment for a manicure and pedicure. :)  and i have "catch and release" on now so i can mail it back to netflix before i leave tomorrow morning. so i am headed to atlanta tomorrow morning, and i'll be there until wednesday evening.  i'm beyond excited for the whole trip, and i think it should be fabulous!  i'm taking my computer and camera with me, so expect updates. :)  and for now, g'night. ;)  thursday 7 june 2007 11:25pm "baby, lately my memory ain't what it used to be at all it's crazy, holding you close to me, seeing you smile at me is all that i recall baby, it don't matter how hard i try i still can't remember why we said goodbye, goodbye" -- jason aldean "my memory ain't what it used to be" what a busy day it's been.  i'm glad i got through all of it and that it's just barely 11 and i'm already writing this and preparing to go to bed.  it's been a good time, though. :) so i got up extra early this morning so i could be at work early.  i even managed to (mentally) pick out what i was going to wear last night, so that saved me some time this morning.  so anyhow, i got my act together and was at work early, dressed and fed and everything. ;) work was a bit crazy today.  i spent the entire morning in a company meeting, which went pretty well but was just long (as anticipated).  i took notes to keep my mind focused, and it went okay.  plus, it's where i found out john was paying for us to have our cars washed today by the guys who come to our parking lot on thursdays.  sweet!  i needed that desperately!  you have no idea. :) then i did lunch with the boys, i guess.  we walked up the hill, and then marke picked up food at one place and brian and i got salads from another.  then we walked back to the office and ate there.  it was good to get out in the sunshine and move around a bit. :) and i spent my afternoon and evening working, working, working.  there's just so much to get done by the end of the week so that everything's in order for me to be in atlanta for three days next week.  i'm doing my very best, but it does take time.  so yeah, lots of that.  oh!  and there was me getting nailed with darts left and right, as i had a good time with marke and brian a bit, too. :) and tomorrow, we have a new designer starting.  his name's chris, he is pretty fresh out of college, and he is obsessed with disneyland.  i'll report back when i know more. :) anyway, i didn't get to leave work until about 7:15, but i did head to the gym afterwards.  that went really well, even though they didn't have towels tonight because their dryer is broken.  anyway, it's gross to wipe off when i'm done with a paper towel, but it worked okay.  and i worked really hard, so i'm pleased! :) and tonight, i enjoyed "pirate masters" and "so you think you can dance!"  love that stuff! :)  especially "dance."  i didn't know i was going to love that show quite this much, but i seriously do.  the dancing is really incredible. and i laid out all my clothes for atlanta, which is a huge feat for me!  plus, i usually put that stuff off until the last possible second.  but i did it a whole night early!  so i should be in good shape for finishing packing tomorrow night. :) and now i need to go to bed.  i'm sleepy, and i have lots to accomplish tomorrow.  i'll report back next time.  g'night. ;)  wednesday 6 june 2007 11:50pm "just like the waves against the sand, over and over and time and time again your love keep son reaching out to me" -- jason aldean "relentless"  i'm in such a good mood!  it was a fun wednesday, i think. :) but... i have to get up earlier than normal tomorrow morning and i'm running kind of late with things tonight, so i'm going to try to keep this brief. 1) congrats to the ducks!  first cali stanley cup!  pretty exciting!  now maybe marke can shave his playoff beard?   and i want to figure out how to see the cup at some point in the next year. 2) work went well today.  got some stuff done.  did an interview this morning.  had some fun with the boys shooting darts, chatting, etc.  good all around, and i made it out not too late. 3) had a really fun lunch with diana at the cheesecake factory today.  she treated me for helping her create her baby announcements.  i also finally got the printed pieces today from her (a few so i have some samples of my work), and they look really nice. :)  i think they did turn out well.  anyway, it was good to see her and baby amber. :)  i did, however, have to valet my car there because there was absolutely no parking!  what's with that at the mall in the middle of the day in the middle of the week?!? 4) picked up the new big and rich album at target this afternoon.  so far, so wonderful!  i'm already totally in love with the first single, "lost in this moment," and the rest seems as good. :) 5) did laundry. :)  should be set to pack for atlanta. 6) we have a hotel room for seattle now!  i talked to kath on the phone for awhile (which we both needed to maintain sanity and to catch up with each other) and so we are all now fully committed to the trip.  so we have a place to stay now, and that's exciting! :)  i'm growing more and more excited about the trip each day! 7) i <3 "so you think you can dance!"  there are some really, really amazing dancers there!  and if you were around, you might have caught me dancing along!  haha! i need to go to bed.  i have to be up a little earlier than usual tomorrow morning for a big day at work.  g'night. ;)  tuesday 5 june 2007 11:17pm "i toss and turn, i'm losing sleep, can't seem to make any sense of anything, i keep wandering 'round in circles in a daze just when i stat awakening i find something's intoxicating me 'til i'm tangled up, lost inside a maze i can't out run it just keeps comin' girl, your love is relentless" -- jason aldean "relentless" the days seem to be running together.  i keep getting mixed up about what day it is!  tuesday, i've determined.   but anyway, it's been a good day, even if i'm tired tonight. :)  i tried to be a little bit early to work this morning because i wanted to get a good start on my day before i started getting more and more stuff to do.  well, i got up at 7:30 and managed to be at work 10 minutes early.  awesome.  ;)  haha!  but anyway, i did actually get to use my morning to catch up with everything that was waiting for me.  i finished reading and tending to all my email, which was an accomplishment, believe me.  and i made progress with the books that need to be assembled by friday.  so anyway, it was a good day at work.  we did have a lot of fun again with the foam darts.  there's lots of people getting hit while working or people flinching in fear that they will.  it's pretty funny and keeps the mood around there nice and light. :)  also, this afternoon we devised a game where jason pitched a ball to marke, which he hit with the foam bat to me.  i had to then catch that ball but before it got to me brian was supposed to try to hit it with one of the foam darts.  we actually did it once, which was pretty awesome/hilarious! :)  yeah, we have fun. after work, i went to the gym, which went great.  i had a great workout and was all sweaty when i left there.  i definitely worked hard.  i also read some rad stuff in "smithsonian."  are there more great magazines like that out there that i don't know about?  because it doesn't last me the whole month. anyway, then i came home to get cleaned up.  i've been working on seattle plans and made some serious progress!  i now have plane tickets, which is exciting!  and we've picked out a hotel.  i'm just waiting on a final confirmation from everyone before booking it.  but it should be a go!  so seattle, here i come!  (well... after atlanta and chicago, that is.) of course, i've also taken some time out to do other things tonight.  i talked to mel and megs about seattle, so that's good.  we're all very excited.  and i talked to the parents for a little bit, as well.  oh, and i might have recorded and then watched "america's got talent," though i will say that i fast-forwarded through the bios and such and also through anyone who was bad, which means i saw the whole show in less than an hour. :) and!  i watched my boyfriend matt damon on letterman from last night.  i love that guy!  he's so adorable!!! :)  i can hardly wait to see "oceans's 13!"  it's going to be so fun! and i think that's all.  i need to go to bed.  g'night. ;)  monday 4 june 2007 11:15pm "is it jealousy that's hurtin' me so why can't i let it be why can't i just let go oh, but the thought of you somewhere with someone else doin' what we used to do feelin' what we felt... still i wonder, oh, i wonder oh baby, i can’t help but wonder who’s kissing you tonight” — jason aldean “who’s kissing you tonight” i love today!  seriously!  i mean, yeah, i realize it's a monday and i don't generally love love mondays, but today.  yeah. :)  i'm not exactly sure if this will all come off right in writing, but i'll give it a shot.  but anyway, just know i'm smiling after today because it was so fun. i woke up like 2 minutes before the alarm today, which i normally hate, but today just felt like it was helping to ease the pain of the alarm because it was then less startling.  so i got cleaned up and dressed (in my fun new polo from the j.crew outlet) and found a little breakfast.  and i even managed to be all set and ready to go like 5 minutes early, so basically, i win. ;) i definitely didn't accomplish anywhere near enough at work today.  in fact, i never even managed to catch up with my email, let alone get to doing the rest of my work.  but it was still a great day there! :)  first of all, we had two really good interviews for another designer, and those took huge chunks of time that i hadn't anticipated.  and then there were the boys.  our latest favorite toys are these foam rockets you shoot with your finger, kind of like shooting rubber bands, only way more awesome.  we started with the three from last week, but we ended up back at the dollar store today at lunch to pick up three more three-packs.  that makes twelve darts that fly like crazy but don't hurt too much when you get hit.  and we all got hit lots. :)  haha!  it's really very funny to be in the office with these foam darts flying everywhere and the three of us trying to avoid getting hit while hitting others.  total kids, i know! oh, and lunch.  lunch was such a good break!  brian and i went to scpc for pizza, where we also ran into marina, who was picking up a takeaway lunch.  so anyway, lunch was tasty, and then we met up with marke to go to the dollar store.  not only did we find more of those darts, but we found lots of other strange things (to not buy): macho aftershave, a bob the builder hardhat, a pink bubble sword, and more. :)  that place has some crazy stuff. so anyway, i didn't actually get around to leaving the office until 6:45 because i was chatting, but then i headed for the gym, where i had a great workout.  i will, however, admit this wasn't the part of my day that made it so fun. ;)  the new issue of "smithsonian" is really fun, though!  i really want to go to petra now, though!  if only it were a little easier (and safer?) to travel to jordan these days. when i got home, i had fun surprises waiting for me.  i got my renewed driver's license, which makes me feel really, really old because it no longer has any stripes informing others of the year in which i turn 21 ('04).  oh, and the photo moves.  anyway, it's like a full-fledged grown-up license now, which is so weird, especially since the photo of me at 15 is still on it! ;)  haha!  anyway, also waiting for me was new makeup that mom ordered for me!  so nice! :)  i love presents! and now i'm just hanging out.  i had a little dinner and chatted with the family.  there's not much on tv tonight, but my boyfriend matt damon is on letterman later!  :)  can hardly wait for "ocean's 13!" so i'm off now.  more next time.  hope your day was also wonderful! :)  g'night. ;)  sunday 3 june 2007 11:16pm "i can't explain why at times like these i nearly go insane you're not here with me... still i wonder, oh, i wonder oh baby, i can't help but wonder who's kissing you tonight" -- jason aldean "who's kissing you tonight"  today was pretty much a continuation of yesterday.  not too busy. :)  and i guess i'm ready for another week now (not that i wouldn't love a second sunday). though i went to bed pretty late last night (early this morning?), i was still awake by 9:30.  so i lazed around a while doing a whole lot of nothing, other than reading the sunday paper.  such a treat, really! :) and i eventually decided to get dressed and run a couple of (not so) very exciting errands.  beauty supply store.  old navy for returns.  stopped at the shoe store but didn't find anything.  and then costco, the most exciting stop because i found some new music and a new book to go with my bread and orange juice. :)  haha!  yeah, crazy fun, right? ;) and i somehow spent the afternoon watching whatever episodes there were of "entourage" on on demand, which was the last 7 or so.  i'd never actually seen the show before but had been meaning to get into it.  yes, i'll be watching from now on.  i already watched tonight's new episode, as well. :)  very la.  do people not around here understand it? and then i had dinner and read a few magazines and even found a cool article about the new sculpture park in seattle.  and then i gave myself a fun summery manicure and continued to read.  and now i'm just hanging out watching this new show "army wives," which seems like it'll make decent summer tv. i am thinking i should get to bed, though.  monday's coming quickly.  g'night. ;)  sunday 3 june 2007 12:58am "is the life that you've chosen free from regret or is what might have been just too hard to forget has the glitter all faded, do you get what you need are you satisfied, baby, or do you wish it was me" -- jason aldean "do you wish it was me"  mmm... i love mellow saturdays. :)  especially when they're sandwiched in between very busy weekends.  so i've taken advantage of today and done pretty much nothing.  fab! :) so i kind of slept in until noon today.  haven't done that in a long time!  but it was nice and was a great start to a very lazy day.  i pretty much spent the afternnon just hanging around the apartment.  i watched the episode of johnny depp on "inside the actors' stuido" that i'd been meaning to get to.  so fun!  and i caught an episode of "mythbusters" that featured a cowboy action shooter shooting coins mid-air.  yeah.  how can you not enjoy that?!?  oh, and i might have also straightened up around the apartment, finished unpacking from last weekend, and read the newspaper. :) i eventually went to the grocery for a few things and confused the cashier with my canvas grocery bags.  again.  ::sigh:: and i had a mini movie marathon here tonight.  first up was "because i said so," which was so adorably cute and which i so thoroughly enjoyed.  i know it got terrible reviews, but i loved it! :)  and then i watched "don juan de marco," because i was totally in the mood for johnny depp and i hadn't watched that one in a long time.  also totally fun! :) and that's seriously about it.  i'm up late because... well... i've only been awake 13 hours.  i suppose i should get to bed, though, so i don't screw up my sleeping habits even more.  so more from me tomorrow.  g'night. ;)  saturday 2 june 2007 1:05am "does each kiss seem closer to the first or the last is the fire still raging or has it burned down to ash do the memories haunt you, do they beg and they plead are you satisfied, baby, or do you wish it was me" -- jason aldean "do you wish it was me" what a good friday!  i mean, it was just super mellow, and that's exactly what i was needing after a tiring week and not enough sleep last night.  and i'm excited about a weekend of doing nothing. :) okay, so i was really, really asleep when the first and second alarms went off this morning.  i can't even remember the first one.  anyway, i managed to get up and ready and all that, though i admit that i wasn't moving so fast.  and i picked up my favorite breakfast on my way to the office: combo bagel from i <3 bagels!  mmm! work was quiet today.  it turned out to be a lot more of me taking care of random projects all day long, not working on any one thing exclusively.  i am trying to make sure i have everything in order before i'm out of the office for three days, and so far, everything's going well.  it was pretty quiet around there between marking leaving early and brian working from home, but at least i got some stuff done! ;)  and i took off a little bit early because i could. i went to the dana point library, though they need more proof of where i live to grant me a card.  ::sigh::  so i guess i'll go there another day... maybe this weekend and maybe not. i came home and have been hanging out.  i had a fabulous nap!  i totally needed that!  and then i made a little dinner and talked to the parents.  plus, i watched the first part of "the starter wife," which was fun. :)  yeah, cheezy tv miniseries! ;)  haha!  and i've been working on seattle plans, as well.  searching for just the right place to stay takes a little bit of work.  plus, i have more to learn about atlanta before i head there in a week, so that's on tap for the weekend. anyway, i should probably get to bed and get some actual rest.  more next time.  g'night. ;)  thursday 31 may 2007 11:38pm "i know you did what you thought you should do it was safe and secure, so completely thought through you sacrificed passion and abandoned your dreams baby, was it all worth it or do you wish it was me" -- jason aldean "do you wish it was me" it turned out to be a nice thursday. :)  and i love that the weather is feeling pretty summer-like (after the morning fog burns off). you know, some morning i have like a 4th gear when i'm getting ready.  i can be quick and efficient and on time.  and some mornings, i just don't have it.  :)  like today.  i was just dragging.  but i did eventually make it out the door.  even stopped for a donut on my way to the office. work today was fun and interesting, at least for me.  i was working on a project unlike what i generally get to do and outside where i feel comfortable.  it's good for me.  i laid out a framework for a website for a new conference we're putting together.  i rarely actually design sites, so it was kind of fun to push myself to come up with something good.  and i showed it to a few other people, and people are liking it, so i'm really quite pleased. :)  yay for me! ;)  haha! mid-day, marke and i got out of the office for a little bit.  we had lunch at pick up stix, which was delicious, and then went over to the dollar store to wander around and see what we could find.  i found tinkerbell markers, which may be fun to have around the office.  sometimes i need a marker that's not a sharpie, you know?  and marke found (among a few other things) these rad foam arrows that you shoot with your finger.  they really fly!  we had lots of fun with them today, and i'm pretty sure that we'll be going back to the dollar store for more! :)  woot! after work, i headed home and had a wonderful talk with kath on the phone.  she's a little hard to get a hold of sometimes, but i found her! :)  it was good to catch up and also talk about seattle some more.  the trip planning is going well, i'd say. and i've spent my evening watching all sorts of tv.  probably too much, actually.  i need a book!  ;)  anyway, i watched the first two episodes of "traveler," which was really interesting and intense.  i'm just not sure i can wait a week between episodes because i'm so desperate to know more about the story.  anyway, should be a good summer series.  i also watched the premiere of "pirate master," which was even more heavily pirate themed than i had anticipated.  so fun!  and a bit cheezy, but still very piratey!  and then there was "so you think you can dance," which i much (embarrassingly) say is so much fun to watch for me!  i mean, i love seeing all the amazing dancers (clogging guy, scoliosis robot guy) and i'm dancing around the apartment with that silly pussycat dolls song stuck in my head now. ;)  and of course, i rounded out my evening with "studio 60," which was kind of boring until about the last 15 minutes, and now i am actually excited to see what happens in next week's episode. and that's it.  i'm boring. ;)  but anyway, i am also very sleepy tonight, so i'm going to crash.  g'night. ;)  wednesday 30 may 2007 10:08pm "is the life that you've chosen free from regret or is what might have been just too hard to forget has the glitter all faded, do you get what you need are you satisfied, baby, or do you wish it was me" -- jason aldean "do you wish it was me" i'm in love with the jason aldean album, full to love lost songs. :)  they tend to be my favorite sorts of songs these days.  sometimes wednesdays can just be plain long.  but today was fun and interesting, and i quite enjoyed myself. :) so i slept in until 8, which pretty much means that i'm going to be late to work.  but i get more sleep that way! :)  so once i did eventually get up, i rushed to get cleaned up and dressed as quickly as i could.  and i was out the door only 10 minutes late, stopped for a bagel, and still made it to work only 10 minutes late!  so basically, i win. ;) work went well today.  i had a list of a million little things that needed to get taken care of.  i made my way through that in avoiding a bigger project that needs to get done, so i was really very productive.  i love that!  it was exactly what i needed.  plus, there was marke and kobe.  marke wanted to talk about kobe all day long, and honestly, i don't care so much about kobe.  but we did end up listening to an interview with him in the afternoon that was enlightening.  so anyway, i don't think kobe's going anywhere.  not that i actually care. :) after work, i headed home.  i'm kind of still recovering from the weekend and the lack of sleep and everything.  but i did do a few fun things tonight. :)  i talked to bobby briefly, which was good.  he's doing fine, so that's great to hear, and i should be doing some more work for him in the very near future.  i talked to meg, mel, and sarah each.  :)  my girls!  and i'vee been watching "so you think you can dance" because there's not a whole lot on in the summer and they showed a lot of the good dancers.  also on tap for tonight is learning more about seattle and watching the series premiere of the soapy new cw show, "hidden palms."  yeah. :) anyway, for the moment, i'm off.  g'night. ;)  tuesday 29 may 2007 10:23pm "when the sun slowly chases the moon from the sky and touches your face as you open your eyes what are you thinking, do you like what you see is it all that you dreamed of or do you wish it was me" -- jason aldean "do you wish it was me" i've covered a lot of territory in the past two days, not that i'm complaining at all.  it's exhausting, but i'm grateful for the opportunities to be here, there, and everywhere.  yes, even with the 4:30am wake-up calls. so yesterday (sunday) was so much fun!  i took the new car and headed out to vacaville (near sacramento) to meet up with sarah for a day of eating and shopping, two of our favorite things. ;)  first of all, i really enjoying driving the escape out there, especially with the sirius radio.  i'm head-over-heels in love with sirius 60 new country.  gah!  the best radio station i've ever listened to, i'm pretty sure.  now, i just have to figure out how to get it in my life. ;) anyway, so sarah and i met up at bj's and had a very delicious lunch. :)  this was pizza #1 for my day.  and then we headed over to the outlets.  the outlets are the only reason to go to vacaville, as far as i'm concerned.  i found some fabulous things at j. crew.  in fact, i wish i had bought more.  really great stuff!  :)  and we went to many more stores, though i ended up not buying anything else.  but we had a great time, and the weather was summer hot, like 95.  love that feeling!  of course, i got crazy allergies from it, but i'm okay now.  anyway, after so much shopping, we were tired and once again hungry.  we decided on amici's because sarah had never been to one and it was new in the area.  this is where i had pizza #2, which was totally different from pizza #1.  and then we went to fenton's creamery for a scoop of ice cream.  so good! :)  it was an all-around really great day!  of course, i did eventually have to head back home to pack and crash. dad woke me up at 4:30 this morning, and i had just about 15 minutes to get dressed and head out.  dad brought me to the airport for my 6:30 flight, which i slept through.  then it was straight to work (though i did stop for a donut because i was hungry). work went well today.  i got some small things accomplished, and had some fun with the boys working on that paper model and goofing off and other various things.  i don't know.  it just seemed like a really good day at work. lunch was probably the highlight, though!  brian and i decided to walk up the hill to stillwater.  normally, we'd call ahead so they'd have our order ready for us.  today we decided not to.  so we walked up there and discovered that they were closed!  weird!  so then we thought we'd walk across the street from there to the panini grill that we'd never tried.  i tried to order a caesar salad.  i was informed they were out of that.  well, brian and i agreed we didn't actually want anything else they serve there, so we walked back down the hill to my car and drove to pick up stix.  we brought food back to the office and watched the pilot episode of "psych," which was fun.  he'd never seen it before.  anyway, it was a fun lunch, if also full of really strange surprises.  but my eventual lunch was tasty. :) and this afternoon, i headed out.  i went to best buy on my way home for the new jason aldean album, something i've been waiting for for awhile.  he's good, and i'm loving the "johnny cash" song. :)  and what i've heard so far of the album is really great, if also hitting too close to a painful home for me.  (did that make sense?)   and i've just been hanging out this evening.  nothing too exciting.  i need to go to bed soon because i'm getting quite sleepy.  more next time from me. g'night. ;) sunday 27 may 2007 10:26pm what a fun sunday! :) i love it! so i got up this morning and took my time getting ready and dressed. then i had a little extra time, so i took the new car out for a drive to see how it is. i drove around san carlos and belmont and even went up into the hills to take some photos of the city and the views and such. (i'll get those up on flickr in the next few days. i'll let you know.) it was fun! and my very favorite feature (which no one told me about) is the sirius satellite radio! love love that! wish i had it myself. anyway, that was cool. then dad and i took the train up to the city and met mel outside the giants ballpark. we had really good tickets on the club level right above first base. i <3 the club level! i don't think i'd ever sat there before, but it was wonderful because the access is limited, making lines for everything shorter. they'll even bring you your food if you want. oh, and then there was the game! ;) haha! well, it was a really fun game between the giants and the rockies. barry bonds hit his 746th home run and the giants tied it up in the bottom of the 8th to force 10 innings. they lost in the end 4-6, but it was still really fun. plus, we ate fabulous things, like garlic fries and ghiradelli ice cream sundaes, which is what going to the ballpark is really all about anyway. ;) oh, and it was freezing cold there, but that's really to be expected in s.f. in the summer. this evening, mom, dad, and i had dinner out at macaroni grill, which was delicious, as always. :) mmm! and then we wandered around the bookstore for a bit. i found a couple seattle guidebooks, so those should keep me busy. :) and then i spent some time organizing the graduation photos from the weekend on flickr. but they're all up and ready for you to view now, so enjoy those! :) i need to go to bed now. i should get out of the parents' room so they can sleep. g'night. ;) saturday 26 may 2007 10:38pm well, adam did it! he made it all the way through high school. okay, so he was never going to not make it through high school, but i suppose it's still worthy of celebration. he had a good high school experience (at least as far as i can tell), and now he's moving on to ucla. so anyway, this whole event was the real reason i'm home for the weekend, and it was a long, busy day. the morning started off with me getting up at 7, which i try not to do so much, especially on saturdays. but you know. so i got cleaned up and ready and all of a sudden the whole family (plus meg, who's really considered the honorary fifth member of the wyatt clan) was headed down to de anza college. i'm not exactly sure how much to write about the actual graduation. mostly, these things are terribly boring and very long. it should have been better coordinated, as well. but anyway, most of the speakers did a good job, adam got to walk across the stage and receive his diploma (they even gave him the actual thing, though it wasnt't in the case, which they also gave him on stage but separately), and the whole family was there to watch. oh, and meg's half-sister, kelley, was also graduating in the same class, so she joined her (actual) family there. anyway, we took a few photos outside amidst the chaos and then got moving to the party. we had a big family lunch at a little place in san carlos called royal cafe that mom rented out for us for lunch (they're normally only open for dinner). everything was good, and it was nice to socialize with all the family members i don't get to see as much. and then adam headed off for his grad night activities (something i don't fully understand as no one went to ours and so i went to see "rocky horror picture show" for the first time ever), and meg and i decided to hang out. we walked all around stanford shopping center and whatever. it was fun. :) meanwhile, mom and dad went to get a new car. they got a new '08 ford escape hybrid in black pearl. adam's going to drive it for the summer until he goes to ucla (they traded in his old explorer), and then mom's going to be driving it. they didn't get it home until about 10pm, so i'm planning to take it out for a little spin in the morning. :) oh, and i've already requested it for monday, when i drive out to visit sarah. so anyway, now it's getting late and i'm thinking i should just crash. i've been up too long on too little sleep, and quite honestly, i've been a tiny bit cranky today. if you want to know see the graduation photos, the first few are on flickr (see the right nav -->), and i'm planning on getting the rest up in the next day or so. mom took lots of photos, so there are a lot to sort through. anyway, i'm off. g'night. ;) friday 25 may 2007 10:07pm greetings from san carlos! :) good to be up here back home for a few days. anyway, i only have about two minutes to write, so i'll keep it brief and promise to get more up soon. work went quickly today because john wanted to sit and talk about his world travels for awhile, and then marke and i worked some more on that silly at-at paper model. it's a little crazy but a fun little project to fill in random moments. :) took off from work a few minutes before noon and made it to the airport. gah! traveling during holiday weekends brings out the dumb in people or something. but i survived and made my flight, which turned out to be about 25 minutes late. oh, well. and i got here fine and also happened to start a new book in the process. it's a bill bryson about english. i can't remember the name right now. anyway, so far so good. mom and adam picked me up in san jose and we came home so i could rush to get ready for tonight. i got it together. so the family all headed down to st. francis for the baccalaureate mass at 7. it was a decent service and then we kind of hung out for awhile afterwards. just mass. kind of strange to meet all adam's friends. i seriously only knew adam and like one of his friends. anyway, it was still good to be there. and then we did dinner at amici's in downtown mountain view, which was so delicious! i ate way too much between the lasagna i ordered and the pizza dad and adam ordered. so good! :) and now i need to get to bed! we have to leave here sooo early tomorrow morning for the graduation. why are these things so early in the morning? i do not understand. should be another busy day. i'll let you know how it goes and hopefully get some photos up soon! for now, g'night. ;) thursday 24 may 2007 10:30pm "please don't tell me that i am the only one that's vulnerable impossible i was born to tell you i love you isn't that a song already i get a b in originality and it's true i can't go on without you your smile makes me see clearer" -- secondhand serenade "vulnerable" what a fun thursday!  i mean, nothing in particular that was way amazing, but it has just been really enjoyable. :)  and i'm getting ready to watch tonight's "studio 60" and then crash, but i have a few minutes to write. :)  numbered list again?  i think so. 1) work was once again really fun!  i spent the morning getting some actual work done.  yay me!  ;)  and then marke and i took a little lunch break for pedro's and the pilot episode of "gilmore girls."  marke chose it.  yeah. :)  and in the afternoon marke convinced me to help him make a paper model of an at-at (like from "star wars," movies i have never seen).  it's funny, i promise!  the boys called it super cool, and we know they're... um... a little geeky (as much as i love them).  so anyway, paper model assembling.  marke cut a lot of pieces out and i folded and assembled with a gluestick.  we have one section done.  this may take months. ;) 2) the seattle discussion continues.  i think it's going to be four of us girls, and it should be a total blast.  i seriously need a seattle guidebook! :) 3) it only took me like two hours of trying things on to decide what to wear to adam's baccalaureate mass and then the graduation and party.  but i chose! :)  and then it took me about another hour to pack the rest of my stuff for the weekend.  i'm quite excited to be home tomorrow! 4) keep checking for updates through the weekend while i'm in san carlos. :) i'm off now.  g'night. ;) wednesday 23 may 2007 11:01pm "share with me the blankets that you're wrapped in because it's cold outside, cold outside, it's cold outside share with me the secrets that you kept in because it's cold inside, cold inside, it's cold inside and your slowly-shaking fingertips show that you're scared like me so let's pretend we're alone and i know you may be scared and i know we're unprepared but i don't care" -- secondhand serenade "vulnerable" it was a pretty quiet wednesday, which i'm pretty sure was a good thing.  but here are the interesting(?) bits. ;) 1) work was super quiet today! :)  i love it!  i didn't accomplish a whole lot, but i think that's fine.  i mean, there are just little bits here and there to take care of, so that's cool.  hopefully, i'll be a little bit better tomorrow, though!  :) 2) marke and i walked to daphne's for lunch today.  it was finally sunny today, so it was a very pleasant walk, and it's good to move around a bit.  plus, of course it's good to just get out of the office. ;) 3) mel says she wants to go to seattle, so we're trying to plan something for labor day.  and i think a couple more people might join us, as well.  i'm extremely excited about this possibility!  seattle is definitely a place i've been meaning to get to in the near future. 4) laundry.  so i can figure out what the heck i'm going to wear this weekend.  i need two nice outfits, something fit for a baseball game, a shopping outfit, and probably a couple other things, and it all has to fit into my tiny little suitcase.  i need a new suitcase, really. 5) so what if i watched the "american idol" finale?  huh? ;)  haha!  okay, so i kind of had it on while i was in and out and doing various things around the apartment tonight.  a lot of it was really boring or super cheezy, but i wanted to see the winner announced.  i think i prefer "dancing with the stars."  this is all very bad, isn't it? okay, i am going to crawl into bed with the new issue of instyle.  g'night. ;)  tuesday 22 may 2007 11:15pm "and you play it coy but it's kind of cute ah, when you smile at me you know exactly what you do baby, don't pretend that you don't know it's true 'cause you can see it when i look at you and in this crazy life and through these crazy times it's you, it's you, you make me sing you're every line, you're every word, you're everything" -- michael buble (and therefore probably someone else who i'm having a hard time discovering) "everything" 1) i watched the final hour of the "dancing with the stars" finale tonight and quite enjoyed myself.  stop judging me. ;)  haha!  i was rooting for apollo (since last night when i first tuned in to the show). 2) i had the worst time getting to sleep last night.  it took me like an hour and a half. 3) work was really fun today.  i got my two magazines off to press before noon today, which left time for... well... fun. :)  marke, brian, and i walked up the hill to pick up lunch at stillwater, which was nice.  good to get out of the office a little.  and then we (mostly brian and me) spent a portion of the afternoon rearranging some furniture.  we made the room like we had wanted to the last time we moved the furniture but weren't able to because of barry.  but he's not in the picture anymore, so we finally got it right.  i think it's better.  of course, it also made my desk larger, so maybe i'm a little biased on the whole thing. ;)  but anyway, i appreciate the boys' help with moving stuff, especially since it didn't really benefit them. 4) i went shopping for makeup tonight.  turns out i'm allergic to something i own and use.  a good reminder that i do in fact have pretty sensitive skin.  so i picked up a bunch of bare escentuals stuff from sephora and so far it's great!  i'm already loving it, which i promise says a lot.  anyway, i'm excited about it, even if it's really random. :) 5) i am totally officially going to chicago now!  i have a hotel room and a plane ticket! :)  woot! so i guess i'm off for tonight.  g'night! ;)  monday 21 may 2007 11:01pm "call me irresponsible yes, i'm unreliable but it's undeniably true that i'm irresponsibly mad for you" -- frank sinatra "call me irresponsible" quickly so i can crash... 1) how much did i love the "brothers and sisters" season finale last night.  i love love love loved it!  yes, i was sobbing through the end of it, but i still really enjoyed it.  plus, i appreciate that it didn't all end tragically and they gave me hope for the future.  ew has a great review of the episode. :)  but seriously, it's so good!  that's what you need to know! 2) i also really enjoyed "heroes" tonight, though it didn't go quite as i had imagined.  i love how they've set up next season, as well!  :) 3) what's with it raining on me today?!?  lame!  i want summer!  good thing i'm escaping to san carlos this weekend, where it's actually warmer than here right now. 4) work was quiet, which is fine by me.  i should be busy enough tomorrow, though, shipping two magazines to press.  and then they'll be gone!  hooray! :) 5) i cannot believe they're doing a recap of "dancing with the stars" on "sportscenter" right now!  um... when did reality tv become sports?  also, i watched a complete episode of "dancing with the stars" for the first time tonight.  i like that it was really fast-paced, like there wasn't much time when no dancing was going on!  i'm kind of impressed, if not hooked. 6) the more i read about and learn about good business practices, the more i notice and hate doing business with companies that don't do a good job of these things.  i mean, if your business to so lease apartments to people, you should be really friendly and helpful to current tenants who want to renew leases, right? time for bed.  g'night! ;)  sunday 20 may 2007 10:19pm "come on home you know i'm praying every night please come home i want to feel you hold me tight when i'm in your arms" -- mel torme (and others) "comin' home baby" it's been a pretty decent sunday. :) i slept in nice and late this morning, which was great.  i probably could have slept even later, but around 11 i figured i should get out of bed.  i hung out and found a little food before getting dressed and heading out. i needed shampoo, so i stopped at the beauty supply place first, and then i headed up to irvine to the spectrum.  i really haven't done any shopping there in a long time, and they've opened several new stores since.  anyway, i walked around and ended up finding a couple really cute things at the h&m there!  :)  and then i stopped by the grocery for a few things, and i got to use my canvas bags again!  the cashier was so not excited to put my things in it, but that's his own problem.  i don't see how it's any sort of inconvenience for him at all.  anyway, that was fine. and i spent the afternoon here cleaning the apartment, which wasn't so much dirty as it was really, really messy with shoes and clothes everywhere.  but everything's all away now, so that's great!  and i gave myself a fresh pedicure (bright sort of watermelon color) and enjoyed talking to the family for a little bit.  and of course, i just finished watching the season finale of "desperate housewives," which was really fun but also had some storylines that end tragically.  what's up, abc?!?  at least there was the super-romantic susan and mike wedding!  i loved that! :)  anyway, i know "brothers and sisters" is going to be terribly sad, as well.  but i do love that show! so anyway, i'm off for tonight.  i'll be back next time with more.  g'night. ;) sunday 20 may 2007 12:49am "how's your life, it's been awhile God, it's good to see you smile i see you reaching for your keys looking for a reason not to leave if you don't know if you should stay if you don't say what's on your mind baby, just breathe there's nowhere else tonight we should be you wanna make a memory?" -- bon jovi "make a memory" 1) i'm so so so so jealous adam and his friends went to see taylor swift and brad paisley (and jack ingram and kellie pickler) last night in mountain views.  we need to trade friends because he ends up at concerts where he only knows the music at all because i make him listen to it when i'm around.  2) today's been pretty nice just doing my own thing. :)  here's kind of how it went...  i slept in a little late.  i mean, i went to bed at like 3, so i guess that's good.  plus, you know i need the sleep on the weekends because i really don't get enough during the week.  anyway, i hung out a little bit this morning not doing a whole lot.   but i eventually got up and cleaned up and got dressed. i headed up to south coast plaza in seach of graduation presents for my brother and my cousin.  i found something for each of them.  i think they're the right gifts.  i guess we'll see!  no one really had any great ideas for me, so i just went with them.  anyway, that was fun, and i enjoyed wandering around there for awhile. and then i went down to newport to the shopping center at crystal cove, which i really like.  i found some cute stuff at the banana republic there, all on sale! :)  and i checked out that trader joe's, which was super nice and quite large for a trader joe's.  also, i purchased a couple of their canvas tote bags for my groceries so i'll be using those from now on.  even after just one use, i'm already in love with them!  they hold a lot and because the straps are long, i can throw them over my shoulder, which makes transporting groceries from my car all the way to the apartment much easier.  so great! :) and i've been hanging out here tonight.  i had a little dinner and finally got to see the academy of country music awards (that were on tuesday night)!  that included a pre-show about the nominees, an hour of red carpet, and then the three-hour awards show (all minus commercials).   what fun!  i love love taylor swift singing "tim mcgraw" three feet from tim mcgraw himself and meeting him for the first time.  and one of my very favorite songs right now is big and rich's "lost in this moment," and when they threw in john legend as their special guest it was ever better!  plus, kelly clarson and reba were awesome, as was sugarland.  i continue to want to be jennifer nettles.  the whole show was just so fun! :) and that's about it for tonight.  more next time!  g'night! ;)  saturday 19 may 2007 2:15am "i thought you were my fairytale a dream when i'm not sleeping a wish upon a star that's coming true but everybody else could tell that i confused my feelings with the truth when there was me and you" -- "when there was me and you" from "high school musical" random song really, but that's okay for tonight (this morning?), right?/ so i went to bed too late last night and got up at a normal hour this morning (which felt entirely too early, really).  and i got dressed and all that and then headed out.  i stopped by gelsons on my way to the office for (1) breakfast and (2) a treat for tonight.  and then i made it to the office. work was considerably slower today, thankfully!  that meant more time for chatting and taking care of the smaller things on my list (i refer to my calendar/to-do list lovingly as "the list.").  i was actually decently productive considering.  and marke and i took a little break to grab lunch at super bowl, which was great after i got my lunch paid for.  i thought i had cash.  i didn't realize i didn't until i was trying to pay.  but luckily, the liquor store next door had an atm.  anyway, my chicken bowl was pretty tasty.  and at the end of the day, i ended up taking off a little bit early because i was really done being productive and i had things to do and people to see! ;) i made the long drive up to la.  okay, it's only like 65 miles, but on a friday afternoon it feels more like 165.  but it helped that i got a jumpstart and took the toll road up to costa mesa.  anyway, i made it up there in two hours and went to the grove for about an hour.  i love that place!  i would have liked to spend more time, actually, but it was not at all the reason i was up in la for the evening. i went to wednesday and carmen's apartment, and their other friend nina also came.  we were having a little movie night!  it was so much fun to just hang out.  plus, wednesday got great food from whole foods. :)  and we watched "alpha dog," which was surprisingly good and very intense.  also, i think justin timberlake is the best character in the film, which i wasn't at all expecting.  and then we wanted something a bit lighter, so we watched "high school musical."  i had been meaning to see it because i figured i would enjoy it.  i love cheezy disney fun!  so anyway, that was a good time, and wednesday sang along.  she's good at that. :)  and eventually, i had to head home because it was sooo late. i figure i should get some sleep.  more next time.  g'night. ;)  thursday 17 may 2007 11:34pm "could this be the one could you be the one could i be the one" -- the calling "the one" i've been listening to the calling the past couple days.  i really like this song (among others), and it's in my head. :) so let's see... i guess i have a couple days to update on.  yesterday.  wednesday.  it was long and things felt like they kept going wrong or taking longer than they should have.  i was at work for entirely too long, went to the gym, had a quiet night, and that's really about it. today was better.  i slept in a little later than i should have.  i got to watch tony blair(and president bush)'s press conference from the rose garden, his last before stepping down as prime minister.  in fact, i was so distracted by listening to him that i was kind of late to work (i didn't leave here until when i was supposed to be there). work went a bit better today.  i got the second (of 4) magazines off to press and the final one off for proofing.  and it was all done by 4, which was fantastic.  i even had time to do some straightening up around the office before taking off at a totally normal hour today. then i went to the gym for yet another session of cardio.  good times. ;)  and i came home and got cleaned up and talked to the parents for a little bit. and my night was really devoted to three big season finales!  got to love may! first up was "the office."  it was by far my very favorite!  i love loved all of it!  i'm so excited for the next season i don't know how i will survive all summer.  i love jam!  finally!  then it was "ugly betty."  i enjoyed the show until the end when i realized that every storyline ended sadly.  what the hell kind of season finale is that?!?  i need at least a glimmer of hope for next season!  who does this?!? and then "grey's anatomy."  well, i enjoyed this while it was going on, as well.  until the end.  when the vast majority of the storylines also ended sadly.  what's up, abc?!?  hope!  for next season!  for something--anything--good.  though they did leave some interesting questions, perhaps too many. anyway, you know i'm tuning in to all these shows again next season. :)  because i actually quite enjoy watching them, even when i get mad at them.  haha!  oh, i'm so addicted.  oh well... so now i can finally go to sleep (once adam and i are done chatting about "grey's").  g'night. ;)  tuesday 15 may 2007 10:15pm "now it's one more night at the upside down it's ten steps in and hundred miles back you i just really miss you, i just really miss you there's a life i can't ask you to leave i just really miss you, right now i kinda need to the closest that you'll ever be to me is free there's a dark cloud hanging over my heart" -- miranda lambert "i just really miss you" i feel a bit like i've been doing things since the moment the alarm went off this morning.  usually, i get little breaks here and there or at least in the evenings.  but it's about 10 and i'm just now sitting down to relax.  but i feel like i also got a lot done, so that's good.  so work.  that's insane, as you probably already know.  i shipped the first of four books that'll go out in about the course of a week today.  that's great!  and i made progress on the other three, as well.  of course, i was also at the office until after 7, which isn't terribly fun, especially when you're the only one there.  but that's how it goes, i guess. but in other work-related news, i finally got the big green light from john that i've been waiting for for like two months!  i get to go to the how design conference in atlanta next month!  i have been dying to go for a variety of reasons.  (1) i had an awesome time at the conference (in vegas) last year and feel like it's such a valuable experience.  (2) sarah's going, and actually we'll get to share a hotel room.  (3) i've never been to atlanta before and am excited about exploring a new place.  so in less than a month, that's where i'll be!  hooray!  i even registered for the conference and booked my flights already! after work, i dropped by borders to look for an atlanta guidebook and found a good, small one.  it should come in handy, especially with maps and choosing somewhere to eat.  and then it was straight for the gym.  and then straight home.  and i've been working on the baby announcements for diana some more.  and that's it!  i mean, that's what happens when you work way too many hours in the day. and now time for a cookie and the series finale of "gilmore girls."  and i'm off.  g'night! ;)  monday 14 may 2007 11:13pm "there's a cold wind blowing through this town and nothing left to hold is pushing me down it blows over you and me without a sound there's a cold wind blowing through this town" -- miranda lambert "i just really miss you" i definitely felt like i was back at work today, but i managed to relax a moment this evening, which was nice. so work.  i went to work and there's a lot of that right about now.  what more can i say?  i work and work and my list seems to be getting longer instead of shorter.  but i'm doing what i can.  but i did have a bit of fun today, as well.  marke (accidentally) called me fat, which turned out to be pretty hilarious as he struggled to get out of what he said.  :)  so funny!  and i got to have lunch from daphne's and read a fashion magazine because i didn't have either boy with me (they don't like daphne's).  delicious! and i got out of the office at what now seems to be a decent hour, even though i was the last person there.  and i headed for the gym for a good workout on the elliptical, followed by a good strength training session back at home.  glad to be back on track with this. i spent some time this evening doing more work on diana's baby announcements, which went well.  we're really close now.  i'll show you when they're finished. :) and i got to chat with kath and mel online a bit tonight.  plus, i talked to the fam. and of course, monday night is "heroes" night!  that show is really very good and exciting and different than other things that i watch.  i'm excited for next week's season finale.  oh, and there were cookies to accompany my tv watching. :) and now i'm off to bed, thankfully.  more next time.  g'night. ;) sunday 13 may 2007 11:29pm “i just really miss you, i just really miss you there’s a life i can’t ask you to leave i just really miss you, right now i kinda want to the closest that you’ll ever be to me is free” — miranda lambert “i just really miss you” it’s been such a quiet weekend around here, and i’m thoroughly sure that it was exactly what i needed.  and i should be getting to bed pretty soon, but i have a minute to write here a little bit for you. seriously, i’ve done pretty much nothing this weekend.  i actually managed to spend a lot of time sleeping, which is just me trying to decrease my crazy sleep debt.  last week at work pretty much drained my tank to empty, i think.  but i’m doing a lot better now, even if i’ll also admit that i’m not quite ready to get back to work yet. and i got back to the gym (finally!) yesterday, which went so well.  i even got back on my strength training program.  i’ll admit that i’m a tiny bit sore today, even.  oh, well.  at least i know i’m working hard! ;)  and now that i think about it, going there was one of only two times i left the apartment all weekend.  wow.  i’m boring. so yesterday evening, i actually went up to the bookstore to look for a small chicago guidebook so i could learn a bit more about the city and make sure that i don’t miss anything too important when i head out there.  that was a successful trip. today… is mother’s day.  i actually talked to practically the whole family between the phone call from grandma’s house where many were gathered and the call i made to my other grandma.  it was good to talk to everyone, though i’m really just very excited to see a lot of them in a couple weeks when i’m home for the long weekend. and i caught up on a few little projects and chores around the apartment before getting on with my regular sunday night routine.  i got a manicure and love loved both “desperate housewives” and “brothers and sisters” tonight. and that’s seriously it, kid.  now i’m off to bed.  have a good week.  g’night. ;) friday 11 may 2007 10:54pm “there’s a sad song ringing in my head baby, it’s been here ever since you left i should be moving along, how far would i get with this sad song ringing in my head” — miranda lambert “i just really miss you” i’ve loved this week because it’s been gorgeous and i’ve been in such a good mood.  but i’m also exhausted and relieved that it’s finally the weekend.  so before i crash, here’s a little recap of the day for you. :) so i tried to get a little extra sleep last night, but i don’t think i managed to make that actually happen.  and i wasn’t quite ready for the alarm this morning.  but i got up and ready and dressed and all of that.  plus, i also stopped at jamba juice for breakfast, which was so delicious.  and i was only like 15 minutes late for work. ;) so then there was work.  let’s see… what to say.  first of all, barry (the other graphic designer who joined the team when melissa left at the end of last year) no longer works for us, so we’re searching for a new designer.  that means that there’s a ton of work on my plate these days.  a ton.  and i’m doing whatever i can to keep afloat (hence the late nights at work lately).  so today was more of the same: tons of working.  but i did take a few minutes to steal the art department stereo back from becky’s office with marke’s help. :)  and i had a great salad from stillwater for lunch, and marke and i watched another “brothers and sisters.”  love that show! :)  and because i couldn’t even see straight by about 4:30, i took off a few minutes early.  i mean, john was leaving, too, so it was okay, right? ;) i stopped at the grocery (see previous entry) and then headed home.  i’ve been hanging out here since then.  i had dinner and watched the warriors game and accidentally fell asleep for about half an hour.  and i’ve had a bit of a headache since i woke up.  but i’m getting ready to crash anyway. so that’s it from here! :)  it should be a nice, relaxing weekend, i hope.  g’night. ;) thursday 10 may 2007 11:06pm “there’s a dark cloud hanging over my heart i can’t see where it ends or where it starts i should get over you but, baby, it’s so hard with this dark cloud hanging over my heart” — miranda lambert “i just really miss you” frankly, i’m exhausted.  yes, it’s been a great week with awesome weather and i’ve been in a wonderful mood, but at this point i’m just so tired.  so i’ll just give you the wrap up, and then i’m going to crash. yesterday was so busy at work.  there’s so much to get done there right now and at this point i’m serving at the chief designer with some assistance from jason.  that’s it.  me.  doing everything.  it’s more than a one-person job, however.  that all means that i’m working my butt off for long hours to make sure stuff gets done on time.  it should be a very temporary situation, but that’s where i am right now.  so yesterday, i  worked all day and all night.  i didn’t leave the office between 9am and nearly 10pm.  at least jason’s wife, angela, brought take away dinner from the cheesecake factory at one point. :) and then last night i got to catch up with both lombardo sisters: mel and steph.  i talk to mel a lot these days (which is so great!), but i hadn’t talked to steph in a very, very long time!  she’s getting married in tahoe on saturday, and i am really so excited for her.  she is doing so well right now, and it’s great to get to know her in this phase of her life. :) today it was straight back to work for more.  again, i was working my butt off all day, though at least i got to get outside for a few minutes when marke and i went to pick up chinese for lunch.  and we’re continuing to watch “brothers and sisters,” which i love.  and i’m surprised marke’s getting into it, but i love that, too!  and i ended up working late once again, but i managed to be done before 7. :)  that’s awesome! then i headed home and saw lots of smoke from the catalina fire, though i didn’t know that was where the fire was at the time.  but anyway, made the ocean sky all brown and gross. i’ve just been hanging out tonight, finally relaxing for a moment.  i watched “the office,” which was so hilarious, and then “ugly betty,” which was good.  i’m really enjoying that show, as crazy as it may be. :) and i talked to the parents a little bit, as well.  it’s looking like dad and i will be making a fourth of july trip out to chicago, which is pretty exciting news!  i’ve been wanting to visit the city for a long time now, and that should be a good chance to see a lot. :) anyway, that’s the scoop.  i’m off.  g’night. ;) wednesday 9 may 2007 11:23pm it's been nuts and i need to crash.  i worked all day and all night.  i'll update next time... tuesday 8 may 2007 10:23pm p.p.s. the moment i posted the p.s., my show was disrupted by breaking news fire coverage of a fire that i’m pretty sure has been burning all day.  and it lasted through the rest of the show. :(  so i’m watching “desperate housewives” instead, even though i wanted “gilmore girls.”  oh, well… tuesday 8 may 2007 10:18pm p.s. i bought a haagen-dazs bar at the gas station.  it goes deliciously with “gilmore girls!” :) tuesday 8 may 2007 10:08pm “if you’ve anything to tell me it had better be tonight or somebody else may tell me and whisper the words just right” — michael buble (and others) “it had better be tonight (meglio stasera)” it’s been a fun day and really different than anticipated. :) it’s hot here. and i love it! it feels like summer. i put on a tank and summer dress this morning and headed off to work. you’d think it was july. mmm… i love it when it’s like this! so work. the morning was spent interviewing a guy for a designer position, which was good. i mean, that needed to happen, and i’m glad the guy was thoroughly decent. it’s a relief, i guess. but it also took more time than i had thought it would (as far as my schedule is concerned). and then there was lunch. brian and i picked up z pizza and then we watched another episode of “brothers and sisters” with marke. that’s a good lunch right there! :) and then i got fully distracted by diana (and baby amber) in the afternoon, who was here to help lauren get on track taking over diana’s clients. anyway, that took some time as i chatted with her. and then i got some work done in the afternoon, but i also acquired new work for myself, as well. i could have worked all night, quite honestly. but luckily, i had other plans already! :) i went up to mission viejo to diana’s house for a girls night and a chance to finally catch up with each other. we watched “family man” (because diana’s been trying to get me to watch that movie forever!) and ordered pizza for dinner. and of course, there was lots of just chatting and playing with amber. it was actually a really nice night out of my apartment, and i’m glad di and i got to catch up on each other’s lives. baby amber herself! taken by jan, who is amazing. clicking on the photo will take you to his wonderful site. anyway, i finally made my way home tonight, and i’m just hanging out now. it’s so nice to lounge around this late at night with the windows open. :) and i’m planning on watching a little tv before crashing. more next time. g’night. ;) monday 7 may 2007 10:05pm “there’s a strong man lives up in jackson hole he took my heart and he broke my soul left a dark place in my chest i sleep but i don’t rest i sleep but i don’t rest down is where i’m goin’ pain is what i’m showin’ love is what i’m takin’ hearts are what i’m breakin’” — miranda lambert “down” i have absolutely enjoyed today. it’s been wonderful, and i’ve already been described as “giddy” by my friend. so i’m in a great mood and things feel good. :) i probably won’t even be able to fully convey my good mood in these words i write, but i’ll at least give it a shot. i slept terribly last night, quite honestly, waking up at about 4am with a very sore right leg and very cold. but i popped a couple tylenol and managed to get back to sleep. and things felt just fine when i woke up with the alarm. so i got cleaned up and dressed and headed off to work on an already warm and sunny morning. i mean, tank, jeans, and sandals? that’s for sure summer weather. :) work went so well today. for whatever reason, i seemed to be focused enough to actually get a ton of stuff done while also finding the goof-off time to read the new york times or chat with brian and marke. you know, it’s pretty fun around there when both my boys are in the office. brian and i picked up lunch to go at wahoo’s and then the three of us watched another episode of “brothers and sisters.” apparently, that is going to be our next tv series over lunch. that’s fine by me, too, because i really enjoy it. i’m just surprised the boys are up for it. but you know, i’m not going to question their judgment on this one. ;) and hmmm… how do i describe the afternoon’s developments? i’ll just say that i’m excited about the upcoming changes in the department. it’ll be a good opportunity all the way around. things there are looking up. and after a great day at work, i know i wanted to do a bit more driving around with the windows down and the sunroof open (the trip to and from wahoo’s wasn’t exactly enough for a day like today) because it was an absolutely gorgeous day. perfect! seriously! i love it when it’s like this around here: about 90 degrees, totally dry, perfectly clear, easy breeze. gah! days like this are what i live for, really. so anyway, i drove up the coast to laguna, where i stopped to pick up a take away pizza from bj’s. and then i turned back around and headed for home. the driving was what i really wanted. and of course, my dinner was delicious once i did get back here. :) and what have i been doing since then? well, some reading and thinking. i’m kind of in the middle of doing some research/writing on design and the processes and the department functionality and work. i have ideas, and it’s good to see what other people are thinking, too. and it’s really easy to click on link after link when reading articles online. anyway, it’s been interesting and informative, though i think i will now turn to my books because my eyes get so tired from looking at the computer for like 12 hours+ a day. :) and once i’m all set with my night and nearly ready for bed, i’ll catch tonight’s “heroes.” i love may sweeps and all the fun new episodes of everything. :) so i’m off for now. g’night. ;) sunday 6 may 2007 10:25pm “you had it all for a pretty little while and somehow you made me smile when i was sad you took a chance on a bruised and beaten heart then you realized you wanted what you had i guess i should’ve been more like that” — miranda lambert “more like her” this song makes me cry, but it’s so good.  also, it in no way reflects today (though it may be how i sometimes feel about events in my life). today was so excellent!!!  i’m still excited about it! :) first of all, i slept in a bit, though really i kind of had a hard time sleeping last night.  and then i lazed around a little bit this morning before getting cleaned up and dressed.  and i had a little lunch, too. then i headed up to disneyland to meet up with wednesday and carmen (her roomie).  though first i had to take care of a chore: getting my annual pass! :)  yay!  disneyland for a year for me!  anyway, i got my card and met up with them.  they’re great disneyland company because they love it so much, also have passes and therefore are in no particular hurry, and could make conversation with anyone.  so i had a blast spending the day with them!  we rode pirates of the caribbean, the jungle cruise, indiana jones, and buzz lightyear’s astro blasters at disneyland.  and then we went over to california adventure for california screamin’ and the tower of terror, two of my very favorites!  plus, we checked out this cool thing where crush (the turtle in “finding nemo”) does a q&a and he’s animated but can respond to the audience.  it was totally awesome!  ;)  and they’re into the pin collecting, so they’d stop to check out what pins castmembers had and trade and such.  it’s just fun because they’re so enthusiastic about everything that it’s infectious! :)  anyway, then we had dinner in downtown disney at napolini and of course my requisite dessert of beignets, as well.  delicious! and now i’m just getting back home.  the plan for the rest of my evening is to clean up a little bit (i’m kind of gross after walking around disneyland all day in like 90-degree weather) and then watch tonight’s “brothers and sisters.” more next time.  g’night. ;) saturday may 2007 11:29pm “well it’s too damn bad you didn’t have a chance to make me your best friend you were too caught up in giving too much up and not doing what you should have been desperation there’s danger in frustration complicated words slipping off of your tongue and ain’t one of them the truth i’m still desperate for you” — miranda lambert “desperation” first of all, i’m loving this miranda lambert album, including this song. wow.  i win.  i managed to do almost nothing today, which was pretty much the plan.  plus, i’m back to being busy tomorrow. so i went to bed extremely late last night (like 2:30ish) and managed to sleep in a bit this morning.  and i hung around in bed awhile because… well… why not? :) today was a sports day.  there was a lot on, so i hung around on the couch watching and taking care of a few little projects around here.  first up was the sharks looking awesome for one period and then sucking and getting beat by detroit in the second two periods.  oh, well.  back to san jose for game 6.  and then there was the derby.  i enjoy the kentucky derby each year, watching the horses get prepared and then run for two minutes.  i select horses to root for strictly based on their names (this year it was curlin and circular quay, who finished 3rd and 6th, respectively).  it’s fun!  so i watched that for awhile and was glad to see the jockey so genuinely happy to win!  he was so excited it was infectious! eventually, i figured i should get up off the couch, so i headed for the gym for a workout.  that went well, i came home and showered, and i resumed my place on the couch. :) i watched the anteaters of uc irvine beat ipfw in a very competitive match for their first ever men’s volleyball national championship.  good game! and now i’m hanging out not up to a whole lot.  i have been trying to clean up around the apartment some, especially now that all the clothes are put away.  it made the pile of dirty dishes in the kitchen sink look really bad, you know?  but it’s better now!  and i’m chatting with sarah and catching up on some of the tv that’s on my dvr.  just relaxing. tomorrow i have big plans, and i’m quite excited about them.  i’ll let you know how it goes.  for now, g’night. ;) saturday may 2007 12:44am “throw a dog a bone, i’ll take it if i have to go real fast like there’s somewhere we can get to what’s the use of standing right on the edge if there’s no where to fall what’s the use of holding on tight to the phone if nobody might call desperation there’s danger in frustration complicated words slipping off of your tongue and ain’t one of them the truth i’m still desperate for you” — miranda lambert “desperation” i’m already loving the weekend, and i’m only a few hours into it. it feels like the week has been draining at work, so i’m ready to get some rest. oh, and the fact that i’ve been up so late every night probably wasn’t helping things along. but tomorrow, i fully intend on sleeping in deliciously late. :) so i got up this morning and managed to actually get my act together in a timely fashion for the first time in a few days. :) haha! oh, well. anyway, it seemed like all of a sudden i was at the office. work was busy. things are a bit complicated there at the moment, but it also affords us to put some more stuff out on the table. it’s good. so anyway, i’m dealing with that stuff and doing actual work at the same time. the workload is quickly growing, but i did my best to get some stuff done today. marke and i ordered a pizza for lunch (it meant we didn’t really need to move in order to have a good lunch) and watched the orlando bloom episode of “extras” (so funny!!!) and the pilot episode of “brothers and sisters.” i’d seen both, but they were still fun to watch. and fyi, the way abc streams their shows online works great and the quality is awesome, even when fullscreen on my 30-inch monitor at work! highly recommended. and after work, i stopped at costco for a couple things and ended up also buying the “volver” dvd. i’m excited to see it again! :) such a good film!   and then i headed home. tonight was a big night.  laundry night! ;)  i (once again) cannot even remember the last time i did laundry, so tonight was the night.  my closet was basically empty besides the hangers (totally untrue) and i had nothing at all left to wear (totally true).  so i did 7 big loads and got everything folded and put away.  i even took a few minutes to straighten out some shelves and drawers and pull some old clothes out of my closet that i don’t need anymore.  so i win!  and yeah, that pretty much takes a whole night.  so now it’s the middle of the night, conan is coming on from the great san francisco, and i’m going to chill watching tv for a bit before i just crash. happy weekend!!!  more from me next time.  g’night. ;) friday 4 may 2007 1:20am check out missywyatt.wordpress.com as i plan on transitioning to there.  it's cool.  you can add the rss feed to your google homepage or other rss aggregator.  it's easy to update and go through archives and search.  let me know what you think. :)  and i'll likely keep this site running for at least a while, too, with pretty much the same content. thursday 3 may 2007 10:55pm "i've hardly met a single soul but i am not alone i feel grown this is wanting something, this is praying for it this is holding breath and keeping fingers crossed this is counting blessings, this is wondering when i'll see that boy again i've got a feeling he's just a someone, too and the beauty is, when you realize, when you realize someone could be looking for a someone like you" -- "the beauty is" from "the light in the piazza" it's been a long thursday, and i'll admit that i'm going to be up awhile longer. but that's because i still haven't watched tonight's episode of "the office" yet and that just can't go on much longer. ;) anyway, i'll get on with my story for today. i got up later than usual and then tried to just get ready as quickly as possible to compensate. of course, that didn't really work out for me, especially considering i also wanted to change a burnt out headlight on my car before leaving for work. i did it, but that stuff take a few minutes just because the space for my hands is too small. anyway, i got it changed and headed off looking cute, feeling like a strong woman, and starving because i never got around to eating breakfast. so work. work, especially this morning, was totally emotionally draining, so i am really glad that i didn't have to really push through big assignments the rest of the day. i'm working on a variety of smaller projects right about now, though i am also aware that that's already changing. work is going to get much busier in the next few days and stay that way for awhile, so i'm just enjoying the time right now. ;) anyway, i worked. and then i picked up lunch and marke and i watched the final two episodes of "sportsnight." i love that show! we're still discussing options for a new series to watch. we wanted to do "ed" but it's not available on dvd (yet? fingers crossed!) and is hard to find online. so anyway, we're working on it. and then there was the afternoon. i did more work, i'm sure. just don't ask me what it was. ;) after work--and i was certain to leave promptly--i headed straight up to costa mesa to south coast plaza. i had dinner at cpk while reading a magazine, and then did some browsing at h&m since i had a little extra time. plus, theresa called so i got to talk to her for a few minutes, which was cool. and then i headed over to the orange county performing arts center to see the musical "the light in the piazza." i admit that i really didn't know much about it other than it won 6 tonys in 2005 and sarah recommended it because it's pretty. well, it was quite pretty. and i enjoyed it, though it was really different. for starters, a lot of it was in italian because it takes place in italy. and the subject matter was pretty serious. but it was really good, and i'm glad i went. :) and then i headed home. i have some tv from today to catch up on. my pepp volleyball boys fell to ipfw in the national semis, which feels tragic at the moment, though i'm sure i'll recover.  and the warriors closed out their series against dallas, which is awesome!  when was the last time they were good?!? and that bring me to now.  i'm going to catch up on some more tv and then crash.  i'm ready for the weekend and glad i only have friday between me and it.  for now, g'night! ;)  wednesday 2 may 2007 11:59pm "let's go down to the quick stop wear your yellow shades and i'll put on my tight jeans and we'll just spend the weekend burnin' rubber and we'll let 'em point and stare in disbelief" -- miranda lambert "famous in a small town" ::yawn::  i'm sleepy!  but i have a couple minutes to write before i crash. as serious as it feels like today was, it also feels like it was great. okay, so the day started out normally.  i got all ready and went to work, though i admittedly skipped breakfast because i just didn't feel like eating anything.  it happens.  could have something to do with the fact that i ate entirely too much for dinner last night at the cheesecake factory. anyway, then there was work.  work was a little bit crazy today, or at least it seemed that way.  there's a lot going on there, so not only was i keeping busy with my own work, but i also found time to discuss everything with my colleagues.  and that seems to quickly fill an entire day, though i will say that i picked up pedro's for lunch while talking to dad on the phone and then watched a couple episodes of "sportsnight" with marke. and i closed down the office tonight, oddly.  it wasn't even late.  but anyway, then i headed straight for the gym but made a couple fun phone calls during the drive.  believe me, they were 100% necessary. :) and the gym was uneventful.  worked hard.  came home. cleaned up quickly. then i went to barnes and noble to browse through some books because i'm working on figuring out how to do my job better, essentially.  i even ended up taking a few home with me.  i'm learning a lot, which is how it ended up that i'm sitting on the couch reading so late. and now i'm thoroughly distracted by wordpress.  expect some changes in this site in the relatively near future, though i'm honestly way too busy to be messing around with this stuff right now.  i do have other projects.  but anyway, i'm just saying, it could be new at some point. okay, it's late.  conan's coming on.  that means i should be asleep.  though i do love that he's in my beloved ess eff this week!  okay, i'm off.  g'night! ;) tuesday 1 may 2007 11:22pm "i've been meaning to tell you i've got this feeling that won't subside i look at you and i fantasize you're mine tonight now i've got you in my sights with these hungry eyes one look at you and i can't diguise i've got hungry eyes i feel the magic between you and i i wanna hold you so hear me out i wanna show you what love's all about darling tonight now i've got you in my sights with these hungry eyes" -- eric carmen "hungry eyes" yeah, "dirty dancing!"  but first, the rest of my day... okay, so i have issues.  but if you're here, you probably already knew that. ;)  so i got up a little bit early this morning and got all dressed and ready as fast as i could, which takes a bit longer when it's been a month since i've done laundry and have no clean clothes.  but anyway, then i headed out for a series of morning errands, one of which was far more exciting than the others.  i stopped off at target to pick up the brand new miranda lambert album, "crazy ex-girlfriend," because i know it's good and i've been waiting for new music from her since forever.  anyway, it's wonderful in a kick-ass sort of way! :)  i listened very loudly all the way to work and then played the whole thing (including my two extra bonus tracks because i got it at target) once i got to work.  great! :) oh, so work.  i was there today.  i actually took care of so many little projects that by about 3:30 i was feeling really accomplished.  i even found a little time to clean off not only the top of my desk but also the big drawer where i keep entirely too much paper.  that has needed to happen for so long now!  but it's all clean!  oh, and i lunched with marke and brian.  we picked up super bowl and then watched "sportsnight," which was good. :) after work, i headed up to the spectrum in irvine with jessica and larisa for a fun girls' night out.  we had delicious dinner (with two! over-involved waiters) at the cheesecake factory and then walked around a little bit.  then it was time for the main attraction!  we went to see "dirty dancing" at the movie theatre!!!  it's the 20th anniversary of the film, so they're doing a two-night engagement back in theatres.  it was a 20-minute documentary on the film and then the film itself.  it was so so so so much fun to see it on the big screen.  i was way too young (3 years old) to catch it in theatres the first time around. ;)  anyway, it was really fun because everyone there was so into it and the sound's so much better that i caught all these little lines that are normally just mumbling when i watch it.  anyway, what a great time that was! and now i'm back home.  i talked to the family for a bit and even got to chat with mel online as we made arrangements to see the giants during memorial day weekend.  and that's about it.  just hanging out.  i need to try to get some sleep now, though.  i'm off until next time... g'night. ;) monday 30 april 2007 10:57pm "should i tell you i miss you and wonder what you do when these timeless memories drift slowly to my brain i'm lost for a minute and don't know how i quit this comfortable quiet and being alright with the world time has flown how things have changed baby, time has flown by so it goes on this letter to no one" -- ashleigh haney "the letter" busy monday.  but first, i really like this song.  find her on myspace and listen. :) so i loved "brothers and sisters" last night!  i'm kind of really addicted to that show, and it seems to be one of my very favorites at the moment.  anyway, i crashed after that, though i once again ran into my usual sunday night problem: i have a hard time falling asleep after a delightfully restful weekend. and then the alarm was going off and i was getting ready at full speed so i could make it out the door in a timely fashion.  i managed. ;)  i even found time for breakfast! so work today.  it was busy enough.  i'm trying to take care of all these random little projects that seem to get put off when i'm working on big things.  but right now i have some time, so i'm working away so my list can get shorter.  i was pretty successful today.  got some good stuff done.  oh, and marke, brian, and i had an uneventful lunch at fatburger.  at least it was delicious. :)  and somehow i ended up at work later than i had really planned, but whatever.  it happens to me. :) and then i went to the gym, which went really well.  i guess i had a lot on my mind because i spent most of the workout just zoned out.  i didn't even really require the magazine i brought with me.  good, i guess. :) and then it was straight home to clean up, get dressed again, and head back out.  i have a headlight out, so i went to kragen to pick up a new one, plus a spare because it seems like they go out a lot.  and then i picked up milk, too, because i was out and it seemed like a good idea.  you know, people who are at the grocery at 8:30pm on a monday night can be weird.  like why do you need to stand 4 feet from the person in front of you in line?  move up.  put your stuff on the conveyor belt.  stop making the line seem so long and extend so far into the store.  anyway, yeah, people are weird.  and i'm rambling. i talked to the family for a bit.  i need new makeup because i'm allergic to something i have (crazy sensitive skin of mine).  dad, mel, and i (and perhaps her daddy, too) are going to see the giants when i'm home over memorial day weekend.  and i want to plan something fun for the fourth of july with dad since mom and adam will be in atlanta for the junior olympics (of volleyball). and "heroes" felt really crazy and intense tonight.  i'm probably going to need to discuss it with someone tomorrow just to digest it all and make sure i know what the heck is going on in that show!  so much fun, though! :) and now i really do need to go to bed.  i borrowed a book from brian that i want to browse a bit more before i fall asleep.  and tomorrow includes fun plans, namely procuring the new miranda lambert album and watching "dirty dancing."  woot!  g'night. ;) sunday 29 april 2007 10:03pm "and i can't fall asleep with such secrets to keep so i'm writing it all in a letter you'll never see it's not that i'm lonely, it's just that you're the only love i have ever known sometimes i get caught off guard and time has flown so many words left to say to you, baby time has flown" -- ashleigh haney "the letter" sunday night already.  i'm not exactly ready for another week of work, but i plan to take advantage of what's left of tonight.  but first, i'll write a little bit about a sunday that i've loved. :) i slept in.  and then i got cleaned up and dressed.  and then i watched nascar (the race at talladega) because there wasn't anything else on tv.  especially sports.  yeah, i'm a bit of a sports junkie, and yes, i'll watch nascar if that is the best thing on.  so? ;) and then i switched gears.  because i'm complicated and have lots of interests. i went up to the orange county performing arts center to see "rent."  i love "rent."  love love.  and i hadn't seen an actual stage production of it since i lived in london 4 years ago.  wow.  it's no wonder i love that show!  it was a good, solid production with a cast that could sing the roof off that place.  seriously, it wasn't the actual best performance of the show i've ever seen but the singing was awesome.  and the crowd was so so so so into the show that there was intense clapping and "woo"ing throughout.  it was fun to watch a show when everyone was so lively and excited, kind of like being at a concert instead of at the theatre.  anyway, i had a fabulous time and wish i could see the show every single night. and it's a little bit hard for me to figure out what to do with myself after coming off that "rent" high, but i came home and hung out a bit.  and sunday nights are my grooming nights usually, so i gave myself a pedicure and manicure while switching the tv between a "gilmore girls" marathon and the mavericks-warriors game.  i told you before i have a variety of interests! ;) talked to the family tonight.  my cousin, theresa, is going to usc next year!  i'm so excited for her, and i am sure i'll love having her in socal starting next year.  also, i guess that means we've got an interesting little rivalry in the family now with adam at ucla and theresa at usc (and me from pepperdine winning when it comes to the rich kids sports ;)). also, my beloved pepp men's volleyball team will be the #1 seed the final four this weekend.  they play ipfw on thursday.  uci and penn state will be the other two teams.  should be some good volleyball! :) so now i'm off to watch "brothers and sisters" and then crash.  hope you had a great weekend.  g'night. ;) saturday 28 april 2007 11:59pm "i know he loved you a long time ago i ain't jealous of you just thought you should know you were never good enough for him or anything like me so you might as well sit back 'cause i ain't trying to show maturity x is the shape i drew through your face in permanent marker, oh yeah just like the mark you know you were making who do you think you are to write on his heart in permanent marker" -- taylor swift "permanent marker" i like this song.  can't explain why, but i do.  it's interesting to see how people who are gone definitely leave marks.  anyway, nevermind.  i think i'm just rambling. so saturday.  honestly, i didn't do anything.  i don't even know why i'm writing right now other than to give you something to read and because i'm listening to the new miranda lambert album that's streaming on cmt before it comes out on tuesday.  it's good.  this is my second time through. i ended up getting a lot of sleep last night, which i'm certain i needed.  i was worn out after that week and the maggies and everything.  so obviously, i didn't get up until late (11ish).  and i just hung out here catching up on all the fun things on my dvr and finding some food.  i was starving!  hotel banquet food is never really that good. i snuck out in the afternoon to pick up food at trader joe's and the regular grocery.  very exciting, i know. ;)  it was actually a really gorgeous day here, so i wanted to get out, if only for a few minutes.  however, by the time i made it down the road to trader joe's, i found myself in fog.  crazy dana point! ;) and i hung out here more tonight.  i actually had thought about going up to pepperdine to see the conference championship men's volleyball game against uci, but the drive's long and i drove a lot yesterday, so i didn't go.  instead, i watched the game online.  it was a very exciting match, which we ended up losing in 5 games after being up 2-0.  tough loss.  broke our 23-game winning streak.  but we'll be in the final four competing for the national title next weekend, so it'll be okay.  disappointing, though.  come to think of it, it was a rough sports day for me all the way around.  the sharks lost in a goal with less than 2 minutes left.  the giants gave up 4 runs late to lose.  and then my beloved waves.  wow.  good thing the warriors didn't play today, also! ;)  but another day means another game... and now i'm doing a whole lot of nothing avoiding going to bed.  tomorrow should be fun with a matinee of "rent" right in the middle of it!  anyway, i guess i'm off for now.  g'night. ;) friday 27 april 2007 11:56pm "i've watched you so long screamed your name i don't know what else i can say but i'll leave my window open 'cause i'm too tired tonight for all these games just know i'm right here hoping you'll come in with the rain" -- taylor swift "come in with the rain" first of all, there's a single photo of us at the maggies on flickr. :) okay, so it was a long friday, as i knew it would be.  and it got started with me running a little late.  yes, again. :)  oh, well.  i mean, it was a pretty quiet friday around the office, and i don't think anyone even notices if i show up 10 minutes late.  so anyway, i ran around here trying to find something to wear and all that.  but anyway, i got out of here, stopped for breakfast, and made it to work eventually. ;) work was pretty uneventful.  i once again had the whole room to myself and i played "tick tick ... boom" to feed my jonathan larson habit.  okay, so i'm like overly excited about "rent" on sunday and was trying to avoid spoiling it for marke, who went to see it for the first time tonight.  anyway, that was fun.  and i got a little work done, as well.  plus, marke and i totally had pizza delivered and watched "sportsnight" for lunch. then i headed home around 3:30 so i could be dressed and pretty and ready to go before 5, when jessica and stacy arrived here.  i drove us up to la to the westin (by the airport) for the maggie awards ceremony.  "rtc" magazine was nominated for an award, so the three of us plus jason and his wife and aaron and his fiancee gathered there for the dinner and ceremony.  it was pretty uneventful, actually.  we didn't win, but at least i got to check out lots of cool magazines (that aren't published in new york).  and i was glad to have the girls there with me.  and we all left pretty much right after we lost, with several awards still left to give out.  but then again, there are like 100 categories (seriously.), so it was already a long night.  decent fun. and now i'm pretty sleepy but hanging out watching regis from yesterday, regis's first day back after 6 weeks off for heart surgery.  and i know i should crash pretty soon.  g'night. ;) thursday 26 april 2007 11:12pm "i'll leave my window open 'cause i'm too tired tonight to call your name just know i'm right here hoping you'll come in with the rain" -- taylor swift "come in with the rain" happy 24th birthday to elizabeth today! :) a super chill thursday was totally what i needed!  what fun! so i might have slept in until 8 today. :)  haha!  and then i rushed around getting ready and ended up being about 15 minutes late.  and yeah, i don't care so much.  at least by the time i headed out, i was looking cute! ;) so work.  work was pretty mellow today, as i'm just taking care of smaller projects at the moment.  other people are in deeper, so that means i have less people to play with.  but i managed. ;)  anyway, so i worked today and paused for a lunch which i ate at my desk while reading "elle."  i don't normally read the really high fashion magazines, but mandy moore's on the cover and it's their green issue.  good stuff.  and by 5, i was so ready to get out of the office. it was a gorgeous afternoon to be driving up the coast and into laguna.  i stopped at gina's for dinner: a big slice of pizza, a diet coke, more "elle," and a pacific ocean sunset.  mmm!  perfect!  and then i went a bit further up pch all the way to main beach.  i went to the movie theatre there to see "helvetica," a documentary about the typeface.  and yes, i was geeking out it was so good!  basically, this guy made a documentary about the font and it's creation and how pervasive it is now.  it was awesome, and i plan to make as many people as possible watch it once it comes out on dvd towards the end of the year.  right now, it's just touring.  anyway, the film was great, as was the (brief) q&a session afterwards with the director.  i'm not sure what else to say about it other than that it was really well done, thoroughly fascinating, and accessible enough for pretty much anyone to enjoy.  so glad i got to see that! and now i'm hanging out.  i talked to the family briefly and already decided on something to wear tomorrow night to the maggies.  i only tried on a few things before making a decision.  and i even picked up all the clothes that we strewn about so the apartment is at least somewhat presentable. ;) and now i'm off.  i should try to get some sleep, as i think tomorrow is going to be a really long day.  i'll let you know how it goes next time.  g'night. ;) wednesday 25 april 2007 10:16pm so tired and feeling like i might actually be able to fall asleep.  going to make this quick... work was pretty uneventful.  i shipped a magazine to press and did lots of printing of another project.  the rest of the day was... well... spent chatting with friends, catching up on news, and attempting to take in a little sunshine in the window in marke's office.  oh, and marke and i had another "sportsnight" lunch.  suggestions for a show we should watch once we're done with all of this series? boys who get "martha" (the magazine) make me laugh. ;) spent some time catching up with kath on the phone because it'd been too long.  how did we become hippies trying to save the earth by "going green?" ;)  anyway, it was great to talk to her.  i'm going to miss her during memorial day weekend when i'm at home.  and then i had a little dinner and talked to the family for a bit.  adam's finding out it's sometimes drama when your friends are girls.  haha!  and i started to watch "a good year," but i feel like i'm crashing, so i might as well brush my teeth and tuck in and see if i can get some serious sleep tonight.  more next time.  g'night. ;) tuesday 24 april 2007 11:33pm "i still care she's all that matters i still love her just like always, gotta have her i never got her off my mind, been hoping she would call some time i know it's late to be driving over there but i don't care i don't care" -- blake shelton "i don't care" so i kind of meant to get some extra sleep last night.  that didn't happen.  not even close.  i ended up listening to the entire "rent" soundtrack, singing along to every word, as usual, while i was playing on the computer and reading travel magazines.  so i like to multitask. ;)  anyway, then i watched "heroes," which, it turns out, is scarier when you watch it in the middle of the night.  anyway, the episode was great, and then i got to chat about it with marke this morning at work.  and i did eventually crash, but it was quite late by then.  but at least i managed to get a little sleep. this morning, i was only running a few minutes late, which is pretty impressive considering i actually got up 15 minutes late and had a hard time figuring out what to wear.  that's always the problem around here, you know. ;)  anyway, i did eventually make it to work. work.  well, there was plenty of that to go around today.  i spent my day working on "portable design" and adapting my full-length "pkg" media kit into a 4-page one that we can print in-house on demand.  very exciting, no? ;)  but it's fun to hang out with the boys a little bit in between all the madness.  we watched "sportsnight" over lunch. :)  and i somehow ended up in the office later than intended, but that's fine with me.  seems like it was a fun day around there, though i couldn't say why. and then i went to jim's.  it was a little tough for me tonight, though.  i didn't have anything to read and the music on my ipod just wasn't enough to keep me fully distracted from the pain i inflict upon myself there. ;)  but i managed to get a good workout in, and i feel better now. came home and had a little dinner and talked to the family for a bit.  that took up a big portion of my short night.  and i watched tonight's "nova," which was excellent.  it was about solar energy.  very interesting and informative.  so what if i watch science shows, huh? ;)  and now i'm just about ready to tuck into bed.  more tomorrow.  g'night! ;) monday 23 april 2007 10:17pm "she's not a drama queen she doesn't want to feel this way, only seventeen but tired she would change everything for happy ever after caught in the in between of beautiful disaster but she just needs someone to take her some 'cause she's just the way she is but no one's told her that's okay" -- jon mclaughlin "beautiful disaster" i'm exhausted.  too much thinking.  too much stuff going on.  but anyway, i'll just write a little bit before i crash tonight. work was long today.  i, on my own, had enough to deal with for a day.  and i actually managed to stay focused enough to accomplish everything (and more) by about 4:30.  and that includes stopping for lunch and "sportsnight" with the boys.  and then i played a round of dominoes with brian but lost by a point.  and then i got a whole other load of work to do.  lame.  and i must say, it didn't help my day that the boys were busy with crazy web problems and therefore had less time to play.  and they say they have a big week ahead of them.  sad for me and my favorite playmates. ;)  anyway, i finally got around to leaving the office at about 6:45, which is entirely too late. i hit the gym.  i needed that 110%.  felt great!  yay! :)  came home, cleaned up, talked to a few friends and the family.  and now i need to go to bed, though i know i won't sleep well.  maybe i should just watch tv a while instead.  i don't know.  i don't know what i want to do right now.  anyway, i'm off for the night.  i know i need the rest.  g'night. ;) sunday 22 april 2007 10:19pm "i said sugar, why don't you put on that sundress i like so much wait out by the road, i'm coming to pick you up throw your suitcase in the back done gassed up the pontiac blastin' out the johnny cash headin' for the highway baby, we ain't never comin' back" -- jason aldean "johnny cash" it's been a pretty quiet sunday.  i slept in deliciously late once again, and i love that. :) i hung out for a while not doing a whole heck of a lot before eventually cleaning up and heading out.  i went up to south coast plaza for a little retail therapy (see previous entry about why).  and i did good!  haha!  ;)  i found two -- not one but two -- pairs of jeans at macy's, of all places.  i usually don't even go in there, but there they were: my jeans!  so i'm way excited about those right now!  and!  there was one other really huge (meaning important) purchase!  i went into j. crew and headed straight for the sale section because i can't actually afford anything at regular price there anymore.  and i found a gorgeous leather purse!  it was $228 originally, but after the extra half off discount on all sale merchandise, it was $75.  yeah, it's mine now. :)  and so pretty!  i've already put all my stuff in it so i can carry it tomorrow. :)  i also happened to find a couple cute things at h&m and a bill bryson book that looked interesting.  so i'm all set. since i got home, i've been enjoying another quiet night.  i watched "the holiday" while having dinner and giving myself a manicure.  the movie had its moments, but i think it was way longer than it needed to be.  anyway, cute, as expected. :)  and i'm planning on reading a little bit over dessert and then crashing. not sure i'm ready for monday, but i think it's coming anyway. ;)  so for now, g'night. ;) sunday 22 april 2007 1:18pm if i don't at least attempt to put this in words right now, i'll be obsessing about it for the rest of the day, and i don't really want that to happen.  so i'm writing now in the middle of the day about something kind of random and isn't as big a deal as it may currently seem. it is a struggle to get my feet planted here, and some days feel harder than others.  today, harder.  there's stuff going on around here, and i want to make plans with other people to go.  first of all, not all my interests necessarily line up with those of the few friends i have who live around here.  and then some people are not so good at actually making and sticking to plans.  with my older friends, i know who's who.  i know who can plan in advance, who'll flake, who'll be late, and who won't plan something until the day before.  here, with these newer friends, i'm still feeling things out, so i can sometimes get disappointed.  and that's what happened today.  now i hold a single (general admission) ticket to an event that is really far less interesting when i have to attend it alone because someone else flaked and now the event is sold out so i can't even just look for someone else to go (not that i know anyone else to actually invite). i miss the people i've counted on for so many years, many of them for nearly 19 years.  but they're not here, and they're busy with their own lives in various locations.  so i'll figure this out, and the friendships i have here will continue to develop.  it's just growing pains, i suppose. sunday 22 april 2007 12:24am "lay your head upon my pillow hold your warm and tender body close to mine hear the whisper of the raindrops blowin' soft against the window and make believe you love me one more time for the good times" -- kris kristofferson "for the good times" saturday turned out better than expected. :)  love it when that happens!  and since i'm now sitting at the computer in the middle of the night, i'll try not to ramble on too long.  it happens, you know. ;) you know, i seriously love sleeping in until 11, especially when it's on a night when i'm actually sleeping well.  i hadn't slept that well in a long time (at least a couple weeks), so it was good to finally get some rest.  i'm sure i needed it. and it wasn't too long before sarah rang so we could arrange to meet up in san juan for lunch.  i met up with her and russell at ciao pasta, a place i've been meaning to try out.  anyway, they're in town for like 3 seconds because sarah wanted a cat from a breeder here.  so anyhow, she had time for lunch with me pre-kitty, so we did that.  oh my goodness!  it was a nice spring day and we sat out on the patio and had amazing italian for lunch.  it was really perfect!  i love dining outdoors!  also, i got a little color sitting out there.  :)  welcomed side effect!  anyway, after lunch, we still had some time before meeting the cat people at 4, so we walked around san juan a little bit.  oddly, i'd never done that before, even though it's so close.  now i just need to find a little time to go explore the actual mission there.  and then we met up with the cat breeders, who brought alonso quixano, her little himalayan kitten, who is quite adorable, i must say.  (his name is the real name of don quixote, who is the main character in sarah's favorite musical, "man of la mancha.")  so we hung with the little kitten for a bit before sarah and russell had to hit the road. and i've just been hanging out here since then really.  i caught up on a ton of tv that's been on my dvr for too long, including the cmt music video awards from monday.  what fun!  a few notes from the show, no matter how late i am... dierks bentley is looking crazy hott these days!  no wonder i sometimes have dreams about him! ;)  i still want to be jennifer nettles because she's so rad.  and i love that taylor swift (1) won and (2) presented an award in her insanely gorgeous and long gown from the "teardrops on my guitar" video.  kris kristofferson is a genius. anyway, it's late.  i should probably go to bed.  g'night. ;) friday 20 april 2007 11:28pm "stuck in a world  no longer turning always a girl waiting for something too many days walking around sleeping open my eyes, i'm tired of dreaming i wanna run with reckless emotion find out if love is the size of an ocean even if i crash down, burn out at least i'm gonna know what it's like to feel alive" -- becki ryan "alive" woot!  happy weekend, kid! ;)  i need this weekend, believe me.  it's been a long week at work.  so i'm ready to take it easy and enjoy myself.  so anyway, here's how friday went.  seems like it has been a nice day. :) i couldn't fall asleep last night.  okay, so i know i stayed up a little too late reading "traveler" magazine, which i shouldn't be allowed to do in the first place because i can't afford any of their featured trips.  but a girl can dream! ;)  anyway, then i crawled into bed but had a difficult time falling asleep for some reason.  but i did eventually manage to get a bit of sleep before the alarm this morning. then i got all cleaned up and everything.  i found jeans and a sweatshirt and tennis shoes to throw on.  it was friday, after all, and i really didn't feel like going to work much anyway.  plus, the rain.  i knew it was going to be rainy today, which makes me want to dress cute even less. ;)  anyway, i headed off to work early this morning. work went fine today.  i got enough things done, it was mostly quiet around there (because the occasional obnoxiously loud random conversations that broke out in the art department a few times today that forced me to put on the headphones) because a bunch of people decided today was a good day to take off.  anyway, i got my stuff done, so i'm pleased.  also, marke and i enjoyed "sportsnight" over lunch, and i managed to chat a little with brian online, though it's not quite the same when he's working from home as it is when he's actually in the office.  anyway, a decent day, but i was ready to get out of there by 5! then i headed straight for the gym.  i don't even want to think about how long it had been since i'd been there.  but i had an awesome, long, hard workout on the elliptical, all while enjoying "smithsonian."  i feel a thousand times better already!  funny how that works. ;) then i came home, cleaned up, and headed back out to pick up groceries so i'll have some food to sustain me this weekend.  i tend to usually be out of food.  so i picked up some good stuff at trader joe's and then went to the regular grocery for a few basics.  anyway, i'm most excited about the fact that i found it's-it ice cream in the freezer at the grocery!  hooray!  one of my very favorites! :)  and a true san francisco tradition!  mmm! and then i came home and watched "rent."  i'm going to see the actual stage production next weekend, but i'm so excited about it and really couldn't stand it anymore, so i just watched the film to tide me over until i get to next sunday.  and i realized that i've never watched the film (or seen the stage production, for that matter) without anyone else.  and i sang along to the entire thing.  every word.  because i know them all. :)  i, of course, tend to sing the theatre words instead of the movie words because those are the ones i know, but still.  it was so fun! :) and now i'm hanging out because i don't much feel like going to bed quite yet.  leno and the internet will keep me occupied until i crash.  should be a mellow weekend around here, but i'll keep you updated on how it all goes.  for now, g'night. ;) thursday 19 april 2007 9:52pm "yesterday's nothing but dust i brush off my boots while i'm wearing out roads don't you know that i'm sure missing you if i leave you'll be wondering when i'll be back again between texas and ranchers and old friends where do you fit in she said rodeo man where are you going don't you know that the life of a cowboy is no good alone if you tear down that fence of rusty barbed wire then i'll lay down beside you and be your shotgun rider" -- tim mcgraw "shotgun rider" i love this song, especially those last four lines (the chorus).  sounds about right. i was already running late when the alarm went off this morning.  that's what happens when i set it for 15 minutes later than i should just because i feel like it.  :)  but anyway, i showered and found some breakfast and picked out something sufficient to wear to work.  and i made it out my door only about 10 minutes late!  so basically, i made 5 minutes. ;)  okay, so really, i was just plain late. but it's okay.  because i've been working my butt off at work, including today.  i pretty much spent the entire day getting the next magazine together and shipped to press.  the workplace drama continues, as people are still stressed out and everything, but i was pretty decent and staying focused and getting the book in the mail.  the rest of the crap will just sort itself out.  so anyway, i worked a lot today.  but i did stop long enough for lunch and a couple episodes of "sportsnight" with marke.  love love that show!  especially the second season, which we're just getting into right now. i love it when chatting with a friend just seems normal and fun and easy.  seems like that happened a couple times today, and i'm thankful for that. i picked up chinese on my way home from work today (i pretty much never say that!) and then came back to the apartment and enjoyed it while watching a half-hour show about my favorite favorite, chris young!  geez, i have a ridiculous crush on that man!!! :)  so hott!  anyway, that was a good way to start the evening.  and since then, i've watched "the office" (a rerun, but a good one) and talked to the family for a bit.  and i'm fully planning on spending the rest of my night reading some of the magazines that are in my huge "unread" stack.  :)  of course, i might skip ahead to the huge "instyle" that showed up in my mailbox today instead of getting to the previous issue, which is in my stack.  yeah, it's going to be a good night.  anyway, i'm off, and i'll be back next time with more.  g'night! ;) wednesday 18 april 2007 9:58pm "but if i'd've known it was the last time i'd've held on a little longer and let that moment linger and never let your fingers slip away from mine if i'd've known there'd never be another day i'd've watched you as you walked away and kept you in my eyes 'til you were out of sight if i, if i'd've known it was the last time" -- leeann womack "the last time" well, it's been quite a long day, really.  i wasn't even going to write tonight, but i'm distracting myself from other things, like obsessively watching cnn/msnbc/other cable news networks or simply going to bed. i stayed up too late last night, and to try to clear my mind from crazier things, i watched "gilmore girls" before bed, which was quite enjoyable, actually. :)  and then i crashed.  and i got up with my 7:30 alarm, but halfway to the shower (which is like 20 feet from my bed), i turned back around, got back in bed, and set my alarm for 15 minutes later.  and believe me, those were a good 15 extra minutes of sleep. :)  anyway, then i got up and showered and all of that before heading off to work. work.  ::sigh::  work was really quite insane today.  i don't think it's been quite like that in a long time, actually.  we're trying to wrap two books at the same time, there seem to be a lot of last-second changes, and i am the one who's become responsible for pulling everyone's stuff together to get it out, whether or not others like that i've become that person.  it's a lot.  and it's tiring when the team doesn't necessarily feel cooperative.  but i got a magazine shipped today before the absolute 5:30 deadline.  and we'll get another one out tomorrow come hell or high water.  at least i got a little break in the day to pick up lunch with marke at pedro's and then watch two really good episodes of "sportsnight" while eating.  so at least there was that.  and i worked pretty late, though a little of that time is scott's fault because he was rambling on about something for a bit and i had to listen.  anyway, long day at work. and then i headed home and have been watching the news around the virginia tech massacre.  i can't stop.  i know, it's bad.  but i find the whole thing so interesting, if also terribly upsetting.  anyway, i also found time for dinner and to chat with mel online.  i also caught up with sarah a bit, which was good fun.  she's back from rochester now, all happy to be in dry california. :)  oh, and i talked to the parents for a while.  that was good for me. and now i'm planning on doing a bit of reading before crashing.  that is, if i can manage to turn off anderson cooper.  for the moment, i'm off.  i need to relax a minute before another crazy day of work tomorrow.  g'night. ;) tuesday 17 april 2007 10:18pm "i been standing underneath this dark old cloud waiting for the sun to shine waiting for the sun to shine in my heart again i been throwing a lot of good love away waiting for the sun to shine waiting for the sun to shine in my heart again" -- leeann womack "waiting for the sun to shine" i've been listening to this album the past couple days because at the moment i only have 4 actual cds in my possession.  i leant the rest to a friend and don't have them back yet.  anyway, this is a good one, so i'm okay. :) today has turned out to have it's crazy ups and crazy downs.  but it starts with good, so i'll start there. got up, cleaned up, had a little breakfast, and put on an adorable sundress and cardigan. :)  so cute!  and then i was off to work on a morning that was probably a bit too chilly for a spring dress.  you know, i was going to spend the vast majority of the day inside anyway, so i decided i didn't really care. :) work went pretty well today.  there's a lot going on with all the books in the works, as well as the other "side" projects we have going on.  so i'm trying to get as much done as possible in the scope of a working day, and really that's about all i can do.  but anyway, this is the boring part.  the office was a fun place to be today, as well.  there was lots of joking and laughing and craziness, too. :)  we have a good time!  also, at lunchtime, brian and i watched an episode (the season 1 finale) of "sportsnight" and then invented our own little dominoes game.  he won and earned 6 points.  but!  at the end of the day, we played again and i won and got two points, so i'm not so far behind. :)  i'll catch up... ;)  anyway, even if i'm not particularly good at writing about it, we had a good time at work today. and after stopping to pick up shampoo, i headed straight home.  i chatted with mel on the phone for a while, which was nice.  we needed to catch up a little bit and just chat.  she's doing alright, though, so that's good to know. and then i turned on cnn.  and i really can't stop.  i just keep watching all this coverage of the shootings at virginia tech.  interviews with parents, faculty, students, and more are so fascinating, if also so tragic.  my heart hurts.  so it's sort of put a damper on my evening, as i've pretty much just been sitting here watching and ... well ... let's just call it grieving.  anyway, i also got to talk about it with my own family, which is probably good for me.  so it feels like it's been a long night, and i'm tired but not anxious to get into bed and try to sleep. i think i'll watch a little more and then crash.  g'night. ;) monday 16 april 2007 10:52pm "thanks, but no thanks i didn't come here to dance i'm with somebody, i'm afraid i'll have to pass two years ago he left me, now his memory's back around one's a couple, baby two's a crowd we came in here to be alone no tv, no telephone two old flames out on the town one still burns and one's burned out one's a couple, baby two's a crowd" -- leeann womack "one's a couple" monday's feeling pretty good, i must say.  sure, there have been the rough things, like 33 people dying on a college campus, and i am not saying that i'm overlooking that or am insensitive to that, but in all, it still feels like things are looking up.  last week felt rough.  this week already feels much better.  so here goes a little recap of today, so you can stay up on everything. ;) you know what the problem is with having a really restful weekend?  i find it impossible to fall asleep at a normal hour on sunday night.  so i had that problem last night but did eventually crash.  and i didn't sleep especially well, so i was pretty ready for the alarm this morning.  i got cleaned up and put on my great new white pants and headed off to work. i talked to sarah on the way to work.  as i had suspected, she was indeed stuck in rochester, ny, after a weekend with her mom visiting her sister.  she said they didn't expect to be on a flight out of there until tomorrow afternoon.  yikes!  that's two days later than planned.  glad i wasn't myself stuck due to the nor'easter. work was pretty uneventful today.  it just seemed normal.  no emergencies.  no late nights.  just work until the end of the day.  marke, brian, and i watched a couple good episodes of "sportsnight" over lunch, and in the afternoon i beat both of them at dominoes!  woot!  i love when that happens! :) and then i headed out pretty much on time, and i headed straight for the gym.  i seriously needed to go.  i skipped all of last week, and i think it really affected me.  but now i'm back on track.  i had a great workout, and i'm totally in the mood to read a bill bryson book now because i read a short piece by him in the issue of "smithsonian" magazine i was reading.  i hadn't even realized it was by him when i started reading it, but because of the style, it became evident pretty quickly.  anyway, the gym was a good time. and i have spent the rest of my night on the phone, except for about 10 minutes when i was in the shower.  i talked to miss katie rugh for a quite a while, which is always a treat.  she's so busy, but i love love when we get to catch up.  she's in chicago right now (lucky duck) for work.  i want to go to chicago already!  and then i talked to the family for a bit, which was good.  and as i was ending my chat with my brother, the other phone rang, and it was meg.  she wanted to chat because (1) we haven't caught up in a while because we've had busy schedules and (2) she was making the boring drive back to monterey from redwood city.  and i just got off the phone.  i love feeling like i've spent my night with other people.  it's good to just catch up or have someone to talk to for a while.  it's been a very nice evening, if also totally different than planned. i need to go plug my phone in to charge, and then i'll crash.  g'night. ;) p.s. there are a few photos from lauren's bridal shower on my flickr. :) sunday 15 april 2007 8:13pm "like a boat out on the harbor that's been battered by the sesa i've been through some stormy weather but you shine a light for me girl, you set me free it's a lot like coming home from a long time walking out in the snow then i looked at you and knew i never knew nothin' and it broke this heart of stone it's a lot like comin' home" -- tim mcgraw "comin' home" good evening.  it is indeed earlier than when i usually write these updates on my life, but i have big plans for the rest of my evening, so i wanted to take care of it right now.  okay, actually, i have very mellow, very quiet plans for the rest of the night: watching "desperate housewives" and "brothers and sisters."  :)  but anyway, i plan to crash as soon as they're over, so now seems like a good time to write.  plus, i can't have my only activity right now be watching the baseball game.  it's a little too slow for that, even this special jackie robinson padres-dodgers game.  so anyway, good evening.  let me share my weekend with you. :) yesterday was the busier of my two days.  i even had to set an alarm clock!  haha!  anyway, i got up and put on an adorable dress and heels and headed up to newport to the newport harbor yacht club.  yeah, sounds straight out of "the o.c.," i know.  anyway, i was attending lauren (hintze, from work)'s bridal shower.  you can probably guess that i'm not good at these girly events, but i am decent at faking it.  so that went fine.  i got to see some people who i used to work with and who i now miss: melissa, lea, and diana.  that was a nice little treat. :)  i will, however, say that my bridal shower (whenever that day might come) will be very non-traditional, and i refuse to spend an hour opening presents in front of everyone.  everyone already knows what the gifts are; i had to read the registry to pick one out myself.  anyway, the event was fine. then i drove down the coast back home.  i stopped at crystal cove to visit a store because i'm in search of cardigan sweaters, but that wasn't successful so i continue to look.  anyway, the drive down through laguna was gorgeous, if also extremely slow.  i love living here, did you know? ;) i spent the rest of the evening hanging out.  honestly, i have no idea what i was up to.  not a whole lot.  i talked to the family for quite a while.  i read a few magazines from the "unread" stack.  and i finished the last fourth of "the translator," which was a really nice book.  and that brought me to about 12:30, at which point i crashed. today was always meant to be my lazy day. :)  i love these!  i never had any plans to shower, get dressed, or leave the apartment.  i'm sure if something had come up, i would have, but really, i wasn't so interested.  so i started things off by sleeping in late. and i seriously have just been hanging out.  i watched some tv.  i enjoyed watching "half nelson," which i've had in my possession for entirely too long.  seriously, it was good.  i napped. :)  i talked to the family.  i straightened up the apartment because i had clothes and shoes everywhere (as tends to happen to me a lot).  and that's about it.  :)  nice, right? i am now watching this baseball game, as i mentioned before.  i have something to say about it.  two things, actually, the latter being the most important. (1) i'm pretty sure that singing the worship song "o happy day" but changing the "jesus"es to "jackie"s is sacrilegious.  i'm not offended, but are other (more sensitive than the bad catholic) people? (2) i am also fairly certain that the point of jackie robinson breaking the color barrier in baseball was to lead us to not even consider the race of baseball players (or anyone else, for that matter).  the best players should be the ones in the league, regardless of their race, right?  to eliminate racism would be to stop acknowledging a difference in humans because of their race.  so then why are people worrying about the decline in the number of black players?  let's stop counting our players that way.  let's just consider whether all the best players, coaches, etc. are the ones included in the league.  let's stop counting the number of black students admitted to princeton and instead consider whether the brightest, most promising students are the ones admitted.  let's stop paying so much attention to race and instead focus on ability. okay, i'll step back off my soapbox now. ;) hope you had a great weekend.  g'night. ;) friday 13 april 2007 11:14pm "there's nothing here to catch me now i'm gonna fall anyway it's just that kinda day you might not know me good but you know me good enough to make me okay, okay just close your eyes and put your lovin' on me put your lovin' on me take this weight off me and put your lovin' on me" -- tim mcgraw "put your lovin' on me" wow.  today was a friday the thirteenth if i've ever had one.  things that seemingly would not ever go wrong did go wrong.  lame.  but i survived, had some good times too, and am now ready to move on to saturday.  so anyway, here's a little recap. :) so i got up this morning, got cleaned up, and had a little breakfast.  then i threw on an adorable sping dress and cardigan. :)  i love it when it's nice here, and i love summery clothes!  anyway, then i was ready to head off to work. it was quiet around the office today, and i admittedly didn't exactly accomplish as much as i had intended to.  oh well. :)  at least i was there and trying, right?  haha!  yeah.  anyway, so yeah, there was work.  at lunchtime, the whole office headed out for a chinese lunch to celebrate john and lauren's birthdays, which was cool.  i'm just not that good at chinese, especially when someone else orders for the whole table.  but i found some decent chicken and lots of rice.  and marke let me stop to pick up chocolate on the way back to the office. :)  mmm! and then i headed out right at 5.  i hit the road and headed straight for costa mesa.  it only took me like 70 minutes to get there.  ugh.  but it was so worth the drive!  i went to south coast plaza to (1) check out the brand new h&m store and (2) pick up a present for a party i'm going to tomorrow.  so i headed for h&m prepared to deal with some massive crowds.  much to my delight, it was way less packed than i had thought (in sf, they had a "bouncer" outside for weeks controlling the total number of people in the store for safety).  it was just like shopping in a regular, busy h&m.  so anyway, i have an issue with shopping there.  mentally, i think i need to look at everything in the whole store because i won't get back there for a long time (because there never was one close to me before).  so i spent about an hour and a half just looking through clothes and picking up things to try on.  and then i spent some time trying everything.  i counted how many things i brought into the dressing room because i could barely even carry them all.  guess how many.  just guess.  go on.  okay.  so you want to know the answer?  twenty-six items.  yeah.  that took a while!  haha!  but it was fun, i was by myself, and i was in no hurry at all. :)  and i did find a few great things.  and then i looked through accessories, too.  i found some awesome sunglasses!!!  yay!  i love that!  anyway, that store was a total success, and i love that they'll have new clothes for me every time i go in because they get new stuff every day.  so fun!  anyway, then i picked up a gift at crate and barrel.  i grabbed a magazine at borders and then enjoyed a little dinner at cpk (asap).  delicious! and now i'm here hanging out.  i talked to my brother for a while, which was so fun because he has an interesting perspective on my life.  and i'm ready to crawl into bed a read a while now.  more from me tomorrow.  g'night. ;) thursday 12 april 2007 10:07pm "skeletons and ghosts are hiding in the shadows threatening me with all the things that they know choices and mistakes they all know my name but i'm through holding in and holding onto all that pain today i'm gonna keep on walking i'm gonna hold my head up high i'm gonna leave it all behind today i'm gonna stand out in the rain let it wash it all away, yeah, wash it all away i'm gonna let it go, oh yeah i'm gonna let it go, oh yeah i know, i know, i know i've been forgiven i know, i know, i know i'm gonna start living" -- tim mcgraw "let it go" okay, so i'll just go ahead and let you know that as interesting as today was, i have no idea how to write about it, so this will probably come out kind of boring.  anyway, today was anything but, so i'll do my best.  i'll likely end up rambling, too.  so i think i'm done with my disclaimer, and i should just get on with it already. so last night felt a little bit rough, actually.  and i was so tired that i tucked in early with my book, "the translator," and read a chapter.  by the time i finished it, my eyes were heavy, so i just went to sleep.  and i really wasn't ready to get up when the alarm went off 9 hours later, though i managed to anyway.  so i got cleaned up, search for breakfast but failed miserably, and headed out.  i stopped for a quick breakfast on the way to the office. work today went fine.  it feels like there's a lot going on there right about now.  we have lots of random projects on top of the four magazines.  anyway, i spent all day working pretty hard, actually.  of course, there were the occasional breaks to go lounge in marke's office because he has a sunny window.  plus, he never seems to mind the intrusion.  :)  for lunch, i picked up pedro's.  it actually took me so long to get there because some lights were out and i got stuck in all the traffic, so i called my brother to pass the time.  he's on spring break this week, so he can take calls at noon. :)  anyway, then i got food and marke and i watched a couple episodes of "sportsnight."  i was hoping for light, funny ones with the sort of heavy feeling of the morning, but we got a very heavy episode first.  so we watched another and that was better. :)  and then, i spent the afternoon working more.  that included me repairing the printer.  i do not know how that's become my responsibility, but it's true.  i ended up with spots of magenta toner on my jeans.  i think magenta spots on jeans went out of fashion about 20 years ago.  awesome. ;) anyway, i headed home after work, but got a little sidetracked when driving by trader joe's.  there is seriously no food in this apartment, so i finally got around to picking some up.  yay for me! :)  of course, i bought more than i had anticipated, but at least i won't be starving. and then i came home knowing i'd spend some time talking to friends tonight.  plus, i have little chores around here that need to get taken care of.  well, i spent a serious amount of time on the phone with mel talking about everything, which was great.  i love that we've been talking so much more lately.  anyway, things are a little bit crazy on both ends of this state.  it's good to talk things through.  and seriously, i don't think we're the crazy ones.  so anyway, we had a good time chatting. :) and i've just been hanging out since then.  i really have not accomplished enough.  i watched "the office," though! :)  i love that show! okay, so i really do need to try to get some sleep tonight.  this has already taken me an hour to write (because i'm easily distracted by other things online).  i'm going to go read for a while and then just crash.  here's to hoping for a better tomorrow.  g'night! ;) wednesday 11 april 2007 9:15pm "her taillights just disappeared i tried everything within my power to get her to stay guess all i can do right now is get on my knees and pray maybe she'll get lonely maybe she'll turn that wheel around maybe she'll miss me before she hits the edge of town 'cause i love her, i need her i can't live without her yeah, the only hope that i've got left is maybe she'll get lonely" -- jack ingram "maybe she'll get lonely" it feels like it's been a fun but exhausting couple of days.  i should catch you up on what's been going on around here. :)  so let's start with yesterday. i picked up a jamba juice and headed to work.  work went fine.  nothing too eventful, really.  i picked up a really delicious salad for lunch, and marke, brian, and i took in a couple episodes of "sportsnight" while eating.  and then there was more work until marke and brian decided they wanted starbucks.  so the three of us went.  and soon it was about 4:15 and time to leave (early!). i had a fun evening planned!  brian and i caravanned down to san diego and parked (for free!) at qualcomm stadium.  from there we took the trolley into downtown san diego to petco park.  we had awesome seats to watch the giants-padres baseball game.  so we watched a really fun game and rooted for both the giants and the padres.  dinner was, of course, so delicious and really far from healthy.  and the giants ended up winning, which makes me 1-1 on the season for games i've attended.  not exactly bad. ;)  and after brian bought himself a new cap and we wandered down to a farther trolley stop, we took it back up to qualcomm and each headed home.  it was a fun evening out and turned out to be a good way of thanking him for his help with that whole design contest at work.  so yay! :) so obviously i slept in a little late this morning because i got home so late and was still so exhausted when the alarm went off.  so i dashed to get dressed and ready and all that this morning before heading out and picking up a bagel for breakfast on the way.  mmm!  so amazing! anyway, i made it to work.  and somehow, i managed to accomplish nothing all morning.  so that was awesome (not really).  i took marke out to lunch at fatburger because i promised him that when that competition started, as well.  that was a good break from the office.  and then i worked hard all afternoon and into the night. and i came straight home totally spent.  i had dinner and made myself rice krispy treats.  i talked to kath for a while on the phone and am currently chatting with sarah online.  and i talked the parents not too long ago, as well.  but really, i'm just looking forward to crawling back into bed.  i'm so spent. so there you go. :)  it's been fun and tiring, and i'm already excited about the weekend (so i can relax).  also, i might have to do a tiny bit of shopping because the first orange county h&m stores (3 of them) are opening tomorrow and friday!  woot!  anyway, i'm off.  more from me next time.  g'night. ;) monday 9 april 2007 9:28pm "when the rain starts falling on your parade and when you have to say a prayer just to get through another day when there's no one there beside you to wipe the tears from your face or to pull you through i want to be that somebody for you" -- danielle peck "somebody for you" quick update before before i crash... good easter with the family.  ate too much.  had a.m.a.z.i.n.g. chocolate mousse cake from draegers.  lost at blackjack (along with everyone else, besides the dealer).  hung out with the family. flew out here this morning before the crack of dawn.  made it to work.  managed to survive the day, though the lunch break with brian at pick up stix helped.  skipped the gym.  watched a little tv.  am about to crash. g'night! ;) saturday 7 april 2007 11:34pm "a man wants to love with all his heart he's not afraid a man needs someone to share his life he wants someone to hold at night like, baby, i do yeah, a woman does, too so baby, lay down here beside me sometimes a man just needs two arms to fall into and if you wanna know the truth a woman does, too" -- danielle peck "a woman does too" it's been a really good few days up here in san carlos.  a little easter break (though yeah, we haven't actually gotten to the easter celebration portion of the weekend yet).  and so i have a few minutes tonight to write about all the fun things.  it may seem that it all revolves around eating.  it has. ;) thursday went well because we got to leave work at 2.  i love holiday weekends! :)  so i went to the gym, worked out really hard, and barely dodged having my official ymca photo taken afterwards.  all sweaty and dripping and gross and the guy at the front desk wanted to do photos.  yeah, no. ;) i got cleaned up, wrapped up the packing, and spent a couple hours on the phone with katherine and sarah until it was time to get to the airport.  my flight home was uneventful and pretty empty, and dad picked me up on this end.  he had a hole in his tire, so he had to change it before we could leave the airport.  but it worked and i made it all the way back to the house. yesterday (friday) was really fun!  i had a delicious lunch--a savoury crepe and a sweet crepe--with mel at the laurel street cafe.  it's great to try new places around here!  and catching up with mel was awesome!  oh!  and it was all served by a surly french woman, so it was basically exactly like being in a french cafe. ;) then i met up with kath at stanford shopping center for just a little bit.  but i wanted to make sure i could squeeze her in at least a little bit this weekend.  so we did a little shopping there before i had to head home. then mom dropped me off at the train station and i was soon bound for the city.  i made it up there on schedule and met up with dad.  we walked the block to the ballpark and watched the giants game.  it was my first ever giants-dodgers game, and i was so excited to be there, despite the cold wind and fog.  plus, i found myself a new barry zito t-shirt! :)  and of course, we had a great time watching the game, but going to the baseball game is really all about the eating.  the garlic fries there are the. best. ever.  oh my!  so good! :) and today was also quite busy! :)  sarah picked me up here around lunchtime, and we drove down to san jose to valley fair/san jose.  we had a really amazing lunch at maggiano's before doing a little shopping.  i found a couple dresses, a cookbook, a sweater, and a new pair of sunglasses (because i'm really amazing at destroying them).  we had so much fun! but eventually it was time to head back up the peninsula a little bit.  we met up with the parents, adam, and katherine for dinner at gordon biersh.  mmm!  the chocolate creme brulee was amazing!!! and now i'm just hanging out here with the family.  we're doing easter lunch tomorrow with more family, so that should be fun.  happy easter, everyone!  g'night! ;) p.s. adam's going to ucla next year.  can you believe it's time for him to go to college?!? wednesday 4 april 2007 9:04pm "only the lonely talking, wanting me to keep on holding you this way, baby you know i want to but i've got to be sure it's not only the lonely talking' -- danielle peck "only the lonely talkin'" it's been a good couple of days, i must say.  nothing spectacular, but i've had a little bit more time to myself, to do things i enjoy (meaning nothing).  so anyway, here we go. so yesterday started out busily.  i had to get up early so i could bring my car to the volvo dealer up in irvine in time for my 8:15 appointment.  so i got that done, and they have an enterprise rep there, so i got a vehicle rented.  they had limited inventory, but i ended up with something fun!  i got a brand new nissan frontier pick-up truck.  crew cab.  v6.  black.  hott! ;)  anyway, i had a good time driving around in that for a day. :) work was uneventful (at least as far as i can remember!).  we're on a down week--finally!--so i can take a little bit longer with things or take breaks or leave on time.  those have become luxuries, though they used to be far more common.  lunch was excellent!  brian and i had to pick up batteries at the 99-cent store for marke, which was a little crazy but we found them eventually.  an then we ate at pick up stix, which was good.  i don't get rice that often!  and we hung out there a while and chatted and whatever.  nice to get out of the office. in the afternoon, i went to bring back the truck and retrieve my car.  hooray!  it now starts normally!  that hasn't happened in so long that it still feels like a real treat each time! :)  haha!  bad, i know.  so then i came home, changed, and to the volvo to the gym. gym was good.  and then i came home, cleaned up, and just hung out all night.  i actually ended up finishing "the year of magical thinking," which was very heavy but still so interesting and well worth the read.  and i read a magazine before moving on to another book.  more non-fiction for me.  "a new brand world."  should be good, though i was so tired that i didn't get very far last night before i had to put it down and just crash. today was a pretty normal wednesday, as well.  i got up and headed out only a few minutes late. :)  and work was again uneventful.  the office is really quiet this week with lots of people out for a conference, so i just worked and whatever all day.  i did stop to pick up lunch at pedro's, and then i brought it back to my desk so marke and i could watch a couple episodes of "sportsnight."  i do love that show!  we were cracking up, despite possibly bothering the other few people in the office today. ;) after work, it was straight to the gym.  i almost bailed, but managed to steer myself there.  that went fine.  and then i came home, cleaned up, and hung out some more.  i don't exactly know where the couple of hours went.  oh!  i chatted with mel awhile online, which was fun. :)  and i'm making sure the apartment is clean so i can leave it that way tomorrow night.  now i just need to pack.  yeah.  that's never as easy as it seems like it should be.  so i guess i should stop procrastinating and just get on with it. i'm spending the weekend with the family in san carlos.  happy easter.  i haven't yet decided if the computer is coming with me or not, so i am not sure if i'll update from there or not.  either way, hope it's a good easter.  g'night. ;) monday 2 april 2007 11:20pm "tangled up in you feeling so complete with every single move you satisfy me baby, just one touch, your breath upon my skin and i can't help myself, i'm thirsty again" -- danielle peck "thirsty again" i have no idea how, but my night kind of got away from me.  i didn't mean to be up this late, but here i am.  so anyway, i'll give you the brief rundown of today. went to work.  did as much as i could but really had a down day compared to normal.  did lunch with brian at costco and then we watched an episode of "sportsnight" with marke. came home.  watched the gators (who i love) beat ohio state convincingly.  did my monthly round of laundry, and just finished putting that away.  am catching up with mel online because she's rad. :) more next time.  g'night! ;) sunday 1 april 2007 10:04pm "i don't want to talk about the weather i don't want to go out on the town i don't want to watch tv together i just want to kiss you on the mouth we don't have to spent a lot of money we don't need to get up off this couch i just want to turn the lights down, honey and kiss you on the mouth" -- danielle peck "kiss you on the mouth" there's something so straightforward about this i really like. how is it april?!?  i have no idea.  at least that means we're entering summer quickly. today was as it was meant to be, and that is relaxing. :)  i slept in wonderfully late once again (though i did have some really odd dreams last night that i still remember so vividly).  and i hung around the apartment doing nothing for what was left of the morning and into the afternoon.  i love being able to just do nothing sometimes. :) and then i did eventually head to the gym for another workout, which went well.  and then i came home and got cleaned up right away. i ran a couple "errands."  i mean, they mostly weren't essentials, but they were not that exciting, either.  i found a cute pair of basic black heels at kohls for $10!  and i bought a really nice black dress (and a couple other little things) at old navy.  plus, i needed a few things at the drug store.  super, right? ;) and i've been hanging out here since then.  i was in desperate need of both a manicure and pedicure, so i took care of that little chore.  now i'm all pretty again. ;)  plus, i finished reading the new "smithsonian," and i really do love that magazine. it's well worth the $10 a year for all the good stuff that is in there! caught up with annahita a little bit and then talked to the family, as well.  and now i'm just trying to get this done before turning on "brothers and sisters" and then bed. it's been a really relaxing weekend, which was exactly what i needed.  call it a success.  g'night. ;) saturday 31 march 2007 10:49pm "i've been following your ghost running circles 'round this house tripping over memories trying to figure things out it's been a few years and i miss you still got your picture on the window sill" -- jack ingram "hold on" wow.  it's been a whole week, so i certainly own one hell of an update.  hopefully i can do the past week justice.  it's been crazy and busy, but also fun. :) my weekend at home (last weekend) ended fine.  adam and i watched basketball on sunday for a good portion of the day, and then the whole family met up at grandma's house for dinner to celebrate my cousin theresa's 18th birthday.  that all went pretty well.  it was good to see everyone, for sure.  it's a little weird they're cleaning stuff out of that house, but i guess it was kind of inevitable. and i found myself awake at 4:30 on monday morning throwing on clothes and heading for the airport.  and i got in to orange county around 8 and headed straight to work, save for the quick stop at starbucks for a little caffeine and some food. work.  well it was actually a quieter week around there than we've had in a while, but there are always still lots of projects and things to take care of.  i feel like i spent my entire week working, actually, but when i consider the hours i actually spent in the office, it wasn't like it's been.  but i had work to take care of at home, but more on that later.  so anyway, just know i worked plenty hard this week.  it's what they pay me for, i suppose. there's fun stuff at work, too, though.  marke, brian, and i started watching "sportsnight" when we're eating lunch in the office.  my 30-inch monitor is good for things like that. :)  anyway, i do love that show, so it's fun to watch it yet again.  and we're always screwing around in the office anyway.  we need breaks from the work, so we have fun.  it's a good time. and one more work note.  a month ago, john (the president) created a contest.  he challenged us to redesign one of the articles from the february issue of "portable design."  there were no other rules really.  just a new design.  his favorite design would win a cash prize.  the designs were due on friday (yesterday).  well, i've been pretty busy over the course of the last month, so i'd put off my design.  but this week i knew i needed to get down to business.  so i started working on a new design for this article on tuesday night.  i saw 2am and hated what i had, but sometimes it takes that struggle.  so i worked on it more wednesday night.  and once again saw 2am, but was more pleased with the results.  so i sent it to brian and asked for his feedback.  and thursday night, i went back to work on it one more time and once again saw 2am.  but i was pleased with the final results.  friday afternoon (after spending my entire day in a meeting with john and others about something else), i showed my design to john.  turns out that i was the only entrant, so i won by default.  john did tell me he liked my design, though, and will be showing it to a few other people.  anyway, i am very excited about winning, no matter how i did it. :)  it's a good reflection on me, though i do owe some credit to brian for helping me out. so that's how my week's been.   lots of work! but then there was fun, too!  thursday night, i had a little game night.  it was supposed to include a few people who had to cancel in the end, but it was still a fun night.  marke, katrina, matt (marke's brother), alex (marke's friend), and melissa all came over for dinner, "the office" marathon, and catch phrase!  it was very cool to just hang out, so i'm glad we did that.  and we'll definitely continue to have game nights in this apartment.  plus, i have half a bottle of some sort of white wine in my 'fridge and half a bottle of red on my counter.  someone needs to come over and drink it! ;) last night, after a nap (because i was seriously exhausted by friday evening), i headed up to downtown disney to meet up with sarah and russell for dinner.  they're spending the weekend there enjoying disneyland and california adventure.  anyway, we met up at naples and had a delicious dinner and sat and talked a while.  and russell was tired, so he went back to their hotel room, and sarah and i got to hang out and walk around for a bit.  it's great to get to actually spend time with her instead of im conversations and emails and the occasional phone call.  plus!  we had beignets for dessert, which is totally my favorite food in downtown disney!  and i didn't get the powered sugar all over me.  or at least not too much. ;)  so tasty! today was very relaxed.  that was exactly what i needed, after all.  i got a ton of sleep, which was so wonderful!  i made it to the gym for a really good session on the elliptical machine while reading "smithsonian" magazine, which i'm totally addicted to!  plus, they have an article featuring dale chihuly this month, so i'm excited to get to that!  oh, and i've taken to saying that i'm going to see my (hott) boyfriend jim, instead of gym.  :)  so don't get too confused.  hehe!  and you can blame brian for that one. anyway, then i spent the afternoon watching the final four basketball games.  that first one was a snoozer (i was struggling not to nap through it), but i did enjoy the second one.  florida just has an energy that makes me want to root for them even more. :) and tonight, i went out for a little bit.  got in a little trouble. ;)  i went to best buy for the new jack ingram album.  oh!  i nearly forgot to mention i picked up tim mcgraw's latest on tuesday, and i'm quite enjoying it.  anyway, got jack ingram today, and i love his, as well.  then i went over to borders, which is where i tend to get in the most trouble.  i went for magazines because i'm kind of addicted and i'm always looking for the great ones i've been missing.  and since i was there, i also picked up a trashy romance novel that i'll likely devour in a few sittings in the near future and the danielle peck album that has been impossible to find anywhere else (besides online, of course).  so anyway, that was a good evening for me!  and now i'm just hanging out. more again soon.  i don't want to go weeks between writing! g'night. ;) saturday 24 march 2007 11:54pm "yeah, i keep coming back to the town on the hill so peaceful and still and my memories are at i keep coming back time after time no matter where i'm at i can't pretend i've found something better than where i've been 'cause where i'm from is who i am and now matter how far that i run i keep coming back" -- josh gracin "i keep comin' back" wow!  it's been a good couple of days! :)  again, this weekend kind of revolves around things i enjoy, so it's been such a fun trip. yesterday (friday) was really pretty mellow.  i mostly just hung out here with the family and stuff, but i did manage to get out a little bit, as well.  mom and i went down to redwood city to the new movie theatre there to see "the namesake."  first of all, the theatre was really nice, and it'll be cool to have another good theatre near here.  and the movie was excellent, though it was different than i had really expected.  i cried through a good section of it, as well.  but anyway, it was great.  :)  also, there's a cream puff place near the theatre, so we stopped.  my double chocolate eclair was amazing! and last night after dinner with the family, i headed down to palo alto.  i picked up katherine, and then we went down to the cheesecake factory.  we sat in the bar and had dessert (so delicious!) and caught up with each other.  she's been so busy lately that we've hardly had time to talk, but we had enough time last night to fill each other in on our lives.  it was wonderful! and today was full of even more fun!  uncle ken, his buddy randy, auntie lily, adam, his friend jenna, mom, dad, and i went to san jose to see the west regional final of the tournament.  it was ucla versus kansas, an amazing matchup!  and the game definitely lived up to all the hype!  two great teams played a great game, and i was perfectly content with seeing ucla win in the end.  we even stayed after the game to watch them cut down the nets. then we all went to palo alto.  we stopped to pick up katherine, too.  and we had an amazing dinner at il fornaio.  so great!  it was like just a big, crazy family dinner with delicious food and fun people.  it was just wonderful! and now all of a sudden it's late and i figure i should get a little sleep, so i'm off for now.  i'll get some more new photos on flickr tomorrow, i hope.  for now, though, g'night. ;) thursday 22 march 2007 11:45pm "then i let that road cary me as far as it could carry me stood on a mountain free found a place where i could breathe in and out and thought about things that i can't live without i keep coming back time after time no matter where i'm at i can't pretend i've found something better than where i've been 'cause where i'm from is who i am and no matter how far that i run yeah, i keep coming back" -- josh gracin "i keep comin' back" greetings from lovely san carlos, california! ;)  haha!  oh, it's always a little bit weird to be back here, but i do still feel very much at home.  anyway, it's been a delightful trip thus far, mostly because it's been all about me. :)  but i guess i should fill you in on how i got here, as well.  okay, so here are the past two days, in summary. so yesterday (wednesday) was a little bit busy.  i got up and headed to work and had a pretty full day there.  you know, just work.  there's plenty going on there to keep me busy enough.  i did have a nice lunch with marke and brian at wahoo's, and we also took a few minutes to watch a preview dvd for the new discovery channel series called "planet earth."  turned out to be pretty cool!  now i just wish i got discovery in hd.  oh, well.  anyway, work. and then john offered to take me to pizza for dinner and then invited everyone else.  so a big group of us headed down to beach cities pizza for dinner on john and just hanging out, which was really fun.  it was actually a little hard to pull myself away when i knew i needed to get going if i was going to catch my flight home. so i dashed home, finished packing as quickly as possible, and headed to the airport.  i got there about 45 minutes before my flight was scheduled to leave, but it turned out to be 10 minutes late anyway.  oh, and my phone started ringing just as it was headed into the x-ray machine at security and i thought i might shut the airport down.  they did wait until it was done ringing to send it all the way through.  crazy timing, right?  anyway, i made my flight -- which was mostly empty -- and got all the way home. today was a great way to kick off my long weekend here. i slept okay last night but ended up awake at 9 and couldn't get back to sleep.  crazy grownup schedule i usually keep! ;)  so i pulled the computer into bed with me and chatted with sarah, marke, and brian, all of whom were at work and apparently bored enough to talk to me. ;)  no, actually, it was really fun.  also, mom did my laundry. :)  everything i brought home was dirty.  hehe! and i eventually got cleaned up and dressed.  meg picked me up and we headed down to san jose to valley fair because i've been wanting to get to a forth & towne.  they're closing in july (tragic!), but they still have adorable clothes and awesome service!  so we did some shopping, and i came home with a couple tops and a really adorable new dress. :)  yay!  oh, and i win for having a 20% off coupon! ;) then meg dropped me off at the san jose arena.  this evening was all about basketball.  i met uncle ken, his buddy, auntie lily, dad, auntie nancy, and jim & marcy bertram (my childhood friend's parents) for some march madness!  the west regionals are in san jose this year, and we have tickets!  so we saw kansas beat southern illinois and ucla beat pitt.  both games were really close, and it was just so fun to be there!  so we'll also get to see kansas vs. ucla on saturday, and i am so so so so excited about that game!  going to be awesome! and now i'm just hanging out watching tv and whatever.  everyone else in the house already went to bed because they have responsibilities in the morning.  me?  i can sleep in (or at least try) and just hang around tomorrow. anyway, enough out of me for tonight.  i'll be back again soon.  g'night. ;) tuesday 20 march 2007 9:48pm "well i've hurt the ones that loved me and loved the ones that hurt me and tried so hard to be somebody else where the road was leading had no rhyme or reason and there were times i stopped believing in myself but i'm still singing here tonight where did i go right?" -- the warren brothers "where did i go right" i don't know what the hell is up today.  i'm like overly emotional.  it's been kind of weird, actually.  but there have been a few highlights amidst all the rain today.  so here we go, my last journal before i head home to san carlos tomorrow night for a weekend of march madness!  i'm bringing my computer, though, so don't worry!  i can update from there! ;) so tuesday.  busy day.  or at least, i am quite tired now.  maybe it was just the gray skies and eventual rain.  not sure.  anyway, i didn't exactly kick things off on the right foot because last night, when i thought i was going to bed at like 10:30, i got sidetracked talking to mel online.  and then it was after midnight.  it was a great chat!  but i just didn't get to bed early. so then this morning was a little rough, but the bagel i procured on my way to the office was so delicious! :)  i'm totally addicted.  i know.  it's bad. ;)  anyway, work.  work was busy and crazy and a lot of things i don't feel like writing about after living it all day. also, i found out the volvo shop i go to cannot figure out what the hell is wrong with my car and they told me to bring it to the dealer.  suck!  so it still cranks excessively when it starts.  and i will have to wait until next week to get it to a dealer because i'm headed out tomorrow.  so anyway, i did go retrieve during lunchtime today, and marke came with just to get out of the office for a bit. after work, it was feeling pretty dreary out and i was feeling about the same, so instead of the gym i went to best buy in search of music i didn't find last night at target.  tragically, i didn't find either album there either.  lame!  but... never one to walk out of a music section empty-handed, i found a couple other fun things!  good stuff was in the soundtracks section tonight.  the "flicka" soundtrack and the original broadway cast recording of "jersey boys" both came home with.  both are so wonderful to listen to! :)  so i'm a happy camper tonight with the stereo playing loudly! and now i'm trying to make sure i have my stuff packed for tomorrow.  of course, i'm pretty much just bringing home dirty clothes, so at least i don't have to worry about folding! ;)  and i'm talking to the fam and catching up with kath online.  it's been good, though i really do feel like crawling into bed now. so that's about it!  i'll be back soon with more, but i'll be in the big sc.  g'night! ;) monday 19 march 2007 10:32pm "life ain't always beautiful but it's a beautiful ride" -- gary allan "life ain't always beautiful" so.  tired.  nearly didn't even write tonight, except that i feel like i have a lot to say or something.  i don't know.  i think my mind is going like a million miles an hour but my body is saying no no no.  so anyway, i will try to keep this brief because my fingers count as my body and they're not so interested in typing. so i got up and brought my car back to the shop because it still wasn't starting right.  and actually, they've figured it all out and i should get it back tomorrow with any luck.  and please don't try to convince me that they're ripping me off.  they're not, and i don't want to hear it.  anyway, then i went and got myself a hott new ride.  ;)  i rented a chevy cobalt -- totally stripped with power nothing.  at least it goes.  and it got me to work. work was exactly that.  we shipped two magazines today, just barely.  i've never cut it that close.  and it's still all a little messy.  but anyway, it'll suffice, i hope!  the true highlight was lunch at costco with marke and brian.  :)  delicious! and after a very long day of work, i went to the gym.  i was actually feeling really awesome about 10 minutes in on the elliptical machine, so i bumped the time up to 45 minutes (totally against the 30-minute limit!) and went for it.  it all went great, and i was feeling awesome. :)  yay for me!  now, however, i'm feeling pretty spent.  but i still think it was a good decision.  anyway, then i headed home. i showered, dressed, and headed straight back out to target.  i was in search of a cd that it turns out they didn't have.  at least i was able to pick up some essentials, like paper towels, dish soap, and a new work cup. ;) and now i'm here and it's nearly 11 and all i really want to do is crawl into bed with my book.  seriously, it's amazing!  i know, i'm a dork for loving the punctuation book, but it's awesome!  :)  okay, so that's about it for me for tonight, but i'll be back next time.  and i'm another day closer to my two days off and fun trip home!  woot! ;) okay, seriously, g'night. ;) sunday 18 march 2007 9:30pm "i see that morning sun again and feel alive isn't that everything i don't need anything it's only the simple things i believe that matter most in life i'm more than satisfied all that i have is all i need isn't that everything" -- danielle peck "isn't that everything" i'm once again anxious to crawl into bed tonight.  i'm tired from today (though it will likely seem that i didn't actually do all that much), and i want to at least attempt to start the week rested.  we'll see how that goes. ;) so anyway, i got up at a decent hour this morning and watched some basketball and talked to my brother for a while.  but once again i was using breaks to work, sketching and computerizing and all those fun things.  anyway, i ended up doing a lot of work while keeping track of all the games.  it was a very eventful morning/early afternoon, as you can tell. ;)  but i did make some progress and the games were really fun! i took a break to go to the gym.  the tv situation there is not good for march madness and i ended up on an elliptical machine that required me to look pretty much straight to my right to see the only tv i cared about.  and knowing that i would probably do weird things to my body if i ran four miles that way (we're calling it running now, despite it being on an elliptical, because that's what it feels like), i made sure to look straight ahead during commercials or pauses in the action.  so anyway, it was kind of a weird workout, but i ended up running really hard.  and then i made it back home in time to see the ends of all the late games, so that's good timing. :) and i spent my evening wrapping up the st. jude's work i've been doing.  i have some solid ideas now, so that should be enough to get me through tomorrow. and tonight i've just been hanging out.  i had a little dinner and watched "60 minutes," which seemed to be thoroughly fascinating tonight.  and uncle ken called to discuss how we're doing in our basketball pool.  and i caught up with sarah and mel both briefly online, which was good. that's about it from here.  i'm off to continue reading "eats, shoots, & leaves," which i'm loving!  even if i break all sorts of rules in this journal. ;)  so i'm off.  more next time.  g'night. ;) saturday 17 march 2007 11:22pm "i die when he comes around to take you home i'm too shy i should have kissed you when we were alone what am i, darlin' a whisper in your ear a piece of your cake what am i, darlin' the boy you can fear or your biggest mistake oh, what am i, what am i, darlin' i got years to wait" -- damien rice "cheers, darlin'" figured i should cite an irishman on st. patrick's day.  so curl up with your green beverage of choice and enjoy reliving my st. patrick's day with me. honestly, it wasn't actually that exciting of a day, which is pretty much how i planned it.  the past week felt so busy, that i've been anxious to have a little time to just lie around watching tv since... tuesday.  so anyway, i kicked off the weekend in true kirsten style last night.  as i tucked myself into bed, i began a new book, which i'm loving so far and looking forward to more of as soon as i once again find myself in bed.  so anyway, i read until i couldn't keep the words straight anymore because my eyes were so tired.  then i knew it was time to crash. and i didn't get up this morning until after 10, which is nice.  i wish i could do that every day! ;)  anyway, we're currently in the middle of march madness, the time when, as sarah puts it, i "turn into a boy."  hehe!  well, it's true that i do love good college basketball and there were 8 great games to be watched today.  so i moved to the couch and switched on the tv to enjoy. :)  and i pretty much hung out there for the rest of the morning before eventually getting up long enough to find lunch.  and then it was back to the basketball watching.  i told you i was looking forward to a weekend on the couch!  so i enjoyed that and did use break times (halftimes and commercial breaks) to look for ideas for a piece i'm working on for work.  more on that later, though.  just trying to say that i was multi-tasking some of the time! :) and in the afternoon, i did get up and put on some workout clothes so i could head over to the gym.  because of the location on the tv with the game on it (and because it was actually busier there than i had anticipated), i got on a bike instead of an elliptical.  i guess it's good to mix it up anyway.  so i watched the game and worked my butt off (i set the level on the machine too high and then was too stubborn to lower it).  so it was a good workout! then it was back home to get cleaned up and enjoy the rest of the games while on the phone with the family.  they were gone a lot of the day at adam's volleyball tournament, so i had to fill them in on what was going on! :) then i decided that i wanted something delicious for dinner because i knew i'd have a long (for a saturday) night ahead of me with the work that i'm doing.  seemed like a good idea to at least have that nice meal before getting down to business.  so i headed down to beach cities pizza and picked up dinner and a soda(!), which i enjoyed on my living room floor while watching the series premiere of "october road," which i absolutely loved.  i definitely can see myself addicted to that show, can see myself in that show, and can see myself crying at that show. and since then i've been working.  i need a couple rough comps of a brochure for the st. jude medical center volunteer guild by monday so we can show them to st. jude on tuesday.  that means i'm here working away my weekend, not that i truly mind so much.  i love that they're our pro bono project, and i love even more that it's really my project.  so anyway, i want them to have an awesome piece that will really help them recruit more volunteers.  and i so far i have one really solid idea sketched out (like i folded the paper and sketched out each panel in detail).  i love this idea and hope it turns out well on the computer.  i need at least one more idea, though, and i need to get them in indesign documents tomorrow.  it'll take me all day, i know, especially with the basketball on.  it's for a really good cause.  that's what keeps me going, i think.  that and it's so different from our normal stuff that it allows me even more creative freedom than usual. and now it's getting late and i don't think i'm going to get through a lot more sketching tonight.  i'm thinking of heading to bed with my book pretty soon.  sounds nice, right? :) so i'll be back tomorrow with another update.  g'night. ;) friday 16 march 2007 10:47pm "it if was a full moon it would be a total eclipse if it was a tidal wave it would sink a thousand ships if it was a blizzard it would be a record-breaking cold if it was a lie it would be the biggest story you've ever told... but if you're talking about a heartache it would be you" -- gary allan "it would be you" i am so thoroughly exhausted i'm not even sure i'll be able to remain awake long enough to finish writing this.  but i will try. ;) i slept in until 8 today because that seemed like it'd be a delightful treat after getting up at 6 yesterday.  i must say, it was pretty nice, but i still got up wanting more rest.  oh, well.  so i got cleaned up and dressed (adorably! ;)) as quickly as possible and then headed out to work, stopping for a delicious bagel on the way. work was really busy once again today, but it was nice to at least have the basketball games streaming in the background so i could take little breaks to check on scores or just listen to the audio while working on other things.  yeah.  i'm not sure what else to say about the day.  a lot's going on there and it turns out to be kind of stressful.  it will even spill over into my weekend because i have a couple projects that need my attention and soon.  oh, but marke and i did take a few minutes out of the day to pick up lunch at pedro's!  so delicious! :) after work, it was straight to the gym, where apparently some of the tvs cannot change channels.  lame.  but anyway, it was a great workout.  for some reason, i've been feeling especially motivated on friday nights and end up extending my cardio time.  so i did that again tonight because i was just feeling good.  so yeah, i left the gym like dripping in sweat and feeling pretty accomplished. i've just been hanging out since i got home.  i caught the ends of the games, and i talked to the family for a while.  i also got a couple minutes of time on the phone with katherine, who's so busy right now but should be better soon.  apparently a masters in math something-or-another is a lot of work! ;)  and i caught up on last night's "ugly betty."  that show is so fun! and now, time for me to crash.  i'm so spent and am totally looking forward to a weekend spent lounging on my couch watching basketball. :)  for now, though, g'night! ;) thursday 15 march 2007 11:20pm "it's hard describing a heartache all because it's a one-of-a-kind thing a serious injury and a whole lot of endless pain if it was a storm i'd compare it to a hurricane oh, it's even got a name if it was a drink it would be a strong one if it was a sad song it would be a long one if it was a color it would be a deep, deep blue but if we're talking about a heartache it would be you" -- gary allan "it would be you" good evening.  it's been a long day, and i've been awake for entirely too many hours, but i must say that i've quite enjoyed myself, on the whole. :) i got up at 6 this morning.  it was still very dark.  that's rough!  but i got my act together and was all ready and set to go when marina arrived here before 7:30 to pick me up and take me to work.  and i appreciate the favor. work today was long.  i got there at 8 and didn't actually leave until nearly 7.  my day was full of lots of actual work, too, so i didn't feel like i was just hanging out there.  we're quite busy right about now, so i had to make sure i was pretty focused.  at least a i got a decent lunch break.  we went down to scpc for pizza and to watch the basketball games on tv.  the rest of the day, marke and i were streaming them on our computers, which turned out to work fabulously! :)  oh, and i also got a break from work in the afternoon when marke brought me back to the mechanic to retrieve my car. so the basketball.  the madness of march got underway today, and it was fun to follow the games and root for a variety of teams and keep up with whose bracket is beating whose.  i even ended up staying a little later than necessary at the office so i could catch the very exciting ending to the virginia commonweath-duke game.  games like that are why i love march madness!  so fun! :) then it was straight to the gym, though my brother called me on my way to be all excited about today's games. :)  anyway, i caught part of two of the later games tonight while working so hard on the elliptical. then i got to come back home finally.  uncle ken called because he too wanted to discuss basketball!  and i got to chat with a couple friends online, as well!  (though not about basketball.)  and i had some dinner, showered, and watched tonight's "the office" (a rerun, basically, but still so hilarious) and "grey's anatomy," which i loved. :) and now it's late and i really do need to crash.  i have to be fully functional at work tomorrow because we do have plenty to accomplish.  so i'm off but i'll be back next time!  g'night! ;) wednesday 14 march 2007 10:01pm "but what could i do and what would i change when everything's strange why should i learn to fly when i can just hide away isn't it strange" -- joe brooks "strange" hello, and sorry it's been a few days.  i don't have any really solid excuses, though i have been attempting to go to bed earlier.  though when i consider it, i've really been failing at that.  so anyway, i'm here to tell you about the past few days.  nothing too crazy, though. quite honestly, it's been a lot of me at work lately.  even though my hours haven't been especially long the past few days, there is a lot going on there and it feels stressful and crazy and different.  well, it is different around there, but that story is for another day (or year perhaps).  so i've been working and trying my best to get all my stuff done.  worrying about everyone else is really not worth the energy i don't even have for it.  so yeah, lots of me working. and also, i've been hitting the gym a lot lately.  i'm working hard.  last night i thought my legs might fall off in my attempts to keep my heart rate high enough.  so yeah, i'm getting better at this! :) i didn't make it to the gym today, however, because my car is in the shop being repaired overnight.  it should be just fine, but it does mean that i'm bumming rides of a variety of people.  i hate bothering people with it, but everyone's been quite nice about it.  and if i think about it, i really wouldn't mind giving someone a ride if they needed it. and me asking other people to drive me around means that i have to get up at 6 tomorrow morning so i can go to work with marina, who leaves her house at 7am.  yikes! ;)  so i should probably tuck in. but!  tomorrow the madness begins!!!  i can hardly wait, and i fully intend on watching a ton of games online tomorrow and friday (and at home saturday and sunday).  it should be great fun! so i'm off for now, but i'll be back again soon.  g'night! ;) sunday 11 march 2007 9:05pm "your love is like a deep dark river pullin' me out to sea the harder i try to resist you the weaker i seem to be" -- gary allan "lovin' you against my will" well it's been a really fun weekend around here, and you know i'm in an even better mood because the weather has turned to summer-like!  i love it! :) so yesterday (saturday) morning, i got up early enough.  and it wasn't too long before i threw on clothes, picked up a little gift at home depot, and headed to the gym for a workout.  i'm pretty sure i live there now.  and then it was straight home to get cleaned up and dressed and all adorable. ;) then i headed up to orange for a birthday party for chris, melissa's husband.  it was a nice day and fun to just be around some friends hanging out and eating.  it was mostly their family, but there was an rtc crew, so i just hung out with them.  it was especially wonderful to see not only melissa and chris but also jan, tey, and lucas, who is getting so big!  i still envisioned him as a little baby!  anyway, we all caught up, so that was wonderful! and what did i even do after i got home last night?  i'm not sure.  not a whole lot, that's for sure.  i read some and watched a bit of tv and tried to crash early but didn't exactly make it, especially considering the whole spring forward thing. so i sprang forward, and i'm totally excited about it, even if i guess i lost an hour of sleep!  beyond it just being good for the environment because it causes people to use less energy, i'm stoked because it also means it'll still be light when i leave the office most days and i can go to the beach for walks.  hooray!  i'll admit that i'm really addicted to the elliptical machines in the gym, but i'll attempt to break that habit pretty quickly here. ;) so anyway, i got up this morning in time to watch some more basketball, but i did actually put on clothes and once again head to the gym, where i continued to feed my two addictions: the aforementioned elliptical machine and college basketball.  good stuff!  and on my way home, i stopped at the grocery store to buy cookies from the girl scouts outside! :)  hooray! then i got cleaned up and hung around watching more games.  i even got the brackets set up online so people can choose their teams and all that.  and then i got on the phone with dad and adam for the selection show.  this is the best day in the entire season every year.  it's when 65 teams' dreams come true.  of course, with the way they present the brackets, i had to sweat it out through 64(!!!) other teams before i learned that stanford was in!  they were the final team announced!  were they deliberately trying to kill me?!? ;)  but they're in and ready to dance, so i'm stoked!  and i will likely see some really great teams in a couple weeks when i'm up in san jose for the west regionals.  yay! and then i went to the mall.  i need new jeans and a yellow tank top and little cardigan sweaters.  so i found a few little things here and there, all of which were fun.  but i will still need jeans and cardigans.  anyway, the mall was good, though i don't understand why they close at 6 on sundays when the place is still packed with people.  oh, well. so i've been hanging out here since then.  i caught up on some of the tv on my dvr, and i made a little dinner.  plus, i chatted with mel for awhile about life and stuff, which was great.  and now i just have a few little things to take care of tonight before i tuck in. more from me next time.  g'night. ;) friday 9 march 2007 9:53pm "i don't wanna hurt nobody don't wanna make nobody cry i don't wanna do wrong, i don't wanna do wrong i don't wanna tell no lies i'm lovin' you, lovin' you against my will lovin' you, lovin' you against my will" -- gary allan "lovin' you against my will" well, it's been a very busy couple of days.  or at least it feels like that.  i'm exhausted and ready for a weekend of rest, though i admit that i'll probably be up to a bunch of stuff as the weekend progresses and will not catch up on as much sleep as i might like.  but anyway, i'm really getting ahead of myself, since i'm actually writing to tell you about the past 48 hours or so. so yesterday (thursday) was spent at work.  um... if i add up the hours i spent there, i fear it will just be too depressing of a number.  okay, i'll figure it out anyway.  14.5 hours.  whoa.  and pretty much all of it was spent working, though in the art department, there's a lot of collaboration or discussion or darts. ;)  i don't know, it's not like i'm chained to a desk, exactly.  there were a few interesting moments, though.  first, i ripped my jeans at like 9 in the morning.  they were old and wearing out and i figured it would happen eventually, but i was still surprised it happened yesterday.  i don't even know when.  i just realized i had a hole.  oops!  haha!  so anyway, at lunch time, marke, brian, and i took a 2-hour break (so i guess i was only at work 12.5 hours), and i drove home to change.  and then we did lunch at beach cities pizza, which was delicious and especially enjoyable because i sat next to the window in the sun.  so pleasant! :)  and afterwards, the boys wanted starbucks, so we went there and marke said, "we were the wolverines--we'll fuck you guys up!" and "you gotta stir that shit up" within like 5 minutes of each other.  um... marke has never been from the ghetto or used language like that.  he talks like a grownup, mostly.  and yet, he couldn't understand why brian and i were laughing incessantly after that!  hahaha!  i'm still laughing, in fact! :)  anyway, if you hadn't already figured out the timing of this crazy long day, i was at the office until about 11:30 working away both on my magazine stuff and also helping out brian with a mini-site, offering my design eye.  he's a great designer but everyone gets tired, especially when it's a project you've designed from the start.  anyway, it was both productive and enjoyable. and then i got up early this morning and did it all over again.  well, i was at work at 9, anyway.  i got some work done and took care of smaller projects while i waited on stuff for bigger ones.  today just kind of felt hectic and crazy in and around the art department, so i ended up kind of stressed out just by lunchtime.  marke, lea, and i went down to scpc for food and to watch the end of the miami-boston college game (including overtime!).  that was a cool lunch. :)  and then it was back to work, where i took care of more smaller projects before i could continue with larger ones.  we did, however, end up shipping a magazine to press, and at least part of another one went out for proofing with our copy editor.  anyway, i was definitely ready to get out of there by 5:30, so i did. and i went straight to the gym for a really tough, long workout on the elliptical.  at least i got college basketball on the tv to keep me entertained and i can tell my heart and lungs are getting stronger even faster than my legs/arm/body.  it feels rewarding that way.  anyway, then i headed home, and i spent a really long time on the phone with my brother watching basketball and just chatting.  he's been home alone tonight because the parents had some function or something.  and i had a little dinner and have just been here doing nothing.  but i'm pretty exhausted and planning on crashing really quickly here.  so that's about it! i'll be back next time with more, i'm sure.  for now, g'night! ;)  wednesday 7 march 2007 11:07pm "so you sailed away into a gray sky morning now i'm here to stay, love can be so boring and nothing's quite the same now i just say your name now but it's not so bad you're only the best i ever had you don't want me back you're just the best i ever had" -- gary allan "best i ever had" i'm pretty certain i've used these lyrics before (not 100% sure because i didn't bother to look through the old entries to double-check), but i'm using them again because i love this song and because i am listening to the new gary allan greatest hits album.  i'm excited about it because i really don't own much of his music but i always like it.  anyway, there you go. ;) i'm really tired.  i need to go to bed soon.  but i didn't get a chance to write last night and i figured i should catch you up on things, not that there's actually a whole lot going on.  but anyway, i'll just get on with it already. yesterday was spent at work.  seriously, i was at work for the entire day.  and i actually got a fair amount of stuff done during the day.  i did take a little lunch break, though, to pick up pizza and then watch "the black donnellys" on my computer with marke and brian (he's the one who's into it).  and then there was more work.  and i ended up talking to brian about trucks and we were there really late hanging out.  and then i came home and crashed.  exciting, right? ;) and the alarm went off too early this morning once again.  and i was off to work again.  seems like i'm there a lot lately.  it was having a bit of a rough day, though.  my diffuser (it's the thing i put on the end of the hairdryer to properly dry my curly hair) is broken and doesn't stay on and has now officially become unusable.  i burnt my lunch in the toaster oven.  and there was something else but i can't remember anymore. :)  i guess that's good!  anyway, i did lots of work today and crossed things off my very long to-do list.  maybe tomorrow it'll actually all fit on my calendar. ;) and i headed out right on time today, thankfully!  i went straight to the gym, but did have a good chat with sarah on the way. :)  we needed that!  and then the gym went well, i came home, and i got cleaned up and dressed right away.  there were errands for tonight.  i picked up a fancy new hairdryer/diffuser combo that'll be much better for my hair but was entirely too expensive!  and i got my gary allan album, like i mentioned earlier.  and i picked up a few groceries so i'm not at i <3 bagels every morning spending $4.75 (though they have the best breakfast in town).  and then i took care of a few chores around the apartment before sitting down in front of the computer with some books and started taking notes.  it's just like college! ;)  no, i'm just doing a little creative brief research, which actually went well and should be useful at work. and now it's too late for me.  i'm really spent.  so i'm going to go get a little sleep, and i'll be back next time!  g'night! ;) monday 5 march 2007 10:02pm "baby, just look at us all this time and we're still in love something like this just don't exist between a backwoods boy and a fairytale princess people said it would never work out living our dreams has shattered all doubts it feels good to prove 'em wrong living our love song" -- jason michael carroll "livin' our love song" i think this song is sweet, even if it doesn't perfectly capture this day.  one day... today went really well, especially considering it was monday and i wasn't especially excited to get back to a whole lot of work. i had the worst time trying to fall asleep last night.  i'm generally off soda, but i was compelled last night to have a diet coke, which was totally a bad idea.  caffeine at like 8pm -- what was i thinking?!?  so i watched entirely too much of "the fresh prince of bel air" before eventually crashing.  and then the next thing i knew, the alarm was going off for the second time and it was time for me to get out of bed.  so i got all dressed and ready and headed off to work totally on time.  early, actually. :) work went differently than expected today, i'd say.  i thought i might have to contribute to the clean-up efforts, but instead, the art department barricaded themselves in our little room and went to work on the magazines (that are now running a little late because of the time lost with the fire).  and the rest of the office will slowly get put back together, and i offered my help to people who might need it.  but actually, i spent all day working, and i accomplished a lot, despite the constant chatting with brian, who worked from home today.  and i stopped only briefly to pick up lunch at pedro's.  $2.13 spent at pedro's is $2.13 well spent.  so delicious! and i left work at a totally normal hour this afternoon and headed straight to the gym, where i found an elliptical machine and watched the start of the santa clara-gonzaga game.  i love that there's pretty much always a game on when i'm in there.  it makes the workout go faster.  i will say, though, that i am pretty constantly feeling great in there, and i can tell a difference in the workouts from like a month ago.  i'm working a lot harder to keep my heart rate up.  anyway, i could ramble on this for a while longer, but it's not all that interesting. ;) and this evening has been spent just keeping up with stuff.  nothing too exciting.  i watched the stanford women crunch arizona state, and i talked to dad on the phone for a while.  and i even watched both "the class" and "heroes" on the same night that they aired!  now i can talk to marke about "heroes" in the office tomorrow.  he'll be so excited! ;)  and really, that's about it.  i'm sleepy!  so i'm going to head off to bed pretty quickly now.  more next time.  g'night. ;) sunday 4 march 2007 10:31pm "i know you said it's over but my heart's telling me that ain't right i know it can't be over 'cause i still wake up reaching for you in the night" -- jason michael carroll "no good in goodbye" i'm never quite ready for the weekend to be over, you know?  i would love another day of lounging or reading or whatever.  but it seems that a new week has crept up on me, so i should probably get to bed at a decent hour and try to start another busy week out right.  but first, i do have a few moments to write about my sunday, which turned out to be fun in really surprising places. :) so i went to sleep really late last night, but i was again wide awake at like 9:30, entirely too early for a sunday. ;)  anyway, i decided i might as well get up and go to mass because it'd been a while (other than ash wednesday).  so i found something to wear and headed out for 11am mass.  now if you have ever been to a catholic mass, what i'm about to say is going to shock you.  also, just know that i love the traditional catholic mass in all its boringness, despite what i'm about to say.  also, i hope this doesn't come off as preachy, because i don't really mean it that way at all.  so are you ready to hear it? today's mass was awesome!  yes, awesome!  and so fun!  i think i smiled through the whole thing. :)  a brother from the missionaries of the poor in jamaica came to give the homily and tell the parishioners about their ministry and encourage people to give to them or visit them and help.  anyway, the homily was great, about seeing the face of God in other people and within ourselves.  anyway, his stories were incredible.  plus, i love his point when he asked about who the greatest female of the last century was and everyone said mother teresa.  then he pointed out how she gave up everything to serve other people.  anyway, it was a good homily.  also, he brought his monastery's jamaican band, and they did a lot of the music for mass.  typically, i don't care for the music at st. edwards.  today's was so good!  very jamaican!  during the "our father" father steve told everyone (before the singing started) that we had to pretend we were palm trees blowing in the breeze while listening to the song (and holding hands).  well, this church isn't one where there's generally dancing, so everyone was extremely tentative at first, but by the end, everyone was swaying to the music, whether or not they were doing so to the rhythm. ;)  and there was a fiddle song at the end of mass that had everyone clapping along and father steve and the jamaican brother do-si-do-ing on the altar.  seriously?!?  it was wonderful! :)  who knew i'd love mass so much?!?  plus!  i bought a box of girl scout cookies from the girls outside afterwards.  delicious thin mints! :) then i came home and watched a lot of basketball again just because i could. :)  and katie rugh called for the first time in entirely too long, so we talked for a bit and caught up on each other's lives.  and eventually, i changed clothes and headed for the gym for yet another workout.  i'm trying to be really good about going, so it feels like i'm always there.  at least i'm not hating it! ;)  and then i came home and got cleaned up and dressed once again. i am looking for cute cardigan sweaters.   so i went to old navy because they have lots of basics like that, but i didn't find anything special there.  however, i found really adorable sundresses!  so cute!  i'll be able to wear them in spring with jeans and in summer with flip-flops.  plus, they have pockets!  i love love that! :)  so i'm stoked!  and i went to target, too, but i didn't find as many interesting things there.  i did get laundry detergent, though!  exciting, huh? ;) and tonight, after chatting with the parents for a bit, i sat down in front of the tv ("desperate housewives") for my sunday night manicure.  believe me, it was long overdue.  but now i have cute red nails, so i'm pleased. :)  and the show was fun. but now i'm thinking i should probably crash, so i'll be back next time with more.  g'night. ;) sunday 4 march 2007 12:44am "well some people like staring at the sunset and some prefer a tropical view and some like gazing at the stars and the moon but i like looking at you yeah, some things in this world might have passed me by and i might have missed a chance or two but you won't find any regret in my eyes 'cause i'm still looking at you" -- jason michael carroll "lookin' at you" i admittedly probably shouldn't be up this late, but i am. :)  i don't particularly feel like going to bed anyhow, so i'm just hanging out listening to some music and attempting to entertain myself.  anyway, saturday was nice, even though it was pretty quiet. i slept in delightfully late this morning.  :)  i love that!  i actually had no intentions of doing so, but it just kind of happened.  and even when i did wake up, i didn't move around too much.  there were more basketball games on tv than a person could even really watch, so i started out my day with a string of some good ones just because i didn't have anything planned for my day really.  and the season will come to a close faster than i'd really like, so i might as well enjoy all the games while they're going on, right? ;)  so i did that for a while, and i ended that by watching the arizona-stanford game, which was fun by the end, even if my boys couldn't quite pull it out in overtime.  they looked good coming back from 20 down. then i figured i should get the blood pumping, so i headed to the gym for a workout, which went well enough.  too bad there wasn't a good game on the tv in there!  i was stuck with "sportscenter" and saw highlights of all the games i'd just watched.  then i went home and cleaned up pretty quickly. and i went out for a little shopping this evening.  i headed up to costa mesa to nordstrom rack.  the place was a total mess, which isn't a surprise but makes it hard to look for clothes there.  so i kind of just skimmed the clothing and went to the shoes. :)  because i needed new shoes.  ;)  hehe!  anyway, i found a really cute pair of tennis shoes and a great pair of tan wedges that will help fill my need for brown shoes.  so that was successful!  and then i went across the street to south coast plaza and walked around a little bit.  i found more awesome stationery from paper source because i'm totally addicted to that store!  and then i took myself out to dinner at the cpk asap there.  you know what's great about taking yourself out to dinner?  you can eat as much garlic as you want! ;)  my roasted garlic chicken pizza (sans onions) was so delicious! and then i came home and started on my big weekend chore: laundry!  i hadn't done that since 24 january.  that was a very long time ago.  so i did like 6 loads and i swear i washed everything i own!  but it's all done and everything's put away, and i'm excited to have so much to choose from the next time i need to get dressed. :) so i'm thinking that it's about time i crash.  i have no idea what i'm up to tomorrow, but i should be decent.  if nothing else, i need a manicure! ;)  church?  gym?  beach?  movies?  not sure... anyway, i'm off.  g'night. ;) friday 2 march 2007 11:45pm "come into my world of loneliness and wickedness and bitterness unlock my love unsuffer me take away the pain unbruise, unbloody wash away the stain anoint my head with your sweet kisses my joy is dead i long for bliss" -- lucinda williams "unsuffer me" well.  i must say, it seems like it's been quite a couple of days.  if you haven't already, check out my flickr, where i posted a few photos that will help with the story. so i went to work yesterday (thursday) like normal.  i spent the morning working hard and didn't even bother to leave for lunch, instead settling for leftover pasta that i had in the refrigerator.  and in the afternoon, lea came into the art department for a chat with brian and me.  and then she decided she needed his help with something in her office, so they headed down there.  she works on the other end of the office. a minute later, i head "everybody get out of the fucking building!" being screamed!  well, that seems like something i should take seriously, so i grabbed my purse and ipod from my desk and walked out to the lobby to see what exactly was going on.  i could see smoke wafting down the hallway and i decided pretty quickly that i would indeed get out of the office.  i saw jessica and two dental hygienists running into our offices from next door with a fire extinguisher.  the fire alarm in the building was making a racket.  this wasn't good.  a few people came out right after me, and after a couple minutes and witnessing lauren's call to 911, we headed out of the building to the parking lot.  slowly, more and more people trickled out.  and a few minutes later the fire department showed up (with 4 or 5 trucks) and the building was emptying.  the rtc offices were on fire and we weren't getting back in the building.  we actually spent about an hour in the parking lot talking about what was going on and just staying out of the firemen's way.  around 4:45 we were told to go home. so there was a fire in lea's office.  i've heard a couple different things about the cause, but really it was an accident and that's enough information.  when brian and she got to her office after leaving the art department, they found the trashcan under the desk engulfed.  brian went to get a fire extinguisher, and lea grabbed her purse and shut the office door.  and the fire sprinklers in her office came on.  and that's about all they could do.  but then they realized that there was a whole lot of water coming out from under the door in that office.  so some people tried to protect parts of the office before getting out of the building.  anyway, the fire went out without lighting too much more on fire, really.  the amount of water damage, though, is insane.  according to mel's dad, rick, who's been a firefighter forever, one sprinkler can out out about 25-30 gallons of water per minute, and i'd say it was on in lea's office for 45 minutes.  that's a lot of water that flooded our offices and the floor below us in the building.  since the situation was clearly serious and messy, we were sent home, as i said before. they told us not to come into the office unless we got a call last night.  i got a call last night.  and so after a night spent on the phone with friends, i got up early and headed there prepared to help clean up.  i knew the art department was okay, but the rest of the office would need some work before it would be useable.  so i got there and got to walk around and see what things looked like, as you can see in the photos on flickr.  no one was going to get work done there today.  it was too messy, and the air quality in the building was really still very poor.  so after talking to various people and a brief meeting, we were dismissed around 11.  we'll be back monday once things have aired out more. with all this stolen time on my hands, i went to starbucks with marke and brian for a bit to hang out.  and then i thought about going for a drive but was feeling kind of scrubby, so i ended up coming home instead.  i had a little lunch and ended up taking a nice little afternoon nap. :)  what a treat!  and i hung around a bit just reading.  it's nice to have a little time to do that.  and then i went to the gym for a tough workout.  well, it was actually a great workout because i was feeling awesome so i went for 50% longer!  and then i came home and i've just been hanging out.  i've been doing a lot of reading because i have a stack of magazines that haven't been read yet.  and that's about it!  i'm looking forward to the rest of the weekend despite having almost no plans at all. so i am thinking i should probably get to bed now.  more next time.  g'night. ;) thursday 1 march 2007 11:01pm i have a really interesting story about today.  i'll be able to tell it much better tomorrow, though.  stay tuned!  g'night! ;) wednesday 28 february 2007 11:19pm "i'll take the best of what you had to give i'll make the most of what you left me with i'm learning how to live" -- lucinda williams "learning how to live" it's late and i'm once again tired.  i've been home from work less than an hour and i have to leave here in 9 hours to go back there again.  so i'm going to keep this brief again. i got up an hour early this morning so i could be at work at 8.  then marke, barry, and i got into jason's car and headed down to san diego to the manchester grand.  the rtc group is putting on their first ever mvacec show there (it's a geeky conference) and we all went to check it out and see our efforts in action.  we met up with brian there, who goes through san diego (sort of) to get to work anyway.  so we walked around and even had a quick meeting with one of our editors and salesmen.  turns out he loves "portable design"'s new design!  and he's the editor-in-chief.  anyway, so that's how we spent the morning.  and then we all went to the hard rock cafe for lunch, which was delicious enough.  and then i rode back with brian to work, and marke, brian, and jason all went together.  and i spent the afternoon working away.  and i spent my evening talking with brian in the office until it was suddenly after 10 and we needed to go home.  and now i'm here.  i talked to sarah the whole way home, and i talked to the family as soon as i got here.  and now i need to go to bed.  g'night. ;) tuesday  27 february 2007 11:13pm "they say the best is still yet to come but the taste of you is still on my tongue i can't forget and i won't even try to erase your image and the way you made me cry i'm learning how to live all i have left is this dime store ring but i wouldn't trade it for anything the days ahead will never be the same for you i might have even changed my name i'm learning how to live" -- lucinda williams "learning how to live" i'm tired.  i know i'm running myself a little bit ragged, though i'm having some fun doing it. ;)  anyway, i really need to get to bed because i'm meant to be at work an hour early tomorrow morning.  i'll keep it really brief tonight. work went pretty well today, though i didn't accomplish quite as much as i had hoped because i ended up having to monitor a big print job (that's still not complete).  i brought lunch today because i had so much leftover pasta from sunday night.  so marke, brian, and i enjoyed that. :)  plus, it was nice not to have to go out in the rain to get lunch. :)  and we had the best that's-what-she-said of the day when someone (i cannot remember now who said it.  it might have been me.) said, "only one of you guys at a time."  ahaha! :)  we have fun around there!  and in the afternoon, marke and brian started a game of darts, so i suggested that the loser had to buy me frozen yogurt.  and they agreed!  so brian brought me golden spoon, which was a delicious afternoon treat! :)  those boys are awesome! and after work (which was late because once again brian and i were screwing around/working late), i headed for the gym.  my workout felt hard, but i did it!  plus, i enjoyed the florida-tennesee game on the tv. :) and now i'm just hanging out.  i ended up on the phone with the family for a long time, and i watched last night's "heroes."  and now it's already my bedtime.  so i'm off for now.  g'night. ;) monday 26 february 2007 10:50pm "lost in this moment with you i am completely consumed my feeling's so absolute there's no doubt sealing our love with a kiss waited my whole life for this watching all my dreams come true lost in this moment with you" -- big and rich "lost in this moment" i had a hard time choosing music tonight.  i do like this song, though! are mondays supposed to be fun?  i don't think so, but i did have quite an enjoyable day, actually.  i mean, it wasn't out of the ordinary or anything, but i feel like it was a good day, and i'll go to bed with a smile on my face. :) so i got up at my usual 7:30 and got all cleaned up and dressed and all of that, just like normal.  though i will say, i was loving my gray heels today. ;)  and i headed off to work exactly on time, a good way to kick off a new week there. work today was fine.  i spent the morning in a meeting with the lovely people at st. jude's medical center, whose volunteer newsletter we produce.  well, it's really my project, so i do it each time. :)  anyway, it was good to meet a couple more of them in person!  they love me and the work i do for them, so they're extremely complimentary.  it's nice to feel appreciated like that sometimes! :)  anyway, we're going to work on a brochure for them, so i've added another little project to my plate. then marke, brian, and i all picked up caesar salads from stillwater.  it's like half a mile from where we work and we really should walk there, but we drove and marke insisted on changing the cd in my car.  to the dixie chicks.  random!  at least i love that album! :)  anyway, lunch was delicious, we all agreed.  and i even brought a few blackbottom cupcakes from last night's feast for us to enjoy after the salads. :)  delicious! and i spent the afternoon working on a variety of little projects.  nothing super interesting but nothing horrible.  just the usual stuff.  i probably could have accomplished more today, but you know. ;)  and somehow, marke, brian, and i ended up staying in the office late.  they were playing with the foam balls, which started with marke and brian trying to play catch from brian's desk to marke's office and back.  they was crazy enough!  and then they got golf clubs and baseball bats involved, and all of a sudden i was getting hit in the face by a foam ball stuffed inside one of those sketchy red cups.  i got hit pretty hard, but the balls are very squishy!  but i think it probably freaked marke out, even though i was (and am) totally okay.  haha!  anyway, the games continued until we eventually decided it was time to go home. so i headed to the gym for a really hard workout on the elliptical while watching the final 8 minutes of the kansas-oklahoma game, which was entertaining! :)  and i've just been at home hanging out since then.  i've been catching up with sarah a little bit, and i talked to the family for a while.  and seriously, that's it.  and it's suddenly time for me to go to bed. so i'll be back tomorrow with more, but for tonight, i hope you're having sweet dreams.  g'night. ;) sunday 25 february 2007 10:17pm "i want to lose myself in your love so let it rain down over me as i fall down to my knees let the ocean rise to meet me i need you to bring me to life" -- bebo norman "bring me to life" i don't think i've ever loved the oscars more!  i was never obsessed with them as a kid or teenager or anything.  actually, i've just taken to seeing oscar movies the past few years, so it's really a recent obsession.  but this year has been my favorite of all the oscars because of how i celebrated the night. :)  what fun it has been! so i woke up this morning at 9:30.  that's what it said when i looked at the clock.  i knew i needed to get up because i had a lot to accomplish today.  so i got up and looked at another clock.  then i realized it was actually only 8:30.  but once i get up, i'm probably not going to get back to sleep so i just was up.  too early. ;)  so i decided i would use my extra hour to go to the gym.  i didn't think it'd fit into my day, but with an extra hour it seemed like a really good idea.  so that went well and i did manage to work out really hard on the elliptical.  so that's good! and then i had some errands to run.  i went to the grocery store, costco, and trader joe's collecting things for my little party tonight.  and i ended up with a ton of stuff! :)  way more food than what 7 people require.  and then i spent my afternoon preparing everything.  i had to be pretty much ready by 3:30 or so, and there was plenty to be done.  but i got it all done and started watching the red carpet coverage. and then there was the oscar party!  seriously, i love having my friends over for dinner!  and this was just like a longer version of that.  marke and katrina, brian and taylor, jen, and elizabeth all came over to watch the red carpet arrivals and then actual oscars ceremony.  i had prepared a ton of fruit, crackers and brie, and veggies and dip out.  and then for dinner, we had baked ziti that i had made.  it turned out deliciously!  and of course there was fresh bread and a caesar salad to go with it.  and for dessert i made blackbottom cupcakes.  delicious! :)  so it was a really good meal.  and we also had a lot of fun watching the ceremony, especially because we had filled out ballots were keeping score as the awards were handed out.  so it was a really great night watching the awards being handed out with all my friends!  it certainly won't be my last oscar party! and now i have just a little cleaning up left to do before i head to sleep.  happy oscar night!  g'night! ;) sunday 25 february 2007 12:09am "so just go to sleep and my heart will keep the time 'cause, oh love, when you say to me that my kiss is the breath you breathe i would wake up from a thousand dreams just to find my way to you" -- bebo norman "to find my way to you" i wasn't actually up to a whole lot today, but it turned out to be a nice day. :)  i'm pleased. so i woke up too early this morning by accident and couldn't get back to sleep so i ended up just getting out of bed and starting with my day.  today was basically a combination of me watching tv and cleaning my apartment.  and when i say cleaning, i mean thoroughly.  so anyway, that's kind of how today went.  i would do a little of one and then a little of the other until i got tired of both cleaning and watching tv. ;) i went to the gym in the afternoon.  it was really crowded when i arrived but by the time i got my headphones untangled and was about 1 minute into my workout on a (sad!) elliptical with stationary handles, the placed had really cleared out.  so i switched to a better machine with moving handles and started over.  and i had a great workout watching the food network. :) and then i spent about two hours on the phone with my brother watching the stanford boys lose to ucla.  we cried a little. ;) and i found a little time to catch up with sarah on the phone and with mel online, which was really great!  i needed that time, i'm sure. and tonight, i continued with the cleaning.  this place is pretty spotless now, for the first time in as long as i can remember!  i really am not a fan of dusting, but i even did that.  now if i can just decide what i'm going to make for dinner tomorrow night.  i'm having a few friends over to watch the oscars!  i'm really excited about it, but still... the food!  i need to get my act together. so for tonight, i'm off to bed.  and i'll be back tomorrow, post-oscars! :)  g'night! ;) friday 23 february 2007 10:51pm "well i can't find the words to say just to make, make this go away so you just bleed and i can't sleep tonight 'cause it's hard to see just what you mean across the lines that bring your voice to me but i can hear your every tear when you cry and, oh love, when you say to me that your heart breaks every time i leave i would set out across the sea just to find my way to you" -- bebo norman "to find my way to you" honestly, i don't know how to write about how i spent my day.  i share so much here, but there are things i cannot say because they're about work and i don't exactly want to get myself fired.  so what do i do?  the stuff today consumed my entire day.  i was at work from 9-9.  the end result of everything is that i have a new desk because brian and i spent all night rearranging all the furniture in the art department room.  and i'm excited about my new spot! and now i'm just relaxing.  i'm exhausted, though i didn't really expect to be.  i'm going to crash soon, even though i should probably instead spend some time cleaning this apartment.  tomorrow, right? ;)  anyway, g'night. ;) thursday 22 february 2007 11:54pm "so much for keeping all i was feeling inside so many words i wanted to say so good the reasons i was hiding behind so good for nothing at the end of the day" -- bebo normal "now that you're gone" today turned out so differently than i had planned or imagined, and i had so much fun.  i'm not sure if the fun of it all will translate here in words, but i'll give it a shot.  at any rate, believe me, i loved today. :) so i got up at a normal hour this morning and went through the regular morning routine.  and i managed to leave the apartment only 5 minutes late when really i got up 15 minutes later than i should have.  so that's good. :) and i worked away my morning on a project that needed to be completed by the afternoon, and i did manage to get that all done by lunchtime.  and after some discussion, brian and i decided on chinese for lunch.  and we ended up going to pick up stix even though we had originally planned to go to bamboo bamboo.  anyway, it was a working lunch, as we had things to discuss, so that went well and felt productive.  and then we got back to the office for an afternoon of work.  only, it didn't take us too long to get distracted from that.  so instead, we measured the entire art department and all the furniture in it.  and then we made a scale model of the room on graph paper with movable furniture pieces.  and why would we do such a thing?  so we could rearrange the room, of course!  so we came up with a really cool plan that we're going to try to implement tomorrow.  pending a little approval (we're mostly approved).  and all of a sudden it was 10pm and we knew we needed to leave the office.  10!  we were just there talking and it got late and i don't know.  we were just there for a long time.  but we only got to move 2 pieces of furniture tonight.  we have much higher hopes for tomorrow night. :) so we did head home at 10, and i stopped at the grocery on my way.  i needed food desperately.  and then i spent the rest of my evening watching "the office" and "grey's anatomy," both of which i thoroughly enjoyed.  and now i'm just about to crash because i feel really tired despite not having worked so hard today. ;) so anyway, hope you had an equally fun day!  g'night! ;) wednesday 21 february 2007 9:43pm "we saw the sunrise over the city we saw the angel lifting her eyes you were the only one who could see me i never meant to push you aside i let love slip away now that you're gone, now that you're gone i'm finally crawling out in the open i took too long, i just took too long and all that i ever wanted is broken now that you're gone" -- bebo norman "now that you're gone" wow, i didn't realize it had been quite so long since i'd last written to you here.  i guess that's what happens with a crazy long weekend and a trip home without my computer.  but anyway, now i'm back and ready to write, so here it goes. :) what a great weekend i had at home in san carlos with the family! :)  i'm so glad that i went and i could have used a few more days before coming back here.  so basically, it started on friday.  after a long day of work and shipping my magazine (and another magazine, too) to press, i finally called it quits and headed for the airport.  it was an uneventful plane ride really, which i suppose is the best kind.  and the whole family was there at the airport waiting for me! :)  and then we headed home and it wasn't too long before i crashed. saturday was so much fun, though it did admittedly start out very slowly.  i slept in deliciously late! :)  and then i lazed around the house with dad and adam watching basketball on tv and just doing a whole lot of nothing.  it was great!  and mom brought home really great take-out from macaroni grill, which i totally love!  so good! and then i did eventually get cleaned up so we could head out.  dad, adam, and i had tickets to the stanford men's basketball game against oregon.  oh my goodness!  we had so so so so much fun, and the game was wonderful!  my boys pulled out the upset and looked really good.  i'm so excited to see what they do next. :)  and it had been ages since i'd been to a game in person, so it was a huge treat!  plus, that was my first time in maples pavillion since the remodel.  looks good, as much as i miss the old floor or going all the way down to the floor level to buy food.  and after that great game, we headed across the street to burnham pavillion to see the men's volleyball team take on ucla.  we even met up with katherine there, since she lives on campus and i wanted to see her! :)  she rode her bike!  haha!  anyway, the boys got crunched 3-1 by the defending national champs, but it was still really fun (perhaps because i was still riding the basketball high?)! sunday morning i was up a bit earlier because we headed up to daly city to meet up with more family for a very early lunch at sizzler.  but first, mom, dad, adam, and i did some car-hunting at the dealers there because adam might be looking for something new.  anyway, i kind of am in love with the new model of my car. :)  but i digress.  we went to lunch with grandma, auntie lily, uncle ken, auntie joyce, caroline, brenda, and jason because grandma likes to go there (i think because grandpa used to love to go there).  it was alright.  i don't like the food there at all, but it was really nice to see everyone. in the afternoon, meg picked me up and we went for coffee.  then we wandered down to stanford shopping center and met up with katherine.  we shopped a bit, which was cool.  and then meg and i had a wonderful japanese dinner at ozuma, which is totally the best place for japanese!  mmm!  wish i could go there all the time!  i'm hungry now just thinking about it! monday was pretty fun, too! :)  adam and i spent the morning getting smoothies at skinny sippin (another san carlos institution) and then wandering around best buy aimlessly.  i'm still searching for the perfect headphones, by the way.  something small that will stay comfortably in my ears, even if i'm all sweaty.  anyway, i picked up a couple cds there and a pair of headphones that i already don't like.  but mostly, we just wandered. and in the afternoon, dad took me up to the presidio in san francisco.  he showed me his office (which i'm jealous of between the views of the city and the bay and the huge decks), and he even knew which building housed grandpa's office decades ago!  rad!  and then we walked all along the bay there up to the foot of the golden gate bridge.  it was windy as hell but unbelievably clear.  :)  so fun!  it'll definitely be added to the list of touristy places i take sf visitors. :) and sunday night, mom, dad, and i brought adam to his volleyball practice and enjoyed dinner at pasta? while that was going on.  plus, we wandered a few stores on the main drag in downtown mountain view.  pretty fun night out! yesterday (tuesday) morning, i was up at 4:30 and flying back here by 7.  and once i landed (late), i headed straight to work for a full day there.  it even included a crazy (long) lunch with john at beach cities.  a great lunch, really.  and after work, i was so exhausted i came home and just crashed. today was another full day.  it's ash wednesday, so i got up a little early and headed to 8:15 mass at st. edwards before work.  got a huge cross of ashes put on my forehead and everything! ;)  and then work.  we're slow for a couple days, finally.  it's like i get to breathe again a little bit!  i even found lots of time to hang out with marke and brian, goofing off and whatnot. :)  marke, brian, scott, and i did lunch at ihop so we could have pancakes. :)  we don't often take the time for lunch with a waiter, but today was a nice little change.  and after work, i was back to the gym.  working hard! ;) and now i'm relaxing with the tv for a while.  and soon i'm off to bed before another.  hope you're doing well and that you have sweet dreams tonight.  g'night. ;) thursday 15 february 2007 7:24pm "so how could we come this far to wind up as strangers falling apart once there was a time we thought we'd never die i've been wondering where you are i've been wondering where you are" -- evan and jaron "wondering" so i finally feel like i have the energy to sit and write for a few minutes, and now seems as good a time as any.  :)  it's been a long week. vegas.  vegas with sarah was so much fun!  we had a great time doing absolutely nothing scandalous.  :)  i met up with her at the the bellagio on friday night and we made it to our seats in the theatre withi about 10 seconds to spare before "o" started.  in case you don't know, it's a cirque du soleil show.  of course, it was absolutely incredible.  sarah and i both agreed that we would have been very much asleep if the show wasn't amazing because it started at 10:30 and by then we were both exhausted.  but anyway, it was spectacular!  the stage is water.  i'm not sure if there's a better way to describe it.  and it's all acrobatics and amazing visuals and a stage/set that's so complex i have no concept of how it all works.  you just have to see it, i suppose! :)  so then we crashed for quite a while in our amazing beds at treasure island!  and we spent saturday dining at trevi in the forum shops at caesar's palace and wandering around the shops there and at the venetian.  and then we changed into ridiculous shoes for walking and went back to caesar's to see elton john and the red piano.  elton is, needless to say, a spectacular performer.  he needs nothing but a piano (and maybe his awesome band sometimes).  so good!  and i love when performers talk about their songs in between, and he did plenty of that.  and he played all the songs i would want to hear, including "tiny dancer."  the david lachapelle-designed production was a little odd, but i mostly just ignored it and paid attention to elton himself.  he didn't need all that production.  so yeah, awesome show! :)  and then we did dinner at isla, which was super good!  vegas really is full of great food!  and sunday we got to sleep in some more because we were on vacation!  but we did have to be out of the hotel by noon, so we managed to do that.  and we headed over to the buffet at the bellagio for brunch, which was so delicious.  i think i ate breakfast, lunch, and dessert all as one meal!  so good!  and we checked out the ansel adams exhibition at the gallery of fine art there, which was really cool.  and we did a little more shopping at the desert shop at aladdin before crashing at a starbucks until it was time for us to head to the airport.  it was a great weekend! :) work.  well, i admittedly have done far less work this week than i anticipated.  that's because i got the flu and had to skip 2.5 days.  that's unprecedented for me.  and yeah, i'm here worrying that everything's going well there especially my magazine, "portable design," which shipped to press today (i think) without me there.  i'm worried about it, but we'll see.  i'l be back in the office tomorrow to try to catch up on as much as possible before a long weekend. the flu.  yep.  the girl who gets flu shots got the flu.  i knew it was possible.  oh, well.  i hadn't been that sick in a very long time.  i spent a couple days lying here on the couch with achy muscles and a fever and a voice that just stopped working.  moving was a chore.  but now i'm back to about 80%.  the voice is coming back but not at all normal.  my temperature is back to 98.6.  i've been able to get around and i even made it to the store (next door and i drove) to pick up juice and soup.  so i'm back on track but i was down and out for a while. home.  tomorrow night, i'm headed up to san carlos for the three-day weekend, which should be super mellow but nice and fun. :)  i'm looking forward to hanging around there for a few days, even if i don't have too much planned.  and it sounds like the family is anxious to see me. so that's about it for me.  hope you're well.  g'night. ;) wednesday 14 february 2007 10:07pm i wanted to just write a quick update for you since i have been kind of mia the last few days.  i'm sick.  like knock-down-drag-out sick.  it's the flu, i believe.  anyway, it hit me hard on monday night, and i tried to sleep it off but it didn't work.  yesterday i dragged myself to work in the morning for a few hours of work.  we're just so busy there this week that i wanted to make sure some things were taken care of.  anyway, i left there around lunchtime and rested/napped on the couch the rest of the day.  and i called in sick to work today altogether.  and i don't do that.  ever.  and i'm feeling a lot better right now than i did yesterday or monday night.  i know i need one more day to recover.  not sure if i'll take it, though, because my magazine, my baby, is supposed to go to press tomorrow and i don't know what will happen if i am not there tomorrow to send it.  we'll see.  anyway, i'll write more soon, but for tonight, i'm tucking in to watch the "growing pains" marathon on nick-at-nite until i crash.  g'night. ;) oh, and happy valentine's day. sunday 11 february 2007 11:08pm i made it back from vegas safely, and sarah and i had a blast!  i'm excited to write about the trip, but right now i need to go to bed because i have a very long week ahead of me and i want to be at least a little bit rested before the madness officially begins tomorrow morning.  so i'll be back soon with how the trip went, but know it went great! :)  g'night! ;) friday 9 february 2007 12:22am i cannot believe i forgot the funniest moment of my day when i wrote earlier!  so we were walking in the office door from lunch and marke got a text from katrina saying that anna nicole smith died.  so he was like, "did you know she died?!?"  and of course, i didn't.  this was seriously breaking news.  and so i got on my computer and pulled up the article on the "people" magazine website.  and read it.  and then i got back to my email, which had piled up while i was out.  and do you know what was in there?  a breaking news alert from people.com informing me that anna nicole died.  hahaha!  i'm kind of embarrassed for myself, but of course i told marke and brian, who couldn't stop laughing along with me.  yeah, apparently i really am totally addicted to the celebrity news!  yikes!  and yet i still found out before i got the email!  it was nearly impossible for it to work out that way but it did!  anyway, it was pretty funny when it happened, even if it didn't come across in type. ;)  okay, i really am going to bed now.  sweet dreams. thursday 8 february 2007 11:36pm "it's not so much the things you say to me it's not the things you do it's how i feel each time you're close to me that keeps me close to you you are the one that i've always dreamed of i knew it from the start i saw your face and that's the last i've seen of my heart" -- josh kelley "you are the woman" i'm tired but i don't really even care because i'm looking forward to the weekend so much. :)  so anyway, i made it through thursday and am just about ready to get on to friday.  and vegas! so i had a rough time getting out of bed this morning, but i eventually did.  and i rushed through the morning routine and got out of here only 5 minutes late.  the late thing is happening lately because i am now setting my alarm 15 minutes later than i used to.  and because i work so much no one can really say anything if i show up 5 minutes late.  so anyway, headed out. there was a lot going on at work today.  surprise.  surprise.  i know.  but anyway, i had barely gotten started with my morning when starla stamps, our rep from our printing company, arrived to meet with us.  so i ended up in a meeting with her for about half my morning.  i was probably needed for about 5 minutes of that.  oh, well.  she is really cool, though!  and of course, then a big group of us went out to el ranchito for lunch, which was tasty but way, way, way too long.  we were there forever.  so when i got back to the office, i went straight to work and i seriously kicked some magazine butt!  ;)  haha!  i did like 50 pages of magazine in like 2 hours.  that's insane.  so anyway, then i placed all the ads in "rtc" and even wrapped up my section so it's all ready for tomorrow at 4pm, when it needs to be put in the mail to our copy editor.  and yeah, i was there really late again, but i needed to get some things accomplished today. then i went straight to the gym, though i really just felt like coming home instead.  but my workout ended up going really well.  and like that commercial goes, no one ever says, "i wish i hadn't gone to the gym today."  and afterwards, i headed home and got cleaned up. i needed to go a little straightening around here.  no one wants to come home to a totally trashed apartment after a weekend away.  so i took care of that stuff, and then i packed my suitcase.  that's always a struggle for me because i have trouble dressing myself on a regular day, let alone trying to dress myself for the next three days all at once.  but i think i managed to do a decent job!  either way, sarah and i will have a good time. :)  also tonight, i talked to the family, which was fun. :)  and of course, there was no way i could skip tonight's "the office" (so, so, so, so funny!) and "grey's anatomy."  good stuff!  i <3 february sweeps! and now i need to crash.  but i just might watch ugly betty instead! :)  because i can! and so tomorrow, after work i'm headed straight to the airport.  i'm flying to vegas and meeting sarah there.  we have fun stuff planned, and i'll be back here late(ish) sunday night.  i'll let you know how the whole trip goes! :)  vegas, baby! ;) g'night! ;) wednesday 7 february 2007 11:24pm "it's not so much your pretty face it's not the clothes you wear it's more that special way you look at me that always keeps me there" -- josh kelley "you are the woman" i'm not exactly sure whre to start.  i'm exhausted.  and i should be sleeping instead of awake but the fact that i got home at 9 is kind of throwing me off tonight.  so anyway, let me just recap the past two days for you.  we'll see how this goes. yesterday was a busy day at work.  you can pretty much assume that today was, as well, and all the other days are, too.  i work.  a lot.  there's a lot to do around there, especially for me because i'm pulling a lot of weight.  so pretty much, if i am there, i am working my butt off.  it has, however, been really nice to have brian in the office this week.  he was out for so long, but it's good to get back to the fun him, marke, and i have messing around.  makes work better! lunch yesterday was good but bad.  it could have been good.  it was a beautiful day and we actually walked.  other parts of the lunch, though, were not what i would have chosen.  at least it had potential.  today's lunch was much better!  marke, brian, and i went to costco for a super cheap lunch and then walked around the store for a bit to just stay out of the office a bit longer and so marke could get a bunch of free samples.  haha!  anyway, that was a good time! :) i'm back on with going to the gym, so i went both yesterday and today.  i worked super hard (by accident) today, so my legs are going to hate me tomorrow, but i'll be alright. :)  anyway, the gym.  it's good.  and they always have a tv with a basketball game on, so that's good entertainment. yesterday evening was spent catching up on "heroes" and "studio 60" and talking to the parents and chatting with sarah online a bit.  and somehow i ended up being up entirely too late, like tonight.  oh, and tonight's been super quiet.  i've hardly even moved.  i watched "beauty and the geek," which was awesome and made me cry.  :)  and i also caught up on "the hills," which i really like no matter how bad it is. ;) and what else?  i don't know.  i'm so unprepared to go to vegas on friday, so i have my work cut out for me tomorrow night!  i need to talk to sarah, too!  what am i packing?  oh, and i'm totally on edge right now.  i definitely will need this little break.  i had a little episode this morning driving to work as i got to thinking about adam graduating from high school in may.  haha!  yeah, bad. ;) anyway, i need to get to sleep, or at least give it a shot.  back tomorrow.  g'night. ;) tuesday 6 february 2007 11:33pm today tomorrow.  sweet dreams.  g'night. ;) monday 5 february 2007 9:09pm "it's funny that you're calling me tonight and yes, i dreamt of you too... i guess we never really moved on it's really good to hear your voice saying my name it sounds so sweet coming from the lips of an angel hearing those words it makes me weak and i never wanna say goodbye" -- jack ingram "lips of an angel" so this song.  it applies in a sort of future sense.  i don't know.  i saw the music video and i like the song, so there you go. i feel like i can finally breathe now after like 5 or 6 days of feeling like i'm drowning.  and i must say, it's good to breathe. :)  i'm writing earlier than usual tonight in the hopes that i might actually find a decent night's rest finally.  it hasn't so much been a lack of hours available but more the pure anxiety.  but tonight, that's gone and i'm exhausted.  so anyway, i'll just get on with what i have to say. so i got up early this morning and put on a cute dress (again) and headed off to work early this morning.  and i wrapped up the template for "portable design" and started showing it to people.  and i got a "that's good.  that's very good." from john.  and marina declared her love for it.  and i presented it to the whole art department in the afternoon and they all seem to approve.  and once marke understood the crop marks (heh, pun), i got a "that's even cooler than i realized."  so we're going with it and production officially starts tomorrow for our first issue!  crazy!  i'm so excited that i designed a whole book myself, and i can hardly wait to see it in print.  so all the worry turned out okay after a weekend of hard work.  awesome! :)  a magazine!  by me!  it's still all pretty crazy. and there was other work today, which was actually pretty substantial but at the moment seems totally trivial and mundane.  so yeah, it was a full day for me at the office. and it was a gorgeous day out here again, hence the dress mentioned earlier. :)  so brian and i went up the road to z pizza for lunch outside, which was fantastic.  especially in february when the rest of the country is thoroughly frozen.  i do love it here! :) after work (and i did manage to leave at a totally normal hour today), i headed for the gym for a workout.  people are rude and inconsiderate when it comes to choosing their machines, but it turned out alright, so i won't bother typing more.  anyway, good workout. :) and tonight i've just been hanging out.  i watched "grey's anatomy" from last week, finally, which was so good!  and tonight's episode of "the class" made me laugh.  and i'm recording "heroes" and "studio 60" for later because i really want to get to bed.  and i spent way too long on the phone with the family, which was fun.  adam got his first college acceptance letter to lmu, which is pretty cool for him. :) so i'm off now, but i'll have more tomorrow.  g'night. ;) sunday 4 february 2007 10:22pm "kiss me in the dark roll me through the night hold me like you'll never let me go hit me with your heart 'til the morning light let your skin talk to my soul kiss me in the dark" -- randy rogers band "kiss me in the dark" it feels like it's been kind of a long sunday, but really i wasn't crazy busy.  and lots of it was quite enjoyable.  some of it was work, but lots of that even went really well. i woke up too early again.  i'm not sleeping well this weekend because i'm worried about work stuff.  it's unhealthy and totally nuts, i know.  but it's still the truth.  anyhow, i woke up to a really gorgeous morning, which turned into an 85+-degree day.  just like i love it!  so that put me in a good mood, and i'm sure i was desperate for a day as nice as today.  the winter cold just isn't for me, especially when i'm not somewhere like london, where i didn't mind the winter one bit.  but i digress.  so i got cleaned up and put on a cute little dress and headed out into the day. :) i thought about getting my car washed, but it was terribly crowded when i drove by, so i figure i'll take care of that another day.  so then i headed up to south coast plaza because i wanted to go to the stationery store there.  it's for sure the best around.  i love everything in it.  so i wandered around for about an hour before settling on a few things and purchasing them. :)  then i headed back home, picking up a take-n-bake pizza and some lotion (odd combo, i realized) on my way. i then spent my early afternoon working.  yep.  i know.  anyway, i created a draft of the magazine that i really love and am proud of, so that's exciting and at least a little weight off my chest.  i even showed it to sarah, and she is in love with it.  now it's just a matter of making sure other people at work agree. then it was time for the super bowl, which i decided to watch at home this year.  last year i went to a party and didn't get to watch the commercials and was forced outside during the 3rd quarter for a touch football game.  plus, my tv is in high-def!  so i watched here, and i quite enjoyed myself.  i had a little pizza and some cookies and sat around watching.  i even chatted with marke and sarah through part of it, so it was like i was witch friends, sort of. :)  oh!  and kath called, so i got to catch up with her a little bit, as well. :) and this evening, it was back to work.  i created the third version of the magazine.  three seems like a good number.  insane.  i know. ;) then i finally took a break for myself and watched "four weddings and a funeral" and gave myself a much-needed manicure. :)  and i rounded out my night with a phone call to dad and adam, which went really well. :) and now i suppose i should get to bed.  i think i'm going into work early tomorrow.  seriously, though, the deadlines are just coming up so fast.  anyway, after about a week and a half, things should get back closer to normal.  and i do have vegas next weekend to look forward to!  so i'll be back tomorrow to fill you in on my life.  for now, i hope you have sweet dreams.  g'night. ;) sunday 4 february 2007 12:30am "i've been made blue i've been lied to when will i be loved... i've been cheated been mistreated when will i be loved" -- everly brothers "when will i be loved" i suddenly realized how i tired i am.  i thought i would be up super late today, but now i just want to crawl into bed and crash.  so anyway, i will take a few minutes to write this, and then i'm off to bed for some rest.  it's been a pretty good saturday. so i woke up way too early this morning, and i really don't know why.  i do know, though, that once i woke up i couldn't get back to sleep because i was obsessing about things i shouldn't be concerned with on a saturday morning, like work.  so i just got up because i figured i might as well. i enjoyed breakfast and watched several things on tv that were recorded from earlier in the week.  it was really just very mellow.  i even managed to take a little nap. eventually, i got dressed and headed over to the grocery store for a few essentials, nothing really very exciting at all.  i just wanted to make sure i have some food for tomorrow and the upcoming week. then i headed over to the y for a really good workout on the elliptical machine.  again, it was good, so i'm excited about that.  it's super mellow there on the weekends, which is really nice.  then i came home and got cleaned up. and then i spent the next two hours on the phone with my brother while we watched the stanford boys beat cal, in the big rivalry game of the season.  very exciting!  there were a lot of really good games today and plenty of upsets, and it's shaping up to be a really great season! :) and tonight i headed up to barnes and nobel to do some more magazine research.  i spent about two hours going through magazines trying to get more ideas for "portable design" because i'm just not happy with it yet.  i know, i'm obsessing.  but i really want (need?) it to be amazing.  so i got a bunch more ideas there that i really like, and i even started putting those together in indesign.  i'm pretty sure i'll end up doing a lot more work tomorrow.  anyway, that's how i spent the whole night. so now i'm just about ready to go to bed.  tomorrow i have a few errands to take care of, and then i'll settle in to watch the super bowl.  the commercials are, of course, my favorite part of the whole thing. :)  so anyway, i should get some rest.  g'night. ;) friday 2 february 2007 10:56pm "can't wait to give my heart to you we'll walk this road together that leads us to forever i close my eyes and say a prayer you're out there somewhere i've been waiting all of my life for you i've been wishing on every shining star i've been watching out of my window wondering where you are wondering where you are" -- tyrone wells "wondering where you are" friday went pretty well, surprisingly.  i knew i was in for a lot more hard work, but it still turned out to be pretty enjoyable.  now i'm finally relaxing for a few minutes and looking forward to the rest of the weekend. :) so i once again had a hard time getting up this morning, but that's not really surprising at all because i was pretty tired by the time i made it to bed last night.  and i didn't sleep especially well, even waking up before the alarm(s) went off.  but anyway, i did eventually make it up.  i just got cleaned up and dressed, had a little cereal, and managed to head out of here really close to on time. ;)  it was a sunny morning, which is such a welcome sight! work.  well, as you can probably guess, it was a very busy day spent trying to assemble the "portable design" magazine template.  it's a huge job.  it's important and pretty creative and high-pressure.  and i want it to be good.  oh, and it's something that should take months, not days.  but anyway, i went straight to work on that and really just spent the entire day doing it.  i had brian helping me with ideas and revisions and comments but he's been working remotely for the past two weeks and it's difficult to express visual ideas in words in instant messenger.  but we did our best, and he expects to be in the office monday, so we can get a lot more done then, too.  we know it's really our responsibility to make this magazine everything we want it to be, so we're excited but know how important it all is.  anyway, that's all i did today.  okay, there was the 15 minutes i took to eat a pizza i had delivered to me and we had cake for sandy, marina, and marke, who all have february birthdays.  that was a few minutes, too.  so anyway, it was a very busy day, and i once again found myself closing down the office.  i do, however, feel like i got a lot accomplished today.  oh, and i just might have brought my files home with me in case i decide to do a little work over the weekend.  i'm a work junkie.  wow. so after work, i climbed back aboard a wagon that i fell off of way too long ago.  i went to the gym.  i've been so busy with work and life and things that it had just dropped off my schedule, but i desperately want to get back on track.  so i went.  no day but today, right?  and because i was feeling a little adventurous, i used the elliptical machine, which i don't think i've ever done for more than about 5 minutes before.  it took a couple minutes to get used to it, but after that it was great!  haha!  i know i'm like way behind the revolution with this discovery, but still better late than never. :)  so that was great and i'll find myself back there again, i know.  and then i came home and got back on the strength training, as well.  i told you i'm serious about re-committing. after getting cleaned up, i had a little dinner and enjoyed "men in trees" and "gilmore girls."  fun stuff! :)  and i talked to the family for a bit, which was especially nice because i missed them last night.  i think the more stressed i get the more i need to talk to them.  anyhow, it's been super mellow around here tonight, and i'm about to tuck in and read until i crash, which will hopefully be later rather than sooner. :) so i'm off, but i'll be back again soon.  the weekend is pretty wide open, but i need to do stuff like take care of some work for bobby, get my car washed, go to the stationery store, and watch the superbowl!  seems like a doable list. :)  anyway, i hope you're having sweet dreams.  g'night. ;) thursday 1 february 2007 11:11pm "give me the chance to prove that nothing's worth losing you i still believe in your with a love that will always be standing so strong and true baby, i still believe in you and me" -- vince gill "i still believe in you" today was weird. so i slept in a little later than i should have this morning and ended up kind of rushing to get dressed and through breakfast and all that.  of course, i was still late, but believe me, it doesn't really matter.  i work enough hours to compensate. so work today.  there's plenty to get done, including laying out the the latest issue of "pkg."  we're trying to run it ahead of schedule and are doing a pretty good job of that, actually.  and then there are other various projects here and there that needed to get taken care of.  and there was the fact that things just seemed a tad more difficult than usual today.  i even managed to spill a huge glass of water all over my desk, getting all the papers i had very wet.  but it happens.  what can you do?  also, i beat marke at darts today, which was really fun!  i won by hitting a triple 18 because i needed 54 points exactly.  awesome! :)  and marke and i went to japanese for lunch, which was pretty good.  he chose because it's his 24th birthday today.  we're still looking for better san clemente japanese places, though, because that couldn't have been the best.  and then the rest of the day was spent working on the new magazine template for "portable design."  i am working really hard on it, but the timeline is super short, which makes for long days for me.  after 10 hours at work, i headed home and put in 3 more hours of work.  but i want it to be really outstanding and i have some exciting ideas, so i don't mind too terribly. so yeah, i came home from work really late.  and i grabbed some dinner and went back to work on the the magazine template.  i did get to do a couple fun things, though, tonight.  i talked to both megs and sarah on the phone for a bit.  and i watched this week's "the hills" (sooo cute!) and "the office" (sooo hilarious!).  love those shows! so i feel like i'm getting really old today.  marke's turning 24, which means i am too in a few months!  one friend is going to have a baby any day now.  another friend is separating from his wife.  and another invited me to a very... ahem... adult party (which i cannot attend).  and i apparently work 13 hour days.  so when did we all get so grown up?!?  i have no idea. so anyway, i actually finished the work stuff earlier than expected and am now really excited to be heading to bed before 1am.  so i'm off.  have sweet dreams tonight, and i'll be back with more tomorrow.  g'night. ;) wednesday 31 january 2007 11:20pm "in your eyes i see a light it's your emotions glowing bright so keep the fires burning let it warm me through the night you can be a part of me 'cause you're what love has meant to me you and me, baby will set this flame inside us free" -- alabama "take me down" while the day doesn't feel like it went perfectly, there were some really nice highlights, so i guess i'm doing just fine for a wednesday (besides the whole sleeping thing, which i'm not very good at these days). so i took way too long to get ready today and it was leaving as i headed off to work, so that's not my favorite way to kick off a day.  but not so much i can do about changing the weather ever since my magic wand went on the fritz.  ;)  plus, i was trying to carry a massive stack of magazines from here to my car and then from my car to the office all in the rain.  and they were actually too heavy for one person.  but i did it anyway because i'm stubborn like that.  see, i want to go through them and get some ideas and i didn't do that here last night so today at the office seemed like a good time. okay, so work.  i wanted to spend more of today on the magazine template i'm designing, but things like laying out a magazine and making drink coupons for a conference got in the way.  that's always how it goes, i swear.  anyway, i did eventually get to start my research, but i am not finished.  but even now, i already feel like i have some really good ideas.  and becky's getting settled in more, so she wanted to see how some stuff works, as well.  i lunched with jessica, lea, lauren, and diana at the pier in san clemente.  there's a restaurant there and we sat outside over the beach.  it was simply gorgeous! :)  it was clearing up by then and everything felt so fresh after the rain.  anyway, that was pretty fun and definitely different. after work, lea, diana, and i went to the cheesecake factory together for dinner.  lea promised me dinner there a while back when i stayed extra late to take care of one of her customers for her.  :)  we had sooo much fun hanging out there tonight.  dinner was so delicios, and dessert was even better!  i brought home the leftover cheesecake, too, so that'll be fun tomorrow night (and the night after?).  we were there almost three hours just talking!  so great!  diana's about to give birth now, so we want to hang out with her lots because we'll miss her during her maternity leave. and then i came home and watched the second half of the stanford game, which wasn't exactly fun.  they had a rough night.  and then i thoroughly enjoyed "beauty and the geek!"  love that! :)  but now i'm totally spent and hoping i can get into bed pretty quickly now.  more tomorrow.  g'night! ;) tuesday 30 january 2007 10:58pm "take me down where i wanna be turn around this man who lives inside of me take me down and love me all night long hold me close and make me strong take me down take me down tonight" -- alabama "take me down" i woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning.  perhaps it was the rain.  perhaps it was the fact that i didn't go to sleep until 1:30.  not sure.  but either way, i have a short temper and could probably have been nicer today.  not that i didn't have any fun today, though.  it's the weather, i think.  i'm not good at winter. anyway, so i was off to work this morning in the rain.  work today was busy enough for me.  i got the "pkg" media kit all wrapped up and together and ready for some final proofing.  that's a huge accomplishment, and i love how it turned out.  i even sent a pdf of it to sarah and she loves it.  so anyway, that's good stuff.  also, we have a new managing editor, becky, who started today.  she's going to help out marina, not replace her.  she seems really nice, and i hope that she actually is because she's sitting in the art department with brian, barry, and me.  anyway, we had lunch out with her, which was cool.  and i was back to losing at darts to marke, so the universe is back in order. ;) after work, lea and i headed up to the movie theatre to see "dreamgirls."  i've never been terribly excited about this movie, but there was no way i could skip the most nominated of the oscar movies.  plus, sarah loved it so she encouraged me to check it out.  so i went and had my delicious free popcorn.  and the movie was good but not my favorite.  it's fun.  but i didn't love all of it, including the character of effie, who is basically the main character.  anyhow, it is good but it's not the best. and now i'm back home.  i chatted with sarah a bit online and talked to the family on the phone for a bit.  now i'm writing this and catching up on the local news instead of doing the work i should be doing.  i have some research to do as i start to redesign "portable design," but i'm not focused enough right now.  so anyway, i guess i should either get back to that or just go to bed and worry about it in the morning. i'll be back with more next time.  hope you had a good tuesday and are having sweet dreams.  g'night. ;) monday 29 january 2007 11:54pm "fly away with me tonight take me on a one-way flight in your loving arms everything's gonna be alright you're the one who took my hand on one else could understand you're the one who moves me like nobody else can" -- alabama "take me down" ::yawn:: i am once again up too late for my own good.  oh, well.  that's kind of just how it goes.  i'm not exactly sure where all the hours went but i'm really just not done with my night yet, so i'll get to bed when i get there.  anyway, monday.  i don't love mondays, and while it was a decent day, i was in a bit of a sassy mood, you might say.  it happens. ;) so i read until i crashed last night, which was a nice little treat.  i haven't been doing as much reading as i would like lately.  and i slept okay until my alarm went off this morning, at which point i was thoroughly asleep.  i really wanted to just stay in bed, but i resisted the temptation and made it to the shower.  i got cleaned up and dressed and all the regular morning stuff.  and i was off to work like 10 minutes late and hit every single red light on the way, so it took me like 5 minutes longer than normal (which is an extra 20%!).  anyway, i eventually made it to the office. work was alright.  i made some progress with the media kit i'm working on, and just have a few small things to put in tomorrow so it can get proofed.  thank goodness!  and i'm about ready to start on designing a new magazine template, which is both exciting and scary.  i lunched with melissa, marke, and diana at wahoo's.  it was fun to see melissa again! :)  and i worked more in the afternoon.  yeah, i'm not sure what else to say.  that's what i did.  oh!  and i beat marke and darts today, which hasn't happened in so long i cannot remember the last time and stunned marke so much that he is now (jokingly... sort of) accusing me of cheating!  ha!  i beat that boy fair and square! :)  love that! after work, i had a few errands to take care of, so i was driving all over the place for like 2 hours.  but i got everything taken care of, which is a nice relief. :)  and then i came home to start reading a new book just because i was excited about it and felt like reading for about an hour.  and then i enjoyed "heroes" and "studio 60."  and somewhere in there i talked to the family for way too long.  but they're mostly good fun. ;) and now i'm just hanging out writing and wishing i had another hour i could spend reading.  but i am thinking i'll need to get to bed pretty soon here.  so i'm off.  g'night. ;) sunday 28 january 2007 10:23pm "it's like flying down some back road at midnight with your eyes closed and the headlights off i've been searching everywhere can't find that feeling anywhere you're all i want, now all i want" -- gary allan "a feelin' like that" so it turned out to be quite a nice sunday. :)  i didn't do a whole lot, actually, but it was nice.  and i'm not quite ready for it to be monday yet. so i stayed up entirely too late last night just because i felt like it, and then i slept in a little late this morning.  i eventually did wake up, though, retrieved the newspaper, and brought it back to bed with me. :)  plus, there was some basketball on tv, which was cool.  i watched some of the winter x-games.  i took a much-needed shower.  i had a little lunch.  and i got ready to go out. i had just a couple places i wanted to visit today.  i went to loehmann's to look for jeans and failed miserably.  i tried on 10 pairs and hated all of them.  so i continue my quest for more jeans.  you cannot ever have enough, right? ;)  then i went to look at shoes at ... i can't remember the name of the place but it's basically like dsw.  anyway, i found two really cute pairs that fit into what i've been looking for lately.  i found a cute pair of black ballet flats and a sexy pair of red patent leather peep toe slingbacks.  awesome!  :)  i pranced around the apartment in those all night!  haha!  anyway, then i went to old navy for tank tops and came out with several, as well as an adorable purse.  seriously, they had so many cute bags there!  i could have walked out with three! :)  and the i did a little grocery shopping because that needed to happen to get the week started right. then i came home and made it here just in time to see the tipoff of the ucla-stanford basketball game.  ucla is ranked 3 in the country and stanford is... just barely unranked.  but that's all about to change!  with a brilliant second-half comeback (they were down 17 at one point in the first half), the cardinal beat ucla!  woot!  what a fun game!!! :) then i watched the screen actors guild awards tonight, which was really fun.  i love a lot of the winners, including the casts of "the office," "grey's anatomy," and "little miss sunshine!"  so much fun!  plus, i watched them recorded so i got to skip over the commercials and the lifetime achievement award.  excellent. :)  i love awards season, especially when i've become so into seeing so many of the films.  :) and now i'm just hanging out putting off going to bed in hopes that i'm putting off monday's arrival.  of course, i know it is inevitable, so for tonight, i am off.  g'night. ;) oh!  and i put just a couple new photos on flickr for you. sunday 28 january 2007 12:32am "i stepped out into the blue, felt the wind hit my face before my chute opened i felt my heart race i was falling oh, but that's just falling off the coast of australia i dove way down deep for all that i saw the great barrier reef it was nothing, compared to you it was nothing i got lightening in my veins and thunder in my chest all tangled up with you and trying to catch my breath i've been chasing that sensation halfway 'round the world and looking back on what we had well i've done it all, i've seen it all, but i can't find a feeling like that" -- gary allan "a feelin' like that" i should be sleeping... 'stead of dreaming about you.  (love emerson drive song.  couldn't resist.)  but really, it's kind of late but i once again don't really feel like going to bed quite yet, despite having no real reason to continue to be awake tonight.  anyway, i think i am just rambling instead of getting on with telling you about the past two days.  hmm... maybe that's what the late night does to me. ;)  but anyhow, for now i'm writing (and i'll sleep when i'm dead? ;)). so yesterday (friday) i never wrote because i kind of crashed last night and wasn't expecting that.  oops! ;)  anyway, so yesterday went pretty well.  it was definitely a good friday.  i looked cute when i headed off to work, which was nice.  i mean, i looked like a bum pretty much all week, so i figured it was time. :)  i had thought about wearing a dress but it turned out to be quite a bit colder than it has been so i put on a skirt and sweater instead.  anyhow, it was a cute day. ;) work was busy enough.  it wasn't that i had any more work given to me.  it was just that i was focused enough to actually make some serious progress on the "pkg" media kit i'm working on.  for a good portion of the day, i had my headphones on and was rocking out in my own little world.  that does wonders for my productivity. :)  and i did take a little break to have lunch with diana and lea at i <3 bagels, which was so delicious, even if it's entirely too far to go for a bagel for lunch.  anyway, i was there a little bit late, but i was getting real work done and i didn't want to stop that before the weekend.  i was kind of on a roll. then i headed straight to the movies.  okay, actually, i first stopped at the grocery for some movie candy and a lemonade, but then i went to the movies.  "venus" finally opened in actual theatres so i could see it, and so i went.  it was fabulous!  i loved every moment of it.  peter o'toole is excellent.  the story is so cool, and the central relationship is so complicated and unconventional.  i don't know.  i just really enjoyed the movie. :)  the oscars continue to get more and more confusing. :) then i headed home and ended up watching tv and then accidentally crashing on the couch.  when i woke up like an hour later, i moved myself to the bed and slept for nearly 12 hours.  so nice! :)  i am certain that my body needed that because i've been staying up kind of late the past few days especially. so i got up this morning and watched some basketball and just hung out.  i talked to dad for a bit, as well, which was nice.  seriously, though, i was just hanging out.  at one point, i even drifted off into a nap, but mom interrupted that when she called.  yeah, i'm boring.  and then in the afternoon, i got up and cleaned all around the apartment and did dishes and took out the trash and all that stuff.  it needed to happen, i am certain.  and then i caght up on a bit of tv.  i'm loving "what about brian," "the o.c.," and "nashville star."  all different, but all wonderful! :) then tonight i went up to irvine to see "little children."  i've been wanting to see that film for a long time but just hadn't gotten around to it, but i finally did.  and it was worth the drive up there and more.  it was wonderful!  such a good film!  so i am not exactly sure when i became kind of obsessed with seeing all these art house/oscar movies, but i kind of have.  maybe it's because i'm bored.  or maybe it's because they always seem to be worth my $10, unlike some of the bigger, regular movies.  anyway, this was yet another wonderful film.  oh, and patrick wilson is smokin' hott in it.  seriously! :) and now i'm here watching another episode of "nashville star" because i had some catching up to do. :)  anyway, i'm loving that. :)  and i'm putting off going to bed because i can.  not sure what the rest of the weekend has in store.  another movie?  perhaps. :)  anyway, more next time and i hope you're having sweet dreams.  g'night. ;) thursday 25 january 2007 10:46pm "i'll do what i have to do i'll beg, borrow, steal, cheat, and lie for you i'll put it all on the line if you ask me to i'll bet it all on you every time, every dime i'll bet it all on you" -- vince gill "bet it all on you" i should be getting to bed.  i don't feel like doing that.  so i'm up and writing and watching a rerun of "the office."  and actually, it was a decent thursday.  i could have used some more excitement, but you know how it goes.  and i feel like i got a lot of stuff done and had some fun in the process, so it hasn't been too bad.  plus, it's nearly the weekend, and that's welcomed news. :) so i got up this morning like usual and that isn't particularly interesting.  but i was watching "the news," ("good day l.a." hardly qualifies as actual news), like i do every morning while i'm getting ready, and i realized that jillian was wearing a dress that i own!  the one i got at half off at anthropologie.  so i feel all stylish because she wears really nice clothes, mostly far more expensive than normal people can buy.  so that made my morning! :) so then there was work.  i was late because i kind of got up 15 minutes late this morning.  no one cared.  and i got some work done in the morning but wasn't feeling particularly motivated in the afternoon, so i read business, design, and celebrity gossip blogs.  good times!  no, actually, it was really very boring.  scott, marke, jason, barry, and i also took a break in the middle of the day to pick up lunch at pedro's, which i love because it's $2.14 and delicious!  plus, i am so comfortable eating at my desk while reading the newspaper.  i know, such a hermit. ;)  anyway, work was fine and i left on time, and i didn't get enough done today so i'll pay for it tomorrow. and then i came home.  i had a lot of energy when i got here, probably because i'd been sitting doing nothing for too long and wanted to feel like i could accomplish something.  so i fully reorganized the closet so everything has its place now and it's all great.  and i reorganized my underwear drawer, too, because it was kind of a mess and i couldn't handle it anymore.  and i did some ironing, too, which i never, ever do because i don't really like it.  but i had table linens that i washed yesterday that were now to wrinkled to ever use.  so i got a ton of stuff around the apartment, which was awesome! i also watched my stanford boys beat usc in a great game.  brook lopez had a triple-double with 18 points, 11 rebounds, and a school record 12 blocks.  12 blocks is insane.  :)  love that!  plus, i watched about half the game while on the phone with dad/adam, which is a good time.  also, i learned that i do definitely have a ticket to the west regional tournament games in san jose in march, so i'm stoked and already booked a plane ticket home for that weekend.  awesome! :) and i got to chat with some friends tonight, which is great.  i do adore them. :)  sarah and i ended up talking about googling people, so i looked for myself not by searching my name (because there's someone semi-famous with the same name so it's a little useless) but by searching missywyatt instead.  and i found this.  that's from a zine meg decided to run 7 years ago.  ahahaha!  awesome photo, right? ;)  so i had to tell meg i found that, and neither of us can really believe that's still online.  crazy!  fun remembering those times when i hung out with those crazy kids.  i mean, i still hang out with megs, of course, but the rest i haven't seen in entirely too long.  fun memories. :) and now i'm just hanging out.  i enjoyed "grey's anatomy" tonight despite the excess of bloody medical scenes.  and i've finished the "the office" rerun and have moved on to last night's letterman with mandy moore as the guest.  she's so cute!  i want her dress! but i guess i should be getting to bed soon, even though i don't really feel like it.  g'night. ;) wednesday 24 january 2007 10:22pm "i cried and cried for hours and i tried to clear my head i even went and laid back down on her side of the bed her perfume lingered on the sheets our love once laid upon her memory's destroying me in the cold gray light of gone" -- vince gill "cold gray light of gone" it was a really good wednesday.  i mean, it wasn't special or anything but i think the pace was what i've been looking for, especially at work.  so anyway, it was good and i'm watching "beauty and the geek" right now, so things are looking up. :) so work went really well today.  the office was super quiet because a lot of people are up in santa clara for our rtecc show tomorrow, jason was out today, barry was... mia, and brian was working from home until marke and i insisted he stop working and get some rest.  so anyway, the office was nice and quiet and i got a ton of work done without ever feeling particularly stressed.  it also probably helped that i was playing my music all day.  :)  oh, and i lunched at z pizza with marke and left the office this afternoon at a totally decent hour.  awesome. :) after work, i headed home.  i've been busy around here.  i did 6 big loads of laundry.  it's been... um... a long, long time. ;)  since christmas.  haha!  i know.  so anyway, that was great, and i'm still working on putting everything away.  and i got "sherrybaby" in the mail today, so i watched that.  it's well done.  it was actually not as dark as i had expected and in a good way.  and so that's about it! oh!  and sarah and i booked show tickets for our vegas weekend, so that's exciting!  we're seeing cirque du soleil's "o" and elton john the red piano.  both should be awesome!  woohoo! so i'm going to get to the rest of the laundry and then crash.  more next time.  g'night. ;) tuesday 23 january 2007 11:06pm "well i spent all my time searching running like the wayward wind you found me desperately drifting you touched my heart and took me in now your love runs through me and in your eyes i see reflections i never know i'll always be sailing on a river like you" -- vince gill "a river like you" today was really good, apart from the fact that i just wasted the last hour and a half of my life fussing with the stupid dvr that is malfunctioning.  apparently it decided it wouldn't record any of my series anymore and the best the cable guy could do was tell me to reprogram all of them.  that is a serious pain in the ass, though i did it anyway, even though i'm not entirely convinced that's going to work out either.  bah.  i just want it to record my shows!  we'll see how it goes.  and so i didn't get to watch any tv tonight and i'm already up later than i had planned.  so i'm disappointed and grumpy at the moment.  i assure you, however, that it was actually a pretty nice tuesday, no matter how pissy i come off. so i haven't been getting enough sleep this week and so i slept in an extra 15 minutes this morning.  i was only late to work by about 5, so not too shabby. ;)  work's work.  you know.  the same.  but a few fun things happened.  i went out to lunch at boston market with diana (we hadn't had lunch together in ages) and we took a little drive around dana point afterwards because it was nice and sunny out and i guess it seemed like a good idea to her. :)  so that was nice.  and this afternoon marke and i agreed to do a little oscar betting pool.  we divided up all the categories so some are worth 1 point, some 2 points, and the important ones 5 points.  winner collects $5 from each participant.  should be a good time, and i fully plan on losing, despite the fact that i've definitely seen more of the films than anyone else.  fun, right? :) after work, i headed home for a quick bite to eat and then headed out again.  earlier today i made a list of 8 movies i want to try to see before oscars night (25 feb), so i figured i should get started with that since i only have about a month.  anyway, i went to see "notes on a scandal," which i thoroughly enjoyed.  surprisingly, it's now one of my favorites.  it's intense and interesting and fast-paced and funny -- mostly in a very british way.  and cate blanchett and dame judi dench were both awesome.  so yeah, i can easily recommend that one to pretty much anyone. :)  so seven more movies, including 1 rental, i think.  we'll see!  i'll keep you posted! and tonight i've just been messing with the cable box, as i mentioned.  i don't really want to think about that anymore because i'm upset about it.  also, i missed a new episode of "gilmore girls!"  lame!  okay, so i'm going to try to settle down a bit and then crash because i seriously need some sleep because i'm all cranky and don't like being this way.  so i'll be back tomorrow with more.  g'night. ;) monday 22 january 2007 11:36pm "and i'll be there for you when you need me to be i'll be the sun at your door i'll be in the wind in your trees if i've nothin' at all on the surface to see i'll be the ace up your pretty sleeve" -- vince gill "ace up your pretty sleeve" i never meant to be up this late.  or at least i never meant to still have so much left to do at this hour.  but anyway, here i am and i'm sure i'll be mad at myself tomorrow.  actually, i'm kind of mad at myself right now. ;)  anyway, i have a couple minutes to write, i guess, so here it goes. i was up last night reading, which was nice.  and i still managed like 8+ hours of sleep, so that's great! :)  anyway, i even put off getting up this morning about 15 minutes because i could.  but then i did get up and dressed and all that pretty quickly before heading off to work. work was less busy today.  or maybe it was just that i felt a bit less motivated.  i don't really have any less work to do.  i just didn't feel the sense of urgency today.  so i did the fun stuff, like reading perez hilton, in between the work today.  i had a weird lunch at costco with too many boys.  and marke and i made a starbucks run in the afternoon because we needed the break. and i got out of there at a decent time today and headed to the y for a workout.  i'm a little sore from yesterday, but in a good way, like i feel good about getting back on track. :)  anyway, good times.  the book i'm reading is interesting enough, as well, so that's good.  then i headed home for entirely too much tv.  i didn't mean for it to turn out that way, but it did.  i realized today that there's a lot of really good tv out there right now.  i'm really hooked on entirely too many shows!  anyway, i love "brothers and sisters," (from last night)!  and i watched my first whole episode of "heroes," which i quite enjoyed!  i don't want to wait a whole week for another episode.  and then there was "studio 60," which was also really good and again i don't want to wait a whole week! :)  so anyway, it's fun! but now it's kind of late and i really do need to get to bed.  more next time.  g'night. ;) sunday 21 january 2007 9:16pm "if i could only have you near to breathe a sigh or two i would be happy just to hold the hands i love and to be once again with you to be once again with you" -- sarah mclachlan "song for a winter's night" so i feel like i have a little more time to write tonight, so i can give you the update on teh last few days, not that anything particularly exciting has happened.  anyway, it's been a pretty good weekend and a lot like what i've needed, i think. so friday was yet another busy day at work.  i officially learned i get to put together the brand new template for the magazine we recently acquired, "portable design."  awesome! :)  i am excited about that!  i really did spend the day working, despite marke's best efforts to lure me away from my work with games of darts or an art department (sans brian, who works from home on fridays) poker game.  actually, i wasn't in the poker game that long.  i wasn't getting cards and eventually i kind of just threw away all my chips so i could get back to my desk to wrap some stuff up before the weekend. and after work friday i headed for the bookstore in search of the gossip rags, which i knew would have lots of golden globes coverage, so i could see all the pretty dresses. :)  and i also picked up a couple businessy books and a novel.  so i have even more reading to add to my seemingly bottomless collection. ;)  anyway, then i headed to target for ... well now i can't remember exactly what excuse i came up with to go there.  all i know is that it'd been a long time.  i picked up a shelf and a sweater and a few other little things.  and then i picked up dinner and headed home.  not long after that, i crashed right here on the couch and then went straight to bed when i woke up and realized what i'd done. yesterday was super mellow.  i went to the early showing (11 something) of "the queen" down at ocean ranch.  that movie's been one i wanted to see for a long time now, and i just finally got to it.  it was fascinating but not exactly fast-paced.  i'm glad i saw it, but i don't think i'll be buying the dvd or anything.  of course, helen mirren is spectacular as the queen. and seriously, i didn't do anything else yesterday.  i hung out here catching up on tons of tv that had been waiting for me for ages on my dvr.  and i know that is why by the evening i was feeling like crap.  not enough actual movign around.  but i did manage to re-organize my closet with the new shelf so i can have more purses lined up on the top part.  and now i just have to do a bit more arranging to solve the shoe issue. :) also yesterday, sarah and i planned our trip to vegas.  we're going in like three weeks for a weekend, and we're staying at treasure island.  it should be a good time!  yes, it's funny it's us and it's vegas, but we know there are lots of ways for us to have fun there.  we'll see at least one show, we'll find lots of great things to eat, and we'll do a little shopping.  sounds good, right? :)  so vegas! and today was really nice.  i got up this morning and threw on some clothes and headed down to the beach where i like to walk.  i wanted to work out a bit because it's been so hard to make that happen during the week lately.  anyhow, i got to the bottom of the stairs and discovered the beach was totally covered in ocean.  i mean, i've seen the tide high where i knew i would get a little wet getting to the other side, but this would have required wading and i wasn't up for that.  kind of disappointing.  but i went back up the stairs (enough exercise right there!) and then walked all around the neighborhood there.  so it wasn't a total loss, but it wasn't as good as i had hoped.  oh, well.  still felt good. i spent my afternoon and evening here.  i watched some football.  i love tom brady, no matter what.  i'm now less interested in the super bowl, but will watch in hopes of good commercials. :)  and i watched the season recap dvd of "heroes" so i'll be kind of up to speed tomorrow when new episodes start again.  i'm going to give the show a shot.  and right now it's still pretty early and i'm hoping to watch a bit more tv before crashing. that's all from here!  hope you had a good weekend.  g'night. ;) saturday 20 january 2007 10:56pm "the fire is dying now, my lamp is growing dim the shades of night are lifting the morning light steals across my windowpane where webs of snow are drifing" -- sarah mclachlan "song for a winter's night" so last night i fell asleep watching tv at like 10 and and woke up not too long after.  i got up and went straight to bed.  seriously.  straight there.  bad idea, but it happens once in a blue moon. ;) and then today.  well at the moment i'm not feeling that hot -- mostly just tired and kind of lethargic.  so i was just talking to dad and he ordered me to bed (and to get a walk in or something tomorrow).  so i'm off to bed in hopes of a good night's rest and a good sunday.  i'll give you a better update tomorrow.  for the moment, g'night. ;) thursday 18 january 2007 9:36pm "if i could know within my heart that you were lonely too i would be happy just to hold the hands i love upon this winter night with you" -- sarah mclachlan (or gordon lightfoot) "song for a winter's night" finally a moment!  :)  even if i explain how this happened today, i'm not sure the story will really come out right.  perhaps i will try, though.  you have to believe in my decision-making and situation-assessing skills, though.  anyway, so i'll just get started... so in case you haven't noticed, i've been busy at work.  the projects are mostly all near and dear to me, so i don't really mind the work at all.  and i made the decisions to work long hours on this stuff.  everything's a choice, right?  so i'll take responsibility for that.  but making those decisions have consequences.  i sacrifice hours of my life that i would have spent doing things like keeping the apartment tidy, going to the gym or working out, running errands, and all that stuff that it takes to maintain a life.  i knew that. so then there was today.  today's a sort of break day.  the magazine and a huge brochure (50,000 printed!) both went to press yesterday and we don't start the next magazine until tomorrow.  so today was for all the smaller projects that i put off trying to get the big stuff done and just for making sure my work life is together and organized.  but first, i had to go to the mechanic because the trouble i've been having staring my car (it turns over several times before it actually starts) got suddenly worse yesterday and i don't want to strand myself anywhere.  so i got a new battery put in (brian looked at it and said it'd be to hard for him to do and he's a car guy) and made it to work before 10:15. anyway, i spent the day working pretty hard on various little projects.  actually, i realized there's more there than i thought, but that's fine.  it shouldn't be anything i can't handle.  and then jason invited me to go with him, barry, marke, and brian to the st. regis in dana point for drinks at 4.  and i turned him down.  if i'm finally going to have a day where i might escape the office at a reasonable hour, there are other ways i'm going to spend that time, especially since (1) i don't drink and (2) i don't drink sodas right now, not even $10 ones at the st. regis.  so a water at the st. regis (probably also $10) wasn't exactly my idea of a fun night.  so i spent the day working (except for a short lunch break with marke and brian at z pizza) and wrapped up enough things by 5:15 that i headed out.  awesome!  all it took was me awkwardly turning down my boss.  i just knew i could spend the time better. then i headed to the gym for a good, hard workout.  i knew i needed that.  i've been needing that since i last went, which was more than a week ago.  my back was all tight and i was feeling... fat.  anyway, the workout was great and i'm nearly done reading a book on design that i've been loving. then i headed home and made some dinner (barely escaped burning it) while also doing the dishes and picking up around the kitchen, which tends to be the first place in the apartment to get messy.  and then i watched some tv.  i've been loving "what about brian."  one couple found out their little girl is deaf.  hmm... sounds like a familiar story. ;)  anyway, it was good.  as was the premiere episode of the new season of "the hills."  looks like it'll be a drama-filled season.  and of course, "the office" was absolutely hilarious.  i laughed out loud alone in my apartment several times, and that rarely happens with anything else on tv.  love that show!!! :) and now it's about 10, my dvr is hard at work recording a ton of shows because all the good stuff is on on thursday nights, and i'm going to crawl into my warm (thanks to the electric blanket from my parents) bed to read for a while.  i love that! :) so i'll be back next time with more.  i can hardly wait for the weekend because i have zero plans!  anyway, have sweet dreams.  g'night. ;) wednesday 17 january 2007 11:10pm "the smoke is rising in the shadows overhead my glass is almost empty i read again between the lines upon the page the words of love you sent me" -- sarah mclachlan "song for a winter's night" more of the same.  seriously.  i was at work until 8 tonight, though i must admit that i was more helping/chatting with brian for the last hour than doing my own work.  still, his design for this website is going to affect design i do in the near future.  anyway, he's doing an awesome job, so i'm excited to get to adapt that to print later on.  so yeah, i'm exhausted.  i even slept in an extra 15 minutes after the alarm today, which is something i never, ever do.  i can hardly wait for the weekend so i can catch up with myself.  at this point, all i want to do is read a book/magazines or sleep.  so for the moment, i'm going to crash and i'll let you know how tomorrow goes.  g'night. ;) tuesday 16 january 2007 11:26pm "are you ready for a thing called love don't come from me and you it comes from up above i ain't no porcupine take off your kid gloves are you ready for a thing called love i ain't some icon carved out of soap sent here to clean up your reputation baby, you know you ain't no prince charming we can live in fear or act out of hope for some kind of peaceful situation baby, how come the cry of love is so alarming" -- bonnie raitt (and john hiatt) "thing called love" i'm exhausted.  spent.  totally done.  and i'm just about to crash but i figured i would write a quick little update.  work's total madness.  i was there until after 7 -- though brian and marke were there to keep me company and work themselves -- and i still didn't get enough done.  and at this point, i can't really see the tv or computer screens anymore.  though i am actually still looking at both because it seems wrong to only be awake in this apartment 3 hours a day.  anyway, i need to go to bed so i can do this all over again tomorrow.  g'night. ;) monday 15 january 2007 10:33pm "let's throw caution to the wind take what comes around the bend girl, you will never hurt again it's the safest place you've ever been girl, i'm asking for your hand down on my knees with this golden band swear i will be a gentle man girl, i'm asking for your hand... i swear i will be a faithful man girl, you can trust me 'til the end" -- vince gill "girl" so i'm actually will watching the golden globes as i write this, but you know.  not all the acceptance speeches are awesome, and there seem to be a lot of commercials.  anyway, so it'll probably take me longer than normal, but that's fine. :)  and now i'm really just rambling, so i'll get back to my day. so i slept a little bit last night, but the alarm came too quickly, especially since it's a holiday and i didn't think i ought to be at work.  so anyhow, i managed to get out of my delightfully warm bed and into the shower.  i threw on a cute, but comfortable, outfit and headed off to work.  i did, however, stop for a bagel on my way to the office.  mmm! :) work today was once again crazy busy, but i know it did help that i was in a bit early to get a jumpstart on some things.  including catching up on email.  these days, i'm getting email faster than i can keep up with it.  so anyway, the major project of the day was getting "rtc" shipped to the printer by 4.  and after lots of minor changes and assisting everyone else with the process, i wrapped it all up around 3.  so that left me about an hour to catch up on some other things, which i did.  oh, and at least i did get out to pick up lunch with marke at pedro's.  we each spent $2.13.  that's a good deal! :)  anyway, after a full day of work (perhaps more), i headed out at 4:15.  people freaked out a little bit, but they'll have to get over it.  i earned those free 30 minutes. so i stopped at trader joe's for a little food, and then i headed home.  i got back here just before 5 and just in time to see the beginning of the countdown to the red carpet on e!.  and then i watched the full red carpet show with ryan seacrest.  and then the show itself.  and i fully plan on also watching the post-show until like 1am.  or i'll just record it for tomorrow. :)  anyway, tonight was finally a night about me.  i put away a ton of clothing and shoes that had been scattered around my apartment for like 2 weeks.  and then i gave myself a manicure and pedicure.  and then i had a delicious dinner.  all while enjoying golden globe-related things. :)  it's been delightful! and the awards.  hmm.  when did i start liking things that win these awards?  it's like i grew up or something.  i'm not sure. ;)  but seriously, it's still a little bit weird that what i want to win so often has tonight.  hmm.  i'm like artsy or something. ;)  so how much do i love the cast of "ugly betty," especially america ferrera?!?  so much!  she brought me this close ::holds fingers really close together:: to crying right along with her.  and "grey's anatomy!"  and the gowns were beautiful, including all the purple ones!  so anyway, it's been a fun show. and tomorrow, it's back to the grind.  so i will continue to enjoy tonight.  hope you are having a nice night, as well.  g'night. ;) sunday 14 january 2007 11:19pm "girl, you can trust me with your heart we've got a chance for a brand new start part of your past was so cold and dark girl, you can trust me  with your heart girl, i will never turn away give you my word i will always stay i promise to honor and obey girl, i will never turn away" -- vince gill "girl" it's been a good weekend, but i feel like i need two more days for me to catch up with myself.  i didn't make too much progress with that this weekend.  but i did love getting to see the family, so i'll figure out the rest later. :) i got some more sleep last night. :)  i love that!  i slept until nearly 11 and once again enjoyed that new electric blanket.  it could not have come at a better time, because it's crazy cold here right now.  at least it's clear and the stars are so bright, though.  anyway, i was all rested and hung out around the apartment a little bit.  mostly i tried to stay wrapped up in a blanket while i watched the first half of the patriots-chargers game.  it was a good half of football.  i enjoyed it. and then i got cleaned up and dressed and headed up to anaheim to the sports center.  it's a huge warehouse that has like 20+ volleyball courts in it.  anyway, my brother's been playing in a tournament there, so i met up with the parents.  they lost the first match i saw, but then had to play two more right after, and they won both of those, though it took them 3 games for each win.  so that was fun! :)  and mom left to go back home (she got a ride with someone else who had to work tomorrow), and dad and i headed off to dinner.  we just went to chili's, which was fine, and then we hung out at the hotel a while longer watching "sportscenter" and really not doing a whole lot.  it was really quite enjoyable and very appropriate for a sunday night. :)  and then i did have to head back here for the night.  i watched last week's "grey's anatomy," which i enjoyed, and now i'm just about ready to tuck in. anyway, i hope you had a good weekend.  tomorrow's the golden globes, so i should be back after those for another update. :)  until next time, g'night. ;) saturday 13 january 2007 11:57pm "i go out walking after midnight out in the moonlight just like we used to do i'm always walking after midnight searching for you i walk for miles along the highway well that's just my way of saying i love you i'm always walking after midnight searching for you" -- patsy cline "walking after midnight" it is so cold here!  so cold!  brr!  and why on a weekend where i'd prefer to be out and walking around, as opposed to inside just trying to stay warm?  it was beach weather on monday when i was stuck in the office.  figures. ;) so i knew i wanted to try to get lots of sleep last night, and i think i did alright.  i slept until about 11, which is just about right.  i never manage to actually get any more than 10 hours.  and then i switched on the tv and watched a lot of basketball.  there were plenty of excellent games on, and i was not really at all interested in getting out of bed.  bed's warm.  especially with the brand new electric blanket the parents brought me. :)  so i just hung out here in bed, though i did get up long enough to move the computer here. :) and then eventually i did decide that i needed to get up and showered and dressed and all of that.  i talked to the parents when adam's session in his volleyball tournament wrapped up for the day and decided i head up there to meet them.  so mom, dad, and i met up at their hotel and then headed to the block at orange.  we had a little lunch at rubio's and then walked around.  dad loves steve & barry's so we went there, and i actually found a cute sweatshirt and some cool new tennis shoes. :)  for less than $30.  and we eventually decided to see a movie, so we saw "pursuit of happyness," which was good.  it was kind of hard to sit through because it's a rough story.  i asked brian like a week and half ago if i'd cry if i saw it.  he said definitely no.  oh, i for sure cried like a baby, which i'm less apt to do when i'm with my parents.  so anyway, it's a good movie but not one i'd like to watch over and over because it's just difficult.  and then we picked up hot krispy kremes and headed back to their hotel for dessert and "sportscenter."  eventually, though, it was time for me to head back here.  it was fun to hang out with the parents for a bit, though.  and i'll probably see dad (and adam?) again tomorrow, so that's cool. anyway, for tonight i am off but wishing you sweet dreams.  dreams of a place that feels important?  anyway, g'night. ;) saturday 13 january 2007 12:02am "i stop to see a weeping willow crying on his pillow maybe he's crying for me and as the skies turn gloomy night winds whisper to me i'm lonesome as i can be i go out walking after midnight out in the moonlight just hoping you may be somewhere a-walking after midnight searching for me" -- patsy cline "walking after midnight" life feels like madness right now.  things aren't all in order like i might like, and i'm exhausted.  but tomorrow's looking like a good day to take care of some chores, as well as catch up on some rest, so i'm looking forward to that.  but before i crash and move on to saturday, i'll try and wrap up friday with an entry about the day. i went to bed really late last night but partially because i spent the last couple hours of my night doings things i enjoy.  i needed that after an insane day of work, right?  so i watched the season premiere of the fifth season of "nashville star," which i quite enjoyed.  i agreed with the judges when they dismissed 2 of the top 10.  they chose the right ones.  and so now it's on and i think it's going to be good.  there are like 5 or 6 who are extremely talented and could win.  so anyway, that was good!   and then i read more of a book i'm enjoying before crashing.  and i must have crashed hard because when the alarm went off 6 hours later, the bed looked all nice and made, just like when i crawled into it last night.  clearly, no tossing and turning. :) so anyway, today was once again pure madness at work.  honestly, i can't really write everything i want to say here because it's not a good idea.  but it should be enough to know that i'm working my butt off there.  today john told the other people in the room that i'm his "hero," so that's fun! :)  and a lot of work did get done, though i was at work past 7 tonight, at which point i just couldn't think straight anymore and several people had already told me to go home.  oh!  and marke, barry, and i went to costco for the cheapest lunch ever.  between the three of us, we spent $7.  yeah.  and we were full enough at the end.  so that was pretty cool. :) after work, i headed home but the family called before i got there.  they were about half an hour from their anahiem hotel, so i headed up there and met them there.  we had a quick dinner at denny's because it was half a block away and we were all starving.  and then i hung out with mom and dad in their room for a couple hours before eventually heading back here.  adam's volleyball team plays 4 games tomorrow morning and then i'll probably see them afterwards. but for now, i'm ready to crash.  my eyes are really tired.  i can tell because it's hard for me to see what i'm typing right now. ;)  anyway, more next time!  g'night. ;) thursday 11 january 2007 9:55pm "be my woman, i'll be your man we'll go through life hand in hand all i want to understand is you i need you to start a clear blue morning i need you at the end of a long hard day never see you wear a frown blues don't even come around the only love i've ever found is you" -- vince gill "the only love" happy birthday, love. ;) also, a note about the above lyrics.  i always choose something meaningful, and these are.  however, i'm also totally addicted to the vince gill box set/album (it's 4 discs of all new material), "these days."  it's amazing.  he's so talented.  all the songs are good.  i listen to the whole set all the way through.  so anyway, that's some good music if you're looking for some. it was a long day, though i did actually have some fun in the midst of all the work.  it's kind of been just madness.  anyway, i should start from the beginning. i tried to get to bed early last night but instead i ended up reading more of a design book until like midnight, when i crashed.  and i didn't sleep that well, really.  i was ready for the alarm just because i didn't want to be lying in bed trying to sleep anymore.  anyway, i got up and ready and dressed and everything.  in fact, i ended up looking pretty cute in my purple sweater and black patent wedges. :)  might as well look cute, even if i wasn't going to be precisely where i wanted today. so then i headed off to work.  i was only a few minutes late, which i figure is okay when all i do is work.  so anyway, work today was as chaotic as ever.  i'm trying to keep my head above water, but i am not getting all the help i could use.  so anyway, i ended up working until after 7 today, at which point i headed home and wanted to crawl into bed and die.  but let me go back, first.  at lunchtime today, the whole art department (jason, marke, brian, barry, and me) went to staples, though i didn't need anything.  and then we picked up a delicious lunch from pedro's.  mmm... they make the best quesadillas! :)  and then we watched steve jobs introducing the iphone on my huge monitor while we ate, which was fun!  that phone is awesome.  seriously.  and of course, it was eventually back to work, work, and more work until i just couldn't take it anymore. so i had grand plans of going to the gym, cleaning the apartment, and doing some work for bobby tonight.  well, those changed after working until 7.  i came straight home and caught part of my stanford boys beating washington!  and i did some work for bobby and talked to him about the latest shirt design, which i love love.  it's going to be really rad!  anyway, then it was time for dinner at 9, as well as "the office," which was hilarious!  though i hate it when they leave me in limbo!  i want to know how it's going to turn out!  :)  anyway, later, i'm planning on watching the season premiere of "nashville star 5."  and right now, i'm having a delicious dessert of chocolate lava cake because i figure i deserve it. :)  mmm! so anyway, hope you had a wonderful day.  i'm off until next time.  the family's coming into town tomorrow, and i'm excited to see them!  until next time, sweet dreams.  g'night. ;) wednesday 10 january 2007 10:16pm "i'll lay my poor heart at your feet if you'll leave behind those lonely streets oh, we could make some sweet memories" -- vince gill "don't pretend with me" i'm tired.  i'm not sure if i'm happy about that or not.  i probably actually am. i went to bed too late last night because i was watching penelope cruz on letterman talking about "volver."  :)  it was a good interview, though i was sad i stayed up so late when the alarm went off this morning.  of course, i got up and clean and dressed and all that anyhow.  and can i just say that i am having a good hair day, which i feel like i totally wasted because i was hardly anywhere but at my desk working.  anyway, at least i felt cute while i was doing all that work! ;) okay, so work.  you know, i think that honestly, i really love days like these.  i worked so hard all day long (and into the night).  i am so so so so busy right now with a whole lot of things.  i seriously just worked and worked and worked.  i'm not sure what else to say.  there was -- and still is -- a lot to do, and so that's really what was required of me.  but i like the pressure and the responsibility, even if i don't love being the bad guy who has to make sure that other people are getting their stuff done, as well.  i mean, i had to hold up the ups man this afternoon for like 3 minutes while someone finished printing their section of the magazine.  that's how close we were cutting things.  anyway, it's crazy around the office but i do better when i can focus on tasks instead of politics.  so it was a good day, if also exhausting.  and i feel like i accomplished a lot, which is a great feeling. and i was at the office much later than normal.  in fact, i was there later than scott, who i thought always left with the last person to leave.  anyway, i finally left and because i was still feeling very motivated, i grabbed some work to take home with me.  unhealthy and nuts, i know. ;)  anyway, i came straight home and went straight to work on some stuff for bobby.  and after i talked to him and got that stuff sent off, i went back to rtc group work.  i just sketched out some ideas for a brochure i'm working on, and i am reading a couple books about design that are helping to inspire me as i figure out another media kit.  anyway, i just needed to feel inspired, and i think i accomplished that so now i can back to the office and make some good stuff. :) and i tried to watch "beauty and the geek" tonight after i decided i was done working, but i had a recording error!  sad!  so i set the dvr to record the replay of it on sunday, so i guess i'll have to wait until at least then to see the episode.  so instead i watched "everwood," and now i'm enjoying "sportscenter" before i crash.  i need to crash soon, i know, because i have to get up tomorrow and do all this stuff all over again.  but it makes the days fly right by. so i'm off for now, but i'll be back next time and i'm wishing you sweet dreams.  g'night. ;) tuesday 9 january 2007 10:26pm "she said she would wait she said our love was strong i'm just so afraid i've been gone for too long when i walk through that gate will she be there or long, long gone" -- vince gill "if i can make mississippi" hmm... it's been a weird sort of day.  i'm not exactly sure how this entry is going to go.  but right now, i'm satisfied and i know i've had a fun evening, so there's that. :)  work's... work. so i had the worst time trying to get to sleep last night, which is frustrating when it's 7:30 and the alarm is going off and really the last thing i want to do is get out of bed.  more sleep!  ;)  but anyway, i got up this morning and got all dressed and ready and everything that is in my morning routine.  and i got distracted for a bit by the coverage of that malibu fire.  the pictures in the morning light let me get a better perspective on where it was.  right across pch from campus.  pretty nuts.  anyway, i did eventually pull myself away from the tv and head off to work. work is a lot of work these days.  so i did a whole lot of that, really.  rtc's coming together, so that's good, though i'm still kind of worried about the whole issue (including the cover).  but in other work-related news... tim came by the office for lunch today (a lunch neither marke nor i were invited to) so it was really nice to catch up with him for a few minutes and see how he's doing. :)  and speaking of lunch, marke, brian, jason, ish, and i went to wahoo's, which isn't that interesting.  the interesting part is that i saw my own stickers all over that place!  at wahoo's, people put stickers everywhere (mostly like skate brands).  and there were my lusk stickers!  :)  what a serendipitous event!  i love it! :)  plus, marke and i hit up the albertson's on our way back to the office for some chocolate for my desk.  mmm! after work (and i took off promptly at 4:45), lea and i headed to the movies to see "the good shepherd."  the guy automatically charged her the senior rate!  that's so awesome!  we were cracking up about it!  and then i got free popcorn because it's tuesday and free soda because i apparently had enough points on my regal club card thingy.  so great!  and then the film.  the film was excellent.  it's intense and requires a lot of attention and remembering, and i want to see it again right away to clear everything up.  but anyway, matt damon and his movie are awesome! :)  love that! and tonight i've just been hanging out since i got home.  the popcorn served as dinner, but i did make rice krispy treats, which i had for "dessert," i guess.  and i watched last night's "what about brian," which made me cry, as that show is apt to do.  it's so good!  anyway, now i'm just hanging out.  not really doing anything.  avoiding cleaning up or more work.  haha!  yeah, lazy! anyway, i'm off now.  i think i'll try to get to bed soon.  sweet dreams.  i'll be back later.  g'night. ;) monday 8 january 2007 9:51pm "return with my forehead all wrinkled my temples turned silver by time's falling snow to feel that one's life is a twinkle twenty years hardly reckon and two fevered eyes beckon in shadows forestall you and seek you and call you to live with the soul firmly clinging to one sweet remembrance that makes me weep so" -- translation of "volver" i feel restless.  like i want to do something right now instead of just going to bed.  like read a book or something.  i don't know.  i should probably try to get some sleep instead.  but first, this little journal for you. :) have i ever mentioned before that i love living here? ;)  well i do!  it was 85 degrees here.  85!  it's january!  and i should have been at the beach instead of stuck inside my office.  i thought about playing hooky, but resisted.  barely. ;)  mmm... feels just like summer. of course, there are problems with that, as well.  there was a relatively big brush fire in malibu today fueled by the same winds that brought in all the heat.  it burned 4 homes to the ground and significantly damaged 4 more, i believe.  and what makes it particularly scary (i hate fires) is that it started and burned right across pch from pepperdine.  literally.  like right there.  the campus was definitely effected, even if it didn't sustain any damage.  but it looks like everything's under control tonight, which is a relief.  the story is here and the map is here and a photo from campus is here. anyway, on with my day! :)  went to bed too late.  got up too early.  you know how it goes.  anyway, i got cleaned up and dressed and headed off a few minutes early, which was nice.  work was busy, busy, busy, as i have a lot of jobs to compensate for.  i did my best, though, and i think i got enough done for the day.  we'll see tomorrow.  anyway, it's just kind of crazy around there.  marina was back to work and back in action today, which is a relief because she was in scarily bad shape last week.  oh, and i lunched at scpc.  or more accurately, i lunched in the office after picking up food from scpc.  anyway, work was work. afterwards, i went to the gym for more work! ;)  okay, so cycling is totally a different sort of work and when i was in the middle of it, i was glad i went there.  my book is good and sweating out frustrations is always a good thing, it worked out alright for me.  then i headed home. home's been busy, though i can't exactly say with what.  i talked to the family for entirely too long (not really, but it was a long time) and then helped adam with his final college application, which i believe he just submitted, thank goodness!  i don't want to hear about those applications anymore! ;)  and i cleaned up a little, but really i didn't accomplish enough.  where do my evenings go?  how is it nearly 10:30 already? anyway, i am off so i can accomplish a few more things for bed, even if those things are fun (like reading or watching tv). :)  sweet dreams.  i'll be back next time.  g'night. ;) sunday 7 january 2007 11:14pm "i can almost see the flicker of the lights that in the distance mark the way of my returning they’re the very ones that lit up their reflections pale and misted many hours of deep pain though it was not what I wanted first love makes one always come back again the quiet age-old street where once the echo told me: her life is yours, her love is yours to earn under the stars that mockingly look on me and now in their indifference see me return" -- translation of "volver" i'm up too late already for sunday night.  i just didn't manage to make it to bed early, as i had planned.  but it's been a good time around here today, so it's alright.  plus, i definitely didn't work hard. ;) anyway, i went to bed kind of late last night and got up kind of late this morning.  hey, at least it was still morning. ;)  though actually, it was pretty close to afternoon by the time i actually got out of bed. :)  love that about sundays!  anyway, i awoke and decided to watch the patriots and my tom brady!  that was a good time!  :)  not sure how next weekend at san diego will turn out, but i'll root for tom once again!  and then the stanford basketball game was on (they were at virginia), so i took advantage of a seemingly rare opportunity to see my cardinal boys on tv!  and the game was a good one!  they won in the last seconds, which is so exciting! :) then i spent a little time cleaning up around here, though i definitely still have lots of clothes to put away.  but you know, at least i started! ;) then i went to the local art house movie theatre to see "volver," which i've been meaning to see for a long time now, it seems.  the place was surprisingly busy for a sunday night, but they did have lots of movies all starting at the same time.  anyway, i got a bag of popcorn and settled in.  the movie was really excellent!  i had to read it, but it didn't seem to get in the way of me enjoying the whole movie.  and when did penelope cruz get so beautiful?  i've never thought she was like stunning, but wow.  i could stand to look like her. ;)  oh, and the story was awesome!  that's a good one! then i came home and decided to watch my first netflix dvd, "y tu mama tambien."  i had to read that one, as well.  actually, i guess it was spanish movie marathon day.  haha!  well i feel like i actually speak spanish now, though the accents in the two movies were totally different and i definitely better at mexican spanish than spanish spanish, even if spanish spanish is the last spanish that i've fully experienced.  anyway, i also really enjoyed this movie.  it was different than i expected and in a good way.  anyhow, see that one, too.  though it's probably not for everyone, as it's rather graphic.  the title means "and your mother, too," if that's any indication.  anyway, i speak spanish and watch movies, apparently. ;) and i just finished helping adam with another (the final?) college essay, so i'm finally off to bed now.  i'll be back with more later, not that i'm especially looking forward to getting back to work tomorrow.  anyway, sweet dreams.  g'night. ;) saturday 6 january 2007 11:06pm "oh, my heart aches for the love we made but i feel find when i close my eyes, go back in time i'm taking her hand, kicking up sand sneaking behind the old bandstand sun is setting on a beautiful day down on the shores of the chesapeake bay the wind in her hair, salt in the air down in the dunes on a blanket there all alone on a night like this i miss her sweet virginia kiss" -- carolina rain "sweet virginia kiss" i'm in a good mood right now for no particularly good reason.  i feel like staying up ridiculously late doing nothing or watching tv or reading magazines or a book or something.  doesn't that sound nice? :) so it kind of feels like i had a really busy saturday.  in fact, i did not.  but i did do a few things worth noting. ;)  it all started with me crashing relatively early last night, however.  i mean, i was asleep before leno was over.  i set my alarm for 10 this morning (yes, i really have to do that) and i woke up this morning like 2 minutes before it was going to go off.  i really was tired and i am so glad i got some decent rest last night.  i needed that. so i started getting ready this morning but pretty early on i was distracted by a basketball game on tv.  it was a good one and i ended up on the phone with my brother to watch the whole end.  so then i had only a few minutes to make myself adorably cute. ;)  and actually, i did a really good job!  good thing i picked out what i was going to wear last night.  so anyway, i was looking totally cute and actually pretty chic in my little black jackie o-inspired jacket with jeans and heels and dark sunglasses. :) i left later than i had really planned and had to stop for gas, too, but i turned out not to be late despite being about 15 minutes late.  you know, i try to be places on time, which isn't actually good for party-going.  so anyway, i went up to mission viejo to diana's baby shower.  you know what?  i don't really like baby showers.  i don't like adults talking in baby voices and cooing over onesies and baby booties.  i don't like the silly games.  and i don't like the miniature food.  and honestly, i'm not a big fan of watching people open presents and i'm really not a big fan of opening presents myself with a crowd watching.  so considering this baby shower had all these things, it was still fun enough.  i got to see melissa, which was great because i've missed not getting to talk to her for 8 hours every day.  and someone asked me if have kids, which is hilarious.  of course not, crazy!  i'm far too young for that!  anyway, i endured the baby shower and it wasn't too torturous. ;) then i headed home to watch the fourth quarter of the chiefs game, which was rough but not entirely unexpected.  i mean, i didn't expect the offense to play that poorly, but i did expect the colts to beat them.  i'm just stoked they got to the playoffs.  it's an honor to be nominated, or something like that. ;)  and there was more basketball to be watched, as well.  lots of sports today.  :)  and since i was just here hanging out, i also watched the season premiere of "beauty and the geek" today, which was so fun.  i really like that the show is so good-natured!  it's not like pretty much any other reality show.  though i must admit, it doesn't have quite as much of a selfless spirit as "extreme makeover: home edition."  still, good stuff!  also, my first dvd from netflix arrived today, so that's exciting, though i haven't watched it yet. and at one point, i again ventured out looking adorable and just went to trader joe's to pick up a few groceries.  i was trying to think of someone else to go and be seen but didn't really come up with any good ideas.  anyway, then i came back home and i've just been relaxing.  i've watched too much basketball and too much tv, i'm sure, but i've enjoyed myself.  and now i'm off to do more ... well ... nothing really. :) i'll be back next time.  g'night. ;) friday 5 january 2007 11:05pm "i know that's her perfume right here in this room, isn't she i know there's no one here but me so why do i still feel her" -- carolina rain "isn't she" ::yawn:: i'm sleepy tonight and am getting ready to crash.  i have a few minutes to write first, though. :) i was up too late last night, distracted by things like writing emails or looking for movies on netflix or other random stuff like that.  i really should have made it to bed before midnight.  maybe then it wouldn't have hurt so much when the alarm went off this morning. ;)  but i got up and showered and dressed and all of that right away anyway.  and in my friday morning laziness i didn't bother with my hair and just threw it up in a bun wet.  yeah, lazy. ;) anyway, work was kind of boring today.  my cohorts in crime, marke and brian, were both m.i.a., so i had to entertain myself with things like actual work!  okay, so i didn't actually do that much work today because it was friday a few things were put on pause for various reasons.  so i had lots of time to do things like read celebrity gossip blogs, catch up on some news, dream about the vacations i read about in "conde nast traveler" magazine, and download new themes for my adium.  yeah, good times. ;)  and at lunchtime, i picked up some chocolate for my desk and then picked up pizza from scpc, which turned out to be sooo delicious! :)  plus, i ate it at my desk while reading a magazine and listening to the entire vince gill album (is that what i should call it?  it's one album but 4 discs?).  it's really good, though it was sad to listen to it at office volume. ;) anyway, after work i headed to mervyn's on mom's suggestion.  i was in search of a gift for diana's baby shower tomorrow, and they have lots of baby stuff there.  anyway, i found a cute present (again, with mom on the phone helping because i don't really know about these things) and then stopped into famous footwear to check out their shoe selection (for me, not the baby).  anyway, didn't find anything, so i headed home. i had some dinner and started in on an "everwood" mini-marathon.  i had 3 episodes on my dvr, so i watched them all.  i love that show! :)  anyway, i was then planning on going out to see a movie but i wasn't feeling that well (just tired from a long week, i think), so i instead stayed in and caught up on even more tv on my dvr.  it's been fun and super mellow and not at all productive. :) so anyway, i'm off for now.  tomorrow, i'm a little busy with that baby shower, but that's about it.  maybe i'll get to a movie afterwards?  who knows.  anyway, i'm off.  sweet dreams.  g'night. ;) thursday 4 january 2007 10:45pm "i was dreaming 'bout a beautiful woman i left her with tears in her eyes when i'm back in her sweet arms then i'll know that i'm back home in the country when a storm blows in where it feels like heaven when that water hits my skin we live in a downpour but it's just not the same nothing washes my soul clean like that carolina rain" -- carolina rain "carolina rain" it was raining out the last that i could hear, so this song seemed right for at least two reasons.  oh, and there's also the fact that i've been listening to carolina rain a lot the last couple days. it was a pretty uneventful day, actually.  crashed early last night woke up in the wrong part of my sleep cycle again this morning and did not want to get out of bed at all.  got cleaned up and dressed and all of that and headed out like 5 minutes late.  about 10 minutes into my trip to work, i realized i couldn't remember unplugging my electric blanket (my method of turning it off), so i had to go all the way home to check so i wouldn't worry about burning down my apartment all day.  turns out i had unplugged it, though i still cannot remember doing so. :) so i was late to work but it wasn't a big deal at all.  i got some work done in the morning, but i feel like i spent the entire rest of my day talking to jason and barry about what pieces we should submit to the maggie awards committee.  not exactly super-productive, so it's a good thing i got so much done yesterday. ;)  and i lunched with marke and brian at z pizza, which was good fun. :) after work, i headed home with the intention of getting a lot done.  turns out there was lots of good basketball on tv tonight.  and then i made dinner and talked to the family for a while.  and then i spent some serious time writing a big, long email to everyone.  it'd been ages, and it seems like a good time to write. anyway, then i watched "the office," which was really, really good tonight!  one of my favorite episodes, i would say!  seriously, such a good show!  even if michael makes me want to die for him.  and that whole jim-pam thing is killing me!  haha!  i love it! :) okay, so now i'm off to bed.  more next time.  g'night! ;) wednesday 3 january 2007 9:23pm "babe, i don't know where to start the longing is the hardest part ain't no easy way into your heart in my mind i can see us together crazy in love and painting the town... if i came running for you, would you turn me down" -- vince gill "no easy way" i was up too late last night doing random stuff like uploading a ton of new photos on flickr from my whole trip home.  and i did eventually tuck in but had a hard time actually falling asleep.  anyway, i made it eventually and the alarm came entirely too quickly this morning. work today was busy but i feel like i actually got a lot of things done, crossed a lot of things off my ever-growing to-do list.  i've been spending a lot of time working on a very small media kit for our newly acquired magazine, "portable design."  that's pretty much together now.  and there were other odds and ends that needed taking care of.  we're about to dive back into the magazines, so i've been training barry on some stuff, including figures.  he'll be taking care of those, which is pretty cool for me.  i was ready to move on from those.  anyway, so work's going well and i'm keeping pretty busy there.  i lunched with marke in the kitchen, though my actual meal i picked up from stillwater.  delicious, of course! :) after work, i headed home.  i was excited to find my mailbox full of all the mail that the post office was holding while i was out of town!  lots of christmas cards and magazines and one really cool christmas present.  i got a membership to the chris young fan club, which includes a personalized autographed photo!  gah!  i'm such a dork!  but the really exciting part was the cd that came with it, which has a fun song called "the food group song" and 5 christmas carols, including my very favorite christmas song, "o holy night."  yay!  i love it! :)  and i've been doing a bit of work for bobby and watching basketball since then.  i talked to the parents for a little bit, as well, which was good. and that's about it, really.  i'm not up to a whole lot.  i have no idea where my whole night went.  anyway, i'm off but i'll be back again very soon.  g'night. ;) tuesday 2 january 2007 9:55pm "i don't know where you are tonight i'm staring at the candlelight and i miss you, babe in the darkness here all by myself i imagine you with someone else i'm going crazy and with everything about you dancing in my head i sure am lonely in this empty bed i lie here in the loneliness with this memory of you" -- vince gill "this memory of you" i knew i wasn't ready to be back at work quite yet.  but you know how it goes.  it was just time.  anyway, it still turned out to be a decent day that featured a gorgeous sunset, so i'm doing alright. so i got some decent sleep last night.  i managed to tuck in a bit early and was asleep before 11:30.  but i wasn't at all ready to get up when the alarm went off.  of course, i dragged myself out of bed anyway because that's just what i have to do.  i showered and got myself ready.  i even found time to put on a touch of makeup, dry my hair, and pick out something cute to wear (including new pants that i got lots of compliments on at work).  then i stopped for a bagel and headed into work. work today was fine.  it's weird having barry where i'm so used to seeing melissa.  and it's weird that i'm the only girl in the art department now.  who do i share celebrity gossip with?  who'll notice my adorable new shoes?  but i'll get used to it, i'm sure.  i had work to get to today, so i didn't have ton of time to worry about it, anyway.  i'm getting started with the first real piece of our new magazine, "portable design," so that's cool.  i lunched with john, cindy, aaron, mike, brian, jason, barry, and the new girl, sandy, who's helping cindy with accounting stuff.  anyway, she seems really nice but she freaks me out a little bit because her mannerisms are the same as katie rugh's.  it's weird to watch her!  but she seems really nice! :)  though i'm sure she can't compete with my katie. ;) after work, i wanted so desperately to head straight home, but i instead headed for the gym like a good girl.  i had a good workout on the bike and started reading one of the novels i got for christmas, which is good so far.  and then i headed home but decided to stop at the grocery really quickly for a few essentials because my refrigerator as extremely empty.  and then i went home and got cleaned up.  and i've just been hanging out here since then.  i had a little food and caught up on some tv that was on my dvr.  then i wrote a bunch of thank you notes and talked to the family.  that's about it! i'm off to bed now because i'm tired and i could use the rest.  i'll be back next time with more, and i'm also trying to gather all the christmas and new year's photos to post soon.  i'll keep you posted on that, though.  g'night. ;) p.s.  okay!  tons of new photos on flickr from christmastime at home. monday 1 january 2007 9:39pm "and your perfume lingers still upon my pillowcase and the tears just started falling down upon my face i lie here in the loneliness with this memory of you" -- vince gill "this memory of you" happy birthday to chris, who doens't read this but deserves the sentiment nonetheless. :) well, i made it all the way back to laguna today.  i wasn't ready to leave, but i guess that's how it goes.  and i'll get to see the family in a couple of weeks when they're down here, so that's cool.  anyway, it was a really good trip home and a nice break from the regular grind of work.  i definitely needed all of it. so i slept in a bit this morning and then spent the rest of the morning packing everything up and loading it into my car.  somehow i once again had a very full trunk. ;)  i guess i really did acquire lots of things while at home between the shopping in the city and christmas presents and everything else.  seems like mostly books and clothes, things i love! then i made the long drive back.  465 miles, or so.  it was not too bad but there were more cars out than usual in those rural areas where it's usually a bit easier to just set the cruise control and go.  but it was a gorgeous day out.  i love this state. it really is beautiful.  anyway, i drove and drove and drove, stopping only briefly for a jamba juice, gas, and the restroom. :)  and this time, i didn't spend so much time on the phone, so i was just rocking out to the stereo and thinking and whatever.  seven and a half hours later i made it home! and now i'm working on unpacking a bit.  at least so that some things are put away and i can clean and dress myself in the morning. ;)  i'm also hoping to get to bed soon, so good night and sweet dreams. ;) monday 1 january 2007 1:46am "let the sun illuminate the words that you could not find reaching for something in the distance so close you can almost taste it release your inhibitions feel the rain on your skin no one else can feel it for you only you can let it in no one else, no one else can speak the words on your lips drench yourself in words unspoken live your life with arms wide open today is where your book begins the rest is still unwritten" -- natasha bedingfield "unwritten" happy new year! ;)  here's to great things for 2007.  love and laughter.  happiness and health. i must say that it was quite the enjoyable new year's eve. :)  it was full of things that i love, and really what more can you ask for, you know?  so here's what it entailed... we had a party at the house today.  it was hawaiian-themed and the food was in accordance with that, which meant that i really liked nothing we had but the rice and the dessert i made last night, black-bottom cupcakes.  mmm!  anyway, the whole family gathered here this afternoon for a birthday lunch for adam, which was nice.  it was great to get to see everyone again before heading back to laguna tomorrow with no definite plans to get back here (though i'm sure it won't be too long).  anyway, everyone seemed to be doing well, so that's good. also, i spent a lot of the party in the kitchen with a few other people watching football.  there were very specific circumstances i needed for my kc chiefs to make the playoffs.  4 games needed to turn out my way.  first, i needed kansas city to win, which they did nicely, i hear.  then i needed tennesee, cincinnati, and denver to all lose their games.  crazy to hope for all of that, i know.  well three of the games were in the morning session (games starting at 10am pst).  those all went perfectly, though cincinnati did have to lose in overtime to pittsburg.  and then it was san francisco-denver, which we had on the tv here since sf is the local team.  i don't normally root for them, but i was certainly rooting hard today!  and while they nearly threw it away, they scraped together a field goal with two minutes left in overtime to win!  woohoo!!!  that means my chiefs are in the playoffs, which is so exciting, even if they'll have quite a task ahead of them going to indianapolis next weekend.  still, so fun! :) so after all the guests were gone, dad and i napped while watching the late game. and then i got up and headed out for a new year's eve dinner.  katherine, jackie, jessica, and i had a really nice dinner at a tavola, one of my favorite places around here, i've decided.  so good!  and really, it's just such a fun time hanging out with those girls.  also, stephane stopped in to say hi toward the end of the meal, which was nice. :)  then kath and i went to the cheesecake factory to pick up dessert, which we brought back to the house.  we watched the various parties on tv and rang in the new year with my parents and a champagne/apple cider toast.  it was really just simple and nice. :) and now i'm off to bed.  at some point tomorrow, i'm headed back to laguna, though i'm not really ready to go.  it's been a very busy and very fun trip home for the holidays, but when do i get to rest? ;)  anyway, have a great night and a wonderful new year!  g'night! ;)   looking for older stuff?  go the 2006 journal page   home || journal || pics || music || books || movies || other

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