What a deal

Hi everybody,

It's Sunday night... and tomorrow will be a brand new week at work. Pretty excited, to be honest. I feel refreshed. These past 3 days off have been good to me.

I decided to start looking for bed sheets since all I have are full sheets for the aerobed and my previous bed... so I went to Target to see what I could find. I knew BBB would be way too expensive. I also wanted to indulge in the higher thread count (at least 300). Everything was around 50 bucks, on clearance, for the $250 thread count... sigh. Then, a clearance shelf was glowing. I went over, and Ta-Da!! Brace yourself... found a whole queen sheet set... (fitted sheet, flat sheet, two pillowcases) with 1000 thread count... for only $25. What?!?!? Is this for real? Well, it was on the clearance sticker price... originally $100. SOLD! Actually, why don't I grab a second one, since it's such a good deal. Yeah, it's kind of a boring Ecru color, but I felt the sample... and it feels just delightful. And I can deal with ecru. It's close enough to beige. Yay for deals!

At lunchtime, I did something I haven't done in years... went to Quizno's. (As you guys may recall, I don't eat bread anymore). But darn it, it was there, it was lunchtime, I was hungry, and I remembered how much I loved their chicken carbonara and their mesquite chicken. Mesquite chicken it is. I savoured it, it tasted good... but paid for it later. Although I walked to the beach about 1-2 hours later, for an hour and 30 minutes :), I tried to run... and did it for 4 minutes (my next goal) but it was really hard and I kinda felt like crap. I hate to say it, but bread and cheese and yummy meats and creamy sauces are evil and bad for me. I learned my lesson (not really, went to the store and bought some Camembert later today (gasp!) and have eaten a quarter already)... ok, I'm cheating a little this week, but I promise it's not an every week thing. I felt like cheese, darn it... and right now is my "cranky" time, so comfort foods are awesome.

The walk to the beach today was kind of fun though. I walked clear to the Redondo Pier, there were lots of people, a wind so strong that seagulls were flying in place or backwards (please don't poop in my hair, please don't poop in my hair), people playing volleyball again on the beach... the sky really cleared up from the past few days, and I guess that rain is now greeting most of you back in Utah with 3 ft of snow in the mountains. Babe, you know how much I hate it when you attack me with snowballs? I almost miss it :)

Hope you all had a great weekend... I still haven't decided on the furniture thing because no one's left comments for me, lol. Just kidding. I'll make a decision on my own, but I just like support :)

A demain.

Running never felt so good

What a fantastic weekend. I am almost a true Californian.... let's start with Friday.

Went to the DMV at 1030-ish to get my license and register my car. Waited for my number to be called... the whole thing took about 1 hour and 40 minutes, not bad considering that DMV is serving just about everyone in the South Bay.

I paid about $350 in fees (ouch!), got my picture taken, and not to brag, but I look pretty darn good in my picture!! Got a smile on my face many times that morning:

1. passed the written test the first time, only missing 3 questions ou of 36 (couldn't miss more than 6). Do you know they charge you an extra $6 every time you have to retake the test? That's nuts! What if high schools did that? That'd be funny.

2. Had to write down my weight... and smiled when I realized it's 15 lbs less than in 2005.

3. My face also looks way thinner in my new picture. Never thought my face was really chunky, but it definitely looks... less round. More square, maybe? LoL.

4. During the wait, I started reading. I'm reading "Ageless" by Susan Somers. It's about hormones. Considering my thyroid's a little underactive, this book was recommended by a "different" doctor. I basically don't want to be on medication for the rest of my life at my age, so I'm reading alternative medicines, get the right minerals in my body, then see. I'll do some blood work in a few months... hopefully my health insurance will kick in by then? I heart HR!

4. Everyone was actually very nice at the DMV! Busy, but nice. This helps, because I'm not completely done - I need to do a smog check (another $60, rrrrr) and return to the DMV to submit the certificate and my Utah plates... and wait for my DL in the mail... then I'll be a true Californian. How exciting!

The rest of Friday was spent relaxing, watching the Incredibles on the Disney Channel (love that show), going for a walk on the beach (I upped the running to 2.5 minutes, walked for about an hour).

Today, I bought a bed!!! Yay!! So excited. I love the aerobed, but a real bed is so much better, and it's going to be a queen. It's so funny, a whole queen for me right now, yet you'll still see me sleep on the edge. Got a killer deal too. It's a Spring Air back supporter, with memory foam, comfy, normally around $1349 but I got it for $702 with tax. It includes the box, frame and delivery. The only thing is that it takes a week to order, so they'll deliver it next Saturday. Can't wait! Have to buy new sheets, all I have are double sheets... Mom, can you send me some BBB 20% off coupons please? I don't get them here... Merci :)

So then I looked online at furniture stores and went to about 3 places. You all know I'm so undecisive and will always think things through too many times before I buy something. I just want to make sure that it's the right decision, you know?

Here are the 3 options for my bedroom (please feel free to let me know what you think!) First of all, I want to tell you my tastes... I like contemporary but not too modern. I dislike traditional. I do not like oak colors, I prefer black or a very dark brown. This is what I'm thinking:

Option A: Go cheap (Ikea Malm collection)
This is simple, yet works, still has a nice look to it, I can go get it right now (although I have to assemble everything). I would want:
6 Drawer Chest (tall), Black-Brown $149
6 Drawer Chest, Black-Brown $179
2 Night Stands $49 each

Total Ikea: about $465 with tax

Option B: Great deal on amazing furniture (Bestpricefurniture.com, Backbay Model)
6 Drawer Dresser $239
5 Drawer Dresser $199
2 nightstands $99 each

Total Backbay: about $690 with tax

Option C: Home Elegance, amazing furniture, but pricy:
Solid wood, very durable, sexy Espresso color.
It's funny, I called a number on Craiglst, he said to look at the homelegance website, I see an amazing bedroom set, later in the day I return to the store where I bought my couch last month, saw Bob, the cool salesman who sold me my couch and said "look at this, this is what the young couples really like" He showed me the catalog, and what do you know, the bedroom set he showed me was the exact same one what my eye caught on the website.
8 Drawer Dresser: $525
Nightstands: $225 each
Other 5 drawer dresser: I think around $499
Total: Ouch.

Now, technically I could buy the more expensive furniture... but honestly, I'd rather save my money on something else. Oh, did I mention I'm also a penny pincher?

So basically, I did some thinking today. Yeah, I'd like to buy something that'll last me. But then again, my life isn't particularly settled right now. I have no idea where I will be in 5 months, or a year, if I'll want to move out of here, if I move on with my job to Orange County like I want, maybe I'll get back to Utah. My point is, I have a feeling I'm going to move at least once or twice before the BF and I get married and get settled into a home. A lot of moving can cause damage, scratches, etc to my furniture. If I have to move to a studio for some reason (get laid off, or it's the only thing available or want to save money), I might not have room for my big sexy furniture, and would have to sell it on Craig's list for $50. So, my personal suggestion for me would be: go with Ikea. It might not last more than 5 years, but it'll last while I'm not "settled." It will do the job, still look nice, and save money. Once the BF and I get settled into our own place and don't plan to move for a long while, the Ikea furniture will look ok and we can use it for the guest bedroom and/or baby room and we get ourselves the sexy Espresso furniture.

Sounds like a plan to me.

Thoughts? Comments? Concerns?

Another happy note today - I walked for 65 minutes to the beach, and jogged TWICE. The first time for 3 minutes, the second time for 3.5 minutes. I try to add another 15 or 30 seconds each time I go running ( try it, start with 15 seconds and add 15 seconds each day). Watch for 4 minutes tomorrow. Now, I hate running. I always told people I'd rather walk for 3 hours than run for 10 minutes. But I really want to build a strong heart, have more endurance... and shape my derriere. After running for 3, 3.5 minutes, each time... yeah, I'm huffing and puffing a bit, breathing hard... but my heart feels strong. My lungs feel extremely open, I feel like I'm breathing in twice as much oxygen as usual. Suddenly, I don't feel like I have the lungs of a smoker (don't smoke, but been surrounded by second hand smoke my whole childhood...$#%$#^#^%#). It felt really good... and I think that's just the motivation I need to keep doing it. Oh, how glorious it would be that by summer I can run for 10-15 minutes everyday on the beach? Wouldn't that be a hoot? I'll make it my goal. Also, I'm, thinking about getting "Core Rythms," these workout videos that pretty much teach you awesome latin moves and really tone your body. I love latin dancing, and I think this would be a fun way to work out, especially on a rainy day, in the comfort of my living room.

That'll do it for me today. Have a great Sunday... and please feel free to let me know what you think on the furniture. Ciao!

Always a First

Well, there's always a first for everything!

Today:

First time I saw a cop on PCH - and actually thought I could get pulled over going 2 mph over

First time this month I get to work before 7:30

First time I have a breakdown in the office... the first one while everyone was gone, but my boss noticed, so asked me if I was ok, and broke down in front of her

First time I get a 3 day weekend at my new job... yay!

First time I spend my whole lunch hour (well, more, an hour and a half) on the phone with HR, trying to figure out how to make me eligible for benefits. It's still not 100% figured out... I'm waiting till Monday to see if I need to call back and yell at them

First time driving on PCH after the rain and no flooding

First time I ran two full minutes on the beach after work today (walked the other 35)

First time the ocean gave me an earache and dried my eyes out

First time I see a bumper sticker on a cop car that says "WATCH THE ROAD." I can't watch the road AND read your sticker, genius.

First time I set my out of office email on

First time this week I actually got cold in my apartment (dropped to 64-ish today)

First time this year I'm going to do a to-do list for this weekend... and execute it

First time I'm going to start reading again... (again? I never read!)

First time a check got cashed for rent and the electricity bill (ouch!)

Today I'm grateful for an understanding boss who helped me finish all I needed to do today yet let me do it on my own too and encouraged me to leave after I was done with everything (which I was) and just have a fantastic weekend and get my mind off this busy week. She also assured me that we're all criers in this office, so no worries, it's ok to cry. Phew! Ouf!

Have a fantastic weekend! Starting mine early!

Little things post

Hi Everyone!

I'd like to make this short and sweet and list the little things that made my week so far:

*Got a cute email from my dad today - in English

*Saw a guy on a segway going 4 mph and wearing a helmet

*Walked on the beach after work and saw dolphins (funny story. couldn't distinguish between dolphins and sharks. Surfers were around. I start freaking out. But then I see them frolicking outside of the water, which the surfers could see, and not care, so I figured they're dolphins. What a fun sight! You know when you're looking straight at a wave and right before it curls the water gets clearer? I saw them swim there. awesome!)

*Apparently my bum is on fire

*CO detector goes off again, call gas company, they show up to tell me that it's low battery (how embarassing)

*Gas man took advantage to check my heater, and it's working perfectly, yay!

*On Sunday, at 8pm, wanted to get a shelf in... so with a hammer I pounded a dozen times on the wall. The neighbor thought I wanted to communicate and knocked on his wall with a hammer 2 dozen times. Ok, I'll do it on Friday when you're at work, sheesh...

*Transferred my car insurance to be insured in Cali - yay!

*Washed my car at an organic car wash - what the fudge is THAT?!?! It only cost $3, and it's good for the environment, can't complain. But obviously, it's inevitable, (Maktoub?) because I washed my car, it was destined to rain... and it did today (cheers to work's covered parking!)

*Finally got a call from HR to find out why I can't have medical benefits, and what to do to get them

*My boss is hilarious - how can someone be an adult very serious about her job yet be excited to go to a Britney Spears concert?

*Mom's coming in a month and will help me do my taxes AND bring my rollerblades so that I can tone that bum on fire even more :)

*Will have a 3 day weekend starting Friday to do all the stuff I need to do (type up work notes, get a Cali DL and license plate)

*And of course, a new President, an improvement in our country and world... and hopefully a better economy so that I don't lose my job :)

That's about it! What little things made your day/week today? Have a great night!!!

Pardon my French

Hi all,

Well, the weekend is ending... and I'm pretty much finding myself doing stuff the boyfriend would never do with me - watching teen chick flicks, sunbathing, spending hours at BBB, and making hummus with way too much garlic. That's right, I made my own hummus, and it's actually edible! I've been holding true to my eating lifestyle... so far. Lost 5 lbs on the fruit flush by the way :)

So, today I got to thinking - crap. I've been so busy with work and other things that I've pretty much forgotten the fact that: not only am I supposed to register my car in Cali, but I should have done it within 20 days of being here. I'm just hoping I will only pay penalties and not go to jail. Anyone an expert at this? Please be honest, I'm gullible. Oh, and don't tell me to lie to the DMV, I'm not going to lie to the govt. Gotta work on those organization skillz...

So, otherwise I finally found the shelves for my kitchen and bathroom that I was looking for. I started mounting them (a little scary, I don't really play with hammers and screwdrivers) and I figured it out. This is where a man comes in handy, but I thought, hey, might as well learn. How does the saying go? "Fish for a man and you'll feed him for a day, teach him to fish and you will feed him for a lifetime." That's my # 2 motto (#1 - "Everything happens for a reason").

My funny moment of the day - me trying to sit on the stove to put a screw in the wall and thinking out loud: "M*rde! Ca serait pas marrant si mon cul prennait feu!" (Sh*t! it wouldn't be funny if my @$$ caught on fire!). Yeah, got worried about those turn dials for the stove there. Luckily, none got accidently turned on :). I'm a little paranoid if you haven't noticed yet?

Anyway, I didn't mount all the shelves because I took a break and had my "need to register my car" epiphany, and started researching DMV stuff. Aie aie aie. Not proud of myself. Live and learn, I guess.

Hope everyone's weekend was fun... today I'm grateful that my ass did not catch fire and that the hummus turned out pretty good. What are you grateful for today? Have a great week!!!

WOW

No, not World of Warcraft... just a simple WOW. One hour and 40 minutes - that's the time it took me to get home from work on Friday night. The best part? Being stuck in a tunnel (I get a little claustrophobic) for about 55 minutes, while airplanes are just cruising right above me (that concrete will hold them up, right?). Yeah. So what did I do? Nothing! Just listened to music, smiled and laughed at random things. Passed the time. Why complain? Is it going to make me go any faster? Just make the most out of the situation.

This morning I woke up... at an awesome 7:30 (hurray! I love sleeping in!) although I was awakened by the most annoying barking dog (sounded like a Yorkshire) two homes down... and barked on and off (mostly on) for about 2 hours. Lovely!

Now, enough about the negativity. This is a happy blog :). Overall, it's been a great weekend so far. Went to the beach, it was a nice 73 degrees maybe. I heard a guy and a girl speak English with what I thought was a strong French accent... should I go talk to them? Nah, I'm already in the middle of the street crossing it. Maybe tomorrow, or next time. Then I went to BBB, Pier 1 Imports, a mattress store (found a good mattress, but their sale ends tomorrow... the pressure's on!!), a furniture store (gotta love the 70% off signs) and Macy's (uh... a little out of my price range).

I'm doing a 3 day "fruit flush" to eliminate toxins from the body (and lose a few pounds while I'm at it). It's designed to

a) make you lose weight fairly quickly
b) detoxify (great if you've been eating poorly) and
c) great if you've got bad habits (chocolate, fatty foods, etc...)

Today's my 3rd day and I'm glad I survived. It's basically protein shake the first day, every two hours, and fruit every two hours the second and third day. Each night you get a salad with your choice of lean protein, and olive oil and lemon juice as a dressing (couldn't wait for my delicious salad each night!!). May I say, I just love Costco frozen salmon and tilapia? It's so good!!! Anyway, if you've ever intested in doing this or learning more to see if it's right for you, I've got a 50 page PDF waiting to be sent to you. Just let me know :)

So, that's it for me! Tomorrow I'd like to check out what's on sale at Ikea, go to the beach again, buy more fruit...Today, I'm grateful that my plant is starting to recover (it was dying, and if it dies I'm going to be very disappointed in myself). A funny thing today? After going to BBB and Pier 1, I didn't find a single fruit bowl. It was the main thing I was looking for, went to the obvious stores, and couldn't find it. I find it rather funny. You?

Oh, by the way, I'm choosing to work on MLK day and getting next Friday off instead. Sweet! Why not get a day off when everyone else is working? Good night & have a great weekend!

Tough week

Hey everyone!

Well, it's been a tough week... I basically worked 11 hour days on Monday and Tuesday to meet my deadlines, and today I was able to leave after 10 hours. Yay, Week 2! Well, most of it was my choice, too. I didn't want to leave at 6pm because traffic was going to be crappy, so I thought I'd leave at 7 instead... and might as well do stuff I don't have to do in the morning.

So, nothing too exciting, really, except American Idol, I guess... it's kinda fun watching the first episodes because I love watching the bad ones. They always make me feel better about my own singing (which used to be good by the way, but I've been out of choir since 9th grade). I love singing... but I'll just keep it for the shower and the car with the blasting stereo after someone on TeamSpeak told me not to quit my day job... :)

Otherwise, got a new heater in my apartment... at least I think?!?! The maintenance lady told me that they vaccuumed it and installed a new part. It seems so, but I don't care, I'm not turning it on until the gas company checks it again, which unfortunately will not be until Friday next week (first date they had available). Good thing we've been having 71 degree weather - with the blinds open during the day, I come home to a 77 degree apartment... just from the sunshine coming in. Ok, sorry Mad Scientist for rubbing it in.... I'll let you all know if it's functioning...

So, today I'm grateful that I left work before 5:30. Don't get me wrong, I still like my job, but 11 hour days aren't my cup of tea. At least I'm keeping myself busy and don't see the time pass, except when it's 3pm and I go "Oh Sh*t, it's 3pm and I still have HOW much more to do?" Got to work on the organization skills... I'll come up with a system, I promise, by this weekend. That'll be my goal for the day.

Something interesting, fun, or anything today... hmmmmm... in order to not break the rules of the blog, I have to think of something. Well, something that made my day is that I had my first formal meeting with my boss and we looked over my work, and it was, well, not too bad! A few things she recommended changing here and there, but otherwise, good logic and strategy! And good job on the Strategy packet today! YAY!!! I can do this, I can do this....

Until next time - Lil' Lilie

Smiling = success

Hi everyone! Hope you all had a fantastic weekend. Mine was pretty good, and it went by surprisingly fast. I slept in till 8, 8:30, which felt really good, and the whole weekend had beautiful sunny skies and warm rays of sunshine.

Saturday I... honestly forgot what I did! Let's see... ah, yes, went to Albertson's and bought food for the week, did laundry (finally), walked to the beach at about 4pm. I have a hard time taking people seriously. It's 71 degrees outside and people are wearing sweat pants, dark long sleeved shirts and/or sweaters. It's 71 degrees! Is this cold to Californians or something? Meanwhile, here I am, walking to the beach in my capris, tank top, flip flops and beach tote. I must look like a real tourist :). Ooh, and I bought a plant! A nice green fern. It'll bring more life and oxygen to this lonely place (sigh). My brother had a colleague who told him that he and his wife won't have kids until his wife is able to keep a plant alive. I don't think that's bad thinking. Since I'd like to be a mom someday, why not start by making sure I can take care of a plant? Piece of cake, right? We'll see in a few months. I will add that to my New Year's resolution: keep my plant alive.

Today was a little more productive. Had some eggs for breakfast, went to the beach around noon, people were sunbathing everywhere, there were sun umbrellas... it smelled like summer... and SUCCESS! I think from that point forward I've been smiling all day today. I sunbathed for about 45 minutes... it was warm, and there was a nice breeze, which made it not too hot, not too cold. Holy crap. I am reminded how people spend tons of money on weekend getaways at the beach. Guess what? I'm getting equal excitement out of this and not only does it cost me nothing, but it happens every weekend there's sunshine. Now, again, why didn't I come here sooner? :)

So then I ate lunch, watched TV for a bit... and decided to go check out new mattresses. I went to 3 stores, and there's a few I like... but basically they're $600 or more, and I'm a cheapo... but then again, it's Cali, so I expect to pay more (my last bed I bought 6-7 years ago, a double, for only $300 in SLC). There was one though that was so nice at this furniture store, where everything was 40-70% off. the bed was a posture pedic for $749 (originally about 1300), and I'm wondering if I should splurge on that one. They had nice bedroom sets too (dressers, bedside tables, etc on mega sale) and I might go back for that too.

So... that's the weekend. Oh, and something interesting today: on the beach, I heard French... and decided to go talk to them, a young guy and a girl. Why not make friends, especially French friends, I thought? so apparently they're 20 and 19 from Belgium, here to study English on a scholarship, they've been here since September, and leaving in two weeks. Nice kids. It was kinda fun to speak French again, there's no Frenchies my age in salt Lake, really... and it would be fun to embrace the culture again while I'm here. Well, at least I made the effort to go talk to them... something I usually don't do (kinda shy, you know...).

Today I'm grateful for a beautiful summer vacation day. I could have stayed all day at that beach. Sunbathe, walk, play volleyball, peoplewatch... but too bad there's a little something called skin cancer that prevents me from doing so, especially when you're going in the middle of the day.

Have a fabulous week!

Vive le weekend

Hi everybody! TGIF! I finally can rest... work has been a little stressful this week, and will probably be worse next week. I brought my laptop home for the first time and might actually work from home this weekend so that I have time to concentrate on other things next week. I feel like a grown-up in a grown-up position. Feels kinda scary, but cool!

Want to hear a funny story? Well, one night when the boyfriend was here (this was before Christmas), he couldn't sleep around 2:00 am so he got on the laptop and wanted to look up my apartment complex to look at what's in the area. He saw reviews - all negative, and one said that there was a Carbon Monoxide leak and the gas company was wondering how the tenant was still alive. We both freak out, turn off the heat and freeze for a day or two, until we drive up to Salt Lake for Christmas (now, by freezing I mean the apartment was about 62, which is too darn cold for me). On the way back, I bought a CO detector and this whole time we didn't bother calling the gas company to check out any leaks because it never went off. Last night, as I'm watching TV, I see the reader reads 34 (it had said 0 the whole time). Lilie freaks out and calls Mom, talks to Stepdaddy who advises to call the gas company, so I did. I said that I've been getting headaches - and I really have (I NEVER have headaches usually), but then again I started a new job, etc... but the gal basically said, I want you to open all the windows, the door and get to some fresh air, someone will be there soon. They show up about 40-50 minutes later. Good news? There's no gas or CO leak. Bad news? My heater is still in the worst condition, hasn't been maintained in years, if ever (so much lint and dust in there, it's not even funny, the guy even mentioned that I could be allergic to that). He shut it off and wrote a notice. Basically the burner flame is smothering - whatever the hell that means. I just know that there's something wrong with this heater and that it sounds like Chris Griffin's evil monkey is in there throwing marbles everywhere, and once in a while there's a mini explosion. Yeah. Thank goodness I've got an electric heater, and it's going to be 72 degrees tomorrow (yes, I know, rubbing it in). So I submitted the notice and paperwork today after work to the maintenance lady... and hopefully they'll fix it soon cuz man, I need a heater. And they should maintain their units, dang it!

Well, that's my fun story of the day. Hope you all have a great weekend! Any fun plans? I might start looking for a bed and furniture. My mom recommended buying a plant or two, that it'll be good for me and the apartment. Not a bad idea.

What made me laugh today? So I get on Windows Live Messenger tonight, and Mom gets on.

Mom: Re-coucou! (Hi again!)
Me: Hi mom (I had just talked to her on the phone)
Mon: I just installed Windows Live Messenger!
Me: And?
Mom: And it works, and... aren't you proud of me?
Me: Yes mom, that's awesome, you can take care of yourself now and install programs.

So mom doesn't need me anymore. Sigh. I guess we're both growing up. I got my first real bill in the mail today - my electricity bill! - along with a 2 inch thick pile of ads - It was kind of exciting. Please, don't ask me why. I just like the fact that I'm getting utility bills, it makes me feel more grown-up. Maybe I'm just looking at the glass half full? Nothing wrong with that.

Today I'm grateful for having a relaxing Friday night, not dying in my sleep from CO (although may have killed a few brain cells, sigh), my family, my friends, my sweetie pie, a beautiful sunny and warm tomorrow, maybe I'll go sunbathe... yeah. 'Tis gonna be a fun, replenishing weekend.

Wow, over a week?

Well, I'd like to start off by wishing everyone out there a very happy new year! This is fantastic. The start of many, new wonderful things. I thought I'd make a list of resolutions, I'll bore you with them in just a little bit.

First I want to apologize that I haven't posted for a while... the boyfriend's been here and we spent an amazing week together, so I barely had time for that thing called the "Internet." He left last night back to SL, and he'll come back... who knows when. Valentine's day maybe? That'd be sweeeeeeet! I actually stayed at work until 6pm today (got there at 7:20) because... well, honestly I wanted to try and finish something, although it could wait until tomorrow. I usually leave work by 4:30, and at 5 everyone was getting ready to leave. "Geez, you're still here, Lilie? Go home!" "Well, honestly, I have no one to go home to..." and they all felt kinda bad for me. I felt bad for me. I miss ya already, babe :) but also, I knew traffic at 5pm on PCH would be horrible, so I thought what the hey, I might as well leave around 6pm. Well, traffic was worse at 6 than at 4:30... surprise there... I learned my lesson. 4:30 it is.

So now I'm living by myself again, and the apartment DOES feel super empty. It was nice to have company. However, I like to look at the bright side. Now I have time for this blog, I can finally do laundry, I'm going to clean my dining room table that's full of junk, enjoy a beautiful 71 degree weekend in a few days to do whatever the heck I want, maybe walk on the beach (I walked 1h and 45 minutes on the beach by the way last weekend... and got a nice v-neck tan line on my collarbone. Yay! It was only 60 degrees yet capris and a t-shirt felt just fine). I'm also going to start looking at beds because I can't sleep on an aerobed forever (it pinched me the other night! Owie!), dressers, shelves, things of that nature... because my stuff is still just all over the floor. I hate disorganization!

Watched a few fun movies over the week, such as "The day the Earth stood still" with Keanu (not bad, slightly predictable in my mind), "Bedtime Stories" with Adam Sandler - of which I believe the Guinea pig should win best supporting actor, cuz his eyes are just out of those funny eye popping animal greeting cards, and "The curious case of Benjamin Button" - with Brad Pitt, which was SO good in my mind, although it made me cry... I definitely recommend it. Something I'm not proud of... about 3 days after watching it, I had an epiphany thinking about the movie in the shower. "Sweetie, I just realized what the huge clock meant!" "OMG." Good times. I definitely recommend the movie :). Oh, I also saw "Seven pounds" with Will Smith... and I was absolutely BAWLING (ok, I tend to cry un peu beaucoup). Because it's from the director of "The pursuit of Happyness," I thought it would be a feel good movie. I won't spoil it... but basically, it was just really sad.

So, work is... work, boss lady leaving on Friday, and after that I'm pretty much on my own, a little scary, but boss lady's boss will be there to help, but she's got other fish to fry so I can't bug her every 5 minutes. Gotta start working by myself now :)

New Year's resolutions. Here goes.

1. Gained 8 lbs in December (gasp!) Would like to lose those again, and some more. (wow, did you know that the first one would be weight-related? Of course you did, I'm a chick)
2. Go back to the wheat-free dairy free diet
3. Get in shape (walk to the beach, use the gym @ work, do sit-ups on the yoga ball, get a kickboxing and/or pilates DVD)
4. Smile all day long
5. Go to bed at 10PM on weekdays (ha!)
6. Be responsible financially (I's got bills now!)
7. Try to join a casual volleyball team in the spring
8. Limit consumption of chocolate (sigh)
9. Stop eating brownies and cookies at work! (maybe that explains the need for resolution # 1...)
10. Keep loving your family & friends
11. Get a new PC so that I can play Counter-Strike Source in my spare time... and also because I'm sick of this POS
12. Make L.A. County my new home for this year and take advantage of this beautiful area
13. Be the best I can be - at work, at home, with people.

I think that'll do it for now. I guess we'll see next year if I've accomplished all that.

Today I'm grateful for not running out gas in the middle of traffic in LA. Something interesting? Hmmm... I tasted green tea frozen yogurt... and it was... indeed, interesting.

Good night everybody! Glad to be back on the blog :)