Dark & Bitter

Well, today was such a fun day - was able to finalize my stay in New York City in September (can't wait!) and was able to get an employee rate in Idaho Falls by calling them directly for my mom and some friends in October.

Otherwise, short day at work, got almost everything done, and at 3PM our GM was hosting a BBQ with all the managers. He's got a beautiful Mediterranean style home in Manhattan Beach and we ate yummy bratwurst boiled in beer and onions before they hit the grill. Really good and hit the spot. Especially considering I just had a donut for lunch (bad, I know).

Now - a few weeks ago, we were all given a sheet for each manager and to write what we thought about one another. Funny, sentimental, etc... and it was hilarious. There were about 20 of us or so. Some of them included:

"Hot mama"

"His hair never moves"

"Looks like Tom Cruise's older brother"

"could be a stunt double for Sergio" (another manager that was there and I swear they look like twins)

"I like my women like I like my coffee: Dark and bitter"

It was a lot of fun. Everything that was said was nicely printed and framed. Here's what people think about me in the office:

*She's a breath of fresh air

*Very positive attitude

*She's an adventurer

*Independent, kind, smart

*She fits right in!

*She brings a little European culture to the office

*I need my sunglasses... that is one beautiful engagement ring

*Loves to play Beach Volleyball

*Willing to learn more and more

*I've heard her crepes rival Chef Dean's

(Chef Dean is the executive chef at the hotel, the one who likes his women like his coffee)

So that's about it!

Plans for this weekend: Saturday night small Get-together and BBQ with friends, maybe go to Manhattan beach or Hermosa Beach for the surf festival during the day, and usual beach V-ball on Sunday.

Coming up: Babe should be here next week, the week after my best friend from elementary in France is coming to visit with her boyfriend (haven't seen her in a couple of years), in September I'll be in Utah for a few days then taking off for NYC to discover this fabulous city.

Today I'm grateful for the weekend and am extremely excited to see friendly faces everyday.

Here are some pics from today's work BBQ.

Have a great weekend everyone!

Qu'est-ce-qu'on se marre

Well, it's been a while... but it's getting busy at work and budgets and such. Now, for the not-so-boring stuff...

Mom came over for Pioneer Day weekend and we had a blast! So fun to have company, and my mom's always a treat to have around. We can suddenly burst out laughing till we cry... like that one time at the post office, remember mom? (j'etais dans le bus et j'ai vu une femme sortir.... ENORME... et puis le conductuer du bus avait un pif..... ENORME). Qu'est-ce-qu'on s'est marrés!

So it all started when I picked her up at LAX late Friday morning, and we went straight to Santa Monica. We had lunch at Mr. Marcel, and had fun stroll on 3rd Street Promenade, bought goodies at L'occitane, got myself a leopard print bikini top and blue dress shirt at H&M (not planning to wear them together), and had fun on the roller coaster on the pier, watching the ocean from a few dozen feet in the air with a few thrills. We went for a walk on the shore - it was packed, by the way! I then introduced her to the gigantic Whole Foods in El Segundo... and this is where we both had the time of our lives. So many goodies! Sushi bar, handmade pizza bar, mozzarella balls bar, little lemon raspberry tarts bakery... we grabbed some things and had dinner while watching "It Could Happen To You", with Nicholas Cage. I had never seen it but got the DVD one Christmas from the in-laws to be. It was kind of cute!

Saturday morning we walked on the beach for an hour and a half, then had brunch at "Yellow Vase", a cute French style café that's very yellow and sell awesome gourmet chocolates as well as flowers! Their roasted vegetable garden salad and my green chile omelet was to die for. We then got ready and I decided to show my mom Orange County and bring her to my favorite Beach, Salt Creek Beach at The Ritz-Carlton, Laguna Niguel. "Why don't I take the 55 South and we'll get out at Newport Beach and just take PCH down to Dana Point? PCH is cute down that way. And although it was cuter than I remember, it took us 2.5 hours from my place to our final destination... that's just nuts, it was only 60 miles away! But once we arrived at the Beach and the waves were awesomer than I could imagine... the water wasn't too cold... we went in and the waves took us away... so strong that I even had a slight unintentional wardrobe malfunction in the left torso area I'm embarrassed to say... but we totally had a blast. Isn't it funny how you get really hungry after being exhausted from the being in the water?? Luckily coming home only took a little over an hour (Thanks, Interstate 5) and we watched "27 dresses" while eating leftovers and went to sleep.  

Sunday was more of a chillax day, we walked on the beach for an hour, did squats for the last 5 minutes in the sand to get buns of steel, and Mom helped install a bunch of stuff in my apartment! The clock in the dining room, the filtered showerhead in the bathtub, we went to BBB to get a space saver above the loo, and some cute decorations above the dining room table. We then went to Beach V-ball, played for a few hours (A big thumbs-up to Mom who played very well for not having played in 30 years!!!), we then went to a fabulous place on the Riviera that I wanted to try called "Turquoise", a delicious organic place of Mediterranean tapas, surprisingly delightful blends of flavors, and an exquisite experience - with a really handsome & charming waiter to top it off. I'll be back! For the food, not the waiter... :)

So that's about it! Hope you all had a fabulous weekend... I'm excited because I get to see Babe soon, hopefully early next week.... it's been 6 weeks already and it's just too darn long!!!

Today I'm grateful for great friends, a great mom, a great man by my side and just life in general. Have a great night!! Here are some pictures...

Salt Creek Beach

Mom & I @ Salt Creek

Sandy toes...

Santa Monica

Thanks, Mom for a great Mommy-Daughter weekend!

Café Marmalade

Busy day today:

Had to do practically everything at work by 10:00 AM, then meet with boss, then strategy meeting @ 11, then Café Marmalade for colleague's birthday, followed by another meeting at 2, then back to work to finish a few things. I have to get used to this fast-paced thing called the real world.

Tomorrow I get to work from home and I couldn't be more exhilarated. Since everyone else is, if I have to work alone, I'd rather do it at home in my leopard PJs.

That's about it! Today I'm grateful I had a good meeting and that my hotels are doing well this week. How about you?

Later, Gator.

Quand Yen a marre, Ya Malabar

Friday - Work & Beach V-ball

Saturday - Groceries & Beach V-ball & huge steak with ice cream cake

Sunday - Beach Vball & crashing on the couch

I am.......... so.......... sore.

YAY!!!!!

So that was my weekend. I also have this really annoying fever blister that won't go away though. I hope it disappears before I meet the event management team on Thursday.

Today I'm grateful that my new webcam arrived, I can now have crystal clear pictures and video in HD and sing and put myself on youtube. Last time I sang, someone told me not to quit my day job, but I'll prove them wrong. mwouahahahahahahahahahaaa!!!

May you all have sweet dreams.

I'm Committing Carbocide!!

What a week!

First off, last weekend.

Friday - tried to get a Volleyball court at 3PM on a Friday that everyone has off. Fun. I walked up and down the strand and finally found one that just vacated. After a few hours, we had a potluck at Ben & Renée's, and it was really fun! Ben can sure BBQ...

Saturday - woke up at 6:30 and left at 7 to get V-ball courts again as it is the busiest day of the year and people have gotten in fights before trying to hold a court that early. 

Why was I assigned to get the courts you ask? Is it the fact that I've got great big muscles and can fight off a gang of pissed off middle aged men? Is it because I look intimidating enough that they won't even dare try to fight me?

Good guesses, but no. It turns out I live the closest. And there's nothing like a morning workout on the beach on a beautiful day, so I volunteered.

Except that the morning V-ball turned into an all day feast, and moralité: I was there from 7:30 AM to 6 PM with 75 degrees and clear afternoon skies.

Please, aloe vera, and my sweetie to rub it on, I need you NOW. MAINTENANT. AHORA.

Sigh.

At least my face isn't peeling anymore - now it's going to my shoulders. Gosh darn it.

Did I learn my lesson? Yes. I will not only apply sunscreen everywhere but I will re-apply every 3-4 hours. and maybe go home from noon-3 on similar days. 

It was so much fun though. We played 2 on 2, 3 on 3, 4 on 4, and you guessed it... 5 on 5. At night we watched fireworks from the beach and Ben & Leo gave me big hugs as they are so happy that they have found me because they think I'm such a nice person. But the truth is, I'm so glad I found them. They're really cool people, most in their late 20s to early 30s, married or gay, and they want me to hang out with them a lot. And honestly, I'd love more friendship... in this state too.

Last night actually, Leo, Lillian, Renée and I went to a special screening to see "Brüno." I thought it wouldn't be as bad as Borat. Borat just plain disgusted me. Brüno was.... WOW. I was cracking up a lot, but seriously... sex-wise, I think it was worse than Borat. At least I had a fun night out in Hollywood, and went to a Thai place: "Palm Thai" after with an Asian guy doing Elvis impersonations. Went to bed at 11:30 and got very little sleep... but it was worth it to have a weeknight off the couch :)

Not much else going on! If you want to see pictures of the 4th of July, they're on Facebook. If you don't have to Facebook, I guess you'll have to beg me to post them here.

Deal?

Today I'm grateful for meeting great friends. For my well being today, I'm eating negative calorie soup. That's the kind of soup that takes more calories to burn than digest.

Tomorrow - work and beach V-ball.

Saturday - relax and run errands

Sunday - more Beach Vball.

Yes, yes, I'll remember sunscreen. Have a great night!

A L'instant Critique, Quand Tout L'Monde Craque, La Tactique C'est L'attaque

Wow.

What better way to spend a Thursday night than spend a few moments on YouTube watching old cartoons that I grew up on... in France and in FRENCH. Awesome!!

Tic & Tac, Rangers Du Risque (Chip & Dale Rescue Rangers)

La Bande a Picsou, Ooh-oo-ooh! (Duck Tales) > Listen to both the French & English version. The Ooh-oo-Ooh in French is about 2 tones higher. When I first sang it, people thought I was way off key. Well ok, Maybe I was. But not as much as you thought :)

Bisounours (you guess this one)

Super Baloo (Tailspin)

Ok, time for Counter-Strike or something. I get to sleep in tomorrow!! Woohoo!