Motivée

Well, I canceled my LA Fitness membership and decided to go to 24 hour fitness instead. I pay half the price, have newer equipment, kickboxing classes as well and on the way home from work - exactly halfway too, so I pass the major traffic and it's smooth sailing home when I get out.

Win?

Win.

No Beach Vball today - we did yesterday instead. Today was a fun day of relaxing, cleaning the apartment and looking for birthday presents for my darling younger brother and sister who will be turning 14 in about a week! I miss them very much and they will be entering their last year of Junior High. Almost like Freshmen. As Lois Griffin would say, "Get the Freshman!"

Martinique, summer 2006

I'm proud to say that I've been to the gym every single day this week except today. Tomorrow I have a free session with a personal trainer, Tuesday and Wednesday night is kickboxing, and Thursday night I fly out to Salt Lake... and embark on a wonderful journey filled with family, good friends, fun, and 10 days off work. Hurray!

Last night we celebrated Oak's birthday, our youngest volleyball player (only a year younger than me). We went to his parent's Thai restaurant for dinner which was a lot of fun - good food and good company. I carpooled with Lillian & Erin, who showed me downtown Los Angeles... and I saw where L.A. Live is going to be, as well as the JW & RZ that have started to build. They're huge! 

Tomorrow night I'm going to a labor day BBQ. What a fun weekend! Although I'll be working tomorrow, I'll be doing so from home and ending early. Have a great night everyone!

Ca fait drole

It's such a weird feeling, when you go from 3 people living in your apartment for 5 days... then 5.... then 2 en amoureux... and then it's just me again.

Sigh.

Well, at least I had a blast these past few weeks! My best friend from elementary in France, Laure, came to visit with her boyfriend, Maxime. I hadn't seen her in at least a couple of years and it was my first time meeting him. They discovered LA, Malibu, took a day trip to Vegas (yes, a DAY trip... I told them they were nuts and should just spend the night there...), Hollywood and Orange County. Not bad for 5 days and crazy 9 hour jetlag!

I wanted Maxime to try something very American: a root beer float. Problem is, from past experience, I know that most Frenchies do not like root beer. "It tastes like Coke that tastes like medicine." That's what I used to think ages ago... but I'm pretty americanized now. However, Max likes Mr. Pibb. So I told him to try a Mr. Pibb float when we stopped for ice cream. When they first saw it, dropped the ice cream in the soda and saw the chemical reaction, the look on their faces was priceless. He loved it! Laure also tried some kind of shake with melted marshmallow cream (also very American) and loved it. It was really fun. It was a really hot day in Hollywood/ Here's proof, because I usually never wear shorts unless I'm on the beach...

Babe and I had a few days to ourselves and we always try to make the most of it. To give you an update, he decided to start school in the spring. I was a little pissed at first (ok, really pissed because I'm like that), but all of his counselors highly, highly encouraged him to start in the spring because a) all the good classes for fall are pretty much taken b) he should start job shadowing to see what he wants to do and start doing some volunteer work because the college of law and other fields he's thinking of going into really look at that stuff c) it's important for him to get good grades and get in classes he's interested in. Well, whatever works best for him... I trust him to make what he believes is the best decision. It'll just take a little longer than expected to graduate, but that's ok. Many people get married and have families while going to school. I know he wants to be better prepared for everything and I know he'll do very well and make me proud :)

August 13th was Babe's birthday. His younger brother, Ty-Dogg, came here for the week so that they could spend some time together on days when I was at work. On his b-day, we went to "Spark Woodfire Grill" (Right by the RI Beverly Hills) and he had the best kobe burger ever. I had a tasty shrimp pesto pizza. We then ventured through L.A. and visited the automobile museum, wanted to go in, and it turns out we got in for free. We got tricked by the Johnny Rockets waiters who told us we could go in through the restaurant, and suddenly we're inside. It wasn't until we were finished that we passed the admissions office. Oops! Well, we were only able to spend about 45 minutes anyway because of parking. It was really interesting. We saw really old cars and such. Something different. Always up for that...

Happy birthday to my man who doesn't look a day over 22.

That's about it! Getting really excited for my next trip, which will be a Salt Lake/ New York combo the week after labor day. Meanwhile, I've got a month to do the following; We'll see how I progress every week. How's that?

*balance checkbook

*eat healthy

*exercise at least 5x a week

*try either bikram yoga or 7 day complimentary gym pass

*enjoy the last few weeks of summer.

By the way, I haven't been to volleyball in a while - been spending time with the man and letting my left wrist rest a bit. I'll start it up again this Saturday, followed by a great BBQ with friends.

Today I'm grateful that even when I'm lonely, I still get phone calls, sweet emails and quirky text messages. Thanks for those who are thinking of me. I think of you guys too :)

Have a great evening & a la prochaine.

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!

Le Festival

I actually ended up spending about 3 hours at the festival yesterday walking around. Great people watching. If I had kids, they would've had a blast. If I had friends to hang out with, we would've had a blast. If I had my sweetie with me, it would've been even better. But going by myself was tolerable. There was food, music, arts and crafts, and a henna tattoo stand. I'm sooooo tempted to get one on my lower back. But one day, I was told it means Bull's Eye. I still want to because it looks darn cute. Any objections? It only lasts 2 weeks! :)

Here are some pictures. Enjoy.

Prizes...

Giant waterslides...

Polynesian dancing

Pet adoptions

Music & a beer garden

Tons of booths with arts & crafts, jewelry, inventions...

Dr Mookie Love, this was just for you...

Ferris wheel!

Overall, a pretty good day! Got a massage at 6PM, made a delicious homemade dinner of curry jumbo shrimp with rice and lentils, and watched "Confessions of a Shopaholic," which was so-so. At least the actor was easy on the eyes. I then played Counter-Strike Source for about an hour and went to bed!

Today I'm grateful that I just got invited to a BBQ after Beach v-ball today. I heart company! Today, for my well being & exercise, I'll play volleyball for probably 4 hours. Works the legs & the arms. Have a great Sunday!

Yum, Chorizo & cheese crustless quiche from Trader Joe's... 30 minutes to bake?!?! Ok, I hear the blog calling my name anyway... 

So, what a fun weekend! Saturday went to Ikea, got a killer deal on a bookshelf that I'm using as a TV stand as you can see:

I just finished decorating it tonight. It's not great, but it'll do for now. I need to get the DVD player out of there (and my old PC too).

Seriously, will you stop??? I think my neighbors are gettin' it on next door again and it sounds like the beginning of an earthquake. And you know how paranoid I've been the past few days.

Back to the weekend... Sunday was Beach V-ball all day, 10am to almost 4pm... at 10 am the water was so serene, and a couple of dolphins were really close to the shore... it was pretty cool. It never gets old even after the 20th time you've seen it. When I got home I baked a scrumptious frozen apple pie and claimed it as my own recipe, and then brought it to a really fun BBQ. Here are some pictures for your enjoyment:

Clockwise, from top: Lillian, me, Mayou, Tak's evil spirit, Christine, and a guy taking up 1/4 of the picture. May I clarify that I am not standing next to a naked chick and Lillian is indeed wearing a strapless dress, $teve...

Leo and the girls...

We were way too happy that we won all those games today...

So, that's about it! I worked today from 8 to about 2, got home, did some cleaning, brother's coming Wednesday night, I get Friday off, Saturday we drive up to Salt Lake... and that is where the real adventure will begin :)

Today I'm grateful that I was able to re-arrange furniture all by myself. What are you grateful for this beautiful Memorial day? Have a great night!!

Et un Autre...

Yes, we had another earthquake today. I thought it was the huge cooler coming on! No biggie, just a 4.2 magnitude and it lasted about 3-5 seconds and there was light shaking. It originated only about 5 miles east of work though...

Sigh... why did I come to Cali again? Oh yeah, the beach, a great job opportunity, sunny weather. Ok, good. Just had to remind myself for a second :)

Today I'm grateful I get to watch the American Idol Finale! And that lunch at work was actually decent, it was chicken with a tomatillo sauce. Yum!

Well, not much else to say. I'm getting really excited for Memorial Day weekend and my week long vacation in Salt Lake... The only thing planned for this weekend is Beach V-ball all day, starting at 10AM on Sunday, followed by a BBQ with my buddies. Will be oh-so-fun! And I'm excited to see family and friends in... less than 2 weeks now!

Till next time, Ciao.

They Shouldn't Have Won

Good evening Ladies and Gentlemen,

Today was a busy day at work, and I left at 4:30 to see a place to rent. I decided to start searching again... just in case I see an absolutely incredible deal. So click here to see here's what I visited.

It's a cute beach cottage! I'd have my own small backyard, off street parking, and live in a tiny house. The Patio is tiled and the landscape is cute. The only problem? If I move out of here, I want a bigger kitchen. You know how tiny my kitchen is. Well, this kitchen... was literally the size of my bedroom closet. The whole thing too was probably half the size of my current apartment. And if I gained 10 more pounds, I don't think I would fit in the shower. It felt like on a cruiseship in a way. A stand-up comedian said "wow, I almost fell out of that shower.... good thing the bed was right there to catch me." Seriously. I'm not giving up the size of my apartment and my beautiful ocean view for a patio, and savings of $55 a month.

The landlord lady, however, is one of the nicest people you'll ever meet. Cute lady from London, we talked about anything and everything and she made it clear that France shouldn't have won the 2008 World Cup. Too funny. Talked for over an hour on the patio. Very nice. She encouraged me to go make friends. Good point. I've got my volleyball buddies though, which is just perfect for me. I don't mind just hanging out at home on weekday nights. It's the weekends I get bored, so then comes in Volleyball. Speaking of that, Memorial Day Sunday will be Beach V-ball all day and BBQ at night. 

Today I'm soooooo grateful it's the weekend. My back is shot. Maybe I'll go get a massage or something. Ugh. I'm actually going to visit another apartment tomorrow at 1PM. I'll have to tell you all about it :)

Any excuse to go to Laguna...

What an awesome weekend!

Went to Knott's Berry Farm on Saturday with $teve, the Wingmans, $teve's mom, aunt and niece. It's so great to have company once in a while, and good company is always a bonus.

Great memories:

* Amazing garlic fries
* Pony Express - you're on a steel pony going 100 miles an hour on a roller coaster
* Went on a log ride - was the only one that got wet - and was wearing a white shirt (what was I thinking?)
* Staying at a theme park past 5pm for the first time in my life
* Best memory: Mrs Wingman grabbing a teenager's butt, asking why he wears skinny jeans and why they are so low "Don't you have to fold your ding dong in there?" The look on the kid's face - priceless.
* Making new friends, turns out I knew Mrs. Wingman from work over 2 years ago... and we all had a blast.
* Relaxing in the hot tub after a day of roller coasters that stop way too suddenly... my neck did not appreciate that.
* Got to open a Kinder surprise, ate the delicious chocolate... and my toy was a carousel. Haven't hada kinder surprise in over 10 years!

Sunday, $teve and the Wingman's stopped by my place, I showed them my apartment and the ocean view, and they loved it. We went to the beach, stopped by an Italian place to get Kinder Bueno and other Kinder chocolates... then went to a park to eat BBQ chicken sandwiches, and drove to my favorite hotel in the whole wide world... the Ritz-Carlton, Laguna Niguel. There, we walked to the beach (which is way better than mine, by the way!), went back up on the cliff and watched an amazing sunset, just the 4 of us, while eating kumquats. We then went for baja fish tacos, and did more hot-tubbing for about 20 minutes... then I went home. I lef tthe hotel at 10:40PM, knew I had about a 1 hour drive ahead of me.... with work in the morning. It was totally worth it:)

I have pictures! But that'll be for another day this week. Today I'm grateful for the amazing sunset I saw over the beautiful Pacific ocean... although I wish Guru would've been here to enjoy it with me. Oh well. It's only an hour away :)

Some Sunday Randomness

Here's what happened this week/ weekend:

*Discovered tofu cream cheese and actually am addicted now

*Decided to learn how to roast garlic, and plan to make homemade roasted garlic hummus later

*Have a beautiful fridge full of colorful veggies, tantalizing meats and creamy yogurt

*Had a smashin' omelette this morning with andouille sausage, garlic, onions, sliced mushrooms and avocado

Ok, enough about food... although, did I mention I love food?

Speaking of food, I went to my volleyball buddies' BBQ last night, and it was pretty fun! We had really tender BBQd steak, juicy chicken, cheeseburger (I had 1/4 of a cheeseburger), some kind of transparent rice noodle dish (very eclectic bunch of people), and some good conversation. I didn't drink (no surprises), and the cheeseburger is the only thing I went off the diet from. Not too bad. The weather was fairly nice, but there was a cool breeze and got cold quickly. I still managed to spend time there until about 9pm, as they lit a bonfire to keep us warm... they were out of wood so started breaking old chairs... so, whatever. I smelled like campfire so went home, took a quick shower and watched "The Holiday" - I really like Jack Black in it as a sweet guy, and Kate Winslet's adventure in LA.

So today, might not play volleyball because it's really windy and cold... although it was supposed to rain all day but the wind chased the clouds away. It's like Mistral! Maybe I'll just go for a nice walk after lunch on the beach in a sweater and watch the angry ocean.

Other plans coming up not involving food: clean my apartment today, hang a fun print in my bedroom that I found at Michael's, vaccuum, and just chill. I'm thinking of getting a membership to Netflix because a) you know my TV's snowy b) Convenient c) I get 2,500 bonus Skymiles for it. To be honest, "c" was the best reason for me. Can't wait to go to France for free! Although it may take a few years... if only I could pay my rent with my Skymiles Amex...

Today I'm grateful that although my man's got the flu, he's feeling better today. I hope to see him in 10 days or so. I'm also grateful that for the past week and a half, I notice in the shower that I'm not losing as much hair as I used to. Maybe my thyroid is back to normal? I've got a doctor's appointment on April 3rd and we shall see.

I hope you all have/had a great weekend. A fun week, too! Au revoir.