My, my, my...

Where has the time gone?

All of a sudden it's almost the middle of March?! Nutso. Anyway, lots going on 'round these parts. A little house hunting, a couple pregnant friends (yay!), some volunteer work, a bit o' party planning, the new kickball season... All I can say is if all goes well, the next few months are going to be pretty freakin sweet. I don't usually have a lot of exciting things to look forward to, so you can imagine how thrilled I am that there is a lot going on. :)

For now, I'll share a little story with you.

The other morning as I was driving to work, I noticed some major junk and trash at everyone's curb. Turns out it is "pick-up week" in the next town over (which is, like, 2 blocks from our house) where residents can essentially unload the contents of their overly stuffed garages and the nice Garbage Fairy will come, wave his wand, and take it all away. ::sigh:: Unfortunately, we don't technically live in that city, so our garage remains depressingly cluttered with our crap. But I digress.

As I'm driving along, I start to get really annoyed that I'm having to constantly swerve all over the road to avoid running into/over said junk. A chair? Check. A mattress? Check. Mattress Numero Dos? Check. A toilet seat (just the seat)? Check. And so on. Alright, so we're putt putt putting along and I'm glancing into these piles because... well, I just can't help it. I'm intrigued by that little glimpse into other people's lives. For some reason I find it fascinating... ANYWAY. For the love of Pete, I cannot stay on point.

Where was I? Right. Peeping. Which, to tell you the truth, has absolutely nothing to do with this story. Sorry. After I passed the second mattress laying in the middle of the road, out of absolutely nowhere this random guy pops out right in front of my car, snags something out of the road and runs. I busted up laughing when I saw what he took. It appears as though he was going through pile after pile of junk tearing each one apart to find the one thing that alluded him.

A used toilet seat. Lovely.

Just stopping by...

You would think that being away from blogging for a few months would give me a lot of material. And you would be right, except that it would take me a few months to recount everything that has gone on around here! Suffice it to say, I think blogging for me was something that I used more as a procrastination tool than anything else. Now that school is finished and I actually have a life, I'm out living it and don't have a lot of time to blog about it. Either way, I'm not giving up the blog, but entries will continue to be sporadic, I'm sure.

A quick update on just the last two weeks:

- We spent over $700 at the vet for a biopsy on a gigantic mole that sprouted up on Harley's leg, vaccinations for both dogs, some weird procedure on Harley's eyes that ended up clearing his sinuses so he doesn't snore anymore (Honestly? This alone was worth the money!), and two different kinds of eyedrops for the H Bear. No word yet on the biopsy. Please cross your fingers it's benign.

- Rusty's car had to go into the shop the same day as the vet. We're not even going to discuss how much that cost.

- I taught my very first class at work. I had been freaking out over it for weeks for no reason at all. My course evaluations came back from my "students" and I got nothing but positive feedback. Woot! Go me ;)

- Kimmie came to visit!! I think she took exception to the fact that it snowed at home so early this year. Whatever the reason, I'm so glad she came. We had a ton of fun, without stopping for a second. After a visit to Santana Row for shopping, eating and a mani/pedi for each of us, my kickball championships, two parties, a new drinking game based on Gordon Ramsey and how often he cusses, and meals at the best Mexican and brunch places in San Jose - I sent my oldest friend home a happy girl... if a bit sad to leave us (and vice versa!). Luckily she'll be back in the spring for a trip to Napa!

- Brodie broke a window on Monday. The mailman had the nerve to actually deliver our mail. Sheesh, what was he thinking? Don't worry, Brodie is fine, not a scratch on him. We have a cardboard box in the window now (which is not ghetto at all) and when all is said and done, it will cost us almost $1k. God, grant me the serenity to not kick this dog's ass...*

- I spent most of the morning laying in the sun, listening to my iPod. Did I mention it's over 80 degrees here? It's the middle of November!

I'm spending this weekend relaxing, running some errands and catching up on sleep. It is so nice to have a break! Hope you all are enjoying your weekend!

*Please don't worry, no dogs were harmed in the destruction of our house. :)

August

Exciting things are all around this month...

1) I am exactly 20 days away from the last official day of the Summer 2008 semester. In other words, 20 days from now I will officially have my Masters degree!!!!!!

2) Today is my five year (full-time) anniversary with the company I work for. Can't wait to see what the next 5 are like!

3) I'm joining a kickball team. More specifically, the reigning Silicon Valley champs: The Booze Pirates.

4) Our friends are expecting their first child (a girl!) to arrive later this month.

5) We only have ONE wedding left to attend! Wooohooo!

6) I get to see Jess and Chris this weekend! And the dogs get to have a sleepover with their cousin, Indy.

7) Soccer camp is almost over for the summer, which means I might actually see Rusty for more than 30 minutes. Score!

Life is good.... :o)

Pet Peeve Du Jour

It drives me absolutely insane when I am trying to drive through the parking lot at work to get to my office only to have to crawl at -10 mph because people decide they are going to walk 5 across at a snail's pace, in the middle of the road and not get out of the way. Um... do you not hear the car right behind you? Do you not care? Do you have a death wish and want me to run you over?? WHAT?!

Now, the funny thing is, this doesn't bother me as much if I'm at the mall or something. But the fact that I work in an office complex makes it no secret that I actually HAVE to be somewhere like, oh, I don't know - my JOB? You taking your sweet ass time strolling through the parking lot is not only preventing me from getting there, but you're also pissing me off and making me want to find out what it would be like to run over your foot.

Odds & Ends

It's the little things that make me happy...

- Since I won't be going to get my eyebrows waxed anytime soon, I thought it was a good time to invest in a really good pair of tweezers and upgrade from my dull Revlon ones. Off to Sephora I went where I found a cute (and sharp) pair that were right up my alley. I hate plucking my eyebrows, so I might as well do it with something a little more fun and functional.

- While we were making dinner Friday night, my phone drowned on the counter where a bag of ice had been sitting. (Yes, I charge my phone on the kitchen counter. I kind of asked for it.) Lucky for me, I was getting close to having to renew my 2-year contract with Sprint anyway so it was perfect timing. Not only did I upgrade my old flip phone to the new Samsung Instinct, I also signed up for a more comprehensive, cheaper service plan, AND worked out a special deal where I got a $70 credit to my account! Hurray!

- We saw The Dark Night today. Wow. I loved it. I'm not sure if any of you braved the crowds for its opening weekend, but I'll ya. Totally. Worth it. It was a little weird seeing Heath Ledger in that role, especially in the beginning. But he does such a great job as the Joker and you're so focused on the character that you completely forget about the actor. Definitely a must-see movie.

- Feeling an unfamiliar urge to be domestic. I know... weird. In response, I decided to try a new recipe and bake "Blueberry Breakfast Cornbread" while I was still half asleep this morning. Surprisingly enough, it was really good! :)

- I got a new phone. Oh. I guess I said that already... But all I've been doing since yesterday afternoon is play with it. It is so cool! So shiny and fancy. And I can check my email or go to the navigation feature by tapping one button. That's it! Very similar to the iPhone, but for a whole lot less. Who doesn't love that? One more thing and then I'll stop with the phone stuff, I promise. If I haven't already asked you, please email or text me your phone numbers! The damage was too severe to transfer my phone book. Thanks!

- And probably the finest moment of the weekend... some peace!

Bloody hell

What better way to end a really stressful, yet productive day at work than to drive into a stationary object?

I worked late in order to (successfully) work out a deal for tickets to an event we want to take a potential client to. Working late meant that I kept Rusty waiting when he had to get back to work. So when I finally walked to my car, I get a call from the Hubster and he tells me that I need to boogie and get home to the dogs so he can leave. The combination of being pumped up after I did something awesome at work and being in a rush to get home, I didn't pay attention to how my steering wheel was turned or the fact that I was parked right next to a giant post. I started to pull out of my spot and BOOM! Right into the post. Followed by some colorful language that I'll leave out since this blog should be at least semi-family friendly. I quickly look out my window to see if anyone saw or heard me and there were two guys about 7 cars away staring at me. Sweeeet. Embarrassing? Sure. But whatever, they don't know me. And then I saw my boss pulling out about four cars down. Double sweeeet.

Oh, and I almost did it a second time because I was so flustered.

Luckily, damage was barely noticeable and my car is totally driveable. Thank god. Because while a ding here and there doesn't really bother me, the last thing I wanted was to pay a $500 deductible to get it fixed.

Seriously... I hate when stuff like this happens. I am such a moron.

If it wasn't so funny, I'd cry.

For those who get their eyebrows waxed: Have you ever laid there with your eyes closed while the aesthetician goes to town, worrying about what you're going to look like when she's done? I have. Most of the time it's completely unnecessary because I come out looking normal, like myself - just with pretty eyebrows.

Today? Not so much.

I went into my trusty neighborhood salon to get my unruly brows tamed, but my regular lady wasn't there. I stupidly let someone else work on me for what seemed like a half hour. The entire time I'm lying there thinking "this is taking way too long..." But being someone who hates confrontation, I didn't say anything. I then convinced myself that it was taking so long because she's "just that good!" Oh, how wrong I was.

I now have a tan line where most of my eyebrows used to be. A TAN LINE, people!!! What the hell was this woman thinking?? And to top it all off, do you want to know what she said to me right before I closed my eyes and she got to work?

"Not too thin, right?"

Riiiiiight. Did I mention that I'm in a wedding on Thursday? Good times...

I can see clearly now

Well, now that my pupils aren't dilated to the size of saucers and I'm wearing new contacts. Yay for being able to see!

For the past week I've noticed that my vision has been kind of blurry - for things near and far - even with my contacts. I'm 27! I shouldn't have to worry about reading glasses! In any case, yesterday was the last straw. I could hardly see my computer screen and had the worst migraine from squinting all day. I wasn't sure if it was just my allergies or if my prescription had changed. I went ahead and made an appointment with a new eye doctor since I got new vision insurance. At the time the appointment was made, no one mentioned they'd be dilating my eyes since I'm a new patient and that just maybe I should have someone there to drive me home. Thank god I brought my old glasses with me, because I couldn't wear my contacts after the eye exam and subsequent burning eye drops that opened them up so big I'm sure they could see into the deepest recesses of my brain. If I thought the headache I had during the day was bad, the one I got at the eye doctor was that times about a million. So bad it literally made me sick. The bright California sun I usually adore became my worst enemy. Somehow I got myself home safely, although I wouldn't have been surprised if I ended up at the other end of California with all the signs I could read.

Learn from my mistake: If you go in for an eye exam, ALWAYS ask if they'll be dilating your pupils. And if they are going to, make sure you have a ride home. I'm so pissed I had to drive like that. Not only was it painful and I felt like puking the entire way home, but it was dangerous too. There is your PSA for the day. :)

La la la

What to write, what to write...

As I mentioned in my previous post, life has been all sorts of topsy-turvy these days. In addition to the two major occurrences of last week, work is totally crazy, my very last class for school has been super hard and we've got something going on every weekend for the next month. There just doesn't seem to be any time to get things done or god forbid, relax. We've got our family vacation to Florida coming up next week, so I've been trying to prep my pasty, pudgy self by working out a little more (and by "a little more," I mean "at all"), getting some sun and trying to find some affordable, new clothes to get me more excited and get my mind off everything else. While a little retail therapy is usually a cure-all for what ails me, I should always remember that bathing suit shopping has the exact opposite effect. Dear Lord in heaven, it ain't pretty.

Unfortunately, no matter how much I hate it - and we all do - my ass feels like it has grown to epic proportions lately (at least for me), and last year's suit now resembles more of an overstuffed sausage casing than a sexy bathing suit. Icky. After trying on about 30 different styles and sizes, I finally found a cute little number at Old Navy. I'm completely over spending lots of money on swimsuits. I figured that by going the cheaper route it won't matter if it doesn't fit next year! Who cares? Go ahead, eat that box of cookies! Wooo! ahem Not that I'd ever do that.... (uncomfortably looking away...) Back to my point. Cute, huh? Lets hope it looks good on, too...

Pink Paisley String Bikini, Old Navy

For the record, I just want to say that as I stood in those horrific dressing rooms with terrible lighting, I realized how much I hate all those lucky ladies with long legs, tiny waists and long torsos who look so good in a bikini. You all suck. There. I said it. I (of the stubby-legged, hipless, short torso'd variety) am really trying to be "comfortable" in my own skin, but I'll tell ya, with every new dimple of cellulite it gets that much harder!

Hmmm.... TMI, perhaps?

A ray of sunshine

I adore my boss.

I have had a pretty horrible week, details of which I can't go into here. Suffice it to say, I'm pretty disheartened with people in general right now. Let's hope that time will change my opinion. I was also unexpectedly reminded how unpredictable, short and fragile life is.

My boss knows it has been a rough few days, so after lunch she came into my office bearing this gift which totally helped cheer me right up. Looking at this makes me smile. Not only because it is so pretty and was such a sweet gesture, but also because it serves as a reminder that there are way more good people out there than jerks. :)

Hot as Hades

Where the hell did this come from????

Forgive me

... for being so incredibly boring lately, but I just can't seem to muster up anything interesting to write about! I don't have a house to renovate or dedicate an entire post to; I'm not really into partying anymore; I'm not a particularly good photographer, cook, baker, etc. so there's not a whole lot there.... (translation: I'm a horrible housewife. Hence, the reason I will always work.) ... blah blah blah. What I do have is a job I love, a husband I love (and I'm pretty sure the feeling is mutual ;)) and two dogs who keep me on my toes (as you can see here and here).

I'm incredibly grateful for all I do have, but I'll admit I have moments of jealousy over the things/skills I don't have. I'm always on the hunt for a new hobby that I might be good at, better than average even, but so far I haven't found anything aside from work and grad school. Neither live up to the definition of "fun" but I am pretty good at both and they give me a solid feeling of accomplishment.

So. Now that I am entering into my very last class to earn my graduate degree, I've been thinking a lot about how I want to spend my new found free time come September. I've been throwing around a few ideas:

• Volunteer! Ideally, I would be able to do this at one of the local SPCA/Humane Society sites. If my career can't involve animals, I might as well dedicate some extra time to them!


• Get a second job. Okay, so admittedly, this is not my favorite option because I am inherently lazy and my favorite thing to do after work Monday through Friday is walk in the door, take off my heels and work clothes and settle into my slippers and comfy fat pants. This generally does not happen when one has a second job. However, the Husband and I have upped our deadline to buy a house, so there is no time like the present to start sacrificing some free time to make a little extra cash. (Mmmmmm.... discount at Banana Republic..... drool.....)


• Go to the gym. Hahahahaha! I know. Who am I kidding? I can't even believe I wrote that!


• Join a book club! Take a knitting class or cooking class! Visit my grandma so she can teach me how to sew! She's just up in San Francisco, so its not that far and I really need to be spending more time with her. So...


• Let's just go ahead and make that one a definite: Visit Grandma WAY more often!

There are all sorts of things that I could do in my spare time (once I have it). I'm going to weigh the pros and cons of the volunteer vs. second job thing, which is going to be hard because both have 'pros' that I am very passionate about. Its just that one only benefits my heart and my karma, while the other puts good ol' dinero in my pocket. Or our savings account to be more exact. So we can all look forward to the coming months as I'll actually have a life - I hope - from which I will draw upon in an attempt to make this blog thingy ever so slightly more interesting. :)

Okay, so this photo has absolutely nothing to do with my post, but I've been missing having a tiny puppy around. So in my perusal of Harley's puppy pictures, I found this pic that I had to share. Harley at about 15 weeks old greeting our niece (7 months old). She slept right through this...

The Right Stuff

I can’t believe I’m going to admit this publicly, but I am STOKED for the return of not one, but TWO of the best things to happen to the 80s and 90s. Yes, that’s right, 90210 and New Kids on the Block.

I know what you’re thinking. "Meg, you need to get a life." (and you would be right)

But honestly, this is just too much! I know it won’t be the real 90210, just a spin-off, but can anyone look me in the eye and say they aren’t just the tiniest bit intrigued about the return of the Peach Pit? Hmmm?? Of course, since Aaron Spelling is no longer going to be enriching our lives with (what are now) cliché dramas about teen angst, I’m sure this spin-off will pale in comparison to the original, but whatever. I will totally watch it and probably love every horrible second of it.

As for the New Kids, (Sidenote: can they really be called that anymore? I mean, they’re hardly “new” and I definitely wouldn’t call them “kids." Helloooooooo, Joey! ;)) they are another comeback that I’m super excited for. Now, I know you all probably think I’m lamer than lame, and normally you would be correct, but let me clarify. I’m not excited in the OMG-I-HAVE-to-have-the-new-NKOTB-sleeping bag/umbrella/cassette, etc. kind of way (as most of us were back in the day). More like in the I-can’t-wait-to-see-this-trainwreck-but-I-secretly-really-hope-they-kick-ass, kind of way.

Follow me? Good.

Now all I need is for Debbie Gibson to come out with a new album and for Saved by the Bell to come back with Saved by the Bell: The Married Years. I can see it now, Kelly Kapowski marries Zack Morris only to have a love-child fathered by AC Slater, who married (and subsequently cheats on) Jessie Spano. The best part? The only happy couple in the group is Lisa Turtle and Screech who end up marrying, popping out 6 little Lisa's and Screech's and living happily ever after. Oh and who can forget Mr. Belding! He is the crotchety old man who lives down the street who always yells at the kids to "get off my dang lawn!"

The End. :)

TGIF!

Seriously, I am so happy this week is over and the weekend is finally here. I really need a couple days to sleep in and relax. Okay, maybe the relaxing part won't be happening in spades, but close enough. :)

Yesterday was a pretty nice day so I left the front door open to let the dogs bask in the afternoon sun. As I was petting them, I looked up and saw our grape vines are starting to grow back!

For the past 6 months, the main stem and branches have all looked like the one on the right. Pretty dreary if you ask me. Not to mention, that's the only "separation" we have from the house next door. So we feel especially exposed during the winter. Sidenote: That's one thing I don't like about California - how close together all the houses are. I'm more used to having some serious space in between each house. A girl needs her privacy sometimes! ;)

I'm going to try and take a picture of this every couple weeks or so to see how it grows. Truthfully, I didn't pay much attention last year because our landlord had said not to worry about or touch it and they would deal with it. Well... that didn't happen. It got a little unruly and they ended up having to pull out one of the main plants, so this year I'm going to take care of them whether they like it or not! Wish me luck!

Oh, man... I hope I don't kill this little guy...

Blah

Today is one of those days when I really would have rather stayed in bed under the covers than get up and deal with life. And I think everyone around me would agree. Not that there is anything in particular that's wrong, its just... one of those days I guess.

Part of it is that I'm insanely busy and stressed out. I have a full-time job (that I love) and I'm working on getting my masters degree. I've been in school for the past 2+ years, but I still haven't gotten used to the fact that I have ZERO free time to do whatever I want. And if I do take some time out just for me? I end up feeling guilty about not reading the latest chapter of Strategic Human Resources or whatever crap I'm supposed to be learning about. All of this just makes me a cranky bitch that no one wants to deal with. I can't imagine why...

Other things about today that suck? In my grueling 5 minute commute to work this morning, I was unnecessarily cut off at least 3 times. Annoying? Yes. But bearable if I'm at least warned its coming. So will someone please explain to me why the hell people don't use their effing blinkers???? It is not difficult to use. In fact, your pinky can do all the work! Its also a safety tool since it keeps you safe from me trying to murder you when you don't use it!

AND, I'm a terrible wife. Rusty went above and beyond to help me put together a tournament bracket for a bocce ball tournament my company has every year. Instead of graciously saying thank you, I get all pissy because I will actually have to add. Numbers. In my head. I know, right? Someone call an ambulance, I'm about to have an aneurysm! So, I'm sorry sweety. I'm awful. I don't know how you haven't strangled me yet. It must be love!

And last but certainly not least: Harley. I swear this dog will be lucky if he sees is 3rd birthday. Yesterday we came home at lunch to see that he had chewed up some junk mail and a credit card that I had finally paid off and was ready to cancel. The afternoon went by without a hitch and he got plenty of praise for being such a good boy. Today? Lets just say that I no longer have a green highlighter with which to do my homework. How did I know it was Harley, you ask? See for yourselves:

Caught green-handed...

He looks sorry....

... but I'm not taking any chances.