It is, what it is!

The Descendants

2012-01-28T21:04:00.000-08:00

We actually saw a movie today. If you know me and Paul and our track record with these sorts of things, you will understand. It took us almost a year to see the Batman Movie with Heath Ledger, and I believe that we were the most excited to see it. And we have attempted to see Mission Impossible 3 on several occasions, and stilll have not done it. It was tough before, but now that I have an excuse to not do anything and everything, movies have become impossible.

I do not want to spoil anything for anyone, but I wanted to mention somwthing that stuck with me. If you have seen the commercials you will know this much... George Clooney's wife is in a coma and he is dealing with children that he was not so close with and secrets that his wife left behind. This movie was about life and how we deal with the moments that define us and though, I am not certain it was the movie of the year, it was very good. And at the end, there is this scene where they are sitting there, as a family, and you see that no matter how horrible the trama or the circumstance, we survive and come out on the other end. I am sure that if you have been fortunate to never have experienced a loss, of any nature you will not understand it on the same level, but trust me when I say life is worth it all. All the heartache and ugly is worth it to get to the beauty of it all.

Little Things

2012-01-19T20:05:00.000-08:00

"Sometimes," said Pooh, "the smallest things take up the most room in your heart."

I was looking up quotes online in preperation for my speech at Katie's wedding and ran across this gem. And I balled, I mean I could barely get through reading it. What the heck hormones, let me at least read a little Poohism without losing my stuff. But then I started thinking about this little person growing in me and how much I already love them and we have only known one another for 15 weeks. I have known people for years, that I can barely say that about. And that makes me very happy but so very nervous as well. I began to think how hard it will be to leave them at home or at daycare and head off to work, or to see them off on the first day of school. And don't get me started thinking about them going off to college or getting married and having children of their own. I really have no idea how my mother did it. I would have fallen apart more times than I like to admitt.

But at the same time, I am thrilled that I am already so attached and in love. I was always a little concerned if this maternal side of me would ever kick in, and I guess I waited for the right time, cause it is in full swing. And I cannot wait to meet this little person... Who by the way has decided to hide for one more month, and not reveal whether or not they are a Paula or a Victor!?! Oh well, we will find out one way or another soon enough!

The Anticipation is Killing Me

2012-01-12T20:18:00.000-08:00

Before we got pregnant, actually before we even started trying, I thought that I would want to be one of those parents that waited till the baby was born to find out the sex. I knew in my heart that I did not care if it was a boy or a girl, as long as they were healthy and all mine. And then we got pregnant and Paul decided that he was going to find out the sex, no matter what... And that if I did not want to know, he would just not tell me. What is that?!? So I gave in. I decided that if I got to carry the baby for nine months and experience all the wonderful parts of being pregnant, the least I could do for Paul is share in the joy of finding out the sex of the baby.

And now we wait. At our last appointment the doctor got us all excited at 11 weeks, mentioning that there was a chance that we might be able to tell. And then nothing. But the worst part was that I did not think before we went in for that appointment that we had a chance in hell of finding out till 20 weeks, and here we were at 11 weeks. And that is where it started and now all I think about, day and night, is finding out if there is a little wein or who-ha growing inside of me. We have another appointment on Tuesday and my fingers are crossed that the doctor will be able to see something, anything. And though I know that it does change my feelings in the least about the baby growing inside, there is something to be said for being able to say he or she, instead of feeling the instinct to say it.

And so we wait... But I do have a hunch that we have a girl on our hands. Something about the Chinese calendar and the fact that I am growing all over the place, and the secret hope that I will have someone to shop and drink wine with, is leading me down that road... BUT we will have to wait for now!

Closing in on 2012

2011-12-26T15:56:00.000-08:00

Seeing as how the holidays are slowly passing us by, I wanted to take a moment to think about the new year ahead and the one that we are putting behind us. I would be lying if I said that 2011 was the best year of my life, that is not to say that there were not wonderful moments. We had a wonderful trip to London and fell in love with a city that I could see us living in without any issues. We embarked on the next chapter of our lives and became pregnant, and found that we really have never been happier in our relationship. Those first few years were challenging and beautiful in so many ways, but I really feel that Paul and I have found our groove. And I have never felt more in love and more committed than I do at this time.

And then there have been the bumps in the road that no one saw coming, or could have prepared us for. It was a shock to find out that my parents were seperating and to say it broke my heart, is the understatment of the year. I looked to my parents as the tride and true guide to a happy, long marriage and to find out that there were cracks in the foundation, tested my faith in the sanctity of marriage, even my own. But as I have come to find out, everyone has their own journey and sometimes you have to allow people to fall and make mistakes in order for there to be growth, even when you do not understand the reasoning. I can say that this year has been one of transformation for myself and those closest to me. For me, I have learned that I cannot control everything and letting go can be very freeing. Who am I to decide what is best for others, I can only do that for myself. And I have learned to be a better sister, daughter, wife and friend. It takes so little to be there for someone, yet it gives back so much in return. I would not give back the time that I have been able to spend with my sister and mom, that under different circumstances may not have been possible. I love these two women more than life, and I have learned so much about them this year and believe that we are on a good path to something wonderful.

Leaving behind 2011 and embarking on 2012 is something I have been looking forward to for some time. So many amazing things in the works for next year. Katie and Rodger are getting married. This is such a wonderful thing and I know that they make one another so very happy and I cannot wait for their big day. Mom and I are planning the shower, the bachelorette weekend is in the works and then the wedding will be here before we know it.

And then we have little Baby Madore joining us in the summer. I cannot express in words how happy I am just talking about this, such joy. I am excited and nervous and at times giddy, at the idea of having this little person that Paul and I created looking up at me and falling in love with every moment. I was a late comer to the idea of motherhood and having a little one, but I feel like I am hitting my stride. I cannot wait... For all of the wonderful moments to come!

So with that I say Happy New Year and Goodbye 2011! Such great things awaite us just around the corner!

A Small Announcement

2011-12-20T19:47:00.000-08:00

I have been wanting to make this announcement for weeks and finally I feel like it is time to tell the world... Moe is going to be a big brother! Yep, we are having a baby!!!! We are beyond excited and cannot wait to share the good news with everyone. The baby's birthday is July 7th and we are almost 12 weeks along and could not be happier.

I was very anxious to be excited in the beginning, so as not to get my hopes up and get disapointed if this did not end up the way that we would hope. But we are now far enough along, and after seeing the doctor yesterday and getting a clean bill of health, I cannot help but be down right giddy that we are having a baby. And other than the sickness, the absolute lack of energy and an inability to keep a straight thought for more than 10 seconds, I would say that all is well. We have met with the doctor a few times, done the ultrasounds, seen the baby growing from month to month, and now we are anxioulsy awaiting the moment when he or she reveals their gender to us. Names are in the works... Many of which I love and Paul hates, but thankfully we have found some middle ground on a few. .

I feel very lucky to have so many wonderful people around me to support and love Paul and me through this amazing journey. And I cannot wait to embark on the many adventures that lay ahead of us.

(By the way, this is 11 weeks and 4 days... But not meant to be upside down, but cannot figure out why this photo will not upload correctly or let me rotate. I am not skilled)

Beyoncé - I Was Here (Live at Roseland)

2011-12-04T08:39:00.000-08:00

I realize I am posting more videos than actual info on my life, but when my sister sent me this... I fell in love! This song is just so beautiful and so very fitting for this last year in my life and the life of the amazing people around me. We are so much stronger than we ever thought we could be and we have so much to give and though it can be hard to stay in the moment when the world is trying to drag you down, it can help to remember that you are only living when you live.

So this is my vow to live in the moment, be present, be thankful and never forget that I am alive and I want to live. I am here and I want it to be here for all the good, bad and just down right amazing moments that we are going to all embark on in the next year and for the rest of this life.

Love to all.

SNL Kardashian Fairytale Divorce Parody - NOV 2011

2011-11-09T20:46:00.000-08:00

I just had to post this... Not only is it good for a laugh, SNL was spot on with most of their parodies!

Loves it!

My Mister

2011-10-04T20:56:00.000-07:00

I have been a T-Mobile true blue fan for over 10 years and though I grew up on cell phones with this service, I have been wanting to call it quits for some time. But how do you say goodbye to someone who has seen you through it all... First calls, first dates, break-ups and so many amazing moments that even I cannot begin. But it was time. We have been having issues for a while now and it was time. So last week I called up another provider, on the sly, and switched it over. I know I should have at least told T-Mobile that we were on the outs, but I am a loser and going behind his back and letting my new friend, Verizon handle it was easier.

And so, now I am a Verizon customer. But even better I am an official iPhone 4 owner!!!! And can I just say, as someone who was totally hesitant and against the whole touch screen/finger print thing, I AM IN LOVE! Someone asked me how I like my new phone and all I could think was that it was like having a lover, or a mistress, but for women, so I guess a mister?!? It's all I think about and want to do (be with)... It really does feel bad too, cause when people are talking to me, I am really only thinking about this phone and checking out new aps or checking email or facebook. I realize that this makes me a loser on some levels, but let's be real I don't care... I LOVE IT!

The Road to Motherhood

2011-09-26T18:36:00.000-07:00

Now this is not the point on my blog where I announce that I have had a child or that I am even pregnant, it is merely me bringing up the fact that we have decided to welcome the idea of a baby into our lives. Like all things in my life, I have approached this moment with all the gusto of someone training for the Olympics. I have purchased a few books, one I might mention is What to Expect Before You Are Expecting... I know it's a bit much. And I have tons of questions to pretty much anyone that will deal with a lady, who is not pregnant, asking about whether or not they pooped during delivery. I have already freaked out about the fact that my little Moe will not be able to sleep in our room with the baby, HELLO SEPERATION ANXIETY... Well for me that is! I feel like I am so OVER prepared that I am going to still be shocked when it happens and all the little moments that happen along the way.

But this is not to say that I am not over the moon with the idea that there could be a baby on the way soon. I was worried that I would never get to this point, and now I feel antsy that it has not happened already!

Mat Kearney "Ships In The Night" Lyric Video

2011-09-05T17:00:00.000-07:00

My Heart is Heavy

2011-08-08T18:13:00.000-07:00

Life is a funny thing, you think that you are doing great and then one little moment can send you back to the beginning. A few months ago our family had a rather large shake up, well lets be honest it was a complete overhaul on a level none of us had ever experienced or expected. It was rough and at times very overwhelming to think about where we were a year ago and where we might be a year from now, but we somehow managed to get from one day to the next. Though navigating this new existence was hard on us all, it has also made the ladies in this family so much closer and might I add, stronger.

But then one conversation, one incident, can bring it all back. I never want to see my family hurt and to know that something that they had no choice in, is consuming them or making their life harder, it kills me. I want to say that this will all be okay, and that we will all get through this, but how can I say that when I am not sure of that myself. Knowing what to do, when you have never gone through any of this before, is so hard. I just want to make this all better, but I can't. Nothing I do or say will change any of this, and maybe that is what we all need to hear. Maybe we all need to realize that none of this is within our control and the only thing that we can control is how we react to it.

All I want is for my family to know that I love them and that we all have to find a way to be happy, no matter how this all plays out. There are so many wonderful things happening right now, it would be a shame to focus on the negative.

Love.

My Closet, My Love

2011-07-30T21:32:00.000-07:00

If you know me, you know that I pride myself on a certain sense of organization. I like to have things in their place, put away so that I can access them at any moment, but I don't have to stare at them at all hours of the day. I specifically love to make lists. I make a to do list for the week, I make one for the day, and then I tend to have a couple of organizers going at once. I am a nut! There has to be a certain level of OCD to this, since it does bring a level of calm to my life, but regardless I refuse to change.

One amazing example of my need for organization and structure in my life, is my closet. It is beautiful, well to me it is, because it is color coded and seperated into sections. It brings me such joy, and so I share it with you.

The only unfortunate side effect of this afflication, is that I feel the need to clean not only my place all the time, but the places of people that I visit as well. My poor sister tends to be the victim of my disease the most often... She is a good sport about it, but still how annoying must it be that every time someone comes over they want to clean your place.

I guess there could be worse things...

Farm Fresh

2011-07-19T20:05:00.000-07:00

For quite some time, I have been hearing about the farming co-op and the produce boxes that you can pick up at locations near your home. My girlfriend, Kelly has been a part of a farm co-op for a couple of years and I was always so jealous that she had something like that at her disposal. And then it happened, after a weekend visiting Kelly in San Marcos, I came home and started researching farming co-op's available in North Orange County. And I found one... It is Tanaka Farms in Irvine. They have various options for produce pick-ups, but to start I went with the small box ($20) every other week. We got our first one and I have to say I am a fan!

I went to Cal State Fullerton on my lunch hour to pick up the box and felt so good about myself and the way that I was supporting the local farmers. I have to say that I am quite proud of myself...

I really hope that this is something that I will continue to do and that I can inspire others to look into this as well, just like my friend did for me!

To My Sister... we are one!

2011-06-30T20:49:00.000-07:00

I Could Not Help Myself!

2011-06-15T18:48:00.000-07:00

I cannot help but repost this... SO DAMN FUNNY!!!!

The following was a post from my sister from an exchange between her and my mom on AOL:

Wednesday, June 15, 2011

Warm Hands

The following is an AIM exchange between my mom and I today.

CHEZNECK: did you hear gene simmons and the girlfriend may be breaking up
CHEZNECK: bad time for the playboy men
kmcree23: there not married?
CHEZNECK: no, but have been together forever and have two kids
kmcree23: oh i thought they were married
kmcree23: shocking he isnt loyal
CHEZNECK: i didn't tell you about my wierd experience at McDonalds today. I was sitting and this guy (maybe in his 30s) came up to me and asked how I was doing and shook my hand. I thought maybe he was handicapped so didn't think much about it, but then he bent down and touched my toes. Creeped me out
kmcree23: OMG
kmcree23: how could you not tell me this
kmcree23: what did you do
kmcree23: i am laughing so hard
CHEZNECK: maybe a foot fetish but not sure. who is the celeb with the foot fetish
kmcree23: rachael rays hubby
CHEZNECK: i left as soon as i was sure he was out of the parking lot. definitely not rachael rays husband
kmcree23: ewwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww
CHEZNECK: now i have the convicts and the pervs after me
kmcree23: wth
CHEZNECK: i kind of feel like i was assaulted
kmcree23: thats so gross
kmcree23: yeah!!
kmcree23: did anyone see
CHEZNECK: i should have told the manger i think. I don't think anyone saw
kmcree23: eww
kmcree23: did he drive away or was he on "foot"
CHEZNECK: lol. i think he was driving
kmcree23: this is not good
CHEZNECK: kind of makes me want to not go back to Mcdonalds
kmcree23: did he walk away after he touched your foot
kmcree23: i wouldnt
CHEZNECK: yeah he just turned around, but kind of kept looking back at me.
kmcree23: oh god!!!
kmcree23: this is awful
CHEZNECK: seriously
kmcree23: kinda funny though right??
CHEZNECK: yeah
kmcree23: what did he look like
CHEZNECK: kind of average, dark haired with a cap and warm hands
kmcree23: if you had a blog this would be a great thing to post
kmcree23: with warm hands- hahahahahahahaha

Being Selfish

2011-06-13T18:13:00.000-07:00

I have to admit that I have been super selfish lately. I am in survival mode and because of that I feel that I have been neglecting a few things. I have not worked out in forever and I am not eating all that well either, and to go one further I have been drinking more than I care to admit. On top of that I have not been a good friend, which is super hard for me to admit. I hate thinking that I was always there for my gals and I have been MIA for the last two months, with the exception of checking in just to make sure that there is nothing life changing going on with anyone else. But even that I have been bad at. One of my besties is preggers and I have not seen her in more than a month, which is super long for us. And to top that, I am her sons Godmother and I have not seen him in months. I can say, I am not being a good friend. And my cousin's aunt on her mom's side passed away today from cancer, and I have not been there for her either.

I just feel guilty and there is no way to get around that. I feel like every little thing sends me into a tail spin and one email or text will ruin my day and thus take me out of life once again. And I cannot continue like this. So I am pledging today to refocus on the things that matter and the people in my life that have been there for me, like I need to be there for them!

You heard it here first, so I expect you to hold me to it!

I am here. For you!

What I Learned From Oprah

2011-05-25T21:08:00.000-07:00

And what I continue to learn from Oprah...

I love Oprah! I am certain that so many people in this world can say this, but I have to say that the last month leading up to her final episode has made me really get it. I love Oprah. She is a healer, a listener, a woman, an inspirer, a giver and above all else a teacher. Oprah has given back in so many ways, but the most amazing thing that she gave to me was understanding. There is little in this world to make you have faith in people or humanity, but seeing how Oprah has helped so many and given so much, makes me know that there is still good in this world. And there will continue to be good...

These are words from Oprah that resonate with me and will for as long as I live:

You are not alone. You have the power to change your own life.

Be more of yourself.

Everyday that I stood here, I knew that this was exactly where I was supposed to be. Doing exactly what I was supposed to be doing. (This one was HUGE for me. I don't know that I know that I am where I am supposed to be, but I am determined to figure it out)

Each one of you has your own platform. Mine is a stage and a studio and yours is where you are. And that is where your power lies. Everybody has a calling. The power is the same. You carry whatever it is that you are supposed to be doing, you carry that forward. And don't waste anymore time. Start embracing the life that is calling you and use your life to serve the world.

I see you, I hear you, and what you say matters to me.

Be still and know it. God is Love. God is Life. And your life is always speaking to you. First in whispers. And if you don't pay attention to the whispers, it will get louder... What is whispering to you, is your life. Your life is speaking to you, but will you hear it.

We often block our blessings because we do not feel that we are good enough.

What you have to say, matters to me.

Connect, embrace, liberate. Love just one person, and spread that to two... See the difference that makes.

This show has taught that I am worthy because I am here.

I AM ENOUGH!

And until we meet again...

Anger - An Emotion I Am Familiar With

2011-05-25T18:38:00.000-07:00

Anger is an emotion related to one's psychological interpretation of having been offended, wronged or denied and a tendency to undo that by retaliation.

Anger has been described as a pressure cooker; we can only apply pressure against our anger for a certain amount of time until it explodes. Anger may have physical correlates such as increased heart rate, blood pressure, and levels of adrenaline and noradrenaline. Anger can have many physical and mental consequences.
The external expression of anger can be found in facial expressions, body language, physiological responses, and at times in public acts of aggression. The behaviors associated with anger are designed to warn aggressors to stop their threatening behavior. Rarely does a physical altercation occur without the prior expression of anger by at least one of the participants.
Modern psychologists view anger as a primary, natural, and mature emotion experienced by virtually all humans at times, and as something that has functional value for survival.

Greatest Women I Know

2011-05-23T21:56:00.000-07:00

I know that I have mentioned this before, but I love my mom and sister. They are such wonderful and amazing women and I cannot imagine my life without either one of them. Got home from London yesterday, super jet lagged, but still wanted to make sure that I was able to see them as soon as possible. So we went to dinner at Mimi's (YUMMMM...) and then I made them sit through a thousand pictures from London. I am sure that they could have done without seeing as many as they did, but they were good sports. And we chatted and hung out, and then I had to leave. Not easy to do at times...

All I know is that some people are REALLY missing out on the good times that we tend to have...

London Calling

2011-05-22T18:06:00.000-07:00

Just got home from an amazing vacation in London... Did not have access to the blog, so I will be posting a delayed summary of all the fun we had. Well once I get over this jet lag that is.

So glad to be home, missed my bed. And my Moe!

Julia and Tom

2011-05-07T11:23:00.000-07:00

In case you missed it, Julia Roberts and Tom Hanks were on the Oprah Show. And in the spirit of ending the show on a high note, it was AMAZING! The true honesty and friendship that the two, let alone three of them share, was so inspiring and wonderful to see. They seem like the most beautiful people who truly appreciate the life that they have and the people that are in it. They speak so lovingly about one another, and about the loved ones in their lives.

It was inspiring for me to see, and I highly recommend that everyone should at least check out the highlights on http://www.oprah.com/.... Very much worth the time.

I am very much going to miss Oprah showing up in my home every day, even if only for an hour.

No Words...

2011-04-29T23:41:00.000-07:00

Usually I have too many words and today, I have none!

Still Here

2011-04-17T18:35:00.000-07:00

"Never play hide-and-seek with the truth" - Madeliene Albright

Floundering

2011-04-14T20:57:00.001-07:00

floun·der 1 (floundr)

intr.v. floun·dered, floun·der·ing, floun·ders

1. To make clumsy attempts to move or regain one's balance.

2. To move or act clumsily and in confusion. See Synonyms at blunder.

The act of floundering.

Pregnant in Heels

2011-04-05T19:43:00.000-07:00

No,no... not my current situation, but rather my new favorite show. I know that most people will hate me for this, but I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE Bravo and I will most likely watch anything that comes on this network, but tonight I discovered "Pregnant in Heels". Basically this show is about this chic named Rosie Pope who helps NY women, with too much money and WAY too much time on their hands, figure out how to handle the baby on the way. And this help can come in many forms, such as how to name a baby or how to set up a nursery or what the heck happens once this child comes out of me... I have to say that I am watching this show for the humor, but the prep course I need as well.

In case you did not know this, I am 31 now and I guess that means that I should be heading down the baby road in the near future. And maybe this is a sign that my biological clock is ticking, or something, but I am VERY MUCH loving this show. I actually think that seeing these women freak out and act like lunatics, makes me feel so much better about myself.

So the point you ask... WATCH THIS SHOW!

I promise you will love it!

Big Decision

2011-03-06T19:50:00.000-08:00

Not sure how to break the news, but I am going to be 31 this year! I know, I know comes as a shock to me as well, but alas it is true and I am going to be 31 years of age in one week. Funny how excited I was to turn 30 and I was all ready to embrace my thirties and all that they had to offer, but now that I have to actually move into that era, I am not ready at all!!!!!

So I have decided to stay 30. I just don't feel like I am where I thought that I would be at 31 and rather than admit failure, I am going to remain 30. I think that is a totally reasonable resolution, don't you?!? I was also considering going back to 29 and just reversing in years till I find one that suits me. Totally acceptable option as well. Or I could try and achieve all that needs to be done in one week. Is that possible?!? No, since one was to be debt free, and well that is not going to happen in 7 months, let alone 7 days.

I guess that the only suitable solution is to just hope that people forget that I have a birthday coming up and continue on as a 30 year old woman. No one will even question that I have not had a birthday in more than a year, or that I look like I am aging, but not celebrating any birthdays! I don't want to be old and I am not ready to be 31. Pretty sure that I won't be able to keep up the charade for long, but I think that it is worth a try.

Embarrassing on so many levels!

2011-02-25T12:23:00.000-08:00

To be totally honest, I am not sure why I am posting this, but I guess I figured why not. So here goes...

Monday night I noticed that I was getting these sharps pains in my abdomen, that were shooting from the front to my back. I assumed that it was just residual pain from a weekend in Vegas. Oh yeah I went last weekend and drank a couple of meals, no judgement, it's VEGAS! Anyways, I decided to just push past the pain and not mention anything to anyone, cause of course it was going to go away.

Well Thursday morning came, and I was still feeling the pain in my side and I noticed that I was not totally hungry and I was hardly eating anything when I did eat, but feeling full. Not normally something I would complain about, since I am usually hungry all the time, but this was wierd. So I called Kaiser to see about getting an appointment and they told me that they only had after hours care at 7pm and then one the next day at 9am. I decided that I could wait till 9am, since hello I had been dealing with it since Monday, so why not! When I went to tell my boss that I would be late, she mentioned that it sounded like my gallbladder and I should go as soon as possible. Well I knew that it was not my gallbladder, since that is on the right side with my liver (thankfully it was not that as well), but her concern did make me nervous, so I called Kaiser back and switched to the 7pm appointment.

I am not sure if I have mentioned this before, but sometimes Paul can be so great. I am not trying to say that he is not always great, but what I really mean is that is just such a good guy. He was all about driving me to Kaiser, sitting with me in the waiting room, while tons of openly sick people breathed on us and then sitting through the urine test, the xrays and then waiting again in the sick people waiting room for the results. So sweet, especially since we had not had dinner yet. So after all the tests, trying to confirm whether I had a kidney stone (theory #1 in my mind) or if I was constipated (theory #1 in the doctors mind), we found out that I really just needed to poop. Now the reason I say poop, is because that is what the doctor kept saying in my appointment loud enough for everyone to hear through the doors.

So in case you have not gone to the doctor before because you are backed up, let me tell you the best part... The xrays that are taken to prove that I do not have a kidney stone, can also be used to totally humiliate you, or as the doctor put it show me all the poop sitting inside me. And let me tell you, it was bad! I had no idea that a person could have that much junk up in them, and that I had to go to Kaiser at 7pm on a Thursday to find that out. Needless to say the doctor "devised a plan," his words, not mine, to get me back on track. And that is where I am now, sitting at home on a Friday, taking a really tasting laxative drink and just working this shit out, my words, not his.

I realize that this was way TMI, and probably the longest post I have ever posted and it is about poop, but thought that I had to share this moment with you all! I am sure that you are glad you read this one through!

Start of Wedding Season

2011-02-12T15:05:00.000-08:00

As I mentioned in a previous post, my sister, Katie and her boyfriend Rodger got enagaged in Hawaii in Septemeber of 2010 and now they are planning the wedding. After taking some time to consider the options, they have decided to get married on March 3rd, 2012 in Monrovia, California. And today we went DRESS SHOPPING! Besides getting the ring and setting the date, this is the biggest moment of the whole process... And the most fun!

Katie received an email from David's Bridal that on February 10th they would be revealing the Vera Wang for David's Bridal Collection, simply called White, by Vera Wang. And I have to say Katie must have been thrilled, cause she actually called me at like 10am a couple weeks ago on a Saturday morning to tell me about it. And if you know Katie, you know she does not get up early for anyone or anything... But for Vera, well, who wouldn't.

We arrived at the David's Bridal today to try on some gowns and let me say, that Vera did not disapoint. Katie found a ton of dresses that looked amazing on her, but she fell in love with just one. But isn't that how it is supposed to go, just like with how she found Rodger.

Though I cannot post a pic, in the chance that Rodger might log on and look at my lamo blog... I can say that it is beautiful and made more so by the lady wearing it. She looks great, and she will be stunning on the big day!

So lets start the countdown to the big day, cause wedding season has begun!

i carry your heart with me

2011-01-26T20:11:00.000-08:00

i carry your heart with me (i carry it in

my heart) i am never without it (anywhere

i go you go, my dear; and whatever is done

by only me is your doing, my darling)

i fear

no fate (for you are my fate, my sweet) i want

no world (for beautiful you are my world, my true)

and it's you are whatever a moon has always meant

and whatever a sun will always sing is you

here is the deepest secret nobody knows
(here is the root of the root and the bud of the bud
and the sky of the sky of a tree called life; which grows
higher than the soul can hope or mind can hide)
and this is the wonder that's keeping the stars apart
i carry your heart (i carry it in my heart)

- e.e. cummings

Life IN CONTROL

2011-01-18T11:33:00.000-08:00

It has been 18 days since January 1st and I am feeling good. I don't want to pretend like the first week was not the hardest one I have had in recent history, but I made it. I faced some challenges, but I feel like today I am in a place where I am not consumed by the thought of drinking and when I have a drink, I don't have the need to have another, as strongly as before.

The goal was to get to a place where alcohol was an option not a guarantee and I really think that I am there. I am proud of myself for breaking away from bad habits and forming new habits. I have started eating right again and working out and overall I am in a much better place than where I was when 2010 ended. I am strong and always have been, I just needed to get back to that place... AND I AM TRULY THERE!

This will be my last blog about this for a bit, because just like the alcohol, it needs to be something that is there but that I don't consume myself with at all times.

Thank for your support, it was much appreciated!

Day 5 - Not that I'm Counting or Anything

2011-01-05T20:07:00.000-08:00

I am officially on Day 5 and lets just say it has not been super easy.

Saturday was fine, mainly cause I had such an awful sinus infection that all I did was sleep all day, so not much thought spent on wanting a cocktail. Then on Sunday it was going well till Paul wanted to eat at Canaletto, which is an amazing Italian restaurant in Newport, and we like to eat in the bar area. We mainly eat in there because it is less crowded and they have these really nice tall tables, but also because it is the bar. I like eating in the bar for two reasons, one because there is always tons to watch all around you and two, you can get a drink pretty quickly. So in an effort to not be difficult and put Paul out during this process, we ate in the bar. I thought I would be totally fine, but it bothered me. I really like having a glass of wine there with my pizza or risotto and instead I got an Iced Tea. I lived, but it was a little less fun than it was in the past. At least it seemed that way then.

Monday was a work day and a work night. By this I mean that when I work a full, stressful day at the sometimes lunatic, crazed place that I do, I like to have a glass of wine to unwind or forget that I work there. But I did not. And I lived through this as well. But to be totally honest, I was in a crap mood and went to bed at like 8:30pm to feel less pathetic.

Tuesday was better and here we are on Wednesday. I am fine. Don't get me wrong I would have loved to have had a glass of wine with the tilapia dinner that I made, but I did not, I had Iced Tea. By the way, Iced Tea is my new best friend. I like soda occassionally and water is great, but lets be honest both of those can get old, so now I am drinking the Iced Tea like it is my job... Actually like it is wine. :0

So here we are on Day 5 and though I am somewhat consumed by this whole thing, I am sticking with it and just a few more weeks from now, I am going to be better than this... I am better than this!

New Year, New Me

2011-01-01T18:49:00.000-08:00

Started the year with some very good intentions, but ended up starting it as I spent the last year, or the last few for that matter, with a lie. I lied to someone about something totally lame, even silly and now that it is out there, the guilt has settled in and so has the remorse. I don't know how it starts, but once it does there is no stopping it. That being said, I have decided that my New Years Resolution is to work on me. I am going to stop lying to others and especially to myself, about everything. I am going to be honest and address the things in my life that are not in line with where I really need them to be, or want them to be.

To start, I have been denying that the drinking is a problem for longer than I can remember, which is a bad sign all on it's own. I have been telling myself that I have complete control and that I know what I am doing and if I wanted to, I could stop... But I guess that I just did not want to. I think that I like it, a lot. I don't know if I have ever had a normal relationship with alcohol, but months turn into years and here I am with what could have been a casual relationship, but is now a marriage. We live and breath one another and it has to stop. I feel like I am numbing myself to my life and using it to handle my anxiety and my control issues, and there is nothing normal about that.

So this is where I openly and publicly put myself on blast, so to speak. I want to gain control over my drinking and work myself to a point where I can have a glass of wine or a beer when the occassion calls for it, not just because it is dinner and I feel that wine goes with all meals. I hate that I can't just say no, blame it on my lack of control or whatever but I need to get this under control. I want to have certain things and certain relationships in my life, and right now I am putting those things off because it is easier to drown it all out.

The year may not have started off as wonderful as I would have liked, but that is not going to stop it from getting better. It won't be easy, if it was I would not be struggling with this whole issue at all... But it will be worth it. I want to do so many other things with my nights and weekends and I know that cutting out the booze will get me there. So here starts the detox/lifestyle change.

If you read this and think to yourself "it's about time," know that I agree but right now I don't know that I want to hear it. Get back to me on this in a couple of weeks when I am past the initial struggle of all of this.

Happy New Years to everyone! And wish me luck, I know that I am going to need it!

Challenge

2010-11-09T18:05:00.000-08:00

I decided today that I am in a food rut and I am really not okay with it. In order to get out of this awful rut, I am going to challenge myself to try new recipes, that have been on the back burner for some time. The challenge will be to try a new recipe, at least once a week and it must come from the many cookbooks that I have aquired but don't use as often as I should. I will post my meals and let you all, the four of you, know how it goes.

Tonight I am going to make Tuscan Fries from the Salt to Taste Cookbook that I purchased this weekend.

Wish me luck!

Dear Taylor

2010-10-26T18:57:00.000-07:00

In honor of my girl Taylor Swifts new album, I am going to post a little shout out. On her new album there is a song titled, Dear John, that I have to say is so honest, and strong, it always suprises me that she is so young. I remember those times and that age and those boys, and this song pretty much covers it all. There is such a strength to her voice, that I hope that girls or women out there everywhere look to her as a hero and an icon. There will be this person in every womans life and to know that Taylor Swift called out one of the biggest "playboys" out there, is amazing! You go girl! To you, I say THANK YOU! Thank you for your honesty and heart, no matter how hard it was to go through in the first place.

Dear John

Long were the nights when the days once revolved around you

Counting the footsteps, praying the floor wont fall through
Again
And my mother accused me of losing my mind
But I swore I was fine

You paint me a blue sky
And go back and turn it to rain
And I lived in your chess game but you changed the rules everyday
Wondering which version of you I might get on the phone
Tonight
Well I stopped picking up and this song is to let you know why

Dear john I see it all now that you're gone
Don't you think I was too young to be messed with
The girl in the dress cried the whole way home
Should have known
Well maybe it's me and my blind optimism to blame
Maybe it's you and you're sick need to give love and take it away
And you'll add my name to your long list of traitors who don't understand
And il look back and regret who I ignored when they said run as fast as you can

Dear john I see it all now that you're gone
Don't you think I was too young to be messed with
The girl in the dress, cried the whole way home

Dear john, I see it all now that was wrong
Don't you think nineteens too young to be played by your dark twisted games
When I loved you so
I should have known
You are an expert at sorry
And keeping lines blurry
Never impressed by me acing your tests
All the girls that you...
Who talk
Cause you burned them out
But I took your matches before fire could catch me
So don't look now
I'm shining like fireworks

Over your...

Dear john I see it all now that you're gone
Don't you think I was too young to be messed with
The girl in the dress, cried the whole way home

I see it all that you're gone
Don't you think I was too young to be messed with
The girl in the dress who wrote you a song
You should have known
You should have known

Don't you think I was too young
You should have known

To Paul

2010-10-08T21:15:00.000-07:00

As we head off to Vegas to celebrate our second wedding anniversary, I just want to say thank you for the million little things that you do,every day to make me love you. I thank you for being kind, understanding, caring, loving, smart, and above all, thank you for being you. Without you, my life would be nothing...

THANK YOU!

A Weekend Away in Santa Barbara!

2010-10-06T20:11:00.000-07:00

I realize that I am little behind, well maybe alot behind and I have much to report. In the last month, we found a new apartment (more to come on that later), my sister got engaged (thankfully) and we celebrated a friends wedding in Santa Barbara. It was great to see all the ladies that I spent so much time with and share so many fond memories, they are just the best group of women around. It is so funny to me that after so many years that we can all come together and have such a great time, as if we never missed a beat.

Anyways here are the photos from our FAB weekend away.

To New Beginnings...

2010-09-08T21:18:00.000-07:00

Just a little shout out to my little Sister and her FIANCE! Yeah I said it, Katie and Rodger are engaged. I am so very happy for these two, they are wonderful to each other and for each other.

Congrats to you both!

Just A Note

2010-08-22T17:32:00.000-07:00

I just want to mention that the best feeling in the world, at least right now, is showering after a long weekend of camping. I hate dirt, but I have to admit that I love hitting the hottest shower in the world and then a nice long nap.

Yeah for things that I love!

My Love of Tomatoes

2010-08-15T09:43:00.000-07:00

There are few things that I truly believe that I couldn't live without, Moe, Paul, my family and a nice glass of wine, and tomatoes are right up there as well. I recently found a strawberry farm by our house that sells these amazing Heirloom tomatoes that just melt in your mouth. I am not going to lie, I am in love and on occasion I find myself dreaming of these tomatoes.

But tomatoes cannot stand alone, so here are a few photos of recipes that I like to make with my AMAZING tomatoes.

Seattle Part 2

2010-07-12T20:29:00.000-07:00

Here are more photos from our Seattle trip in June... Photos provided by Katie Aimone.

More of Seattle

2010-07-12T16:22:00.000-07:00

I know, I know... I have been meaning to catch up on good times from Seattle but I have been neglecting my bloging for no real reason, then I had nothing to post. So in an attempt to get you all caught up on my FABULOUS life, I am going to start with Seattle.

After Emily picked us up at the airport, we checked into the hotel and headed out for some lunch at PF Changs... YUMMO! Nothing like a little chinese and wine to get re-aquainted with old friends, felt like no time had passed at all. After lunch we headed back to the hotel to unpack and chill before dinner. Which was a great time, since Em brought 3 bottles of wine with her and so an afternoon of chilling out turned into a 4 hour happy hour and a little jacuzzi time.

After cocktail and spa time, we headed out to dinner at a great restaurant, that had this amazing bread salad, that I could have eaten 4 bowls of... But alas, I only had a little bit, since we were sharing. Oh well next time! But I did get this wonderful shot of Katie with our dinner guest.

The next day we headed out to the Farmers Market and then the Seattle Mariners game against the Anaheim Angels. The best part of this day, was the great weather. We had a little bit of cold weather on the first day and it was totally overcast, but on Saturday the skies totally opened up and it was wonderful.

This was Em and KT at the first Starbucks, ever. Oh and by the way, there are a million of them in Seattle alone... How do they even make money, when there are so many locations? But they do and there are books to prove it.

This was at the Warf, so cool. Along our walk, we stopped at one of the best places that I have ever eaten braekfast at, Etta's. It was wonderful and they make their own chicken sausage, how amazing is that?

After wandering around the Farmers Market, picking up a couple of souveniers, we headed over to the Mariners game.

Heading back from the game and got a couple of shots in front of the Farmers Market and a shot of our beautiful hotel. Such a great day.

After we got back from our walk, we headed over to Tiffany's to get a little something to remember the trip by and let me tell you, Katie and I made out. I got a necklace, that I love and Katie got this really cute bracelet. After all of the shopping, baseball (oh the Angels killed the Mariners), we headed back to the hotel to clean up for dinner at this place called Maximilien. It was a French restaurant with the most amazing views... I have to say Em is a great tour guide, with just the best ideas on where to eat.

We had a great meal at this restaurant, sharing a cheese plate and then we ALL three got the Crab Cakes, which were phenomenal. I mean it, the best.

Sadly, this is where my camera battery died, so I will have to bid adeu till I can upload the photos that Katie took.

That will be part 2 of a really great trip to Seattle.

Seattle

2010-06-08T21:46:00.000-07:00

Vegas... And other nonsense

2010-05-14T21:14:00.000-07:00

So this is us before the shuttle picked us up and took us to the Ontario Airport... Oh and in case I did not mention it, we are going to Vegas for Paul's 40th Birthday! It was such a nice time away from our lives and work and not thinking about all the nonsense that can weigh us down. We stayed at the MGM Grand and wondered the strip looking for excitment for 6 days straight. Paul had his entire family as well as mine with us to celebrate.

This is us in the Le Reve show... Before we had to stop taking photos.

This is me at the Wynn, after the Le Reve show. And below is the canoe sculpture outside of the Aria Hotel... So neat and such a simple idea.

This was our Madore Family dinner at Canelletto... Totally yummy and well worth it!

One of Paul and my favorite places, we have eaten there on our wedding night and on the night that we got to Vegas and again here, two nights later.

And then when I thought that I was doing well at Keno with my $40 win, these two had to go and top me like it was their job. Oh and Paul won $500 as well... What the heck?!?

All in all it was a wonderful week. Once that I will remember forever and hopefully Paul will as well.

Happy 40th Birthday Baby!!!!

Long Week

2010-05-02T19:52:00.000-07:00

It's been a long week. No words truly describe all that I have been through in the past 7 days, and the wierd thing all work related. I rarely find myself so spent over work, but I really am. I will say this though, it was a very valuable experience and I have learned more in the last week about business and what motivates people and proper management, than I have learned in the last 12 months. So I guess that was a good thing, but I still want it noted that I am tired and more than anything I need the 6 days that I have coming up in Vegas!!!!

For the record, 67.25 hours worked this week.

Loving the overtime on this one... Oh the silver lining!

Jay-Z & Beyonce Perform "Young Forever" at Coachella 2010

2010-04-17T23:16:00.000-07:00

I love this song and more so I love me some Jay-Z and this is at a whole new level. I am not the biggest fan of Beyonce, but man she sure belts it out on this one and for some reason it makes me want to be her friend. And on a side note, they are kind of cute together and I love her little shorts and her random shirt.

Who's Idea Was This?!?

2010-04-16T19:58:00.000-07:00

I'm just going to say it... What is this and why did ANYONE think it was neccesary?

Baked Artichokes with Gorgonzola and Herbs

2010-04-14T21:02:00.000-07:00

I figured that it was time to try something new and ran across this recipe in my Giada De Laurentiis " Giada's Kitchen " cookbook. I have often wanted to make artichokes, and though I am not certain I think that I made them at some point but nothing that I would serve again. This time I was determined to make something that was edible and fun. So here is the recipe for yummy, baked artichokes.

Makes 4 Servings (though I made only one)

4 artichokes
3 lemons
10 ounces of gorgonzola cheese, at room temperature
2 tablespoons of heavy cream
2 teaspoons of chopped thyme leaves
1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
1 garlic glove, finely minced
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons plain bread crumbs
1 tablespoon olive oil

Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat and add salt when water starts to boil. While water is coming to a boil, trim the artichoke. Cut the stem at the bottom close to the base of the artichoke and so that it can stand up. Then cut about an inch from the top and trim all the spikes off of the leaves. Drop the artichokes into the boiling water. Halve the lemons and squeeze the juice into the water, and toss in the lemons. Cook artichokes until tender, or about 30 minutes. Drain the artichokes upside down on a clean kitchen towel.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl, stir together the gorgonzola cheese, cream, thyme, 2 teaspoons of the parsley, the garlic, salt, and pepper. In another small bowl, stir together the bread crumbs and the remaining tablespoon of parsley.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Spread the artichokes open with your fingers and use a small spoon to scrape out the center choke. Stuff the cheese mixture into the artichokes and arrange them in a baking dish. Sprinkle the artichokes with the bread crumb mixture and drizzle them with olive oil.

Bake until the artichokes are heated through, the cheese is melted, and the bread crumbs are crisp and golden, about 25 minutes. Move the artichokes to a serving dish and serve.

It was so good and now that I know how to make it, I will be doing it again and again!

** As a side note, I realized half way through that I was missing like 3 ingrediants, so my loving husband ran to the store and got them for me. Sometimes in the most unexpected ways, I am reminded that I am a really lucky person to have such a wonderful person in my life. **

Earthquakes & My Anxiety - Totally Best Friends

2010-04-04T18:04:00.000-07:00

I have a history with earthquakes and I don't mean that I have gone through them and they are great and no big deal to me. No I mean that I hate them, no matter the scale they are awful to me. I hate the feeling that the room is going to either shake off of the structure or that we are going to roll out into the road. But most of all I hate sitting there letting my anxieties get the best of me, convincing me that it will never end and we are all going to die.

Today was no different. I was sitting in bed on the lappy and then I felt it start, tried to stay calm, thinking I must be wrong but it got stronger and kept going. So I took off under the table with Paul in tow and once sercurely under the table I look up to see my cat Moe sitting on the bed looking at us like we were the crazy ones. What!?! Aren't animals supposed to be all senses and feel stuff before it happens so that they can warn you, clearly Moe is no Lassie.

So instead I sat under a table for 5 minutes, paniced, cried and then finally moved all my stuff under the table, since I was convinced that we were going to have another one. I am a mess, I don't pretend to hide that fact. I hate earthquakes and once I popped a little pill and made a fort under the table, I think that I am on my way to feeling much better.

24 Hours in Vegas!

2010-03-28T17:32:00.000-07:00

We spent the weekend in Vegas for Jenn's wedding. It was a totally fun time with my sister driving up on Saturday morning and heading back on Sunday morning... Nothing like a turn around to bring people together. Here are a few photos from the weekend.

I had a great time with my sister... Tons of memories to last a lifetime!

Sneak Peek...

2010-03-26T22:24:00.000-07:00

Heading to Vegas this weekend with the sister for a turn around trip and a little wedding... Here is a sneak peek of my outfit. Not what I will look like in it, but be sure that there will be pics posted at a later time.

Visit hm.com

Loves it!

And it's official... I'm 30! Who said that could happen?!?

2010-03-14T21:50:00.000-07:00

I have to admit turning 30 was a hard one for me. It just felt like it was this final descent into adulthood, as if what I have been doing for the last 10 years was not enough, this was it. I was not ready to say goodbye to my twenties and I was really not ready to say what is up Thirties! But today was a good day and I have to say I think that I am ready... What is the worse that could happen? If I listen to what all those around me are saying, the thirties are the best years of my life and I should embrace them, so what is there to be afraid of?

And thankfully I have an amazing husband and a wonderful family that made the day the best that it could be. The best part of this birthday was the reminder of the things that are important, not the years that have passed but the memories that I have made and for that I am forever thankful!

Thank you to EVERYONE for such a wonderful birthday!

The years fly by but the memories remain!

Happy Birthday Sister!

2010-02-23T20:49:00.000-08:00

Just wanted to wish my little sister, Katie a very Happy Birthday! I cannot believe that she turns 28 today, who knew that she would ever be that old or that I would be even older...

To my beautiful, loving and loyal sister, I wish you nothing but the best on your 28th Birthday!

Love you!

Meat Free Mondays - Do it cause Paul McCartney says so!

2010-02-13T09:31:00.000-08:00

A letter from Paul to a website i subscribe to...

" Ok, here’s the story on Meat Free Monday. In 2006, the United Nations issued a report which stated that the livestock industry as a whole was responsible for more greenhouse gas emissions than the whole of the transport sector put together.

I found this interesting particularly because people at the UN are not a vegetarian society and therefore, could not be accused of bias. They pointed out the following facts:

The Livestock industry produces gases that are extremely dangerous for the future of our environment.

The two main gases, methane and nitrous oxide, are considered to be more harmful than CO2 (methane is 21 times more powerful than CO2 and nitrous oxide is 310 times more powerful than CO2) so the data suggests that this is causing a highly dangerous situation for ourselves and, more importantly, for future generations.

Methane also remains in the atmosphere for 9 to 15 years; nitrous oxide remains in the atmosphere for 114 years, on average, and is 296 times more potent than CO2 - the gases released today will continue to be active in degrading the climate decades from now.

Livestock production is land intensive: a recent report by Greenpeace on land use in the largest meat producing state in Brazil found that livestock (cattle) production was responsible for vastly more deforestation than soya.

A third of all cereal crops, and well over 90% of soya, goes into animal feed, not food for humans. Eating less meat will free up a lot of agricultural land which can revert to growing trees and other vegetation, which, in turn, will absorb more carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.

Livestock production is water intensive: it accounts for around 8% of global human water use. The estimated 634 gallons of fresh water required to produce one 5.2 ounce (150g) beef burger would be enough for a four-hour shower. For comparison, the same quantity of tofu requires 143 gallons of water to produce.

Livestock production is the largest source of water pollutants, principally animal wastes, antibiotics, hormones, chemicals from tanneries, fertilizers and pesticides used for feed crops, and sediments from eroded pastures.

The meat industry is set to double its production by 2050 so even if they manage to lower emissions by 50%, as they have promised to, we will still be in the same position.

With this in mind, my family and I launched Meat Free Monday in the UK, an idea which has been gaining support from people like Tom Parker-Bowles who, after a lifetime of denigrating vegetarians, recently wrote in his Daily Mail column, “I wince at the memory of my boorish antics” and who pronounced himself “intrigued” by MFM: “There’s no doubting the plain common sense of the message…Meat Free Monday is something to really savour”. Another supporter is Al Gore who stated that initiatives like Meat Free Monday “represent a responsible and welcome component of a comprehensive strategy for reducing global warming pollution and simultaneously improving human health."

Even a number of schools have already done this in the UK with great success. The town of Ghent in Belgium has a meat free day and, amazingly, Sao Paulo has one even though Brazil is a large exporter of meat. In Sweden, the government is now labeling food to give the consumer the opportunity to understand the dangers of indiscriminate food consumption and there are many more examples appearing online.

The point is that so many people these days are looking for ways to “do their bit” for the environment. We recycle - something we never would have dreamt of doing in the past. Many people now drive hybrid cars but most people understand that we cannot leave this important issue to the politicians of the world. Recently, at the Copenhagen Conference for Climate Change, this issue was not even on the agenda and so I believe it is once again left to us, the people, to do it ourselves.

It’s amazingly easy to take one day in your week, Monday or any other day, and not eat meat. When you think about it, there are so many great alternatives, for instance, in Italian cooking, so many of the dishes are vegetarian already and Thai and Chinese cuisine are the same. All it means is that you have to think a bit about what you’ll eat that day but, in actual fact, far from being a chore, it’s a fun challenge.

Having been a vegetarian for over 30 years, I find it very simple and in fact, tasty and most enjoyable.

So there it is! Next Monday - don’t eat meat and do your bit to save this beautiful planet of ours. For more information, ideas and lots of meat free recipes, go to the official Meat Free Monday website.

Rock on ya’ll!

Paul

* Only one day a week... We can all do that at the very least. *

Being Vegetarian

2010-02-05T20:55:00.000-08:00

Vegetarian - a person who does not eat or does not believe in eating meat, fish, fowl, or, in some cases, any food derived from animals, as eggs or cheese, but subsists on vegetables, fruits, nuts, grain, etc.

I would say that at this point I am a vegetarian and I am flirting with the idea of becoming a Vegan. But in this pursuit of cleansing my body and my soul, I have found that people have some REALLY strong opinions on not eating meat. I find it strange, much like my opinion of religion, that people even feel the need to comment. I rarely care what people do or think for that matter, but lately I find myself being confronted on all sides by people and their opinions...

" How are you going to get all your protein? You know meat is really the only way to get the proper amount." - Loser from work.

" How can you not have meat, what will you eat? "

And my personal favorite... " But why?"

I have thought long and hard about all of this and to be honest, I cannot justify eating meat anymore and I cannot figure out why I should. There are just as many vegetables and grains in the world that provide many more nutrients than meat and since we live in a country that mass produces meat using hormones and a ridiculous amount of energy, I am not feeling so bad about my decision.

Today I want to say that I am a Vegetarian and I am okay with it, so you can be too!

Butternut Squash Casserole

2010-01-31T19:45:00.000-08:00

A friend of mine at work mentioned that she found this recipe for Butternut Squash Macaroni Casserole and that it was AMAZING, and since I am trying to stay on the "no meat" part of the Vegan diet and someday hope to move onto full blown Vegan, I thought what the heck.

The recipe for Butternut Squash Casserole is as follows:

1/2 butternut squash, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch cubes (2 cups)
2 tsp. olive oil
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 lb. whole-wheat elbows
2 tbs. butter
2 tbs. flour
1 1/2 cups reduced-fat milk
1 3/4 cups low-fat white cheddar cheese, shredded and divided

I decided to substitute the white cheddar with mozzarella, since it is easier to get and the cost is less, but I am pretty sure that I would use the white cheddar next time to add a little more depth of flavor... But either way, really good.

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Toss with oil and salt on a foil-lined tray. Bake for 20 minutes or until tender, set aside.

2. Cook pasta for 2 minutes less than package directions call for; drain and place in a bowl with squash. Meanwhile, melt butter over low heat. Whisk in flour; cook for 2 minutes.

3. Slowly whisk in milk. Bring mixture to a boil, then simmer. Cook 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add 1 1/2 cups cheese; stir till melted. Stir cheese sauce into pasta and squash.

4. Spoon into 6 greased (or in my case 4), individual ramekins. Sprinkle on remaining cheese. Bake 10 minutes.

It turned out great. I do have to say that peeling the butternut squash was awful and my arm is still sore, but all in all a great meal! (Oh and I am not sure what happened but when I uploaded some of the pics they turned to the side, so that is why they look funny... Not on purpose I promise)

Bowling 101

2010-01-27T21:45:00.000-08:00

Today was the first "official" day of bowling with all our new equipment and let me just tell you, I SUCK! I thought that I was pretty good or at least after a couple of beers I was on par with most people at the alley but today I was proven wrong. I was terrible and though the man at the pro shop tried to convince me that I would have to get used to the ball being heavier and the holes being custom, I am not convinced that I will ever get the hang of it.

Though it is painful for me to do so, I am going to post the scores of the 3 games that we played today in the hope that I will get better and look back on this day as the beginning of something wonderful and triumphant.

Game 1 -
Paul - 127
Me - 74

Game 2 -
Paul - 200
Me - 66

Game 3 -
Paul - 129
Me - 60

So as you can tell I was working my way backwards and Paul did just fine... Well not if you ask him, but from where I was standing, he was doing a hell of a lot better than I was.

Getting a Hobbie!

2010-01-23T14:57:00.000-08:00

Recently Paul and I have made a decision to try something new, a way to get out of the house and do something fun together. Not going to lie, I think that many people will be surprised by the hobbie that we are going to take up. But here it is... BOWLING! We are going to join a bowling league and in order to do that we needed to get some equipment. Today we went to this bowling shop in Westminster and they helped us pick out balls and sized us up and in just a few days I will have the following items in my possesion. And I cannot wait.

You know that I could not get some run of the mill ball, but had to invest in something fashionable and fun and so the black skull ball it was. The shoes are not the cutest but really I'm wearing them to bowl so who cares. Well wish us luck on our new hobbie... I am really just hoping to break 120 and move on from there.

California is Under Water

2010-01-20T18:50:00.000-08:00

I spend many days laughing at the weather/news folks who say "Oh my there is quite a storm coming and we might get 1/2 an inch of rain" but I have to tell you they were not kidding when they said a storm was coming. We have had a ton of rain in just a few days and there is still more to come. There was a tornado in California, well at the beach to be more specific and today I had to drive through a VERY flooded street to get home from work. And then after I was out of the flood, the freeway was moving at 5 MPH for no apparent reason... And with all of this going on, I am still thankful that this is the worst that it gets in California. On most days I can find a reason to hate this place, the people and the traffic but right now I am just thankful that it is not snow, a hurricane or worse a devastatingly, tragic earthquake.

So thank you California storm for reminding me that things are only as bad as you allow them to be.

But I still hate California politicians and specifically our Governator. Oh and PS I am almost certain that good ole' Arnold was hoping that by attending the Golden Globes, someone was going to offer up a telethon for CA. Not so fast Arnold, you caused this one, not a natural disaster!

21 Again!

2010-01-17T17:33:00.000-08:00

Mom I am sorry about this one... But I HAVE to post a photo from my night in San Diego with Katie, Nikole and Kelly. The best part is that this is a direct result of too much cheap Chardonnay at the hotel bar. And believe it or not it was Katie and I, not Kelly and I.

Late 2009 Wrap Up... With my new laptop!

2010-01-09T11:12:00.001-08:00

Though I have already talked about 2010, I have come to realize that I did not post any photos from the holidays So thanks to my NEW LAPTOP (oh yeah I love it) I am going to be blogging much more often and making sure that I get some good photos up on these posts. So here are a few from the holidays...

Thos were photos from Christmas morning at my parents house, which was great... Relaxing and fun. And then for New Years we went up to Monrovia for dinner and a movie with my sister, Rodger, Mom and Dad. It was a really great night and a great way to ring in the New Year.

And for the grand finale here is my NEW LAPTOP... Did I mention that I love it?!?! Well I do!

More to come in the next year and I am looking forward to it.

Off to a HARD start... Thanks 2010!

2010-01-06T18:54:00.000-08:00

I hate being negative, and I REALLY try to look on the bright side when at all possible but I have to tell you 2010 is kicking my bottom. I started this vegan thing and though I have been able to handle the no meat part, and for the most part the no dairy, I have to tell you the no soda, no alcohol and no anything that sounds amazing part is really hard. But this is a choice and not a requirement in my life and I need to remember that.

And just when I thought that I was about to give in I found this really great vegan place in Tustin called Native Foods and it got me back on track... It was like the world knew that I was about to break and reached out. Thank you world!

Besides the resolutions being a main focus, my cat Moe has been sick. For the last 5 days he has had a really hard time breathing and I thought that it was a cold that would just go away... But it did not. So yesterday I gave in and made an appointment with the vet and it turns out that my Moe has asthma. Right! That is what I said. But we have been giving him cortizone and steroids and it is like night and day, he is SO MUCH BETTER! Thankfully.

So I guess that even though it has been a rough first week of 2010 the brightside is that Moe is okay and this diet that I am on will eventually get easy and there are people out there to support me, one way or the other.

Looking forward to what else 2010 has to show me... Hopefully this will be the worst week that I have this whole year. :)

New Year, New Resolutions

2009-12-31T15:37:00.000-08:00

Goodbye 2009 and HELLO 2010.

This last year has been marked with many amazing moments, some of which include the birth of baby Dominic, a wonderful belated honeymoon to Buenos Aires, an unforgetable trip to Las Vegas with Paul's family over the summer and offer of a new start on a career that desperately needed one. Now though, I did decide to stay where I was at, after searching long and hard to get out of there, I feel that it has been the best decision I could have made... I was just not ready for that challenge quite yet. Paul and I made it through our first official year as husband and wife, which was not always easy but so very worth it, on every level. With him I am learning to be a better, more compasionate and patient person, one whom knows when to finally just shut up and let the moment happen, rather than manage every minute of it. But with all of the good that came out of this year, there were defintely the moments that made it more stressful than I could have ever imagined life could be. The holidays were tough, no one that knows what went on would argue this, but as always WE MADE IT.

So with 2009 behind us, I look to 2010 with all of it's wonder and promise and I am determined to make the most of what I have learned in the last year, hell the last 29. I turn 30 this year, something that seems to be a big milestone, or at least I am viewing it as such and I want to make the most of it. So I am working on a list of resolutions to help move in the direction of the person that I have been working to become but until this moment was not clear on the process. So hear goes...

Resolution #1 - I will be more patient with people and with myself.

Resolution #2 - I will remember to breath, even when it feels like I am drowning.

Resolution #3 - I will work on enjoying the time that I have with my family, friends and the wonderful people around me. They are here for a reason and I need to remember that and spend more time aknowledging this fact.

Resolution #4 - I will not be so hard on myself or the people around me.

Resolution #5 - I will work on transforming myself into a vegan. This is something that I have thought about for quite some time and know that it will be hard, but it is the right decision for me.

Resolution #6 - I will love more, hate less.

Resolution #7 - I will actually hold these resolutions as goals for life and continue to work on them, well after the New Year has come and gone.

So with that I wish everyone a VERY Happy New Year and tonight I am off to enjoy my last meaty meal with tons of bread and dairy and all the things that Non-Vegans love... :)

LOVE!

John Mayer is God

2009-11-20T20:58:00.000-08:00

Rarely do I make religous references or assume any religion of any type, but when it comes to John Mayer and his latest CD, I have to say that he is GOD. He is a lyrical genius! I know that he does not have the best press, but when it comes to making music he can do no wrong. I just got his CD and I am already in love with everything on it. Here is a taste of what you can expect should you choose to follow John into the light...

HALF OF MY HEART w/ Taylor Swift

I was born in the arms of imaginary friends
Free to roam, made a home out of everywhere I've been
Then you come on crashing in
Like the realest thing
Trying my best to understand
All that your love can bring

Oh, half of my heart's got a grip on the situation
Half of my heart takes time
Half of my heart's got a right mind to tell you that I can't keep loving you (can't keep loving you)
Oh with half of my heart
I was made to believe
I'd never love somebody else
Made a plan, stay the man who can only love himself

Lonely was the song I sang
'Til the day you came
Showing me another way
And all that my love can bring

Oh, half of my heart's got a grip on the situation
Half of my heart takes time
Half of my heart's got a right mind to tell you that I can't keep loving you (can't keep loving you)
Oh with half my hear, with half of my heart
Your faith is strong but I can only fall short for so long
Down the road, later on
You will hate that I never gave more than half my heart
But I can't stop loving you, with half of my

Half of my heart
Oh half of my heart
Half of my heart's got a real good imagination, half of my heart's got you
Half of my heart's got a right mind to tell you that half of my mind won't do
Half of my heart's got a shot gun wedding to a bride with a paper ring
And half of my heart is the part of a man who's never truly loved anything
Half of my heart, oh half of my heart
Half of my heart, oh half of my heart!

Control of Time

2009-10-28T21:05:00.000-07:00

There are really no words to describe the movement of time and the lack of control that you have over it. Over the years I have fought to prove that I knew better, that I am above time, but somehow it has caught up with me and I am faced with the pure and simple fact that I am 29 and I have no control over anything, especially time. Time changes everyone, one way or another and you are powerless to stop it. I know now that I am not 23 anymore, once thought to be my perfect age and that the people around me are not who or what they were 6 years ago as well.

But I know this, I am thankful for every moment that I have in this life, with this family, in this love and I would not stop time to change any of that.

This week, seeing as it is only Wednesday, has been a long one. Paul's mom had surgery, a fellow collegue was found to have a brain tumor and we found out that a co-workers wife's cancer has come back, not an easy week as I mentioned before. I have to admitt in the midst of it all, I had a minor breakdown thinking about all that can get to us and take us over and how little control we have over it all. Did I mention that I hate a lack of control? But at the end of the day that is not the point, the point I hope is that we have to be thankful that we have this time at all and that it continues.

So I guess that the point of this blog is to tell those I love that I am thankful for their place in my life and that I love them! So thank you!

Dedicated to Loved Pets Everywhere!

2009-10-14T21:02:00.000-07:00

I found this article today on a website that is dedicated to reviewing movies, but the editor posted a personal blog that broke my heart and made me grateful for every moment I have ever had with a pet in my life...

Finally today... I made reference to personal stuff going on in yesterday's post. What happened was that Sarah and I lost our cat Kirby yesterday after 17 long years together. It's no exaggeration to say that Kirby was probably the best friend I've ever had. He was more like a dog than the typical cat. He was just with me almost constantly - my whole daily routine revolved around him. He sat with me in my office while I worked, he watched thousands of movies with me in the home theatre over the course of his life. In his later years, he slept on my pillow at night and woke me with a gentle lick on the forehead... you know, so I knew he wanted breakfast sooner rather than later. He was just a great pal. I first brought him home after a visit to my family in North Dakota (he was given to me for free by a high school friend) when he was just a few weeks old - small enough to sit in the palm of my hand - and he's been with us through thick and thin ever since. About 4 years ago, he was diagnosed by our vet as being in the early stages of kidney disease, so we figured his number was up. But with a careful diet to keep his weight up, and nightly fluid injections to ease the burden on his kidneys, he thrived. He was happy, playful, his old self. Loving life. Until Monday afternoon that is, when it became clear that he'd finally reached the late stages of the disease. About 5 PM we noticed that he was having trouble seeing, and he was a little wobbly. He wasn't in any pain, just puzzled by the fact that he couldn't see. But Sarah and I knew this was it - the next thing that follows after sight loss is heart failure, and we absolutely didn't want him to suffer that. So we decided to make his last night a blast. His favorite time of the year has always been the holidays, because he LOVED turkey. So I drove around until I found a grocery store that had fresh turkeys, and we cooked it for him. He got excited as the house filled with the smell, and he eagerly devoured a couple plates full when it was done. We sat with him and just spent time with him the whole night. Then yesterday morning, we took him in to the vet, and he agreed it was time to let him go - that we were doing the right thing. So we said our goodbyes and I held him while they have him the injection. And then he was gone - peacefully, happy right to the end. And today, I'm just gutted. I feel like my right arm is missing. It's amazing how these creatures who are so small and ask so little of us, give us SO much back. As bad as I feel today... I have a lot of happy memories. It's worth every minute.

So anyway, over the next few days if these posts are short, and it seems like my heart just isn't it... that's because it's not. I appreciate your patience as Sarah and I try to deal with the loss of a very important member of our family.

Thank you Kirby, for being our best friend for 17 years. We miss you so...

Love At First Sight

2009-10-05T18:24:00.000-07:00

There is nothing that prepares you for that moment when your eyes lock with someone and you just know that you will love this person forever. That no matter what they do or where they go, because of this moment nothing will ever seperate you. I discovered this moment when I met Kelly's baby, Dominic Jon Tedrow. He is beautiful, precious and the most amazing little thing that I have ever encountered and I know that no matter what I will never forget the moment that I fell head over heels for this child.

Facebook...

2009-09-09T20:57:00.001-07:00

My mom has a facebook... Enough said!

Going Solo...

2009-08-12T21:15:00.001-07:00

Though it seems like a lifetime ago, I once lived alone and for quite some time. I loved being able to claim my space and know what was what and do as I pleased. And then about 3 years ago that all changed when I moved in with my then boyfriend and now husband. I was forced to get accustomed to someone else's habits and needs and find ways to deal with having someone else in my space at all hours of the day. Though it was tough in the beginning and if you were to ask either of us at the time, I am sure that we were not certain that we would make it... But we did.

And now, with Paul away visiting his brothers... I would like nothing more than to have someone crowding my space. I am grateful that we are independent enough to have our own lives and travel as we see fit, but it is comforting to know that we have one another to come back to.

I will make the most of this time alone, but I will surely make the most of the time that I will have with him when he returns.

A Much Needed Post on Vegas

2009-08-07T20:17:00.000-07:00

So it has been like 2 weeks since we went to Vegas but I still feel that it is neccesary to post a few pictures and some notes on the fantastic 4 days that we spent in Vegas. We were fortunate enough to stay at The Hotel at Mandalay Bay and it was amazing... Super cool suite with 2 bathrooms and a HUGE tub, easily could have fit 3 people in there... And I mean the tub.

And we were able to get a cabana while we were there... And I have to say that it was the best decision weve made in awhile.

We had a great time with Pauls mom and brother Robert and his friends Nancy and Josh.

So after all the pool time and gambling and eating and drinking we were able to se LOVE the show at the Mirage. I have seen it before and I have to admit that on the first round it brought me to tears, so I was game to see it again. And luckily it did not disapoint, still one of the best shows I have ever seen.

Not sure why... But at the time, this seemed like a great idea!

So we flew out there but the flights home were a hot mess and a lot more than we wanted to spend, so we rented a car. Now we requested a compact and well we got this...

Just Saying...

2009-07-13T19:57:00.000-07:00

For all of those people that are not quite ready to see that Jon of Jon and Kate Plus 8 is just as bad if not worse than Kate well here you go...

Explain to me how you can even pretend to care for your kids when you are running around St. Tropez with not your first girlfriend since your wife but now your second. I am just going to put it out there that Jon is a D-Bag and as mean as Kate is, at least she is not a cheater and all around bad example.

My Sister

2009-07-07T22:14:00.000-07:00

I just want to say that I love my sister to tears for many reasons... But specifically for the fact that she can turn a totally normal gesture into the funniest story I have ever heard.

And it went a little something like this...

Katie: "So I decided to order Mom and Dad a little something to send to their room for their anniversary."
Me: "Oh yeah, what did you end up sending them?"
Katie: "Well I went with the champagne and chocolate covered strawberries... Not that they drink but still."
Me: "Oh geez"
Katie: " Well Mom might have some, and if not we can drink it on Sat when we see them."
Me: "So how much was all that?"
Katie: "I don't know... (best part ever) I WAS AFRAID TO ASK."

And there you have it.

New Page...

2009-07-05T14:43:00.001-07:00

Not sure what I think about this new background, but let me know what you think. I am leaning towards this being too bling but maybe it is perfect.

Vegas Baby...

2009-06-22T19:32:00.000-07:00

I am so excited... One month from today Paul and I will be in Vegas and hanging out at The Hotel at Mandalay Bay. Looking forward to sun, fun and a little relaxation.

Anti Climatic

2009-05-19T22:31:00.000-07:00

I was so ready for change and then the curve ball... You think that you are ready and prepared till the options are presented and then you realize that you were all talk.

I WAS ready and now I don't know.

Buenos Dias - Nueve Dia

2009-04-17T17:30:00.000-07:00

It is our last full day here in Buenos Aires and with that being said we decided to hit up a couple of things that we had not had a chance to look at to this point. First on the list was El Obelisco, a monument representing the 400th Anniversary of the city.

After we got some photos, we walked the Avenida de Nueve and well it was loud, crowded, and everyone was smoking... So we decided that we would head over to Avenida Santa Fe for a little less people and lunch. Once there we decided to head over to the mall, otherwise known as Alto Palermo where we ended up eating at a little cafe. I ordered what I thought was going to be a salmon salad, but I imagined that it would be cooked on a bed of lettuce, but what I got was more like locks on salad with cheese that smelled pretty strong. It was not good, the first time that I can really say that here but still.
Once we got away from lunch we wandered the mall where I picked up a couple of tank tops, that I love and then we hopped the subway home.
It has been a long week and though we should totally be finishing it up with some grandeous night out, we are not. We both feel that we have seen and done all that we wanted to and with still a few things left on the list for next time.
We leave tomorrow...

Buenos Aires - Ocho Dia

2009-04-16T17:23:00.000-07:00

I am really enjoying our time here in Buenos Aires, the people are nice and everyone is beautiful and healthy looking, well except that most of them smoke. I guess everyone needs at least one vice. We decided today was going to be a light day and headed over to the Japanese Gardens and then onto La Bombadera, the home of the Boca Juniors team in Buenos Aires.
The Japanese community donated the garden to the city of Buenos Aires and though it is a little smaller than expected, it is truly scenic and wonderfully quiet.

After a lovely and serene walk through the Japanese Gardens we hoofed it to the subway to head over to La Bombadera. This trip was totally for Paul but after seeing how much people love this team and have so much pride associated with them, I fell in love as well.

After a long tour, which was totally great we headed back to the apartment to go back and forth on the "where do you want to eat" convo. Finally we realized that the reason that it took so long to decide is that we were not really hungry and that we did not have the energy to bother with a long drawn out meal.. So we went to McDonald's and then home. I have to say it was the best thing that we could have done... So tired and just wanted a night off.

Buenos Aires - Siete Dia

2009-04-16T07:45:00.001-07:00

Today was an early day, the first so far on this trip to date. We got up and headed down to Florida Street for a walking tour that my sister got for us as a birthday gift for me. Totally cool idea and since we ended up being the only 2 people on the tour it was even better than we could have anticipated.
The tour started at 10am and we walked the area around Florida Street and Plaza de Mayo and mostly the historical sites in that area.
This was the most beautiful church that had a great history and story that of course I will not get correct, so I will just leave it as it was a beautiful church, inside and out.

This was the site of the Islam Center in Buenos Aires, but there was a bombing and it killed 21 people so now it is a memorial site where there are 21 trees planted in thier honor. To this day no one has been brought to justice with regards to this horrific tragedy.

This is the hotel that Madonna practiced her Evita speech from in order to be prepared for filming... Even though there were only a few on site shots actually filmed in Buenos Aires. I thought that was odd.

\
After the walking tour we wandered down to Puerto Madero to check out the water and the famous Puente de la Mujer bridge.

We ended the day with dinner at Casa Blanca... Again. We had totally intended to eat at La Cabrera, the infamous parilla that is famous for their large portions of meat but the wait was 40 minutes and there was no guarantee that we would not be eating with the smokers... So we hit up the place that we knew would be great, and it was.

Buenos Aires - Seis Dia

2009-04-14T17:29:00.000-07:00

I have to be honest, we are tired. We have been walking everywhere and staying up late, way later than I am used to so today we decided it had to be a nice, quiet, easy day and it was. We headed over to the Zoo at about 1pm and walked around for a few hours and it was so nice. There were only a few people there and it was great weather, so we had a wonderful time wandering the place.

We got a bag of food at the entrance to feed the animals with in the park and I have to admit that it was my idea to get the food but then the second that we got close to the ducks and what not, I ran. Scary little things that look like they are out for blood... Luckily Paul loved it.

There were these rabbit/goat things everywhere... I really have no idea what they are but they are allowed to roam freely, lucky them cause some of the cages for these animals were quite small throughout the park.

And here are photos from the rest of the zoo...

It was a really nice day at the zoo and even after only that we were pretty worn out so we headed back to the apartment and decided to make it a night in with pizza and coke. All in all a great day and tomorrow we have the walking tour that my sister got us... Very excited about that!

Buenos Aires - Cinco Dia

2009-04-13T20:09:00.000-07:00

So we totally thought that we would get up early and head out to MALBA, otherwise known as Museum of Latin America in Buenos Aires, but yet at about 1pm Paul wakes me and says "We should get up, you know it's 1pm?". Okay so the day was not as I had planned, but we make the most of it either way. So we got ready and then grabbed a cab down to MALBA, where we had a little late lunch. I was not sure what a museum could order up but let me tell you, AMAZING!!!! Paul ordered a chicken breast and I ordered up a sandwich with pesto, prosciutto, tomatoe, and mozarella.

Once we finished our lunch we checked out the museum and it was beautiful. Such a great and open space... LOVED IT!

After the museum we headed to Alto Palermo, which is the local mall. We wandered and ended up getting a couple of jackets at Puma, and the Paul got a couple of jersey's at the local sports store. Tons of fun but a rather expensive mall all the same.
Once we finished up with the mall we headed back to the apartment and at about 9pm we headed out for dinner at this place we had found a few nights ago called Lele de Troya. Such a cool place that had some nice area outside that was covered in these trees but it was too windy to sit outside, so we headed in. It was totally cool in there, red in one room, blue in another, green in the next and yellow in the one with the kitchen, SO GREAT!

Lunch was amazing and I have to say that Paul's chicken was better than my sandwich at that meal, but when it came to dinner my Salmon Ravioli was way better than Paul's chicken. All in all it was a very relaxing day and I look forward to tomorrow.

Buenos Aires - Day 4

2009-04-13T14:51:00.000-07:00

Let me start by saying today was a VERY long day... I mean a VERY LONG DAY! We started with a little stop at the pizzaria on the corner by our apartment called Kentucky Pizza, which was not that great to be honest but we have walked by it so many times that we figured that we had to stop and eat there at some point.

With lunch done we did what every tour book told us was the thing to do, head down to the Feria de San Telmo. Basically it is a huge Antique/Arts and Crafts Open Market that different vendors and people bring all of their stuff on each Sunday and showcase it for everyone. They warned us that it would be crowded and that it would be over priced but we decided to check it out anyways. We took the Subway down to San Telmo, which was not that nice of an area, at least not compared to where we are staying or the places we had seen so far. Here are a few pics from the fair.

There were a ton of art exhibits on display as well and here are just a few.

Once we decided that it would take lifetime to walk that entire street with the fair going on so we headed over a couple of streets to walk up the the Plaza de Mayo. It has long been known as the hot bed for political activism and it is the location where Evita Peron ralied for the release of her husband from prison.

After the Plaza de Mayo we headed to the Subway and then back to the apartment to change in time for the futbol game at River Plate. I was a little hesitant to go to a futbol game here just because they take it much more seriously than anything I have ever experienced in the US, Futbol is Life here. But it was something that Paul really wanted to do so we headed out. We took the subway to the end of the line and then walked to the stadium. As we got closer there were tons of people, almost all of them in a River Plate jersey... So cool! You could feel the energy in the air and I have to say it is quite contageous.

It was the loudest and most emotional game that I have ever been to and I have to say that the crowd pulled me in and made me fall in love with the team and the sport. It was captivating, to say the least. We decided that we would leave a few minutes before the game got out so as to avoid the crowd and to make sure that we made it back to the subway before it closed down for the night at 10:30pm. We aparently you cannot leave the stadium till they let you. The Federal Police blocked all of the exits till the game was over. We thought that they would let us out once it ended but they held us till the other teams fan were out of the staium on their way. So annoying cause it was 10pm and the subway closes soon... So after they FINALLY released us, such a fire hazard, we walk-ran as fast we could to the subway and got there just in time for them to tell us that there was no other trains and it was too late to take the subway... Mind you it was 10:20 and we freakin' ran, but whatever.
After getting irritated with the first taxi that we pulled over, we got another one and took it back to the Plaza Italia. We were going to go back to the apartment and then head out for dinner but it was already 11pm and to be honest we were both too tired for a two hour meal. So we hit up the McDonalds by the apartment and then headed home.

SUCH A LONG DAY...

Buenos Aires - Tres Dia

2009-04-11T20:28:00.000-07:00

Day 3 began late, later than we had anticipated since we were trying to fit in quite a bit on a Saturday in Buenos Aires and we finally headed out at about 1:30pm. We hit the subway or metro near the apartment and headed down to the Recoleta neighborhood in search of the infamous largest book store in Latin America. And in all honesty it was very impressive, seeing as how it was an opera house in a past life, or so they want you to believe.

After the bookstore, where we picked up a couple of nice books on Buenos Aires, we headed in the direction of the Recoleta Cemetary... But on the way we ran into a McDonalds, which at 3pm sounded really good to someone who had not eaten all day.

After a little Mickey D's we headed on to the Cemetary. I have to admit that there is something odd about a National Attraction being a cemetary where people are spending the after life and we are going to wander it and take picture and video as if on the same scale as Disneyland. Now I am not a religous person but it felt wrong in a way... Yet here are the photos to prove that I was not above it all.

It took awhile but we eventually found the famous final resting place of Evita Peron. Now I know that it is rumored that she is moved around every so often so that people do not try to steal her, since I guess that is what goes on, it still seemed like people were quite enthralled with the idea that she was there. Flowers were on her site and not on others, indicating her status in death as in life.

There were many famous Argentinian's buried here, more than I will ever know or remember... But the thing that struck me most was the beauty of each of the burial sites. There is so much thought put into the design and at one point we even saw a family visiting a loved one that was laid to rest there.
After the cemetary, we headed out to find the large silver flower, as Paul calls it but it is otherwise known as Floralis Generica. It is next to the University of Buenos Aires Law Builiding that was also serving as a photo backdrop for this girl...

We found the flower and decided it would be a great time for a little break. No one tells you this but it is humid here and hot. Only about 84 degrees and I have to admit that I have spent most of the day sweating and most of the Portenos around me are acting like this is no big deal, some even have in sweaters. Guess you would have to live here year round to find 85 and humid a day for a sweater.

After hanging out in the park with the "large silver flower" we decided to head back to the apartment and relax before dinner. We found this place called "Casa Blanca" the night before on a late night walk and decided that we had to eat there at some point so why not tonight. After waiting till about 9pm we headed out, thinking that it had to be late enough to eat and not be the only ones doing so... Well we were wrong. We arrived at the restaurant and had the pick of any table, literally. After deciding on a table on the patio, we got settled in for what we knew was going to be a one of a kind experience. The waitress was totally amazing and met us half way with english that made me feel much more at ease and helped talk us into many things, including a beer for Paul, that we would not normally have ordered.

The meal started with homemade bread that came hot to the table with this eggplant mixture with oil and vinegar and it was to die for... I could have eaten four bowls of it, had they offered.

I had the most amazing meat that they cooked on an open grill that had the greatest woody taste, that to be honest I could never describe in a million years.

And we ordered a side of the mashed potatoes, that tasted like heaven.

With a little Caesar Salad.

Paul got the 1/4 Chicken and it was cooked on the same grill as my meat and had the same amazing flavor.

He also got the fries with his meal... Way more food then we could have ever eaten but great all the same.

Oh this was interesting, they only sold wine by the bottle so I could not have just a glass, which is not a cost issue here, but more of a finishing issue. So I ordered the bottle and really drank maybe two glasses in the two hours that we were there, so Paul decided that we were taking it with us and he put the cork in it and took it home. Totally funny and cute...

So after carrying home our bottle of wine, we hung out and listened to the party going on above us and the one across the hall... These Portenos live quite the lifestyle and stay up quite late... It is 2:30am and we are tired and ready to hit the sack and they sound like they are just getting started on the karaoke.

Wish us luck on getting some sleep tonight!

Buenos Aires - Dos Dia

2009-04-11T07:57:00.000-07:00

After a great first day of sleeping and exploring our surroundings, we decided that we would spend the next day doing a little of the same. Before this trip we did not make a list of places that we wanted to see or things that we had to do, simply because we were not sure what we would find when we arrived. So today we knew that was going to be something that we would have to work on. We awoke, late, since we stayed up later than we would normally at home and headed out for a walk about town. We initially thought that we would hit up the zoo, but the lines were totally long and since it was only a couple of blocks from where we are staying we figured it would be easy to do at another time.

So instead we wandered the streets and eventually stopped at this totally cute, modern, italian restaurant for a little lunch. We were not totally starving and had we been, they had this great special going on with one starter, an entree, a soda or glass of wine and then to finish you could get a coffee or a desert. Defintely a place to come back for dinner some time. Instead I opted for the roasted artichoke hearts and Paul had the fried mozzarella sticks, that had the most amazingly fresh tomatoe sauce on top. It was a lovely lunch and we sat there taking in the people and the surroundings for over an hour. I love people watching but in a country where you do not understand the language it is bumped up to a whole nother level, since you can imagine what they are saying and that is more fun than knowing any day of the week.

After lunch we headed out to Avenida Santa Fe to see how far the walk to the largest book store in Latin America would be... Well after walking a few blocks we realized that this would take us a few hours, which was so not going to happen in 82 degree weather and sandals. Instead we agreed to do it another day and head back to the condo to hit up the store for some soda and water. After a little siesta, cause that seemed neccesary after a day of walking, we decided to eat dinner on the deck at the condo and hit up the local takeout pizza joint for a cheese pizza and some empanadas to go with the meat and cheese that we got from the store earlier. It was a very romamtic and relaxing meal together, with the city as our backdrop.

Another fabulous day in Buenos Aires... Here comes day 3!

Buenos Aires - Day Uno

2009-04-09T18:58:00.000-07:00

We have arrived in BA. After a long ten hour flight we have made it to the birth place of tango and the city that never sleeps, and I am not talking about Vegas. The apartment that we are staying in is super nice and we are loving the freedom of being able to have a huge place and be able to access the internet when need be.

When we awoke from our six hour catch up sleep from being awake for 24 hours... We ran over to the supermercado across the street to get a nice $3 bottle of Malbec, which to be honest taste more like a $8 bottle but still... And then we got ready and headed out for a little dinner and walk around the neighborhood. We stopped at a nice, quiet place that had only one waitress, which was fine since we were there for almost 2 hours and only 3 people came and went as we did. Lovely little place and lovely meal.

All in all a lovely first day in Buenos Aires... Till tomorrow...

Portland

2009-03-17T21:10:00.001-07:00

It has rained the entire time that I have been up here. I like that I landed and it was wet and when I woke up it was wet and now that I am getting ready for bed... IT IS WET!

I am enjoying my little mini vacation but I miss my Moe and my husband!

Looking forward to Thursday!

Excitement in the Air...

2009-03-01T08:58:00.000-08:00

Today is Katie's move in day... YEAH for her. We went to visit the little joint and it is lovely and perfect for her. I can already see many a night hanging out there with everyone and I am looking forward to it!

Congrats again!

just a little Something...

2009-02-28T10:20:00.000-08:00

"Don't pay any attention to what they write about you. Just measure it in inches."

- Andy Warhol

Fallen from grace...

2009-02-01T17:33:00.000-08:00

It does not take long for fame, money and general lack of control to ruin ones career... What is Micheal Phelps thinking? A DUI after the last Olympics and now a nice day of hitting the bong. Do what you must, but maybe have the where-with-all to make sure that no one is snapping a photo.

What an idiot ... I am thinking that Mark Spitz deserves go back on the top of the list after this catastrophe.

Nonsense... My new favorite word.

2009-01-27T19:44:00.000-08:00

Nonsense: a message that seems to convey no meaning

I have to say I run into more conversations, people and situations that are absolute nonsense then I ever thought possible. I would like people to take one moment before they speak and think about whether or not what they are about to say has any actual meaning, or like the rest of their lives it is nonsense.

I have said my peace, now go out in the world and say yours...

Chuck Norris is ...

2008-12-28T19:47:00.001-08:00

I found myself in the middle of some strange laughing fit tonight with Paul and all over Chuck Norris. Now it really had nothing to do with the man himself or anything he has ever been quoted as saying but more rather to do with things that many have said about him. Here are a few quotes that sent Paul into some serious fits...

If you have five dollars and Chuck Norris has five dollars, Chuck Norris has more money than you.
There is no 'ctrl' button on Chuck Norris's computer. Chuck Norris is always in control.
Apple pays Chuck Norris 99 cents every time he listens to a song.
Chuck Norris can sneeze with his eyes open.
Chuck Norris can eat just one Lay's potato chip.
Chuck Norris is suing Myspace for taking the name of what he calls everything around you.
Chuck Norris destroyed the periodic table, because he only recognizes the element of surprise.
Chuck Norris can kill two stones with one bird.

I higly suggest that you check out the following link, so that your evening can be filled with a person reading allowed from a website while his wife laughs and rolls their eyes in the background.

http://www.chucknorrisfacts.com/

Holiday Thank You's!

2008-12-26T11:15:00.000-08:00

I just wanted to let everyone know that I am very grateful for this holiday season and the time that I was able to spend with family and friends. I can let things get to me at times and it can get in the way of my enjoyment of Christmas, but I have to say that this was one of the best holidays.

Thank you to everyone!

Lots of love to all!

President Elect

2008-11-04T21:29:00.000-08:00

Tonight I have been blessed to be emotionally connected to a person and a canidate for the first time in my life. I want to say that there is something in Barack Obama that makes me want to not only believe in America but want to be a part of the America that he so passionately speaks of... I hope that Obama is half the man that I believe that he is.

Ever Thine...

2008-10-13T19:29:00.000-07:00

Be calm--love me--
today--yesterday--
what tearful longings for
you--you--you--
my life--my all--farewell.
Oh continue to love me--
never misjudge
the most faithful heart
of your beloved.
Ever thine,
ever mine,
ever ours.

-Beethoven

I will marry my friend, my confidant, my love
and my everything in just a few days... And I
am forever grateful for what he has brought
into my life and I will continue to be the one
that he fell in love with for years to come.

To my Paul.

So excited...

2008-09-20T08:53:00.000-07:00

I am so very excited cause today is my BRIDAL Shower... Yeah!

Another take on Palin...

2008-09-17T21:39:00.000-07:00

Eve Ensler, the American playwright, performer, feminist and activist best known for 'The Vagina Monologues', wrote the following about Sarah Palin:

Drill, Drill, Drill

I am having Sarah Palin nightmares. I dreamt last night that she was a member of a club where they rode snowmobiles and wore the claws of drowned and starved polar bears around their necks. I have a particular thing for Polar Bears. Maybe it's their snowy whiteness or their bigness or the fact that they live in the arctic or that I have never seen one in person or touched one. Maybe it is the fact that they live so comfortably on ice. Wha tever it is, I need the polar bears.

I don't like raging at women. I am a Feminist and have spent my life trying to build community, help empower women and stop violence against them. It is hard to write about Sarah Palin. This is why the Sarah Palin choice was all the more insidious and cynical. The people who made this choice count on the goodness and solidarity of Feminists.

But everything Sarah Palin believes in and practices is antithetical to Feminism which for me is part of one story -- connected to saving the earth, ending racism, empowering women, giving young girls options, opening our minds, deepening tolerance, and ending violence and war.

I believe that the McCain/Palin ticket is one of the most dangerous choices of my lifetime, and should this country chose those candidates the fall-out may be so great, the destruction so vast in so many areas that America may never recover. But what is equally disturbing is the impact that duo would have on the rest of the world. Unfortunately, this is not a joke. In my lifetime I have seen the clownish, the inept, the bizarre be elected to the presidency with regularity.

Sarah Palin does not believe in evolution. I take this as a metaphor. In her world and the world of Fundamentalists nothing changes or gets better or evolves. She does not believe in global warming. The melting of the arctic, the storms that are destroying our cities, the pollution and rise of cancers, are all part of God's plan. She is fighting to take the polar bears off the endangered species list. The earth, in Palin's view, is here to be taken and plundered. The wolves and the bears are here to be shot and plundered. The oil is here to be taken and plundered. Iraq is here to be taken and plundered. As she said herself of the Iraqi war, 'It was a task from God.'

Sarah Palin does not believe in abortion. She does not believe women who are raped and incested and ripped open against their will should have a right to determine whether they have their rapist's baby or not.

She obviously does not believe in sex education or birth control. I imagine her daughter was practicing abstinence and we know how many babies that makes.

Sarah Palin does not much believe in thinking. From what I gather she has tried to ban books from the library, has a tendency to dispense with people who think independently. She cannot tolerate an environment of ambiguity and difference. This is a woman who could and might very well be the next president of the United States . She would govern one of the most diverse populations on the earth.

Sarah believes in guns. She has her own custom Austrian hunting rifle. She has been
known to kill 40 caribou at a clip. She has shot hundreds of wolves from the air.

Sarah believes in God. That is of course her right, her private right. But when God and Guns come together in the public sector, when war is declared in God's name, when the rights of women are denied in his name, that is the end of separation of church and state and the undoing of everything America has ever tried to be.

I write to my sisters. I write because I believe we hold this election in our hands. This vote is a vote that will determine the future not just of the U.S. , but of the planet. It will determine whether we create policies to save the earth or make it forever uninhabitable for humans. It will determine whether we move towards dialogue and diplomacy in the world or whether we escalate violence through invasion, undermining and attack. It will determine whether we go for oil, strip mining, coal burning or invest our money in alternatives that will free us from dependency and destruction. It will determine if money gets spent on education and healthcare or whether we build more and more methods of killing. It will determine whether America20is a free open tolerant society, or a closed place of fear, fundamentalism and aggression.

If the Polar Bears don't move you to go and do everything in your power to get Obama elected, then consider the chant that filled the hall after Palin spoke at the RNC, 'Drill Drill Drill.' I think of teeth when I think of drills. I think of rape. I think of destruction. I think of domination. I think of military exercises that force mindless repetition, emptying the brain of analysis, doubt, ambiguity or dissent. I think of pain.

Do we want a future of drilling? More holes in the ozone, in the floor of the sea, more holes in our thinking, in the trust between nations and peoples, more holes in the fabric of this precious thing we call life?

Eve Ensler
September 5, 2008

We May Speak the Same Language, But the Words are Vastly Different

2008-09-04T18:13:00.000-07:00

Palin recently said that the war in Iraq is "God's task." She's even admitted she hasn't thought about the war much—just last year she was quoted saying, "I've been so focused on state government, I haven't really focused much on the war in Iraq."

Palin has actively sought the support of the fringe Alaska Independence Party. Six months ago, Palin told members of the group—who advocate for a vote on secession from the union—to "keep up the good work" and "wished the party luck on what she called its 'inspiring convention.'"

Palin wants to teach creationism in public schools. She hasn't made clear whether she thinks evolution is a fact.

Palin doesn't believe that humans contribute to global warming. Speaking about climate change, she said, "I'm not one though who would attribute it to being manmade."

Palin has close ties to Big Oil. Her inauguration was even sponsored by BP.

Palin is extremely anti-choice. She doesn't even support abortion in the case of rape or incest.

Palin opposes comprehensive sex-ed in public schools. She's said she will only support abstinence-only approaches. (Which is not even something that she could convey to own child).

As mayor, Palin tried to ban books from the library. Palin asked the library how she might go about banning books because some had inappropriate language in them—shocking the librarian, Mary Ellen Baker. According to Time, "news reports from the time show that Palin had threatened to fire Baker for not giving "full support" to the mayor."

She DID support the Bridge to Nowhere (before she opposed it). Palin claimed that she said "thanks, but no thanks" to the infamous Bridge to Nowhere. But in 2006, Palin supported the project repeatedly, saying that Alaska should take advantage of earmarks "while our congressional delegation is in a strong position to assist."

Just a few things that I thought we should all take a moment a read, considering so many seem to think that she is the best candidate for the job and this country.

Therapy

2008-09-02T06:58:00.000-07:00

Today I have my consultation with the therapist... Wish me luck, I am sure that on top of my anxiety there will be a couple of issues addressed, or maybe she will just size me up and tell me that everyone has issues and this is just mine. So in effect telling me that I am "normal". This should be interesting.

I will let you all know how it goes.

Vegan Again...

2008-09-01T13:07:00.001-07:00

I think that I am going to do the Vegan Cleanse again... It was so much fun the first time that I feel like going through it all over again. Sense the sarcasm? I just think that I would like to clean this body out again, and that cleanse was a nice way to do it. So starting tomorrow I am cutting out the bread, the meat and the cheese and the dairy. Though I know that soda and caffiene are on the bill as well, I am going to be keeping that on since I am surely going to kill people if I cannot have at least caffiene while going through this again. Oh and I guess that I will be cutting out the alcohol and sugar as well... Oh yeah I am definitely keeping the caffiene.

Wish me luck for the second time.

Indecision 2008

2008-09-01T12:20:00.000-07:00

In recent months I have been back and forth on whom I would be voting for in the 2008Election... And when I say back and forth I mean whether or not I would be voting for Barack Obama or a yet to be named Independent. I admit that I was one of the early ones to jump on the Barack train but when he came to Orange County and visited one of the churches and spoke about marriage being between a man and a woman, I was put in a position to be tested on just how far I was willing to go to see change made in America. I have and always will be in support of an individuals rights to choose just how they want to live their life, that is what has and always will make America great. But when I heard a black man, whom I would have thought would understand the ramifications of not having certain rights, speak about the right to be married being that of a man and a woman, I was heart broken. Here was this man screaming about change and bringing back respect to being an American, telling religous people that they could rest assured he was in support of maintaining the sanctity of marriage.

As I am approaching my wedding day I am becoming ever more appreciative of the right that I was born with, simply because I was born heterosexual. I have and always will be in support of gay rights, not because it is something that I as a heterosexual will ever understand first hand but rather because I as a heterosexual would never want to be told what I could or could not do.

That being said I also understand the ramifications of the decision that lay before us as Americans and the responsibility that we have to make sure that change is made in any way, shape or form. I feel now as many Republicans felt after eigth years of Clintons, that if we do not stop the route that we are on now... How will we ever be able to recognize that the path that we are on is a dangerous one, where the citizens voices are not heard and the government continues to be blind to all that is going on around them. This is that defining moment and we have to be the ones that take charge. So I as someone that needs to be responsible for the path that I am on and the one that this nation is on, have decided to give my vote to Barack Obama.

Earthquakes and things of that nature...

2008-08-09T18:56:00.000-07:00

Recently we (those in Southern California) experienced what many would say was a rather large earthquake. Now I was not one of those people that thought that it was fine and not all that big of a deal, I on the other hand thought that it was awful and could have gone without one. But it was not just the shaking and the loud noise that bothered me, it was the lack of control on my part. Slowly, as the years go by, I am realizing that my control issues go beyond the norm that many must feel. I, under no circumstances, like to have something going on where I am not in control of every moment of it. This is a realization that I am sure that many know about me, but something that I have never been comfortable admitting outside of a few close family and friends. So in an attempt to let some control go in one respect and gain some in another I have decided to seek some help with my control issues. I hope that this is something that will be beneficial to me and those that have to deal with me.

I won't lie I am scared to find out where my issues lie and why they began, but this is something that I need to deal with, so let the journey begin!

Maid of Honor

2008-08-03T10:52:00.001-07:00

Finally we found Katie's dress and it is beautiful... I love it!