this sleepy old town

well, it’s been entirely too long since i’ve updated, i know.  i’ve been keeping myself quite busy the past few days, so i’ll try and recap for you. :)

1) adam turned 19!  wow!  how’d he get that old?!? ;)  anyway, we celebrated by lounging around all morning doing nothing, which is adam’s very favorite activity.  we made it all the way through the first two seasons of “how i met your mother” while lying around.  so fun! :)  and then we went up to the city to stonestown (a shopping center) to do a little shopping with mom, auntie lily, theresa, and grandma.  and then we met up with the whole rest of the family for a giant dinner at the olive garden, where i seriously ate way, way too much.  and then there was cake at grandma’s house.  really a good time. :)

2) i went to visit sarah in woodland.  we did a little shopping at the outlets in vacaville, and i found some excellent deals!  and then i got to meet her boyfriend, ryan, and the three of us had dinner at the cheesecake factory in sacramento.  so delicious!  again, too much food.  and i spent the night at her place before the two of us headed down to san jose together.  she wanted to go to santana row, so we did some shopping there.  plus, we had the most fabulous dinner at maggiano’s!  the (very handsome) host was so nice to us and we got just the best service.  i loved it! :)  and then sarah had to go back to woodland, so she took the train from san jose back home.

3) i had a really fun lunch at chipotle, which is new to me.  that place is so good.  i’ll soon be completely hooked, i’m sure.  anyway, we had a good time just chatting and catching up and exchanging christmas presents.  then meg was off to morro bay, and kath and i went to see “enchanted.”  first of all, i’m kind of peeved it was shown with spanish subtitles because nothing informed me of that before i was at the theatre for that particular showing.  it’s a little distracting!  and i think 2 people in the busy theatre actually used them.  anyway, i love loved the movie!  seriously!  i want to watch it over and over!  :)  it’s so adorable and there were no parts that i didn’t enjoy.  so good!

4) i had dinner with the girls tonight at sneakers.  it did take us a long time to decide where to go, but it was worth all the effort for the good food and great time!  :)  jackie, tiffany, annahita, jessica, katherine, stephane, and i all met at sneakers, a very popular spot in san carlos, for a fun evening out.  we all got to catch up with each other, as we’re kind of all over the place, and it’s very hard to get us all in the same place at the same time.  anyway, we had so much fun and pretty much ended up closing down the place 3 hours after we’d sat down.

a few other little highlights have been a walk with dad around the area in the rain and getting to see mel and steph (and fam) for a little bit this evening.  steph’s stepson, bran, is a.d.o.r.a.b.l.e!  so cute! :)

also, there are photos from adam’s birthday and my evening out with the girls up on flickr.  enjoy!

do you like my hat?

“what is it about this time of year
that makes our troubles disappear
’cause don’t you get the sense tonight
that for now the world is right
and as another christmas ends
my mind drifts and once again
i’m thinking like a six-year-old
only 364 days to go” — brad paisley “364 days to go”

i hope you had a lovely christmas.  i definitely did.  :)

i picked up grandma from her house this morning and brought her back here.  the rest of the family came over.  we had a big christmas lunch and opened presents together and played some blackjack.  it was so fun!  it was just really good to see the family. :)  and i got some fun things, too!  highlights include new music, a purse, a jamba juice giftcard, and cold hard cash. :)

and tonight, adam and and i just hung around.  we watched “waitress,” which was really good. :)  i definitely recommend that one.

and i suppose it’s sort of late and i’m getting pretty tired.  i think i’ll tuck in soon.

until next time, enjoy the flickr set of photos from our christmas. :)

baby, it’s cold outside

“a thrill of hope, the weary world rejoices
for yonder breaks a new and glorious morn
fall on your knees, oh, hear the angels’ voices
oh night divine, oh night when Christ was born” — “o holy night”

first off, merry christmas to you.  i’m not exactly sure why i’m even up this late on christmas eve, but i am.  and i have a few minutes to write a little before crashing.  tomorrow (christmas day) should be busy, especially early.

so yesterday (sunday), i got up a little early.  i mean, i was planning on getting up much earlier until i realized that i couldn’t watch tom brady and the pats on tv.  see, the problem with having two (terrible) home football teams is that those are the only two games you get on tv during the day.  i live in orange county, where we get lots of games, and they’re usually just the best ones, not making sure that any one team is on tv every weekend.  anyway, so i had thought being home by 1 was important, but it turned out not to be, so adam and i slept in a bit later.  anyway, we did get up in the morning and headed off to the mall.  yes, adam left all his christmas shopping until 23 december.  it’s just how he rolls.  haha!  anyway, so we went to the mall, the bookstore, and best buy.  and he actually didn’t take too long to get his shopping done.  and then we picked up a few goodies at trader joe’s and picked up lunch at taco bell/pizza hut.

and i spent the rest of the afternoon lounging around the house watching tv and whatever.  then dad picked a bunch of apples from the yard, auntie nancy came over, and we baked.  i made apple cobbler, which turned out fabulously!  i didn’t even use a recipe.  i just used a bit of this and a little of that and mixed it all up and yeah.  awesomeness. :)  i’m just that good.  and she made apple dumplings, which i’m less a fan of, though i hear that was also pretty good.

and today we hung out around the house in the morning.  we were trying to make sure the house is ready for hosting a big christmas lunch tomorrow.  and we made good progress.  also, i baked like 6 dozen cupcakes for tomorrow, including 2 dozen of a new recipe: peanut butter chocolate chip cupcakes with chocolate frosting.  again, i rock, and they’re delicious!  the real test will be tomorrow, though, when they compete with my black-bottom cupcakes that are legendary. ;)

in the afternoon, dad, adam, and i went to the movies to see “charlie wilson’s war,” which was really good if more serious than i had anticipated.  it was really, seriously good, though. :)  and then we picked up a christmas eve pizza on our way home for dinner.

tonight, adam and i went to midnight mass at 10pm, like we do every year.  it seemed a lot less crowded this year for some reason.  anyway, it was good.  and then we came home and opened presents with the parents.  normally this happens christmas morning, but we’re hosting christmas lunch this year (so i don’t die of my cat allergies) so that time will be spent preparing for that.  i got a couple fun things, dvds and new music.

and now it’s late and time for bed.  i have to be up in 8 hours, after all.

merry, merry christmas!

did you bring ALL your laundry home?

“nothing’s quite as right as a girl on the mend” — shedaisy “burn down the house”

well, well, well… i made it all the way home to san carlos, where i’ll be hanging out through new year’s.  and it’s good to be here and catch up with old friends.  i think i’m getting ahead of myself, though.  let me start from where i last left off, and i’ll bring us all the way to right now. :)

so yesterday (meaning friday), i went to work for about half a day, took care of all the lose ends before the company shut down for the holidays, and then headed out around 1.  it was straight to the gym for a workout and then straight home to get everything there in order.  then marke picked me up and brought me to the airport.  i caught a flight to sfo.  dad picked me up.  and that got me all the way to san carlos.

today started out with watching lots and lots of college basketball, which i love.  it was a huge saturday for that!  dad made breakfast, i hung out with the family, presents got wrapped.  it was good stuff.  and i did a few loads of laundry, because nearly everything i brought home with me was dirty.  also, it turns out i brought a ton of clothes home (though not all the dirty laudry i have).  oops!  ;)

and this evening was a big event!  it was the (second annual?) st. charles reunion.  just to get you up to speed if you don’t know, i went to st. charles for kindergarten through eighth grade with pretty much the same class of 35 people.  we really grew up together and were very close.  and so now, all these years later, we’re gathering to catch up with each other, find out what we’re all doing with our lives, and have a great time.  so a small group of us (brian, ryan, meg (and her boyfriend, noah), cassie, q, kath, edita, pilar, and me) had a delicious dinner at the gordon biersch brewery.  and then we moved on to a palo alto sportsbar (well, it used to be a sportsbar and now it’s all trendy and popular) the old pro.  more people met us there: dante, ashley (and her boyfriend), mel, val, jv, allison, jen, and possibly more than don’t come to mind at this late hour.  anyway, it was a decent group of us, and it was so fun to catch up with people!  seriously, so awesome!  we really area  pretty cool group of people, doing all sorts of exciting things.  and i did manage to get one picture taken while we were out. :)  what a great night!

and for the moment, i think i’m off.  i promised to take adam to the mall tomorrow so he can do his christmas shopping.  should be fun!  and with lots of friends in town, it’s hard to say what other fun might arise!

surviving

“i’m a little anxious, a little relieved
i’m a little cynical, a little naive
it makes it kind of hard to figure
makes it kind of hard to figure out
what do i do now
i can do whatever i want to” — shedaisy “what do i do now?”

well, the week is nearly over, and i made it!  it’s been so busy at work that it’s made me just generally busy.  but i’m done with so much stuff, and i’m so excited about a break and a trip home to san carlos.

so what have i been up to?  well, that’d be working, working, the gym, the gym, and packing.  :)  and yes, i packed way, way too much stuff, and nearly all of it is dirty.  but i’ll do laundry saturday at home.  it’ll be free and work just fine.

hmm… what else?  i don’t know.  i watched some great basketball at the gym today.  so great i just kept going on the elliptical machine for nearly an hour until it wouldn’t let me add any more time so i just stood and watched the end of the game.  gah!  i’m so looking forward to lying around watching basketball with adam and dad in the next few days!  so fun! :)

and yeah, that’s about it.  i fly home tomorrow evening, so that’s where my next update will come from.

check you out

“i don’t feel hung over, i don’t feel strung out
could i be clean and sober, did i finally lay it down
the drug of his love is out of my blood
it’s a revelation, like being born again
have you ever had that feeling, when you wash away your sins
your soul is set free
does anybody know what i mean?” — shannon brown “can i get an amen”

well, i figure it’s about time i sit down and write a little update.  it’s been a few days, and they’ve actually been pretty busy.  things are a bit quieter now, especially since i am pretty much refusing to go out in the rain. ;)  so i’ll do my best to organize my thoughts tonight…

1) i cut off all my hair!  okay, that’s not really true.  but i did have bobby cut off 8-9 inches of hair, which means it’s still long but a whole lot shorter than it’s been in years and years.  i just felt like it was time, so i went for it.  and i’m so glad! :)  bobby was so nervous cutting off so much!  he had to cut it twice.  he first cut less and let me see it and then i had him cut some more.  anyway, i am happy! :)

2) i did some christmas shopping friday night because the malls are open late during the holidays.  it was fun to be out amongst the crowds, though i didn’t actually find a ton.  anyway, it was good, and i know there’s more crazy christmas shopping (despite me being totally beyond done) in my future because adam’s waiting to do all of his until after i get home, which won’t be until the 21st.  that’ll be so crazy and so fun! :)

3) i went to a big christmas party at marke and katrina’s place saturday night.  it was a good time and just about the right level of crazy for me.  their friends are cool, and i knew some people there, which makes it more comfortable for me.  and we played a game of white elephant and the gift i brought went over really well. :)  anyway, i was there until really late, and it was a good time. :)

4) i baked my annual christmas cookies.  this year it was chocolate shortbread and white chocolate-butterscotch cookies.  both turned out deliciously and the people who got them (everyone at work) enjoyed them. :)  i do enjoy baking those each year.  also, i finished all my christmas cards, which feels like quite a feat.  i really enjoy writing them, but it can be a bit time consuming.

5) i watched “i’m reed fish,” which i really enjoyed!  i didn’t know that much about it going into it, other than it seemed like it’d be cute.  and it was! :)

6) work’s insane this week, and i’m just trying to survive until i fly home friday afternoon.  i think i’ll make it, but i have loads of work ahead of me, still.  at least i also get to have fun with the boys while i’m there.  today involved lots of non-work-appropriate jokes and me “helping marke wrap his christmas presents” (read: wrapping marke’s christmas presents for him).  good fun. ;)

and so i think i’m off for the evening.  it’s raining here.  what’s that about?  not sure.  think i’ll tuck in and read some before crashing early.

department victory

“so let the wind chase you
i can’t do it anymore
let the road run after you
like i always did before
let the stars catch your eye
‘cause i’ve tried and tried and tried
and i won’t do
so let the wind chase you” — trisha yearwood “let the wind chase you”

well, it’s been a good couple of days.  i mean, mostly i’ve just been busy at work and relaxing quietly at home.  but that’s good for this week.  it’s good to have a few quiet moments.  i started a new book.  i am nearly done writing christmas cards.  i caught some volleyball on tv.  and i had great workouts at the gym.  my thoughts all seem to be out order at the moment.

okay, so work is really, really busy right now because lots of projects need to get done before we take a week and a half off for the holidays.  and some things are running late and running into the schedules of other projects.  it’s a little messy, and i’m working some long(ish) hours, but it’s fine.  i’m just hoping we get it all under control in the next couple of days.

of course, the projects at working aren’t being helped by our holiday celebrations.  the second portion of the rtc christmas celebration was today.  we had a big company lunch at the local italian place, romano’s, and then john did a big gift giveaway that involved some luck and good guessing.  basically, when it was your turn, you had a choice between a few wrapped up gifts.  whatever you opened was yours.  and the presents were not at all of equal value or usefulness.  but i ended up with something really nice, so that’s rad.  i was expecting nothing.

anyway, at home i’ve been working on christmas-y things like baking and cards and a little bit more shopping online.  though really, i’ll probably find myself at the mall this weekend picking up a few more little things.  :)  and i’ve just been relaxing.  i started reading “the cheese monkeys,” which is really good but totally art nerdy.

and so i think i’m off for tonight.  not sure what’s up for the next few days, really.  i’m definitely attending a christmas party, and i have some little chores to take care of.  and baking.  christmas means lots of baking. :)  you know it’s hardcore baking when i have to wear tennis shoes because i’m on my feet for the entire day.

anyway, i really am off.  it’s getting late, and i want to read a little bit before i crash.  until next time…

likewise

“it’s a tumbling rush, it’s a helpless kind of feeling
when your heart doesn’t know which way is up or down
’til you hit the ground hard and fast, bruised and barely breathing
i guess they call it falling for a reason” — trisha yearwood “they call it falling for a reason”

well, i’m feeling good about this week.  nothing too major.  just have a smile on my face.  you know, i’ve really managed to surround myself with good people.  they might not even be aware, but i promise they help me through each day.  i’m so grateful for them.

anyway, let’s see… what have i been up to?  working, of course.  the gym.  picking up new music at borders.  watching a little tv.  writing christmas cards, which has turned into a week-long chore.  trying to keep warm in this wintry weather (yes, 50s qualifies as that).

today was the first part of the christmas celebrations at work.  we gathered this morning for a white elephant gift exchange.  it’s not my favorite game to play, especially at work, but it went as well as could be expected.  i brought scrabble as a gift.  i ended up with two movie tickets, which is awesome.  the gift i started out opening was a bottle of wine (not exciting to me).  anyway, that kind of set the tone for the whole day: friday.  we didn’t work especially hard, but it was a really, really fun day. :)

and i’m thinking i should probably go to bed now.  or start a new book.  we’ll see… :)

you know you can make a 20-minute phone call with that

well, i ended up with a pretty good weekend.  i took care of stuff i needed to, and i’ve just relaxed.  and honestly, i wasn’t sure if that’d be enough for me this weekend, but it seems that it was.  and i’m really glad for that.

you know, i am listening to all these albums i have and love with new ears these days.  it’s amazing what different things now stand out to me, and it’s amazing how i’m hearing old songs with whole new meanings.  it’s like a brand new music collection, all of a sudden.

speaking of music, i went to see “august rush” tonight at the movies.  my regular sunday night tv wasn’t on, and i wasn’t up to much of anything, so i went.  it probably wasn’t the smartest choice in films tonight, but i ended up really, really enjoying it.  and no crying, despite sarah warning me that i’d probably be a goner in this one.  anyway, it’s really a sweet movie, and the music is so rad.  oh, and my celebrity boyfriend, jonathan rhys meyers, is super hott in this movie!  especially singing or playing the guitar!

and what else did i do this weekend?   went to the gym twice.  watched my fair share of college basketball and pro football.  (tom brady continues to impress… and be the perfect sports eye candy.)  worked on the huge stack of christmas cards.  tried to stay warm in this chilly weather.

and now i think i should be going to bed.  it’s kind of late, and i know i could use the sleep.

some day my prince will come

“when i lay my head down at the end of another day
did i keep it all to myself
or did i give my love away?” — little big town “vapor”

a new day.  pretty crazy.

today went differently than expected, and it turned out really nicely. :)  i’m so grateful.

i started my morning with a bagel from my favorite place, and then headed off to work.  i had tons and tons to accomplish today, so i ended up pretty much just keeping my nose to the grindstone all morning and into the afternoon.  by about 2:30, i was starving, so i made a quick starbucks run before a bit more work.  but around 4, the work slowed and so did i.  and i was definitely gone by 5. :)

this evening, i met up with marke, katrina, and lindsey(sp? — their friend), and we all headed up to disneyland.  they’re really fun to hang out with, and we had a good time.  we even managed to dodge any rain!  we did california adventure first so katrina and i could go on tower of terror.  marke and lindsey both won’t do that ride, so it was katrina’s first time!  i love that ride, so i’m glad i got to share it with her. :)  and we did soarin’ over california, too, because it’s rad.  and then that park closed so we headed over to disneyland.  we did indiana jones and the haunted mansion and pirates and buzz lightyear and space mountain.  and we even paused for a snack and to watch fantasmic.  we actually got a lot done considering we didn’t get there until 7:30ish.  anyway, they closed at midnight(ish), and now i’m back home.  it was a really fun way to spend my friday evening, and i’m so glad marke invited me last-minute this afternoon. :)

and now i suppose i should get some sleep, so i’m off for tonight.  tomorrow’s plans include watching basketball, the gym, and continuing to prepare for christmas.  and perhaps a movie?  we’ll see.  anyway, i’m off.