bumblepug

leaving las vegas

we'll be home today at 5:30!

damn, i love this "publish on" feature!

(amanda, we have to chill tonight. i'll bring the champagne!)

on break

currently in las vegas.

viva las vegas

currently in vegas ____________ (fill in the blank).

gambling
clubbing
getting married
drinking on the streets
enjoying the spa
lounging at the pool
getting heat stroke
shopping at wynn's mall
pigging out at a buffet
watching a show

have i forgotten things that can happen while in vegas?

more on monday.

(irene, call my cell so we can meet up! we're at the mirage.)

dove 7-day challenge

ok, so you know those stupid dove commercials..."turn your armpits into underarms within 7 days," or something along those lines. well, they weren't lying. i took the dove challenge and my armpits are now underarms! they are much softer and feel less irritated when i shave but my question to dove is, who in this world could possibly care about the smoothness of my armpits?

the anti-climax

the last day at work was rather anti-climactic. couldn't they have held a parade in my honor as i walked through the doors one last time?! all of my belongings fit in a box and people were quite surprised. my question is, what does everybody else keep at work that would require more than one box? i guess i try to keep that part of my life simple since my personal life is rather complicated. i can keep virtually nothing at work because i have my car with me and that has anything you could possibly need...toilet paper, underware, socks, sportswater, you name it, i've got it! and yes, it is embarrassing when i put my groceries away in the trunk when strangers walk by. must add empty trunk to the list of to do's before i start the new job.

i had to be really patient with the new girl today. she was just so damn eager to learn everything about taking over my job but she can't possibly expect 5 years worth of knowledge to spew out of me in 2 days time, especially when i'm grumpy and have home rennovations on my mind. her chipperness will soon wear off and then she'll know why i seemed like such a bitch. i'm so glad i'm not a teacher because i would've totally been fired for being worl'd worst teacher.

is it midnight yet?! i'm waiting to check-in on southwest and i have to wait until 12:01 am!

t.c.b.

taking care of business has been quite a task especially since my hip and back have decided to freak out! it hurts to walk thanks to the old sciatica (damn i sound old!) but i'm hoping my 2-hour walk helps losen the muscle and nerve.

anyways, enough complaints...

my brows looks good but i had to do a little re-shaping of my own. i feel like the plucker must've goten tired at the last minute so she gave up. like trying to wrap up a good movie in the lat 5 minutes. needless to say i had to get some strays. since the outter edges of my brows have some bald spots, i thought it'd be a good idea to fill them in and the easiest thing to find was brown eyeliner. let me just say that i won't be doing that again any time soon, and i wouldn't recommend trying it. believe me, it is not a quick fix for filling in the gaps. it just makes you look really pissed off! so if for some reason you're feeling like a real pushover or too happy, fill-in your brows with dark eyeliner and you'll achieve that count dracula look!

clockwatcher

an utter time-sucking site...

http://www.blogthings.com/howweirdareyouquiz/

how weird are you?  here are my "test" results:

you are 30% weird

not enough to scare other people...
but sometimes you scare yourself.

last day of work

today is my last day of work at my current job and i couldn't be more relieved since the other job is totally different.  i wish i could say it was my last day of work for a lifetime but no such luck with winning the lotto just yet.  i have next week off which should give me enough time to paint the ceiling and some accent walls in the new place and help mom move her stuff, and then move my own.  ugh.  so much work to do outside of paid work. 

ralph's parents are in town tonight (i think) so i need to think of a way to:

spend time with dog and give her a long walk

go to brow appt.

nails

shave legs and nair other parts

pack

find flight itin.

find a midday walker for dog on sunday

...all within hours.  perhaps there is a way i can leave early today?!

calgon, take me away!

at least i had a chance to choose my linoleum last night so that's one thing off my list.  now to find some halfway decent work clothes for next tuesday and i'm all set.  i stopped by loehman's after work yesterday and their stuff sucked.  what's up with all the discount places sucking lately?  i guess i'm going to spend more and go to nordstrom and j. crew to stock up on some basics.  wait a second, i've totally forgotten roo's bloomingdale's discount.  and maybe shannon can give me a sweet hook up at nordy's.

i'm bored now.  what do you do on the last day of work?  i threw all my files away which was totally exhilirating!  now if i could only throw things away at home like that!

where's shannon?  i want to hear all about her reunion with her ex-boyfriend who she plans to marry.  wake up!  where are you?

well, must go paint my nails now.

more later.

tuesday to do's

*remember* haircut @ 5 pm to fix the current mullet hairdo

surprise for work

deliver computer to lauren

passport- remember photos and birth certificate

empty car/trunk

track down overstock.com order

buy primer and paint at kelly-moore- find wholesale number

paint

pack

south beach headed south

south beach day 3.5 is officially over!

dog is depressed

much like me, dog doesn't do well with change.  i think she senses that we're moving and in her little dog brain, she can't comprehend that it's for the better.  poor girl, we've moved like 4 times and she's only 5. 

she's been mopey (sp?) lately and her muzzle makes an exaggerated clown-looking frown.  her bed and blanket are in the middle of the living room that is fairly empty with the exception of piled junk and clothes on the perimeter.  it really looks like crazy people live there and i find it hard to believe that the apartment manager is showing it to perspective tennants in that condition.  as my friend who is also my neighbor put it best, "you can't even see the potential or imagine it empty."  this confirms its utter yuckiness.

back to dog, she needs some tlc so i've been trying to let her hang out with dolce more often (her doggy boyfriend).  we're leaving the complex soon so they won't be able to chill as often or as easily as they do now since we're only doors apart.

my analysis of dog's current situation is that she's bummed about moving, again, and that she's feeling heartbroken about dolce.  poor thing.  i should really consider a career as a dog psychologist!

thursday is the new friday

yay!  "thursday is the new friday!"  that's what i always say to ralph and his usual reponse is..."what's new about it.  thursday has been like a friday since i was in college."  and i laugh since ralph was in college like 40 years ago (well, not really but i like making him feel old).  for those of us that didn't party in college, thursday feels like friday in your young adult life.  i couldn't be happier about approaching friday because it means we're closer to saturday which is when we jet to las vegas.  after last night's very last minute move we could really use a break.

last night i rounded up 3 helpful guys to help me move the big stuff from the small place to the other small place.  we finished around midnight, maybe a few minutes earlier.  i seriously think i got poisoned from the air in the condo because my nose won't stop running and i almost passed out from blowing it with such gusto in hopes that it's endless flow of snot would stop.  no such luck.  where the hell is my nose spray when i need it?!  so, i can't tell if this is a terrible case of allergies since we've been sleeping with the windows open and the pollen has looked like confetti after a new year's party, or, if i truly got some sort of air poisoning from the ceiling dust in the condo from being in there for 20 minutes.  who knows?!

anyways, the ceiling looks awesome but i can't paint it until friday, which is when it's fully dry.  i met with the linoleum man and his quote was higher than i expected.  what if i go through all of this ripping the carpet out and linoleum is underneath?  will the linoleum man still charge?  what a pain!  i'm happy to report that he will start work on labor day and it will be done on labor day.  can you believe that...a contractor willing to work on labor day!  bless that little old man's heart!

yesterday my job had a going away reception for me, amanda, and 2 other girls.  it really sucked because i couldn't eat any of the cookies served thanks to south beach.  in fact, today makes day 4 and i'm really craving some canadian bacon (among other things as you might imagine).

today is my second to last day of work and i've really been procrastinating with my final filing tasks.  i hate filing.  why couldn't piling have taken off?  i love piles of paper.  they make me feel like i can measure (in inches) what's been accomplished.  today is going to suck and i have prescription and over the counter medication shopping to look forward to since i will soon be uninsured.  in fact, if you drive around neo be careful because we can't afford any injuries right now.  the highlight of the day is denise's dinner for amanda but i'm sure i won't be able to eat anything unless there are vast amount of meat served with vast amount of veggies.  i might have to bend the rules tonight for this occasion. especially since champagne and biscuits will be involved.  what a glamorous combo! ;)

i've also been procrastinating taking my passport photo for several reasons:

1.) my eyebrows currently look like i'm auditioning for the role of oscar the grouch since i'm trying to grow them out for a complete re-shaping before vegas.

2.) i was hoping that i could lose 40 pounds in 4 days.

3.) i misplaced the passport photo that i randomly took at aaa (simply because i was there, it was cheap, and i must've thought i looked cute that day even though the photo contradicts the thought).

4.) even if i found the previously taken passport photo, i was wearing a skimpy tank top and if i travel to some countries where showing that much skin is offensive, i don't want to be the tainted woman waiting an extra long-time in customs as penalty for my passport photo.  does this train of thought make sense?  i'm paranoid, what can i say?

so, i must have better brows, a tighter jaw line, and a turtleneck is what i'm saying.  i think i can have all this ready by next tuesday.  really though, i'm not vein.

ok, since i'm not shooting for the world's longest blog entry award right now and i'm dying of thirst, i better cut it short despite my rambling thoughts and need for blog therapy.  ttfn.

happy thursday!

notes to self

recorded 08.24.05

space #92

linoleum man: vern french?

request from tracy a month from now:

closing statement from hud

copy of grant deed

color me impatient

as i write, 3 men are in my unit giving my ceiling an extreme makeover.  i couldn't wait!  i got the keys yesterday and rennovations had to begin today!  yay!!!  now to balance managing the team and working 30 miles away. 

anyways, i was so excited to get my keys yesterday that i had to make it real by changing my mailing adsress at all one million places where it needs to be changed.  it's so annoying that some places still don't let you do this online.  hello, who write letters anymore?!

to do:

pay drywall man and his team

email katrina about acceptance letter

meet linoleum man @ 5:30 pm today and find his name

rite aid- stock up on rx meds and otc meds for fsa

dinner @ d's tomorrow night- don't forget the champagne (2) and flowers

brow appt. @ barbarella @ 5:30 pm- friday

go to kfc capitola for ralph's $10- friday

hair appt. w/terra @ 5 pm- tuesday

change of address: call- tiaa, magazines (6); write- robin, gram, grandpa, les, southwest; online- verizon, sbc, comcast, pge

pay: sbc and comcast asap

transfer services to new place: sbc, comcast, pge

call tiaa about withdrawal form and location of local office

visit tiaa office asap for forms and get them signed

make copies of the keys

take passport photo @ aaa

visit post office for passport- don't forget birth certificate

pack for vegas- swimsuit, club clothes, comfy clothes, shoes, camera, and the usuals

print new address labels

kelly moore for paint (get drywall man's wholesale number)

paint apartment: bathroom and bedroom

buy linoleum @ s&g

buy 8 ugly round, clear light bulbs @ home depot

find or buy lock for storage in new place

buy 2 new light fixtures for dining room and hall entry area

buy ikea bookshelf lights (black and silver)

lose 40 pounds by october

cancel gym membership

schedule manicure?

schedule massage?

ironic food review

the original house of pancakes in los altos is delish and i've been craving the baby dutch pancake that i ordered on sunday, ever since!  how ironic, i find an awesome breakfast place at a time when i'm trying to not eat weekend-style breakfasts!  not fair. 

anyways, everything i had there was great: the pancakes, canadian bacon, sausage, and oj.  the oj is freshly squeezed and it's not too sweet.  the wait was about 10 minutes which isn't bad for a party of 2 on a sunday morning.  anyways, must not think of eating there for at least 2 weeks.  that'll be my "free" meal.  but you should definitely try it out if you haven't already.

surviving south beach, day 3

today is my 3rd day on south beach, phase 1.  this should last a few more days and then i'm taking a break on saturday since we'll be in the world of buffets in vegas.  actually it's odd, i love food but i hate buffets.  they attract yucky people, they have sneeze guards and things that are all-you-can eat always creep me out for some reason.  i guess i feel like the more the quantity, the lesser the quality.  so really, i'm getting of of sb, phase 1 so i can drink and eat less than usual.  i'm sure we'll be walking a lot and swimming at the pools so that should balance out the food and drinks.  i just need to remember to stick to the hard stuff because it's the fruitty drinks that have all the sugar.

the combination of starting a new job, not fitting into any of my nice work clothes, and going on a cruise in october make me feel like i need to lose 40 pounds next week.  i will continue sb, phase 1 upon my return to the bay area but i'm sure it's going to become more difficult as i head towards pms.  btw, does anybody know why the digestive track totally slows down while on this dies (if you know what i mean?).  it's the weirdest thing especially for me!  yucko!

my current staples:

fire roasted red peppers

green salads

tuna

salmon patties w/o oatmeal

beef jerky w/o preservatives

wahoo's maui bowl w/o rice and w/o teriyaki sauce

low-fat string cheese

boiled egg whites

canadian bacon

summer tv

during the school year (no, i'm not in school but this is what i call the good tv/new epidoes time of year) i like watching scrubs, committed (i hope it finds its way back to tv), csi: las vegas, and law & order: svu.  since it's summer and everything is a dumb reality show or re-runs, i choose to watch the dumb reality shows which really don't seem as dumb as they did before.  perhaps they are impairing my judgment and making me dumb!

thank god for laguna beach and my super sweet 16.  they are my weekly favorites, with an occasional viewing of real world: austin.  most people might say that i'm getting too old to have my tv locked on mtv in the evening but they obviously haven't had apartment manager tell them on a day's notice that they are showing the hell hole tomorrow, while the place is stacked with boxes and looks like it was raided by the s.w.a.t. team (oh, which happened to my neighbors- damn, too bad i was outta town for this one!).  what i'm saying in my long-winded way is that it provides thoughtless entertainment.  i can read through my bills and decide what needs to be shredded but still manage to predict the lines that are going to come out of kristin's and jessica's mouths on laguna beach.  it must be the predictability that lures me to these shows!

last night laguna beach sucked.  jessica is crazy, kristin is a bitch, and where's lc?!  bring lc back!  anyways, if jason were my boyfriend he would have been in the dumpster last season!  as for my super sweet 16, i'd like to punch some of those girls which says a lot because i'm so not a violent person.  how can such young girls be so rude and have so much?!  and how can their parents be willing to pay $20,000 plus on some stupid party that they won't remember a year from now?!  i'm always amazed!  last night's episode was an "18" party which totally boggled my mind since the show is called super sweet 16 for a reason.  guess they've totally depleted the bitchy-spoiled-young with nice-spineless-rich parents market.

what will they think of next?

rennovations, plan b

plan a was to do everything ourselves but plan b is just so much more appealing...

so, i'm certain that the inventor of the popcorn ceiling (acoustic ceiling) is probably being tortured somewhere in siberia.  as they should be!  it's such a pain in the neck to deal with simply because i can't stand the site of it.  was this ever sylish?  ralph and i had planned on doing the dirty work ourselves but i decided i'm going to pay a professional.  it just seems to make more sense for many reasons:

1.) neither of us have done popcorn ceiling removal before nor have we done ceiling resurfacing- though ralph's certain it's easier than i think 

2.) i'm paranoid and although the lab said there was not asbestos detected in the sample, i would still feel obligated to suit us up in the best hazmat (sp?  i'm sure this is wrong) gear money can buy

3.) emmy and franziska did it themselves (ok, well, not really.  emmy's dad did it and franziska's boyfriend did it) and they said they would never do it again because the mess and time consumption

4.) the professional can do it tomorrow and be done by 5 pm and he cleans his mess and resurfaces the ceiling (which leaves me with painting them)

5.) i made almost enough sweet moola at the 2 yard sales to cover this cost, which means i'll have to wait just a little longer for new appliances

6.) and most importantly, we're going to las vegas this weekend and the last thing i'm going to want to come back to are ceiling misadventures

and lastly, there's the issue of bathroom in the carpet.  i'm sure this person is at the very least in solitary confinement in siberia for their stupidity.

i'm also hiring a professional to install the linoleum.  there's way too many nasty things (ahem, man pee- do i need to say more?!) that can leak under poorly installed linoleum so i figure it's best to hire somebody for this task as well.  he's also going to rip out the carpet which is great because i'm sure it's saturated with man pee.  we're meeting up tomorrow to review the square footage and then i get to go choose my linoleum.  yay!

at the pace things are going, i can move in this weekend (er, make that tuesday cause we have plans in vegas!).

accidental visitors

recently the following searches led people to my site:

"fake paystubs for download"

my comments: wtf!  did i ever write about this?!  must've been a combination of words or something.  i do talk about making sweet moola an awful lot but it's all legit.  how did they get to my site?

"mojito recipe luna park"

my comments: yes, don't you wish they would post that you little sneak!  one of the best mojitos i've ever had and one of the best in sf according to san francisco magazine.  so ask yourself, are they really going to post that info online and loose their main source of buisness?!  don't i wish!

"dave navaro's dog"

my comments: who knows?  who cares?  it's probably carmen's anyways.  i have a link to his blog somewhere on this main page so maybe you can get the answer directly from the source.

"dog barking soundboard"

my comments: seeing as i live next to a dog who serves as my dog barking soundboard (i really dislike that dog and never dislike animals.  i guess i really dislike the owner for leaving the poor thing out there to bark for hours on end!), i don't have any leads for you and i'm currently too lazy to do a search.  if you want a napolean dynamite soundboard, you're in luck my friend.  it's somewhere on this main page.  good luck!

there are more but these are the most interesting to me. 

my inner european

accoring to this site, my inner european is: spanish ("energetic and lively.  you bring the party with you!"- oh, they know me so well!).  :)

i was hoping it would be italian since i love ferraris, pasta, and bread.  go check yours out!

toro!

busy weekend

this weekend was really busy!

a few of us got together to yard sale on saturday and whatever didn't sale, we dropped off at salvation army right after.  it's amazing how much stuff can be accumulated in a matter of years.  with this move i'm being ruthless...if i haven't touched the book in 2 years, it's gone!  if i haven't worn the clothing in a year, it's gone!  papers, files...gone!  it's fun getting rid of junk.

on sunday mom and i went to original house of pancakes.  it was so good!  i got the dutch baby pancake and canadian bacon.  i already can't wait to go back!  i have to take ralph there because he'd love it!

i also bought a really nice painting for my new place.  it was great because i got a discount so it made the painting even better!  getting it in to my car was quite a challenge.  who knew you could put a car in drive and set the parking brake and that it wouldn't move?!  long story, but that's all part of what i had to do to fit the huge frame into my car!

today i have a to do at work and at home.  i'm sure both will invlove a lot of tossing of old things and a lot of filing.  i'm glad ralph and i had a chance for some r&r last night with our mini bonfire to make up for the work that needs to be done this week.  then, we leave for vegas on saturday to celebrate!!!  can't wait!

irene/amanda: we arrive on the 27th and leave on the 29th.  hope you're there!

random acts of rage

i don't know what's in the air lately but people have been really feisty, especially retail customers.  i don't work in retail but i shop a lot so i may as well!  the other day we witnesses the tail end of a fight where a customer had thrown her water and the glass on the waitress.  there was glass and water everywhere.  the customer justified it by saying the waitress "had rude things to say."  well, i can assure you that you just really screwed yourself with that maneuver.  i always like the complain to the manager and milk it for all it's worth tactic.  so cops came, blah, blah, blah.  we spied, eavesdropped, etc.

another recent incident...

i was shopping for new work clothes and i heard yelling near the front counter.  apparently there was a scuffle between the cashier and customer.  something involving the word "bitch" and "throwing a bag."  i totally eavesdropped on this one but the story is too long to type out.  i was totally not impressed with how the manager handled the situation by not calling security on the way out of control customer.  she was threatening to kick the cahier's ass and all this other unnecessary stuff.

seriously, people are taking things way too serious, especially the women who have been causing embarrassing scenes like this.  i blame these acts of rage on our recent full moon but maybe it's more than that.  perhaps the people in these stores think their money can excuse their extreme rudeness and lack of class?!

please be nice to retail employees.  they have a tough job and they don't like you anymore than you like them, so, deal!

as rodney put it best, "can't we all just get along?"

yard sale...

currently out on the lawn selling my junk!

breakfast for dinner

as a kid, one of my favorite things for dinner was breakfast.  i guess that's because breakfast foods are my favorite.  last night i was totally craving ihop and/or the waffles that ralph and i have been making at home.  i say it's time to wip out the waffle maker for dinner from now on!

newsom for ca governor

as i watched the news last night, it was mentioned that mayor newsom may run for ca governor in 2006 or 2010 if he can snag the democratic nomination (though it was said that he may be too controversial with same sex marriage issue).  while this would be terrible for sf because they'd be losing an awesome mayor, it would be really great for the state (hey, i rhyme!).  ca would definitely have the hottest governor and i think we'd get a lot more attention and $ based on that!  isn't that how politics should operate?!  more hot=more $!  it doesn't hurt that he has been fulfilling his election promises.  yay, go newsom!

yard sale hell

tomorrow we're doing another yard sale.  i like making money off of complete junk that i would just as well throw in my garbage but i don't like all the prep that goes into the yard sale.  i mean have you ever gone to the bank with 200 dollars and asked it to be changed for 200 one dollar bills.  believe me, this must not be a regular request!  so i them i was having a yard sale and then it all made sense.  anyways, you have to hang the signs, lug the shit, and deal with cheap-ass people.  i need to be firmer on my prices this time around. 

tomorrow should be fun because it's going to be me, ralph, melissa, and my mom.  i hope we get good business especially since i have 200 one dollar bills and 3-pounds of quarters.

warning

if you eat pizza everyday for lunch, expect to gain five punds in a week!  that's what the applewood lunch special should be labeled with!  i weighed myself yesterday and i blamed "bloating" on the newfound tightness of my jeans.  curse that pizza.  and i actually thought it was "good" since i wasn't hungry for the rest of the afternoon.  who was i fooling?  just me!  ugh.  i really need to hit the trails on sunday and the rest of the week.

to top it off, i need to buy a new work wardrobe and i don't want to buy the next size up.  i refuse to!  what to do?!

happy trails!

sign off on closing papers

today i signed off on all of my closing papers for the condo and my wrist is really sore.  perhaps i should've worn some wrist bans for added support!

i have never signed so many papers in all my life.  and on top of that, i have never felt more overwhelmed.  i never quite understand the things that overwhelm me but i guess shelling out a fortune for a disco box can be added to my ongoing list.

with luck, the condo will be recorded next tuesday and i'll get the keys.  then, lucky me and ralph will get to begin home rennovations part 1.  i'm glad he's a trooper and willing to help me explore all this do-it-yourself stuff!  who knows?  maybe i'll change professions in a few years!

new neighbor, old friend

the other daywhen i was walking dog, i bumped into veronica!  it was so cool because we haven't seen each other since high school.  apparently, she's been my neighbor for the past year- what a discovery!  too bad i'm moving next week (knock on wood!).  it was nice catching up and i hope we're able to hang out soon.  she's a children's councelor so it's fun to hear about her job and adventures.  good thing for having to walk the dog cause you just never know who you'll bump into!

i love gorillas!

today my family went to the zoo to celebrate roo's and aunt b's bday.  it was a lot of fun and i'm surprised we were able to trek the zoo together without totally getting separated.

some people get weird about zoos, but i think the animals at sf zoo seem to be treated well and have lots of wandering space.  anyways, i love humane zoos because where else could i see gorillas, giraffes, and polar bears?  my favorite are the gorillas because they are so similar to humans.  i learned that they see like us but they are much more patient with their little ones.  we watched them for about an hour and listened to a very interesting docent tell us all about them.

after the zoo adventure, we dined at cha cha cha.  good food as usual!  strong sangria as usual.  good thing ralph could drive!

it was a fun day and i look forward to another visit to both places soon!

yay for yard sales!

although i woke with the roosters this morning, it was sleep well worth missing since i pulled in $100 per hour with my yard sale. ralph also sold evrything he had time to carry from jis place to mine so that was an added bonuses to the day. we picked up my couches at the macy's outlet and i really like them! they were worth all the sharking i had to do to get them! after that we went to amanda''s for her farewell bbq. :( i don't do well with farewells. we went to bloomie's home sale for a bit in search of duvet covers but noothing really popped out. ralph found a wok worth buying so we'll ask ro to buy it wwith her dicsount. tomorrow we're going to the zoo for her's and my aunt's bdays. it should be fun. i love watching animals in captivity! ;) my favorite are the gorillas and the the giraffes. more tomorrow on the zoo adventures.

i'm yard selling next saturday, too! woo hoo, something to look forward to!

yard sale...

currently out on the lawn selling my junk!

life changes

i was offered a new job yesterday, and i took it.  ralph made an offer on a condo on monday wednesday and it was accepted yesterday.  lots os life changes all at once but as most of you know, i like walking right into the fire- without a flame-retardant suit!  i knew i should've been a firewoman!  at this point, i may as well get married and have a baby!

i start the new job on 9/6 and i get the keys to my plance on or before 9/2.

i'm holding a yard sale tomorrow in order to raise money for appliances and vacation!  come visit my garage sale from 8 am-2pm if you live in the rose garden area.  please, buy something from me!

link to self!

odds and ends of reviews

o.t.c.: over the counter

pepto bismol- who knew this stuff really worked?  i have enjoyed chewing these for their bubble-gummy flavor but they prove effective for more than taste!  i had a terrible stomachache from an odd combination of foods, so bad that i thought i had food poisoning.  i chewed some of the pink pills and within 10 minutes i was feeling relief.  for a bad stomach i recommend chewing 2-3 of these but read the directions because i'm not a doctor.

visine a/c (allergy control): i haven't been getting enough sleep lately so my eyes have been really blood shot in the mornings.  in addition, my allergies have been worse than usual for summer so they are extra itchy.  visine a/c takes care of both ailments.  sure, it burns like crazy when you put first put the drops in but after the pain comes bliss and really white whites.  i've also heard that you can dab some of this on a really red area of your skin (like a blemish) and it will decrease redness because it causes the capillaries to shrink.  i've also heard that this stuff can really cause a bad stomachache when put in drinks so don't do that.  so many uses!

beauty:

sonya dakar's drying potion- if you have a blemish (no matter the size), this stuff works in overnight at clearing it up!!!  it's a little pricey for such a small amount but it lasts a long time and it really works.  there's a reason this is listed as a best seller, and that's no lie!  one thing, don't let this product dry out because it becomes useless.

mac cosmetics eyeshadow- i used to not like mac eyeshadow based on the buying experience at their stores and counters (which wasn't entirely fair of me since the product has nothing to do with the salespeople).  now that i've had more experience, i don't get pressured to buy every product so i enjoy going to their counter often to test their colors, etc.  as it turns out, after trying many brands, mac has the best staying power, the most pigment, and smudges/creases the least (especially when used with a concealer as a base).  i want the full palette!

food:

whole foods': egg salad- yuck!  don't even get me started; this is part of why i want to vomit but pepto saved the day!  amanda had the sandwich and i bought the pint of egg salad.  hello, mayo, mustard...i'm looking for you but i don't see you.  in fact, where the hell were the eggs?!  needless to say, this sucked!  it tasted like a celery, yolk, parsley mish mash.  definitely pass.

whole foods': cream of broccoli soup- yuck, but not as bad as the egg salad.  it had a thinner base than most "cream of" soups but yet it was rich.  what a yucky feeling!  i would not eat this unless you plan to not eat for the rest of the week.  also, note to self- do not have this soup when eating w.f.'s wgg salad!  terrible combo.  must go vomit now!

pizza antica in s.r.- lindsay and i went here for dinner a few weeks ago and ever since then i've been craving their b.l.t. salad.  now to some people this may sound disgusting but it was actually quite delicious and very light.  it is tossed with a dijon champagne dressing which is the ultimate highlight to the flavors.  i want this every night!

customer service:

costco customer service- most places that serve the public have a motto that goes something like this: "service with a smile."  trust me, i used to work at a grocery store!  apparently, costco (at least the one located in santa clara) employees think being helpful would be a waste of time.  it took asking 4 employees for a customer to finally answering our question: where is the laminate flooring (a.k.a. pergo) located?  thanks, customer for knowing the answer since nobody who actually worked in the building knew!!!  i don't even think they knew they sold this item.  ugh. 

mimi's cafe waiter and staff- so good, so couteous...it was kinda weird and creepy.  we don't even go enough to be considered regulars.  guess they're young and still like working, which is good if you like lots of water and bread refills.

services:

verizon's ringback tones- this is a cool new feature offered by verizon wirless.  so what if my phone bill was almost $250 this month?!  it's things like this that keep me a verizon-faithful (add 10 parts sarcasm)!!!  despite my bitterness over theie pricing and phone selection, this feature is neat.  you can select songs that you want callers to hear while they are waiting for you to answer your phone.  this is a luxury for the people on the other end in my opinion so i'm often tempted to call my phone from other peoples' lines to test the feature and hear the songs i've chosen.  so, go ahead, give me a call and enjoy the tunes.  i chose a different one for my most frequent callers.  just a tip: if your mom doesn't know who the black eyed peas are, she may not see the humor in you setting her song to hey mama.

cobbler's bench shoe stretching- if you have a foot as wide as mine, this is a service worth paying for so your feet don't suffer and so you can buy normal looking shoes that don't come in "w."  i'm pretty sure you used to be able to hire somebody to do this for you (like hundreds of years ago) but now that's kinda gross.  for the low price of $6 you can have them stretched just right and your feet won't bleed from blisters caused by ultra-snug shoes!  some places do this for free when you buy shoes from them- nordstrom, being one.

sporting goods:

raleigh retroglide cruiser- ralph gave me this bike for my bday and i love it!  we've been riding them around at night and it's one of the most comfortable bikes that i've ever ridden.  it also has many speeds and hand brakes which help me avoid crashing.  pedal brakes are dangerous for me because i'm so used to the hand brakes that i forget to use the pedal brakes.  this biked rocks and i think you should get one before the sale out!

jansport drawstring backpack- now i'm not sure if this review counts because the jansport backpack i am reviewing was puchased in 1992 (i don't know if they're still made with the same level of craftsmanship).  i just have to say that this thing endured my high school and college book carrying days and now it endures carrying a 25-pound pug on our cruiser adventures (we've had good luck so far, knock on wood).  i'm impressed to say the least.  this thing is sturdy and it has a drawstring top in case you need to increase/decrease the size for contents.

desperately seeking sleep

i'm so tired.  today marks the 3rd night of getting less tan 8 hours of sleep.  what's happened to me?  i used to be able to get up and go to work on 3 hours and sleep (so i thought!) and look and feel fine.  is age really the cause of my need for a solid 8 hours of rest each night?  hmm.

must get sleep.  i'm so tired that the thought of my commute makes me want to sleep.  watch out for the purple prism, folks!

notes to self...

for bike rides with dog:

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B000AAVNZG/qid=1123625326/sr=8-2/ref=sr_8_xs_ap_i2_xgl200/103-0811461-9328609?v=glance&s=sporting-goods&n=507846

http://www.nationalpetpharmacy.com/store/product1.asp?pf_id=2047915&affiliateCode=PFNPP01&cm_ven=Performics&cm_cat=Nextag&cm_ite=DDI%20Link&afsrc=1

http://www.storesonline.com/site/870877/product/502

http://www.sitstay.com/cgi-bin/sdisp.cgi/EQDG03.lg.jpg:EQDG03a.lg.jpg

http://www.target.com/gp/detail.html/601-2855255-8924939?asin=B0006LCLLO&AFID=k40132&AFID=SMX&ref=tgt_adv_XSD10000

marianne

marianne is one of my best good friends (in the words of forrest hump) from high school.  she's visiting today so i'm really excited but i need to clean like a mad woman since it looks like a bomb was dropped in my unit.  i've been craving thai so i hope she's in the mood for thai.  if not, i can live because she's my guest.

picture happy

i'm not world's best photographer, in fact, i'mprobably not even in the top 500...

but here are some photos i took yesterday while i was at the unit taking measurements and ceiling samples.  you may need to turn your head to get the right view and there are some odd ball things like the carpet and ceiling (only) photos.  i tried capturing every detail since it was probably my last visit until actually moving in.  lots of things need to be remodeled but it's not that bad of a canvas to start with! 

enjoy!

sweet moola

i've been brainstorming ways to make some sweet moola since i had to throw down a bunch of cash for closing costs on the condo.  things that i have come up with on my own are:

yard sale.  guess that "are" above should be an "is."

lindsay came up with bake sale over dinner on monday.  this is a good idea because i love baking but i'm not so sure that people would buy things from me since my kitchen probably doesn't pass "code" standards.  whatever that means!

hmmm...other ideas?  uncle rico gave me the idea of selling tupperware but i don't think tupperware parties really make sense with the whole innovation of those glad cheapos that can endure anything.

i need ideas.  for now it's...sale almost everything i own with th exception of clothes, shoes, jewelry, and purses.  furniture is totally overrated anyways!

things to sale:

bookcase

kitchen table/cahirs

kitchen cart

microwave cart

makeshift entertainment unit that's actually a microwave cart

smaller (not sure what this one would be called) cart

long end table?

framed art

black corner table

cds (already on the mac)

vhs tapes (will anybody buy these?)

old clothes, etc.

laptop?

ipod?

couch?  (no, not the couch.  i love my comfy couch!!!  maybe i can just buy a nicer cover?!)

things to buy with yard sale earnings:

couch

curtains

dishes

bed

bed frame

art

waiting

waiting is the worst.  especially for someone like me who is totally impatient. 

i'm waiting to hear news.  i'm also waiting for my loan to go through and for escrow to close.

ralph's waiting to hear news but his has a deadline of today by 6 pm.

and my car is waiting to be cleaned.

i imagine all this will be settled by next week and we won't be in the waiting phase anymore.

worth a watch

over the weekend ralph and i watched 2 movies: march of the penguins and wedding crashers.

i would highly recommend seeing both this weekend.  march of the penguins was amazing and they are so cute.  wedding crashers was hillarious and every bit worth the $10 (curse the theatres!).

biggest purchase ever!

it's official...i'm a condo owner!  my counter offer was accepted today and it's made me smitten!!!  i can't wait remodel and move in.  more details to come!

jury duty

today i had jury duty and i'm glad to report that i wasn't arrested for not calling into the jury duty phone system yesterday even though i was supposed to.  i totally spaced the fact that i had jury duty this week and i almost forgot this morning but i remembered at the last second as i was leaving to work.  it's a good thing, too, because i had to go in.  as usual, they kept me most of the day to hear peoples' odd stories and answers and they let me go at the end.  they never choose me.  i don't really want to be on a jury but it would be nice to be chosen. 

anyways, the balif was such a brut.  she wouldn't even let me leave to pee.  now i have a u.t.i. and could barely walk and now i have to take antibiotics.  can i sue them?  ;)  only kidding (kinda), that's what we do around here, we kid!  anyways, glad that's done with for another year!

could dog get any cuter?!

dog is possibly the cutest thing with a heart beat that was ever created!  tonight ralph and i took her for a ride with us on the cruisers.  since i don't have that industrial-strength basket yet, i put her in my duffle bag with her head popping out and ralph rode with it slung across her chest.  she looked so cute!

it was quite a task finding bag big enough and strong enough to hold her.  as i left my apartment with her, i crashed into the fence 3 times (scraped my right arm and my right eye pretty good) trying to get my balance with her hanging across my chest in the bag.  jeez, how do pregnant women ride a bike?  (andrea, be careful if you try to ride a bike with a baby belly!) 

as we rode to the park, dog looked perplexed since it was her first ride.  by the time we got to the field she was crying with joy to get her paws on the grass.  we ran around for about an hour and then headed home.  we dropped my bike off first and then headed to ralph's.  it was funny because as we walked to ralph's i was walking her and he was riding next to us on his cruiser, and she was crying to get back on the bike.  then, when ralph got off the bike, she wouldn't stop jumping up towards the bike- guess she wanted to go for another spin! 

i guess it's safe to say, that she loves cruising now, almost as much as us!  i can't wait to figure out a better way to take her on our adventures!