Crabby Rangoon

Happy, Happy Day!

2011-06-19T11:45:00.005-07:00

Oh goodness, Felix has the world's BEST Papa (and I've got a pretty dang awesome husband to boot)!

It's not even noon yet and we've had such a great day. Matt got to sleep in this morning*, enjoy a leisurely breakfast of Buttermilk Cake with whiskey-laced whipped cream, and read a portion of his very long book undisturbed on the front porch (while Felix and I whiled away an hour or so at Target).

As for fatherly duties, he and Felix made coffee together (a morning ritual), built and destroyed a series of block towers together, and he taught Felix the simple joy of licking the excess cream from the mixing paddles. Yum and yum!

Seriously, Matt, you are amazing. Thanks for ALL you do!

Ok, time to go wrangle the lasagne out of the oven...

*These days "sleeping in" means staying in bed until about 8:30am, at which point Felix can no longer stand it and tears into our bedroom, pouncing on whichever parent has the pleasure of still being in bed. It's glorious!

I think it might be time to start blogging again...

2011-05-10T13:20:00.003-07:00

...'cause, dang, is this kid cute or what?!

It's time I let you back into our little world.

Simon Says

2010-02-28T10:11:00.001-08:00

Howdy

2010-02-22T15:12:00.003-08:00

I get annoyed with blog authors who spend most of their breath, so to speak, apologizing for not blogging. You'll get none of that from me. It is what it is, my friendly readers. I love you all, but I'm prone to sporadic bursts of inspiration. I'm fickle. But thanks to all three of you that stick with me and stop by on occasion to check on me.

That said, what a fabulous few months I've had since I last wrote! I am SO IN LOVE with my little creature Felix and I just can't get enough of him.

Just this moment he drifted off to sleep snuggled up in the sling while I typed. So, so precious. Motherhood is a crazy ride and it's amazing how quickly it changes you to the core. Felix is a really funny kid and everyday I'm getting more insight into who he is. He's rarin' to go and I'm sure the second he's truly mobile, the last of my pregnancy weight-gain will fall right off (a girl can dream, can't she?) as I'm chasing him around. He's bound to be a handful. These days he's busy finding the most efficient way to get his feet in his mouth and slobbering up a storm, while I spend my days balancing him and the housework and doing my darndest to keep him from licking the cat. One creature in the house with hairballs is enough, thank you very much.

It's a total joy to see Matt as a father and it makes me even more crazy, silly in love with him. He's just SO good with Felix and is way more successful than I am at eliciting giggles out of him. Matt is willing to go along with my granola-mom antics and keeps his opinions to himself (mostly) when I dress Felix up in ridiculous hats. We're a happy little family unit, what can I say?

We've been snapping photos of Felix like mad and you can see them on our Flickr page. It's amazing to see how much he's grown/changed in the last 5 months. That site is often the best way to catch up with what we've been doing.

My life is very full right now and I'm looking forward to what the months ahead will bring. I've had a chance to get back into my crafting and participate regularly in trunk shows with The Handmade Revolution. It feels good to get back into my creative groove.

That's all for now, folks. I'll be back again when the mood strikes.

Cutie Pie

2009-11-27T12:03:00.002-08:00

Stealth Mode

2009-11-24T11:00:00.000-08:00

Matt: Is Felix hungry? Has he eaten recently?

Erika: I just fed him.

Matt: Whoa. You're like a breast-feeding ninja!

I love my life.

Baby's First Vegas

2009-11-23T20:29:00.007-08:00

Last weekend Matt and I took a quick roadtrip to Vegas on a whim, as our dear friend Rachel was going be there for a few days. We figured there couldn't be a more appropriate place to take a newborn for his first vacation, right? It was my first time to the famous "Sin City" and it was pretty much as I imagined it to be--one giant, magnificent, overgrown, well-lit facade.

We found ourselves a perfectly seedy hotel just off the strip to stay at and our first order of business was giving our darling Mr. Felix a bath, as he'd pooped EVERYWHERE just as we arrived in town.

We hung out with Rachel for a few hours at the Venetian Hotel, munching on overpriced chips and salsa while an over-eager pontoon paddler loudly serenaded the crowds behind us. In the evening we toured the strip for a few hours, stuck a couple dollar bills in a slot machine at Harrah's, and called it a night at 9:30pm. Matt had hoped for Felix's sake that we'd run into some topless dancers, (as that's pretty much all Felix is into these days--boobs!), but I guess it just wasn't in the cards for us.

The next morning our darling baby boy woke up naked and disoriented in a sleazy Vegas hotel. I'd say his first Vegas vacation was a success!

Here's to many more family roadtrips in the future, son...

She Makes It Look So Easy

2009-11-17T23:39:00.006-08:00

Damn that Anne Geddes.

My Latest Project

2009-11-17T21:59:00.011-08:00

Ok, so this is LOOOONG overdue, but...

I had a baby!

Introducing Baby Felix:

Born September 27th, 2009 @ 12:20am

7lbs, 12 oz and 20.5" long

He's got my eyes and his father's ears.

Here's a quick look at the past seven weeks of his life:

Week 1

Week 2

Week 3

Week 4

Week 5

Week 6

Week 7

Felix is just the sweetest baby boy you'll ever meet and it's been an absolute joy getting to know him over these past 7 weeks. He's super cute, eats like it's going out of style, and is a champion pooper. He's licking my arm as I type this, so that's my cue to go feed him and put him to bed. You can find out more about him at his website. I can't wait for you to meet him!

SuperSize Me

2009-09-12T10:39:00.000-07:00

In response to popular demand and for the sake of posterity, it's high time I post a photo of me and my ginormous belly!

Erika and baby, 35-ish weeks

PS THANK GOODNESS for big lady panties. I bought some a few days ago, as my hinterlands are growing right along with the baby, and what a difference it makes--I feel like a new person. God bless full coverage. (TMI*, perhaps? These days I have trouble discerning.) I was in denial that I needed to upgrade to larger underwear until one day I put on a pair of underwear not realizing that I was already wearing a pair. Ok, that's not a true story, but it very well could be. I've been known to do some highly nutty things these days. Did I happen to mention that I poured hot water instead of syrup on my pancakes the other day...

*TMI= Too Much Information (for my mother who may not get my techno savvy abbreviations)

Enough Said

2009-09-03T23:13:00.001-07:00

10 Years

2009-08-20T11:14:00.000-07:00

Matt and Erika, 1999

Ten years ago today, Matt and I met on our first day of classes as lowly freshmen on the campus of the University of Kansas. We had two classes together that first semester--Honors English and Art History (although he wasn't aware that that I was in his Art Histroy class until a few weeks after stalking him in the large lecture hall and knowing his every move, I "happened to bump into him" and say, "Matt! I didn't know you were in this class! What a fun surprise!", or something as equally lame.) We started dating a month or two into the semester and the rest is, as they say, history.

Matt, thanks for the best ten years of my life. I love you SO MUCH! You're the best travel companion ever, you make me laugh all the time, you're absolutely brilliant, and you're going to be the best gosh-darn dad in the world! I am your biggest fan. The next ten are bound to be just as lovely, I'm sure of it!

Matt and Erika, 2009

A Woman in My Condition

2009-08-17T12:48:00.006-07:00

Well, folks, week 32 has arrived and my belly button is threatening daily to claim it's rightful place on my torso as my third nipple. Our little one has officially been dubbed "a squirmer" by our doctor and has taken up permanent residence under the right side of my ribcage. If I didn't already know that the baby is head down, I'd be convinced that all that jabbing and kicking was coming from it's prominent chin, rather than it's restless legs. (One look at Matt's and my profile and you'll understand that our precious kiddo is bound to have a Leno-rivaling chin.)

I'm still feeling quite well, although I'm entering what I fondly refer to as "the uncomfortable stage." As cliche as it sounds, I can't quite remember what my feet look like and look forward to re-acquainting myself with them. I'm feeling pretty cumbersome these days, and occasionally I sit down on the floor only to realize it will be hours before I'll be able to stand up again (as I have to wait for Matt to get home from work and help me up). I've still got a healthy appetite and am the proud owner of 30 extra pounds (thus far). I don't own a scale, so it's always a surprise what I'll discover when I lumber onto the scale at the doctor's office. Needless to say it keeps things interesting.

I've been enjoying some of the extra perks that come with the burgeoning belly. The other day I snagged a table while out to dinner because the man who had been sitting there insisted that "a woman in my condition" should sit, and graciously gave up his spot in the crowded restaurant. I managed to score first row seats on our flight to Kansas a few weeks ago, and even if a place posts "no public restrooms", they don't put up a fuss if I request to use the facilities. And if I so much as try to lift a grocery bag these days, a swarm of people surrounds me insisting that they help me carry the load. It's so bizarre. No complaints, though. The perks are nice.

Matt and I are watching our apartment slowly give in to a mountain of baby "stuff" and we've stuck a list to the fridge to remind ourselves of all that we have left to do (as if my belly groans weren't reminder enough!) before our little one makes his/her appearance. Highlights include scheduling a hospital tour, reupholstering a vintage rocking chair (our first ebay furniture purchase!), buying a swaddling blanket, figuring out a baby bathtub solution (anyone got tips on how we can avoid purchasing one of those giant, obnoxious blue or pink tubs with the seatbelt?), and making the used crib we bought smell better.

Needless to say, we've still got some prep to do.

I'm pretty sure the baby will be overdue, but we've had enough friends deliver early that we thought we should try to have the basics ready. I know several women who have the entire nursery ready within weeks of finding out they are pregnant--I am not like that. I've been living with a healthy dose of denial up until this point (not that I'm having a baby, but that I actually need to have stuff ready for when the wee one arrives). It's time to get my rear in gear.

Matt and I are SO excited to meet this baby, so part of me really wants the last 8 weeks to fly by, even though I know it marks the end of my life (and sleeping habits) as I currently know it. But as every parent keeps telling me, it will be the hardest and best thing that's ever happened to me, so I'm really quite eager to start the adventure!

Not Was, But Is

2009-07-28T19:15:00.006-07:00

Overheard at my 10-year highschool reunion this past weekend:

Girl: So are you coming to the BBQ tomorrow afternoon?
Boy: (In an overt country accent) Nope, I've got to drive to Oklahoma to watch my girlfriend cage fight.
Girl: Oh, um, uh, so is that just a hobby?
Boy: Nope, it brings in a paycheck.
Girl: Um, wow. (Akward pause.) So, how'd you meet a girl that cagefights?
Boy: Well, she's my best friend's brother's wife.

-----------------------

"He wanted to come, but he doesn't get out of jail until Monday. He's really upset he's gonna miss the reunion."

-----------------------

Girl 1: So what have you been up to the last 10 years?
Girl 2: Obviously not growing boobs.

Cravings

2009-06-03T09:17:00.005-07:00

Just a run-down on the things I've found myself uncontrollably stuffing my face with these past 5 months (referred to lovingly as "cravings") in the order of their appearance:

Potatoes, potatoes, potatoes
Chicken Noodle Soup with mashed potatoes just like they made for school lunch in grade school
Berry flavored applesauce
PINEAPPLE!
Chicken Fried Steak (Matt says this one isn't a true pregnancy craving as I've probably mentioned this food once a week since we first met nearly 10 years ago. Although one time last month I was so desperate for a Chili's Chicken Fried Steak, that to compensate for the lack of money in our "eating out" budget, I rifled through my closet, found some clothes I don't wear anymore, drove to the local consignment shop, made $20, then promptly drove to Chili's for my glorious, glorious Chicken Fried Steak. It was a true shining moment...)
Cinnamon Rolls
Frozen organic raspberries
Nectarines by the dozen
Pickles, of course
Raw angel-hair pasta (love that crunch!)
Sour Jelly Belly jelly beans

There are lots of other foods (like fish tacos, biscuits and gravy, ice cream, etc.) that I have been craving, but these don't really count as they were part of my normal food thought process pre-pregnancy. I think the biggest difference is that now I not only think of these foods, but I can instantly conjure up beautiful images of them complete with smells. It's intoxicating. I can remember waking up in the middle of the night right about month 3 with overwhelming thoughts of ooey-gooey mashed potatoes piled high and smelling like heaven.

It's nuts. I think about food NON-STOP these days. You'll be happy to know, however, that despite my constant thoughts of food, I really don't eat much more than I did before I got pregnant. I'm gaining weight at the appropriate levels and am aware that whatever I eat, the baby eats. Blah, blah, blah...

I think it's time for my second breakfast. Over and out.

On Becoming a Mama Bird

2009-05-30T16:40:00.002-07:00

Well, folks, it appears the nesting has officially begun. I just completed my first baby project--a baby quilt! Details and more photos at The Tilted Tulip...

Fumbling Numbers

2009-05-13T17:31:00.004-07:00

I've never been what you might call a whiz-bang mathmetician, finding numbers to be quite a baffling part of my daily existence, and that paired with my ever-progressing case of "mommy brain" (an apparantly irreversible brain melting condition beginning at conception in which the baby slowly siphens away your brain cells) has left me quite dazed and confused of late. I just can't seem to wrap my brain around this whole 9 months/40 weeks thing. It doesn't help that during pregnancy 4 weeks equals 1 month, which means that 40 weeks is actually 10 months, although they begin counting the 40 weeks two weeks prior to conception, because supposedly that's easier to track, so technically a full-term pregnancy is only 38 weeks (and lots of people deliver early), which sorta helps me get where the whole "9 months" thing came from, but ultimately I'm utterly and totally confused at all times about just how long the bun has technically been in the oven. (To make matters worse, I'm highly impatient when it comes to baking, resulting in many an undercooked pastry, which I readily devour anyway because I'm a) pregnant, and therefore ALWAYS HUNGRY, and b) convinced that I've waited an eternity already and just don't care. Let's hope that I give the baby enough time to cook properly!)

The funny thing about the whole pregnancy calculation issue is that my starting date is Jan 1st, which should seem to make this counting thing easy as pie. It should, but yet somehow it doesn't. Basically, I'm just not a numbers lady.

For what it's worth, I did the math for you all and today starts my 20th week. Holy Moley--that's half-way! Jeepers, I best start the nesting soon...

You're Fit, My Gosh, But Don't You Know It

2009-05-13T11:17:00.006-07:00

Meet the newest addition to our little family (No--I did not give birth prematurely!):

A shiny new Honda Fit! After a fair bit of haggling (our mad Hong Kong bargaining skills sure came in handy), we became the proud owners of this little wonder. Honestly, it still blows my mind a bit to think we bought something this shiny and expensive. (Have I mentioned it's shiny?) I've never owned a car with less than 70,000 miles on it, and at the moment, our lovely Fit has a whopping 144 miles to her name. I just can't wrap my brain around it.

It's gonna take some getting used to, as I still automatically roll down the windows when I get in, mentally preparing for a long, hot drive, only to remember a few miles down the highway that this baby comes equipped with Air-Conditioning! So nice!

Anyway, I'll spare you the rest of my raving, but I just felt the urge to share my excitement with my lovely readers. If you come visit us in San Diego, I'll take you for a spin. (She looks really nice when the setting sun reflecting off the ocean hits her curves just right. She's quite the beauty!)

With nothing better to do with my time, I couldn't help but run outside to pose with her. I would've clambered on the hood, but my ever expanding belly is getting a wee bit cumbersome these days.

Belly Laugh

2009-05-11T12:40:00.002-07:00

How I've been spending my weekends...lounging and laughing. I need to enjoy this time while I still have it.

13 Weeks

2009-03-27T17:17:00.003-08:00

I just started my 13th week! I'm not exactly sure how much I should be showing at this point, but I'm definitely not fitting into my pants much these days. I guess it could just be the In'NOut I ate yesterday, but here's a "belly pic" none-the-less. Finally proof that I'm not making it all up...

Just a Friendly Reminder

2009-03-25T16:30:00.001-08:00

I just wanted to remind all my friendly Crabby Rangoon readers that I've recently revived my craft blog The Tilted Tulip. Take a gander over there if you're feeling frisky...

He's Ever So Clever

2009-03-25T11:47:00.004-08:00

Eating for 1.5

2009-03-18T09:38:00.001-08:00

Much to my chagrin, all the pregnancy books refute the common notion that a pregnant woman is "eating for two." They, in fact, suggest that a woman increase her daily caloric intake by a mere 300 calories to compensate for the hungry, hungry child growing within her belly.

After my husband returned last night from a late-night grocery store run to buy me a box of vegetarian corndogs (yes, I am that stereo-typical, funny food-craving pregnant woman), I did a quick calculation. If each corndog has 150 calories, then I ~~can~~ should eat 2 a day until my little wonder is born in order to give him the adequate nutrition he needs.

That computes, right?

October 8th

2009-03-17T15:04:00.004-08:00

Since it's been ages since I've graced my fine readers (all three of you!) with a proper post, I figured I'd treat you to something a little special today--an announcement!

I'm pregnant!

Yup, it's finally that time of my life for me to buckle down and learn what it means to be a parent. Our due date is October 8th, 2009 and just for kicks, we're not going to find out the sex in advance NOR reveal our top baby names. Nope. No sir-ee. Not gonna do it. So don't ask me about it (or I'll probably cave).

Rumor has it that in just a couple more weeks, I'll start feeling more human again (as opposed to the combination of sleeping and groaning that currently consumes my days), and some pregnancy books even promise me I'll get a boost in energy once I'm past the first trimester! That would be lovely indeed. So although I make no promises, I'll do my best to give this humble blog a bit more love and devotion in the months to come.

That's all for now. It's time to go feed the belly...

To see our first sonogram, click here

3-D is my new Best Friend

2009-02-08T09:19:00.004-08:00

Matt and I saw the movie Coraline 3-D last night. Whoa. Uh-mazing. I want to watch it over and over and over again. It helps that I'm already so in love with the book and can't wait to read it to my own kids and give them the heebie-geebies about the "other mother", but it still went way above what I was expecting. AND, they handed out these uber-cool 3-D specs that made the whole audience look totally hip and googly-eyed. Go 3-D or go home, folks. It's worth the extra $3.

Ostrich Eggcellence

2009-01-25T17:11:00.003-08:00

Today Phil and Relissa hosted the First Annual Ostrich Brunch and Matt and I were honored to attend. Holy yolks, folks. Or one yolk, to be more precise. Whoa. For more details, Matt tells the whole story in pictures on his flickr set. It will blow your mind. Or maybe just make you hungry.

A Call to Duty

2008-12-28T15:28:00.003-08:00

This year Santa gave me Civic Duty for Christmas. That's right, folks... I got jury duty.

Bah Humbug.

The Invisible Beast

2008-12-24T07:46:00.003-08:00

I'm at Matt's family's house in St Louis for the holidays and most everyone has been struck with a nasty 24-hour flu bug. I'm the last man standing. It's like ship wrecking with your entire family, and you are all left floating in open water, and one by one some giant invisible creature is pulling folks into the murky depths below until you are the last one left paddling, and you have the ominous feeling that you are next, yet there is the tiniest glimmer of hope that your 9 family members that went before you served to satiate the great beast below. A girl can dream...

(I apologize for the dramatics--I was up into the wee hours last night reading The Swiss Family Robinson, which of course opens with a rousing ship wreck!)

TiddlyWinks

2008-12-15T13:09:00.001-08:00

I just discovered there is a "North American Tiddlywinks Association." Could life get any better?

Pie Night Eve

2008-11-25T22:12:00.004-08:00

Oh my, oh my, oh my, oh my! Tomorrow is my favorite day of the year...*

*The SanDiego branch of the Kirkland's are cooking (err...baking) up some serious Pie Night Plans. Highlights coming soon.

Just Now...

2008-11-14T13:42:00.003-08:00

A conversation I just had with myself:

"Ouch!", I said after poking myself in the leg with a needle.

"I think I'm losing my senses."

"And I'm talking to myself outloud."

"And I'm talking to myself out loud about talking to myself out loud..."

It's becoming very evident that I need to get out more. (Not too mention that the conversations I have with myself don't even make sense. Wait...are they supposed to? Hmm....)

Snack Time

2008-11-12T13:42:00.003-08:00

Shadow Puppet gets the munchies...

Mom

2008-11-08T18:22:00.003-08:00

My mom is visiting this weekend...

A Very Good Decision

2008-11-07T14:48:00.005-08:00

Six years ago today, Matt asked me to marry him.

I love you, baby...

Wha-SAH-beeeee

2008-11-07T14:18:00.001-08:00

It is NEVER a good idea to open a packet of wasabi with your teeth...

On My Way To the Post Office

2008-11-06T17:46:00.003-08:00

Side Note:

My husband just informed me that on his walk home from work tonight he saw a man in a large truck at the gas station open his window a crack, shove out a cheap kitchen knife, then drive off. After the obvious questions (Was it covered in blood? Did you get a look at his face? Did you call the police? Does he know you saw him?), he tells me he merely kicked it to the curb so noone would step on it. So weird.

Now That's Love

2008-11-05T21:04:00.002-08:00

I love that my husband trusts me enough to cut his hair. Fortunately for him, I get a little better every time. In a few more years, I just might get to the point where it turns out like I mean it to...

Happy Election Day!

2008-11-04T12:21:00.002-08:00

My thoughts about today...

At the Polls! from the tilted tulip on Vimeo.

At the Polls! -- Part II from the tilted tulip on Vimeo.

PS I promise I was way more informed than I sound, although I do admit to voting out the whole school board AND city council in favor of my friends. What can I say? I'm loyal.

Proposition Party

2008-11-04T11:51:00.003-08:00

Last night we hosted a "California Proposition Party" because there are so many stinkin' propositions on the ballot this year and they were a bit much to muddle through by one's self. So each person was assigned a proposition and given 12 minutes to layout the basics, list pros/cons, and field any questions. Overall, it was a rousing success! I felt waaaaaay more informed afterwards and was surprised by how many issues I would've mis-judged had I just merely used the quick blurb on the ballot to decided which way to vote. It's amazing what just a teeny-bit of digging can reveal. For example, my prop (#10) sounded great on paper, but after checking it out I discovered it was primarily funded by 4 billionaires looking to further line thier bulging pockets. Seriously, it's a completely ridiculous proposition. Glad I did some research first! It was a great lesson on staying informed and understanding the issues. Gee whiz, I am such a grown-up it's not even funny....

I made a cake decorated (more or less) like the California state flag!

Favorite quotes of the night:

"So after all those checks and balances..." -Mike

"You end up with the world's best boy band!" -Chad (interrupting Mike)

"Fill up your wine glasses, its abortion time." -Matt*

"So does 1 bid-ness days equal 1.5 regular days?" -Chad

"Yeah--God created the world in four bid-ness days." -Erika

"How many gigawatts is that compared to the Back to the Future car?" -Mike

"Oh, you mean jigga-whats?" -Matt

*[This might be a classic example of "you had to be there". ]

A Walk on the Wild Side

2008-10-13T15:29:00.006-07:00

Raawwwr.

The world renown San Diego zoo has a lesser-known Wild Animal Park branch out in the desert on the outskirts of the city. Matt and I went yesterday to experience a bit of wild-animal shenanigans.

If you look closely you can see the giraffes standing among the palm trees.

Desert Antelopes, or something...

They have huge expanses along the mountain-sides where many of the animals run-free ("free," as in the caged-up-but-with-lots-of-room sense) intermingled. Antelopes, rhinos, giraffes, itt-bitty African deer-thingys, etc. all hanging out savanna-style. It's really a sight to see. The poor cheetas are in another area, not too far away, just pacing back and forth, eye-balling what they wish was going to be their next meal. It's like lining my porch with cheetos and pringles, allowing me to see and smell their gloriousness, but then locking the screen-door tightly so that I can never get close enough to devour them. That's gotta be a rough gig.

Shenanigans, indeed.

Not So Desperate Housewife

2008-10-09T16:00:00.007-07:00

Ok, folks, it's time to come clean. I've been avoiding you. It's not because I don't miss you, 'cause I do. Madly. I miss your friendly comments. I miss seeing you showing up on my google stats. I miss you, I miss you, I miss you!

Really, it's me, not you. You've got to believe me.

I know lots of bloggers disappear due to lack of material, but I've got the opposite problem. I've got WAAAAAY too much to tell you. It's like reconnecting with a long lost friend and putting it off merely because there just aren't enough hours in the day to have a conversation long enough to cover everything that's happened since you last spoke. That's how it is for you and me, dear readers.

But it's time for that to end. I'm finally sitting down at my computer after many moons in order that we might catch up a bit and rekindle our friendship. Here goes...

For starters, I quit my job. It's a long story. We don't have time to cover the details. Basically, it was a good time for me to quit and my boss inadvertantly convinced me of this. We left on good terms. I miss working there and I definitely miss my co-workers, but I can't say I miss answering the phone all day long. For those of you who may have tried to reach me in the last couple of months, I've been on bit of a phone-hiatus. I'm slowly recovering. Soon I'll not only start answering my own phone again, but maybe even check a few voicemail messages. We'll see -- I make no promises.

So what's next, you ask? Nothing. Well at least not as far as paychecks are concerned. I've decided not to get another job right now, and instead pour my efforts into honing my house-wifery skills. I'm still getting used to telling folks that I'm a housewife sans children. Everyone looks at me a bit strangely, but I can't say I really mind. I've certainly never been a very career-driven lady. My motto has always been that "I was born to work part-time."

Since we last spoke (minus the kitty post, as that was pithy), I've traveled to the Grand Canyon, New York City, Kansas (Lawrence and the Farm), and San Francisco. I've taken up sailing (although it's still to be determined as to whether or not I finish the course---I'm a bit of a sissy). I've started selling vintage goodies online .

And as of this afternoon, I've started a new blog.

I've got pictures galore and stories even more. I'll try to post more as I can. There's sure to be mishaps aplenty as I take on my new role as house-wife extraordinaire. I make no promises, though, as there's nothing worse than reading a blog that only posts in order to apologize about not posting. I cringe should that be my fate.

Anyway, I truly have missed you all (all 4 of you that actually read my blog!). Til we meet again...

Eighteen

2008-09-09T09:42:00.002-07:00

Eighteen.

That's the number of cats my neighbors left behind in their apartment when they moved out last week. Holy Moley. I finally understand where the fleas were coming from...

Sarah offers a bit more insight.

A Very Hair Erasing Experience

2008-08-09T09:11:00.005-07:00

Last night, in anticipation of our ridiculously hot, hot trip through the desert to the Grand Canyon (we leave tomorrow!), I shaved Matt's head.

Earthquake in LA

2008-07-29T12:03:00.001-07:00

Matt just called from work to tell me that there was an earthquake in LA. He felt it for several seconds. Little ol' me was washing the dishes at home, totally oblivious. How did I miss it? Such a bummer. I love natural disasters...

Spilt Milk

2008-07-09T22:04:00.002-07:00

What a delight it was to stumble upon a smattering of fruit-o's strewn across the sidewalk this morning...

The Tilted Tulip Vintage

2008-07-06T11:53:00.004-07:00

I've (FINALLY) listed more items on my lovely little ETSY store. My newest items are all vintage items. They are hard to part with, but I feel I must or I'm liable to bury my patient, loving husband in my overflowing stockpile of vintage goodies. I'm cooking up some more handmade jewelry ideas, as well, so I'll try to start listing those soon.

Feel free to shop to your heart's content!

Meow

2008-07-01T23:22:00.001-07:00

I've always thought my cat looks suspiciously hamster-like...

All Eyes on You

2008-06-30T15:40:00.003-07:00

Yesterday Matt and I spent the afternoon wandering the streets of Little Italy (a charming neighborhood in downtown San Diego) engaging in some squeaky-clean, wholesome Guerilla Art.

Here are some of the results:

The rest can be found here.

Lost and Found

2008-06-20T10:04:00.005-07:00

As some of you probably know all too well, I have an obsession with picking things up off the ground. Maybe it started when, as a kid, I quickly learned that the sun and I are enemies and that to shield my eyes from it's fierceness was vital to my survival, thus kick-starting my fascination with the ground instead of the sky. It's probably genetic, though, as there is definite family tendency towards this behavior on my mom's side. My grandpa was notorious for finding treasures tucked here and there on the sidewalk. In college one of my favorite tank tops was one that I found run over in the back-alley outside my apartment. And I've worn many a fabulous baseball cap gleaned from the ditches of the beautiful Mid-West.

I have plans to someday (when I'm old and delightfully senile) open a Found Museum and display all my findings in some road-side shack and charge a buck or two to passing road-trippers who see my billboard on the side of the highway and just can't bring themselves to miss a rare opportunity like that.

The largest display in my Found Museum would be dedicated to all those single shoes I see littering the world. Who loses a shoe? Seriously! Why just one? It's such a mystery to me how that even happens. I see them everywhere.

So you can imagine how it made my morbid little heart sing when I learned that in Canada in recent months, shoes have been found washed up on the shoreline complete with severed foot inside!

If only I were to be so lucky as to find a severed foot/shoe. It would be the crown-jewel of my crazy collection. Maybe someday...

[Thanks to wash, dry, fold for the head's up!]

Tiger Woods' Apple Core

2008-06-20T09:56:00.003-07:00

As many of you might know, the US Open was in San Diego last week. My very entrepreneurial friend is selling this little gem on Ebay as a Tiger Woods memento. Nice work, Steven!

Decaffeinated

2008-04-30T22:08:00.003-07:00

My husband gave up coffee today. This is a man who can drink an entire pot of coffee at 11pm and still fall asleep within minutes of getting into bed. I'm inclined to think he's an addict, but quitting cold-turkey like this seems a bit drastic. His dependence on caffeine has become quite evident tonight, though. He passed out on couch within an hour of coming home from work and hasn't moved yet. He's out cold. Poor guy. This could be a rough month for us...

The Ticket Master

2008-04-22T23:12:00.002-07:00

A little nonsense aimed at the San Diego City Parking Department:

The Big Reveal

2008-03-31T21:03:00.002-08:00

So the last two days yielded nothing. Highly anti-climatic. Sorry, folks. All in all though, I still had fun!

Total Spent: $30
Total Won: 9 Tickets + $11

And as for the cold, hard cash nesting quietly in our freezer--Our little wager among friends left someone in our group $1 richer than when they started. The BIG WINNER (with a winning guess of $85) is....

SARAH!!!

Much to my surprise, Matt and Nate were counting on me to win them their millions. Matt guessed $214 and Nate estimated a whopping $913.25. I definitely had them pegged incorrectly. I guess I did encourage them in the beginning to go big or go home. Turns out Sarah was the reasonable one among the bunch. I told you she was a wildcard. And I'm excited, 'cause she promised that we'd spend the winnings on sushi! I'd say I definitely came out ahead.

So what do I take from this experience? Any valuable life lessons gleaned along the way? Will I accept that lottery tickets are a total scam and turn from them for all eternity? Umm...nah. I don't think so. I will agree that it's probably a waste of money. I certainly don't think the lottery would be so successful if the average joe-schmoe actually came out ahead. However, I still LOVE scratch-off tickets and can't foresee them disappearing completely from my life. I'll probably just leave them as they were before this little experiment of mine--a fun treat best left for long roadtrips.

Perhaps I should try my luck at the $2 tickets next time...

Definitely a Scam

2008-03-28T21:06:00.003-08:00

I guess they wouldn't be able to keep the lottery afloat if it were actually profitable for those of us suckers who continue to buy tickets on a regular basis. Three more days have passed and yet still no more money. I still think there's got to be a big payout coming my way in the next two days. Otherwise this little experiment of mine will be highly anti-climactic.

Total Spent: $28
Total Won: 9 Tickets + $11

Where's My Big Money?

2008-03-25T22:54:00.002-08:00

Sadly, no cash to add to my stash today. I won a second ticket, but nothing more. Oh well. Just a few more days to go until the big reveal (as to which crazy hooligan gets all the winnings)!

Total Spent: $25
Total Won: 8 Tickets + $11

Chicago

2008-03-24T22:01:00.004-08:00

Stylish, yet not snow-proof shoe wear

Matt and I got back last night from our 5-day excursion to Chicago. I'd been there once before, but I somehow forgot what a beautiful, established city it is. The architecture is stunning, especially when covered with a lovely dusting of snow.

Lovely Lion

It's been nearly two years since I've frolicked in the snow and it was absolutely fantastic. I know it's been an especially harsh winter for many of my fellow Americans this year and it probably sounds hollow coming from a girl who spends many of her days basking in the lovely San Diego sunshine, however, I REALLY miss cold weather--especially snow. I find innate joy in seeing my breath on a cold, frosty morning. I firmly believe that I look best in layers. Bikini beach weather is rather lost on a sun-sensitive gal like myself. I get sunburned just thinking about it. Maybe after four months of winter, I too would be ready for the soft breezes of spring, but regardless, it was great to spend a few days enjoying the cold.

Happy in the Snow

A lovely little store, managed by a former KU grad

Amy and Brad were lovely hosts and we spent lots of time lounging amidst their half-unpacked moving boxes and staying up waaaay too late. We ate alot (including Chicago-style hotdogs!), laughed even more, and watched lots and lots of basketball on their new flat-screen TV. They've got a great apartment, complete with a view directly into the new Trump Tower ballroom. Pretty fantastic. It was also wonderful meeting up with our friends, Adam and Jessica, whom sadly we have no pictures of. I can't wait to go back and visit soon!

Brad and Amy b eing adorable

A Silver Lining

2008-03-24T21:47:00.003-08:00

Between yesterday and today, I'm up another $5! There may still be hope. Actually, these most recent winnings guarantees that either Matt, Nate, or Sarah (depending on who the closest bidder is at the end of all these shenanigans) makes back their initial investment, plus a $1 gain. Not bad, not bad at all. And of course I'm still quite convinced that I've got a big win coming my way any day now. I still have six days left of my little experiment to strike it rich. Wish me luck!

I think Quincy is dreaming of fancy kibbles...

Total Spent: $24
Total Won: 7 Tickets + $11

I'm Starting to Think This Could Be a Scam

2008-03-21T17:00:00.005-08:00

So far Chicago has not proved itself to be a profitable place to play the lotto. Two days in this city and no big money. Although you might think that there's not much to scratch tickets, thus far, Chicago has the most satisfying scratchers I've encountered. The games yield the best suspense. When you've scratched as many lottery tickets as I have in the past month, you come to realize there a many fine nuances to scratch tickets. Some are just clearly more fun than others.

This is staged. I don't condone littering.

Total Spent: $21
Total Won: 7 Tickets + $6

Nope, Nope and Nope.

2008-03-19T20:25:00.008-08:00

From the title of this post you can probably venture to guess that the last three days yielded very little. I won an extra ticket yesterday, but that's it. I'm only two-thirds through this little experiment of mine, but I better start winning some serious cash soon. Matt and I landed in Chicago tonight (we're spending the week with Brad and Amy!), so perhaps the Illinois State Lottery will energize my winnings a bit.

Total Spent: $19
Total Won: 7 Tickets + $6

Weekend Lotto

2008-03-16T21:15:00.004-08:00

So Friday, Saturday, and Sunday resulted in winning 2 extra tickets, but still no more cold, hard cash. One thing worth mentioning is just how darn friendly all the gas station attendants usually are. Everyone of them wishes me good luck when I buy my daily ticket. My favorite guy will sometimes even hold the ticket I just bought up to his ear and shake it a bit, telling me it's very lucky before handing it to me. Maybe he's listening for that familiar rustle of all the dollar bills hidden within the card. Hmmmm...not sure what to make of that. It makes things interesting, at least.

I can't decide if I'm becoming addicted yet or not. It is rather disappointing losing all the time. That could keep me from making it a permanent fixture in my daily routine. We'll just have to wait and see.

Total Spent: $16
Total Won: 6 Tickets + $6

Wednesday and Thursday

2008-03-13T22:38:00.003-08:00

I still haven't hit the jackpot, but I have hope that it's looming out there, achievably within my grasp. I predict I'll win $50 tomorrow.

Total Spent: $13
Total Won: 4 Tickets + $6

Hips

2008-03-11T22:22:00.004-08:00

It's necessary that I start this post with a bit of background information. Upon our first visit back to the states after moving to Hong Kong (last April, to give you some time reference), I was excited to hear what was playing on American Top 40 radio stations. I felt so out of the loop, not knowing the most recent Kelly Clarkson or Britney Spears release. One of the little gems I heard, contained a ridiculous chorus that went something like:

(Growly Male Voice with crap-tastic rap in the background): "If a girl's hot, you know she's hot, 'cause she's hot just like her mama....If a girl's hot you know she's hot--she's hot just like her mama..." "Where'd you get your hot, hot looks?"

(Whiny Female Voice with the crap-tastic rap continuing in the background): "I got them from my mama... I got them from my mama..."

Needless to say, it was bad. Really, really bad. So bad it was hilarious.

So, with that little bit of nonsense out of the way, today I went to the corner store to get my daily lottery ticket, and upon entering the shop, I got thoroughly looked up and down by a visibly inebriated man in the process of buying a large bottle of Jack Daniels.

"Blippss....," I heard him mutter.

I looked him straight in the eye, and gave him a clear look implying that if he had something to say regarding my body, he better say it straight to me.

"Hips," I heard him say a little more clearly. "You got nice hips, lady."

Without hesitation and perfectly straight-faced, I declared, "I got them from my mama."

It took everything in my power not to bust a smile. The station attendant was cracking-up, though, so maybe he got the reference.

I was going to track down the video online and post it here, but I don't think it's crabby-rangoon appropriate. I'll let you fine folks hunt it down yourself. It's sure to be a classic someday. An oldie, but a goody, for sure.

***--------Ok, folks, forgive me. After I finished this post I went and looked up the video, and decided it was too funny not to post. SO, here it is in all it's glory. Again, please forgive me for subjecting you to this music video. And, PLEASE NOTE--viewer discretion advised. It's really, really stupid. Don't say I didn't warn you.--------***

Nope.

2008-03-11T22:18:00.001-08:00

No big money came my way today.

Total Spent: $11
Total Won: 4 Tickets + $6

I'm On My Way

2008-03-10T20:34:00.004-08:00

Today I won an extra ticket and THEN $2 with my bonus ticket! Slowly, but surely, I'm gonna win my millions.

Total Spent: $10
Total Won: 4 Tickets + $6

Saturday and Sunday

2008-03-10T16:29:00.002-08:00

No luck over the weekend much to my chagrin.

Total Spent: $9
Total Won: 3 Tickets + $4

I'm In The Money

2008-03-07T22:04:00.003-08:00

Today I won both a second ticket AND...

$4 Smackaroos! Who needs Vegas when you've got the California State Lottery?! My winnings are going straight into the freezer 'til the end of the month.

Total Spent: $7
Total Won: 3 Tickets + $4

Zip

2008-03-06T23:37:00.002-08:00

A net gain of ZERO today. I did win a second ticket, but to no avail. It's still early, though. I foresee a big finish. It would be highly anti-climactic if I won the big bucks too early in the game.

Total Spent: $6
Total Won: 2 Tickets + $0

(Hopefully you all aren't bored to tears yet. I figured this would be a sure-fire way to get me blogging on a daily basis again. So far so good...)

I'm Beginning to See a Pattern

2008-03-05T20:57:00.005-08:00

Today...

was not a winner. Sorry to be so darn predictable.

Total Spent: $5
Total Won: 1 Ticket + $0

Nope

2008-03-04T22:14:00.005-08:00

Today...

was not a winner. Can't say I'm all that surprised.

Total Spent: $4
Total Won: 1 Ticket + $0

Small Success

2008-03-03T23:42:00.003-08:00

So I'm wondering if this little experiment of mine will have lasting adverse effects. At first I thought it might cure me of my lottery love once and for all (by making a chore out of it), but I'm thinking that it might do the opposite and leave me addicted for life. Isn't there some kind of old saying that states "to make a habit for life, you have to keep at it for at least two weeks straight..." or something like that. This could spell trouble.

Today I had mixed results. I won a second ticket, but no cash yet. I was only 1 scratch away from winning $1,000 buckaroos. I guess that's how they keep you coming back for more, eh?

Total Spent: $3
Total Won: 1 ticket + $0

30 Days of Lottery Love

2008-03-02T22:14:00.000-08:00

I love lottery tickets. I love, love, love them. They definitely rank up there with beauty pageants, Mexican radio stations, vacuuming, and corn dogs. The scratch-off variety in particular is my favorite. I know they're often referred to as a "poor man's tax" and we've all been preached to at some point in our lives about the pure waste of money that lottery tickets are, but I've often wondered if this is completely true or not. For some time now I've been cooking up the idea of a month-long experiment where I buy a $1 scratch-off lottery ticket each day and track my winnings and losses. So last night over dinner with Nate, Sarah and Matt, I was again expressing my innate love for lottery tickets and pondering a potential experiment, when Nate suggested something brilliant.

He, Sarah, and Matt should each pay in $10 to fund my lottery experiment. At the beginning of the month, each contributor would write down just how much money they expected me to win (or lose) over the course of 1 month, and at the end of that month, the person guessing the amount closest to the actual winnings would then win all the money. And I would get the pure and complete pleasure of purchasing and scratching-off tickets every day for an entire month! (And with any luck, Matt would win the cash and I would get to share the winnings.) Ideally, there will actually be money to win at the end of the month. I'm ridiculously optimistic and suggested that Matt guess $325 or higher. Nate is very mathematical about it and was closely considering the odds involved. I think his guess will be approximately $3.50. Sarah is a wildcard. For emphasis, I had each of them write their guess down on a piece of paper and seal it in an envelope, which I am keeping in our freezer until the end of the month. (Gets them thinking about all that "cold, hard cash" they could win 30 days from now.)

There are some basic rules:

I purchase 1 lottery ticket each day.
I play that ticket until it is finished. For example, if I scratch off my card only to win another ticket, I immediately trade it in for a second ticket, and so on, until I either leave with cash or nothing at all. If I win cash, I take it home and stick it in a jar, not to be touched until the end of the month when the grand total is revealed and all that cold, hard cash is doled out to that lucky someone.

That's about it. Very straight forward. Can't wait to watch the cash come flowing in.

Today...
...was not a big win.

Total Spent: $2

Total Won: $0

And So It Begins...

2008-03-01T23:32:00.004-08:00

One lottery ticket every day for a month. Holy Moley, I can't wait! Details to follow...

Did I win today?

Sadly, no. Better luck tomorrow, perhaps.

Total spent: $1
Total won: $0

All Grow'd Up

2008-01-20T00:01:00.000-08:00

At about 11:15pm tonight, a few of us decided to call up AVIS and rent a fabulous minivan and spend all day tomorrow tooling around Mexico. I feel like such a grown-up! It's like that moment in college when you're sitting in front of the TV with your feet propped up on the coffee table, a spoonful of Lucky Charms in one hand, a corn dog in the other, and you realize there is no one telling you to go to bed. Such liberation. Although perhaps while I was getting hyped up on sugar and watching late-night reruns of the Simpsons, all the cool kids were rebelling and heading to the border in stolen cars. Guess I might be a late bloomer. Regardless, Tijuana, here I come!

Door-to-Door Lies

2008-01-14T19:34:00.000-08:00

So I just told a door-to-door salesman that I didn't want to buy any magazine subscriptions tonight because I was trying to cut down on my paper consumption and I read blogs instead of magazines now. That's not completely the truth, as I have 3 shiny new magazines sitting on my coffee table as I write, the result of a delayed flight last week. I felt bad about lying (mildly, anyway), until he told me he has done research into the matter and found that buying excessive amounts of paper products is good because for every 10 trees chopped down, 12 more are planted. I find this hard to believe.

Any thoughts?

Meet Martin

2008-01-14T11:25:00.000-08:00

Within hours of getting my new cell phone number in San Diego, I started getting calls for a man named Martin (usually pronounced "Mar-teeeenh" with a thick accent). They don't come too often, maybe 12 calls in the last 4 months, but enough for me to notice and get mildly annoyed. Perhaps the root of my annoyance is that at least half of these calls have been made during the wee hours of the morning.

I always answer, of course, because if someone's calling me past midnight, the caller on the other end usually has something very important to share with me. So I answer, groggily, only to discover someone yelling in my ear "Mar-teeeeeehn... something in Spanish... Mar-teeeeehn... something else in Spanish...." and so on, at which point I tell them they have the wrong number and to pleeeeease tell everyone they know that Martin has fled the country and no longer has this number. I took Martin to be quite the partier.

That is, until this morning, when I learned the truth about Martin.

Martin is/was an immigration officer.

The man who called at 2 am last night asking for Martin called again this morning to explain that his girlfriend got her visa taken away last night at the Mexican border and he was trying desperately to resolve the matter and if I could just please be kind enough to give him Martin's new phone number he wouldn't bother me again. Poor guy. I told him I didn't know who Martin was and wished him luck. Guess I should stop telling people that Martin has fled the country. They might not think that's very funny after all.

A few weeks ago I was telling my boss that I keep getting calls and text messages (in Spanish) for some guy that used to have my number.

"Is it Armando?" he said quickly. "Because I get calls for him all the time and apparently he owes alot of people alot of money." Glad to know I'm not the only one...

P is for Plankton

2008-01-10T19:06:00.000-08:00

Do you ever have those moments on the phone when someone asks you to spell back to them your name, address, etc. at which point you have to implement the "A as in Apple," "B as in Bob," etc. technique? Since I spend my days on the phone making appointments for people, I do this all the time. And more often then not, I suffer from something I fondly refer to as "brain freeze". It's when my brain turns into mush, rendering my speech completely useless.

Try as I might, when pressed to use this technique, mishaps abound. Usually I can't think of any words at all, leaving me to stutter about sounding a fool, but on the rare occasion that I find a word, it's usually so obscure as to be laughable.

"Um...that's..."E as in Esophagus", "R as in Retch", "I as in Impertinent", "K as in Kartoffel (German for potato)", "A as in Aspartame"...

And so on.

Or worse, I think of a word only to crack myself up at the inappropriateness of it. There's just never a point in which saying "V as in Vagina" or "B as in Blow job" to your mechanic over the phone is acceptable.

It was especially problematic in Hong Kong, as there was already a bit of a language barrier to begin with. Try as I might to choose simple, easily recognizable words, I usually came up with things like "T as in Tallahassee" or "L as in Lollipop." It never went well.

Surely I'm not the only dingbat who suffers from this right...?

PS It's good to be back.

It's Christmas Time...

2007-12-04T00:48:00.000-08:00

Matt and I ordered ourselves a proper tree this year, but seeing as we've only been married a few years and don't have any finger-paintin' young-ins to bring home sticky, hand-made ornaments yet, I got crafty tonight and started to make some of my own. This is what I've come up with so far:

I've still got my work cut out for me in order to get our tree looking full and dazzling, but so far so good. Feel free to stop by and join in the festivities if you're in the neighborhood. I'd be more than happy to lend you a pair of scissors...

Happy Birthday to Matt!

2007-11-30T09:03:00.001-08:00

Happy 27th Birthday to the best husband in the world!*

*Sorry I only gave you socks and books for your birthday.

Rain, Rain...please stay!

2007-11-30T08:40:00.001-08:00

The highways and byways are littered with accidents this morning because it's sprinkling outside right now. My local NPR lady just mentioned that there is a flash-flood warning for some areas in SD County, because we could get up to 1/2 an inch of rain throughout the day. Half an inch!!! Crikey! I better find myself a canoe!

I know it's probably a legitimate claim, seeing as we only get like 4 inches of rain or something in SD the whole year, but Geez Louise, people--Quit panicking and have yourself a proper thunderstorm now and then. What I wouldn't give for a little lightening right now...

Potty Mouth

2007-11-28T22:46:00.000-08:00

A client walked up to me at the front desk today and quietly informed me that there was no more toilet paper in the bathroom.

"Oh, no!", I exclaimed loudly. And without thinking, added, "Was everything ok? Did you have enough to get by?"

As if she was really gonna answer that question. What is wrong with me? Somedays I can't believe Matt lets me out of the house...

Happy Birthday to Me!

2007-11-27T09:39:00.000-08:00

Today I turn 1 million years old. Yippeee!!!

Magic Box

2007-11-21T07:59:00.000-08:00

After two weeks of it sitting idly in the corner of our bedroom, on a whim, I sat down in front of our destitute, brain-dead computer and gave its little power button a tap, and VOILA!...It came alive! So folks, although it's quite possibly short-lived, our sweet little Dell is back in action--and I didn't even have to stick it in the freezer. It truly is a Thanksgiving miracle.

Speaking of Thanksgiving, Matt and I are sitting at the SD airport as I write this, waiting for our flight to St Louis (via Minneapolis, of all places). Northwest Airlines is on my hit-list these days, so I hope make it through this flight without blowing a gasket. If I'm feeling inspired, I'll share my NWA experiences of late with you sometime. Frankly, if they don't cooperate with my demands, I'm going to threaten to smote them publicly on my blog. Ok, I need to stop. I can feel my blood-pressure rising.

In other news, I'm going to eat 25 pieces of pie tonight at the annual Kirkland Pie Night festivities. Wish me luck!

Friendly Men

2007-11-20T20:19:00.000-08:00

While I was walking home from the bus stop tonight a man stopped me on the street corner and asked,

"Do you like steak?"

to which I promptly answered, "No, I'm a vegetarian," and skedaddled out of there. (I should mention that it was a dark and gloomy street corner and the man was scary-looking. Had it been a bright, sunny afternoon, I might be inclined to dig deeper into his line of questioning, being the curious soul that I am.) I was lying, of course, as I tend to be an "every-other-day" kind of vegetarian and today was definitely my day off, but I didn't care. Earlier in the day, a different man on a different, but equally scary, street corner asked if I'd go have coffee with him, to which I truthfully replied "No, I'm married" and briskly walked away. I figure a truth can negate a lie, right? Surely a little truthiness never hurt anyone.

But I've digressed. My point in recording this pointless story was to say that perhaps the aforementioned "steak man" was speaking in code and had I been the agent he was seeking, I would have responded in return with my code-answer something such as,

"Only on Tuesdays if the moon is blue."

But clearly I wasn't the secret agent he was looking for. Hope he doesn't have to stand out on that chilly street corner for too long before the correct 007 strolls by.

Ringside with the Cobra

2007-11-06T21:11:00.000-08:00

Tonight I bought a Cobra Lily plant at the grocery store. Matt says if I ever become a lady wrestler I should adopt that as my stage name. Awesome.

I'm sorry for your loss.

2007-11-05T11:20:00.000-08:00

That's what the friendly Pakistani tech-support guy said about my hard drive last night. I mean, shoot, we were close - but that's a pretty intense consolation for the loss of a machine.

Matt here, folks, posting in Erika's stead for the day. We're having a little hard drive trouble on the home computer (and by trouble I mean its death, and our denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance). Erika says to let you know her posting will be slim until we get this resolved.

Anybody know a good computer mortuary?

Happy Halloween

2007-10-31T08:32:00.000-08:00

In honor of last week's crazy events, for Halloween this year I'm dressing as the scariest thing I (well, it was actually Matt's idea) could think of:

THE WITCH FIRE

For those of you hiding in a cave last week, the Witch Fire was the largest and most ferocious of the Southern California fires that burned through the area. I sewed on my shirt "10% contained." I hope I don't get rotten tomatoes thrown at me today.

Here are a couple of my co-workers dressed in their Halloween garb:

Road-Kill Raccon (Misty) and Slash (Ashley)

What did you all dress up as this year?

Tonight

2007-10-23T23:36:00.000-07:00

We spent the evening at Jamie's house (Matt's new biz partner's girlfriend) with our eyes peeled to the TV. Her family was awaiting evacuation orders and we were there for moral support and stuff transport, should the need arise. So far they are fine and still at home, but every phone call makes them nervous as the Sheriff's Dept. is making "reverse 911" calls to households immediately affected by the blazes.

Just a mile or so down the road, we stopped and snapped a few pictures at the local Target parking lot. There are hundreds of people, cars, RVs, dogs, and horses stationed there and at the baseball diamond just behind the building. We passed a couple of pick-up trucks blaring fire-themed country music which helped to set the mood. Everyone was just walking around in a daze with their eyes towards the hills, staring at the approaching fire. It's mesmerizing. And huge. We took the above photos and though it's a little hard to see exactly what's going on, there are flames just pouring down the hills in the background. Y0u have to see it to believe it.

But as I've mentioned several times already, Matt and I are fine. Our neighborhood is in no danger at present, and unlikely to be so anytime soon.

Some Stats

2007-10-23T13:39:00.000-07:00

Peggy Peattie/San Diego Union-Tribune/ZUMA Press

In the San Diego Area:

500,000 people have been evacuated
241,000 acres of land have burned
1,250 homes have been destroyed
Of the 4 main fires, 3 are less than 10% contained

Yikes.

Smokin'

2007-10-23T08:19:00.000-07:00

It was a little unnerving last night trying to fall asleep knowing full-well that fires burning just outside the city were creeping inwards. The Santa Ana winds have been completely erratic, reaching hurricane speed winds at times. This makes the fires relatively unpredictable in turn.

The salon is closed today, as all SD residents have been asked to stay home (those that still have a home and/or haven't been evacuated to safer ground), stay off the highways, conserve energy and not use their cellphones. Yes, sir. I have a sneaking suspicion, though, that if they make us all stay home today, we'll all decide it's a good time to get some laundry done, sending the last drops of the already tight water resources down the drain, and then we'll all be screwed.

We really will all have to dive into the ocean then. And there aren't shark nets on SD beaches. Ok, I'm getting ahead of myself here. I think it might be time for me to conserve energy and climb back into bed. I'll let you know if I start on fire.

Fires Still Raging

2007-10-22T14:03:00.000-07:00

Photo from SignOnSanDiego.com

OK, folks, this is getting serious. Today's my day off and I've spent the whole morning with my face glued to google maps and my ears glued to the local public radio station. There are fires to the north, south and east of SD and most are less than 10% contained. That pretty much just leaves the ocean for an escape route and the flames are expected to reach the coastline before too long. Anyone got a spare boat they could stick in the mail for me? The winds are only expected to worsen over the next 24 hours. It's nuts. Totally nuts. If you try to call, I probably won't answer. Officials are asking people to reduce cell phone usage. Matt and I are completely safe, though. No worries about it reaching our neighborhood.

San Diego on Fire

2007-10-22T10:52:00.000-07:00

Photo of the 2003 San Diego blazes

More than half a dozen fires are blazing on the outskirts of San Diego right now. The hot, dry Santa Ana winds blew in a couple of days ago and brought with it FIRE! Apparently wild fires are rather common this time of year and as SD is in a drought (and has been for some time) it's ripe for a natural disaster. More than 250,000 residents have already been evacuated and many of the schools and universities are closed today because of air quality. The skies are smoky and anywhere you drive in the city, it smells like you've got a campfire in the trunk. It's nuts.

You can find more information here.

My neighborhood is quite safe from the fires, but on the off chance that things get out of hand, I'll jump in the pool.

Stuff

2007-10-18T09:51:00.001-07:00

Working full-time is sure cramping my crabby style. And it's not for a lack of stories that's keeping me from blogging, but rather the exhaustion! I'm just dog-gone tired by the time I get home every night. So lame, I know.

I think I might have to start a regular feature about all the little adventures I have on the bus. Matt and I are trying our darndest (and so far, so good) to live in the suburbs, own only 1 car, and even then rarely use it. I'm intimately learning the finer points of the SD transit system. Well, at least the route I take to get to work. And the people that ride the bus are ALWAYS fascinating. It's like getting to peek in on a really bizarre and exciting sociology experiment. I mean that in the best possible way. Yesterday an older guy started to chat with me at the bus stop and then when the bus arrived, insisted I sit near him. I generally like people and am always curious to hear their stories, so I obliged. Amid the friendly chit-chat he revealed that he originally came to Southern California in 1979 to get on a game show. He never got his 15 minutes of fame, but ended up relocating to SD permanently. He doesn't own a car, he likes to work out before eating dinner, and on and on. It's amazing what people will tell you if you just give them a listening ear. Last week two Morman evangelists became the unsuspecting victims of a homeless guy who went into a tirade regarding his own opinions about religion. My favorite bit was his theory that as global warming increased, God would slowly change days to include 25 hours a day, rather than only 24. Fascinating stuff. The bus is certain to be fodder for some interesting experiences.

And there's more...I want to tell you all about our family vacation to Santa Barbara, where we spent every day in the ocean and saw dolphins swimming just a mere 20 feet away from us (they are robots, of course, but that's beside the point). Last week I was in Kansas for my friend Jane's wedding and I had a fabulous time doing the flowers--My best work yet. And I've got lots of pictures from our apartment and neighborhood to share with you all. Oh, and yesterday I got my second haircut since starting my job and it's kind of awesome, but kind of terrible.

So much to tell, so much exhaustion. I miss you all.

All Aboard

2007-10-09T08:59:00.000-07:00

There's something strangely satisfying about being the last person to board a plane. Everyone is waiting on YOU and they won't take off until YOU have your seatbelt safely clicked into place. It's rather liberating. On my most recent trip to Kansas, I was actually the second-to-last person on board but the guy behind me was so drunk he almost didn't count. He stumbled on, rather than boarded, the plane. I heard him mumble something about this being "his first time on this sh*t." I took that to mean he was a first time flyer. That might explain the wobbly foot work and the empty Bud Light clutched in his sweaty grip. Shortly after finding his way to his seat, he was promptly escorted off the plane. I heard a few cheers coming from the back, which must've come from his seatmates. Guess you're supposed to wait until the flight begins before you get completely smashed. He was probably just relieved to have his first flight postponed a little while longer.

Speaking of flights and booted passengers, a couple of weeks ago I got a letter in the mail from a private investigator looking for some details regarding an incident that occurred on board a flight to Hong Kong last spring. Apparently I was a witness and the DA in Anchorage, Alaska has a few questions to ask me. I'm hoping for an all expenses paid subpoena to Anchorage to come out of of this. I hear Alaska is lovely in the winter. Although perhaps I just ruined my chances by discussing this matter in public on my blog. We'll see...

Vacation and More

2007-10-02T10:17:00.000-07:00

I spent the last 5 days in Santa Barbara, CA holed up in a cozy bunker on the beach with my mom, sisters, brother-in-laws, and all 5 grandkids (including the little one in my sister's tummy). Now I'm in Dallas at my oldest sister's house and tonight I fly to Lawrence to do the flowers for my lovely friend Jane's wedding this weekend. I've got some beautiful photos from my adventures thus far. I can't promise much this week, as I'll be knee deep in flower blossoms. I return to San Diego on Sunday. To all my lovely Lawrence friends, I won't have much time to goof-off, but give me a call and I'll find time to squeeze in some catch-up time.

2007-09-23T23:12:00.001-07:00

My new hair-howdy-do. It's nothing drastic, but certainly the first time I've ever colored my hair.
It's kinda hard to see in the photos, but there are some blond-ish streaks up front. Still not sure I'm keen on this whole coloring business. I'm kind of low maintenance when it comes to my hair. Baby steps for me, I guess. I'm slowly working my way up to a spiky, black mohawk. Any suggestions for what I should do next?

Before, in case you for got what I looked like or if you are an internet crazy and don't know what I look like in real life
(If this were a proper "before" photo, I would be frowning)

Day of Rest

2007-09-22T19:08:00.000-07:00

Awwww....Sweet, sweet Sunday. It's here at last.

After being "on" everyday this week, I am ready for a day of rest. Lip gloss? Check. Ridiculously thick mascara? Check. Perfectly tousled, yet free of fly-a-ways hair? Check. Hip and trendy outfit consisting of black, red, and white which perfectly reflects the hip and trendy black, red, and white decor of the salon? Check. Deodorant? Uh Oh...

That's a pretty accurate look into my first week of work. But don't get me wrong, I loved every minute of it. I LOVE my new job. It feels good to be working full-time again. It's been over 2 years since I've had a "9-5" job and I like it. I'm worn out, that's for sure, though. It's hard work looking good. As my new boss reminded me several times this week, I'm in an image-driven business and it's (literally) my job to look good. Yikes! Thankfully the job comes complete with a staff of super talented stylists and make-up artists at my disposal, but it still feels a little overwhelming.

My actual position is "Salon Coordinator"--it's a big responsibility and I know it's a position I'll grow into. The salon is relatively new and in a season of transition. It will be my job to guide it through this phase and develop a strategy to ensure success in the next. Oh, and answer the phone. I'm 1/2 receptionist, 1/4 head of HR, 1/4 marketing director. At least that's how my boss sees it, I think. Regardless, it's bound to be a fire-cracker of a job, and I'm really excited. And did I mention I get free hair services? Oh, it's too good to be true...

Pics to follow...Need to find the camera cord.

A Quick Hello

2007-09-20T23:19:00.000-07:00

I forgot that having a job keeps you busy.

I'm desperate to update you guys, but exhaustion is taking over. No more frivolous days lounging by the pool and basking in the San Diego sunshine. All my creative brain-power that formerly went into crafting mischievous blog posts is now funneled into my new job in the form of the peppy secretary. I worked a 12 hour shift today. Must sleep. I have a new hair-do. I love my new job. And I miss you all.

It's Mine, all Mine!

2007-09-14T17:52:00.000-07:00

I got the JOB! Details to follow...

PS It's likely it will involve a make-over morph.

The Tilted Tulip

2007-09-12T21:48:00.001-07:00

I'm been a busy little bee the last week or so and just posted a new batch of jewelry to my etsy site. Take a look and shop to your heart's content!

Job Story

2007-09-12T21:44:00.000-07:00

The salon got in touch with me yesterday and asked me to come in for a couple of hours tomorrow to "hang out" (code for finding out whether or not I'm salon material, I think). I think that's a good sign. I guess it means I have one foot in the door and as long as I my other foot doesn't stumble and lag behind, I think I might get the job. That would be lovely, dear readers, simply lovely. Wish me luck!