Mom

My mom is visiting this weekend...

A Very Good Decision

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

I love you, baby...

Wha-SAH-beeeee

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

On My Way To the Post Office

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

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!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Tilted Tulip Vintage

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

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

All Eyes on You

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

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

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

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

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