...go the spoils

Tuesday, I had a massage;

Wednesday, I had time off of work handed to me on a platter. And, what did I do? Used my gift certificate to Nordstrom Spa to get a pedicure;

Dang. A girl could get used to this.

Today is back to reality. In early at work. Allergist appointment. And rehearsal. Not *quite* the same as getting an aromatheraputic foot massage. But, my allergist does give me lots of free samples!

heeeeheheee!

day

well, actually now it is night time, if you want to get technical about it.

do you ever notice how dependent we've become on our electronic devices? for real...i turned my phone off today. for about 4 hours. just plain off. i was having lunch and spending time w/DGS and decided I could turn my phone off.

And wouldn't you know, as soon as I turn it back it, it was like the world had come to an end in those four hours. I hadn't barely talked to anyone in a week (busy, sick, etc), and I had 4 messages. Wha? It just made me chuckle. Mostly people leaving messages "mock" freaking out...like "OMG, your phone is OFF?!? It's the end of the world!!"

um...not.


Anyways . . . lunch was nice today...and I'm glad it happened. DGS and I were both a little out of it, but it was totally worth it. We met about halfway between our respective points of origin and hung out at Black Bear talking, eating and playing hangman. I know that my weekends are getting more complicated with rehearsals and all, and I want to make the most of the times we do have.

People say that in a relationship there has to be give and take; a sort of "meeting in the middle," if you will. And if that middle happens to be at a Black Bear Diner in Suisun City...so be it :)

(they have good food, btw!)

time for bed....

ack

On Thursday, I had to take the company visa to buy some supplies for our use in our new temporary space. I went over lunch to safeway to use the card. When I returned back to the office, I put the card back in it's envelope and place that back in the file and gave the file to my boss for her to lock away into her file cabinet.

Fast forward to this evening. I went to the movies with my sibling, and we had to pay parking at one of those automated machines. I go to pull out my debit card, and lo and behold, what should I find?

The company Visa card. They are both of the same bank, and look very similar.

Which means...MY card is (hopefully) locked up at our new digs at work.

*sigh* just a testament to how stressed and out of it I've been this week, I think.

randomly sweet

shamelessly stolen from DGS

Instructions: Do a Google Image search of the following and post the first pic that comes up....

1. Your age on your next birthday


2. Your favorite color

(one of them, anyways)

3. Your middle name:

(ellen)





4. Your bad habit:

(not putting laundry away)



5. The last meal you ate:

(Kielbasa sandwhich at Tommy's Joint)

6. Your favorite fruit or vegetable:







7. Your favorite animal:

When I heard about these animals in 4th grade, I fell in love with them.






8. The town you live in:








9. Name of your pet:

The last pet I had was a fire-bellied newt named Fig.





10. Your first name:


11. Your last name:

friday

I'm glad it's Friday.

I'm kinda sick, though, and laid up in bed. And yet, I'm not in the mood to be bed ridden. In fact, I'm a little restless, but yet I know my body needs rest. I have been go go go go for so long, that I need a break.

Will and Ryan are going out to a concert tonight, so I'll have the place to myself. This is a rare occurance, and I usually like down time alone. But, I kinda wish I was going out to do something with people.

Rehearsal tomorrow has been cancelled, and all I have to do is a voice lesson in the morning, and also spend some time looking over other music.

What it boils down to is that it is rainy and dark outside and I am feeling lonely tonight. Not sure why...I am not usually a lonely person. Probably 'cause I don't feel too hot.

oh well. I'll go fill out some myspace surveys. lol.

Random acts of Balloon Animals

So, I'm in Starbucks, and there is this guy there making balloon animals. Just a regular, office-working guy, who happens to be a clown on the weekends (he and his wife are also magicians).

I was tired, having a rough week, and I'm having coffee with my friend N. Dude asks me what I would like. And I requested a giraffe!

(I even labeled him for our move tomorrow...)

perspective

I just talked to my mom and found out that someone I grew up with as a child just committed suicide.

It's an odd feeling...hard to process. I cannot count JT as a particularly close friend as of recent times...in fact, I had not seen nor spoken to him (or really anyone in his family) in several years. Which is why my feelings are somewhat...juxtaposed. He died at age 26 - my same age - and was a regular guy: he had a myspace account, college degree, and a passion for the outdoors, just like his father. My memories of JT are of a happy boy, aged 8ish, covered in frosting and sitting at our kitchen counter making candyhouses. I remember watching him grow up, even when he got to be "too cool" for our families' Christmas traditions during those intermediate teenaged years. It's hard to reconcile the boy with his death.

I remember his two younger sisters, and how they looked up to him...their badass, older brother, who would take care of them during school.

I also found out that JT's mom died last year. From alzheimers. She wasn't very old - but I had no idea that this had happened.

Please pray for John, Ashley and Katy as they mourn the passing of a son and big brother. Especially for John; he has outlived both his wife and his first-born son. I can't even imagine.


It makes my stresses seem awfully paltry, in comparason.

:) preview

It's Tuesday of my crazy week!

Will is back in town.

Tomorrow I'm going to work early.

And then I'm going to Berkeley late.

Thursday is rehearsal.

Friday is Moving Day. Ack.

Saturday is voice lesson and rehearsal. And probably going to bed early :)

March Madness

This weekend was super fun :) After much gnashing of teeth and flinging of clothes from the closet trying to figure out what to wear, DGS and I went to Mendocino for his cousin's wedding. The drive was GORGEOUS, and we had great music and fabulous weather to escort us on our way.

I met a whole bunch of his family all at once on Saturday. It was a tad overwhelming (I'm kinda bad with names) but fun all the same. I think maybe my favorite relative was Grandma. She's a little spit-fire, and was very sweet to me. She'd come over and whisper in my ear little stories about all the various and sundry folks at the wedding. I love old people! In high school, I used to do a lot of volunteer work with people in nursing homes, and I miss that. I'm thinking about getting back into it.

The service was slightly delayed, due to craaazy wind up on the North Coast, but once we got started, there was much cheer and happiness. Weddings are great: everyone is full of joy and glad to see each other. It's a time of celebration, reminiscing and reconnecting with friends and family.

A great deal of DGS' family (on this particular side) lives in CA, and he grew up around them. I think that's really cool. Our family was always so far from everyone, as Will & I grew up in CO and everyone else was in LA. When we were little, Mom and Dad tried to make sure we got back down South to see the family at least once a year. But, after all the grandparents passed away, and for about the last 8 years, the only time our family all gets together - generally speaking - is for weddings and funerals.

This May is Dad's 60th bday, and we're throwing a party for him in CO. Of course we'll all be there, and I'm hoping that his twin sister and her family will come, and maybe even his older brother. It would be a chance for us to see one another.

Tonight, I'm so tired. I snapped at my mom when she called, because I had just gotten home from a stressful day at work, running errands, and was trying to make dinner when she called and started fussing about cleaning out a drawer for my brother - something I had already thought about doing. It was just bad timing on her part, but I still shouldn't have snapped at her. I'll have to call her back now.

I decided to skip Bible Study tonight in favor of cleaning out the aforementioned drawer (Will gets here tomorrow); paying the money I owe on my taxes; cleaning the kitchen and regaining some of my sanity from the day. I just need some quiet.

talk about stream-of-consciousness writing. this would be it. okay ya'll, KD out.

Kiss Me,

I'm Welsh, English, French, Scots, Cajun, Everything but Irish!



Happy St. Patty's Day to you all! Drink a Guinness for me! (It's Good for You).

freakin' nicholas sparks

i got home tonight just in time to catch ryan watching "the notebook", and so I saw the last 10 minutes or so. and i'll tell you what...it STILL makes me cry, albeit not the gut-heaving sobs i experienced when watching it from start to finish that time with AZ.

awwww such a good movie!

first aid bacon

Will used to collect bandaids as a child. Not used ones (ick), but new ones. I think it stems from the fact that he was always in the hospital or at the doctor's office. But I remember just boxes and boxes of bandaids, of all varieties: neon orange and yellow; camoflauge; glow-in-the-dark; superman; spiderman; snoopy; ninja turtles...you get the idea.

WELLLLLLL I came across the 'bacon strip' bandaids at Urban Outfitters, and HAD to get them for Will. And, lucky for him, as he just happened to have a blister on his heel. hahhhahahhhaah good times. 

tourist weekend

Will & Shanna are staying with me this weekend, and I am SO happy!!

We did some fun, touristy things this afternoon and had a lot of amusing experiences.

First, the weather: we left my house, and it was raining. On the Embarcadero, the sun was shining. We then went through rain, sleet, hail, almost snow, thunder, lightning and then freezing but clear all over the course of about 3 hours. Schizo, much??

My favorite sign of the night? Posted on the Hyde-Powell Cable Car:

No flatulating on crowded cable cars.

Having forgotten (d'oh) my camera, Shanna took a picture for me, so hopefully she we email it to me soon!

The best ever of the day, however, must be told in a short photo essay. We went by the new Boudin Bakery at Fisherman's Wharf, and Will subsequently fell in love with this loaf of bread:

Now, for your viewing pleasure, a short photo-essay:

Music Meme

Dang I know, crazy memes.

From mathjedi:

Write down 10 bands/musicians you really enjoy, and then answer the questions which following (be honest now, don't look at the questions first!)

So, in random order:

1. U2
2. Aerosmith
3. Ella Fitzgerald
4. MOVE
5. Cake
6. Frank Sinatra
7. Bon Jovi
8. Simon & Garfunkle
9. Marc Anthony
10. Buena Vista Social Club

----QUESTIONS----

-What was the first song you ever heard by 6?
wow. not sure, but probably something like "new york, new york".

-What is your favourite album of 8?
Live at Central Park

-What is your favourite lyric that 5 has sung?
"I need you here with me, not way over in a bucket seat." I like that song, it cracks me up.

-How many times have you seen 4 live?
wow. At least 10? At least!

-What is your favourite song of 7?
OOoh. Livin' on a prayer. That's the BEST karaoke song.

-What is a good memory you have considering the music of 10?
Seeing them live at the North Sea Jazz Fest with my brother in 2000. The pianist, Ruben Gonzalez was soo old, he had to be escorted on and off the stage. But when he sat at the keys, it was like he was 25 again! That was beautiful.

-Is there a song of 3 that makes you sad?
hmm. she has a song for every occasion. but i can't think of a sad one off the top of my had.

-What is your favourite lyric that 2 has sung?
"dream until your dreams come true"

-What is your favourite song by 9?
"No me conoces"

-How did you get in to 3?
Growing up around jazz at my grandmother's house.

-What was the first song you heard by 1?
ooh. No clue. But probably "with or without you" or "still haven't found (what I'm looking for)"

-What is your favourite song by 4?
Canta y Baila

-How many time have you seen 9 live?
only once. it was awesome.

-What is a good memory you have concerning 2?
seeing them in concert, and seeing all the aging groupies! ick.

-Is there a song of 8 that makes you sad?
"bridge over troubled water" makes me sad, but in a good way.

-What is your favourite album of 5?
hmmm i think their self-titled one. it's a great driving cd.

-What is your favourite song of 1?
"love rescue me"

-What is your favourite song of 10?
"dos gardenias"

-How many times have you seen 6 live?
sadly, never.

-What is your favourite album of 2?
hmmm. greatest hits, album lol Big Ones

-What is a great memory you have considering 9?
learning to salsa dance!

-What is your favourite lyric that 6 has sung?
ooh. again v. difficult. i love the song "i've got you under my skin"

-What was the first song you heard by 8?
probably "cecelia"

Saturday meme, Part II: 10:30 - 8pmish

I can only post 5 pics at a time! what? Oh well. I won't post the lowly picture of my alarm clock before I went to bed. It was early!

3/5/06 MEME Part 1: 7:00 - 10:30am

These pictures - one an hour, every hour, pretty much sum up my day. Except for those couple hours when I was watching a movie with Raina and forgot to take my camera with me! geez!

Blogging adventure

Taken from Sandra: day-in-the-life-of photo journey.

One picture an hour, every hour I'm awake on Saturday, to be posted afterwards.

Want to join in the meme? Post at your own blogging area...hasta manana!

I'm going to be an "aunt"!!!

My friends Jen & Henry (Jen I've known for too many years to count) are the first in our little UHBC group to get pregnant!!!!!

I got their email today and little yet-to-be-determined is due on September 10!

That kid is going to be SO spoiled by all of us "aunties" and "uncles". I cannot wait!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

considering I lived in TX for four years and never once made it to Austin . . .

You Are Austin

A little bit country, a little bit rock and roll. You're totally weird and very proud of it. Artistic and freaky, you still seem to fit in... in your own strange way. Famous Austin residents: Lance Armstrong, Sandra Bullock, Andy Roddick

What American City Are You?

Shake, shake, shake-it

I was sitting here, talking to DGS, when *bump*. Another earthquake! Wow. Twice in one day.

Don't tell my mother.

Did you feel the mountain tremble

. . . well, we're not exactly a mountain, but we are a three-story building. It's surprisingly difficult to concentrate on the phone conversation one is having when going through an earthquake. Granted, it was a small one, but we were definitely shakin'.

Exciting times here at OLA!