I know that ...

my life is generally good and I am a blessed individual. But there are days ... there are just some days where while you know it could be a helluva lot worse, it could also be a helluva lot better. And I know that there is so much sorrow in the world right now but I'm going to allow me to have these moments of self-centeredness because in my ittybitty bubble, it's a little bit crappy.
I have been working long hours for work. It's my busy season and I fully expected to work long hours. Today was the end of my first week transitioning into this period and it ended with a doozie.
I got into a car accident.
I'm fine and the other person's fine. But with the point already on my record for a ticket that I evidently didn't clear (even though I did take traffic school), this will bring my insurance to an all time high. Of course, there are the repairs, too. We have a $500 deductible and tomorrow we will find out the grand total of damages.
I don't think I'm a materialistic person but I do like nice things. When it comes to cars, though, I've never driven a car that was anything special. Gertie was my first really nice car. And then I go and wreck it.
Someone just took a big fat dump in my cheerios :(
------------------------------------
9:21pm Update: Nothing like some of this to take the edge off of a suck ass day -

Yes, this has become a drunk entry. It was a rough day today. The Man likes NetFlix and had "Be Kind and Rewind" so while we watched that DVD, I had a lot a bit of this:

Yup. I'm drunk.
Because I felt so bad for all the added expenses I just put on us for getting into an accident and drowned my sorrows (and worries) in Riesling. Damn. I feel so bad because it just feels like I've been an added expense since we got married instead of contributing to the household.
Bummer, huh?
I love The Man. And I wish that I felt like I was adding something to this partnership but right now I feel like, I don't know, the third puppy or something.
Except I don't eat my poo. Thank goodness.
Anyway, here I am drunk but I don't think it's safe for me to bake. Because I love drunk baking (don't you know.) Instead, three glasses down, I thought wouldn't it be a magnificent idea to blog! That being said, don't be surprised if this entry is deleted tomorrow. Oh, and another expense is the rental car I'll have until my car is fixed. Sweet.

PS: The cherry on the top is that I got my driver's license today and it is fugly. Of course it would be ... why would I deserve a cute one?

Exactly one year ago

The Man knocked my socks off and surprised me with a wedding proposal.
I'm going to share a little secret. Well, obviously it's no longer a secret if I'm posting it on the world wide web. Anyway, a little over a year ago, I found out that The Man had bought my engagement ring. But I had no idea when he was going to propose. And no, he didn't know I knew and I'm not going to say how I knew. Because I cannot reveal my sources.
Had I seen it? No.
Did I know if it was even in the house? No.
And while it was wonderful to know 100% that he was serious about taking our relationship to the next level, this was also The Man who took over six months to ask me out. He had an infinite amount of what I had very little of ... patience. And can sometimes move as quickly as stagnant water. But who am I to judge.
I had no idea when he was going to propose. I figured he would hold on to it at least until my birthday, Christmas or even Valentine's Day because then he could get two events in one gift. Hey, I wouldn't have blamed him, it's the kind of gift you want to try and make stretch.
Because I am me, I had to share this huge secret that had to do with me. I told the one person who would understand and not judge my impatience - my Sister. I did NOT want to shout it from the roof tops. And that's because if it took as long as I thought it was going to take or if it never happened at all for some freak reason, I didn't want to feel stupid. That is why, around this time last year, one could find comments on our blogs or some of the messages on our myspace pages where my sister and I made repeated references to pants.
"What's the scoop on the pants?"
The pants are on back order. I think."
"How big are the pants?"
"The pants will probably need to be hemmed."
"Have your pants come in yet?"
"I have no idea when the pants will come in. Probably in time for New Year's."
"GD pants are taking forever."

Yes, Pants was code word for Engagement Ring.
I thought we were so clever because there we were, openly discussing this huge thing, this potentially life changing event, casually over the Internet.
I wrote a pretty detailed description of how The Man proposed to me so I won't reinvent the wheel. I will, though, repeat that he did a wonderful job taking me by surprise and I would have never guessed in a million years that he was going to propose that day. It was a Monday, for crying out loud! When I told him that I thought he was going to hang on to the ring for months before he would propose, he surprised me even more by telling me he had had the ring for less than a week.

Just when you think you know someone, he goes and pleasantly surprises you.
Eight months later, we had a truly beautiful wedding in Hawaii and a fantastic honeymoon. And a year later we are happy little newlyweds and six years (total) strong. Oh! And, as of last Tuesday, I am officially Mrs. Ramirez with not just the Social Security Office but also the Department of Motor Vehicles. What a pain in MY ass it was to change my name with the government. But it just goes to show how much I love him. And when I was at the DMV on Tuesday, I was told after I signed all the paperwork, "Get in line over there to take your picture." I must have had a puzzled look on my face because the DMV guy said, "New name, new picture."
Damn. So I had to take a new picture. Heaven help me when I finally get my driver's license in the mail.
But I do love The Man with all my heart so, yes, it was all worth it.

Sunday Excursion

This past Sunday, The Man and The Mrs. packed up the pups and decided to walk the Golden Gate Bridge. We wanted to walk earlier in the morning but couldn't wake up! We ended up getting there around 10:30am. Plenty of cars, cyclists and pedestrians. And, oh my, the tourists. But who could blame them? The bridge is a landmark, after all. As expected, it was quite breezy. The fog continued to roll in and our walk to Marin didn't have much of a view of the city. But the walk back to the San Francisco side made for a pretty stroll as the sun was breaking through the clouds.

This was taken after I waited in a long line to use the bathroom before we started our walk. Oh, talk about awkward! The women's bathroom had a long line and some women ahead of me had the brilliant idea to use the men's facilities. So a small group of us headed there. They had two stalls and two urinals. While we waited to use the stalls, I saw many a men and boys use the urinals. Luckily, their backs were to me but let me just say that they are disgusting. I saw guys who splashed the floor because they couldn't wait to aim their kibbles and bits into the urinal. Ugh. I was gone so long that The Man was getting worried about me. In the future, I will just wait in the women's line. Oh, and I totally rolled up my pants before entering in the bathroom. It was bad enough my shoes were touching the floor but I sure as hell wasn't going to have anything else. *Shiver*

It got a little humid on our walk, with the sun coming out and there being no shade on the bridge. Yes, even with the fog! The Man rolled up his sleeves and we stopped for frequent water breaks for the pups.

Behold! The glory that is Piko, The Man and Pili. Oh, and the Golden Gate Bridge :) Poor Piko. This pic really shows how she gets allergies when she goes outside and she just tears and tears.

This was taken on our walk back from Marin to San Francisco. If you look closely, you can see the cityscape behind me. And thank goodness I was wearing a jacket with removable sleeves. It was getting HOT! And I just realized after posting all the photos that Pili is camera shy! We'll have to make sure she looks our way when we take future pictures.

Lessons learned:
1. Pack snacks. While it's roughly only 1.5 miles each way, a person can get hungry and there are NO vendors on the Marin side. Just two sets of bathrooms. (Word to the bridge keeper uppers: that would also be great to have on the San Francisco side!)
2. Either wait in line to use the women's bathroom or hold it. At least until you are crossed the bridge and are in Marin where there are two buildings which both house restrooms. Ahhhh.
3. Go earlier in the day. It was crowded by the time we got there and the fumes from the cars can be a bit much. But we just about finished our walk when we passed a police-escorted protest which took up a lot of room on the walkway and caused traffic on the bridge. Bless the Bay Area and its' protests :)
4. Have wipes for Piko's bottom. Won't even go into detail about that.

I had a great time but The Man said it will be several months before we do it again. That's OK. He's so great to entertain me and my whims and I finally got to do something I've never done before. Can you imagine? I've lived in the Bay Area for nearly 30 years and never walked the Golden Gate Bridge. What a treat.

Physically a LAZY week

I've taken a week off of all gym activities. So no personal training Monday, Wednesday or Friday and no cardio on Tuesday or Thursday - no working out, period. I haven't been doing yoga for a few weeks now because both my Chiropractic Intern and Yoga Teacher advised me to take a break for a few months. Evidently yoga is awesome if all your muscles are in already-fantastic condition. Not so great if you have an injury. I've had this shoulder injury that I've kind of ignored for over a year (not a brilliant move on my part) so no Yoga for MamaLu ... at least, for a few months. Out of all the different things I do, Yoga is my favorite. It's not necessarily the most effective (cardio is the best and, of course, my least favorite) but I like that it challenges my flexibility, builds strength and is the closest thing to meditation I will probably ever do. I'm not a fan of the oms and stuff like that which is why I like "Power Yoga." So when I say meditation, I mean being in a headstand or arm balance and trying not to fall over. Not quite the same but close enough for me!
Anyway, lazy week. Probably not good for me but I keep squashing that guilty feeling that creeps up. I had one big meeting on Monday and I have two big meetings today. I also had a workshop on Tuesday where I had to give a short presentation. I just didn't feel like rushing after going to the gym, getting ready, scrambling to prep for these meetings and then rush to get there on time. Well, that the excuse I'm sticking with anyway:)
Today I'm driving my ass on over to Tracy for the first time for work. It's just become part of my new territory and I'm doing my best to embrace it. I don't think it's necessarily a horrible commute but I've never had personal business to do there and I don't even think I've driven through Tracy just to get to where I want to go. What I'm saying is that Tracy has never been a destination of mine. It's just not a place I ever visit. Ever. Hehehe ... but I do now! So wish me luck that the drive won't be heinous and will, hopefully, be relatively painless.

Nothing much ... how about you?

Nothing extraordinary or freakishly abnormal has happened to me lately so I don't have much to write about.
Still a very happy newlywed ... how long are we labeled newlyweds, anyway? In any case, the brand spankin' new marriage is still a sweet deal so no complaints there. He's a good guy who doesn't expect me to cook for him every night so what more can I ask for? Kidding, my expectations are a little higher than that. And he does exceed them :0)
There has been some hiccups regarding work (for instance, there is a salary increase freeze right now.) While it all really stinks, I'm very happy that we haven't resorted to rounds of lay-offs. The job market, hell, the economy is a very scary thing right now so I'm willing to ride this through. Of course, it helps out a lot that I still love my job and I'm pretty thankful for that. I have a mini-vacation to look forward to because we're visiting Sister at the end of the month - woot! The Man is turning 31 years old and since it's his birthday and I picked the location, this trip is on me. Little does he know we are going to be quite intimate with McDonald's and the fast food chains. Joke.
Oh yah! So I have to still deal with the DMV because I still need to change my name. So not only did I get kicked in the teeth with having a point on my record for the next three years but I have other business with that forsaken place. And now with all that's going down between the Governator and state employees, I hear the DMV is more effed up than ever. Damn! So what was an hour wait is at least double, if not more. The workers are pissed and I don't blame them. Oh you better believe I'm making an appointment! Unless ... can I change my name through the internet? I don't think I can do it without going in person but I thought I'd just throw that out there.
Volunteering a little bit of time for work at the Fremont Art & Wine Festival tomorrow. Wonder if I can have some wine while volunteering?? A gal can dream ...

I bought the tickets!!

A few years ago, I really was an SF Hula Girl. I was going through a break up and had decided that I needed small and big changes in my life. I took up baking, tennis and I also decided that after three years of just thinking about it, I was actually going to learn to dance hula. The only thing I stuck with was hula.
I had asked a friend who danced hula in the East Bay and she recommended the halau, Na Lei Hulu I Ka Wekiu. I know, imagine how hard it was for me to grasp the pronunciation and I had to say it correctly or be shamed! Knowing nothing about hula, I found out that it was really great timing on my part because the halau was opening a beginning class around the same time I had inquired. So I joined ... all by myself. That in itself was kind of a big deal for me because I tended to at least drag one friend with me to do things. But I guess I was on some sort of self-discovery kick.
For four years, I learned hula. But it was so much more than that! I learned more about myself, built friendships and gained a great appreciation for a culture that was not mine but adopted me into the fold. Almost all of my hula brothers and sisters were so sweet, kind, funny and welcoming. I later found out that I was so spoiled to even have hula brothers since many other halau didn't have male students. And can I just that hula brothers are as fabulous as you think they are ... maybe more. I also grew up a lot during this time - dating for the first time (can we say FIASCO?!), getting over a broken heart, chasing the wrong guys, learning to have fun as a single girl in the city ... just so much fun.
Anyway, I ended up leaving Na Lei Hulu because the commute from the East Bay was killing me. I wasn't practicing nearly as much as I should have and I was doing a disservice to myself, my kumu, and his teaching assistants by not giving it my all. But I continued to go to Na Lei Hulu performances because they are absolutely wonderful. I did make friends attend with me and I think they all appreciated the performances. Tel, in particular, was always moved and right there with me when it came that time of the year to buy tickets for the show! And since she's left, I think I've missed two years in a row because I was either out of state (attending a friend's wedding in Hawaii) or just didn't have anyone who wanted to fork over the money to see the show with me.
This year, I asked The Man to pretty please come with me to a show because I didn't want to miss another year. He appreciates the culture and really likes the music but just doesn't dig hula as much as me. I think he finds it a little too relaxing - I've caught him nodding off. But he agreed to go because I really really really miss seeing their shows.
The halau and kumu are pretty well known within the hula community and have been embraced by the San Francisco Bay Area, as well. Here is a video that was made for our local PBS station back in 2001 and still airs today:

I am so excited to see their show in October!!!

A little bit of their fault + a little bit of mine = me screwed up the hoo-hah

I got a moving violation (aka ticket) in May 2007. I completed online traffic school in September to take the point off my record. Last time I took online traffic school, the school sent my certification of completion to the court. This time they did not and I was supposed to do that. MY FAULT. I didn't realize my error until The Man put me on his insurance and wanted to know why I had a point on my record which made insuring me super expensive. A month before we got married, I called the DMV to find out if I had a point on my record. "Oh yes," the woman told me. "Let me show you which form you need to print off our website and submit with your certification of completion."
Sweet, right?
Yah. Not so effin' sweet.
I called the DMV yesterday because I never received any confirmation they received my certificate of completion and The Man wanted to give my now clean record to the insurance so they could change how much he pays. The person from the DMV told me that I wasn't supposed to send it to the DMV but to the court. I told him that one of his colleagues (because OF COURSE I didn't get the name) instructed me to fill out a specific document and mail it to Sacramento back in March.
"Yahhhhh, you weren't supposed to do that."
He told me to call the court because I should have mailed the certificate to them and they were the only ones that would be able to fix this. Then he gave me a phone number to call the court.
It didn't work.
Fan-flippin-tastic.
I call the number that the outgoing message said to call.
That didn't work.
Finally I google-ed (bless the Google) the City of Fremont Court and called. And spoke to a meeeaaan lady. She curtly said that the DMV has a policy that allows only six months to correct an error. According to their records, I had six months from October 2007. Keep in mind that had I sent the form to the court and not the DMV in March, I would have made that deadline. But I didn't. Because someone at the DMV had told me different.
Of course, the court lady could give two $hits about my predicament. She said there was nothing they could do and that I need to call the DMV.
"But I just called the DMV and they told me to call you!"
She replied (bitchily ... if that was a word) that it's the DMV's policy so I would have to take it up with them.
I called back the DMV and got someone with a thick accent. Now, I pride myself in being an open minded individual who embraces all cultures and am very understanding that with each culture there are different communication styles - I could write an entry all about that, it's really quite fascinating but off topic so back to the story - however, this man was a shouter. Which, like I just wrote, kind of goes with some communication styles of other ethnicities but this was not a time where I embraced such diversity.
It just riled me up more.
I explained the same story for the third time. He was good in the way that he shortened but repeated to me what I had said to make sure he understood. Then he told me that there was nothing the DMV could do and that it was up to the court to let re-open my case. He told me I should request to speak to a judge.
"I should what? How would I even get to see a judge?"
He said that I should tell the court my situation and ask the judge to make an exception. Because there was nothing he could do.
"Do you understand?" he asked.
I told him yes.
And then he hung up. No good luck, no good bye, no nothing. He just hung up.
Sweet Mary.
I called the court for the second time and told my story for the FOURTH time. Of course, I have to also add the information of all the conversations I had throughout the day. She told me that they no longer had my records and there wasn't a way for a judge to see me. And, as kindly as possible, she told me that I was screwed.
She actually wasn't mean and I really appreciated it. But she told me that there was nothing that the court could do and if the DMV wasn't willing to do anything, I would have this on my record until October 2010.
So that was that.
Two hours and four pain-in-my-ass calls later, there was nothing more to be done.
And now I totally get why people hate government offices like the DMV.

Note: This is from a child of a US Postal Worker. I don't necessarily hate the people but I sure hate the system.

A nice weekend

How was your weekend? Ours was very nice. Vero and her hubby came to visit and the liquor was flowing ... in a respectable fashion. :) They are fantastic house guests and The Man was happy to see his best friend. We drank, we ate, we played games, we drank ... lots of fun. Thanks for visiting us!
After they left, The Man pleaded with me to go with him to San Francisco to run an errand. I was pooped and didn't want to go but he bribed me by saying we could bring the pups. I'm glad I went with him because he was picking up an item he bought on Craigslist. Call me a worrier, but I'm always leary of meeting strangers. And not that I'm strong enough to overtake someone that may want to rob The Man, but at least I could furiously call 911 and scream at the top of my lungs. Anyway, we were in a sketchy part of San Francisco but all went well. OK, we were actually on the cusp of sketchy. We were parked in front of nice apartments. And then right across the street were not-so-nice apartments with six cop cars out front. And no, I'm not exaggerating for effect.
I got this great idea after he was done that we should take the pups across the Golden Gate Bridge. I told him I don't recall ever walking the bridge, I know he hasn't walked the bridge, so wouldn't it be fun? He reluctantly agreed (he didn't have much room to bargain since he did drag me to SF to run an errand) and away we went. We found the place to park but it was packed. Of course it would be - this is a landmark and it was 4:00pm. Tourists galore! We parked in the the overflow lot and made our way to the bridge.
It was on the crowded side but not overwhelming. The pups were having a ball! They were pulling on their leashes and leading the way. Good to know Obedience Training paid off. The Man and I knew we weren't appropriately dressed as we passed people in parkas, scarves and beenies. But we kept truckin'. I wanted to walk the length of the bridge but we realized that we only had one poop bag left and The Man didn't want to risk it. He's a reasonable fellow.
We only walked half of the bridge but had a good time. The pups didn't get tired at all (usually Piko gives up on life halfway into a walk) and I exclaimed how much fun the girls were having. The Man said that he thinks it was more terror - between the cars, people and the wind whipping us, he thought they were hauling ass, not because they were excited but because they were scared for their lives. I prefer to think they were very excited.
What was best about this visit is that The Man admired the views we saw from the Golden Gate Bridge and said to me, "You know what? You're right. San Francisco can be beautiful." Oh happy day! He hates going into the city which made me sad because there are parts that I love. I understand not liking the hustle and bustle but there are just some places that are lovely. I convinced him that we should come back in a month, dressed appropriately, earlier in the day so there would be less people and cars. He agreed. We'll also bring a camera so we can take pictures and post! I know, we'll totally look like tourists but it's OK. It will be worth it!

And Tel! I convinced The Man that he has to go with me to the Hula Show! With you not around, I've been hard pressed to find a companion :(

So I spent over three hours reading an entire blog ...

... and his story broke my heart and lifted my spirits at the same time.
I've written time and time again that blogs are an interesting phenomenon. And when people put it ALL OUT THERE for everyone to read, including me, I'm sort of in awe. Because I just don't have that kind of trust ... balls ... or whatever you would call it.
But for this person, I think it's therapeutic, a way to cope when one of the most awful things happens in his life. And I have to admit, I questioned why I was so facinated and captivated by his blog. I was worried that I was one of those people that fed off of someone's misery. Not necessarily enjoyed ... I don't know how to describe it. I guess someone who liked the drama? Anyway, I did NOT want that to be me.
I think why I'm drawn to his blog is because, unlike me, he puts it all out there. His anger, his fears, his sadness ... there doesn't appear to be any censoring and I respect and admire that because everything he is writing is real. And raw. I wrote "his story" but really it's "his life." The incidents in his life that have caused extreme pain and joy at the same time. And yes, I cried! Oh how some of the entries made me cry. Sometimes, it was just the pictures, other times, it's the notes people wrote to him that he posted.
Thanks, Jen, for putting a link to his blog on yours and introducing me to him. I am cheering on Matt and Madeline and wishing them the very best.

"I was built with a tan, yo."

I said that to the boss of my boss. Well, without the "yo." And yes, there was alcohol involved but it was totally in context with the conversation. 

I hate ants. And it appears we have an ant problem. Well, kind of. There isn't a trail but there are quite a few scouts. 

It is my duty to kill every one of those bastards.

What I hate is that now I feel like there are ants crawling on my arms and legs. 

Vero, we have not cleaned at all. I am sorry. And The Man thought it would be doable for us to go to South San Jose early in the morning on Saturday to see his old roommate and his baby as well as pick up his mail. All before 10am. I love my husband but dang, that's a jam packed morning. So we are going to try and clean for the next two nights. I just don't see our home becoming spic and span. So here is my apology in advance. We'll try and liquor you and your husband up so you won't notice! I can at least promise you clean sheets.

I am in a funny mood. Not a bad mood, just funny. And yes, the week of Power is fast approaching. Maybe THAT'S it. But I'm overall a happy gal. 

Things I'm thankful for ...

1. Raid

2. Cloudy skies

3. Nectarines in season

4. Good sashimi

5. A nice walk along the bay with a good friend

WWLDD ... What would Liz@D@wn do?

So check this out - as you know (if you read my Twitter) I've started the process of changing my name. What an adventure that was. And I'm going to share it with you.
Monday, July 7th: I decided to try and go to the Social Security Office and the DMV.
Mistake #1: Not doing any kind of research before going to these fine establishments. OK, that's the only mistake I'm listing. But it's a good one!
I thought that I could "pop in" to take care of my business. I knew there was going to be a wait but I figured it wouldn't be so bad. "Ah-hah!" you smirk. And you would be correct. Both places were crazy busy and I refused to wait at either one. The SS Office had a helpful guard who said the best times to come were either first thing in the morning or late in the afternoon.
Wednesday, July 9th: So I went back at 8:45am, waited a little over 20 minutes and had myself a new last name. At least with the SS Office.
Then I went to the Kaiser Pharmacy to pick up a prescription. I was in the area and it was as good of a time of any to pick up my stuff. I swear the same people that were at the SS Office were in line at the pharmacy. Hey. I know that I wasn't turning any heads with my T-shirt and faded sweat shorts but I looked somewhat presentable. I suppose, though, that these people should be cut some slack because they were sick. Anyway, the line is long but it was moving rather fast with the three different windows open. I was next in line when I saw, out of the corner of my eye, this little old lady limping as she is pushing her walker. And she is bypassing the line and going straight to an un-manned window.
I ask you ... WWLDD?
I eyeballed this lady, wondering what would unfold. At this time, a window had become free and the pharmacist tech said, "Next!" I walked to the window which happened to be right next the little old lady. She didn't try to cut in front of me and I was relieved that there wouldn't be a showdown. But if she had tried ... would I say something? I really wondered. As the PT was pulling up my file in the computer, I had continued to eyeball the old lady. I saw that she glanced behind her and saw the long line. But she doesn't move.
My PT was about to get my prescription when the little old lady piped up from the other obviously un-manned window, "Excuse me! Is anyone at this window?"
My PT replied, "Oh! I thought someone was helping you! I will help you right after her."
I was torn. Here was this little old lady who was obviously quite frail and was somehow damaged. While she didn't give off a bitchy vibe, she had this air of entitlement when my PT talked to her. Kind of like, "Oh yes. See to that, young man." I know she saw that there was a line. But she didn't seem at all grateful that the PT was going to help her next. She seemed a little bit impatient, if anything. But again, she wasn't mean. And it was obvious that she was not in the best health or in the prime of her life. But STILL.
I had thought about passing the PT a note to let him know that the little old lady wasn't next. I didn't want the little old lady hear me say, "Psst. She didn't wait in line, man! All those people are ahead of her." But then I figured that even if I did let the PT know, he would still help her next because she was already there and it was easier to help her out than make her go to the very end of the line. It was probably much quicker to help her out then set her straight and possibly cause a scene. But how would I feel if I had been one of those people, especially when she had looked back, saw the line and probably made eye contact with a few of them. I wouldn't have been a happy camper if I was one of those people. Unless she was bleeding, shaking or obviously hurt in some way, I would have wanted her to fall in line with the rest of us commoners.
All of this was racing through my mind as the PT got my prescription. When he came back, I decided not to tell him because I figured he would help out the little old lady no matter what. Yes folks, I kept my mouth shut. I took my prescription, thanked him and moved out of the way so the little old cutter could be helped next.
I think I did the right thing. I think. I'm really not quite sure. Part of me wonders if that little old lady/cutter would have caused a scene if I pointed out to the PT that she cut in line or if I had told her that there was actually a line. As if she didn't know. I'm OK, though, with never finding out. Because me up against an 80+ old woman wouldn't have been good. I'm sure the whole pharmacy would have turned on me.

Oh lazy days ...

Happy to report that I now have a doctor with small hands. 

It's been really hard for me to get back to the great eating and exercising habits that I had prior to the wedding. And then my minor medical problem really uninspired me to do anything other than sleep and eat. 

But I'm healthy again and have no excuses. Time to get serious again! 

We had a very chill 4th of July. We ate at my parents' house and then went home with the puppies. I miss seeing fireworks but I'm not a big fan of fighting crowds and leaving the pups at home. Hope you had a good one!

Thankful list:

1. Having a petite doctor

2. A husband who sometimes surprises me with breakfast ( like today!)

3. a very clean laundry mat to wash comforters (in preparation for Pooks and her Hubs!)

4. 7 On Your Side - will explain once everything is resolved

5. muscular legs - haven't been hitting the gym so thank goodness there are some muscles somewhere!!

TMI

I need a doctor with small hands.

Happy for weekends ...

I love I'm Yours by Jason Mraz. So yes, because it brings me absolute joy every time I hear it on my blog, you are subjected to it too! It's so happy, bubbly and simple ... like me! Ha, sometimes :) Don't worry, I'm sure I'll take it down in a month or two ;)
Saw Iron Man w/ The Man this morning. Wow, who knew Robert Downey Jr could be a super hero?! Good look for him! And he pulled it off. I want to see the movie with him, Jack Black and Ben Stiller. Oh man, I love movies that make me laugh and laugh and I think that one will deliver. I hope! Anyway, we really liked Iron Man. Poor Jon, he was so disappointed when we saw Get Smart but now he's happy again because we saw a good movie. We still need to see The Hulk, Batman, Kung Fu Panda ... The Man wants to see Wanted but I won't see it because I am sticking to my boycott against A. Jolie. Hey, everyone's entitled to my opinion. Same reason I won't buy anything by R. Kelly.
Going to fondue with some girlfriends tonight. I love cheese so I'm in trouble! Hopefully I can control myself. It's been so hard now that I don't have to fit into that dress ;) 
Going on month three and still asked, "How does it feel to be married?" My answer? Feels good! He's pretty fantastic ... shhh, can't have him having a big head. Oh go ahead, tell him I said he's all that.

Thankful list:
1. My morning coffee, Ganoderma. That stuff wakes me up and keeps me regular.
2. Braces - man, my teeth would be all kinds of jacked if my parents didn't pay for them.
3. My hair salon - next month will be nine years with my hair stylist! I just visited the salon - I chickened out, as I predicted. Just got a trim, highlights and lowlights. Anyway, I adore my salon.
4. The breeze we get from the Bay
5. Waking up next to The Man and our puppies wedged in wherever they find room on the bed

Have a great weekend!

Natural disasters and such

Yes, I'm crushin' on Fridays again :) I love this day of the week! Like a little reward for surviving yet another work week.

The air quality in our area isn't so great right now. Luckily, I have no respiratory issues. I feel really bad for those that do, though, because it smells like campfire outside and it's really hazy. I can't imagine what it's like to lose your home to a fire. Or any other disaster, for that matter.

I was really worried about my relatives in the Philippines earlier this week. There was a major typhoon that flooded certain areas. Because I'm geographically "special", I wasn't sure if it affected my relatives so I sent out an email asking if everyone was OK. Thankfully, everyone in the family was fine, just experiencing very wet weather and some were without electricity. They told me how some of their colleagues and friends lost everything. Can you imagine? You lose all your appliances, your clothes, your special momentos ... your home. Some of them could barely see their rooftops. I know that people are experiencing that right here in the US, too.

Personalizing everything (which is sometimes good, sometimes bad) I wonder what the heck we're going to do when the next big earthquake hits. We all know it's bound to happen, we just don't know when. We all know, especially in the Bay Area, that is the risk we take for living in such a great area. I mean, many are knowingly living right on top of a fault line! I know I live fairly close to one - most people in the Bay Area do.

I remember exactly where I was when the big 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake hit. I was doing my homework in the family room and my mom was watching TV. Then things hanging from the ceiling started swaying and items around the house started shaking. It lasted for what felt like minutes. Later we found out that while driving on his way to work, my dad missed the collapse of the Cypress (part of the Nimitz Freeway) by two minutes.

OK, enough of being a downer it just makes a person think, you know?

I'm thankful for ...
1. $15/month gym membership: "What?!" you screech. Here's the thing. The Man pays a hefty gym membership so that he can go to any 24Hour Fitness in the Bay Area. He didn't want to just commit to one location because he works far from where we live and wanted to keep his options open. I asked if I could be put onto his membership and we added me to his account for $30/month. Typical me - I didn't end up going to the gym. I felt bad for wasting money so I called to cancel my membership. "Ma'am, would you be willing to stay if we lowered you to $19.99/month?" "Hellz ya!" I replied. OK, not really but I that's what I was thinking. After a couple of months, The Man asked me if I threatened to quit again. I told him no, I had only called that one time. He showed me the bill and I was being charged $15/month. I don't know what the heck happened but that was fine by me! So I pay a $15/month membership ... but a GRIP on personal training. I'll just concentrate on being thankful for the cheap membership.

2. Rum & Diet Coke: 75 or so calories of pure bliss. I had two yesterday with some coworkers (and my boss!) to celebrate the end of the fiscal year. Rum & Diet Cokes know how to take the edge off, let me tell you! And unless I have a whack bartender, they are hardly ever not "effective." By that I mean "provide a nice buzz." I've learned to be careful at the Mexican restaurants, though. The peeps there make them s-t-r-o-n-g. No complaints because I love to get my money's worth. I've just learned I better have some chips and salsa or I'm floored. Or seeing stars.

3. Bill Payer: Bless my little credit union, I love this feature! I am terrible at having stamps on hand and even worse about remembering when bills are due. My bank charges me 25cents for each bill I pay online - cheaper than a stamp! I love how I can decide when I want my bill to be my paid, too. This way I never forget and incur late charges. Suh-weeet.

4. Proximity to my parents: My parents live about five minutes from my home. Yes, they can drive me crazy at the drop of a dime but I also love them to pieces. They have always been so supportive of me. And yes, that's what parents do but they have always supported my decisions, even when they didn't agree. When I was miserable at one of my previous jobs, my dad told me that I should quit. I told him I couldn't quit, I needed to find another job first before quitting. He told me that I was always welcomed in the house and that I would never starve or be homeless. After our conversation, I thought about how he and my mom worked at jobs, staying until retirement, because they had to support their family. And how they probably dealt with way more bull$hit then I have because they weathered through decades of change, bad bosses, bad coworkers and whatever other drama normally occurs at work. It could have so easy for my dad to say, "Buck up! Do you know what I've dealt with through the years!? Do you know how many times your mom and I wanted to quit but couldn't because we had to support you guys?" But he didn't. He just wanted to see me happy. My parents, crazy makers they may be, are wonderful folks and I'm so happy they are close by.

5. Crystal Light: I know, kind of quirky. I do not enjoy the (non) taste of water. When I made the decision to eat better and work out, drinking 64 oz a day was the easiest thing I could change in my life to treat my body better. But how could I stomach that much water and resist drinking the diet sodas that I loved so much? Easy - Crystal Light. And they have those To Go packs now that are just awesome. My favorite flavor? Peach Mango Green Tea. Tastes like Snapple Peach Tea. Yumm.

Things

I know, material things are just things. But I'm also grateful for certain things because they make our lives easier. And they make chores a little more bearable. I won't go as far as writing "fun" but material things help me out a lot. For instance ...

1. I'm thankful for the kick ass Dyson that we got as a wedding gift from The Man's best friend and Vero! The Man vacuums so much now! I'm not exaggerating. He likes to point out all the hair we can both see through the canister. Whatever. It gets him to vacuum a lot (I'm not joking, The Man vacuums at least once a week. Usually more!!!) He likes gadgets and this one is a fine one for him to play with and enjoy. As the former sole vacuuming person in the house, this was a welcome addition.

There's just seems to be this fascination in us being able to see the gross stuff we are vacuuming from our floor over the mysterious vacuum bag that came from our Hoover.

2. I'm thankful for Gertrude who came to us a few months ago and is great addition to the family! I started to write about her back in April when we first got her but I deleted the entry because I felt like I was showin' off. Well, whatever. She's a few months old now and I really am grateful for her! Some of you may remember Cupcake, my old but kind-of-sturdy black Pontiac Sunfire. I swore I would drive her into the ground because she was paid off! And by golly, I stuck to my word and done nearly drove her into the ground! The passenger window had become fickle, sometimes not rolling up. NOT good since I drive a lot for work. And then Cupcake simply cut out on me while I was driving on Mission Blvd. Well, we debated if we should make the repairs and when The Man looked up her safety ratings, he came up with a really good case for buying a new car. With all the driving I do, he rationalized that I will have a pretty great chance of one day being in an accident. Morbid, I know, but he's right. Since he loves researching online for gadgets (and yes, I consider cars a really expensive gadget) he researched every night for about eight to ten weeks on different cars. Yes, while I was planning for the wedding ;) I was really big on fuel efficiency (I had no idea that gas was going to be $5/gallon or I would have argued more about it!) and The Man was really big on crash safety ratings. I really wanted a certain car and would not budge. Then he showed me a video on a crash test for my #1 pick. The video went on to say that the driver would likely incur "brain hemorrhaging" should he/she be hit from the side at 45 mph.
The Man knows how to argue his case, let me tell you. But I still need something fuel efficient, I argued back! He was exasperated by then and said, "Well I really don't think you will care much about fuel efficiency when you're missing a limb or something!!!" Point taken. So there went my #2 pick, as well.
Not to worry, he also had to compromise. I test drove his #1 pick and did not care for it. We ended up with his #2 choice which was my #3 -

Her name is Gertrude. Gertie, for short. Dirty Gertie when she's not clean or is acting up. The reason why I named her Gertrude is because her voice is kind of stern and formal. The Man did not care for this name. He wanted me to name her something more exotic. I had named our GPS "Sabine" because she had an Australian/British accent and the named sounded appropriate. Oh well, I'm driving it so I'm naming it! Gertrude has proven to be an awesome car. The Man is less anxious about all my daily driving and I feel pretty safe, too. She has butt warmers (for the life of him, The Man does not understand why chicks dig butt warmers! I told him butt warmers rule!) and a great A/C which Cupcake, sadly, had a hard time with - not sure if it's because it was a black car or just getting old but Cupcake was H-O-T! Didn't matter if it was winter or summer, if it was sunny, she was an oven. As I mentioned, Gertie is a stern sounding car but she also gives clear and accurate directions and is extremely useful for my job. It costs quite a bit to fill 'er up but I actually fill her up less frequently than I did the Sunfire. Phewww!

3. We finally, FINALLY, started using the slow cooker Kim & Ryan bought us for our wedding! Our home gets super hot during the summer, especially whenever we use the oven or stove so this appliance really comes in handy right about now. It doesn't make our house one big oven ... thank goodness!

What's moded is that I haven't bothered to look up recipes to get the maximum benefit of this great slow cooker. What are we using it for, you ask? To cook the pups' chicken! I know, I know, you think it's ridiculous. Well, they won't eat just kibble ... they have gone two days straight without eating. We mix up some chicken with it and problem solved! They eat. So if anyone has a great recipe we can use so that we can make a nice meal, please let me know! I've had people tell me, "Oh! Just throw some chicken, onion, garlic, carrots and potatoes and you've got yourself a meal!" I am not that secure in my cooking, people. I like exact measurements.
The reason why we finally unearthed this great gift, along with the rest of our fantastic wedding gifts, is because The Man has finally unpacked all his stuff. It's hard to explain since it's not like we moved into a new place. But if you could have seen what it looked like when he finally moved in all his stuff - it was something else. We still have one room that needs some serious help :( Anyway, we are finally finding a place for everything and putting everything in its place!

4. My Sonicare toothbrush - I've had this for a while. It's a great contraption, I tell you. After I got three cavities, I take my dental hygiene very seriously. Those cavities were my first ever, by the way. I conveniently got them right after I was taken off my parents' insurance and I was working at a job that did not provide medical or dental!

Those have been my only cavities and I think a lot has to do with my Sonicare toothbrush. I'm not keen on the idea of wearing dentures ... I'm not a hater, I'm just trying to keep my real teeth for as long as possible.

5. OK, I know this one sounds ridiculous but I forgot how much I loved this product until we stopped using it and then recently bought it again:


I used to work for Bath and Body Works back in college. I loved all their stuff and wore it all the time. As I got older, I stopped using many of their products. But there are two that I love - their hand soap and their antibacterial gel. We ran out of the hand soap a couple months ago and never replaced it because we both hate going to the mall. Instead, The Man bought some soap from the grocery store and we used that. No biggie, it totally worked. Last Saturday, we happened to need to go to the mall and walked by Bath and Body Works. Whooohooo, they were having a sale - 3 antibacterial products for $10. I bought some hand soap, of course!
Oh my word, the Midnight Pomegranate is di-vine!!!! It smells so good, it makes our hands smell good and because BBW stuff is strong, it makes the bathroom smell good! All that scent-y goodness in a squirt of hand soap. Awesome.

So these are a few of my favorite things. Please remember that if you have a good slow cooker recipe, send it my way! The Man and I will be very grateful.

Oh, and me joining the bandwagon a little bit late ... here is MY weemee!

Taken from one of Daisy's Mama's entries!
No, no, I'm not dillusional. I know I'm no angel! But I try to be good. Most of the time. And out of all the expressions to choose from, this one seemed the most calm. Happy without going overboard. What I really dig is that she's tan so it's pretty accurate representation! Now if only they made slated eyes an option ...

OhmyGAWD, thank goodness it's Friday

Going all Oprah on y'all -
1. I love Fridays. I am thankful for Fridays. For as long as I can remember, it has been my most favorite day. Better than Saturday and far better than Sunday (Sundays kind of depress me because it's a hop-skip-and-a-jump from Monday.) Work always seems a little easier on Fridays.
2. My puppies. I adore the pups. They have helped me see that there are maternal instincts buried deep inside :) Check it out, even though Piko puked in our bed and it seeped through the sheet and it was at 5am, I can still look at her adoringly. They are fantastic creatures, I tell you - little people in fur coats! The Man has stressful days at work, at times, and before he would play video games or watch a kung fu movie to decompress. Now the puppies almost always do the trick. Pili lunges her body at his face to lick, lick, lick. Piko gives quick kisses and then rolls over for a belly rub. Their typical ways of saying hello!
3. Being regular. Thanks to my special coffee every morning, I am a regular gal. Yahhhh, I WROTE IT. Man, if you've ever been irregular, you know that is a freakin' blessing to be regular. I don't need to write more about that, do I?
4. Having dinner with a childhood friend last night. I'm not great at sustaining friendships. I could write a whole entry on it. But I'll just leave it with it takes a lot of work. Anyway, I have this one friend that I've known since I was 11 years old. We have been friends for 18 years!!! The last four years have been tough, though. Nothing major happened, we just lost touch, grew to have different lives and grew apart. Well, we finally got it together and had drinks last night! It was really nice.
5. Cool 60 degrees mornings. It has been in the 90s for the past few days so it's nice to wake up to comfortable weather ... before it gets uncomfortable! We have a lot of body heat in our bed between The Man, me, and our two very furry dogs so I love comfortably cool mornings.

Now the typical ramblings -
What the hell is going on with gas prices?!?! Unbelievable!!! And possible off shore drilling? OK, seriously, how did this man get reelected? I can't wait for a democrat to get into office!! Sweet mary, who would have ever thought gas would reach $5/gallon?
I am making a conscious effort to stop "gossiping" at work. It's with only one person in particular and she somehow manages to get me to say what I really think with very little or no censoring. But I'm putting it on me, not her, because in the end I control what I say. I can tell when our conversations going towards a negative direction but it feels so good to talk to someone who voices my same concerns that I just go right along with her. She's not at all a bad person, she's actually very nice. But it's just never good to gossip, you know? I justify it by convincing myself that they are MY feelings so why wouldn't I share? It's not like I'm revealing someone else's feelings. But in the end, I am talking about other people and I don't feel good about myself. So no more gossiping!! Especially since, overall, I really like my job.
Oh! For the single friends that will eventually have a wedding ... I saw the cutest wedding invitation the other day. If I could do it again, I would have totally taken the idea. It was very simple and just The Man and my style. It was the normal size of an invitation but heavier paper and semi-gloss. On one side was a picture of the couple. It filled up the whole page so from far away it looked like a professional photograph - probably one of their engagement pictures. They looked so relaxed and beautiful and the background was a park. On the other side was all the information for the wedding. Including a website where guests had to RSVP. It was a green background which matched the green from the trees in their picture with white lettering. It was so simple yet different and totally beautiful! Anyway, it's a wedding my parents are attending but because I liked the invitation so much, I told my folks I was going to hijack the invitation afterwards for anyone's future reference. I like it so much because it was a great picture of the couple and there was no fuss or muss with multiple envelopes or papers - I wish I had thought of that! Plus it didn't look that expensive to make - bonus!!!!! Now that my wedding planning days are over, I truly enjoy seeing other people's interpretations and ideas of their big day especially if it's completely different than mine. I know that destination weddings are all the rage (hello, we jumped on that bandwagon!) so I enjoy hearing how people make it work in the Bay Area. Weird, right?

Lulu Updates

1. I just realized that I could use all the Target gift cards we received from our wedding towards buying my expensive ass conditioner!!!!! I use Pureology, which I love. But it is mighty tough on the wallet. I used to go to the fancy beauty supply stores to buy it. Well, I recently ran out and the thought of spending $55 for conditioner (see?! Granted, it's a big bottle but sheeeeeesh!) has been making me put it off. My poor hair. It's had to deal with Pantene shampoo - not even 2-in-1! Now don't get me wrong, it's all good and fine but I'm sure my hair will turn on me and break off if I don't get it some Pureology pronto.

2. I recently decided to see a chiropractor. Sort of. OK, here's the thing. I have had major pain in my left shoulder. I'm pretty sure it was when I started to work more from home than in the office. Yes, folks, all the ergonomically correct stuff that HR pushes on us is really for our own good. I was working from a laptop on a dining table. I got it checked out by my Kaiser doctor and she diagnosed it as tendonitis. She suggested I go to physically therapy. Since I knew I would have to pay a co-pay, I filed a worker's comp claim to see if I could get that covered. I ended up getting denied - I think it's because I am not technically a telecommuter. I didn't mind, though, because The Man and I ended up buying stuff to make my home office ergonomically correct and the pain went away. Well, it's back and my shoulder aches a lot. A good friend of mine swears by chiropractic care and appealed to my reasonable side by saying it was cheaper than a massage and the effects last longer than a massage. Sweet.
I love the Yelp. It's not always perfect but I feel like I can make a more educated decision than just looking in the phone book. I yelp-ed chiropractors and found Life Chiropractic College West. I read the reviews and it looked good. I know that my body is a temple and I should see a professional, not a student. But since it's my first experience with chiropractic care, I wanted to see what it was all about without shelling out a lot of money. Plus, this would also be a great way to try out a chiropractor. Once the intern graduates, and if I like her, I can follow the chiropractor and become of one her patients. I like the idea of holistic medicine (how Californian can I be?!) and this looks to be a great introduction for me. I am also comforted by the fact that these students had to earn a degree and then study roughly 18 months in chiropractic college before dealing with patients.
I had my first visit and, while the gal was a bit chatty, she appeared to truly know what she was doing. I liked that she was extremely thorough - we spend 45 minutes going over the paperwork I filled out. She then had to review her notes with a faculty doctor, who then works with her to determine the appropriate course of care for my condition. I am really looking forward to my next visit which is when I will get my first adjustment!

3. I gave in, I replaced my Nalgene bottle for a stainless steel one. Lawdee, I'm sorry for giving you a bad time, Sister! See, Sister told me early this year how she heard that certain plastic bottles weren't good for us and that they could leach toxins when kept in warm to hot temperatures. She showed me the bottle she was eyeing to replace her Nalgene bottle. "$22?!" I screeched. It didn't even hold a lot of water, maybe 18oz at most! I scoffed at her concern, saying something like it was a ploy for us to buy these new fancy bottles.
Over the months since this conversation, I saw more and more people carrying around these stainless steel water containers. Keep in mind, I work with a lot of health and wellness professionals. What finally did me in? One of the "gifts" we give to kids from my company is a water bottle. A principal gave me this note (I corrected the misspellings):
Dear Mrs. Bl00m,
I was wondering if the water bottles we got have BPA in it. I would like to know if I can use it, thanks.
Here was this third grader, granted, I'm certain her parents influenced her but here is this little girl who is concerned about drinking from the water bottle we gave her! (Which, by the way, is completely clear of PBA, thank-you-very-much.) But my Nalgene bottle - who knew? So I went onto the Nalgene website. It was vague. It basically said that bottles with the #7 weren't neccessarily bad. They weren't necessarily good either but it didn't mean it was bad. Maybe.
Whaaaaa?!
Then I went onto Amazon and found this:
National Toxicology Program at the National Institutes of Health Opinion:"Although there is no direct evidence that exposure of people to bisphenol A adversely affects reproduction or development, studies with laboratory rodents show that exposure to high dose levels of bisphenol A during pregnancy and/or lactation can reduce survival, birth weight, and growth of offspring early in life, and delay the onset of puberty in males and females. Recognizing the lack of data on the effects of bisphenol A in humans and despite the limitations in the evidence for "low" dose effects in laboratory animals, the possibility that bisphenol A may impact human development cannot be dismissed. More research is needed."Source: National Institutes of Health, National Toxicology Program. 14 April. 2008. U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services. 29 April. 2008. http://www.niehs.nih.gov/news/media/questions/sya-bpa.cfm

All right, to heck with THAT. So I caved in and bought this:


I love me some Amazon. The Man bought this 27 oz container for $16! And what's great about it is that the mouth is wide enough for me to use a baby bottle brush to clean it and it fits into my cup holder unlike the old water bottle.
Wow, this is probably one of THE MOST boring entries I've written. But I am big on drinking water. It' s one of the easiest things that I can do that is very healthy for me so I make no apologies for being very excited about my new water container :)

A truly deep and important topic

My hair. This internal battle happens every so often, usually when I have too much time on my hands or if it's hot.
Well, it's getting hot.
I remember when I was 21 years old I promised myself that I would cut my hair when I turned 25. I wanted to be a reporter and knew that I would have to have a stylish yet sensible bob. Yahhhh, and when that time came around, I was in grad school studing broadcasting and realizing that I didn't want a career in television. Oops.
Then year after year, I entertained the idea and chickened out. This past year, knew I wanted to grow it out for the wedding because I wanted long, pretty curls. Obviously the wedding has come and gone and here it is, 85+ degrees and I'm hot as all get out again.
Recently I've been looking at these women with their sophisticated angled bobs (you know, the one where it's longer in the front and the back is so short it's even shaved.) I've also been admiring those really daring cuts where the hair is just two or three inches long and it's spikey but still feminine with very cool highlights. Very femmebot, if you will. They look so cute and cool in this summer heat while I feel like I'm just melting away, looking sweaty and having limp hair. Ponytails and buns are my only boring saviors.
But I am a big ol' chicken. I'm still traumatized over my early college years when I chopped off more than a foot (result from a broken heart) and didn't know anything about hair to ask for it to be layered. So there I was, looking like a saucerhead. Or mushroom. Not a pretty time in my life.
So there it is, folks. All that hair. I posted a picture because other than it looking red from the sunlight (it's actually brown to dark brown,) it's pretty accurate. That hair, people, causes my body temp to rise 5-10 degrees from the actual temperature outside. OK, no scientific proof but it feels that way. And I know that I will just grin and bear it - or bitch and bear it - for the summer and then forget all about my urge to cut it in the winter. Because that's when I really appreciate being 5-10 degrees warmer.
Or I'll finally get the stones to do it and just chop it all off. We'll see.

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I like this blog. And her most recent entry reminded me that I had written a while back that I wanted to write about good things that happen to me just as a reminder that life really isn't that bad. And it's so easy to complain ... why isn't it just as easy to be positive? Here goes:

1. My parents invited us over for a BBQ dinner and it was goooood.

2. I'm looking over at the couch right now and both The Man and Pili are sleeping on their backs with Pili cuddling up against his leg. So freakin' cute!

3. I'm grateful I can work from home.

4. I talked to my long lost (well, for a few months!) BFF at work and although she's moving to a different department, she said we'll still be work BFFs :)

5. The purse I'm knitting up is looking nice.

It's kind of sad that I had to pause and think of five simple things that were positive. I bet, without hesitation, I could list all sorts of stuff to bitch about. Hopefully if I'm able to stick with it, the good stuff will be easier to remember! I know, how Sunshine Suzy of me but I don't care! I need a little more Miss Merry Sunshine in me!!!

Continuing to feel content ... despite the government having it in for me.

I was driving back home this morning, happy as can be. The sun was shining, not a cloud in the sky and I felt at peace. My life, while far from perfect, is a good one and I was thankful for that.
Then I remembered that I received a letter that said I owed the government over $1,500. What is depressing is that it's true - I do. The Man made an oopsie when he filed my 2006 taxes. Not his fault. They were my forms and I should have double checked. He just thought that the bank had made an error. Uh, they didn't. And now I owe big bucks.
Ugh.
And then a couple days later I got two, yes TWO, summons for Jury Service. One for June 30th in Oakland and then another one for July 1st in Hayward. Is that even possible?! I have to call to see if that is an oopsie on someone else's part. Because that kind of sucks.
So, despite having to write a f-a-t check and most likely having jury duty in a few weeks, I'm still happy. I just want to know who I ticked off so I can do some major @ss kissing. Seriously - two jury summons?! There has to be someone who has it in for me!