Farewell 2008

2008 was a fabulous year...

Started out with one of my favorite things in life:

A themed party!

Followed a few weeks later by the question of a lifetime

In the spring, we celebrated with our Engagement Party

In the summer, my best girl finally became an engaged woman to her fiancee, Rob!

When fall came round, naturally, we married, we honeymooned, and became husband and wife


I am blessed to have that boy as my husband, my family, and my friends in my life. Cheers to 2009 and continued happiness for you and yours.

Adventures at the Gym

A few weeks ago, I adopted a new gym routine. I realized I was coming home fatigued and in no mood following an 8+ hour workday, to sweat to any oldies or move any muscles, in any direction. I decided to give the early bird method a whirl and have been pleasantly surprised to the ease at which I have taken to it.

The drawback besides the hour-early wake up call, is the amount of people already there. I am a curious creature, heavily set in my ways, and prefer to do my cardio routine first. When all treadmills are occupied, I swallow a large pill labeled "I-could-have-slept-in-if-I had-known-this-is-what-I-was-going-to-meet!" I know you burn the same amount of calories starting the routine with weights, or on an eliptical, but I just don't like that. I like to feel the sweat first, then move on to the pumping iron period. I feel cheated when I get up at 6 a.m. to just lift some weights. It's not worth it to me. I need to feel my heart racing! Lifting does not do that for me.

One major plus to the early bird workout is the lack of children present. I cannot understand for the life of me why people bring their kids to an apartment community gym. This is only dealt with on the weekends when I go at normal hours to whip my fatness into shape, but it's becoming somewhat regular. I get that a couple might want to work out together but its a little weird when you are on the treadmill and have a baby tied to your back sloshing around squealing. Might I make a suggestion: stagger your workouts-you are only missing each other by an hour, really. It's worth it.

Secondly, the gym is not a playground. There are no monkey bars, see saws, or swing sets. It is no excuse for the park. Today, I bit my tongue as some grandfather let his two angels under 5 years old run, fall, and get thrown off the treadmill, to their utter delight, and his turned head missed it all. As if that wasn't fun enough, turning on and off all of the televisions, meddling with the weight machine settings, and flinging pull up bars, seemed to be their idea of afternoon fun. Perhaps I am turning into a critical, narcisisstic old woman, early. But seriously, that is out of control. Plus, my Type-A personality should point out, no kids are even ALLOWED in the gym! You have to be 18 years old, GEEZ.

My final problem boils down to television etiquette. If I am coming into a gym session when all tv's are in use, and then a treadmill becomes occupied, I take over the tv and change it to any program I wish. What I do continue to respect is the volume level. One must just deal with the closed captioning until the TV Czar leaves his thrown, and the second in line can take over, and so on, and so forth. I would not come into the gym, turn channels, nor volume up and down. It is rude and quite assuming that I want to listen to Tyra Banks. For the record, I would swim that day.

When I go to the gym, I am geared up to zone out and burn some major calories, in the name of a fabulous bod. I do not go to socialize, as I know I work out best solo. I do not go to make friends, or even to converse, period. It is a time of utter self-absorption. Please respect the time of those of us who are there by keeping the kids at home, not hogging the tv or machines for that matter, and just minding your p's and q's.

thank you and happy sweating.

Happy First Thanksgiving

...from him to me

6 billion and counting, oh my.

Why oh why is this world so populated?

I find it much more noticeable during the holiday season. People literally leave the safe confines of their home to venture into malls, grocery stores, and the streets. I have a theory that some of these people come out so infrequently that they forget how to mesh with the rest of us that make it a point to leave our homes at least five times a day. These special humans are most noticeable in the following ways:

1. Their mobility is limited. They stop in doorways, the middle of aisles, and generally the busiest of places. It is likely that they are also the culprits braking on the road with no car or obstacle in front of them.

2. They hold up lines, lines, LINES! This species also seems to forget how the American dollar works. It is true, it's crap, but so is money all over the world, probably even the Monopoly money they are used to in their hibernating dwellings. For some reason that I hope I am rewarded for at a later time in life, they are also ALWAYS in front of me. I carefully scope out which Target/Trader Joe's/Albertson's line looks to be moving the fastest and somehow they sneak in and lose their monetary marbles. No you cannot use a combination of 7 credit/gift/debit cards to pay for that purchase. No, please do not decide to open a Target account in front of me and then proceed to debate for 10 mins over what split purchase to apply your 15% discount.

3. They generally have zero fashion sense. I know that claim is a bit below the belt, but come on people! At least roll out of bed and throw some pants and real shoes on--pajamas and slippers are not made for the public's viewing, EVER. Remember that it was only a few short years ago that women wore gloves, pearls, pantyhose, and heels. Men wore three piece suits and carried pocket watches. Their pants rose near the navel, not the knees. Show some effort for the rest of us who have to look at all of you.

Bottom line, hibernators, when entering the public sector, be aware of your surroundings. People move at a fast past-time is flying by and those of us that shake each day are out there taking advantage of it. Do stop and smell the flowers, but pull over and do it on your own time. If we are going to share the same resources we need to get along and move at a compatible speed.

It's at least 60 on the freeway and crocs are never ok.

Le Quick Chick

Watch out Rachael Ray, here is dinner in 10!

Chicken
Chicken pieces-whatever you have on hand and however many you can eat, thawed: breast, tenders, legs, thighs, bird
1 clove garlic, minced
Salt and pepper, to taste
Steak seasonings

Heat skillet with olive oil and garlic. Sprinkle chicken pieces with seasonings. Cook each side until golden brown.

Rice
Use Minute Rice-boil water, add rice, let sit for a few minutes and voila!

Veggies
Whatever veggies you have on hand. I used:
1 zucchini, sliced
1 tomato, sliced
1/4 onion, chopped
1 c spinach

Heat skillet with olive oil and onion. Add zucchini and tomato and cook until zucchini browns. Mix in fresh spinach until it wilts. Top with Parmesan cheese and serve.

As I would say, you have an easy and healthy meal from start to finish in under....10 minutes!

Wedding Bells!

...introducing the Mr. & Mrs!

September 7 was a beautiful date as I married my best friend and became his wife.

We went on a fabulous honeymoon to Boston:

Fenway Park--the energy was crazy!
At Harvard....


And Scott's second choice school, MIT:

From Boston we flew to NYC:

Overlooking the Jackie Onassis Reservoir in Central Park

At The Met (though these knights in shining armor pale in comparison to mine)

Cold, windy, and raining at the top of the Empire State Building:

At Yankee Stadium!

And finally on to the paradise that is Fiji


At the Taveuni Island Airport

Tavoro Falls Waterfall Hike

BBQ Snorkel trip on an uninhabited island

Enjoying the local brew, kava

Our last night in paradise

Deep Breaths

As of tomorrow My Boy and I will be a month out from our marriage. This is mind boggling to me, as the months of preparation roll into the last minute details.

I hope that he is looking forward to certain moments as much as I am, as so many of these define the day for me, or at least how I anticipate it to be remembered.

This last month is kind of a final enjoyment period of the engagement stage, which really has been a whirlwind and utterly fun. I hope he has enjoyed the ride as much as I have.

My Girl's 25th

My best girl turned 25 last month, and as is customary with our 19 year relationship, I determined she needed a surprise birthday party. It had been 4 years since her last, so with the help of her boyfriend and fellow roommate, we launched Operation Summer Solstice (with an ounce of intelligence you can guess the party date.)

Ms. PhD, as she will be know in the anonymous online world, was having a bit of a problem as this mid-point number loomed at her, so I figured, what better way than to throw a child-themed birthday with adult twists?!?! My Little Pony seemed to be the clear winner since the line is still around these days, albeit much sassier than I remember. I pretty much purchased everything cheesy that Party America had to offer in that department and set to work. Her BF and I decided to do Roman Cucina food for obvious reasons and since it is delicious, and cupcakes from her favorite bakery, the scrumptiousness that is Sprinkles. It turns out that our child-turned-adult party had very juvenile elements with a seasoned spin (decadent pizza, gourmet cupcakes, beer that would have otherwise been Hawaiian punch, etc.). We also could not let the soiree be pinata-less, so enter the Backyardigans. I had never heard of this Nickelodeon staple, but Uniqua was purchased for the event and definitely was a hit.

I had a great time planning the party with Roberto and I think he enjoyed his first real intro to party planning too. Unfortunately he broke the cardinal rule, "thou shall not leave email box open for GF to see" but c'est la vie as they say! Ms. PhD was not surprised although VERY appreciative of the love and attention from her many circles of friends. It is one of my favorite things in the world to do treat my best pals like this-so look out, if you are in the INNER CIRCLE you could be next!

Peanut butter-choc chip cookies, Sprinkles, MLP hats, and Uniqua grace the table:

Roomie Co-Conspirator preparing Ms. PhD for Uniqua's demise
MLP tats-the next rage on LA Ink:


Happy 25th Friend!!!
Cheers to a lifetime more birthdays together =D

Blessed

I am blessed to have a loving fiance.
A doting family.
Amazingly wonderful friends.
A roof over my head.
Food on my plate.
And a job to help the world go round.


Sometimes these things are forgotten in the chaos that is life, and I just thought they deserved a little public declaration.

Tagged

My GiraffeGirl tagged me, so here goes:

Attached or single? Definitely attached, and almost able to qualify in a new tax category!
Best friend? Scott, Kerri, Ashley
Cake or pie? Red velvet CUPcakes
Day of choice? Saturday
Essential item? Chapstick or some form of gloss, without a doubt
Favorite color? Currently olive green
Gummy bears or worms? Sour worms!
Hometown? Anaheim
Ideal vacation? A western-European epic journey
January or July? Well they both have a holiday, so that's a plus. But I'd go July, I enjoy summer.
Kids? Nay
Life isn't complete without: Peanut butter
Marriage date? 9.7.08
Number of siblings? One sister
Oranges or apples? Apples. Gala or pink lady.
Phobias? Voldemort
Quote? "Your sequins are burning my retinas"-that TLC Miss America show
Reasons to smile? Health, family, friends, a job
Tag 3 people: KL, KM, and Scott-but he won't do it, however I don't know any other bloggers.
Unknown fact about me: I used to want to join the Babysitters Club after reading their books in elementary school
Vegetable? Spinach
Worst habit? Building people up
X-ray or ultrasounds? Both.
Your favorite food? Just like Joey--sandwiches of any and all variety
Zodiac sign? Cap

Fin.

Home Hunting

Is no fun. We have minimal requests:

-2 bed/2 bath
-townhome (ideally)
-washer/dryer included would be AWESOME
-refridgerator included would again, be AWESOME
-nice neighborhood-safe
-garage, and I would take detached
-some greenery or patio or garden passing off as a lawn
-not a mega complex
-food, dining, shops nearby

Are you out there home?

Seoul Food

One of the many perks of my job is the free food from different events on any given week. F-town has some mighty delicious establishments and all of my coworkers and I continually remark on our good fortune to be treated so often to the tasty fare. This past week, as per my usual duties as a consummate chamber hostess, was to welcome a new businesses to the city with the ever wonderful ribbon cutting ceremony.

It is always a treat when the business in question is a restaurant because my coworkers and I are more than obliged to be the food guinea pigs. This past week proved to be quite the example. We were treated like kings and queens to an authentic Korean tofu meal, complete with 30 minute blessing (in Korean), singing, praying, speeches, and a host of other official duties that I could better identify if I spoke Korean. Following the pomp and circumstance, the gracious hostess allowed everyone to actually order off the menu--not predetermined samples, but choose your own combo. So, I bravely chose a chicken teriyaki tofu combo and was satisfied. Until the appetizer arrived and my friends and I were graced by this delicacy:

Oh yes, a deep fried fish. I certainly was floored. Immediately I thought of My Boy and his travels to Africa and how he actually watched the entire process from his meals, beginning with selecting the meat, slaughtering the meat, cooking the meat, and finally enjoying the meat. I am more used steps 3-4, but hey, "when in Rome" as they say, so I dug in...and scored some bones in my teeth (truly I can't remember the last time I had bones in my fish.) I gave it a few good bites, and the actual meat part I had was good, but it was too messy to keep going.

Following our pre-poisson portion, we were brought lots of interesting things including kimchi, transluscent noodles, lasagna-like pillows, and a host of other things that were, well, interesting.
The steaming soup in the foreground is actually the tofu. It was the first time I had it and I really enjoyed it. The soup was a beef broth, so there were also chunks of beef with the tofu. My chicken teriyaki (I know, white girl forever) also came with this and some nice rice.

It was probably the most elaborate lunch I have ever had, and definitely not what I thought I'd be doing that Wednesday when I got up. It certainly put my yogurt/apple/cheese and crackers brown bag version to shame.

It's a Beautiful Day

This was quite a day, so please bear with the double post.

Finally a Member!

I could list many reasons as to why I am marrying The Boy, and probably categorize them at that same time, as there are so many. However, there is one, that would most certainly make it into the "miscellaneous" file. This particular reason is one that I have waited many long years for, forever in anticipation, and actually think he held off on proposing just to make me squirm.

As a child of a banker, I never "went to the bank" with my parents to handle any business since my mom worked there. After my first job out of high school, I opened my own account at the same place The Boy had one, since I figured he liked it and I trusted his decision. Life went on, paychecks were directly deposited, and I really never visited the establishment.

Fast forward a few years and The Boy drops a bomb on me. He is leaving the bovine institution. It felt like he was breaking up with me. And no, I am truly not being overdramatic--it was something that linked us and he was severing that sacred financial tie with me. I hemmed and hawed and he went forward to the exclusive, VIP, academics-by-blood-only place. Well shoot, I thought. The only relative I have that is a teacher is my aunt, but she's my mom's brother's wife, and those workers at the academic institution wouldn't take it. I was crushed. However, those worker bees made such an impression upon me. They were so kind hearted, and I think they felt bad that I couldn't join their exclusive club. I knew the only thing I could do was wait until The Boy and decided to make an honest woman of me.

Well friends, today was that joyous day. First of all, it was his graduation from Cal State's awesome university in the LBC! I am so proud. I took a half day from work to be there, and we had some extra time, so I thought, Erin-this is your moment! You have waited so long-let's get an account at the credit union! The Boy obliged, and off we went, camera in tow. The people in there are always so wonderful when you walk in. I have witnessed it when The Boy has taken out a car loan, has made any deposits and withdrawals, and they even helped me out while he was in Africa, as I needed to do some transactions for him and I did not share his name. My BFF and countless other friends I know absolutely rave about their customer service, and I just couldn't wait to be a customer.

The associate that helped us out was very sweet and indulged me in my exciting day. Truthfully I thought they may give me a "welcome to the credit union" certificate or something, but I did receive a non-noodle handshake so that was good enough for me.

So friends, in the next 4-6 business days I will receive my official card for my official account there, and after The Boy and I wed in September, I will be eligible to move my account from the bovine farm right on over! Dorky as it was, I am so glad he acceded me this small pleasure :)

Pomp & Circumstance

And lest we forget, The Boy's graduation! He walked with a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science-Computer Engineering. I couldn't be more proud of my best friend and fiance. He has worked so unbelievable hard for this and put up with more imbecilic "professors" I am surprised he still has any wits about him. Way to go babe!

Kings Cross

My Kings:

LHS Prom King '01 and Future Husbandly King:

King of Middle Earth:

my heart be still...

Tableau Tops

I think every bride has something that they just get hung up on. For some it might be the dress, a photographer, or maybe that perfect cake flavor. For me, it is the flowers and their relationship with the centerpieces.

Ultimately, I chose the winery as our location because a brushed-iron candelabra actually comes in the package, and its very pretty. However, I do need to add some color to the mix, and utilize the linens too.

So, not being a floral designer I am trying to visualize what it will look nice, tie in with the look of the candelabra, and hopefully cost about $.05 a pop...I know, idealistic right?

So these are my thoughts:

SCENARIO 1
The wedding has taken on a bit of a whimsical theme, at least in my brain. Even though it's at a winery, I think with the color choice and flowers I generally enjoy, the element of whimsy is prevailing. Thus, I thought about getting faux gerbera daises and weaving their (wired) stems around the candelabra--thereby adding a pop of color. The table linens would be a satiny aqua, and the napkins ivory. With the candelabra adorned with the red flowers, I think that could be an unexpected use of florals (and $$$ saved since they would be faux) and really add to the whimsy feel.
SCENARIO 2
Unknown at this time. Suggestions welcome. Remember $0.05 people!!!

I do.

I am very much looking forward to the day I get to marry my best friend this September. However, the planning bit of that big day, has passed the blissful state and entered the 7th circle of panic in my world. I think my better half is none the wiser, which is fine. I can't understand his world of theory, electrons, and computer programming, so why should he care about flowers and invitations right? Well this sentimental sap of a writer does. True, it is all about prioritizing everything and truly the invitations rank pretty low, but still, the amount of time and effort that goes into this should warrant me at least part-time compensation. Don't get me wrong, it is fun in some respects, but bearing it all is a bit overwhelming at times.

Perhaps it is a right of passage, but I think I have entered the "we should have eloped phase," which is followed closely by the "courthouse is sounding good right about now" chapter.