My favorite city.

i think i'll go to boston...
i think i'll start a new life,
i think i'll start it over, where no one knows my name.
i'll get out of california, i'm tired of the weather,
i think i'll get a lover and fly em out to spain...
i think i'll go to boston.
i think that i'm just tired
i think i need a new town, to leave this all behind...
i think i need a sunrise, i'm tired of the sunset,
i hear it's nice in the summer, some snow would be nice...
boston...

Really... REALLY?!

Ahhhhh!! Where have the days gone?! It is seriously possible that I have 3 more days of work until Xmas break?? Is Christmas really next week? Is New Years actually two weeks from today ? Oh my gosh - I need warm clothes! I need boots! I need to breathe... How did this year fly by? PLEASE, let me know if you figure it out!

A long one.

Today has been an emotional day for me. I've been thinking about things a lot. It all started with an e-mail I got from my my this morning. Here it is:

Last night Kaleigh's brownie troop met at Mission San Diego in downtown SD to deliver toys to children and mom's who are homeless or who were in abusive relationships and left. Her troop collected 20 toys and wrapped them to give and a local supermarket donated cookies, candy canes and juice to make it a real party. We were supposed to collect 35 toys so each child would get 2 gifts....but, we only collected 20. Sooooo....Kaleigh went around our neighborhood and on her own she collected an additional 50 TOYS, 5 BAGS OF USED CLOTHING AND 3 BOXES OF DIAPERS!!!!! It really made an impact because each child was able to get 5 gifts and each of the moms were able to get some really nice clothing for themselves and their children!! All the donations that Kaleigh collected except one was from a military family!!! Wow! There is another little girl named Kaleigh (same spelling!!) in the troop who, also, emptied her piggy bank ($60) and went and bought toys to help too!! Also, when we first walked into the shelter there were some families sitting in a closed in parking lot. We found out that those people were homeless, living on the streets and were not in the program at the mission. They are allowed to stay in this gated area overnight, but have to leave during the day. UGH....there was one little boy that cried when he saw all the toys and us going into the building...we were all heartbroken....soo...we saved some of the toys, books, clothing and cookies and gave them to the people outside....ugh.... What an experience. Kaleigh and I found the little boy that was crying and made sure he had a candy cane, a cookie and gave him a motorcycle.....and he took a picture with her. His name is Malik. Please pray for all these people. It was an experience our girls will remember for a long time....they just couldn't believe that these little kids had no homes...we all were counting our blessings as we said goodbye and went back to our warm homes filled with all the luxuries of life and our families...really made us appreciate all that we have!

Things like this are not fair, and as I've gotten older, I've continued to have a hard time understanding why people - children even - don't have safe homes to live and grow up in. I feel like I've always been especially affected by stories like these. I can remember being a kid and going to New York City with my family and just not being able to accept that people slept in cardboard boxes and had to beg on the street. One instance sticks out in my mind... in fact, I don't think I'll ever forget it. There was a blind man and his dog in the middle of a crowded New York Street (I think 5th Ave) and people were just passing him by, not even acknowledging him as they window shopped and took pictures with their families. I know we've all fallen victim to that - to just brushing people aside. It gets annoying and tiring to have people begging for money, and many of us wonder why "people like that" just don't get jobs. While there are plenty of people that might be able to actually go out and work, there are probably thousands who can't, or just don't have the help to get off the street. This is not only sad, but it's unacceptable. Take San Diego alone - according to the United Way, 10,000 people in San Diego County are homeless, with about 15 percent recognized as chronically homeless. I never really noticed it until I worked in downtown, but there are a lot of people who are homeless here. Everyday on my lunch break, I probably pass about 10 to 20 people suffering from this epidemic. Across the street from where I work, there is a homeless shelter, where you can find mass amounts of people lined up every day hoping to have a warm place to stay for the night. Plus, every month at work, we head over to a senior center in downtown to help serve lunch to low-income seniors. And, even though they may have places to go home to, no one should have to save a piece of bread from lunch because they have none at home (something that one of the seniors said to me last week). The icing on the cake today happened during my lunch break. I headed over to the supermarket to pick up some stuff for dinner, and there was a man bundled up, (yes, it's actually cold in San Diego these days) sitting in a wheel chair with no legs. He wasn't actually asking for money, but he had a cup in his hand and was kind of staring down at the ground. During my shopping, I picked up a hot sandwich for him. He seemed really surprised and appreciative that I had brought him something, and I couldn't help but think how nice it would be to be able to help not just one person, but every person. As everyone celebrates the holidays, and stresses over spending money on loved ones, try to think of those with nothing. I know that today has made me count my blessings, and to remember how truly lucky I am to have the life that I do.

Back from the Weekend

Well, another weekend has come and gone, and I'm back at work and continuing my Christmas countdown. Last weekend was pretty rainy, but also still a lot of fun. We somehow squeezed in all of the holiday activities - even though we did end up leaving Poway pretty drenched! Last night, we decorated the tree at my mom's, which was cute because the kids really loved it. Oh, and Todd found this crazy toy that he ended up buying for the kids. It's called Elf on the Shelf, and it's this cute, little elf doll that you hide around your house for the kids to find. The elf is supposed to report whether or not the kids are being good to Santa, and from what my mom tells me, Brendan has been acting especially good today. It's a cute gift for anyone with kids who still believe in Santa, and I'm thinking it's going to become a new family tradition.

In work news, this day has pretty much flown by - which is good. I have a new client, so I've been doing a lot of reading and research today. This account should be interesting, especially since we're focusing all of our efforts in good 'ol New Jersey. Anyway, I've gotta run... I'm off to the dentist, which is always fun (NOT!). Ugh, I really hate going to the dentist, but at least my teeth will be sparkly, white tomorrow. Keep your fingers crossed for no cavities!!

The Christmas Countdown Continues...

It's been a pretty gloomy day today. I woke up to some pretty heavy rain, but things died down after a while. Now, it's just cloudy. As much as I love rain, this is really good news because tonight is December Nights (which should still be called Christmas on the Prado, but I won't get into that). December Nights is a tradition for my family and I. It's basically a huge Christmas celebration, with tons of food and music. Plus, all of the museums are FREE!! I have a lot of great memories at December Nights, and I'm really looking forward to going again. The highlight of my night will definitely be eating some real palacsintas, and maybe even getting some glogg (hopefully I won't spill it all over myself this time, haha)! Alright, I'm off to help decorate our work tree! Have a nice weekend, everyone :)

A post.

Hmmm, nothing much to say today. It's been a long, slow day - I think because the holidays are right around the corner and things are winding down here. Anyway, Enchanted was great! I give it two, cheesy thumbs up! The kids really enjoyed it, and I thought the whole storyline and idea was great. If you have an excuse to go, or actually just want to see a cute Disney movie, I would highly recommend it! In holiday news, last night I got some Christmas shopping done, which has made me feel less stressed out. I also went to the mall on my lunch break and grabbed a few more things. Despite this, there are still a bunch of people on my list who are yet to have a gift purchased for them. I guess that's pretty good considering I have nine people down, but seriously, I can see why people get so crazed about about all the gift giving. I'm hoping to get everything done this weekend so I can start wrapping things. I have some good gift wrap ideas this year!

So, that's it. I told you I had nothing to say :) Tonight = Grey's and tomorrow = another rainy Friday. Hallelujah.

Movie Night

Tonight, I'm going to the movies. I've actually been watching a lot of movies lately, mainly because Todd is doing this trial movie program where he gets a bunch of movies for free (kind of like NetFlix, I think). Anyway, last night I was semi-forced to watched Death Proof, which was pretty good, but also kind of boring. Let's just say it wasn't really my kind of movie (sorry, Todd). I also recently watched Y Tu Mamá También, which was well, interesting - to say the least. I asked Todd to put Love Actually and RENT on the list, so I'm patiently awaiting their arrival, as they are currently sitting in the movie queue. But, back to tonight. Tonight, I'm seeing Enchanted! I know, I know, it's a PG movie and I'm a twentysomething... but, I have an excuse! Besides the fact that I want to see the movie, I'm taking Kaleigh and Brendan to check it out. Once again, the added bonuses of having little siblings. I think it's going to be good because 1. it's a Disney movie, 2. it's bound to be a love story, and 3. McDreamy is in it - clearly a huge plus. So, I'll let you all know how it is. I know you're all dying to know!

Trees!

Okay, two exciting things -
1. My Christmas tree has been officially set up at my apartment. In our theraflued-up states last night, Steph and I managed the difficult task of setting up our tree. Okay, it wasn't hard at all, but it is a pink, glowing masterpiece.
2. My job also has a Christmas tree. It was brought into the office today and it's sitting in the front, just waiting to be decorated. Besides the fact that it's awesome that we have a live tree in the office, we're also supporting one of our clients that just happens to work very closely with x-mas trees :)

Anyway, as I was scanning the news this morning, I came across an interesting article. Don't be surprised if you want to cry at the end... looks like Santa might need to use some magic powers to get around this Christmas.

Oh, and here's a pic from Deck the Palms!

Achoooo

It's Monday and I have a cold. I've been sitting here sneezing all day and wishing that I was at home in my bed instead of looking at my computer screen with semi-blurred vision. I guess being sick this time of the year is okay since it's "winter." Also, I haven't been sick in a year (last Christmas, I think), so I can't really complain. Anyway, on an exciting Christmas note, being that this past weekend was the first of December, it was the first of the holiday celebrations that my family and I attend. Sunday was the Deck the Palms event at Seaport Village, and boy was it festive. I would like to point out that this event, and most Christmas outtings, are probably amazing if you are under the age of 10. At the seaport, there were tons of areas set up for kids to create all kinds of things - holiday candles, chalk drawings and sand dollar ornaments. There was even a fruitcake toss and a holiday puppet show. And, as expected, Santa made an appearance... on a surf board! It really was a lot of fun! Holidays are always a little strange here in San Diego because it's usually sunny and warm. Deck the Palms was a nice way to begin the Christmas season the SoCal way. Coming up next are the PB Holiday Parade, Christmas in Old Poway Park and a visit to Candy Cane Lane. I can't wait!

Now, back to work and my box of tissues.

Rain, rain - STAY!

It's raaaaaaining men... okay, it's not. But I love that song. It is raining though. It's raining a lot. When I opened the front door this morning, I was surprised by not just drizzle, but a complete downpour - puddles and all. For most places, this is okay, normal even. For San Diego, it's like all hell breaks loose. I haven't been listening to the traffic reports, but I can almost promise that there have been hundreds of accidents and millions of people stuck in gridlock. Welcome to SoCal. I've been safe inside my office today, but I kind of wish I could have been outside, or at least in my bed. I think the rain is supposed to continue through tomorrow, which is great. If you're wondering, I'll be watching movies and eating soup all weekend. Let the rain fall down! (haha, why not end it with a song, too?)

A recipe

Todd and I made chili last night, and as I was eating leftovers for lunch, a bunch of my co-workers started asking me about the recipe. It's kind of funny that they were impressed, because it's basically the easiest recipe ever. Here's what we did for everyone who encouraged me to post this:



Ingredients-
1 chili seasoning packet
1 can of corn
1 can of black beans
1 can of kidney beans
A package of ground turkey (or chicken or beef)
1 can of sliced or crushed tomatoes

Hmmm, I think that's it. Then, you basically just cook it all together. Brown the meat and then add everything else in (minus the corn water). And, don't forget the cornbread. I'm sure it would be better to make it from scratch, but the Marie Callendar's brand is scrumptious, too.

Mmm, it's delicious. I want some now.

And you thought I wouldn't be back...

That's right - I'm back to post some more! It's currently pitch black outside, which makes it very strange to be at work, especially since all of the city lights make me feel like it's much later then 5 p.m. I'm still not sure how I feel about the time change. I think I want it to go away. Anyway, this post should be interesting because I really have nothing to update or say (interesting in the "hmmm, where is this gonna go?" kind of way). I think my most exciting moment of the day has been eating a Lindt truffle. They are delicious and really do melt in your mouth. Plus, I feel like Lindts are part of Christmas, so I'm feeling more and more in the holiday spirit as each day passes.

Actually here are some things that are making me feel more Christmasy:

1. My office is decorated. You should have seen my surprise and delight this morning when I saw the lights and Merry Christmas sign at the front desk.
2. I went X-mas shopping on my lunch break. It was kind of stressful, but mainly because there were so many good deals! I will be returning to Horton tomorrow.
3. I have a pink Christmas tree. Don't laugh, it's cute. And even if Todd, Eli and Rylan say it's ugly, Steph and I will proudly display our tree - silver snowflake ornaments and all.
And, last but not least.
4. It's about 10 below zero in my office, which has forced most of us girls to resort to wearing pea coats all day. I don't care if the sun is shining outside... it might start snowing in here at any moment. Did I mention that people have brought in space heaters?

I think I might need to invest in some gloves or something. The next thing you know, I'll be wearing a full on snow suit to work. Oh well, 26 days 'till Christmas. And only two more days 'till the weekend!!

Post Number Two

I'm back for post number two of the day! My blog has seen better days, and yet again, somehow weeks have passed. I think I've been feeling uncreative lately, or maybe its just the fact that I'm so darn busy. Anyway, I'm excited to post. I sure hope there's still someone out there reading this thing :)



So, I'm back at work after a fabulously relaxing and fun four-day weekend. Thanksgiving was great this year, especially since we successfully brought so many people together. Not only was it my mom and co (which is a grand total of 6!), but the O'Kanes were there, as were Todd, his sister Lin and roomies Eli and Derrick. The age ranges were rediculous, but it was a lot of fun for everyone to meet and spend some time together eating mass amounts of food and desserts. The boys even played some football, which Brendan loved. We also played Apples to Apples! Can't remember who won, but that game is always a lot of fun. The rest of the weekend was chock full of good times. Since I used to work in SeaWorld's PR department, I have some pretty sweet connections with a bunch of awesome people who just happen to be in charge of giving out tickets! I obviously love SeaWorld, but I knew that Lin really liked marine life and that Eli had never been, so I got 4 tickets for Friday. We didn't tell Lin, which was fun because she looked really confused as we were pulling into the SeaWorld parking lot!



The day was really great - we watched a bunch of shows, fed some dolphins and had a close encounter with some scary looking sharks. Somehow, I avoided the funnel cakes, and I've been regretting it ever since. I love those tasty treats! And, you might have guessed, we ended the night with Beachcombers (it wouldn't be a Friday without it).

(can you tell that we're singing the Umbrella song?)

It's become somewhat of a tradition to get together at Beachies when everyone is home for Turkey Day, so all of us, and my much-missed high school friends, met up for a classic home for the holidays reunion. The rest of the weekend was pretty low key, and although I sang the "I'm bored" song a million times, it was great to catch up on sleep and have no real plans.

And now, the BIG news:
While most of us were sitting around doing nothing last weekend, Brookey (my 4-year college roommate) was off getting engaged! She's the first of my close friends - heck friends at all - to be on the road to marriage, so it's been crazy to think that on June 28 she'll be a wife! Congrats again, Brooke!

I think that's all of the exciting news I have. I'm looking forward to the weekend already (is it too soon for that?) and even more excited for more holidays to come my way. Back to work for me... but only an hour left 'till Taco Tuesday. Ay, ay, ay!

Real fast

I know I've been MIA again, and believe me, I have tons to update, but I wanted to share this will everyone. I think it's pretty cool! Test your vocabulary and do something good for the world.

More to come soon... I promise.

Networking = Friends

So, tonight is the PRSA New Pros Social and I'm very excited. Basically, the New Pros are a subset of the Public Relations Society of America formed to help connect new PR professionals with others working in the San Diego PR industry. As nerdy as that sounds, the socials are a ton of fun, especially because they are made up of a bunch of PR people hanging out in awesome venues that just happen to be full of free appetizers! Plus, a bunch of my friends from work go, as does my pr-lovin roommate, Stephanie. (I think even Todd is coming tonight, haha!) Tonights social is being held at the House of Blues, which is a couple of blocks away from where I work. I've never actually been there (I think), so I'm looking forward to checking out a new place and getting to hang out with a lot of really fun people. Besides the fun factor, these socials really are great for networking. In PR, half of the challenge is knowing the right people to get you in the right doors. Events like the one tonight make that process a whole lot easier, especially for those who are new to the industry. And, anyway, who wouldn't want free food and the chance to make new friends? See you there!

Random

Haha, this is so me every morning! (click to make it bigger)

MIA

Geeze, it sure had been a while! I'm sure you're all sick of seeing my Happy Halloween post. I know I am! I've been trying to get online for quite a while now so I could update, but something always gets in the way. Tonight's dilemma? My internet has been acting up. But, here I am, and I have a lot to say. First of all, I never wrote about San Fran. I absolutely can't believe that a week ago today I was up North, still with about 2 hours to spend in the city before coming home. Time sure does fly! My trip to San Francisco was amazing though, and Todd and I crammed as much touristy stuff into two days as we could. Quick recap - With our sightseeing book in hand, we started off our tour of the city with a bike ride over the Golden Gate Bridge. The ride was really fun, even though they make it seem way easier than it is. Apparently the many hills are not a selling point at the bike shops! Despite the uphill climb, we made it across and even got to take a lot of really great pictures. It was so exhilarating to be standing in the middle of such a famous bridge, while cars whizzed by and the ocean surrounded us. I was really happy we got to do that! Our first day also encompassed a lot of city discovery. Let's just say we put our bus passes to good use. We went all over the city - North Beach, Haight, Union Square, China Town, Nob Hill, and of course, Fisherman's Wharf. We were also lucky enough to have beautiful weather, which helped since I'm pretty sure we walked for about 8 hours that first day. Day two was just as fun. We started off with a tour of Alcatraz and spent the rest of the day hanging out around the Wharf. Todd's cousin Amy and her fiance Josh even met up with us! It was great to meet some more of Todd's family, and I really enjoyed hanging out with some seasoned Nor Calers. Last week was kind of like a whirlwind. It was stressful and hard, but I got through it somehow. I actually feel like this weekend has been really long. Especially today. I definitely jam packed a lot into it though. Friday started off a true roommate weekend with a free Maroon 5 concert! Steph randomly won tickets off of our new favorite radio station - Sophie - so we headed over to our old stomping ground at SDSU's Cox Arena and had an amazing time singing and dancing for a couple of hours. I had forgotten how much I like Maroon 5's music and I was really excited that they played a bunch of my favorite songs, like Secret. Saturday was a pretty lazy day. My work retreat is this coming weekend, so I had to spend a majority of the day working on my presentation for the two days we're spending at the Loews Coronado :) By the time the night rolled around, Steph and I had some serious cabin fever, but nothing to do. All of our friends were busy or working and couldn't hang out with us. Even Eli and Derrick rejected us! Somehow we invited ourselves to hang out with Rylan, who was going to a black and white themed party. I hadn't been to a party in a while, so this one was a lot of fun. I knew basically no one, but the guests were pretty nice AND I got to dress up. We got home pretty late, but as usual, I woke up way to early this morning. I was really set on going on a bike ride for some reason, but since I don't have a bike, I was presented with a bit of a problem. I found a bike shop online and gave them a call, which resulted in me being able to use a bike for 2 hours with full gear in exchange for a 6-pack of beer (clearly college guys were running the shop). I was really excited, but by the time I got ready and recruited Steph to come along, it had begun to rain. By the way, since when does it rain in San Diego?! After this, we decided our only other option was to go to the movies. So, we saw Gone Baby Gone, which I thought was a great movie. It was a well-developed story that kept me on the edge of my seat the whole time. Plus, it was set in Boston, so it got bonus points right away. Since then, I've been at home, wanting the day to both speed up and slow down - tomorrow is Monday, you know! So, that's it, I think. A week and a half in a nutshell!

Trick-Or-Treat

Well, Halloween is finally here, and I sure am excited! Although this holiday obviously means you can dress up as whatever you want, there are some serious freaks outside today. I even came across a few people who I thought were dressed in costumes, but could have possibly been wearing their normal clothes. One lady was dressed from head to toe in leopard print. Costume? Or just someone who loves cats? Anyway, I am really happy with my costume, and I'm really looking forward to wearing it tonight. Check it out:



Todd and I got some pretty good reactions to our matching costumes this weekend, and I'm hoping that they will help us get some candy tonight. Yep, I'm going Trick-Or-Treating. Being able to do this when you're 22 is just one of the many perks of having young siblings. I usually get kind of awkward because my mom always forces me to go to the door with my empty pumpkin bag asking for treats. This usually doesn't go over well because I'm clearly too old for such things. This year is different though. With costumes like these, I'm pretty sure the moms handing out candy will mistake me for an overly large middle schooler... or just take pity on a grown-up who wants to be a kid for one night.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!

I'll have the salad, please.

Long time, no write - again. Since it's been a while, I guess I should write about the newest addition to my life. No, it's not a puppy (I wish!) It's a healthy diet! You can stop laughing at my how excited I just sounded, cause it's true. I've been thinking about this, and it's not even that I eat that poorly. You'll rarely find me at a fast food joint and I do actually like fruits and vegetables. It's just that I really like to eat. That, coupled with the fact that I: 1. have no real time to cook, 2. love desserts and am addicted to bread and 2. sit on my butt for a total of anywhere between 8 and 10 hours a day has started making me feel blah. If you haven't noticed, eating out all the time costs a lot of money. Plus, half of the food you get from restaurants and the like are loaded with calories (even the things that seem healthy). It's actually quite depressing to me that I just wrote that, but I'm getting older and that must mean that I need to pay more attention to things like health. So, I've decided to change the way I eat, mainly by leaning on things that are better for me. I'm taking the healthy route - at least for a while - and I'm going to see how I feel after it's all said and done. Good thing I like salads. I have a feeling I'll be eating a lot of them.


ps: Just in case you were wondering - Halloween doesn't count. Neither does San Fran. Ha, we'll see how this goes.

Costume Dilemma

My eyes are officially burning. I think I've been staring at my computer screen for too long - not sure why I'm blogging, since it obviously requires more computer interactions, but whatever, I need to do something else for a bit. This has been the longest week ever. I think a lot of it has to do with the fires and all the stress that it has caused. I'm tired. I need a break...

It's Thursday, so I've decided that I can talk about the weekend. I am really looking forward to this one! It marks the beginning of the Halloween festivites, and I LOVE Halloween (have I mentioned that yet, haha). I still need to get a costume, but here are the options:

1. Storm, from X-Men. This works well with my half-blackness and my ability to create hurricanes by glancing at the sky (okay, this doesn't happen, but it would be cool if it did)
2. A bee. I think this would be fun. Maybe I'll carry around a pot of honey all night. And sting people.
3. A salsa dancer. This was my mom's idea, along with a bunch of grapes, an electrical outlet and a pair of dice (with Todd). She must be thinking of that one time I was the solar system :)

Anyway, I'm sure there are more, but those are the three I am leaning toward. Any ideas? Let me know before this weekend. I have an important pumpkin party to attend!!

Flames and tears

San Diego is on fire. I'm sure that most of you know this, but considering how crazy things are here, I decided to blog about it anyway. Wildfires are scary, especially when you live in Southern California and the Santa Ana's decide to come your way. Just a couple of days ago Todd was mentioning to me that the hot, gusty winds would be back, but I took it as more of a bit of casual information than a prelude to a catastrophe. But, here we are. My home (not my house) is burning, and I'm at work staring out of my 19th story window overlooking a city covered in smoke. This isn't a new experience for me. In fact, it happened once before during my time here in San Diego. Last time, I was a freshman in college - still new to school and adjusting to being on my own. The morning of the fires, my college roommate Brooke, my best friend Hannah and I all woke up to a red sky and a dorm room full of ash. This time, the clouds rolled in more slowly. This time, we didn't wake up to Hell on Earth... we watched it unfold. My family and I are extremely lucky to be out of harms way. Last time, they were forced to evacuate, with the fire quickly approaching from about a mile away. And, even though I no longer live in Poway and some other family had to flee my old house, the place I grew up is covered in flames. It's sad and scary and surreal all at once. Yesterday, so much was happening and so many people were being evacuated that work was closed. When you work in PR, "closed" means you still need to get your stuff done, so after about 4 hours in the office, I headed home. Todd was also off from work because he works in Rancho Bernardo - a part of North County that was the most intensely affected. After watching the news and hearing a call for volunteers, we headed over to Qualcomm Stadium, which was being used as an evacuation center for some 10,000 "homeless" San Diegans. It was so heartbreaking to see so many people there, waiting to find out if there homes would be okay. But more than that, it was incredibly touching to see all of the people who had given up their time to help. Todd and I found ourselves among these people, first moving food supplies and then setting up tents around the stadium for the long night ahead. The most moving part of the night though, was when we found our way to the medical section of the Q. Todd and I spent most of our night there, helping the elderly folks who had been evacuated from their nursing homes. Nursing homes have always given me such mixed emotions, as visiting the people who live there is overwhelmingly rewarding and depressing at the same time. Despite that, we spent our time there, getting to know the people and their stories and just making them feel a little bit at home. And, while I may have only helped a few, I feel proud to have done my part. The people here are as much fighters as they are givers, and because of this I know San Diego will be okay. It's almost 5:30, and that means I'm off work. My plans for the night? I'm going to go do a rain dance. We sure do need it.

Something to think about

My mom gave something to think about this morning. It came in the form of lyrics that she took from the new Kenny Chesney song. I'm sharing it with you because it's so true.

Here goes:

don't blink -
just like that you're six years old
and you take a nap
and you wake up
and you're twenty-five...

Check out the rest of the song if you feel like being inspired to live your life, now.

Happy hump day :)

Monday night

Well, it's seven something and I'm posting from my work computer. No, I'm not still at work, but close enough, I'm doing some work from home. Actually, I'm currently watching the Red Sox game, but I intend to do some work very soon. The fact that I'm even considering working after 7 p.m. is kind of strange. It reminds me of homework in a way. I guess I'm being forced to fully embrace my adulthood, and it sure does show in moments like these. I even passed up going to a comedy show with a bunch of friends in downtown tonight, which, before this so called "adulthood," I would have never said no to. But, it's okay, I guess. I did have a very relaxing weekend. I even got my house BOOed! For those of you who don't know what that is, it's a pretty awesome Halloween thing (by the way, I get extremely excited about Halloween... actually, I get excited about all things holiday). Basically, you get a secret gift on your doorstep, full of Halloween candy and decorations and a sign that says "BOO!" You hang the BOO sign on your front door and then leave the same surprise for two other houses. By the time Halloween rolls around, the whole neighborhood has been BOOed! It's quite fun. Another fun thing I did this weekend was go to the Miramar Air Show. I didn't think it would be as cool as it was, but it was pretty amazing to see airplanes doing 360s through the sky. Oh, and I made my chicken pot pie. Okay, I made three. And two batches of banana bread. And pea soup. I figure if I have to work all of the time, I might as well be well fed! Welp, here's to another week.

The countdown to freedom begins

Well, here we go again... we're so close to another weekend, and I'm just itching to get mine started. Once again I have had no time to update, but I guess that's okay since my life has mostly consisited of work, work, work this week. It's been crazy for me in my second home (aka my cubicle), and I'm ready to not think about anything for a while. This is why I am excited to have no plans for the next two days. Actually, I do have plans.
Here they are:
1 - I plan on sleeping. A lot. And sleeping in. Until at least 11 or 12 both days.
2- Catching up on Grey's Anatomy. I'm simultaneously on season 2 and season 4. It makes things complicated.
3- Eating. I have plans to make a Chicken Pot Pie this weekend. I've actually been thinking about this all week. I'll let you know how it turns out.
4- Reading. I've been reading The Lovely Bones for at least 5 weeks. It's time I find out what happens.
AND...
5- Nothing. For every other moment of Saturday and Sunday, I plan on doing nothing at all.
This to do list makes me happy. And trust me, it's nothing like to other to do list that I've been I've been staring at all day. So, woohoo, in just over an hour, the fun begins! Happy Friday everyone!!

Pumpkin pie for a year!

Check out this pumpkin...

It's the winner of an annual pumpkin contest (that I wish I had gone to), and weights in at a mere 1,524 pounds. Think of the carving possibilities! And of all the pumpkin pies :)

Autumn... kind of.

One of the things I did this weekend is definitely worth blogging about. I took a trip to Julian. Julian is one of those places that is different enough from San Diego that it makes you feel like you're on vacation or something. Even though it's only an hour away, it feels like you're in a different world when you drive on to the shop-lined main street. This is probably because in Julian, it's Fall. It's chilly enough to wear a jacket, there are other trees besides palms that actually drop their leaves, and there is apple pie. Lot's of apple pie. In Julian, people are serious about their pies. Cmags, Todd and I realized this when we decided to get a slice of the famous apple treat, and had to wait in a 45 minute line just to get close to the glorious dessert display. But, boy was it worth it. I pride myself in making an exceptional apple pie. Baking is one of my true loves, but these pies were amazing. I was so happy sitting in the middle of an almost just like home Autumn day, eating my pie and drinking apple cider. I'm pretty sure I drove everyone crazy with my need to take pictures with everything Fall-like - pumpkins, piles of leaves, scarecrows, corn stalks, old men singing Edelweiss while dressed in German clothes (Oktoberfest, of course!), but hey, when you live in San Diego, you have to take what you can get... even if it means an hour-long drive for a little piece of HOME.

A Movie Script Ending.

I love this.

A brief update.

This week has been insane. Absolutely, wonderfully, horribly insane. I feel like I haven't had a second to think... make that breathe. So, now it's Friday. And I couldn't be happier. I don't know what it is about certain weeks, but sometimes they're just so, so stressful. Work has been incredibly busy, and by the time I get home, I just want to get as far away from a computer as possible - hence the no after work blogging. As crazy as this week has been though, I have something good to talk about. My friend Amanda (yeah, we have the same name. And the same birthday. And were born in the same hospital, but that's a whole other story) is here. She flew out from New Jersey yesterday and we're jam packing a bunch of fun, San Diego things in before she leaves on Sunday. Last night, we went on a haunted tour of San Diego. I was pretty freaked out and didn't want to see any ghosts, but I was really interested, so we went. The tour was pretty cool. More full of history than scary apparitions, but still very interesting. Today, Amanda had a day full of tourism, while I somehow made it through work (it was one of those days). Now, we're ready to celebrate. I think you know what that means. Beachcomebers, here we come!!

No time!

I don't have time to update my blog. This makes me very sad.

So much for tonight

I just wrote a really long message. It started out okay, but after a while, I could feel the words jumbling together and the sentences growing weak. After re-reading it, I decided I was too tired to be writing. So here I am - starting over, but at the same time giving up. Sometimes, no matter how many thoughts are running through your head, when you write them down, they just don't sound right. These are the times you need to just put your pen (or computer down) and catch up on your sleep. More tomorrow - when I can think.

Yes, Friday

Okay, remember when you were in school and you just loved Fridays? Fridays meant no more learning for a full two days. No more taking notes or stressing over tests, or having to think (I guess minus the homework you enivitably took home). It almost felt like you lived for them, or something. Well, that doesn't change at all once you start working. Even if you love your job - which I do - Friday means freedom, and there's nothing wrong with wanting that. Maybe this will sound silly, but the place I hear the most mentions of "is it Friday yet?" or "thank GOODNESS it's Friday," is on the elevator. Since I work at the tippy, top of my building, I have a good 18 floors to overhear conversations, and sometimes even get sucked into them. I can't tell you how many people have walked into the elevator on a Friday afternoon, nearly collapsed and sighed, "this was the longest day of my life!" It has become quite fun to hear these people and know they're resounding the feelings of basically the whole of the working world. I've even started to look forward to this one woman who I sometimes catch a ride with. She usually gets on at about the 10th floor, and we always have the same conversation that surrounds how happy we are that it's the start of the weekend. Not until I started actually working at a full-time job did I really begin to understand what makes this day of the week - this last day before you can do whatever you want - so exciting, but also oh, so exhausting. What makes Fridays so much more important when your working 40 plus hours a week is that the next two days are absolutely, 100 percent, all yours. Forget having to study for a test or writing an essay on a Saturday or Sunday. Unlike when you're a kid, you really get a full 48 hours to say to the world, don't bother me, I'm off. With 15 minutes left of this work day, I can already feel it taking over. This is it guys. It's the weekend!

Just a City Girl

I work in a city. Sure, plenty of people work in cities, but I have always felt a deep connection to them... felt at home in them. You know the way someone who loves nature could do nothing more than sit outside - and the heat and bugs and everything else that comes along with the great outdoors wouldn't bother them at all? Well, that's how I feel about cities. I could be in the middle of millions of people, honking horns and more tourists than you'd find on a crowded summer day at Disney World, and feel completely happy - relaxed even. See, cities have always been a part of my life. I spent 13 years staring at the New York City skyline, knowing that only 15 miles away from me and my home was one of the greatest places of all time. Even today, when I make brief visits home for Christmas, I like to look out of my old bedroom window before I go to bed, hoping to catch a glance of the red and green illuminated Empire State Building.
As I was walking through downtown today in my heels and business attire (okay, I changed into flip flops), I was thinking about this strange fascination I have with the glowing lights of skyscrapers, built to tower over the places we call cities. When I first moved to San Diego, I brushed its downtown area aside as nothing more than a wanna-be - an imposter. Where were all the taxis trying to run you over? The crowds of people walking around in a state of wonder, while busy business people dressed in black rushed to get by them? Where were the street vendors selling questionable souvenirs, and hot dog stands on every corner? I was convinced that San Diego wasn't a city. It was something like one, but lacked what I had come to love about New York City - the city, my city. But walking around today, I saw something different. I saw huge buildings, one of which I happen to work on the top floor of. I saw hints of people - busy people - with places to be. I even had to jump back on the curb while crossing the street to avoid a speeding car that was trying to fly through a changing light. This was it! This is what I had been missing! The more I explore my new home - my downtown San Diego - the more I realize how much I can, and do belong here. I may miss the hustle and bustle of New York, but for now, San Diego is the perfect place for me. The perfect city to call home, and embrace as I begin my real, adult life.

A guilty pleasure

Last night was the premiere of the Bachelor. That's right, the Bachelor - that show I love to hate and hate to love (oh, just let me say that), but still can't seem to stop watching. I somehow fell asleep before the final rose was handed out, but I'm still left wondering what leads seemingly successful, intelligent and obviously (well, mostly) beautiful women to end up on a dating show as utterly degrading as the Bachelor. I know I'm a hyprocrite because I watch, but come on! Who the heck would want to make a fool out of themselves on national tv, let alone fight for the love and affection of some random "hott" guy? Not me. It got me thinking - what makes women get to this point? Is it loneliness? Do they really think they'll find true love on a tv show? Do they just want to be on tv? Maybe they've given up all other hope. Yep, this has got to be it! In all seriousness, it must have something to do with the fact that our society sends such mixed messages (ooo, a deep one). On one hand, women are supposed to be career-oriented and driven. That's right girls, burn those bras and be a CEO! On the other hand, we are supposed to fit in time for children and husbands and keeping up house. I don't know about you but having a family and having a full-time job - at least when your kids are young - doesn't seem like the easiest of tasks. And what about me? I personally want both. So, maybe these Bachelor-loving women are just as confused as the rest of us. Maybe they're trying to figure out how to meet society's standards... how to do it all. I applaud the women who are able to achieve this goal, the ones who somehow balance the craziness. For the rest of us - the ones still figuring it out - at least there are still shows like the Bachelor to let us know we haven't hit rock bottom. Ladies and gentleman, this is the final rose today, um, I mean post.

Pass me a tissue

Allergies suck. I know this because I haven't been able to breathe because of them for most of my life. Don't bring a cat or cute, fluffy puppy around me. No way. And guess what... it doesn't end there. When I was in high school I had an allergy test done. Not only am I allergic to animals, but throw in oak trees, pollen, cigarette smoke, probably mold and dust, and get this - I'm allergic to cactus. Yep, you heard that right, cactus. I've been dealing with the fact that I can't breathe for as long as I can remember. Because of this, I had somewhat come to terms with never having a pet and living with a constant state of congestion and stuffy nose. But, then it got bad. Really bad. I don't know what is going on in San Diego, but there's something looming in the air - something allertastic, as I like to say. Anyway, I finally visited a doctor a couple weeks ago and she gave me some stuff that she said would help. Turns out that claratin I had been taking "is like water," as the doctor said. She also said I might have to get my adenoids out. Usually, this would scare the heck out of me, but I'm at the point where I'll try just about anything. The whole taking medicine thing hasn't been going so great though. I was finding myself having a hard time keeping my eyes open, especially in the morning. I figured it was just because I'm me, and well, I'm always tired... but, it wasn't. Turns out my allergy medicine causes drowsiness. It was kind of humorous. It seemed my increase in coffee drinking was beginning to make sense. My other medicine - a nose spray (sorry for the "too much info," info) - wasn't all that great either. It actually makes me feel worse sometimes. And, while watching tv tonight, a commercial came on for it. Apparently they have no idea how or why it works. Well, guess it's time for me to go take something. And blow my nose.

A Fortunate Mistake.

San Diego is amazing because there is always something to do. I don't always feel like this though. There are plenty of days when I get sick of living here and wish I was in New York or especially Boston because I feel like I could never run out of things to do there. I guess it's because of the fact that once you get used to something you seem to forget how truly wonderful it is. Well, this was one of the days when I remembered how much I love America's Finest City. Maybe it had something to do with waking up to the rain. That's right folks, it rained today. I miss rain. A lot. So the few times it happens here my spirits are instantly lifted (strange, I know). Once the rain cleared up, I found myself in Pacific Beach wondering how such a gloomy day had turned into an absolutely perfect day. The kind of day where the sky is that sparkling shade of crystal blue and the clouds look good enough to take a nap on - or take a bite out of (I swear they looked like cotton candy). So, in this perfectly, wonderful day, Todd and I found ourselves following our stomachs (surprise, surprise) to a restaurant near the bay. But when we found out the restaurant we were looking for didn't really exist, I suggested Old Town for lunch. This was a great idea. It didn't seem like a good idea when we got there and saw that all the streets were closed... but it turned into the best decision of the day when we found a spot right next to the main road and saw that there was an art festival going on. We walked the streets looking at all of the interesting artwork - things that I would never buy, and things I wished I had an extra 500 bucks lying around for so I could take it home right away. There's something about roaming around and looking at things - just admiring beautiful things people put so much time into making. It makes me happy, and it made me feel thankful for the mixup that got us there. Sometimes you have to be thankful for the little things in life. Like the unexpected finding of an interesting art fair on a Saturday afternoon.

Take Me Out to the Ball Game

I like baseball, which is weird because I'm not much of a sports fan. I don't like football, basically because I don't get it. My mom has been on me about this forever. Apparently football is really easy to understand and I need to like it because it's something I'll have to watch with my boyfriend, guy friends, etc. Well, thank goodness I'm dating Todd. He doesn't force me to watch football, I think because he gets as bored as I do after a couple of games. I don't know about you, but Sunday football is only fun for me if there is food involved (a theme you will see a lot in these posts). Anyway, I think I don't really care about sports because I never played them. My parents tried to get me to play, but found me quitting after a year, or even a few practices. Maybe it has something to do with a basketball memory that sticks in my mind even now, something like 10 years after it happened - I get the ball, I dribble down the court, my fans (aka mom) are cheering me on, I approach the basket, I shoot... I overshoot. The ball goes over the backboard. Sigh. This is why I don't like sports. So, baseball. I'm writing about baseball because tonight I'm going to a Padres game. Make that my third Padres game of the week. That's right, I've become some sort of baseball pro. Monday was a game with my family, Tuesday was a game with work and tonight is a game, just because. Padres games are fun because they're so easy to do. You park downtown, pay five bucks for a ticket, walk in and watch the game. Or, you can do what Todd and I did. We bought a nine-pack of tickets. We basically got to choose nine games to go to for pretty cheap. We sit in the same seats every game, so it's kind of like we're season ticket holders or something. Very baseball savvy. This is our last game of the pack, and I must admit, I'm a little sad. Going to the games has been fun, even if I'm feeling a bit baseballed out. Buy me some peanuts and cracker jacks. No seriously, I'm really looking forward to that. And the hat shuffle. Go Padres!

TKO

I have a gym membership. This is a bold statement (no pun intended) that should mean more than what it actually does - a few hour long visits a couple times a week and a 300 dollar bill. Okay, I actually don't have the bill anymore, since I paid everything at once, but still, I should be making the most of my money. But, let's be serious... when it comes to 5:30 and I'm heading home from a long day of work, do I really want to put on my sneakers and my boxing gloves (more of that later) to be forced into near death from asthma attack for an hour? Not really. What I'm getting at is that it's so incredibly hard to get motivated to work out when all I want to do is sit around and do nothing. And the weekend is no different. Believe me, I have a whole bunch of excuses to get me out of picking myself up and going to the gym on a Saturday or Sunday. Most of them go a little something like, "it's my only day to sleep in," but really, it's just me being lazy. Oh, did I mention my so-called gym membership expires in four days? As much as I sound like someone who hates to work out, I don't. Yeah, it takes me a little longer to actually get up and do something, but once I do, I feel great. Especially after a workout at my gym. I go to the Boxing Club, and for those of you who haven't heard of it, it's basically a place to go get you butt kicked and sweat probably somewhere near a gallon of water.

The great thing about it though, is that you really feel like you accomplished something. No walking around the gym for a half hour wondering what the heck you're doing there or taking a walk slash run on the tredmill that turns into mostly walking. There's none of that at there. This place is intense. So intense that I'm pretty sure I have a mean right hook now and could probably knock a few people out. I've also become a pro at jump squats (which you do about 300 of per class) and have even come to love the old "drop and gimme 40" routine. So, with only four days left, I'm going to try hard to go every day... staring today. Maybe I'll even get up early and go to the 6:30 class tomorrow! Hmmm, I take that back. I'm sleeping in.

Spontaneity.

I just bought airline tickets. To where, you might ask? San Francisco! It's a city I've only been to twice, but still absolutely love. I think it's because I've always been there during the same time, - Octoberish - and it always feels like fall. Living in San Diego, you rarely get that fall feeling. There is something about waking up in the morning to crisp air and having to wear a jacket because, well, it's actually cold outside. So, I'm going. And, boy am I excited. Buying airline tickets is scary though. It's one of those oh my gosh I can't go back and change things kinds of purchase. I'm pretty sure I read over all my info at least ten times, but I'm still worried that I got something wrong. Why the distress? The money, of course. Being a grown-up means you have to handle your own money (in case you hadn't noticed yet), and that can be one very scary thing. I've made my share of mistakes, particularly when it comes to not checking my account to make sure I've transfered enough funds. This usually makes me mad because it's not that I don't have any money in my bank account, it's just that I'm too lazy to sign onto my account and actually make sure I've given myself enough funds to keep swiping away. For the most part, I'm okay though, and this is why... I've come up with a system that works well for me. And, while I by no means want to tell you all how to manage your dollars, maybe this will work for you, too. Per paycheck, I give myself $300. This is my spending limit for two weeks for basically everything food, fuel and fun related. The rest, I save. It's been a nice way for me to have fun and still have extra money, just in case. The best part about it is that I can go places like San Fran on a whim and not have to worry about spending too much. There's a ton or great articles about saving money, many of which I'm sure I should refer to more often. I'm pretty sure it's time for me to start a countdown though. 46 days, woohoo! Bring on the paychecks and bring on the days - I'll be in San Fran before I know it!

Mmm, Sunday

Sundays are great. Mainly because there's something about Sunday that screams you can and should do nothing. And, that is exactly what I'm doing. After church and my little sister's back to school picnic this morning, I'm back basking in the glory of a beautiful Sunday in one of my favorite places - my bed. Maybe I should be outside doing something active and enjoying yet another cloudless day in sunny San Diego. Maybe I should be cleaning my room (which seems to have exploded again), or finally washing my car. But, you know what? I don't have to, so I guess I won't. I've been thinking a lot lately about being able to do whatever I want, and I'm realizing more and more just how lucky I am. For a lot of people, it's all about growing up. Little girls want to be teenagers so they can finally wear makeup and fit into their mom's clothes and shoes. Little boys want to grow up so they can play football in the park with their friends way past dark. Even I (who would have liked to stay a kid forever) have daydreamed about being older, having kids and what my life will be like when I'm, say, 40. Sometimes I want those things. Other times I want to just lie in my bed for hours doing absloutely nothing. And those are the times that I realize how much I need to enjoy right now. Someday I'll have responsibiliteies more than work and taking care of myself and my little apartment. I'm excited for those days, but today, I just want to be happy knowing I have an entire, glorious 24 hours to just do nothing.

No more pencils, no more books, no more... WHAT?!

Graduating from college is a huge accomplishment. It means you've somehow survived something along the lines of 17 years of school (give or take a year for you super seniors). It also means you will soon be thrust into the world of adulthood. Even those who can manage putting off entering the big, scary grown-up realm by traveling or simply enjoying one last summer, will someday reach that moment where it's time to figure things out. And, while growing up is fine and dandy, realizing that it's all over - really, really over - is a big step. Since I graduated a semester early, I thought the equally hated and anticipated "back to school" time wouldn't affect me. Well, I was wrong. There is something strange about not having to buy books or pens or a million other things that used to encompass the shopping sprees leading up to school. It really hit me that school and all that goes along with it was over for me when I was shopping a few weeks ago. I didn't really have anything in particular to buy, but as I was browsing the aisles, I ended up face to face with the school supplies. It was like a standoff occured, an inner turmoil between my childhood self and the adult me, suddenly no longer needing these things. Would I ever need to buy crayons again? Probably not for myself, anyway. What about those cool binders that I used to decorate with pictures and stuff needless sheets of papers into until they were bursting at the seams? I guess not. Hmm, this was stranger than I thought. Since my shopping experience, I've realized that it's just plain weird to not be in school, but at the same time oh, so exciting. For those of you still experiencing the post-graduate freak out, check out this site. As for me, I think I'll start visiting the office supply room more often.

Why, hello there!

Somehow, it seems, you have stumbled onto my blog. Welcome! Since this is my first post, I think it's appropriate to introduce myself and explain why I'm doing this. My name is Amanda (as you may have seen in my introduction) and I'm in my twenty's. Okay, I'm 22, but I tend to avoid saying this as it makes me feel so young. It's much better than saying "hi, I'm 21" though, which I quickly got sick of a couple months post-birthday. Anyway, since I am 22 and have been going through a lot of personal and professional changes, I decided it might be beneficial to myself and others my age to blog about my experiences and tips I've found about surviving this trying time (okay, being 22 isn't that harsh, but I had to say that for the sake of pure drama). I'm hoping I'll be able to share what I've been learning (and believe me, I learn something new everyday) and maybe be able to make sense of it all. So here goes... This begins the thoughts of me, a twentysomething.