Last night I saw RENT! And, boy, was it amazing. It even featured original cast members Adam Pascal, Anthony Rapp and Gwen Stewart. I think this was my second time seeing it live, but I've probably watched the movie a million times! I was basically bouncing around in my seat the whole time, silently singing all of the songs. Everything about the play is wonderful - the set, the music, the perfectly rhymed lyrics - but my favorite part is probably the message. I think these lyrics sum it up perfectly: "There's only us. There's only this. Forget regret - or life is yours to miss." It's so true. We're only here for a short amount of time and in the end, all you really have are moments and people that have touched you. RENT should inspire everyone to live life in the moment... to the fullest. A hard thing to do, believe me. Most of you know that I'm constantly planning, so this is something I've struggled with. I'm going to try to live the lyrics for now though, and maybe if I forget to do it after a while, I'll have to see the show again (no complaints here).
So, I'm wondering what your favorite show is. Mine is for sure Phantom, but RENT is a close second. What shows and music touch you? Let me know!
And, if you're obsessed with musicals like me and live in San Diego, check out Broadway San Diego's Web site. Todd and I just bought a flex pack that includes tickets to Wicked (I'm giddy already), The Lion King and In the Heights. I wanted to buy tickets to every show, but I don't think I could have convinced Todd to see Legally Blonde... hmmm :)
One Song. Glory.
Anza
This twentysomething has been a busy bee (hehe) at work. I just got out of a meeting all about blogs so I decided to "practice what we preach" here at work and get to updating! This weekend was another adventure for Todd and I, as we decided to venture out to the desert. Well, actually, we had our trip planned for another weekend, but that's a whole other story. Friday was our packing day and they Saturday morning, we were off! The drive to the desert is a beautiful one, and I'm still always surprised at how quickly the terrain changes. San Diego is just one of those places, I guess. You really can see it all - snow, desert, beach, city - within a fairly short drive. Anyway, our drive started out through the strangely peaceful and tree-line streets of Scripps Ranch, through stop-and-go Ramona and briefly in Julian, where Todd and I made a quick detour at Dudley's Bakery. For some reason, I really had to stop at Dudley's. I feel like I've been going on and on about it ever since this camping trip was planned. I think it has something to do with high school and the fact that we stopped there our our field trip to the desert, but anyway, we stopped and picked up some bread. I got a cheddar loaf and Todd got jalapeno. We also ordered a sandwich for later, which gave us some time to look around the gift shop that was full of Native American nick nacks. After Dudley's we were back in the car and back to winding roads through the beautiful mountains and valleys. I think the drive was something like an hour and 30 mins, and when we finally made it to Anza-Borrego, we realized we weren't the only ones who had the idea of going to the desert! There were millions of people everywhere, and it took us a while to finally find some parking and get hiking. 
Todd, on the other hand, skipped college and ended up as a multi-millionaire. I guess I learned my lesson! We also made hot dogs (I'm embarrassed to say how many), jiffy pop and heated cookies over the fire (the best idea ever). We also watched a movie, because, hey - we're high tech! Todd even made this crazy contraption to hold his iPhone up like a movie screen so we could lie in the tent and have the movie playing above us. He basically kept saying: "Be prepared. It's the boy scout motto," which made me laugh, but it's true. We had all these random things that were really useful! The only thing we were missing were camping chairs. So, all in all, I am going to say that camping was a success! We somehow avoided seeing any bugs, made it through the freezing night (OK, not freezing, but still cold) and made it back to Julian in time to have delicious apple pie and coffee for breakfast!
Next trip stop - Disneyland :)
Weekend time.
Bloggg time! It's "raining" again in San Diego. Actually, last night it really was pouring. I think the weather forecast even said something about thunderstorms this weekend... wouldn't that be great? Haha, I just love these days! I can't wait to get back home and put on comfy clothes and just relax. Tonight, Kaleigh is sleeping over! It should be a lot of fun. I haven't had a real sleepover in forever. I miss those days.
Tonight, Elysia, Kayl and I plan on:
1. Baking cookies and decorating cookies. And then eating them.
2. Possibly playing a board game?
3. Watching Anne of Green Gables. Hopefully all the way through to the end of the Continuing. We'll probably be up all night.
Anyway, it should be a great girls night! The rest of my weekend is slam packed too, but I'm really looking forward to it. Tomorrow, Todd, Elysia and possibly Rylan, and I are going to try and volunteer at Habitat. I'll let you know how that goes. Then, Sunday there is a free salsa/samba class in PB. Should be fun! Maybe Todd and I will get back into salsa dancing again :)
That's it for now. Happy Weekend!!
Food Diary
Hi there (hello, Ma)! Well, it's Monday and it's February and I'm taking a minute to blog :) I am still recovering from the super bowl yesterday... mainly from the food at our super bowl "party" (if you can even call it that, haha). I didn't really watch the game, but I did eat tons. My super bowl stuff-your-face fest consisted of:
1. Homemade nachos. A lot of them. With a lot of guac, salsa and sour cream :x
2. One hot dog. I later saw the commercial for Hebrew National and was sad that I ate the cheap-o brand that most likely contained the "butt."
3. Two diet cherry pepsis (wow, that word looks weird). I was gonna have three, but decided that might be overdoing it a bit. Everyone else was drinking beer.
4. 3 chocolate chip cookies. They were so good and made by Elysia. I kept taking a half and then going back for the rest later. Come to think of it, I probably had 10 halves, which is 5 cookies - yikes!
Anyway, I woke up starving this morning - at 4 a.m., I might add - and I blame it all on the fact that I ate so much food all day. So, now, I'm deliriously at work (waking up at 4 a.m. for no apparent reason is not fun) and have already had one granola bar and an everything bagel... and I'm still STARVING. Ahhh, this really is going to be a long day.
Hey, at least I updated!
Christmas cheer.
Christmas is in full-swing around here. Have you stopped to look at the calendar lately? Because, it's in only 16 DAYS!! Ahhh! My mom and I went shopping for hours on Sunday night. I think I got home at 11ish or something crazy. We thought we were done, but then decided to head over to Target since they close super late these days. I got the baby a really cute puppy that barks and a bunch of other stuff I didn't need to buy like Christmas note pads. Daniel wants a real puppy for Christmas this year. In fact, the other day, Todd told the baby he had a surprise for him (some chocolate, I think), and the baby said, "is it a puppy?" Uh oh!
But, anyway, I'm almost done with my gift buying! I think I have only a couple more things to get. I'm really looking forward to seeing everyone open their gifts! I'm also excited to get home tonight and wrap everything. I think I'm really bad at wrapping gifts, but I like doing it. It's kind of relaxing for me.
Todd and I went to the dollar store last night and there was so much cheesy, cheapo Christmas stuff. I wanted to buy EVERYTHING! I was there for wrapping paper and such, but I was also there to get ideas for my office cubicle decorating contest. I have this really, really great idea, but it requires a lot of time and supplies, as well as intense amounts of painting and maybe even buying props that light up. Hmmm, might have to stick with plan two, which is less time consuming. Once it's all done, I'll post some pictures for everyone to see! In the meantime, let me know if you have any good ideas. I have until the 19th to get everything set up. Apparently there is a prize involved, so I must win! :)
Off to decorate the office tree. For real this time.
Puppies to the rescue :)
Awww, here's a great story that just made my day happier. Hopefully it will make yours better, too!
From the Daily News: Puppies save three-year-old boy lost in freezing Virginia woods
A toddler lost in the Virginia woods was back home safe Sunday thanks to two puppies who kept him warm through a harrowing night of freezing temperatures.
Jaylynn Thorpe, 3, wandered away from his baby-sitter at 4 p.m. Friday and was missing for 21 hours as hundreds of friends, family and law enforcement officials searched for him in the thick woods of Halifax County, fearing the worst.
"The only thing we wanted to do was just keep searching until we found him," Halifax County Sheriff Stanley Noblin told reporters.
Jaylynn's frantic family knew time was not on its side.
"We didn't forget the issue that 17 degrees was almost unbearable," said his father, James Thorpe.
"People all over the State of Virginia was down there looking for that child. For a while there, one time, I didn't know whether they would find him or not," said the child's grandmother and guardian, Katherine Elliot.
Officials said the lost little boy and the two family puppies wandered up to a mile in the dark, even across a highway, but it wasn't until Saturday afternoon that members of the search team found him sitting by a tree, the two puppies nestled against him.
The little boy didn't say anything, according to rescue team member Jerry Gentry, but instead "just opened his arms up like, 'I'm ready to go.'"
"When I first saw him, he was like, 'Momma, I got cold. I slept in the woods last night. The puppies kept me warm.' He told me that ... the dogs slept up against him. And I'm sure the body heat kept him warm," said his mother, Sarah Ingram.
Billie Jo Roach, another member of the search party that found the boy, said the puppies refused to leave his side.
As the child was placed in an ambulance to be taken to a local hospital for examination, "The puppies were watching where he went.
"Where he went, they went," Roach said.
As word went out that the child was alive and well, family members cheered and cried for joy.
"Praise the Lord! Welcome home, Jaylynn!" yelled his aunt, Amy Zimmerman.
Close to 300 people from North Carolina and Virginia joined in the search to find Jaylynn.
"I love you! God bless you," Ingram told the rescue teams.
"I think I just said, 'Thank you Lord' ... for us to have another chance!" said the child's father.
The boy spent Saturday night under observation at Halifax Regional Hospital and chowed down on a double cheeseburger, a hot dog, strawberry ice cream and French fries.
Meanwhile, the furry heroes, their tails wagging, were rewarded with food.
"I definitely call this a miracle," said Noblin.
Dec. 2
My eyes are burning from the intenseness of my computer screen. Ahh! Anyway, hi! I was talking to Ma this weekend and she was asking me about my blog, so here I am. I didn't take a lunch break today, so I figure the last part of my day can be dedicated to an update. I'm currently listening to Christmas music, which is making me feel less stressed out. This day... this past month has been HECTIC at work. There have definetely been fun parts, and I feel like I've learned a lot, but I'm not gonna lie, it's been crazy stressful! That said, I'm really looking forward to these next couple of weeks and all the Christmasy fun, and heading home again, of course. Like always, every single moment of the next few weeks is planned out (gotta love the holidays). This week I'll be going to the Horton Plaza Christmas Tree lighting, joining Elysia at her company holiday party, going to December Nights and heading to Greg's birthday party. Other than that, life has been usual. Thanksgiving was fun, especially the having 4 days off part. Todd, Elysia and I have basically been spending all of our time watching the best show ever - How I Met Your Mother. It's so funny! If you haven't watching it yet, you need to. It's all about a dad telling his kids how he met their mother... which means he has to tell a million stories that seem meaningless, but that somehow will lead him to meeting his wife. Great concept and even better writing. Sitcoms are pretty bad these days, so I'm happy to have found a show that actually makes me laugh.
OK, time to hit the road. Happy December, everyone!
BOO!
It's almost October 31, so I figured I would share this article with everyone who's looking to get in the Halloween mood.
Muhaha :)
Things I'm excited about.
Back by popular demand :) Here's my update! It's officially Fall... everywhere else but San Diego. It's been about 95 degrees here lately, which is really making me grumpy. It's been cloudy all day today though... a pleasant surprise! I'm hoping it will stay this way through the weekend because we're going APPLE PICKING! Woohoo! I haven't been apple picking in forever. I think the last time was when I still lived back home. I'm really excited! Plus, we'll be in Julian, so we'll get to eat some delicious apple pie and take a million pictures with pumpkins, scarecrows and other fall things. Uh oh... I just checked the weather and it's supposed to be a high of 65 with rain. WHAT THE HECK! Don't get me wrong, I love the rain, but why does it keep happening when I have outside-type things to do? Last weekend, Todd, Michelle, Leah and I went camping up in Carpinteria for the amazing, annual Avocado Festival. It was a lot of fun (I ate at least a pound of avocados), but it rained - drizzled. Whatever, it made the camping a little more wet than we would have liked. I guess we'll just have to wait and see what happens this weekend. The weather changes here about every two seconds lately. Some other things I'm excited for include:
1. Halloween costume shopping. Yep, it's that time of the year again! I was originally going to be colonial (haha), but our group of friends has all decided to dress the same... as NEWSIES! I'm pretty excited for this am and still trying to figure out how I'm going to get the soundtrack to play all night - maybe speakers attached to my costume? We shall see.
2. Steph's in town this weekend! I miss my old roomie, so I'm sure we will have some good times. Maybe we can have one of our old football parties - where the girls make all the food/football shaped cakes and then fall asleep. How cliché.
3. Vegas! That's right, next weekend, Elysia, Hannah, the boys and I are headed to Sin City! It's sure to be a crazy/tiring two and a half days. All I have to say is Vivaaaa Las Vegas!
4. Actual Halloween. I'm going trick-or-treating with the family again. Boy, am I going to be sad when those kids grow up - they give me a great excuse to do such fun, "kiddie" things!
5. The cruise to Mexico. Todd and I will be sailing away to good 'ol Mexico on Nov. 7. Hopefully this trip will make up for our last Mexico excursion. That's Why God Made Mexico is already stuck in my head. Bring on the late-night buffet!
Alright, I think that's it for now. I have so much more work to get to before the end of the day, so I better get on that. I can't wait to get home to watch Project Runway and Grey's! I sure do love Thursday nights!
Jersey, here we come!
Todd is a nerd. Right now, he's leaning over me with his GPS trying to figure out how fast the train is going :) So, here we are - our vacation is half way over and we're headed to good ol' New Jersey. We've been having the greatest time. The Camp was tons of fun! It was great to see everyone and just relax by the lake. Being in CT was great also. I got to see more of Todd's home town and spend time with his family and friends. Last night, we even celebrated Todd's mom's birthday with a delicious spaghetti dinner, wine and cake! I'm sad that part of the trip is over, but oh, so excited to see Ma and Pat, my dad and the rest of the fam (so many mixed emotions!). Tonight, we're booking it to the City to see The Little Mermaid on Broadway! The show was a birthday surprise and I can't wait see the it and get a backstage tour of the theater. We might even try and make it to The View - a rotating restaurant at the top of the Marriott in Times Square! I'm sure these last five days of the trip will just fly by, so I'm trying to truly enjoy each moment. See you all in Jersey!
(ps: thanks, Pat, for the delicious lunch. We already ate it all!!)