AB FAB!

This past weekend I went to visit my friend David in San Diego. He has just moved into a new condo and was having a house warming party. I decided that if I could find a cheap flight, I would go. I haven’t been to San Diego in years and I thought it would make for a fun weekend getaway. This first picture is of David and me. See the tattoo? Yes, it’s cherries and no it isn’t real. I’ll get to the details of that shortly.

David picked me up from the airport Friday night and we headed over to the hotel where I was staying. The Lafayette is a nice place. A little dated (I’m sure it was swanky in the 60’s) and as soon I as I walked in I smelled Egg McMuffins. I swear it’s true. I mentioned it to David and he agreed. As I was checking in, I mentioned it to the girl working the front desk and she just laughed and shook her head and said that everyone says the same thing.

After getting checked in and dumping my stuff in my room, we headed over to a cute bar called Martini’s where we were meeting some of his friends. I remember all the names; however, I also find I can remember them as Leo, Scorpio, Pisces, Aquarius, and Libra. For some reason, we got stuck on the zodiac, and it remained a theme for the rest of that first night. Martini’s has quite the menu and I proceeded to sample too many of them. After last call (?) which I am getting used to never hearing here at home, we headed over to another place called Moe’s. I guess it used to be called something else, but that isn’t relevant to the story.

At one end of the dance floor was a small area that was advertising spray on tattoos. Why not? I of course, wanted cherries. They didn’t have a stencil already made, so the nice girl made one for me. As you can tell from the picture, they were huge and a little obnoxious. Yes, I am talking about the tattoo! It was fun and I enjoyed it and it made me glad that I didn’t have a real one. By the next day, I was already wishing it was gone, but I maintained it until after the party on Saturday. By Sunday I had scrubbed it off. David got one too, although I don’t have a picture of it. He ended up with the Superman emblem on his arm.

The next day was prep for the party day. Once I was finally conscious again, we had to go over to meet some people for brunch. It was a Mexican place called Baja Betty’s. I’m sure I would have enjoyed it more had been back on solid foods at the time. I went with soup and was pleased to start feeling a little better. It was a good thing since David had a list of things to do before the party that night and guess who got to be his helper?

Off to Costco we went. We bought too much stuff (glad I’m not the only one who does that) and then hit the florist. We finally made it back to the condo and then it was operation clean up. My fun getaway turned into a lot more work than I anticipated, but it was worth it. He finally dropped me off at the hotel so I could meet up with my roommate who was flying in for the party. Enter Brian. We also had a surprise guest that I didn’t know about until Brian told me. Apparently Jay had decided to fly in from Texas as a surprise. I knew David was going to love it.
The party was a lot of fun and it was good to catch up with all the boys. The last time we were all together was a year ago when they came out to Vegas. Here is a picture of them.

David’s shirt reminds me of a Backgammon board. He is one of the few people I know that can pull off the color Orange. His place is nice too. Since I am in decorating mode, I was curious to see what he had done to the place. He used colors that don’t even enter into my personal crayon box, but he pulled it off very nicely. He used chocolate brown, avocado green and little bits of orange. Along with some kitschy pieces (Like the picture of a monk, and the cool orange globe lamp he picked up while traveling, and the lamp base that holds postcards) he pulled it all together. I am also always curious to see what he has done with his IKEA furniture. I don’t have a store here, so I really have no experience to use as far as what they even carry. He rocks!!

Evolution

Since the ball dropped to ring in the New Year, I have been giving some thought to evolution. Not so much about the fact that I am able to walk upright and have opposable thumbs, but more about the fact that I am a long way from where I was even 12 months ago. I suppose it is natural to begin a new year by thinking about where you have been as a way to help choose a direction for the road ahead.

This year the road looks to be taking me to a lot of new places, physically, mentally, and of course, emotionally. I have accepted a new job offer. It’s scary because it’s change, and it’s exciting for the same reason. I knew I had a choice to make: continue in the same comfortable path or shake up my reality with something similar and yet completely new. I guess you can see which way I went. This particular path is going to be pretty intense for a while, as I get up to speed on how things operate. It will be exciting to feel so absorbed in work again rather than the comforting numbness of walking the same path with my current job.

With the new job, I am also looking to make one other significant change this year. I want to move again. Not out of this city, but out of this apartment. It’s finally time to buy up some property again. I know I have already mentioned the decorating virus I have contracted, and it’s only going to get worse until I address it (with a new address-ha, ha). Although I am not looking forward to getting back in the water with the sharks disguised as realtors, I find I am much better armed to deal with them than I was the first time I purchased something. I am hoping to make this change during the first part of this year.

The other evolutionary aspect I have been thinking about is more of an internal shifting. I feel like I am starting to enter into the next phase of my personal development: the procedure years. I feel like I have done a decent job of weathering such memorable years as:

• The Early 20’s -Who am I? Why do I have to decide today what the rest of my life is going to be?
• The Mid 20’s -Who am I? I have to be married right now if I plan to stay on track for my life plan.
• Turning 30 -What the Hell happened to the plan? Ok, I need a new plan. Thank God my 20’s are over. Let’s focus on career and go back to school.
• Early 30’s -Hmm. Everyone is in baby mode. They’re cute, but I’m going out to buy shoes. Why is my body starting to turn against me? I need a fresh start in a new location. I think I will pick up and move across the country.
• Turning 35 -Why are conversations with my friends and family centered on health? When did we all start to get old and more dependent on pills? Where the Hell is my life going? Who said it was time to start losing family members? Did I really just yell at everyone I know to put a will together?
  
  

I’m not a big fan of this latest phase, I have to be honest. Getting older and all that it entails scares the bejesus out of me. Over time I have noticed that odd books have started to appear on my bookshelf. Instead of fun, mindless girl-fun books I am looking at titles like You: The Owner’s Manual, and You: On a Diet. Yesterday I got all excited over buying patterns for clothes and picking up a sewing book. I see lots of whole-wheat food items on my grocery list. How can I really be this age? In my head I swear I am much younger.

In a couple of weeks I am going on vacation with my girlfriends from college. I love the fact that we have been able to keep in touch so well and that we are able to take time to spend time together. They are my touchstones. I think it is natural to look to the people you grew up with and compare/contrast where you are. It doesn’t have to be in a competitive, point-scoring kind of way, but I find it interesting to see the different paths we have all chosen and how we have all weathered those choices so far. I do the same thing with my siblings. Despite growing up in the same house, we have naturally all taken some different paths and it is interesting to observe how we all deal with our own choices. The evolution of my relationships with my siblings is what I hold most dear these days. We are at a point where we can mostly discard the roles we maintained when we were younger. Although some are more difficult to shed than others, I feel like we have all been able to add so much more depth and honesty based on our personal choices and experiences. I adore them.

So, in the spirit of change and evolution, I must give you a Top 5 song list. Except I think I need to make it a Top 10. Here we go:

1. Spinning Wheel- Blood, Sweat and Tears
2. Changes- David Bowie
3. Everybody’s Changing- Keane
4. Everything Must Change- Paul Young
5. Money Changes Everything- Cyndi Lauper
6. Revolution Calling- Queensryche
7. Breaking the Habit- Linkin Park
8. Cool Change- Little River Band
9. Tomorrow Never Knows- The Beatles
10. Love This Life- Crowded House
    
    

And finally, here is another installment from my Who Knew? book:

No word in the English language rhymes with month, orange, silver, or purple.

Christmas…Reloaded

Today I received my box of Christmas presents. I always have to ship them home separately since I never have enough room to bring them home. No big deal, really. It is nice to get that box though and experience the Christmas “booty” all over again. I am finally reunited with all my books on origami as well as the new shoes I liberated from the mall when I was visiting. Anyone else hear the call of the vacuum cleaner?

I also have yet another cookbook to add to my collection. This one is on baking. Granted, I have yet to actually bake anything since I moved here, but you never know. I have these great brand new cake pans that are getting a little dusty from neglect. I also have these funny little bread tubes I got from a Pampered Chef party many years ago that I have never figured out how to use either. I like to think of myself as still being in the research phase. Maybe once I add a cake stand or a bundt pan, I’ll be ready. Maybe not. Come to think of it, I have a cookie press too that is still in the box. Maybe one day, I’ll have a bake sale. Chances are it will consist of selling all these baking tools rather than actual baked goods. Wouldn’t that be funny?

I got a funny phone call today. Last night was the Ohio State game against Florida. Normally, I don’t watch the games since they tend to lose when I do. I figure my best bet in terms of supporting the team is to avoid seeing any of the games. I did see the game against Michigan, which is always a big game. I had to stop watching around the 3rd quarter as I recall since it was a close game. Anyway, I bring this up because I watched that game with a friend of mine and his buddies when they were in town for their “guys weekend” in Las Vegas. I mentioned to him my weird bad mojo and he told me to quit watching. So today I get a phone call from him demanding to know if I watched the game last night since they lost. I told him truthfully that I had forgotten the game was on. I wouldn’t have watched it anyway, but I thought it was funny that he remembered. Since my theory seems to have backfired, he said it was because I wasn’t consciously thinking about not watching the game. Not sure what kind of sense that makes, but he seemed satisfied with the answer.

Next year he is planning on sending me the schedule so I can make sure to think about the games while not actually watching any of them. So, there’s that to look forward to…

As for the decorating bug, I have rearranged some furniture and added some of that funky frosted contact paper to my windows. It’s nice to have some natural light in the place and not have to worry about all the nameless “people” that can see me from the windows. I also picked up some paint samples. I want to paint a chest of drawers I have and change the drawer pulls. It also has a mirror that I am going to separate and frame. That should keep me busy. I really wanted to paint the thing turquoise, but maybe I’ll be safe and paint it white with some turquoise trim. I found these great drawer pulls at The Great Indoors that have this neat turquoise glass in them, so they should match quite nicely. The trouble I am having now is deciding on a shade. Who knew there could be so many shades of turquoise? I am caught up in the names right now. I am torn between Greek Sea, Aqua Chiffon, and Turquoise Sea. I am thinking of carrying them in my purse so I can take a random polling of strangers and see what comes out ahead. Maybe I’ll see if I can scan them in to the blog so you people can let me know what you think. Stay tuned…

Last thought for today: I received a book for Christmas from a friend of mine called Who Knew? Things You Didn't Know About Things You Know Well. I thought I might end some of the blogs with a bit of interesting trivia from the book. Here is today's tasty morsel:

"Tip is an acronym for 'to insure promptness' and once upon a time was given in advance."

These 4 Walls

I have got to get out of this apartment. I need to buy something this year. I read an article recently on the housing outlook for this year. One of the areas with the highest estimated depreciation for 2007 is Las Vegas. Can I tell you how excited I was to hear this? Seems that all those people that bought houses to flip are left with houses they can’t sell. I don’t want a house, but I am on the lookout for a condo or townhouse again.

I have been buying up decorating magazines like crazy. The decorating bug has once again found me. I actually found myself watching one of those shopping channels because they were showing a sewing machine and all these funky attachments. Is it weird to get excited about an attachment that makes perfect button holes for any button? I have an insane urge to make curtains again. I keep telling myself to not spend any money on this place for stuff I won’t need when I move. I am dying to go to a fabric store though. Don’t you just love looking at pattern books? I feel the same ways about house plans too.

For now I suppose I have to be content with tagging pages in magazines for stuff that I like or things I want to try. All I know is that if I don’t get to paint something soon, I may go mad. How did I not end up an interior decorator, I wonder? How much money could I make as a professional Christmas tree decorator? I had so many ideas last night as I was taking the ornaments off my tree. I think one called “Under the Sea” might have to be added to the list. I like the idea of a garland that looks like waves. I also like the idea of a black and white tree. (Some sort of tuxedo and pearls sort of combo maybe?) Plus, if I end up getting little animals representing the 12 signs of the Chinese zodiac, it would be a fine first step toward a Noah’s Ark theme if I ever decided to get biblical with the tree. Ew, that didn’t sound quite right, did it?

Well, whatever. I just want to redecorate the entire place. I was looking through this furniture catalog and going absolutely nuts on modern furniture. I love the bright colors and the funky designs. I also know that I will most likely never own it because they look like hell to sit on. Plus, I also have a weakness for mission style furniture and the two styles would clash something awful. Somehow I don’t think the space age, Jetsons look and the Spanish Missions in San Francisco in the late 1800’s were meant to share the same space. Wrought iron and chrome? I don’t think so. Still, never say never. I think I might find some way to blend them if I really felt that strongly about it.

Fire Pig/ Metal Pig

Well here we are with a brand new year. Any New Year’s resolutions? I have one. I want to play more. What exactly does that mean? Well, I suppose for a start it means getting out and doing more exploring of this place I call home. I have yet to make it out to Lake Las Vegas. I also haven’t ventured very far north of the city. When spring rolls around, I suppose I should also take a trip out to Death Valley. I hear it is very beautiful when it blooms. I also haven’t made it to Mt. Charleston. Not that I am big on hiking, or the outdoors for that matter, but surely there is a lodge or something.

Speaking of new years, I think I have a new theme picked out for next year’s tree. I have decided to go with an Asian theme. For starters that means I am going back to origami. I tried once before several years ago and mastered the crane and nothing else. I ended up giving up and using the paper to make snowflakes. Well, not again! I have no less than 6 books on origami that I picked up over the holidays and almost all of them center on Christmas ornaments. I started a few of the designs and things are going ok so far. My one stumbling block so far is making a reindeer. It is actually 2 pieces that fit together. Making the back end of this thing is fine, it’s the front that giving me problems. I can’t figure out one step that brings the front legs from being spread straight out to being tucked under the head where they belong. My first attempt looks like I made a horny deer waiting to be mounted. I don’t think it says “Christmas” quite yet, but I am hoping that another one of the books I have will have some better instructions.

I haven’t decided what the tree topper will be yet, but I have a couple of ideas. Chinese New Year is coming up in February and we have a rather large Chinatown here. I am hoping to head over there at some point and look for other things I can use as decorations. What I am really on the look out for is a dragon. I would LOVE to find one that I could use as the garland for the tree. Wouldn’t that be awesome? I don’t know if I necessarily want a big dragonhead on top of the tree, but I could be persuaded. My other thought for a garland was cherry blossom. Hey, I have to figure out how to get cherries on the tree, right? I think that is more Japanese than Chinese, but that is why I am broadening the theme to Asian in general.

I was out on the Internet today doing some research on Chinese New Year and came across more information than I intended to research, as usual. I stumbled across all sorts of sites of an astrological nature. So of course I am going to share. We are currently ending the Year of the Dog. In February, we begin the Year of the Pig. To be more precise, it is the Fire Pig. As you undoubtedly know from any Chinese restaurant experience, each year is marked by one of 12 animals representing the 12 signs of the Chinese zodiac. I happen to be a pig. For once, it isn’t such a bad thing. For all you other lovely people hailing from roughly January 1971 to February 1972, you are all pigs too.

Before you get bent out of shape about it, here is more information taken from one of many web sites out there:

People born in the Year of the Pig are chivalrous and gallant. Whatever they do, they do with all their strength. For Boar Year people, there is no left or right and there is no retreat. They have tremendous fortitude and great honesty. They don’t make many friends but they make them for life, and anyone having a Boar Year friend is fortunate for they are extremely loyal. They don’t talk much but have a great thirst for knowledge. They study a great deal and are generally well informed. Boar people are quick tempered; yet they hate arguments and quarreling. They are kind to their loved ones. No matter how bad problems seem to be, Boar people try to work them out, honestly if sometimes impulsively. They are most compatible with Rabbits and Sheep.

In addition to our animal personas, those Chinese have added another dimension: elements. Fire, water, wood, metal, and earth overlap the 12 animal signs. This element designation is adding an extra layer of meaning behind each animal sign. My element is Metal. Hence the fact that I am a metal pig. Lovely, but I don’t think I am ready to buy a t-shirt proclaiming it to the world. Here’s some additional information about the metal element:

Those of you born under the influence of the Chinese Astrology element of Metal are determined, self-reliant and forceful. You enjoy the good life and all it has to offer -- luxury, comfort and freedom, especially. You're like a reclusive film star: You want the acclaim, but you also want to be left alone. You create your own success, building your desired destiny with single-minded focus. Others look up to you in awe of your commanding, confident presence.

While you Metal individuals are strong and virtuous, you can be a bit set in your ways. No arm-wrestling with the metallic ones, either; they might break that appendage in two! You can be a stern taskmaster as well, demanding the most from yourself and those you love.

Outspoken and confident, Metal Pigs give 110% for everything they do. They throw themselves into relationships with others completely, sometimes to a fault. These Pigs are headstrong and diligent in the workplace, honest and caring in a relationship and trustworthy with everyone he meets unless given reason not to be. Metal Pigs usually give people more credit than they deserve but when challenged can be a hard nut to crack.

And finally, as I mentioned earlier, we are getting ready to enter the Year of the Pig, the Fire Pig to be more precise. It looks to be an interesting year. I’ll save a little mystery and space by just providing you a link HERE to read about it yourself. You can also find out more about your own animal and element signs here. Enjoy and Happy New Year!