Mission: Christmas Shopping

Christmas Shopping.  Separately, these words are wondrous and joyful events.  Together, they send shivers down my spine.  They create a feeling of intense unease, bordering on irrational hysteria.  From the Friday after Thanksgiving to January 1, I dare not step one foot within a 2 mile radius from the mall, if I can help it.  The crowds are way too much to bear.

But do I learn my lesson? Do I do the responsible thing and start my Christmas shopping months in advance in order to avoid the phenomenon that is Christmas Shopping? Do I even order online?

NO.

So, not only am I going Christmas shopping tomorrow, i am going Chistmas Shopping tomorrow...2 days before Christmas.  And I only have myself to blame.

MISSION: WILL BE ACCOMPLISHED
...hopefully I make it out in one piece.

PS: 4th Annual Christmas Potluck and Secret Santa was a great time! Most everyone came decked out in their Christmas Worst and more visual proof (and someday blackmail and/or extortion aids) will be put up in the next couple of weeks.  A family friend is ever-so-kindly reformatting my ol' dinosaur so he hopefully runs a little faster and makes it another year or so.  Wish him luck!

Rockin' our Ugly Sweaters (some of which are not as ugly as mine or my brother's)

 

Mission: Update

So I know I haven't posted a lot lately but that's not due to lack of activity.  There has been so much going on since my last blog that I honestly cannot keep up.  Between work, VITA, friends, family, and lovah, it has just been a constant stream of go, go, go.

One thing I am excited for is the 4th Annual Christmas Potluck & Secret Santa Party, hosted by Yours Truly this Saturday.  As always, we have a theme, and this year it's Ugly Sweater! Well, I took an ugly sweater and took it  one (or two...or three) steps further into Ugly Land.  Here's a preview:

How deliciously ugly, huh? I know you may thing it looks ugly now...but wait until you see it in all its glory!

Two other pieces of exciting news...my family will once again be reunited!  My mom gets home on Thursday and my brother gets home on Friday!

It's beginning to feel a lot like Christmas!

MISSION: ACCOMPLISHED

Mission: Mia's 1st Birthday

Happy Birthday to the cutest little 1 year old today! Ms. Mia Angeline turned 1 and wow...I can't believe that a year has already passed! A year ago she was this tiny little thing swaddled in blankets and now she's a mover and a shaker at the ripe old age of 1.

Cute, no?

MISSION: ACCOMPLISHED

Mission: Christmas Wish List

Okay, so I'm just now starting to get into the holiday spirit.  Yes, even though today was atrocious, what with its howling winds and epic rainstorms and even snow (SNOW! ugh...), it still wasn't enough to bah humbug away my Christmas jollies.  Why? Well, because planning was underway for a weekend getaway up to the Poconos with my friends.  Granted, the trip isn't set until January, but just thinking about going up to the mountains, snowboarding, snowball fights, drinking around the fireplace, taking in the pictureseque, snow-filled landscape (where snow belongs!), etc., put me in such a wistful and celebratory mood.  In addition to that, one of my friends asked me last night if I had made my Christmas Wishlist.  In fact, I had...I had been compiling it all year.  However, for some reason, I blanked on what was on it.  For a YEAR I had made up a list of material wants that I had dearly coveted and I could barely drudge up but a few items! So let's see here....

10.  A Cruise: Okay, so this one is pretty out there and probably one I won't be getting for a long time *AHEM AHEM FUTURE HUSBAND THIS WILL SCORE YOU A MONTH OF GETTING AWAY WITH ANYTHING*.  But c'mon...who doesn't dream of being whisked away on vacation without worrying about paying for it.  A dream, baby, but one that just might come true, whether it be sooner or later.

 9. Personal Trainer: Because I need someone hardcore to whip me into shape.  Pronto.  And one who won't be swayed by my tears or screams of agony.  I just can't pay for one myself because who would spend money of being punished by someone even if the result is so good and just what you want and need....ummm.....besides, S&M Fetishees.  Let's move on.

8. A day at the spa:  A professional stylist to give me the best haircut ever, a manicurist & pedicurist to treat my tips and toes with some loving, a facialist to tighten my wrinkles and pores, and of course, a masseuse to give my aching joints some loving.  Throw in some fat-zapping laser treatments and you've got yourself one happy, little filipino girl, if just a leeeeeetle superficial.  But let's be real...who doesn't mind a little tender love and care once in awhile?

7. Day Planner: I'm talking about a leather-bound, purse-sized, month and week style beauty.  With milky smooth pages with golded edges, customized to my perfection.  And if it were to come with a smooth-writing, fountain pen engraved with my name on it, then WOW.  I think I'd make you my emergency contact information, because you'd be that important.

6. Shu Umera 24K Lash Curler & Tweezers: No, not because it's gold.  Because it curls even the shortest, straightest lashes easily.  No joke, I've tried it on myself and I have the worst lashes imaginable.  At $24, I don't think I can justify buying myself an eyelash curler.  But damn...it's amazing.  As for the tweezers, I don't know any brands in particular but I do know that the one I have right now *ahem ahem revlon* is just not cutting it.

5.  Makeup Mirror: You know those round, light-up mirrors that magnify your face 1000x so that you see every tiny pore and age definer on your face? Yeah, I want those.  You haven't really see yourself until you've looked into one of these mirrors.  It's a little depressing, yes, and sometimes I feel like ignorance is bliss...I could have gone without seeing those gross blackheads that are otherwise invisible to the normal eye.  However, it's disturbing that all this is going on in my face without my knowledge. GROSS.  I need the truth...I need this mirror.

4. Year's Subscription to Netflix: The 2 DVD at a time one is plenty enough for me! I LOVE movies but I'm the type of person who considers buying movies a little bit of a waste.  I can't possibly watch that movie enough times to justify spending more than $10 on one, much less $50 on the Blu Ray ones.  CRAZY! That's enough for a week's grocery! Plus, I can rent the Z-list movies without feeling bad about dropping dough on it since it's pretty much unlimited movies a month....Lindsay Lohan and Olsen Twins movies, watchoutnow!

3.  Purses: Some girls (and boys) are shoe sluts...I am a purse whore.  I look at Louboutins and my eyes admire the beauty but my feet scream BLOODY MURDER.  With purses, a wondrous warmth runs all throughout my body.  From clutches to luggage, my arms ache not from the thought of lugging around these sacs all day but from a wistful longing for these beauties.  However, they must still be practical and actually serve a purpose, but let's face it...what kind of purse would NOT serve a purpose? Especially if you had one for EVERY purpose! I lust for purses the way most would lust for...okay, I'll stop here.

2. Gift cards/Clothes: Right, so pretty unoriginal and impersonal, you may think.  However, to me, these go hand in hand.  If there's anything better than getting clothes for Christmas, it's getting gift cards to get clothes.  When I was a kid, I'd always feel THAT much more excited upon unwrapping a sweater or a dress than if I got a toy or book.  When you get a gift card, that's like a free shopping spree! I wouldn't feel so guilty to spend, spend, spend on clothes, because what else are you going to do with a gift card? Put it in the bank? Might as well invest in some clothing.  And YES...clothing is an investment.  I mean, you wear it everyday.  Make sure you look cute!

1.  External hard-drive: Yes, yes, such a dorky thing.  But there is a method to my nerdiness.  I am such a nostalgic fool and a good chunk of my life is recorded in thousands upon thousands of pictures and videos that are stored in my computer.  And I'm NOT exaggerating here, people.  I'm talking THOUSANDS of files, THOUSANDS of precious moments that I've captured forever...or for however long my darling dinosaur computer decides to hold out.  Everyday I hold my breath, hoping that today isn't going to be the day old Dino here finally bows out.  I mean, he is 6 going on 7.  That's pretty old for a computer.  So yeah...a HUGE hard drive would be NUMERO UNO on this list.


I just noticed that it went from pretty unrealistic to hey, I could actually get that.  I still feel that there's more I want but maybe my subconscious is just being shy and withholding that information.  Whatever...nothing's keeping me from divulging at a later date.  So, at 12.55am and with a full day of work ahead of me, I must bid you adieu and HAPPY HOLIDAYS! YAY!


MISSION: ACCOMPLISHED

Mission: Back on Track

MISSION: FAILED. EPICALLY.

and I don't care. =P

I think I might try my hand at vlogs.  Just because talking is easier than typing. 

Mission: Disney

So I know I said that I had to blog 3 days in a row in order to fulfill my mission.  Well, I know it looks like I failed but just so you know, I went away on vacation from last Sunday to yesterday (Friday), and HECK NO I'm not going to blog while on vacation! So this blog will constitute as the 3rd day because I said so.

So quick recap.  I went on vacation.  THE END! Just kidding.  Honestly though, my recap will not do the trip justice and even the hundreds of pictures I took will barely scratch the surface of awesomeness that the trip was.  I think one of the biggest reasons the trip was incredible was because I hadn't been away in over a year.  That's just way too long for any one person.  Secondly, I was with my boyfriend.  We really needed a break from reality together.  Having been with each other for about 5 years, we really needed to freshen up our relationship and find the magic in it again.

And magic we did find, which is really easy when you go to Disneyworld! Truthfully, I didn't think I'd have that much fun.  I was looking forward to hitting up Universal Studios because I didn't think Disney was going to cut it in the excitement depeartment, judging from my last visit there.  Well, I stand corrected.  Last time my family just visited the Magic Kingdom, and for all its charm and cuteness, I felt that it really was meant for the younger crowd.  However, this time around, we hit up Animal Kingdom, MGM Studios, and my favorite, Epcot!

Anyway, I'll be uploading some pictures of my trip soon, I just really wanted to yell and scream about how awesome it was.  Since recapping the entire trip would take way too long, and I have way too many things to take care of now that I'm back in the real world, I'm planning on recapping a little bit everyday.  Gives me an excuse to blog frequently. 

So til next time,

MISSION: IN MOTION

Mission: Inaugural House Party

The bf and his housemates had their first official house party last night.  They went all out; they sent out Facebook invitations, set up all their flat screen and surround sound toys, cleaned the entire house, quite impressive really.  Oh, and they did this too (the tree part).

All in all, it was a great time.  We started early, around 7.30.  It was one of the housemates gf's bdays so, of course, we celebrated with champagne...a bottle per head.  Oy.  A few of my lady friends came over as well, joined with their bf and bro, so it was awesome.  I'm glad they came and it seemed like they had fun.  I know my bf was very excited they were able to hang out, although I think he wished he hadn't indulge in the dangerous little present they brought, a certain "Remy Ma".  But hindsight, meh.

I'm a little old lady disguised as a 24 year old young woman, because I knocked out at around 1.30 in the morning.  I just can't hang like I used to.  Woke up again at 4 to puke my brains and some stomach acid out then went downstairs to see the last of the stragglers leave.    Then slept again until 9.30. 

As uneventful as it sounds, I had a great time.  I just wish that I had the party stamina that I did back in college...which, sadly, really wasn't that long ago for me to not be able to do it anymore.  But hindsight, meh.

I used to dance on bars...now I dance on coffee tables.  Because they're not as high.

MISSION: ACCOMPLISHED

Mission: Christmas Decorations

Yesterday was the day after Thanksgiving, which is typically the day we put up the Christmas tree.  I don't particularly enjoy putting up the tree because, well, let's face it, I'm pretty darn lazy, but this year was different....I had a lot of sucking up to do.  Considering my impending and controversial trip to FL, I thought that I'd help my mom out and put up the tree.  It's really not that big a job since we have an artificial one, so we don't need to go out and buy a live one.  We did that once and it was a nightmare.  Never again...personally, I don't see the big deal.  You have to buy one every year and deal with the falling needles and stick sap...no thanks.  Pass.

 I'm helping too, really, I am.

So I volunteered my brother and we set it all up...which isn't really much since our decorations are really just lots and lots of balls.  You know, Christmas ornament balls...don't be gross.  We don't do garland or tinsel...we used to but then we got lazy or lost creativity or whatever.  The worst part about decorating a tree, at least in my opinion, is the christmas lights.  I HATE them...they get all tangled and you have to be so gentle so as not to bust a bulb because once you do that, you might as well chuck them.  Well, luckily for me, our tree does not require lights because, get this....it has lights integrated into it already! Along with some fiber optic goodness!!!!

All set up, ready for phase 2

In the middle of our decorating, I had the bright idea to listen to some songs from Glee (yeah, I'm a closet Gleek) and we became more interested in listening than decorating.  Whomp whomp. So yeah, the tree is not yet finished and there are more house decorations to be put up.  But I did manage to capture the following gem!

Not. At. All. Amused.

The was my awesome brother.  At the ripe old age of 21, he knows by now that it's easier to just let me do what I want than deal with my tantrums.  Smart guy, that one.  Anyway, so like I said, the tree is pretty much done, it's the rest of the house that needs some livening up.  Hopefully I'll get them done by tomorrow before I leave on a jet plane.

Getting there...

MISSION: IN MOTION...

Mission: Makeover

3rd one today, WHOA! Okay, so I'm actually killing time before I put up the tree (the results of which might just turn into the 4th blog today! hooray for holidays!) but I'd just like to inform everyone (or just the one reader) that a makeover is in the works.  No, not for me, you asshole.  What, are you saying I need one? Why I oughtta...

...ANY. WAY.  If you go ahead and take a look at my other blog, That's What She Said aka Shameless Plug, you'll see that it's pretty fixed up.  I'd like to do the same for this one.  It's quite lacking in aesthetics.  So aware of a change in store.


MISSION: IN MOTION...

Mission: Purple Dress

So the wedding renewal has come and gone.  It was terrific.  But as for the mission? I failed.  I didn't lose 5 lbs.  Sad.  However, I'd like to think it didn't look so bad and I danced too much to think about it.  Maybe I didn't know it at the time, but perhaps I did manage to lose however much weight I needed to. 


MISSION: FAILED

with the broham...not too shabby, eh?

Mission: Back on Track

Shame, shame, shame.  I am hanging my head with it.  So, I completely fibbed when I said I'd be blogging daily agan BUT with the holidays around the corner things have been HEC-TIC.  But excuses, excuses no longer.

speaking of awkward...

Thanksgiving was yesterday and it was so awkward.  There were def underlying angry vibes headed my way from mommy dearest.  Tried to keep things light but I think I added to the weight...and I'm not talking about stuffing. That later though.  Actually, let's do it now.  Our feast comprised of french onion soup with a bread and cheese crust and stuffing puffs for starters, followed by the Cornish Hens with stuffing and mashed potatoes sides, and leche flan for dessert. Oh yes, and ice wine.  We gotta have the ice wine, oh so delicious.

the night is obviously over

Watched Four Christmases and it drew a few giggles.  I can see why it bombed in theaters though.

Oh, before I wrap it up, a quick thought: A friend told me that she saw my bf at Harrah's Pool night before Thanksgiving, also known as drink so you can indulge in the best hangover food the next day night.  She mentioned that he was really nice and introduced her to all his friends and that one of his friends bought her a drink.  I was really happy he did that but the second thing that popped into my head was...why didn't my bf buy her a drink? Is that bad of me to think that? Whatever...just something that bubbled up in my brain.

So yes, folks, I am really trying to get back on track.  Unfortunately, I won't be able to say for certain if I am actually back on track until, let's say, 2 days from now.  If I blog for a continuous 3 days, I'd say the mission is complete...so til then...




MISSION: TBA

Mission: Catch-Up

This is gonna be the longest "brief" yet.  Boo for not updating right away.


Phase 1

The 8 hour drive to Toronto was anything but uneventful.  Half an hour into the trip, my dad realized he had forgotten his cell phone.  After about 2 and a half hours, we stopped at the Crossings like we usually do for a quick potty break and 2 hours after that, halfway into the trip, my brother realized he forgot his cell phone in the bathroom.  Now, this is both funny and exasperating because my brother has a tendency to lose things in rest stop bathrooms.  When he broke the news back in the car to my mom and me, I checked to see if I had my phone so that I could laugh at him without being hypocritical, and I saw that I had a missed call from Leo...from 10 minutes beforehand.  Whoa.  Obviously, someone had found the phone and tried to call me.  I know it was completely explainable (word?) but still, weird, since my phone-less bro was sitting in the car with me.  Well, I couldn't call him back so we suspended the account and went on our merry way.  Next stop was the Buffalo outlets, which proved useless because our sole purpose was Coach but the line was 3 hours long...but we didn't come away empty-handed.  We got girl guide cookies, oh score.

After crossing the border, driving another hour and a half, then checking into the hotel, we went to Woodside for Shoppers and Pizza Pizza then hustled on over to White Heather to some fam friends' house.  I stayed for only a little then my friends picked me up to go get some dinner.  It was amazing.


You know what? I'm really not doing this any justice.  It was a such a fabulous time and I just can't work up the energy to get through all 5 days, so I'm just going to have to rely on my pictures and fabulous memory (scoff!) whenever I get a nostalgic tingle down there...in my heart.  Perv. 

Actually, come to think of it, I did blog since last Friday, it's just that I posted on my other page.  Feel free to check it out, along with all the other posts.

Food4Thought! - Click me!



MISSION: ABORTED

Mission: King of Prussia

I hate when I make a wrong turn.  I hate it even more when I KNOW it's the wrong turn and yet I still take it.  Today I picked up my brother from King of Prussia Mall in the lovely Pennsylvania.  I've done that a few times, 3 to be exact.  Getting there was no problem but it seems that everytime we go home, I take the wrong damn ramp...every...single...time.  It's so annoying! Granted, I probably only make the trek once a year but you'd think that something so frustrating would ingrain itself into my memory.  NOPE.  Imagine...making the same mistake, over and over, knowing full well it's the wrong decision! How does that happen?


I know better for next time.  I am adamant that it won't happen again.  I will take everything into consideration and commit to memory NOT to take the wrong turn.  I look forward to the next time I get the chance to prove to you that I can make the right decision.


Oh, I'm sorry...were we still talking about the off ramp?


Funny how life happens in parallels.



MISSION: ACCOMPLISHED

Mission: Naptime

Firstly, may I apologize for the complete lack in effort with regards to my "blog" yesterday.  It was just one of those days that (seemed like) I could have done without.  Nothing good happened, nothing bad happened...nothing happened.  Don't get me wrong; I am so very grateful that I had been blessed with that day at all and I don't mean to say it was a complete waste.  It's just that after a long, tiring day, if there is nothing to write about, I'm not going to stay up late and force something.  And I mean it...nothing happened.  I didn't even have any interesting thoughts of daydreams all day; it was as if I were on auto-pilot.  But meh...to quote Monica, it's just one of those days.

Anywhoodles...(5 points and a follow if anyone knows where I stole that from)...it's pretty unchallenging here today, so I thought I'd try and stick it to the man.  Out of nowhere came this inexplicable urge to test my limits and see just how much I could get away with.  My heart beating, I looked around to see if anyone was watching...of course not...I ducked my head back down and slowly, so as not to provoke any attention, lowered my head into my arms and attempted...to nap! With my heart beating so fast, it took awhile for me to settle in but sure enough, I stumbled into the warm, fuzzy neighborhood of afternoon naps.  I hadn't had one of these since college! Okay, I exaggerate...but still.  I was out for a good 10 minutes before the puddle of drool that had formed on my lap elicited that uncomfortable wet feeling, rousing me from my slumber.  Despite that ickiness, I was awed to discover that NO ONE HAD NOTICED! Sweet!!! It was so delicious, the feeling that I got away with something! There's nothing like sheer exhileration to pump up the adrenaline AND work productivity! This just might be going in the comment box by the door.  I have no idea where this badass-ness originated from.  I guess idle hands, yadda yadda...

But anyway, yes, I know it's pretty early for a blog.  Well, I was just riddled with guilt from the non-blog that was last night's entry that I couldn't wait to make it up to you guys with my story about....sleeping...and drooling...yeaaah.  Hopefully something (GOOD!) happens before I lay my head to rest tonight.


MISSION: ACCOMPLISHED! YAY!

Mission: Cop-out

MISSION: ACCOMPLISHED


Okay, I'm getting a little ahead of myself. I am tired, I am sore, I am surfing the crimson wave. Gross. I know. I wont make this a habit.

So yeah.

MISSION: ACCOMPLISHED

Mission: Rangers VS Caps

I was thisclose to seeing my very first hat trick tonight.  While still a Lundquist lover and avid Avery fan, I'm starting to become a believer of Gaborik, since of the 2 points the Rangers managed to scrounge up were from him (assisted once by Avery humina humina).  So I'd rather not go into the details of the game because it was one big fat letdown.  A lot of it had to do with my smack talk.  I'm not very good at it but I'm trying to develop...it helps if your team wins though.  The Rangers did not help.  SIGH.

Trust me...this is a better scene than the actual game. sigh.

So, mission: failed? Actually....no.  Today was great because I got to spend it with my lovah.  After my daily workout (see MISSION: PURPLE DRESS.....still in progress!), I hustled on over to my lovah's house.  Turns out he was massacring the jungle of untended bushes and trees that cover his beautiful little house.  I got to help out a little bit, yay me.

Timberrrr....

After taking the train to world-famous Madison Square Garden, we met up with his former college roommate for some Carolina style dinner.  Oh, ribs, mac n cheese, fire fries (yeah, you heard me...fire fries!) and corn bread oh myyyyyyyy.  Then came the game which we shall not discuss much further except that said college roommate's gf showed up, yay!! =) Highlight of the game.

My bf never fails to amaze me.  He has work at 4.30am tomorrow morning, or rather, 4 hours from this post, and yet he made such an effort to be jovial and, minus the yawns, you couldn't tell he was tired.  Ohhhhh I could continue gushing but it's 12.40am.  I'll save that for another post.

So, Rangers lost.  But great dinner, great company, wonderful date.  Yeah, I'd say...


MISSION: ACCOMPLISHED

Mission: Room Redo, Pt.1

As a big fan of Saucy Dwellings and The Bedroom on LiveJournal, and sweethomestyle on Tumblr, I get daily urges to redecorate my room.  In the past 8 years that I've inhabited this room, I must have gone through 8 different decorating phases.  There was the island-y theme, the ecclectic theme, the boutique hotel theme, and so on and so forth.  Freshman year, struck by a cold & cough (on which I blame the following story), instead of going on Spring Break, I stayed home.  Not wanting my well-deserved and long-awaited week of respite from college to go to waste, I had the brilliant (and sickness-induced) idea to paint my room.  High on meds, I chose a bright red with a gold top border.  By the time I had cleared out my room, laid down the tarp and taped off all the trim and ceiling, I was good to go.  By the time I had finished the first primer-less wall, I was good to stop.  I guess it looked so easy on HGTV because the designers pretty much just delegated and didn't actually pick up a paintbrush. But there was no turning back.  The blinding red on the wall was screaming to keep going and 3 days later, the room was complete.  It took 2 coats and even then, you can still tell it's uneven, on account of not using primer.  To this day, I stand firm behind my decision to paint my room, even if I was drunk of Nyquil and/or Tylenol PM, because it was a labor of love.  I did it all myself, which I'm sure you can tell, and I know that next time I can and will definitely do a better job. 

The question is: Will there be a next time? As you may already now, I am 24 and still living with my parents.  While this might seem blasphemous to some, I don't really mind since I am really hesitant on dropping money on rent.  I'd rather save up and buy a house so that my money can put towards equity instead of a landlord's pocket.  Sometimes I wonder if it would be worth re-doing my room since I'm planning on making the move in the next year or so. 

I realized today that I do want to.  Thus, the mission begins.  This one is going to take awhile, folks, but by george, charlie and sam, it WILL happen. 



MISSION: IN MOTION

Mission: Sunday Football

Ahhh, don't you love the smell of pigskin in the morning? Last year, 2 of my friends and I would meet every Sunday to lounge around and whittle away each Sunday in front of the boob tube watching football.  What made it extra fun was that they had organized a weekly Pick 'Em Pool so we would get really into cheering on whatever team we had chosen.  I mean, football is fun, but football AND gambling? Chills. 

What made these Sundays extra special were the talks we would have.  We could talk about anything and (what seemed like) everything and time would just fly.  Girl talk: ain't nothing better. 

This year, it's been harder to get together to watch the games.  Today was the first time in a long time we actually did it again and it felt wonderful. 

Today, I didn't travel to another country or buy anything expensive.  I didn't eat at the finest restaurants and I didn't meet a famous person.  Instead, I spent 8 hours watching TV and I dined on chinese food and cookies, and yet, I felt more fulfilled than I have in a while.  The time spent chatting and laughing with my girlfriends is time I wouldn't have wanted to spend otherwise...and I can't wait til next time.



MISSION: ACCOMPLISHED

Mission: Mama's Bday

Happy Birthday, Mama! 

I highly doubt you'll ever see this but the sentiment remains the same. 

After tossing and turning for what seemed like hours, I arose to my obnoxious phone alarm (is there any other kind?).  Ugh, already 9am? The day spared me no time...it was go go go from that point on.  After taking mi madre out for a trip to the salon, we whisked her off to some Dim Sum Lunch, where I ran into an old high school friend.  My dad and I were taking care of the check and out of nowhere I hear someone call my name.  Lo and behold, said friend was being seated a little ways away from my own table.  Well, someone pressed Play on "Awkward" because that's exactly how it was.  I never know how to behave in those situations.  How do you play catch-up in 30 seconds? We were leaving, he was with his parents being seated...what do you say? I know what I said...I said, "Hey! Kevin! How are you? What are you doing now?" aka "Hi! I'm completely shocked to see you! Explain the gist of your life to me since I'm only asking to be polite!"

Okay, that was mean, not just to be polite.  I really DID want to know what was going on with him.  We hung out in high school a few times and he's a really cool guy.  I really was interested in catching up but in that situation it's obviously not a great time to rehash the past 4 years since we last saw each other.  In hindsight, I guess I should have said, "Well, I don't want to keep you from lunch but we should definitely find some time to catch up!" Note to self: keep this in mind!

Afterwards, mamadizzles and I were craving some fresh fruit, so we made a quick stop at the A&P, which resulted in another 30 second reunion...with my beloved BFF! She had jetted off to London & Vienna last week and since she lives in NYC, it's been tough catching each other.  I now have a brunch date tomorrow...haaaay.

Now, the parents have made their way to a concert with some friends.  Um, role reversal much? Nah, it's cute.  They need to get out more and leave me be =).  In a bit, I'll be off to a birthday party for one of my friends so that'll be fun.  Is it wrong to want to cuddle in the blankets all night instead though?  Days like these just have me retreating to my den of pillows.  Mmmm, snuggle.

Yes...I am 24, not an old lady.  Time to start acting like it. Latah.



MISSION: ACCOMPLISHED

Mission: Friday the 13th

Oh, what a gloomy, doomy Friday, quite the perfect setting for a Friday the 13th.  The wind was howling, the skies were dark, the house was creaking.  And yet, it was wonderful.  As disgusting as it was outside, as soon as I reached home, it felt all kinds of delightful.  My living room was so cozy and the Thursday night leftovers hit the spot oh-so-good.  Relaxing in front of the boob tube catching up on my shows from the week and savoring the almost-silence of an empty house, as the walls dulled the noises of the fray outside, I couldn't ask for a better end of the week.

My space, my time, my peace of mind.

Me-Time is quite a luxury for me nowadays...TRUE Me-Time, I mean.  Of course I have alone time driving home from work but then I have to stay aware of the cars around me.  Of course I have alone time showering and carrying on my morning routine but then I have to remember to conserve water and rush off to wherever I need to be.  Of course I have alone time when I work out but then I have to concentrate on flexing the right muscles.  I'm talking about ME-TIME...when the world doesn't quite stop turning for you but it gives you some time to breathe, catch up and just be. After eating, washing the dishes, and changing into PJs, for a solid 2 hours the world forgot about me for a little while.  My thoughts paused, and in its absence, the sounds of the world lulled me into an almost catatonic state.


I am too active for my own good.  I always say, I am easily amused, yet easily bored.  Throw me a bone and I will delight in it for a good half hour...but then I yearn for something else soon after.  My 2 hours were up and my body went rigid with awareness.  I hustled on over to my bf's and I'm not sure if it was his just getting back from work, or the absence of his housemates, or the full-fledged force of the wind & rain, but we just laid in his bed in the almost-silence and the total dark and the world threw us a bone and forgot about us for awhile.

And it was so delicious.




Until the world got bored and sent one of my bf's friends over to hang out.  But hey, what's a luxury if not fleeting and hard to attain? The less you have of it, the more you appreciate and savor it.  I can't wait til my next bite.


MISSION: ACCOMPLISHED

Mission: Daily Drudge

Having just come in from the cold, dreary outside, I want nothing more than to jump into bed and drown in my down comforter, topped with an 80's style fuzzy comforter.  I want to cuddle up with JJ & Boo-Bear and catch up on some Real World/Road Rules Challenge: The Ruins nonsense.  I want to fall asleep with the space heater on and wake up tomorrow morning with the sheets on the floor and me gently perspiring from the continuous heat and thinking for a hot second (PUN!) that it's summer again.

JJ hanging out on the fuzzy comforter while Boo-Bear looks on.

But then I remember that I'm wearing make-up and at the ripe old age of 24, I definitely cannot risk fine lines and wrinkles and plus, I still have to brush my teeth.  I remember that I still have to pack a lunch for tomorrow.  I remember the reason I have a space heater in my room in the first place is because we're trying to keep our gas bill as low as possible in this pathetic economy and I remember that I can only, in good conscience, keep my heater on for 2 hours max.  I remember that the cable to my TV crumbled before my very eyes over the weekend and I am now a proud owner of a cable-less TV.  I remember that cable or not, I don't have a digital cable box up in my room anyway, and any channel above 44 is a flurry of TV static, and since RW/RR Challenge is on channel 53, well dagnabbit.  And finally, I remember that I promised myself to post every single day and I cannot do that from the comfort of my bed because I own a 6 year old, grumbling desktop that I obstinately refuse to trade-in or give up on because he has served me well all throughout college. Oh, the memories.

So, off to get the lunch ready, wash my face, brush my teeth.  Off to throw on my favorite hoodie and some fuzzy socks.  Off to Hulu my shows on my trusty dinosaur-ific desktop and hey, since I'm here, off to blog about my simple woes. 


MISSION: ACCOMPLISHED...sigh.


PS: Yes, I am 24 and yes, I still have stuffed animals on my bed.  They were both from my boyfriend and I refuse to stuff them in a closet or on a shelf.  They'd get cold and/or lonely.  Piss off.

Mission: Purple Dress

In a couple of weeks, some family friends are renewing their vows and celebrating their 25th anniversary.  They are a couple of my parents' best friends and our families are pretty close so they asked me to read during the mass.  Just the responsorial psalm, no biggie.  Well, my mom only told me recently that their theme was purple and that since I was doing a reading, I was to wear purple as well. I own NO purple dresses.  Usually, I LOVE dress shopping.  L-O-V-E it.  I never get stressed, and luckily, I usually find dresses that I like pretty quickly, no need for drawn out shopping trips. Heck, my prom dress was the first dress I ever tried on and I found it in the first store I stepped into on the first day of prom dress shopping.  I tried on another dress for kicks but that very first dress made the cut immediately.  Anyway...I stress "usually" because this is the very first time I felt a shiver of "oh no" chills throughout my body when I heard I had to buy a new dress.

You see....I will be the first one to admit that I have let myself go.  It's so sad really but my concern for fitness has taken a backseat to Instant Gratification...I want french fries, I got it.  I want ice-cream, I got it.  I want to eat a whole burger...but I'm sure you get the gist.  It's only recently that I've started to get back on the grind and I have been doing better but I'm still nowhere near Sophomore Year in College Me (and I am determined to get back to that point!).  The dress I originally planned on wearing wonderfully camouflaged the problem areas and beautifully highlighted my bust...but it was blue, a gorgeous, luxurious, deep blue and could in no way be construed for purple.  =(

So I set out for a purple dress.  As usual, I was able to find 5 dresses within 30 minutes of shopping that were beautiful but of course, that was just the easy part.  Dragging my feet, I made my way into the dreadful, unforgiving cavern of truth-telling mirrors that is the fitting room and after hemming and hawing my way through 4 dresses, I hit jackpot on the last one.  It's a gorgeous deep purple satin that just hugs and hangs in all the right places.  It's quite modest, which is a must, because even just a hint of cleavage from my girls and it's all aboard the Ho-Train.  It's also got this adorable side-wrap-bow thingy that makes it look sooo red-carpet.  Well, daahling.  Admiring myself in the mirrors, I was at first shocked that it fit so well but after awhile I let out a sigh of relief....and that's when I realized that I had not taken a breath since zipping it up.  Out came my little love handles and chunks of fat here and there.  GRRR.

So....my mission, should I choose to accept it (a formality: it is VITAL that I accept) is to lose 5lbs.  That's it.  That's all I truly need to feel comfortable in this frock o' mine.  Standing around is fine but I need to move around and not look like I'm doing a really bad robot.  I've got 11 days and my plan is to eat a hearty yet healthy breakfast (scrambled egg whites, 1/4 cup of granola, and fresh fruit) then a very light lunch (a fist-sized salad w/ NO dressing or croutons).  NO DINNER.  NO SWEETS.  NO CHOCOLATE. Cardio for 45 minutes everyday and weight training every other day except for Sunday.  Day 1 starts tomorrow and my stomach is already rumbling.


MISSION: TO BE CONTINUED...

The culprit and ego-destroyer.  So lovely.

Mission: Explanation

So, another day, another blog.  Like other bloggers out there in the bloggersphere, the purpose of this blog is to speak out loud.  However, while some intend on being heard, I simply want to make sense out of the jumble of thoughts in my mind.  Sometimes, it's just so over-whelming to be in my head that I desperately wish (among other reasons) that the Harry Potter universe truly existed.  For those unfortunate enough to not have read any of the books, or even watched any of the movies, a very wise wizard named Dumbledore makes use of an amazing contraption that, if it were ever materialized, would probably cure most of society's physical, mental or unlawful ailments.  It is called a "Pensieve", and is used by procuring a memory out of one's mind and containing it in the "Pensieve" so as to perceive it in a third-person viewpoint.  What would make it more wonderful is if it pulled out thoughts in addition to the memories.  In any case, THIS blog is to be my Pensieve, where I can regurgitate everything running through my head and sift through it to find some sense of it.  Gross, huh?

If, by some crazy chance of fortune, you are one of the elusive who happen to read That's What She Said, well, I partake in that as well.  While it was serving me well for awhile, and I still plan on posting on it, this blog will be a more personal take on my life.  Since TWSS is a collection of girls, I didn't want to hog the scene and post every other day about what I ate and consequently pooped out....dot dot dot...and yes, there'll be a lot of that here.  See yourself out if you can't handle my occasional crass-ness. 

I also have a tumblr.  I used to tumbl quite frequently but right now I'm finding it inadequate to express myself through that particular outlet.  I still plan on tumbling but as of right now, I think I prefer to just think out loud.  Words allow me to be more expressive, as opposed to photography or whatnot...although that is definitely something I want to take up and become better at.

There are just so many things I want to do and be a part of and I get a little overwhelmed at the mere thought of it.  Perhaps if I am able to organize it, I can manage to accomplish every little or big goal I set for myself.  And that, my friends, is the reason for this blog.  I'm starting to feel a little more organized already.


Mission Accomplished