I won a gift certificate to a local spa, thanks to my twitter awesomeness!!! I don’t know what spa it is, but I suppose I’ll find out when I visit the radio station to pick up the prize. Can’t wait to get a massage or some sort of treatment. When I got the notification, that was definitely a fun, happy little boost to my day.
Other than that, it was nothing unusual for a Monday.
I’m going through a rough patch right now. I’m very, very sad. Heartbroken, in a way. Trying to come to terms with certain things in my life. Acceptance is hard.
All I can do now is just try and be at peace with it. And take comfort in those who love me.
I’m heading back to New Jersey in a few weeks. Visit with the family (including the new nephew my sis/BIL adopted!) and any friends who are around and want to hang. Talk Wedding Financials (dun, dun dunnnnn) and do some pre-dress shopping.
Definitely looking forward to that. Catching up with everyone, and focusing on positive things.
I just wish I could do that right now. The stress is definitely getting to me. My teeth ACHE. I think I was clenching them really hard in my sleep last night.
So much on my mind…
“Good friends we had, good friends we’ve lost, along the way…”
- Bob Marley
As much as I’d like to think that this is not going to become a “Bridal Blog” – let’s face it, I’m going to end up talking about it. Quite a bit. Something odd happens when you’re engaged. Or at least when I’m engaged. I get all caught up in it. I’m thinking of songs to play, color schemes, flowers…
Seriously, when did I start caring about this crap? I guess when I finally got engaged to the person that I’m truly supposed to be with. (Full disclosure: I was engaged once upon a time. I broke it off.)
What I’m realizing is that I want this to be AWESOME. I want it to be partially unique, partially traditional, and more than anything else, a celebration of love and friendship. I want it to be perfect for both myself and Eric – reflecting both of our personalities. I want it to be FUN.
I want this to be easy and not a lot of work. Somehow, I don’t think it’s going to go down that way.
I am heading back to NJ in March to meet up with the fam, to discuss financials and all that stuff. I need to find out what we’re working with before we can start planning. I mean, is our wedding going to be some 5-star Four Seasons shit, or is it going to be catered by Taco Bell? I need to know these things! Of course, being in San Diego, I KNOW better than to cater from The Bell. Pffft. I’d go with Santana’s, no doubt. *wink*
But what has been on my mind a lot the past few days is REGISTERING. Seriously, I need a checklist. It’s overwhelming: What do you need when you start your married life with someone? Quite honestly, I don’t think we need to register for china. We don’t even have a dining room in our current place – no sense in getting fancy plates. However, a new set of everyday dishes would be AWESOME.
I logged onto Macy’s website and just started browsing. Just to get some ideas in my head. I want a rice cooker. REALLY BADLY. I want to learn how to make sushi and little cute rice balls (for my bento box lunches, of course)! And I want this. Seriously. A pink mixer, people. To me, that just screams adorable girlie domesticity!
The sad part, is that I seriously cannot cook. But if I had that mixer, I’d LEARN. I’d make COOKIES, and then send some to all of you. Maybe. Depending on how many people actually read this blog. I think I’m at about 3 people, so I should be okay to hook you up with some chocolate chip cookies. That hopefully will not be so overcooked that they’re inedible, nor so undercooked that you get salmonella. I promise, I’ll try my best.
I also want a crock pot. I have no idea how to use one. I fear crock pots, actually. Um, turn on some electronic heater-upper device and LEAVE IT ALONE IN THE HOUSE? My home is old…as in the complex was built in the 1930s. I don’t use the built-in-the-wall heater because it scares me. I’d hate to leave the house in the morning, thinking “YUM! That beef stew is going to be DELISH tonight!” and then come home to NO HOUSE. All because the crock pot exploded due to some electrical glitch and flying, flaming meat and potatoes and carrots burnt my house to the ground.
I’m paranoid, yes.
It would probably help if we had a bigger place. Right now it’s just not feasible and there’s stuff all over the place. The house currently acts mostly as a catch-all for our crap. I’d love to have storage that doesn’t involve stepping OUTSIDE the house. I do what I can to keep the house as tidy as possible. I dust and sweep around everything. I clean the bathroom on a semi-regular basis. I mop the kitchen and bathroom floors on occasion. But I don’t feel like I’m particularly good at it at all.
I want to be, though. There is this part of me that just wants to be the Little Happy Homemaker. I honestly have no idea where the urge came from. But I want to be good at cooking and cleaning and entertaining and all that stuff. Is that weird of me? Is that too 1950s?
Eh, I don’t care if it is.
But I really do want to know if it’s okay to register for socks. Because honestly, it’s something I need, and will continue to need in the future. I have socks in my drawer that I’ve had since COLLEGE. In the 90s. So, it could be a practical gift, right? Kinda like how mixers (even pink ones) are practical…?
Most people at this point know the story, but I feel like sharing it again, because dammit, I’m a bride-to-be and it is all about ME. *beams*
Eric popped the question on the 26th of December, with a beautiful ring that is not my ring. Well, it was my ring. A “training ring”? A placeholder? Basically, the ring/setting that Eric wanted only usually takes stones smaller than the one he picked out for me, so that ring had to be all fixed up and stuff. It took a couple weeks. At first, I had a gorgeous stone on a simple white gold band. It was a tiny bit too small (the ring, not the stone, GEEZ), but it fit enough so I could wear it and show it off and look all engaged and shit. Which of course is the point, because when you tell people you’re engaged, there are a few things that are guaranteed to happen:
1. Squealing, hugs and “CONGRATULATIONS!!!”
2. “How did he propose?”
3. “LEMME SEE THE RING!”
So…here’s the ring:
The Ring...version 1
The Ring...version 2
Not too shabby, eh? I was completely in love with the first ring. I don’t wear a lot of jewelry, so the fact that it was simple was AWESOME for me. Then I got the 2nd one and OH MY GOD. This is some Real Housewives lookin’ stuff over here. It’s gorgeous and unique and sparkles! The main diamond is surrounded by little diamonds embedded in the band, on the top of the ring and on the sides. There’s also a “surprise diamond” underneath the main stone. It’s kinda hard to explain, but trust me…it’s GORGEOUS. I’ve never seen anything like it in my life.
OK, enough gushing about the ring.
This is how it all went down. It happened while we were on vacation in Seattle for the holidays. December 26th, day after Christmas. We went out to a fabulous dinner at La Dolce Vita. Afterwards, we decide to hit up a local spot, Hula Hula, that we had been to a few nights before. They have karaoke 7 nights a week, and are a really great bunch over there. So…since Eric and I are total karaoke-obsessed freaks, we headed over there. It was a Saturday night and the spot was hoppin’. The bartender from the other night was there, recognized us and bought us our first round. So we’re chillin’ and having a great time. We had each sung one song each, and then I was called up again. I sang “Killing Me Softly” by the Fugees.
So, I’m singing, rockin’ out (as I do), and I notice Eric walking up closer in the crowd taking pictures. Nothing out of the ordinary, after all, we’re on vacation.
Until I finish the song, and I look over and Eric is on one knee, ring box in hand, and mouths “Will You Marry Me?”
At which point I said “Oh My God” about 400 hundred times, and asked him repeatedly if he was serious. Then I said, “OH! By the way…YES!”
A match made in karaoke heaven.
It was absolutely perfect. I couldn’t have asked for a more perfect proposal.
And then I spent about the next 12 hours puking.
You see, we split a bottle of wine at dinner. Then, as I mentioned, we got our first drink on the house at Hula. I had a Tanquerey and Tonic (I KNOW. I strayed from my beloved Coors Light! But I was all done up, in a dress and heels, so I felt like I should keep it classy). After the proposal, the owner of the bar said, “Wow, that’s never happened here before,” and gave us each a free glass of champagne.
So at that point I’ve had about a 1/2 bottle of wine, 1.5 glasses of Tanq & Tonic, plus champagne. Mixing drinks is a BAD, BAD idea. I got violently ill all night, and barely left the bed the next day. I felt so bad…like, Happy Engagement, Honey!
Fortunately, I am the world’s luckiest girl and have the best fiancé EVER. He took care of me, and on top of that, he wasn’t mad at me.
We’re planning on getting married on April Fool’s Day next year. No joke.
Today’s lunch is courtesy of last night’s dinner. Hot and Sour…kinda like me. *wink*
I’ve always been a fan of all things Asian, especially Japanese. I was the weird child, who, growing up, would watch the Asian broadcasts on the cable channels – the soap operas (which were great, because they had English subtitles), the game shows (which I didn’t understand, both language-wise and WTF-is-going-on-wise)…all of it. I couldn’t tell you what brought it on in me, but I just have always been fascinated by it.
Going to places like Daiso just fills me with joy. So much cute, nifty, useful and weird stuff. Stuff like…BENTO BOXES! I decided to buy one, because I thought it would be a cute way to bring my lunch to work. I’m notorious for bringing a sandwich or Lean Cuisine to work, and then come lunchtime, I’m all Ehhhhh, no. And off I go to the food court. It’s not good for my wallet or my waistline. So I thought that maybe if I put my lunches in a cute little package, I might be more inclined to actually EAT my lunches.
I got the box, a matching fork, a matching chopstick holder, little sauce holders and a bag to carry it all in while I was in Seattle. Today, I went to the Daiso here in San Diego and got more accessories: like little silicone dish cups, food divider sheets, and some rice ball molds. Granted, I don’t know how to use most of these things, but I think it would be a fun little project for me to learn.
For tomorrow’s lunch, I have packed some sliced mushrooms and soy sauce, a small cup of hummus, 1/2 of a turkey, cheese and lettuce wrap sandwich. These boxes are SMALL, so that’s about all that fits in there. I also tucked into the bag a yogurt, a 100-calorie snack pack, and a banana.
So, obviously, my bento box is not up to the epic level of awesome as is illustrated in this photo set. But maybe it’s something I can strive for. Get myself a little rice cooker and make little rice ball characters. Get an egg mold and make cute shapes out of hard boiled eggs. All while saving myself some money and controlling my portion sizes.
I’ve found a couple links as resources for bento box related things:
And of course, the previously linked Daiso listings and Flickr photo set.
If I ever get good at bento box making, I’ll post pictures. But that probably won’t happen for a long time.
It’s been an exciting holiday season, that’s for sure. And I’ll eventually get around to posting lots of things – pictures and stories and whatnot. For a brief overview of some of the things we saw and did, you can check out my list of Seattle reviews on Yelp.
Probably the biggest news is…I’M ENGAGED!!! Yep, the boyfriend extraordinaire popped the question and is now the fiance extraordinaire. Eventually I’ll write a post all about that. Suffice it to say it was so perfect, and the icing on the cake of an awesome vacation. I’m really still in awe about the whole thing.
Now we’re back home. Eric will be working his ass off for the forseeable future, since he was able to get a week off for our vacation. So I wasn’t able to ring in the new year with him. He had to close at the restaurant, so I did my usual partying at the bar with friends.
So now it’s January 1st and I’m thinking about the new year and what’s to come. Eric and I haven’t even started to think about planning the wedding. When, where…any of that stuff. But it’s in the back of my mind. The future. My new life to come.
I’ve been very productive for the morning after New Year’s. I could be sleeping off a wicked hangover, but I’ve already gone through a ton of paperwork, organized a filing system, and gotten stuff together to be shredded. I’ve also cleaned and reorganized the kitchen. So I’m feeling very good about that.
Of course, the ever popular resolution is to lose weight…as it is every year. I’m happy about the fact that I’ve started working out regularly with the WiiFit – that’s a good start. But the pounds haven’t dropped like I wanted them too. Maybe I’m gaining muscle, maybe it’s redistributing, but still…it’s a numbers game for me, and always will be.
I’m also frustrated because we did a TON of walking in Seattle, and I still ended up winded a lot. That’s extremely upsetting. Between that and the knee/joint problems I’ve had on and off over the past year – it’s clear to me that the extra weight on my body is not doing me any favors. I’ve hated my appearance for a long time now; the fact that I’m also feeling like crap is just more motivation.
Having a marathon of The Biggest Loser on TV in the background helps.
Now I have the extra incentive of the eventual wedding. I want to be thin(ner) and beautiful on my wedding day. I want shopping for dresses to be fun, not torturous. I want to start the rest of my life at my very best. I want to feel great and look great. Since we don’t have a date set, I figure I might as well start now, so that I’m not trying to attain some insurmountable feat in a crazy-short amount of time.
Yesterday, I picked up some Special K cereal, some Lactaid skim milk and a bunch of Lean Cuisine meals…just to get me started through the next few days. Today I’ve had one of my Lean Cuisines and some mushrooms in soy sauce. I feel good and positive. I want to ride this wave while I’m truly feeling it.
One of the other things I need to do in the new year is go see a doctor about my stomach. I was on medicine years ago for acid reflux, but I don’t know if this is the same thing. I never know what’s going to set my stomach off. Either I end up in severe, stabbing pain, or I have horrible gas pressure, or….you get the idea. It has put such a cramp (HA! Cramp, like, stomach cramp? Get it?) in my style. I have to plan my life around it. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve had to come home early from the bar or a party or some other event because I am in so much pain. It’s time to get down to the bottom of this. Maybe I’ll just have to take some medication. Maybe I’ll have to adjust my diet due to some food allergy or condition. We shall see.
I hate how I look and I hate how I feel. I need to change that in order to be a healthier, happier me.
BLEH.
The past week or 2 has been a blur of cards (388 for clients, 130 for our temps) and client gifts (about 80 or so). The tedium of labels, stamps and bows…it can take the joy of the season right out of you.
Also, a short film was, uh…filmed in our apartment. Eric wrote a short that one of his actor friends and some of his associates wanted to film to submit to a festival up in LA. So I’m happy for him and the crew for that. What I’m not happy about is how I got home from work and my home was complete redecorated. Also, props and equipment were strewn everywhere. Some of it still has yet to be picked up from the house…and this is a week later. My home is not a storage space, dammit.
The end of this week was marked by a slew of parties and whatnot. Thursday night, a friend of mine and I went to a bar (The 710 Club) for Rock Out Karaoke – basically karaoke with a live band. Holy crap, that was a high like I’d never experienced in my life. I’ve never sung with a live band, so I was pretty much a kid in a candy store. Luckily, it ended early enough that we were able to head back to Gilly’s for the rest of the evening. Because as much fun as it was…the 710 Club is in Pacific Beach. Which, I try to avoid like the plague. My take on PB is that it’s sort of the Jersey Shore of San Diego. Lots of dudebros and what-not. But I liked the 710 Club. It was very chill and the staff was really nice. It’s not in the heart of PB, so it’s away from a lot of the rowdier bars and clubs, full of vapid girls and guys jacked up on steroids.
Saturday night was my company’s holiday party. A good time was had by all – we had it at a steakhouse. The food was delish and the service was awesome. In our White Elephant gift exchange, I won’t a $200 gift card to Nordstrom. Granted, it’s where the skinny rich folk shop, so I probably be dropping most of the cash at the makeup counters. Although, I think after a few Tanqueray and tonics, I promised Eric a pair of pants. Eric got a Dirt Devil vacuum and a manscaping kit. Among some of the other gifts in the exchange: a Tiger Woods action figure (and the box was covered in condoms), a bottle of champagne and edible undies, and XBox and a Bose Docking station for ipods/iphones. Just to give you an idea of my company’s sense of humor, and their gift-giving skills.
Tonight is Eric’s company party. Another night of drinking and shenanigans. On a Sunday. Since Eric’s in the restaurant industry…most of the them have the option of sleeping in tomorrow. Not I. I need to be in the office bright and early to collect timecards and wrap things up before my vacation. Then I have to come home and do laundry and pack.
Then we leave bright and early for Seattle. A week of just hanging out, sightseeing, and NOT WORKING. I get a full week of quality time. I want to eat, drink and be merry. Spa days and karaoke nights. Museums and tours. Shopping in boutiques and writing in cafes. We might even have some snow during our trip.
Just one more day…
