Honeymoon and more

We're leaving today for Burbank, from there we'll take off to our honeymoon in Orlando on Wednesday. The day after we get back I'm off to the Mother's Day retreat. I'm packing a lot into the next two weeks.

I'm really excited but of course I'm also having a little anxiety. I'm doing my best to ignore it as it's not really a helpful emotion and there's nothing constructive about worrying. So I'm focusing on the positive which is that we get to stay at a kick ass resort for free (wedding present) and roam around Disney World for 8 days. Ok, now I'm stoked again.

This morning I'm meeting a friend from Burbank for coffee and a meeting. She's up here staying in Morro Bay, so we thought we'd get together. I can't say enough how much I love having people up to my part of the world, even for a 3 hour visit. It's so great that I get to live in such a wonderful "new" place, and get to share it with my "old" friends.

I can't wait to see everybody when I get down to Burbank. Yes, if you're reading this, that probably means YOU!

April 23rd

Today is Cedric's 203rd birthday... it's also my husband's 32nd.

Who knew they'd have so much in common? They have the same exact birthday, and they both love Gabe's new hammock.

Welcome to the good life, Cedric.

Whew!

I had quite a day yesterday. It was a blast.


I awoke early, having arrived in Burbank Saturday night. I went to the meditation meeting and sat still with my eyes closed for half an hour (without falling asleep thankyouverymuch). That was a great, centering way to begin what was to be quite a whirlwind.


I met a girlfriend at Starbucks in the Great Indoors. We talked for about half an hour and then I took a deep breath and dove into my crazy day...


First, off to a church in L.A. and hung out with a priest and my co-captain of the Mother's Day retreat. I was kickin' it in a priests' living room, listening to his four foot high quad speakers. Apparently, my friend Father Terry likes to rock. The man is very big on Beethoven.


We went to a vegan restaurant in Silver Lake called Green Leaves and I got the pad thai. It was good, but I really like dead animals as food. My co-captain Vicki got gluten free pancakes and soy chicken and her eyeballs were rolling back in her head. Father Terry was slightly resentful at the shrimp dish that didn't have real shrimp... but he's a spiritual man so he ordered the chow mein.


Then I boogied back to Burbank to meet up with Kate and we strolled downtown, shopped, chatted and were tempted by frozen yogurt, but finally got goodies at Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory.


So THEN it was time for my birthday party at Romancing the Bean, thrown for me by the lovely Tianana. About 10 of my absolutely favorite women showed up and showered me with love and loot! Everything was great, except the rosewater fiasco! One thing that was given to me was Cedric. Everyone, meet Cedric the gnome:


He's standing on the remains of my gluten-free birthday cake.

After spending five hours talking to my girlfriends, I left for my father-in-law's house to watch a game one of the NBA playoffs. Lakers vs. Nuggets, and the Lakers looked great and won the game.

I floated off to bed, content with a day well spent.


This morning, I met another girlfriend for coffee. After that, Cedric and I were ready to head for home.





Before we left, I decided to get my toes done.


I love them.

And here's a shot of Cedric with my birthday loot:

In a Hurry

Yesterday I was hurrying through making a sandwich and cut the tippy-top of my pinkie off. Well it's still there, a meat flap hanging by a shred of skin which I'm not interested in ripping off. So it will stay there until I am interested in ripping it off, which will be sometime after the meat flap dries and hardens and starts catching on things.

Ok that was gross. But you know that's how it happens.

I started wondering which character defect makes a person unintentionally mutilate themself. I realize for me it's impatience. I want to hurry through whatever I am doing right now to get to whatever I'm going to hurry through next.

Also, I can throw a little laziness in the mix. Yes, not only was I hurrying, I was also cutting corners on safety. I don't want to fully take the time to do everything right because I strive for efficiency in all things. That can be very oxymoronic when an injury doubles the time it takes to make the sandwich because you have to stop and put your head between your knees.

So impatience and laziness in combination add up to consequences that I'm no longer willing to accept. My mission right now is to learn how to slow down and be thorough. The problem is that I want to do it as quickly and easily as possible!

That reminds me of one of my favorite quotes. Patience is a virtue, I can't wait to get some!

On an end note, typing with a partially severed finger tip can be a challenge.

32 woo hoo hoo

Hey! It's my birthday! Woo! I'm 32 now. This is what a 32 year old looks like when she wakes up in the morning. That's my favorite tree in the background... Hi tree!

I am so grateful to have made it this far, and to be having so much fun living. I am seriously having a great time. There was a time where living wasn't very much fun... but now those times are a long way away. I only remember them with a sense of thankfulness, that I no longer live that way.

Of course I am up earlier than my husband, so it's taking all my restraint not to wake him up and beg for my present! Well that's on one hand. On the other hand I'm kind of enjoying the silent, solitary celebration at the start of my day.

The only thing that will be missing this year is getting to hang with my girls. I am so sad that I didn't think to throw myself a party in Santa Barbara or something so us gals could meet half way. I guess it's not too late... watch out! You might be getting an invitation... any one interested?

I already got a few emails and cards and I expect my mother's call around 2:22pm since that is the time I was born and she always calls me then. I'm happy I wasn't born at 6am!

My cousin and her little family came to visit over the weekend. Her daughter is 4 months old and a pretty good time! She reacts to smiles and is a wiggle wormy bundle of wonder. Kim and I went shopping a little on Saturday. There is a cheese store in downtown Paso. Yes you read that correctly: cheese store. Wow. So we got some cheese and had a cheese platter dinner. One of my favoritest dinners EVER. I won't go into it but just know that I don't say that lightly.

Well I'm off to enjoy my special day! I hope all of you have a great day... Let me know what you think about a meeting halfway birthday shopping eating sight-seeing extravaganza.

Disappointed

Well, I didn't get the job. The guy said I interviewed really well and that I'm next in line, but that he went with some one with grocery experience. Damn! He also said that he would recommend me to the San Luis Obispo store, so now I kind of have a decision to make.

It's about 20 miles away and with gas prices the way they are it's a tough choice. I realized I would really like to try working for TJ's more than any of my other options, but that doesn't mean I would hate working at the other places. Hmm.

When I look at it written down it seems like a no-brainer though. A 40 mile round trip commute for a grocery job? That just seems silly. Better just to work at a local Starbucks, or at the Target. Believe it or not, these options are exciting to me. When I worked at the phone company, I fantasized about a "normal" job that you could just apply for and not have it be a lifelong commitment.

Well, just wanted to report in about the job situation... I'm bummed. I know that everything happens for a reason, but that doesn't mean I have to love it all while it's happening!