basement brothel part 3

When J went to take the trash out yesterday, he ran into an Indian guy who was coming into our hallway. He appeared skittish and acted like he was going to leave. When the guy saw that J was going out a different door, he continued to T3. As J was coming back from taking out the trash, the guy left looking all around like he was afraid of being seen. It doesn't seem like he made it into our neighbor's. I guess he got cold feet.

Today, there was a notice on their door. It was a "Summons for Unlawful Detainer." This was the information that I found. Pretty interesting, eh? Looks like our apartment community might be on to them as well...

basement brothel part 2

So, it's 9 pm on a Thursday night and someone just knocked on the door. A man.

J opened it and the guy said, "Sorry, I must have the wrong address."

Talk about awkward! What if I had opened the door? I guess I should have to see what he said! And I could then ask him what was going on over there. But would he even tell me?!

My suspicions must be true. I just need that confirmation. Well, looks like I have at least another month to figure it out.

are you my mother?

Today I tried on dresses with E, K and my mom. Despite numerous phone calls and text messages, I have not heard from my mom since the week I got back from Australia. Or at least that's how it seems. And I hadn't seen her since the end of July. It is now September. She doesn't live that far away, but we never see each other because she doesn't seem to know how to call me or answer her phone.

I just feel really frustrated with her at the moment. She's in the process of moving right now, so I guess I should cut her some slack. I will be going over there this Saturday to help her and to also get some of my things.

I just want her to be more involved with my life and it seems like she's slipping farther and farther away and now she'll actually be even farther away distance wise. I just don't know what my expectations are of her anymore. I feel like she doesn't really know me, but I still value her opinion more than most other people.

While I was in Australia, my cousin Christina told me all about my mom's life - stuff that was a mystery to me, stuff that my mom had been keeping from me even when I asked her bluntly about it. I hate that my mom doesn't feel the need to tell me things about her life. *sigh* Maybe I'll finally meet her "boyfriend" on Saturday, since he's probably helping her move. With my luck, I'll probably show up to an empty house.

third times the charm... hopefully

House-Hunting: Even before J got a job, we had been looking at potential homes. Of course E wanted us to stay in C'ville forever and ever, but we finally did venture beyond the 20121 zip code. Since moving to Tysons, we started to check out some other areas and once J got his job offer, we were ready to start looking more seriously. We've already put in two offers on places in Centreville. Neither worked out. The third offer we put in was for a place in Fairfax. It looks like third time will be the charm! The house is old, as in built in the days of lead-paint possibly. That will be checked out during the home inspection, among other things. Then there is also the appraisal process, so it will still be a few weeks before we know for sure whether we will be moving there or not. The place is about mid-way between J's job and my job and it has 3 bedrooms and 3 full baths and tons of space. The only thing it's really lacking is outdoor living space, but hopefully there is enough for J and his grill to be reunited.

two years...

My dad has mentioned to me a few times that my god-cousin, Allen, had a brain tumor. He would ask me if I had heard any word of whether Allen had passed away or not. Growing up, my mom, grandmother, brother and I would go to visit Allen's family in North Carolina a lot. I can remember spending short weekends there as well as entire summers.

Allen was some years older than me. He got married when I was in the 11th grade. That was the last time I saw him.

Today, I went over to my cousin Cathy's to pick up some pictures that my uncle had set aside for me. While I was over there, my uncle told me that Allen passed away two years ago. I didn't know how to respond, though I was already given some warning via my dad. I guess I knew it was a strong possibility. I just can't believe he died two years ago.

My mom has grown so distant from the people that she was once close to, which is probably why we didn't find out about Allen. My cousin, Christina, gave me some insight on that while I was in Australia. I guess it's a lot of cultural and "adult" stuff that I wouldn't understand or stuff that my mom doesn't think I would understand. Come to think of it, two years ago was also right around the time my step-dad passed away.

I guess sometimes we don't know how to reach out when our loved ones are what we need.

Allen's parents helped shape my childhood. I spent summers in their restaurant clearing tables, peeling potatoes, wrapping eggrolls, etc. They helped my family a lot through the whole messy divorce between my parents. I feel devastated that I was not there for them in their time of grief. I hate that we've lost touch with them, but I'm not sure how to get back in touch again.

basement brothel

The day I started moving in to my new apartment, I noticed something strange. The apartment across the hall housed at least 2-3 Asian women who seemed to receive a lot of male visitors. In fact, on that first day, in a half hour span, two different middle-aged men knocked on the door and were let in.

Before I left for Australia, I commented to J that I thought they were prostitutes. He knows I enjoy making outlandish observations, but while I was in Australia, he had plenty of time to make his own observations. The trend continued. There seemed to be a steady flow of male visitors who would leave typically within an hour.

Every time there is a noise in the hallway, we go bolting to the peephole to see who might be out there. It never fails. It's always a random man. There have even been a few repeat visitors. We take every opportunity to peak into their apartment via the sliding glass doors in the back. There is a partition up on one side and a sofa bed, I believe. The tv will often be on, but nobody is there watching. I never see them inside, so I can only deduce that they are in the bedroom!

I'm tempted to knock on the door one day and introduce myself. I'm afraid the new neighbor window will be closed soon. How am I supposed to gather more evidence to support my hypothesis?

dashed

I found out just now that I didn't get my supervisor's position. One of my old managers got the job. I'm just glad it was an old manager and not a co-worker. She's really good at what she does, so I'm sure I'll have plenty to learn from her. She won't start until the end of the month/beginning of next month probably, so all of fall hiring is still on my shoulders.

I guess this is for the best. I think getting away for a bit has refreshed me enough for me to stick with my job for awhile. Hopefully a raise is coming soon!

superman

Christina told me that whenever Audrey goes to the pool she recalls when I taught her how to do the "Superman." "Auntie HT taught me how to do this." It's just about the simplest thing you can do at the pool - push off the wall and stretch your arms out like you're flying a la the man with the "S" on his chest.

I was touched. Audrey was 4 and they still lived in Singapore. It was so long ago and I don't even really remember it, yet it has stayed with her. It's funny the things that stand out in our memories. I hope that moments from this past trip will stay with her as well. And I hope wonderful memories of me were created for little Marcus.

back to life, back to reality

It's a little before 7 am. I leave Melbourne to head home in a few short hours. It is so sad to leave because I've had such a wonderful time here. Spending time with Audrey and Marcus (my cousin's children) has been such a joy. My cousin Christina and her husband CK watched me and my brother grow up and I only wish that we lived closer and could do the same with their children. Maybe we can, in our own way - probably mostly via photos and skype.

Christina and CK have been so generous with everything. They opened up their home to us and made sure we saw sights and ate to our heart's content. Christina and I also had a lot of good conversations - I learned about family history, the trials she experienced in her life, and even details unbeknownst to me about my mom. She's the oldest granddaughter of my grandmother's grandchildren and I'm the youngest. There is a 15 year age difference, yet she is one of my closest cousins.

Audrey and Marcus are such great kids. Audrey is a brilliant girl on the cusp of adolescence. It's a trying time for all involved and I hope that I can provide some counsel for her. She is not only smart, but participates in tons of activities as well and she no doubt has a good head on her shoulders. Marcus is a ball of energy who is also loving and sweet. One night in the car he whispered to me, "You are my best friend. I love you." His little accent is adorable. Yesterday when we dropped him off at school, he had a bit of a tantrum and kept asking his mom for more hugs and kisses. He also asked if I could stay and be a helper. That would have been so cute - all those little Aussie babies.

I will have more reflections on all of this. Right now I just have that feeling of missing them all already. :(

Money Diary Abandoned...

So, I got a letter from the IRS that I owe $800+ for my 2007 taxes. Ick. I am not happy about that. With that, I am ending my money diaries right now.

I will find out whether I get the new position when I get back from Australia. Hopefully it'll be good news because I need some more money in my account.

Australia has been awesome. It's winter here, yet still so enjoyable. No wonder Aussies are such happy people!

Money Diary: Day 26

Early service at church. I brought a jar of mayonnaise that I got for free at Wegman's for the food drive.

After church, it was time to make the BBQ turkey meatloaf that I have been wanting to try. It's a recipe from the Neely's, who have a few BBQ restaurants in TN.

I had to go to the store and pick up some more turkey as well as a few other things - $12.08.

After preparing the meatloaf, I went to the pool.

A friend came over and there was more Settler's played. I won every game, which got kind of old after awhile. I still had fun though, and it was exactly the kind of low-key weekend I needed.

Money spent: $12.08

Money Diary: Day 25

Went to help friends paint the interior of their condo. They got us all pizza. It was a giant pizza, so I was stuffed after one slice.

The rest of the evening included sitting on the couch watching television. It was a long week and it was time to just do nothing.

Money spent: $0

Money Diary: Day 24

Typical Friday...
After work, I stopped by P's house. Originally there were plans to go to Jazz in the Garden, but the rain clouds were a deterrent. Instead, J and I had dinner with R and R at an Indian restaurant. I used one of my restaurant.com gift certificates. Our meal was about $55, but we only ended up paying about $40 including the tip. I paid $19.10.

There was a long game on Settlers after dinner, in which I was triumphant. :)

Money spent: $19.10

Money Diary: Day 23

Breakfast at home, work, brought my lunch.
After work, I had to go get some things from Michael's for a lunch speaker series that I'm coordinating at work - $14.12. I also picked up a little travel journal for myself - $2.21.

J picked me up from work and we went to dinner at Sequoia. Blech. J paid. I will never eat there again. After dinner we went on a short boat ride on the Potomac River. It was a humid evening, so the breeze on the water was nice.

Money spent: $16.33

Money Diary: Day 22

I took the day off work. I picked up some Starbucks in the morning so as to indulge in the day off - $7.51. J had a surprise day planned for me, so I thought I could at least pick him up a beverage as well. After breakfast, we were off to the metro station. We ended up at the National Zoo (free admission!) and did a scavenger hunt printed off the zoo website. After the zoo, we went to Cubano's in Silver Spring. It is one of my favorites. I was wiped out all day, napping on the metro and such. It was probably close to 100 degrees that day, so I was glad to go home after being out in the heat. We ended up getting slurpees on the way home. I can't recall being as thirsty as I was at that moment - $2.54.

I was relatively full from lunch still, so dinner was skipped as I got ready for more a surprise to come. Tickets to "The Color Purple." The show was amazing. Fantasia was incredible. I think the role was made for her or vice versa. During the show, I started to get hungry. I decided we should go to Ben's Chili Bowl. Unfortunately, there was no parking to be found, so we go the food to go. J was not going to allow chili and cheese to be eaten in his car, so I had to wait the entire ride home in torture, with the smells taunting me, before indulging.

Money spent: $10.05

Money Diary: Day 21

I had cereal at home for breakfast.
7:40 am: I got to work and had an awkward conversation with a higher-up at the office who will be assisting with interviews for the position that I applied for. She basically told me that she has heard about two great candidates for the position and that she'll find me a great supervisor. Um... does that mean that I don't have a chance anymore?

My supervisor's departure sparked hope that I could start doing something more challenging here and now there is the potential for discontent in my job. I most certainly do not like feeling that way. I really should be making more money.

12:00 pm: I have a salad for lunch - spinach and strawberries. I get a call from D asking if I want to go to Olive Garden with her and C. I decline because this is after I have totaled up how much money I spent over the weekend.

2:00 pm: I go find C and we go to McDonald's for a free 8 oz. iced mocha. It was a nice break. We have free coffee at work, but there is nothing like some whipped cream and chocalate syrup to make the day pass more quickly.

4:00 pm: I head home from work and make plans with E to go for a walk around Burke Lake after dinner. When I got home, I did a little scrapbooking and caught up with K on the phone.

6:00 pm: E made spaghetti squash for dinner.

7:00 pm: We got to Burke Lake and walked around the lake which took about an hour and 45 minutes. We had some pretty deep conversation, which I think was long overdue. I know we live together, but it's rare that we're home at the same time and of course, being in front of the boob tube isn't the best setting for any in-depth discussion.

Money spent: $0

blank stares and confusion

Lately, I feel like I don't know how to react to anything because I am uncertain about my feelings. Different people in my life have different expectations of me and I find it difficult to make the necessary adjustments. I've been in situations where someone has been really excited about something in my life and I feel like I give it a completely blase reaction. I am not sure why that is because I see myself to be an animated, often excitable person.

Maybe it's the audience that determines my response. Perhaps I'm just all sorts of confused because ultimately you are supposed to present a certain self in any given situation yet I am unable to do so. I find it difficult because I think in all situations, I want to be the most authentic me that I can be. This is not always an option though because you need to maintain a calm, cool, collected demeanor - which I guess isn't exactly how I operate... I guess I'm just an awkward weirdo...

Money Diary: Day 18, 19, 20

Friday: Had dinner at Moe's Southwest Grill, $13.17 after a $5 off coupon. After dinner, went to karaoke. Spent $20 there.

Saturday: Went to Eastern Market. Got a free slurpee from 7-11 for 7/11. Finally went to use my Groupon for $80 worth of services at Skin Beauty Lounge. Bought the Groupon for $40 (a couple weeks ago) and tipped the girl $20. She got wax in my hair and kind of messed up my eyebrows a little bit, but she was nice.
After that, I was starving and got some Popeye's for lunch - $7.14.
Had to put some money on my metro card - $10.
Ordered pizza for dinner - $14.69. I picked it up so I didn't have to tip :) and it was $2 off as well.
Stopped by at my friend's b-day party and then got a free slurpee afterwards.

Sunday: Worked out in the morning - a little yoga and all star workout courtesy of Fit Tv.
I attempted to run some errands, but was too tired and hot driving around in the car (no a/c can do that to you...). I saw gas for $2.33 so I decided that I shouldn't pass that up - spent about $14.50 filling up.
Time for groceries... I guess the last grocery store trip didn't really stock me with enough food for too long. I was starving once I got to Wegman's so I had to get something to tide me over or else I would just be really cranky. Got food from the hot food bar - $4.95.
Groceries - $59.45.

Money spent: $163.90

Money Diary: Day 17

7:30 am: I had a nectarine for breakfast and brought my leftovers from last to work for lunch.

12:00 pm: The crab burger was better the second time around. I usually taste the flavor of food more the day after. I hardly ever reheat leftovers. It's just not the same.

1:30 pm: I went to the bank to cash my rebate check. For some reason, it wouldn't let me deposit it in the ATM, which I guess is fine because I never have cash on me.

4:30 pm: I went to the post office on the way home from work to send a package, $11.95 - paid cash! :)

I guess my lunch was pretty filling because I didn't really have much of a dinner. I made some raspberry lemonade and heated up some crab legs. I caught up on yesterday's "SYTYCD" and then watched the results show. I was disappointed to see that my favorite girl dancer (besides Melissa), got kicked off. :(

During this time, I was also playing a lovely game of Settlers. The game goes a lot faster with two people and was still rather enjoyable, if only because of the smack-talking.

Money spent: $11.95

That's what Friends are for...

From the examples that I have around me, it appears that girls are more likely to join their boyfriend's social circle than the other way around. I was talking with P about how my friends are kind of lackluster with hanging out lately. I think it's because they aren't necessarily friends with one another, so there isn't that motivation for the whole group to get together. The last time I had a "circle of friends" was when I lived in Boston. I'm only friends with two of those girls now. It's kind of disgusting how cattiness and backstabbing arises in those friendships and also sad how those friends you felt so close to can fall to the wayside.

I have a hodge podge collection of close friends - from middle school, college, and Boston and San Diego. My friends have their own friends and social networks, so I mostly find myself hanging with them in one on one situations. This is quite unfortunate because sometimes you need a group to do certain things like, play Settlers, or go to karaoke.

I miss having a circle of friends, despite the issues that came up in the past. But there is something unsettling about just being swept up in someone else's social circle, so I'm resisting it at the moment. I'm not the type to force my way into any group. Maybe I feel that it is intrusive or desperate.

This is what P had to say:

"it's funny.. i think it's harder for guys to make friends, so they stick together
and girlfriends become friends, usually it's the guys who are the core"

When P was dating her last boyfriend, his friend circle was in Texas, so there wasn't really any immersion. Her current boyfriend is a friend of one of her friends, so they kind of have an insta-group there. Recently, D was sucked in to some sort of male friend circle, and other guys within that group were trying to get her to set them up. I guess it makes sense, building those types of bridges, but it could get hairy too.

Ideally, it would be nice to strike a balance with friend groups in a relationship, but with certain personalities, attitudes etc. it just ain't going to happen. I think guys tend to hang out with other guys that are superficially similar to them, whereas girls maybe have friends that they relate to on a more emotional level, but on the surface they don't have a lot in common. I don't know. I probably don't have enough evidence to back this up.

J actually has a lot more friends than I do. His friends are also a whole lot more reliable to make the effort to hang out as well. My friends either have jam-packed schedules or they are just flakey. I think nowadays I'm just coercing whoever is available to get falafel with me or go to the pool. I think I'm much more driven by new activities or food, rather than people. Eh... I do amuse myself... maybe I can amuse you too.

Money Diary: Day 16

8:30 am: I resisted the urge to purchase today's Groupon. F introduced me to Groupon's and last month I purchased one, but have yet to use it.
12:00 pm: I brought leftover macaroni and cheese, an ear of corn, and a nectarine for lunch. My pudding didn't make it to lunch. I ate it around 10:00 am.
7:00 pm: I put $10 on my smart trip card so that I could get to U Street to partake in a birthday dinner at Eatonville. I already checked out the menu earlier in the day and it looked to be a promising meal.
8:00 pm: Arrived at Eatonville. I got a lavender lemonade and chatted with people at the table, waiting for everyone to arrive.
9:00 pm: We finally order. They don't have the fried green tomato po boy that I wanted, so I get the crab burger instead. It was a mistake. I tasted the mushroom loaf and it was DELICOUS. I don't even like mushrooms!
10:15 pm: I headed outta there because I had a long way home. D was there so I had her cover my part of the bill. I'll pay her back. It'll probably be about $25.

Money spent: $10 + $25 for dinner...

Money Diary: Day 15

I got $64 refund from the Spy Museum. The $75 reimbursement for my parking ticket at UMD posted in my checking account as well!

I paid off the $640 on my credit card. I hate having a balance on my credit card, so I do my best to pay it off every month. I won't count it as an expense again since I already mentioned it before.

I had a dream last night that I was packing for Australia. It was kind of stressful!
Speaking of Australia... I am booking the Great Barrier Reef tour. $444.74 per person after a 7% off coupon. ;) I owed my brother $150 for the in country plane tickets, so he'll owe me about $70 after this.

Yeah...

Money spent: $444.74

Money Diary: Day 14

The work day felt really glum to me.
I had a meeting with my director and asked her about whether she thought I was ready to become a manager. She advised me to apply and said that either way it would be a good experience for me and that it would be good to show the company that I want to grow. So, that was that. They are looking to fill the position by September. I'm not sure who else would be applying for the position, but I guess you never know!

I had cereal for breakfast at home and then a lunch of leftovers from the day before.

After work I stopped to get gas because it's currently $2.49 and I only had about a quarter of a tank left.

A $55 rebate check came in the mail for me today. It was from contact lenses I purchased a few months ago. That definitely made the day seem brighter. I also received the boxes that I ordered from USPS for packages to MM. That means that I have an upcoming trip to the post office. :)

Money spent: $23.17

Money Diary: Day 13

I dreaded writing this entry. In fact, I almost decided to end my Money Diaries because I didn't want to face the reality of the amount of money I've spent lately.

*sigh*

Alright, so here it goes. My mom came over and we prepared a late lunch. Afterwards, I decided that I wanted to go to Leesburg Outlets because I got a mystery coupon in my email from Banana Republic for either $5, $10, $15, $20 or $500. Well, we only went into two stores, but I spent almost $200. I got some good deals. My mystery coupon was worth $10. Eh... I guess I can justify that I don't go shopping very often. Eh...

I guess I feel better now that I've disclosed this information. I will have to cut back this week.

On a better note, I have reached my Smarty Pig savings goal for my Australia trip - $1200. Hopefully, I won't use all of it... the exchange rate favors USD so at least that is on my side. That money is going towards food, zoo admission, and a tour at the Great Barrier Reef. Hmm... should I have saved more?

Money spent: $185.77

Money Diary: Day 12

Happy Fourth of July!

I woke up this morning ready to bake cupcakes. I was working on my third batch when I got a text message that K wasn't going to come over. I decided that it would just make more sense of us to go over to J's friend's house instead. We weren't planning on having many people over, so it just seemed silly to bother once she backed out. I then made plans for my mom to come over on Sunday instead. I felt really guilty about it because I know she could have made other plans.

At J's friend's house we played some wiffle ball and hung out. We didn't leave there until 1 in the morning, which makes two late nights in a row. I think I hate sleeping in. It makes me feel really anxious like I'm wasting the day away, especially since I am a morning person.

Oh well... at least I didn't spend any money today.

Money spent: $0

Money Diary: Day 11

I slept in a bit this morning since I had the day off. Yay!

I went to Wegman's to get some things for the Fourth of July. I spent $71.55, hopefully the food will last awhile. I wanted to try some cupcake recipes from a book F gave me. I guess I will have the ingredients to bake cupcakes for awhile.

After Wegman's I needed to go to DC to get souvenirs for my cousins in Australia. I picked up two books about DC, two packs of freeze dried ice cream (mint chocolate chip) and a journal made of panda poop. I spent a total of about $42 on the souvenirs.

After shopping, we met up with J's friends for a birthday dinner. We took the bus over to H St NE ($1.35). We had sushi at Sticky Rice. The total bill was about $170, but we only paid $36 since we didn't have any drinks (J paid). I really don't like the idea of paying for drinks. I think the most I ever have is just a margarita or something with dinner.

After dinner we went to a couple of other bars. At one of the bars they had skeeball so we played two rounds of it ($2). I lost by a hair both times. At the end of the evening, we caught the bus back to Chinatown and then took the metro home ($1.35+$2.35).

It was a long day, but I think it was productive and I'm ready to enjoy Saturday.

Money spent: $118.60

Money Diary: Day 10

I ate some cereal at home and had the container of fruit from yesterday as a snack throughout the morning. For some reason, I was famished. I even ate my lunch early and I'm sure I could've eaten more after that as well. People from my team at work all left work pretty early, so I followed suit. Today was payday since we have tomorrow off. I paid my rent - $650.

I came home and vegetated and then proceeded to do some yoga (dvr-ed from the FIT channel). I broke a little sweat so I felt pretty good about myself.

There was a recipe I wanted to try and tonight was the night. I made Mini Chile Relleno Casseroles. They could have been a little less soggy. I think next time I will put a potato crust at the bottom to help soak up some of the moisture from the chiles and the corn. I made 4 of them, so had some left for the next day.

J came home around 9 in the evening and we watched a movie on tv and then "So You Think You Can Dance."

Money spent: $650

Money Diary: Day 9

I had breakfast at home and brought a lean cuisine and fruit (pineapples and strawberries) to work. I'm glad there's only one day of work left for the week because I don't really have any food to bring for lunch. The fridge is looking quite bare.

I went to check out the cheaper apartment during my lunch hour. Though it was cheaper, it was less desirable, so I'm happy with the decision that was already made.

Before I went to check out the apartment, a whole huge stack of paychecks landed on my desk to be distributed. I sent out an email once I returned from my apartment hunt and people came and picked up their checks (one manager is going to mail them for me :) and I delivered a set to someone else. Now all the paychecks are gone and I find myself with little to do for the moment. :) Only an hour and a half left of work, then one more day until the weekend!

Money spent: $0

Money Diary: Day 8

7:00 am: On the way to work, I decided to stop at CVS and get some round candies to fit our pot luck theme (round). I thought lifesavers would be a good pick and a colorful addition to the table. I want to make sure to put my best foot forward with anything that my boss asks of me, especially right now... $2.35, and I'll get reimbursed.

1:45 pm: I was so stuffed from the pot luck that I wasn't very productive for the rest of the day. I could hardly keep my eyes open.

6:00 pm: After work, I went to pick up E from the airport. She was away for almost two weeks visiting friends and family in Chicago and Portland. I've never been to either city. It'd be cool to go visit sometime.

I spent the rest of the evening watching random tv. I skipped dinner, so I just snacked a little.

I'm still working on figuring out which apartment I'd like to live in. I have until tomorrow to get a $450 administrative fee back from the place that I already filed a lease with. I'm weighing the pros and cons of the two places - location, rent price, space, parking. I am going to look at a place this afternoon that will be about $70 cheaper and more space, but there could be potentially issues with traffic around those parts. We'll see...

Money spent: $2.35

Money Diary: Day 7

I ate breakfast at home this morning.

8:00 am: My supervisor told me that she's leaving for another job today. I'm sad to see her go, but I'm also excited that I might have a chance to get promoted. I'm not sure what the likelihood of that is. I don't want to get my hopes up.

2:00 pm: I went over to the apartment complex that I was interested and signed a lease, $600 for application and administration fees. Rent is $1270/mo. and it's 800 square feet and only a little over a mile from work. I did some more research on other places and found two additional places that I'd like to check out, if it's not too late.

4:30 pm: Finally made it back to Party City and bought a tablecloth, plates, cups, napkins, and table decorations. I got a $10 off coupon from my co-worker. I only spent $30, which will be reimbursed...

7:00 pm: I got home and prepared the quiche for tomorrow's pot luck. At least no more money was spent. I still have to pay my ticket and get my Cairns tour. I need to make more money...

Money spent: $630... ick, but I'll have a place to live at the end of July.

Money Diary: Day 6

I finally got a run in after not working out for... not sure how long.

My mom came over and we went to get lunch. Her treat. After lunch we went to Wegman's and then Cupcakes Actually. I bought us each a cupcake, $6.88. I think I'm getting over my cupcake craze. It's just not as inviting anymore. I got to try Death by Chocolate and Champagne Taste today. I think the Death by Chocolate was better. The other one was kind of dry.

I've yet to go to Party City... :(

Money spent: $6.88

Money Diary: Day 5

I got up at 7 am this morning and shoved a graham cracker in my face before heading out to Valvoline for a oil change and then a state safety inspection. I printed a Valvoline coupon at work yesterday for $6 off! Woohoo!

The oil change cost $50.81 after the coupon. The inspection cost $45 including the $25 he charged me for cleaning/polishing my headlights because the plastic was dull and scratched up, therefore causing my lights to be very dim. He couldn't have passed me otherwise. He advised that I would probably need new headlights before my next inspection. I started a fund on SmartyPig to meet this goal. I had noticed that my headlights sucked, but it wasn't really a big deal to me since I rarely drive at night. Perhaps my car was conditioning me not to do so!

After I got back from taking care of car shenanigans, I went to the Post Office to pick up package materials for a package that I've been meaning to send. Unfortunately, flat-rate boxes are not cheap (about $5 a pop!). I decided to call for free shipping materials instead.

When I got home, I made myself some eggs and ordered flowers to be sent to J's family, $50.85. I then called around to various Party Citys to see if they had what I was looking for, but it turns out none of them did. At least I saved myself some time and gas. I will go to Party City tomorrow and just pick up an alternative to what I originally wanted.

I still had a whole afternoon to fritter away... I needed a change of scenery, but didn't want to go too far. I ended up in Fairfax at Old Navy and then Barnes and Noble. I didn't buy anything at Old Navy and I spent many hours sitting in Barnes and Noble perusing health and fashion magazines as well as Australia travel guides. I took some notes on the interesting tidbits, but did not find any books that were worth buying. Usually I only purchase books on Amazon, but I had a gift card. Ahh... for the love of gift cards! Thank you, friends! I purchased The Time Traveler's Wife. I've read almost two chapters and it seems to be a promising read. I haven't had many books that have held my interest lately, so haven't been reading as much. I kind of want to save books to read during my Australia flights. We'll see how it all pans out.

Speaking of Australia, I'm waiting for a credit charge to be refunded for a tour that I booked in Cairns. For some reason, they aren't offering the tour that day, or maybe the tour filled up. Not sure. Either way, I need to book another tour for that day because I can't go to Australia and not see the Great Barrier Reef.

After Barnes and Noble, I went to Panera to enjoy the beautiful day and have a nice late lunch/early dinner outside. My meal was $7.65. It was a lovely afternoon and I'm quite tired. Now to take a nap before seeing what the night has to bring...

Money spent: $154.31

Money Diary: Day 4

I got in contact with the Spy Museum to get a refund for "The Spy in the City." The refund hasn't been posted to my account yet, and I just realized that I gave him the wrong credit card information. Argh... hopefully it won't be too much of an issue. I'll get to the bottom of it.

After work, I attempted to go to Party City to pick up some things for our potluck on Tuesday. They didn't have what I wanted so I will try to look at another location.

I had a yogurt and banana for breakfast and leftover Chicken and Potato Korma for lunch and dinner.

I decided to spend the evening in watching tv and attempting to scrapbook. I was on a roll with scrapbooking last weekend, but now the creative juices aren't funneling in that direction.

Money spent: $0 (with a $64 credit coming soon... I hope!)

looking for the silver lining

I felt all kinds of emotionally mixed-up and depressed yesterday. Something just wasn't right inside and I couldn't shake myself out of it. Work was fine, but I felt like the ticket just put me in a very negative, inert disposition. I couldn't understand why I was feeling so down over just a ticket, and also the potential money-drain of a new place to live. It just wasn't right.

I think that sometimes we have an intuition that makes us feel a certain way for no particular reason until some sort of revelation comes.

While at Baskin Robbins, I received a phone call from J's mom. She asked to speak to him and said it was important. As soon as the word "important" came out of her mouth, I already knew what it was that she had to tell him. J's grandfather had passed away. Last month he suffered a stroke and he was in the hospital for awhile.

I guess this news justifies how I was feeling all afternoon yesterday. It's a hard emotion to shake off. The last time I had to support someone through a death was when my step-dad died. I'm still not 100% sure what the right things to do or say are. I remember when my grandmother died, I just wanted to be alone. I wandered the streets of Boston on a gorgeous spring day by myself, trying to see the happiness of the world through tear-brimmed eyes and a broken heart.

J is driving home to his parents today and I pray that the solitude will give him peace and comfort.

Money Diary: Day 3

7:23 a.m. I paid my parking ticket online this morning. I figured I'd get this out of the way. $75...
I need to be out of E's by the end of July, so I've been trying to find a temporary sublet. I've only been paying $650 for rent at E's and utilities are rarely over $100, which has been pretty awesome. It's allowed me to have some extra funds to pay off my student loan and also for savings. Unfortunately, I don't think it will be possible to find a comparable situation.

4:20 p.m. I get pulled over when I'm less than a mile away from home. I've been putting off renewing my safety inspection sticker. Ugh, so now I get to kiss another $92 goodbye, but not quite yet.

4:30 p.m. Once the officer gives me my ticket and let's me go, I decide I'm not ready to go home just yet, so I get some gas instead. $25.

6:15 p.m. I went to go look at a potential sublet. Rent would be $1242/month. The nice thing about this deal would be that the lease only goes until the end of November, however, they would like for someone to move in on July 1st. It's not really the ideal situation considering the fact that I had planned to stay at E's for the month of July. I think unless the guy can't find anyone, I'll have to find another option.

6:30 p.m. Grocery shopping at Wegman's. I'm feeling very dejected about my future living situation and my appetite is non-existent, which I guess is a good thing so I don't pick up everything I see in the grocery store. I only spend $30 on groceries.

8:30 p.m. I want to make myself feel better and think that maybe Baskin Robbins will do the trick. I get a waffle cone with a scoop of mint chocolate chip and world class chocolate for $6. I come nowhere near finishing it. I'm just too depressed and the day doesn't get any better.

Total spent: $136 with an impending expense of $92 as well as an oil change AND safety inspection on the plate for tomorrow.

Money Diary: Day 2

7:00 a.m. I had a yogurt and a banana for breakfast.

12:30 p.m. I had my leftovers from Sweetwater for lunch. Mmm... still good!
I received some info about Spy in the City. I am putting that on my weekend itinerary. I invited some friends to come along.

3:30 p.m. I bought the tickets to the Spy in the City, each ticket is $16. I bought 4 tickets - $64. I'll get reimbursed for them.
Tomorrow I have to pay a parking ticket - $75. Ouch... no fun. I will get reimbursed by work for it though. Thank goodness.

Money spent: $64

Money Diary: Day 1

So, I read this blog called "I will teach you to be rich." My favorite feature on it is "Money Diaries," a column where people keep a written account of their financial situation and their daily spending for a week.

I've decided to keep my own Money Diary... I hope to keep it up for at least this week and maybe longer. We'll see how it goes!

Day 1:
7:00 a.m. I bring a stash of breakfast food to keep at the office so that I can eat breakfast at work. Currently, I had a box of cereal and some milk. Yesterday, I had just enough milk left for one or two more servings of cereal. Unfortunately, today when I went to the fridge, I discovered that my milk was gone! Someone either drank my milk or disposed of it. Either way, it led me to my first purchase of the week. A small carton of fat free milk from the cafe next door for $1.04.

1:00 p.m. I had a lean cuisine for lunch. I bring my lunch to work more often than not.

3:00 p.m. I remembered that I was interested in doing a Twilight 5k race at the end of July. Registration is $30 until July 10th. I am going to hold off on it because I may or may not be moving the weekend of the race. F is going to do it with me though, so I will sign up soon!

6:00 p.m. I had dinner with J, K, and K's friend at Sweetwater Tavern. I had my favorite meal... their Short Smoked Grilled Salmon Salad. Mmm... Also, there was a coupon for two free desserts - I got key lime pie and apple pie a la mode. Nothing to write home about, but a good meal. J paid.

Money spent: $1.04

Dissolved

I watched what I feel to be the last episode of "Jon and Kate + 8" last night.

The entire episode led to a devastating announcement about their divorce. In the same episode, the children were having "Crooked Houses" built. They are houses that are made to look as if kids put them together because they are crooked. Each of the twins got their own crooked house and the boys got their own house and the little girls got their own house. I think it's ironic that these houses were crooked and that there were four separate ones - I think it parallels the brokenness in the family. I know it sounds like I'm unnecessarily reading a lot into it, but the reality of Jon and Kate's divorce is so sad to me. Kate said in the episode that it isn't ideal and maybe it is the crushed ideal that hurts so much - the fact that those eight kids will be able to see the demise of their parent's marriage on tv over and over again.

The announcement that was displayed on the screen did not have the word divorce in it. It said, "legal proceedings were initiated in Pennsylvania to dissolve the 10-year marriage of Jon and Kate Gosselin." Dissolve.

where do broken hearts go?

I found out about a broken engagement yesterday. The couple was one that I knew from the office, and I just so happened to be working the girl's program when it happened. She told us at the final team meeting.

I couldn't believe it. She was two months out from the wedding. It was already all planned and deposits were put down. It made me so sad because she really is such a wonderful girl. I didn't say or do anything to console her yesterday, but this morning we both got to work at the same time. As the elevator doors closed, I looked over at her and tried to make some small talk. She apologized because the tears were already welling up in her eyes. I was able to give her a hug finally and tell her that she's ok. She is ok. She is so strong and I admire her for making it through the weekend.

My heart goes out to her and even though she most likely won't read this blog, I hope that the heart of those reading it will also go out to her.

Go State!

I spent the past few days at one of the company's programs in New York. It was only about 3 and a half days, yet somehow it was enough to make me feel as though I really gave something to those kids. I love working with youth, but I think I had my fill in Boston and San Diego - and especially the ballet academy. Brief stints like the one I just had are enough to fill the void and to feel the joy that comes from leaving that small imprint on their lives and not be desperate to get away from them.

The 24 kids in my group were truly exceptional. I think there are probably a few in every bunch that already had values that I would have found commendable, but each individual in my group of kids made a genuine effort to make the most of their experience, or at the very least, not take away from the experience for anyone else (Henry Booger). I was in awe about some of the insight that they shared or simply how they interacted with others. I found something special in each of them.

I feel like I continue to think about those kids long after they have stopped thinking about me. I always wonder what the future holds for them and for the young leaders I met this past weekend, I will wonder what kind of incredible things they will do in their lives.

I'm almost afraid to work another conference for this program because the kids I had really set my expectations so high. If the next group wasn't like this one, I would be so disappointed. *sigh*

I guess you never know... and maybe sometime soon, it'll be a chance that I'll be willing to take. I'm just glad that my job gives me the opportunity to do that. :)

agreeing to disagree

I don't think it's possible that two people can agree with one another 100% of the time. Relationships, though I would say are built on similarities, are nurtured by the friction of differences. They grow from the challenge of compromising or accepting opposing ideals. Growth comes from opening your mind, heart and life to things that we may not understand or even want to understand. Even when we can't grasp someone else's decisions or actions, if we really value them, we can see the beauty or the authenticity in how they live their life. It is when one person decides to not compromise, not accept, and not understand that a relationship begins to die.

I've witnessed many scenarios of people poo-pooing on others without attempting to understand the other person's lot. I remember when I lived with A and F. F had a real job and made probably close to four times what A and I were making and could clearly spend more freely than A and me. A would comment about F's spending habits and fail to consider how generous F was with us. F is one of the most generous people I know, always giving and generally not asking for much in return. F and A never were very close, nor ever became close even though the three of us shared an apartment for an entire year.

I'm not friends with A anymore and I'm sure that both of us contributed to the death of our relationship. I can remember one evening when I didn't feel like going out to carouse with her and she made a huge fuss over it. When I started dating someone, it caused a rift as well. She wasn't accepting nor understanding of our differences and I think it was partially lack of relationship experience on her part. Because she hadn't had many (any?) romantic relationships, she felt like I was abandoning her when I spent time with my boyfriend at the time.

I know I've caused some relationships to die, some are probably dying as I write this. I think sometimes the tradedy of it all boils down to seeing someone change for the worse, seeing someone discard their values, perhaps seeing someone lose a sense of who they are or who you thought they were. Or maybe they are just coming into their own, becoming the person who they are destined to be, becoming a person whose values are out of sync with your own, ultimately, someone who you can no longer respect.

don't talk to strangers

Today I did something stupid. Coming out of the mall to a dark parking lot, I stopped when a man approached me. He asked me if I was Vietnamese and I told him that I wasn't, then he proceeded to ask me whether I could give him a ride. I should have walked away, instead I started asking him questions like how he got there, where he was going, etc. Yeah, stupid.

Anyway, this entire time, J is on the phone and though I don't have the phone to my ear, I know what he's saying. I know what any person I could have been on the phone with would say. I know what I would say! Yet my naivete and trusting nature was speaking louder and I found myself hanging up on J and letting this man into my car. There are countless scenarios of how things could have ended up. I'll spare you the suspense. I dropped the man off within walking distance to a bus stop going where he needed to go. The End.

The whole situation left me so torn though. Strangers have done nice things for me before, just a few months ago a man stopped and helped me change my flat tire on the side of 495. So, shouldn't I try to help people as well? I guess being a woman forces you to be much more wary of danger. I certainly wouldn't want any of my female friends or family to give a ride to a stranger. Anything could happen. People prey on the kindness of strangers.

I don't know why I let the man in my car. A part of me felt like I was the only person who was willing to help him. Yeah, stupid.

birthday blah...

I love my birthday. I don't understand why everyone doesn't love celebrating their birthday as much as I do. It's a day (week or month, even!!!) to celebrate yourself! My birthday has always been a big to-do for me. I had my first birthday in Singapore and can remember years that I had parties at Chuck E. Cheese, always eating one of my favorite meals, and fancy cakes for as long as I can remember.

For my ninth birthday, I decided it wasn't fair that I couldn't have a pool party, so I had people come over to my house in their bathing suits - yes, in FEBRUARY! I was a crazy, crazy kid and I guess my mom decided not to fight the battle against that bright idea. I received two or three New Kids on the Block dolls that year.

The year after that, I got my first hamster! It was probably one of the most exciting surprises to come home and find a hamster cage sitting in the living room. I was however, less than enthused with the rip-off "Margie" doll I received from an aunt later that evening.

Anyway, as I've gotten older, birthdays have become a time to gather with my closest friends. And though they don't all like each other (no exclusive SATC crew here), it's a time when none of that matters and they just want to eat, drink and be merry with me. I'd like to think they enjoy the antics of drunk HT.

On my birthday this year, I went to lunch with co-workers and then had dinner with J, who flew in for the weekend. It was all in all a good day and I had high expectations for the weekend, mainly for Friday, a day that I had planned almost hour by hour.

The activities that I had planned for the day were scrapped because the recruiting event that I was at ran a little longer than anticipated, my feet hurt, and it was a bit blusterier than anticipated (I got to do them on Sunday, though!). I still held high hopes for dinner. I wanted to try a new restaurant in DC. When dinner plans kind of fell through, J decided to get in contact with his friends and make new dinner plans since he doesn't see his friends in DC that often. With dinner plans scrapped, somehow, there was a miscommunication and post-dinner plans were taken off the plate too. I don't want to go into detail about what was done instead because that might worthy of another blog, but I'll just say, it wasn't fun.

Well, my official "birthday party" is this Saturday so I just hope that this event will be better than what ensued last Friday. Plans include Roy Roger's fried chicken and karaoke. A few of my closest friends can't make it, so I'm a little disappointed, but it's not the end of the world. We just won't be friends anymore. Hahaha... just kidding!

So yeah, birthdays = big deal. Don't forget it!

Getting Old...

Some of you may know that I had a birthday recently, but the passing of my youth actually became aware to me through an incident the day before my birthday. It was a lovely, sunshiney Wednesday, so I decided to take advantage of the warm weather and go rollerblading. I haven't rollerbladed in a long time, over a year even. Though, I was a bit unsteady at first, I thought nothing of it since I had just recently been ice-skating without injury. I rollerbladed down the street and steadily picked up speed. And more speed. More speed than I could handle. Who knew there was such a decline on this street? Certainly not the girl who's only been living here for a week and a half! Without properly thinking out a course of action, I did a weird turn and threw myself onto the ground. The momentum got the best of me and I scraped off a good chunk of my knee. And on top of that, I got a hole in my favorite workout pants and a lovely scrape on my elbow as well.

My wounds are still healing and every time I bend my knee or elbow, they open up just a little. I don't know when I'll build up the courage to go rollerblading again - I guess when I find somewhere REALLY, REALLY flat or until I find my elbow and knee pads. *tear* "Safety, first." That'll be my old woman mantra.

Final Fete

We are having the last get together in the apartment today in celebration of Chinese New Year.

I have neglected to mention that Mr. Fish has passed. I found him floating in his bowl on the day that our new President was sworn into office. I think he knew that his time in 8107 was going to end and couldn't dream of living elsewhere. He lived a good two+ years. He was a resilient fish. He will be missed.

purge

I've been having lots of random thoughts and feelings lately. I seem to be floating in a gray cloud. The Inauguration has come and gone. It wasn't the moment that I expected it to be because I was "posting" at a museum. I should have bucked the rules a little just once (ok, maybe I've already done that here and there) and made my way to the Capitol where the man that has restored hope and pride in our Nation took his oath. I poured over the online videos of it, so I will just try to form it in my memory as being there. The rest of the day... I will try my hardest to forget.

The time for me to move is drawing closer and closer. I have about a week left in this apartment and it's making me sad. There are things I won't miss like driving around desperately looking for a parking space. Other things aren't coming to mind at the moment, except for the CVS. I HATE my CVS. Good riddance. I will miss my Giant though and I'll miss being able to walk to a bunch of different places like Asian Bistro, Cubano's, AFI, Borders, DSW, etc. I don't know why the distance between here and Centreville seems so great. I know it really isn't, but I feel like it will be a different world. At least I'll be able to go to Wal-Mart and always have a parking space. And I'm looking forward to living with E - something we had talked about since high school!!!

I went to hip hop class with my brother for the second time today. It was a lot of fun and I really do like spending time with him. He's a really good-natured person. He will watch me dance and try to give me pointers and he's just so nice to everyone and at ease with himself - these are things that I should definitely learn from him. He doesn't know it yet, but after I move, I will still go to Thursday hip hop class with him and then just spend the night at his place. There is something that is so simple and normal about spending time with your siblings. I wonder how long we could hang out before we started fighting like we did as kids.

Inauguration 2009

Today is the eve of the Presidential Inauguration. It's a crazy time in DC and there are about a million and one events going on. I feel like I'm much too tired or stressed out to actually enjoy any of it and I'm also sad that I can't participate in all the activities. Yesterday, I was fortunate enough to hear General Colin Powell and Archbishop Desmond Tutu speak (work perk). There are other speaking events that I have missed and volunteer opportunities that I can't help with. I just want this time to stay with me. It is a time of celebration and I don't want it to pass me by without savoring the emotion of it. I feel so bogged down with the logistics of it all - buying snacks for the big day, where to use the bathroom, how to get there, how to get back... I just want to get in the right frame of mine to enjoy it all. Less than 24 hours to go!!!

Single Wannabe

I have found that in some recent social situations, I've been reluctant to admit that I'm in a relationship. It's not about wanting to cheat on J or having guys hit on me, but I think it's more about fitting in or being perceived as "fun" or "interesting." People in relationships have this stigma upon them of being lame, dull, boring and the list goes on. People that are single, who have dating drama or who are "so over dating" are more interesting to talk to because their lives are a lot less predictable and they most likely have a juicy breakup story in the bag. Nobody cares about the old, married couple who has fights about socks and dirty dishes.

Singles hang out with other singles and couples tend to hang out in couples. As much as I despise this perpetual trend, it is a reality. If you're in a relationship and you hang out with a bunch of people that are not in relationships or pretending not to be in relationships, there is this feeling of not wanting to be outed because of the exclusion or attention that comes with it. Once you tell people that you're in a relationship, it seems to be all they want to know about or they lose interest in you all together. The range of your topics of conversation shrinks drastically and though you don't mind talking about your significant other, you also miss just being an independent entity with more intriguing aspects to your life than a relationship.

On a recent episode of How I Met Your Mother, Robin became friends with a group of single girls and Lily felt left out because she's married. Groups of single people do not want to hang out with people that aren't single because they might have different going out objectives or singles assume that the attached would rather be at home in their pod.

Through my thoughts about this topic, a google search turned up this article. It gave me some reassurance that my feelings are common for others and perhaps a function of society and that it doesn't have any negative bearing on my feelings for J.

So, what do you think? Is it ok to avoid admitting relationship status so as not to be relegated to the default relationship conversation and stigma?

All Bunnies go to Heaven

Bunny Boston died on Monday.

I am at my mom's now and I can't bring myself to go into my old bedroom, the room that Boston has spent more time in than me. She was a sweet and incredibly adorable bunny who loved to be loved. There used to be a toddler gate at the door of my room. It's not there anymore.

My mom called me on Monday night while I was in the grocery store in front of the hot dog section. I couldn't really believe it. I went numb. I remember saying to my mom, "I don't want to talk about it," to which she replied, "I saw her die!" And I could hear her sobs through my telephone.

I am sad that I wasn't a better owner for her, that I wasn't around more to look after her. I should have tried to make her life better than it was. Being the caretaker for a living, breathing thing is such a precious responsibility and it pains me to think that I didn't do the best job I could.

My only comfort is that Boston is in Bunny Heaven now, being loved by God and her other bunny friends.

a little man after my own heart

I met the cutest little 4 year-old yesterday. He is half Chinese and half Black and 100% adorable. We sat across from each other at dinner and we had stimulating conversation about his favorite animal (octopus) and even the election. He "voted" for Obama, of course, and he was delighted about this fact, saying "We both voted for Obama!" So glad to know that our political views are aligned.

As we were leaving the restaurant, he reached for my hand. A little while after he gave me his address and told me to come see him in San Diego. So sweet. Cute kids are so enchanting. :)

Past Lives

E has been talking a lot about this lately and the thought of it has been brought to the forefront of my mind. Now, whenever something I have any interaction with a person, I wonder what role they might have played in a past life.

I wonder if I was connected to any of my friends in a past life and whether that has any bearing on our relationship now. If I had to think of anyone who might have been my sister in a past life, I would think P. I can remember when we first became friends that we had a bit of a breakdown together about our parents' divorces. Hers was more recent and mine was perhaps suppressed or never adequately emoted over. I think we tend to butt heads like sisters might and are aware of what makes the other tick, though she probably gets under my skin and pushes my buttons more than I do to her. Sometimes, I think there is a lack of understanding of one another's choices or ideals, but our friendship still perseveres and I genuinely care about her.

If souls come back to live in new people, interacting with the same set of souls, I wonder how often it is that a completely new soul connection is born.

E is reading a book about all that right now and nothing could ever tell me that any of the past life stuff is true, but it is interesting to think about.

I had a thought today about the human condition (whatever that means...). All the emotions, relationships, struggles, etc. that people experience are not new. They have happened in generations before us and they happen among different groups of people all around us and will continue to happen. It's the individuals that make the situations unique, as they are resolved in so many different ways. And really, no one is to say whether they are right or wrong. We can only share what we have gained from our personal experiences, and not expect the mistakes we've made to be repeated (though they sometimes are).

In November...

November is shaping up to be a superb month. Barack Obama was elected president of the United States and I got a full-time job at the company. The benefits there are pretty spectacular - 24 vacation days, health insurance, dental insurance, 401k, profit-sharing, and more. It's just a great company to work for. I get a daily snack time and there are usually at least 1 or 2 office treats weekly. And there is even an on-site workout facility, which I should start visiting. The people there are pretty cool as well. I'm glad that D helped me get my foot in the door there. Thanks!!!

I started back up with scrapbooking yesterday evening. It was nice to focus some energy on it again. I've been slacking off from it for a number of reasons. I think I will either start a new scrapbook at the end of this year or put scrapbooking on an indefinite hiatus. Someone mentioned that they think scrapbooking is a big part of who I am - that I'm a keeper of memories, if you will. It never struck me that not everyone was the same way. I write in a diary, I scrapbook, I blog. I'm not really sure why I keep these records of my life. I think both my parents kept a record through photographs and my closest cousin also kept a diary, blogs and scrapbooks, so perhaps it's in my genes.

As much as I hate to admit it, all of the record-keeping almost ground to a complete halt once I was a few months into J's deployment. I think my scrapbook inspiration went into putting together packages for him or simply being available for his phone calls. Then the summer program that I worked started and I didn't have a life any longer. In August, I had to get my life back in order and I guess I'm trying to maintain/enhance it at this point.

Learn to save money

I'm on a money-saving kick, so no eating out, no shopping. I walked to the library today and checked out books and dvds for entertainment. Yeah, no one said saving money is sexy (though I do think it kind of turns me on). Now that I don't have to pay for my own health insurance, I can put more money towards my student loans. I've been reading this blog and using this tool (which I'm OBSESSED WITH!!!)

So, November has been wonderful and it will be undoubtedly even better with a visit from D in a week or so and J's return before Thanksgiving.

lady at Giant

So, I'm not sure how I've ended up in the same woman's check out line twice in a row, but it happened. This woman has a way of making me feel so excluded for not being Black. And I don't know for certain if she does it on purpose or not. I don't think I've ever done anything to offend her. It's a bit inexplicable.

Anyway, the first time I was in her checkout line, she kept calling the Black man in front of me, "my brother." After everything she said to him, she ended it with that phrase. I found it odd. And today, she was talking to either the bag girl or the man in line after me about the election and how she is going to frame her copy of the paper. I said I was planning to do the same. I think she sort of blew me off, until she saw that I had a copy of the paper sitting in my cart.

Yeah... so it's weird. I can either go back to her checkout line to find out for certain or just avoid her all together. We'll see what happens.

YES WE DID!!!

I have no words to express how incredible I feel about the election of Barack Obama. Barack Obama has brought hope and pride back into the hearts of many Americans. I will never forget the moment that his presidential victory was sealed. There is so much to speculate in terms of what the next four years will bring, but I'm relishing the inspiration that is Barack Obama. I hope others will be buoyed by that same inspiration to be better citizens and to do whatever they can to serve this country.

Election Day

I just got back from voting. I woke up around 5 this morning, got dressed and walked over to the polls. There is an indescribable exhilaration about today. One woman in line said that last night was like the night before Christmas!

There has been a huge emotional build-up with this election. I never thought I would feel so invested and connected to a presidential race. Today is monumental... It's a day that I imagine recounting again and again. I almost feel the need to pinch myself! Now, I have to go to work!

Flashing... lights

So, I have now received tickets from DC, Maryland, and Virginia. I've received about a handful of tickets (in the three short years that I've been driving... I guess I'm catching up), but I've only been pulled over twice (darn those traffic cameras). The first time, the officer let me go with no ticket, but yesterday, I wasn't so lucky. I don't even want to go into detail about what I did wrong. Getting pulled over just makes me feel stupid. It's someone calling you out on your mistake AND you have to pay for it. No good.

I just found out that the fine is $30 with a $62 processing fee. I find it rather ridiculous, considering that DRINKING AND DRIVING is a fine of $35 with a $72 processing fee. Next time, I'll just booze it up in the car!

All my run-ins with the law have involved cars, so it makes sense why I took so long getting my license! I should just be a pedestrian.

I love NKOTB!!!

I just got back from screaming my face off for 2 hours straight. I was at a New Kids on the Block concert! Yes, their reunion tour. And it was incredible!!!

I found the posting on craigslist on Monday, picked up the tickets on Tuesday. The tickets were only $44 and they were great seats. Sadly, my pics are still blurry because I couldn't hold my hands steady enough to take decent photos (and I probably need a new camera soon), but N has better pics!

They still have the moves. They still know how to work the crowd. And I think their bodies are even better NOW than they were 15 years ago (If you're reading this J, I expect your body to be just as good when you're pushing 40). Jordan had his solo moment with a button down shirt that was being blown open by a fan. You would not believe his pecs and abs. Danny even breakdanced! They sang every song that you could have wanted them to sing and a few new songs that make me want to go out and buy their latest cd. They were and apparently, always will be the most important musical artists of my life. They were my first celebrity crush/obsessions and I think my last (That's right, Chris Brown... your song lyrics will never be infused into my soul).

Their last tour was when I was 11, so I never got a chance to attend on as a kid. It was a first for both N and I, so I'm glad we got to share our childhood fulfillment with one another. Right when we stepped off the metro at the Verizon Center, I wanted to start screaming. There was such a rush of excitment all around us. It was a highly satisfactory event that I would gladly relive.

Jon sported an Obama t-shirt during one of the sets. I'm so proud that they're still "Hangin' Tough".

weekend

F was in town this weekend and as we were hanging out in her lovely hotel room, I realized that there is an ease and comfort in our relationship that I think only comes from living with someone. She was sitting at the desk pretending to do work (she was actually playing wordtwist..) and I was channel-surfing. I eventually went over to the desk in order to partake in the word twisting, but as I was laying there and enjoying the doing nothingness of our time together, I had a sense of appreciation. I appreciated that we could just be - no unnecessary or awkward chatter, just comfortable silence.

Somehow, each night before falling asleep, we would chat almost endlessly. It was nice, familiar. I'm glad that F and I can still have these times together where we aren't bound by obligations or the wants of others, where we can just hang out and enjoy each other's company because we do know each other so well. Yeah... it was nice. It made me think of other times when we were able to do that back in Boston or San Diego (or LA or San Fran).

There is a closeness that comes from having that one fulfilling conversation about nothing before bed where you're able to allow your thoughts to dissolve and you can melt into your dreams. Ahh... the simplicity. :)

black and blue

In the past few weeks I've been on a 20 foot high trapeze and a 30 foot high ropes course. Hanging in mid-air (well-harnessed, of course) using only momentum and the pithy amount of strength I can muster up, I've come away from both experiences unscathed and maybe even a little impressed at my courageous feats. I've learned to trust the strength of the wires or ropes that hold me and have faith that if I do slip or when I fall, there is something to keep me from plummeting to my demise or you know, breaking an arm.

Over the weekend I was staying at the Ritz-Carlton in DC with F because she has law firm interviews. As I was getting into bed, I slammed my knee into the nightstand. Oh, the pain... I should probably consider wearing a harness on a daily basis because apparently I am too reckless with my body.

realization

I think it's finally hitting me that my roommate is leaving the country. It's a new phase in her life and the part that was ours is ending. Our living arrangement has been the longest commitment (of any sort) that I've kept in the past decade - two months shy of two years. I guess this summer has weaned us off each other a bit because she was never home and I took up brief residence at the 4H. I'm just now settling back into my normal life of seeing friends and having time to do the things I want to do and I guess catching up with my thoughts and emotions.

I've been telling myself and others that she's moving to Paris, but I am only now feeling the sadness in it, the sadness in her leaving. It's by no means an end to our friendship, but one has to admit that something is lost when proximity is no longer a binding element. I know life as I knew it at 8107 had to end eventually, but I didn't think it would be this hard to swallow.

When I left San Diego, it wasn't difficult to come home. I knew that I would see A and that I would always be able to talk to F. I think after San Diego, i was just ready to be home close to my friends and family and to indulge in things that adults should have, like... their own bedroom (I had to share in both Boston and San Diego) and perhaps a job that actually paid versus living off a stipend.

I'm going to miss having roomie around to vent to or to share life's tidbits - you know, those ridiculously minute details that strike you as absurd or funny that no one else would care about if they weren't fully integrated into your daily life. Things just won't be the same, but I guess there is no adventure in that. Looks like it's time to start planning a trip to Paris!

naked

I've been out of touch with the real world for awhile, though perhaps even when I am actually "in touch," I'm not fully immersed. Lately, I've been having random exposure to how different American society is to that of other countries. I watched something on National Geographic about breast-feeding and how some mothers breast-feed up to age 7. Yeah. I don't want to say anything else about that.

I went to a Korean spa. Spa World was a fantastic experience. Initially, D and I had a fit of giggles while we changed into our assigned lounge wear and had to see each other naked. It was also awkward seeing a bunch of naked women, but then once you saw a few, it was like you had seen them all. I did my best to either look people in the face or avert my gaze completely. After about 5 minutes, it wasn't really a big deal at all. There were small children there and they didn't think anything of it. I'm envious of other cultures that don't have all the hang-ups that our society has created. I am happy that I was able to overcome the anxiety of being naked in front of other people.

Another thing that I was really happy about was the full body scrub that I received. When I say full-body... I mean full-body. I was laying naked on a pink plastic table and there were moments where I was fully exposed, spread-eagle, aCOOCHerments on display. The lady was really getting after all my dead skin with her mitted paws. It felt a bit rough at first, but a couple minutes in, I almost fell asleep.

Spa World was just what I needed after the grueling weeks of work stress. Once I got home, I passed out for two hours straight and I probably could have slept for longer if I didn't have plans that evening.

Ahh... Spa World.

I went to Old Town Alexandria today and happened upon a store called An American In Paris. Its owner was 50+ French woman who gave me 15 minute lecture on American society and how it lacks respect and responsibility. She expounded on many different things stemming from an explanation on why she keeps the door of her store locked so that she can let in each customer individually. It was an enlightening experience and if I didn't have to pay rent or eat, I would spend my paychecks there and love every minute of it. Her accent alone made me want to walk out the door with a shopping bag in hand. The items in her store were one of a kind and simply exquisite.

I went to see the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2 today. There were some moments where I got a little teary-eyed.

Ok... I'm kind of through with blogging for the moment... who knows when I'll be inspired again.

finito

I spent the morning clearing out my office. This experience has been so bittersweet. While I was there, every time I heard a noise, I expected it to be someone on my staff, and it never was. It felt odd not having my radio attached to my hip. I can't believe that this experience is over. We got through the past 2 months. I have my life back.

There is so much I'm going to miss and it was really hard shutting the door to 4151 for the last time and walking out those sliding doors - the 4H will always be special to me. This summer was a roller coaster ride that I got to share with about 30 other people - I think once we get past a certain age, past a certain intensity of environment, we don't have the opportunity for these life-changing experiences.

I have learned a lot these past few months. I think working at the ballet academy and then the LOC killed a part of me. Monotony set in and apathy followed. The program gave me back a sense of purpose, a sense of accomplishment.

I can't even begin to chronicle the challenges that I faced this summer. I will create a short list here that perhaps I'll (most likely not) elaborate on in the future.

- lack of PC team cohesion
- 3 PCs
- we have our first deserter
- 1 bossy, immature, untrustworthy team member
- 40 vomiting scholars, 10 vomiting staff
- fagocious man makes a scene - then quits - "i'll let karma take care of this. all these sick kids was just the beginning."
- negative woman is disrespectful and is fired
- the smoking "pregnant" woman quits on the day the session begins
- bossy team member causes argument leaving some of our best staff in tears
- staff proceeds to slack off

Yeah... I guess that's about it. I've got 3 days in the office coming up. We'll be unpacking boxes, turning things in, wrapping it all up... *sigh*
I don't know if I would do this again. I think part of what made this experience so incredible was the staff. I can't imagine doing it without them.

it's august...

I haven't written in over two months. I haven't really had time to do so because of the hectic work schedule and such. My life has been the program and now there is only one more session left. There were a lot of ups and downs with these past six weeks, but the staff was incredible. I didn't come into this position thinking that I was going to be managing people directly because each of the different staff roles had a program coordinator of their own to answer to, however, when one of our PCs had to go to a different site, I ended up with a phenomenal team of 7 fantastically awesome girls. I think that they are amazing people and I feel lucky that I was able to be their manager.

Among other things that happened this summer, we had an epidemic of sorts - session 4 - the stomach bug that wouldn't quit. It got about 40 scholars and 10 staff members. I was only mildly affected. I didn't vomit my brains out like anyone else, it was more of a body ache and fever.

There were some difficult people to work with, as always, but we've gotten through it.

I'm so extremely tired.

I just spent the day at the beach with 5 other staff members. It was a good time, but now I'm wiped out. Completely.

bad pick-up line

So, I'm at the gas station this afternoon pumping my gas when the guy at the pump in front of me says something to me. Puzzled, because I can't hear him, I probably said, "what" or "excuse me?" Then he says something along the lines of "do you like this car?" nodding his head in the direction of his large orange-red colored vehicle.

***crickets***

Now WHY would you ask me if I like your car? Did you SEE the car I'M driving? Do I LOOK like I care about YOUR car?!?!?

He proceeds to tell me how he's in some sort of club for Element owners and that they have meetings where they get together. What that says to me is that people who own that type of car are douchebags.

After the brief interaction, when it was clear that I had nothing to say about his car or any car, for that matter, he said, "sorry to bother you."

I guess I didn't give him the response that he was looking for...

It has come to my attention, recently, that I enjoy making up plausible interpretations for situations that elude me. My explanation for this guy that asked me about his car is that he is in therapy for his social awkwardness and his therapist gave him an assignment to talk to a stranger. *shrug* Makes sense now, eh?

Somehow my explanation for this also triggered my hyper-sensitive guilt complex and I wonder if I should have talked with Element boy a little more before speeding off on my merry way. *shrug* Someone had to come home to write this blog.

who am i?

I am forgetful. Sometimes I forget who I am. Often times, I'll forget what my interests are, what I enjoy doing on the weekends, even what makes me happy. I think this is a reason why I have a tendency to define myself through my relationships with people or how I am perceived by others. This was a slightly disturbing self-realization.

Tonight I was at happy hour turned dinner with some co-workers - people who I don't really know very well. I found it difficult to engage in conversations with them because I didn't really know what they were about. I admit that I am not taking the greatest interest in them, but I know that I do tend to hang back in new group social situations. There were times in the evening where I felt like I was in the midst of a bunch of social outcasts, but thinking back, I was really the awkward one hanging back in the conversations. I also can't help but think that it has something to do with a racial divide. I am not so sure.

Just last Friday, I hung out with this girl, killing some time in the mall to avoid traffic and I felt like that was completely fine. I do better in one-on-one situations. But then there was another Friday with a bunch of girls after work one day and that was completely fine. *sigh* I just don't know.

Maybe I've already built these notions about people in my head and I'm having a hard time letting them go. Maybe I'm still waiting for things to really click with people... where there is that common ground of understanding. If I can't figure out my relationships with these people, then I'll just be a lost wanderer. We can't have that, but maybe I need to figure out another way to define myself.

Some people define themselves based on what they do or their interests. The things I do or the interests that I have seem so superficial, I am not sure if I would really want those things to define me. So, maybe it's easier to let others do it for me. *shrug* Who knows?

update

So, here I am... about a month in with the new job. I still think it's great. Things have been going well. I've been getting to know my co-workers and all of that is certainly interesting. There are lots of different personalities, some that I would never have encountered if it weren't for this job and teamwork is critical to the success of the program, so we're getting pretty close. The training has been exhausting and I don't see it letting up, since I'll be working six 16 hour-long days a week come June 21st.
I just got back from working out. It's been something that I've put off because I spend so much time driving to work now (or I'm just lazy). I try to tell myself that the 1.5 block walk to the building from the parking lot and the 7+ flights of stairs I climb is enough exercise, but I realize that in just a few weeks, my fitness level has taken a bit of a dip.
I thought there was more for me to blog about, considering this is the second entry for the month. Oh well. I guess that's all I can think of for now.

goodness abounds

I am loving the new job. The people I work with are cool. I get a snack time. I get free unlimited beverages and popcorn. And, I'm not bored! A job with a purpose! It's fantastic. I found out earlier this week that the contract I was working on at the LOC was NOT renewed, so I would be unemployed if I had stayed there. Isn't that something? I am blessed.

Lots of wonderful things are happening to people all around me, so many good things that I can't even remember them all. Teacher Y, who I worked with in San Diego was named Teacher of the Year for San Diego County Schools. F is one of the two best and brightest individuals in her class (the other being her bf!! gasp!). E put an offer on a house. And... what else? I'm sure there's more.

I've been pretty spent with work and such. I'm just trying to get into a routine.

Last weekend my mom and I went to go see J's parents. A good time was had by all. It would have been nice to spend more time there with them. I really love J's parents. J's mom wants to adopt me and I think she wants to adopt my mom too. Hahaha... I never imagined that the meeting of the parents was going to go so well, like they've already known each other for awhile. We didn't even need J though, even though he was on the phone with us a third of the time. I thought my mom would be stand-offish, but she wasn't.

I got to hear cute J stories as well as see some childhood photos. He still looks the same, though his baby picture didn't look as much like him as I thought it would. He looked like a heavy toddler - I guess that's what happens when you start eating table food at 3-4 months.

I miss J. I don't typically like to admit that to myself, but I guess in the midst of all these good and wonderful things, there is the thought that it would be all the more better with him near me. I'm tired and slightly cranky. I'll be going to bed now. That's my update. Don't expect my blogs to be too interesting since my job is actually making me think.

final day at the LOC

My time at the LOC is up. I'm moving on to greener pastures starting tomorrow. I will miss my co-workers. I had a going-away lunch today and it was simply very nice to chat with them. There is so little time for us to just sit and learn about one another and I think if there had been more opportunity for that, I may have enjoyed my job a little more.

Today JO bestowed a lovely gift of Girl Scout Samoas and macadamia nuts to me. We will hopefully reconvene at China Garden soon for dim sum. He is such an interesting man and he definitely makes the time pass at work when he tells his stories. He always says, "Oh, brother." And I always want to say, "Oh, sister," in response, although I've only been so bold as to do it twice. It makes me laugh.

He's quite a character. He's sort of fussy. One time recently, he was trying to send an email at exactly 5:00, but his email was acting up. He ended up sending it at 5:01 and you could see him getting flustered over this minute detail. He's great though. I might even go to one of those chamber music concerts with him. Or just stick to dim sum.

It feels really good to be moving on and doing something new.

Update on Easter Sunday - I didn't enjoy the service at the Chinese Community Church. I'm not sure what it's like on a non-holiday, but it wasn't hype enough for my taste (not that I REALLY need the flag-waving and running around filled with the spirit). I guess I was just looking for people that were more enthusiastic. People sitting behind me were sleeping! I am not sure how to tell Florence (lady I met on the metro) that I don't want to go back. I certainly can't continue going to that boring church!

miss me?

I think my blog has been missing me lately. And I've been selfish, keeping all my self amusement to... well, myself (and a few others). I've been busy and tired. I feel like I've been pretty active in terms of seeing people and things of that nature, which can be a task for me since I need my down time. Anyway, let's catch up.

I think Spring Cleaning has begun. I just put freshly laundered bedding on my bed. If someone walked in, they would have found me practically naked crawling inside of my duvet in order to get the comforter straightened out in there. Ridiculous, I know. Is there a better way to do it? Will someone enlighten me?

Tomorrow is Easter. I think the last time I went to church might have been Easter, two years ago. Sad, I know. Luckily, this year I met a nice lady on the metro this past Thursday who asked me to come to church with her. I think it'll be neat. She's from Malaysia, so her accent is similar to that of my family in Singapore. Something about her seemed familiar, but maybe it was just the fact that she's Chinese. We'll be going to the Chinese Community Church in Chinatown tomorrow. I enjoy meeting strangers. Even if it's only a brief interaction, I think they are sent for a reason.

I think a lot of my random pondering will cease soon because of the new job. I'm happy about this because I need new stimulation. I'm nervous to start this job and also extremely excited for a new challenge. I start on Wednesday!

Alright... I'm going to relax with some ice cream and scrapbooking.

last week @ the LOC

I put in my two weeks notice and JO is totally sad-faced. Every time he passes my desk at work, he makes a sad face. Him and another lady at work said they were going to beat me up since I was making them feel sad. They're cute. I feel bad for leaving, but it has to be done. I was really tired of my job. They got a good eight months out of me. *sigh* I hope that this is the right decision and from where I'm sitting, I think it will be.

stupid love

Infatuation clouds your head. I think it is especially difficult when you have someone avidly wooing you - saying all the right things, pulling all the right moves, etc. This is how we get tricked! You fall so hard because you have this person who is making you their world and it feels good and even if all rationality tells you that it's wrong, something inside of you convinces you that it just might be right. We'll overlook traits and characteristics that we had on our "wish lists" because the euphoria of infatuation makes those things seem so insignificant.

I was tricked with BB. I've been reading my diary from when I was dating him and I'm seeing that I was so blind. The things that I thought I loved about him weren't really him. He told me once that when he was with me, he felt like he was an actor in some romantic movie. Huh? What does that even mean? That should have been a red flag to me that he wasn't being himself with me. In my diary I wrote, "Things with BB are weird. We barely talk... I feel like our chats lack substance/quality... I want us to really become immersed in each other's lives... I just haven't been doing a great job of including him." Actually, I really had been trying to include him, but like my roommates at the time mentioned, he had no personality. Well, he did have a personality, it was just a lame one. And he was really materialistic as well, which was something that I always knew was in his nature.

When I wrote about BB in my diary, I was always saying how I hoped this, hoped that and I also mentioned how I was afraid of getting hurt. I got over BB rather quickly. He said and did a lot of things to hurt me and then seemed to forget that he did those things. I guess being bipolar will do that to you.

Roomie was somewhat tricked with um... the Egg Dropper. Yes, he dropped scrambled eggs on our floor and when she pointed it out to him, he said, "Why didn't you clean it up?" If you don't see anything wrong with that picture, I can't help you. Looking back on her relationship she can site a bazillion red flags.

Every relationship needs some re-evaluation. And I think it's always important to examine anyone's motives for a relationship. Security? Boredom? Convenience? Ideally, not good reasons to be in a relationship. You always hear the phrase "the right reasons," but what are they? We can usually pin down the wrong ones, but the "right" ones don't seem as simple to put a finger on. "Love" just seems too vague. Just because you love someone doesn't mean that you should be with them because sometimes it's not enough, especially if you don't love yourself or if you have any other looming problems or issues.

This reflection on the past is my way of checking myself in my current relationship. I need to see that this time it is different than with my past relationships. And so far, it is. I don't ever want to look back on this relationship and question the authenticity of my emotions or my assessment of J's character. If there are red flags, I don't want to ignore them. I'd want to instead address them.

It's almost midnight... I just wanted to get some of these thoughts down and to hear what anyone else has to say. I'm curious. Let me know. :)

like my heart is being ripped in two

I had a dream about my grandma last night. I was on a trip somewhere and had missed my flight so I was trying to get in contact with my grandma, but the only way I could do so was through IM. How that worked, I'm not sure, since she was illiterate and non-English speaking. It was a jarring slap in the face to wake up around 6 am and realize that she isn't alive anymore. In my dream I could feel her presence so strongly. It's been almost three years since she passed away, six years since I've seen her, and twelve years since I've heard her voice. The last time I saw her, I was in Singapore for about a week. Every day I was there, the only thing I wanted to do was to go to the nursing home where she was staying and just be close to her. At that point in her life, she couldn't speak anymore. I don't really know why. I'll never forget the moment she saw me though. She didn't know that I was going to be in Singapore, and when I showed up at her bedside her eyes lit up in surprise and disbelief. She couldn't speak to me, but I knew everything in her heart, just the same. I remember holding on to her hand and wanting to just stay like that forever.

I think this was on my mind because my cousin asked me what my grandma's favorite food was. I miss my grandma and I often wonder how different life would be if she didn't go back to Singapore when I was 13. I wish that I could have seen her one last time before she passed away. I guess the only place I really can see her now is my dreams. And though it breaks my heart when I wake up in the morning, feeling her love so closely to the point where I think she is alive, is worth it.

lunch on the outside

I went to Starbucks for lunch today and saw a man wearing a bright green suit with yellow question marks. I want to say he had yellow Crocs on as well. Anyway, I didn't really think anything of it. I thought he was doing a promo. Hahaha. Anyway, my co-worker pointed out that he does commercials for government loans or something. She's also the one that took the picture. That's my second quasi-celebrity sighting this week! Hmm... who will I see next?

channeling blue skies

I am back from Miami. Although, the skies aren't blue here, the temperature is better than it was when I left, so I'm in good spirits. I think South Becah is the only place in the United States (where I would vacation) that feels like another country, very European. It's beautiful there. From the beaches, to the buildings, to the bodies. It's almost disgusting really. It's not so much an ostentatious display of wealth, like in some places, more flaunting the body and I definitely envy the leisure and ease of the lifestyle.

There is something in the water there that makes women tall, beautiful and oozing glamour. It can be a bruise to the ego, but I think I just accepted it and observed it like the social scientist that I am. It's more than obvious that I didn't belong there.

Miami was a great getaway. We got a little, yellow Pontiac as our rental. It was highly economical even though we got jacked in our first valet experience in Miami. It was $24 to park at the Shore Club! I suppose that could be worthwhile to someone who was there for an entire day, but we were only there for dinner. *sigh* You live and learn.

I wish we took more pictures, but I didn't quite have the bronze glow that I had hoped to achieve. And I don't think we really wanted to look any more like tourists than we already felt. Ooh! We had a celebrity sighting! We decided it was not a good look to approach him during his dinner.

The beach was about half a block from the hotel. It was heavenly when the clouds weren't blocking the sun. I even went into the water a bit. It wasn't that cold. I would say definitely warmer than the beaches in San Diego at this time of year, but then again maybe living in perfect weather makes you soft. That might just be it.

I'm sorry if this blog is all over the place. I'm just in an early afternoon euphoria. I got my first facial yesterday. It didn't change my life. It was an all natural spa. I guess I'll go for the chemicals next time and to a spa that's closer to home. :)

I have a thing for Odwalla bars now. They are about $1.50 a pop, I haven't decided how I feel about that yet. I haven't tried their smoothies, though I've heard that they are pretty good. Those are really pricey.

When I got on the flight from Atlanta to DC, I realized that my traveling companion is my roommate. I had forgotten that I live with her. We rarely see each other and she'll be gone this upcoming weekend!

Yeah, so that was my weekend. Time to get back to work!