This and That

We made the six hour drive from Hazleton to Richmond Sunday morning - left at about 10:00 and arrived at around 4:30. It was no biggie, especially because lush green temperate forests lined the roads the entire way. How I love this landscape! I can't wait to see how amazing Portland's natural land is. 


We took Mom out to an Ethiopian restaurant for Mother's Day, which she tolerated ("It was just different" = what the heck, why couldn't I just pick the restaurant?) Sure, it was a selfish gift, but Ethiopian food was certainly just MORE delicious the second time I had it, and the same may be true for her (thanks for being a good sport Mom!)


So far, the week has been spent working in the yard and catching up with family. There was an unsuccessful shopping trip today that I won't say much on, but why is it that there's an infinite number of gorgeous things when you don't need them, but when you want to pick up something specific, it's nowhere to be found? Frustrating.


But no matter. I will have shoes for the wedding, one way or the other. 


Today I laid some brick under the arbor that will be where we stand during the ceremony. It was chilly and Mom had just headed back inside to get ready to meet a friend for lunch. Terry was across the yard loading up more bricks in the wheelbarrow to bring over to me, and I was on the ground, using a small stick to level earth beneath each placement of ancient bricks that are not the same width NOR length, or shape really, and I was doing that mental grumbling that you do in such situations.
Then I remembered.
My hands were covered in earth - earth that was naturally made rich and full of life by the trees above along with the other animals that I could hear twittering and chittering and calling and singing around me. I was creating a stable, firm foundation for my love and I to stand on as we make our promises to each other. In less than two weeks from now, we'll each take a winding path to meet in a way that we've preordained, to see each other and to swear to bond together and be each other's partner for life. 


This was not a chore. This was a blessing. 


Then we came in and made salads and watched Lost (holy sheista we're finally done with Season 5 after beginning with Season 1 a couple weeks ago - I'm dying to find out what happens! How do they just KEEP getting better and better? Genius!)


-and here I am, documenting the day. After I shut my laptop we'll talk about the ceremony and may do some stuff around the house, and I'll meditate via Haanel's Master Key System (which will get a blog post of it's own, sooner or later, good stuff there), and my little bro will eventually come home with a veggie pizza for us.


I'll be eating a salad beforehand to offset the non-rawness. Cause really, he's a driver for an amazing pizzeria around here and how can I say no to THAT. 


We'll be raw again soon. Now we're just mostly that.


I'll be trying to post more as the wedding draws near, to remember later.


Happy Tuesday!

Monday Night Pizza

Last night's happenings en maison a la Redondo Beach:

(love that wine)

Watching TV on the computer, that's how we roll...

Vday Weekend 09 Recap

What a whirlwind weekend! Ones like this make you actually ready for the week, rather than dragging on Monday (or in this case, Tuesday) morning. I think a bit of this may have to do with the 3-day weekend, no? I wonder if I'd always feel this way if every weekend was three days long. Probably, until I got used to that and needed a four dayer! Sigh. Oh well, a girl can dream...

Anyway, on to the recap!...but I'm getting ahead of myself...

Friday night was the party for Friday the 13th/the boys' "housewarming"/B's birthday. Who, by the way, made the most awesome vegan-but-didn't-taste-vegan-in-the-least spread:

Some friends came in,

I got to hang out w/ my sis, who lives across the hall from me yet I never see her,

And there was a lot of this,

Some of this,

Which inevitably led to this (Rock Band).

Now, on to Saturday!

This year's was the best Valentine's Day I've ever had. I've realized, over the years, that it's not about how extravagant the gifts are, but about how you feel about each other. One of the problems is, when we're young, us ladies somehow pick up the idea that "better" presents mean that our significant others care for us more. Well, I can tell you from personal experience that this theory is a load of B.S. (excuse the French, or something).

In my past, I've gotten crazy elaborate and too-big presents, no presents at all, and things in between. And, to be completely honest, I can get myself stuff if I want it. I'd rather have love.

Not that T's any gift-giving schlub! Friday he brought me home roses (which were laid on my pillow and I didn't see until I had stormed into the room when we were having a difference of opinion about something completely random, as in I can't even remember what it was, before the party. There's not much that'll diffuse a tantrum better than T sitting down on the bed behind me, rustling the flowers' paper as he moves them out of the way, and therefore creating mixed feeling within me of feeling guilty for not seeing them before when he'd clearly left them there for me to find, and gratitude for having such a sweet guy, and double guilt for being a brat...)

Anyway, the point of gifts is to show that you're being thought of. So, why not show that in little ways, all the time? If something (God forbid) happens to one of you, I doubt that you'd ever hear the other person saying "man, I really miss those big checks so-and-so used to bring home so we could get the industrial air conditioning unit"... I bet you're more likely to hear how hugs are missed, or someone going out in the morning to get the rain-sodden paper so the other doesn't have to, and those type things.

Just thoughts. Take em or leave em.

But, back to the point. Saturday morning we got up and drove up to Pasadena to go to the Huntington Gardens.
I bought a membership last year and don't use it nearly often enough. I love going (refills my inspiration fuel tanks or something like that), so he came along with me to breathe in the beauty of the perfect weather in Pas that day.

Next, we went to get massages! It was T's first, and it'd been way too long for me. Thankfully, T was a huge fan and we've decided to try to make them a quarterly event. (Marking seasons? Special occasions? We're not quite sure yet, but what we do know is that once a year is way too little to do something that awesome).

Once we were all relaxed-like (and hungry), we went to Gogo sushi in Pasadena (if you're anywhere in the vicinity, go! It's amazing). That's probably what I miss the most about living closer. We've decided to make Gogo a monthly event. Yum.

Finally, back home. Where we got almost through season 3 of the Sopranos (I think if I never hear an f-bomb again after I'm done w/ this show, it'll be too soon), and T made me this delicious pizza.

Happy Tuesday!
(oh, and btw, my very awesome green hat and such on Vday were fruits of my crocheting labor of late. I made them all in 2 days. Yay for instant gratification!)

Seminar Pre-Sick Remembrances

So I'm finally getting some more stuff up from last week.

One cool thing was that every day in the 5:00 hour, a big family of deer would slowly graze their way through the front part of the Presentation Center grounds. They were so used to people, and were sedate and graceful.
(this is the part where I realize that when T told me months ago that I reminded him of a deer, he actually did mean it as a complement...)
Another cool thing was this AMAZING little chocolate shop in Los Gatos. It reminded me of the movie Chocolat. Here's a glimpse of one of the shelves: So much time and love went into creating every tiny treat in there. It was beautiful to see how people can create such things when they love what they do.

And finally, sushi!
I love sushi. And now, T loves sushi. I mean, how can you not? It's the best. And I take full responsibility for T's now-being-able-to-use-chopsticksness (well, at least somewhat) evidenced by his calm and capable face below:

Happy Wednesday! This means tomorrow's Thursday, and then, Friday! Woohoo! (have I mentioned that I'm an anticipation person?

Carrots on the...Kitchen...Counter?

Last night I met Terry at the door of my house when he came over after work. I was in a pleated blue halter dress with black high heels on. (oh, and dangly earrings. Don't forget those) Dinner was finishing up on the stove (one of my new resolution recipes that I got from a fellow blogger's page a bit back) and it was lovely.

Tonight, we had...

Hot Dogs.

Well, chili dogs.

That were leftovers I copped from work today after a weekly afternoon tea that we have catered.

And we sat on the counter and ate them.

On Missing Granola

So for lunch today I had 6 chicken Mcnuggets and a snack size parfait. Not the healthiest thing I could've had.

But, in my defense, not the unhealthiest.

As I picked up said lunch, I was on the way back from an ortho appointment where new fun attachments were stuck to my teeth (ugh. At least they're not really visible...unless you're up close. ANYway) and got my next 3 sets of aligners (yay!).

Now, some people reading this won't know the life long saga that is my teeth. Sure in pictures they look normal. But, I assure you, they are not. On my 1st summer of grad school, I was grabbing some D'lites (oh how I miss that delicious frozen yogurt fluffy stuff...healthy too! If you're in Gainesville, go. today. Then write me about it and make me jealous. At least I'll have some vicariously) with Katie and as I bit down on a hunk of cookie dough in mine, I felt a crack.

A big old piece of my #19 molar just broke off. Broke. Off.

We'd just been kayaking down on lake Alice (my very favorite thing to do on Saturday mornings back then. Now, it's...um...sleep. Wow the life of a working girl is glamorous...), and were all giggly and the relaxed that you only are after a nice workout and sunshine fatigue. And, it didn't hurt, so I called home, went to CVS, got some tooth putty, and went and had dinner at Katie's mom's (who was also my advisor . Miss her too!) house.

And that was the beginning.

Since then, I've had 2 root canals (on that tooth. Yes, both. The first time a file broke off in the tooth as they were trying to do it. Believe me, you don't want details), 6 crowns, I don't even remember how many fillings, and an immeasurable amount of tears cried in various dental chairs (and that's saying something for me), usually when no one was looking, sometimes when they were.

So, last summer the dentist I go to said that, to keep my teeth from breaking, braces would help.

Hmm, I'm kind of old for that. So, I weighed getting braces or getting veneers. I figured that if I spent time and money on braces, then those prettily straight teeth just broke anyway, it wouldn't be worth it (duh).

I said something like this to my Mom once over the phone, before I'd made a decision:

"If any dentist would agree to just pull all my teeth and put in implants instead, I'd sign up for it right now. Just as long as they won't break anymore..."

It was traumatic! Various ones (always non-visible. That's an interesting karmic thing I bet) over the next year or two, and they would always make for an afternoon/evening of tears. I know that, all things considered, I have it great in the body department (everything works just fine functionally, and I'm pretty happy with all of it as that stuff goes), but to have any part of you just quit, with no warning, and nothing you can do about it, is horrid.

So, I saw the orthodontist. When he said I was a candidate for invisalign, I was in. And, here I am now, several months later, with 27 more trays to go (which means 54 weeks, mind you).

But, my teeth are kind of sensitive all the time. Not sore persay, but I don't like unexpected crunches.

Which brings me to the parfait. No granola for me.

Oh, the humanity!

I used to eat granola every day in my yogurt. Sigh. I miss it.

But, totally worth it. I think almost anyone would agree, yes?

But still, it's sad to throw it away w/ the empty cup that was my parfait...

OH! And something else, more exciting than anything else in this post. Last night at Macy's I bought a dress for the wedding this weekend that was originally $349 for .........wait for it.............$15. Not. Even. Kidding. It rocks too. I'll post pics after the weekend :)

Holiday Recap Part I

This holiday season was busy, to say the least. Let's get started!

On Christmas eve, M and I, being the progressive and modern girls that we are (progressive & modern = impatient and rule-breaking), decided to exchange presents that night, rather than on Christmas Day.

Fun wrapping-paper-taking-off-while-preserving-it-to-make-curly-ribbons-for-future-presents time. (that's all you, M!) It was fun. And I got some awesome presents. TWO copies of a book I've been wanting for years, and though I'm thankful and all, I'm not exactly sure what to do with the extra one now...it's amazing, so I'll probably regift it. That serves as fair warning to the gift-givers, I think. If they read my blog....oh well, doesn't matter :)

Oh, the book is Ingathering by Zenna Henderson. It's odd, but I looove love it. Makes me cry every time.

The next morning, after I did actually open my Mom's present that had arrived a few days prior - a pink GPS! And I'm not a pink person at all, but not gonna lie, I love it. Albeit the fact that I'm an idiot and stood outside in my tank top pj's freezing while I held it out and waited for it to find satellites...

Note: How odd is that? A little box that, in order for it to work, all you need to do is hold it out so it can see the sky, and forever after, it can always tell where you are and where to go and what time you'll get there and how fast you're currently going and....magic! Just sayin. If you didn't understand how it worked, it would be....

....then, we used the ready-to-go magic GPS (that has since been named Clarissa by T, "because she explains it all" hehehe) to get out to M's jumping family's house by Perris, otherwise known as BFE. Just sayin.

Dinner was delicious and included funny stories and amazing food (thanks Pat!), then off to the airport. M dropped me off, eye mask in hand, the flight was delayed 15 minutes which gave us just enough time to swing by home and pick up my amazing leather gloves that I was mourning having left behind (at the airport I got a text from M saying "you know that it's your fault the plane was late. The Universe didn't want you to have cold hands"...) and onto the plane I went.

What's up with having to pay for even ONE checked bag these days? Robbery. Anyway...

On the plane I wound down, got comfy, pulled my sleep mask down, and...

...directly behind me, a baby starts to fuss.

Not proper crying, just fussing. The type that's not bratty or spoiled, but that means that the little one is really uncomfortable. (No wonder, I thought later as I saw the size of the kid and the fact that the parents expected her to sleep all night on one of their laps in a chair that barely reclines...)

I pulled the mask up. She stopped. Pulled it down, she started.

Sigh.

This went on for just about the ENTIRE six-hour flight into Newark. About 4.5 hours in, as the other people in my row are writhing in discomfort similar to the baby's at this point and I can hear the parents whispering threats to her, I was THIS CLOSE to turning around in my chair and asking if they would mind if I just take her and walk her up and down the center aisle. Heck, at least ONE of us would be more comfortable if both of us had to be awake anyway...

But I didn't.

Finally, we arrived! T came to pick me up at the airport (did I mention how painful my withdrawal had grown at this point? Anything less than several hours a day with him is unacceptable...) and the drive started.

Note #1 here: T is amazing. He had to get up at 4am to come get me. And he was smiling.

Note #2: I saw snow for the first time in 5 years! Very, very excited about that. T was less excited about me leaning all the way into his line of vision to get a good picture...

We stopped at Cracker Barrel for breakfast (a must-do for this Californian when on the much-missed east coast) and I ate my delicious food, took pictures of the weird old family photographs next to my table,

And of my T, across my table (and annoyed that I was taking yet ANOTHER picture..):

Then, we were on our way back to Hazleton, to see the fam. And for the band performance that night. That's for another blog.

Have a great day!