House in Virginia

2 years ago tomorrow.....

2009-12-30T11:24:00.001-08:00

So, I've neglected this blog for one whole entire year. They blocked it at work, but I found a loophole through a link, so here goes. My post from almost exactly 2 years ago had some goals in it and I've decided to check in on them and make some new ones

And the goals for 08 were:
1. Update the blog regularly - I never think what I do is exciting, but someone might, right? I should also put pictures on it. Which brings me to.... this clearly was an epic fail
2. Take pictures - I have a camera for a reason, but I don't take many pictures anymore. I should also find a sight to host them too. well my old camera's batteries would die within an hour of replacing them so picture taking was curtailed. i've recently got a fancy new camera, which i love. so now i need to be more diligent about posting them.
3. Get in shape - I plan to get a personal trainer with my year end bonus money. Hopefully this will work! I've already spoken to the guy and we are going to set up a schedule after the new year. Ever since high school (which is now officially 10 years ago) my body has been in miserable shape. No matter what whether my weight is up or down, none of it is ever muscle. this i actually did. it was really good but too expensive to keep up.
4. Run a marathon - I've never been much of a runner, but if # 3 works out, # 4 should be less hard. check one off the bucket list. i ran a marathon. 11/14/09 in richmond VA
5. Eat less candy - I'm a sucker for sweets like hard candy, skittles, twizlers, etc. there is a bag of salt water taffy on my desk
6. Eat fish - the smell bothers me, so I refuse to eat it. I don't like the mushy texture. I hear it can be tasty and good for you, so maybe I should give it a whirl! just no.
7. Get my licenses - my financial licenses, that is. I have the series 7 test scheduled for february, so we'll see what happens from there didn't pass the series 7, but that's OK. i realize that i don't want to be in finance anyway. this leads to another goal
8. Visit a place that requires a passport - it's been 27 years and I have yet to travel abroad. Maybe this will be the year! not exactly yet, but i have tickets in hand to go to Sweden/Germany and possibly do a side trip to England scheduled for February

The new '10 goals for the new decade will be:

1. Go to another continent, not Europe. Some day, I would like to visit every habitable continent with Antarctica as a stretch goal. That can be a decade goal. I can't imagine doing that in one year.
2. Run a marathon with a time goal. Last one I "just" finished. Meaning I had crossing the finish line alive in mind. It took 5 hours 30 minutes. I'd like to get it down to 4 hours 30 minutes. Difficult, but not impossible. Still an hour too slow to qualify for Boston.
3. Lose that last pesky 20 pounds. Last year I lost 20 pounds. I'd like to lose another 15 or 20. It would probably help with goal 3.
4. Get into law school. I'm taking the LSAT in February, so if I can get into school that would be very nice.
5. Save some money. Like a significant amount. For what? I don't know. Probably that non-Europe trip I would like to take.
6. Eat out less. I have a feeling that this would help with both goals 3 and 5. For some reason, I have it in my head that Friday and Saturday night are for eating out. Even if it's nothing special. Maybe I should learn to cook more things and make it special that way.

So, That's it for now! Hopefully I will check in before one year from now

bad blogger

2008-12-23T12:12:00.001-08:00

what a bad blogger I am. Have I made good on the post I made at the end of 07 about adding more pictures? NOPE!
I blame laziness, but I also blame the camera itself. The camera kills batteries faster than I can take any pictures.
I really want a new camera. I bought the current 4 mega pixels powershot a couple years ago with best buy gift certificates, and christmas money and some of my own money too. I got it in New Hampshire, tax free. It was maybe $300.00 and it's now archaic!. For the same price, I could get this:
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?skuId=8791097&type=product&id=1205537513525

I would like to be a good photographer. I'd like a digital SLR but I also don't want to spend the money if the camera fascination is a passing fancy.

Hopefully 2009 will be a better year for pictures!!!

Kristen - Do Gooder

2008-11-14T13:35:00.001-08:00

I have been volunteered to be in charge of the "Morgan Stanley Annual Appeal." Basically, what that is, is MS's giving campaign. Morgan Stanley has the Morgan Stanley Foundation, if you donate to that, they will match you 100% and give you what they call a "CSA" or charitable spending account and I can donate that matched money where ever I'd like it to go. You can also pick a charity/organization of your choice, but they only match 25% into your CSA. Another nice thing is that you can have it deducted directly from your paycheck. Either all from one check, or a little from every check.

I've decided to give some money to the Morgan Stanley fund (just for the match) Sacred Heart University's political science department, and some animal-related fund; either FONZ (friends of the national zoo) or WWF (world wildlife fund).

However, if anyone has a suggestion for a charity with a good cause, I can be persuaded to change one of these.

I was also asked to monitor the canned food box. I made the above sign with sharpies and a picture of campbell's soup that I printed from some website.

Not that I have a large readership on this blog, I'm going to take a moment to stand on a soap box and tell everyone to donate time or money to a cause you believe in, whatever it may be.

hooray for "cheap" gas

2008-10-28T11:24:00.000-07:00

I remember, (and this was a few years ago), very specifically the first time I paid over $2.00 for gas. I even remember the station. I was MAD! I also remeber paying over $30 for a full tank. Again I was upset.

This morning, I filled up my tank. It wasn't quite empty, but the light had just gone on maybe a mile before I got to the station. I filled the tank for $26.00 and thought "is this right? it can't be". I checked the sign, it said $2.59. And I thought, "should that be $3.59?". Nope. $2.59 was right. Yay for the little things!

Anyway, We moved into the new place. It's sort of in shambles. We successfully put together the IKEA dressers. They are pretty stable. Yay as well :-)

the good and the bad

2008-10-10T12:47:00.000-07:00

i'll start with the bad since it's always nice to end on a good note. As everyone knows, the stockmarket is tanking big time. Not that I have all that much to lose, but as I work in a financial institution, it's depressing. Clients call in, and everything is Doom and Gloom. Every transaction is the end of the world. It's a little hectic and I'm not particuarly upset about the market, but the attitudes are weighing me down. Today was particularly bad.
I decided to go get my oil (car) changed and the dealership said that it would take a half hour, so I thought OK that is perfect. It took a lot longer than I expected, and I got snide comments when I got back. It sucks because people take longer lunches all the time, I just took one at a particularly bad time. So maybe I F-ed up a little, or had bad timing, but when I got back I made a trade error. Fixable, but still made me frazzled. One of my brokers is in Aruba, and clients are crazy wondering where he is. I can't tell them he's in Aruba, that's just not right. People in suits are sprinting in the halls! It's madness.

Today I got an email from Lucie saying how much she loves her new job and how happy it makes her. It made me think. It's MISERABLE here, especially the last few weeks. But it's true that you can love your job. I want that. I should have that. I need to take steps to have that!!!

On the upside, it's 4:00 on a friday and the weekend is just about here! The real upside is that Dan and I have a new place to live!!!!! It is a nice townhouse in Fairfax, VA. 3 floors. 3.5 bathrooms. I can't wait to paint and decorate. I believe closing should be next week!

Another upside is that gas prices are going down and so is the Euro. Maybe I can finally put that passport to use.

so....

2008-09-17T10:10:00.000-07:00

So we put in an offer on the house with a loft in the bedroom. No go! The lady wouldn't even make a counter offer. Looks like it's back to the drawing board. I can't imagine why she wouldn't counter! Her price or no house. That doesn't make any sense. Oh well, maybe it wasn't meant to be and there's something better out there.

2008-09-08T12:50:00.000-07:00

So...I'm definitely a bad blogger.
My last blog entry said that I would blog more. Since that entry was from June, I have obviously failed. And that picture thing....I haven't even taken any pictures!!!

Over the summer, Dan and I have been looking for a house (a townhouse actually) to purchase. This weekend, I think we finally found one. It's 3 bedrooms, 2.5 bathrooms (I want to build another one in the already finished basement). It could use some TLC, in the kitchen, the cabinets and counters look older, but cosmetic stuff is fixable. What I like the most is that the master bedroom has a decent sized loft. I would love to make it into a little library. I could get some book shelves and one of those Love Sac things http://www.lovesac.com/supersac.asp. I also can't wait to paint and decorate.

So far in 08

2008-06-20T12:11:00.000-07:00

2008 is just about half way over. I thought I'd check on some of my new years resolutions. There were 8 of them

1. Update my blog regularly - I'm not entirely convinced that anyone reads this thing, so why should I update? Maybe I should adpot the mantra "if you blog it, they will read".

2. Take pictures - I've taken pictures, but haven't uploaded them on to a computer or found a photo hosting site. They are no good to anyone while they are still on the camera. My next order of business will be to purchase a photo printer. I realized that I have dated Dan for 4 years and have 0 pictures of us in a frame.

3. Get in shape - This one is semi-successful. I get to the gym between 3 and 5 days a week. I get on the treadmill, do some machines. However, I'm not the butt-kicking machine I thought that I would be. I did lose about 5 pounds. That's something, right?

4. Run a marathon - Not quite yet. I did run a 5K (3.1 miles), so that's just 23.1 miles to go. The max I've run in one sitting with no break is about 4 miles. That's about 3.75 more miles than a year ago...so I'm on my way. My stamina is better and I can run faster, which is good.

5. Eat less candy - I do love the sweets. Not gonna lie. I try to resist, but it's my achilles heel!!!

6. Eat fish - While I was at a wedding last week, I ate a bite of seared tuna. I knew I didn't like sea food for a reason. But, I'll keep trying on this one. Maybe tuna isn't for me. My only problem is that I don't want to go to a restaurant, order a fish and then want to vomit after 1 bite, and I've paid for the meal. Maybe we can go for sushi. Everyone loves sushi.

7. Get my financial licenses - I took the test once and failed. At least I took it. Brad, my co-worker who took the study course with me, didn't even do that. I'll take it again soon!!! It's a 6 hour test of rules and regulations and options and bonds. Ugh! Not fun.

8. Visit a place that requires a passport - This one is a big fat NO. Asside from visiting Boston, and NYC (places I usually go), I've only been to Orlando (to be stuck in the hotel/airport for work) and Vermont (for a wedding). Looks like this one will have to wait until next year, as my vacation time is at a premium and mapped out until the end of the year. Mom and I were supposed to go to France, but alas, the Euro has killed my dreams.

Perhaps some new goals for 2008?

I think a 10k: 6.2 miles would be more realistic than a marathon. As for my travel plans, it looks like Boston and Boston....how exciting?! I hate that I spend all of my vacation time going home! I have 3 trips planned to visit and it will take all of my vacation time for the rest of the year.

On the bright side, 2008 hasn't been a total failure. Dan and I have been in his parents basement for 6 months (that is most definitely not the bright side), but what is: a ton of money has been saved!! I bought a brand spankin' new car. Financed not leased, so it's mine all mine. Another great thing is that we're going to start looking for a new house to purchase! A house of our very own. I can't wait!

Brand New Car!

2008-05-27T06:31:00.000-07:00

I bought a new car!!! It's a Honda Civic LX. Just like the one below, it is also blue. I'm not sure that it looks like the exact shade. I think mine looks more metallic. Either way, it's brand new. I drove it home yesterday, and when I got in it, it had 6 miles on it. It's pretty nice, it has 2 doors for the sporty look and it's a 5 speed manual. Civics also come in 4 doors, but I wanted a coupe. Next time I buy a car (in 5 + years), I may have kids and need to buy a mom-mobile (SUV, never a mini van).

http://automobiles.honda.com/civic-coupe/price.aspx?Model=FG1168EW

A week ago, I almost bought a Nissan Sentra. I loved the Altima, but it was slightly too expensive to finance, and I didn't want to lease. I was THIS CLOSE to buying the Sentra, but the dealer was a horrible jerk. He was pushy and mean. I decided to walk out. The next day, I was feeling sad and decided to test drive a Civic and I was plesantly surprised. I liked the way it drove, so I put it on my short list, test drove it again this saturday and here I am on tuesday and it is sitting in my driveway.

I spoke to several people I know that own Hondas and not a single person had a bad thing to say. Many, like my co-worker Suzanne, have had multiple. She had 2 Civics and just bought her 2nd Accord last year. Dan, of course, was biased because he has a Pilot (the Honda SUV) and loves his car. Jackie has a Civic from 1989 and it still runs well. Her car is older than many college students!!!

Another plus is that the dealership gave me a coupon book for free oil changes and discounted scheduled maintenaces for the life of the car!

Race For The Cure

2008-04-15T12:35:00.000-07:00

This year, I'm particpating in National Race For The Cure.
It's a 5K run/walk in DC in to raise money for Breast Cancer. I've decided to actually run along with a couple people from work, we've started a Morgan Stanley team. If you want to donate to me or Team Morgan Stanley, click the link below. This will also be my first race (for running)!

https://www.kintera.org/faf/search/searchTeamPart.asp?ievent=263218&lis=0&kntae263218=9C1F9E4B341C49A1848695D0156E38F4&supId=0&team=2741779

new (to me) car

2008-03-31T11:32:00.000-07:00

Could this be the car of my future?????

This is the 2007 Nissan Altima.

So, my car Jetta 2 is near the end of its lease. My last payment is is May, so I've begun the hunt for a new car. My first thought was to get a Volvo. Or a BMW. The expensive, not responsible choice. I also had a thought to test drive a Nissan. Saturday afternoon, I test drove a Volvo (which I really liked) and a new Nissan Altima.

After a little thought, I realized that leasing an expensive car may not be the best option. So there was the Altima. Then I realized that I don't want to squander the savings that I built up. A car's value drops the moment it leaves the lot. So fine. An 07. Not too many miles, only 1 year old. The only trick is finding one with the options that I want. I've been searching inventories and I can't find a manual transmission within 100 miles of here!!! Le sigh! I may have to go for the automatic. I like that no one else can drive my car. We'll see what happens though, maybe the guy at the dealership has a trick up his sleeve. I'd like to have a new one within the next month!!!

zut alors!!!

2008-03-25T08:12:00.000-07:00

last night, round about 10:30, Dan's father yells downstairs "hey there's house on fire!" Lo and behold, a house about 2 houses away is up in flames. And really the house is engulfed. It looked like a scene from a movie, but it wasn't in a movie. It was down the street. Had the wind been bad, it may have been on us. It literally the WORST fire I've seen up close in my life.
Junior year, building 7 of Avalon (where friends lived) burned on the top floor (my friends were on the bottom and had no damage.) This fire destroyed a single family house. Down to the ground nothing left. The houses on either side of it had small salvageable damage.
The strangest thing about it is that I can't find any news articles about it online, nor did I see anything on the news. What caused it? Was there anyone inside? I have no idea!
How scary is that? What would I try to save? Most of my stuff I could live without, but it would make me pretty sad to lose Thomas the Bear.

Remember me?

2008-03-19T10:44:00.000-07:00

Remember the Pogo Ball?? I had one in the 80's. If I remeber correctly, mine was a black ball with red round disc. Not sure what reminded me of it, but these were fun and good exercise. I'd like one, so if you happen to see one in the stores, let me know. 80's toys were great!!! Maybe I'm partial, but that's OK.

Support SHU

2008-03-12T06:52:00.000-07:00

I'm not a huge basketball follower, but tonight, Sacred Heart is playing for a chance to be in the NCAA basketball tournament. They are on ESPN 2 at 7:00!!!
VERY EXCITING!!

Stock Brokers are retarded

2008-02-26T12:34:00.001-08:00

This is the office recycle bin. We never had one until yesterday. People have been bugging Mary, our office's do it all person, for one. Finally one appears. Mary sends an office wide email saying that ONLY empty beverage containers, like plastic bottles or aluminum cans can go in or they won't take the recycleables. What do we find??? Napkins and sweet & low packets. This memo went out not once, but twice. The original, and after the initial napkin violation.

I'm Domestic!!!

2008-02-17T12:21:00.000-08:00

I made lasagne! With directions from mom, I made "less bad for you" lasagne. It had wheat pasta, part skim ricotta and part skim mozzarella (jar sauce. i'm not that talented yet). I must say, it was pretty good. Dan liked it and so did his parents. You can barely taste the wheat under all the sauce and cheese. The cheese is also barely different. So, if you need lasagne, but also need to save some calories, try this!

I wouldn't recomend it if you are baking for a large group. When I told people at work about it, all but one were turned off by the wheat pasta.

ice skating

2008-01-23T06:57:00.000-08:00

Monday was Martin Luther King Day, and Dan and I both had the day off from work. I'd been wanting to go ice skating for the longest time, but Dan was VERY reluctant. He was afraid that he'd fall and break his wrists or bruise his knees of his butt would get wet.

But he promised me that he'd go around once. And he did. He acutally went twice! Very slowly, but at least he went.

I, on the other hand, was worried that I'd forget how and fall. Luckily, I didn't. Other than my feet being a little uncomfortable, it was fun. There were lots of kids since It was a holiday for schools too, so I couldn't go as fast as I'd like. Still, I miss skating and mostly hockey. Hopefully we can go again!!!

sports time!

2008-01-09T11:55:00.000-08:00

The time in the winter between the end of football and the begining of baseball is dreadful. It's the coldest grayest time of the year. Now that I don't really ski anymore, there's nothing to do in february and march. They also don't really air hockey on TV much anymore (although the Bruins will be in DC in March)
Luckily, I have something to look forward to. As the Orioles are in the same division as the Red Sox, they frequently visit Baltimore. Today, Dan and I bought tickets for 2 games in May and one in August. For the May games, my friend Melissa and his friends Mike and Joe will be visiting. His friend Sean also bought tickets to the same game. Very fun!

I really want to go skiing. I miss it so much, but the closest place is over 3 hours from here. It's not really worth it to go for just the day. It would have to be a big weekend event, and for some reason, people are always wishy washy about making plans. I'd also have to rent equipment, which I'm reluctant to do. I know that sounds snobby, but I don't think I've EVER rented skis!!!
Looks like another ski-less winter :-(
Something that may be easier to to is ice skate, something I'd also have to rent. It's kind of funny though, not many people in Virginia ice skate at all. There may be 2 rinks in the area and that's it! In Boston, there's at least 1 rink in every town. Even still, I'm determined to go skating. Dan says he's only been once in his life and he's reluctant to go because he may get hurt. I'm not sure how I love someone who does not love winter sports like skiing and hockey, so he must be pretty special.

this is amusing

2008-01-07T07:46:00.000-08:00

You Are 76% Massachusetts

You're pretty Massachusetts, but you're starting to slip. Go eat a bulky roll and flip off a New Yorker.

How Massachusetts Are You?

Basement Dweller

2008-01-02T13:01:00.000-08:00

Well, I've changed the title of my blog. I live in a house and it happens to be in Virginia....When I named this blog a few years ago, Daniel had thrown me a theme birthday party where everyone dressed up as a young celebrity, he called it "the young hollywood party". "house in virginia" seems a little more appropriate now. It also happens to be the name of a song by Brendan Benson.

Anyway, as of yesterday, I am officially living in Dan's parents' basement. Saturday, his friend Sean helped us move some of the bigger thing like the couch and TV. Sunday was supposed to be the day we moved all of the little stuff, but it rained and we were stuck doing some of it after work on New Year's Eve!!!

Now this basement dwelling kind of stinks. Dan is a pack rat. He gets that from his dad, who is far worse in his pack rat-ness (yes i know i made that word up). We had to do an initial cleaning before moving in. I found receipts from (no lie) 1996!!! There's still a lot of stuff, like VHS tapes, comic books, and computer parts. Now, there's our stuff. I've managed to hang/fold most of our clothes, but it's a little difficult. Everything is in boxes and bags. Yesterday, I couldn't find my shoes. I'm not quite sure where my phone charger is. There's stuff everywhere and I don't know what to do about it.

It is nice of them to let me live there. Since we're not married, they don't HAVE to accept me. Luckily, their place is big, we have our own bathroom and truth be told, the basement is around the same size as our former apartment. If it had it's own kitchen, it would be perfect. But, rarely is free ever perfect, so I'll live. Besides, it's only temporary ;-)

2008

2007-12-31T12:45:00.000-08:00

Inspired by Jen, I'm going to make a list. Except, my list will be thing to do/accomplish in 2008
so here goes...

1. Update the blog regularly - I never think what I do is exciting, but someone might, right? I should also put pictures on it. Which brings me to....

2. Take pictures - I have a camera for a reason, but I don't take many pictures anymore. I should also find a sight to host them too.

3. Get in shape - I plan to get a personal trainer with my year end bonus money. Hopefully this will work! I've already spoken to the guy and we are going to set up a schedule after the new year. Ever since high school (which is now officially 10 years ago) my body has been in miserable shape. No matter what whether my weight is up or down, none of it is ever muscle.

4. Run a marathon - I've never been much of a runner, but if # 3 works out, # 4 should be less hard.

5. Eat less candy - I'm a sucker for sweets like hard candy, skittles, twizlers, etc.

6. Eat fish - the smell bothers me, so I refuse to eat it. I don't like the mushy texture. I hear it can be tasty and good for you, so maybe I should give it a whirl!

7. Get my licenses - my financial licenses, that is. I have the series 7 test scheduled for february, so we'll see what happens from there

8. Visit a place that requires a passport - it's been 27 years and I have yet to travel abroad. Maybe this will be the year!

well, it looks like that should be enough for now! hopefully some of it gets done :-)

I want it!

2007-12-06T12:50:00.000-08:00

http://www.jcrew.com/catalog/product.jhtml?id=prod89213241&catId=cat270139

I want this sweater. It's a navy blue hooded sweater with a little skier on the pocket. Of course I will just buy it myself since it's from J Crew. But, I just thought I'd share because it's so cute :-)

another month goes by

2007-12-03T12:57:00.000-08:00

another month goes by, another month in which i forgot to update.

This time of the year is pretty busy. Last week I was in Boston for Thanksgiving. It was nice seeing the family, especially the kids. It was also nice to see some friends.

Mostly, I've been trying to shop. For other people that is! Going in and out of stores makes me want to buy things for myself, but I haven't. I'd like a new dress for the company holiday party, but I've resisted. Christmas presents are kind of stressful. I can never figure out what to get and stay in budget. I hate feeling like I spent too much on one person at the expense of someone else.

Oh and I should get something for Dan's family. I REALLY don't know what to get them, even if I did have the money!

Anyway, tonight, we are going to look at a townhouse to possibly move in to. I hope this place works out.

That's all that's new with me!

2007-10-24T06:58:00.000-07:00

Looks like I haven't updated in about a month. Not much, besides being older, has happened.
I'm pretty busy lately. Mondays there I have guitar lessons. Wednesdays, I work at J Crew. Fridays and Saturdays, I have my series 7 class.
Last night, however, I decided to join a gym. A girl that I work with at J Crew was telling me how she just took her test to be a persoal trainer at Bally's. She also mentioned that there is a brand new one near my house. So, I thought I'd check it out.
I decided to join and they give you a session with a personal trainer. I will say that I haven't worked out so hard in maybe 10 years. They are tough, they don't let you rest and they work your whole body. The nice thing is that they push you when you think you can't go on anymore. A couple times, I felt like I may throw up (I didn't)! On the way out, I could barely walk up the stairs!!!
Unfortunately, the PT is a little expensive. Perhaps I can save for it and do it after the new year. Right before Christmas is a little difficult, seeing as I have so many toys and cute outfits to buy. I've also decided to get Dan a watch since he doesn't have one.

But, if anyone wants to get me a PT package for christmas, I could do that!

F.F. and my b-day

2007-09-25T10:40:00.000-07:00

This weekend was special for many reasons. First of all it was my birthday. I got some nice cards and calls and presents (including that 80GB ipod I just blogged about from Dan). I got to talk to Danny about video games, Michael talked about the guitar and Annabelle serenaded me with "happy birthday". Jack wasn't in the mood for the phone.
I'm not sure how I feel about being 27 because I've passed from "mid 20's" to "late 20's". I remember, when I was younger, thinking that 27 was old because several rock stars (Jimi Hendrix, Kurt Cobain, Jim Morrison, and Janis Jopplin) died at age 27 and they had lived a long life.
On the day of my birthday, Dan and I went to the Redskins game (they blew a 14 point lead), but it was still fun.
In other exciting news, I also got my first win in Fantasy Football. I'm no longer in last place since I had such a good week I have moved from 12th to 9th!

10 years!!!

2007-09-14T13:02:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, I got something in the mail from Newton Country Day about my 10 year reunion. Save the date, May 8, 2008. I can't really believe that it's been 10 years. It got me thinking a little bit. So much has happened. I couldn't even imagine myself owning a car or not living at home.

I can't wait to see who is married and who has kids. For the 5 year, there were no marriages or children.

On a completely different note, my birthday is in a little over a week. I don't really need anything, but people from work have gone on their last summer vacations and brought back salt water taffy from the beach. I've been offered a piece here and there, but I'd like some for myself. All I want for my birthday is salt water taffy (preferably the fruit flavored or mint). Please!!!
Thanks!

covet thy neighbor's goods

2007-09-05T12:35:00.000-07:00

Acutally, no neighbor of mine has this yet, so it's hard to covet. But still.

Apple came out with some new stuff today. The New Ipods are 80BG and 160GB. I'm not really sure how to explain how large that is other than saying my iPod is 20GB, I've only used up 8.47 GB, I have 1683 songs, which is 4.5 days of listening to music without repeating 1 song.

I'd really love that 80 GB. It's $249.99. The 160 is $349.99

What I don't actually get is that the new 16GB Nano is $199.99. Why not get the extra 72 GB for $50.00?

I must say, that I do get my money's worth on the iPod. Everyday to and from work, I plug it into my car. It saves my life in the rush hour traffic. It's much nicer than carrying around 500 cd's.

My Top Ten

2007-08-23T18:49:00.000-07:00

Since Jen tagged me to do a top ten of my current favorites, I thought I'd be the good sister and do it. I'm not going to tag anyone in particular since I'm not really sure who reads my blog. And you are very wrong, mine are not more interesting. These are in no particular order.

1. fantasy football - so this year I was invited to join the fantasy football league at work. I've been researching all the players and as a result, I'm super excited for the upcoming football season. I don't think I've been this excited for football since I was 6 and wanted to be on the Patriots. Go Patriots!!!

2. stairway to heaven - my 17 year old guitar teacher, Ben, told me that you aren't an official guitar player until you can play "stairway". He's taught me how to play it and I feel cool. Although Dan probably hates it since it needs to be "perfect" and I keep playing it.

3. freaks and geeks - this show came out about 7 years ago and was way ahead of its time. I've been watching it on DVD and it's my new favorite show. It stars all the guys from "Knocked Up" and Marshall from "How I Met Your Mother." I wish it hadn't been canceled after one season.

4. perez hilton - this flamboyant gay cuban guy is a gossip blogger. He likes to make fun of Britney, Lindsay, and Paris, etc. It's fun and funny, so I read it every day. It's like my crack.

5. rilo kiley - is an indi band from California. They just came out with a new album a couple days ago. Their single "silver lining" is a great song. I've been listening to it non-stop. The girl from the 80's movie "troop beverly hills" is the singer!

6. running -as I've blogged about, I've been running (very slowly). My goal was to be able to go for 20 minutes without stopping and I've made it. Now I need to build on the speed thing, I'm sure it will come eventually. Next goal: MARATHON!

7. robek's - Robek's is the smoothie place near my house. They have great low calorie smoothies that taste like heaven. I get one each Saturday after guitar lessons. My favorite is called Big Wednesday which is some papaya/mango concoction.

8. the fall - the last third of the year from September to December is my favorite time of year. I love when the leaves turn colors and it's just a little bit cool out. It holds all the good holidays including my birthday, Halloween and Christmas. Thanksgiving is OK too.

9. lion boxers and fuzzy sweatshirt - last week i bought some girl boxers with lions on them and a fuzzy sweatshirt at J Crew. I actually bought Annabelle the same sweatshirt for Christmas last year, this year I had to buy one for myself in adult size (don't worry Annabelle, we have them in kids sizes again if you've outgrown yours!). Most comfortable outfit ever!

10. breathe right strips - Dan used to be the worst/loudest snorer until one day we were in the super market and I made him get breath right strips. Now he wears them to bed and he is virtually snore free, which means I sleep through the night.

whoever reads my blog should do this, and tell me you are doing it so I can see your list!

running update

2007-07-30T11:10:00.000-07:00

Here is the secret to my running. I'm currently at week 8. I've impressed myself. I thought 3 minutes seemed like an awfully long time!

Week Run Walk Repeat Total Time
1 1 min 2 min 7x 21 min
2 1 min 1 min 10x 20 min
3 2 min 1 min 7x 21 min
4 3 min 1 min 5x 20 min
5 4 min 1 min 4x 20 min
6 6 min 1 min 3x 21 min
7 9 min 1 min 2x 20 min
8 12 min 1 min Then run 7 min 20 min
9 15 min 1 min Then run 4 min 20 min
10 20 min Leap for joy 20 min

Note: Always warm up for your workout with a couple minutes of walking and/or slow jogging, and cool down afterward with the same. If you cannot reach 20 minutes of continuous running, try to run 8 or 9 minutes, walk 1 or 2 minutes, and repeat. When you succeed at reaching the 20-minute goal-and you will-gradually increase your distance to whatever level you choose.

Potter Madness

2007-07-18T06:36:00.001-07:00

Maybe I'm a big dork. Maybe not. I (and 2 million other people) have pre-ordered the 7th and final book "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows". It comes out Saturday the 21st, so Friday I'll be waiting in line at midnight for the book. Thank goodness I don't have to work saturday. I'll be reading all day!!!

Some guy supposedly leaked the ending on the internet. And if it's true, I know who dies. Which is kind of a bummer, but it's OK becasue the guy only said a few sentences. I'm sure he missed something important.

I still have my own theories. I think Snape is good, even though he killed Dumbledore. Dumbledore told Snape that the only way Voldemort would trust is if he killed Dumbledore to prove his "loyalty" to the dark side. It was Dumbledore's scarafice! Snape was also in love with Harry's mom when they were in school. Harry obviously has to defeat Voldemort because that's the way fiction goes. Any other theories? Let me know :-)

(one) Milestone

2007-07-06T16:50:00.000-07:00

yesterday, I was able to run a mile without stopping. it took about 10 minutes. It doesn't seem like much, considering people run marathons all the time, but it was a lot to me. I think I'm going to set a goal to enter a 5K in the fall. If I could get to one mile in one month, I certainly could get to 3 or more by October-ish. I can go longer with walking breaks (i generally try to do a little more than 2 each time i go), but one mile is my max without walking.

I've already mapped my loop for when I visit Watertown at www.mapmyrun.com
:-)

Born to Run

2007-06-18T13:05:00.000-07:00

I've got a new hobby. Running. Can you imagine? I have always hated running for the sake of just running. Running as part of a sport was OK, but running laps?! I hated it so much. During sports practice in high school, I was always one of the last people to finish.

Recently, however, I deceded that I would like to be a runner. Even in my hatred for running, I always envied those people jogging down the street just because. I wondered what would make someone want to just run and where their motivation to keep going came from. Wouldn't it be boring? What about those days when it was either really hot or really cold?

Anyway, I'm not sure what made me decide to do it (especially since it's so hot out now), but about a week and a half ago I ran. I thought I'd run one lap, walk one, etc, but it didn't work out like that. I couldn't make it the whole lap! I found the website for Runner's World Magazine and they had a plan to get me to run 20 minutes straight in 10 weeks. It seemed simple enough, so Thursday, I began the run/walk plan. run a minute, walk a minute for 20 minutes. and who knew? I made it! I gradually increase the run time over the 10 weeks. next week I run 2 minutes and walk 1 and so on. Saturday I bought new sneakers (the ones I had were about 6 years old) and some running shorts and t-shirts. It's funny because I've already noticed a slight improvement in my stamina. I'm really excited about it so I've been reading Runner's World articles all week. Maybe I can even enter a race some day!

bored to tears (almost)

2007-06-14T16:15:00.000-07:00

Today is a pretty boring day at work. I'm not sure what to do with myself for the last 45 minutes. All of the brokers I work for are gone for the day.

So, the way my job works is that you have a base salary and then the brokers you work for compensate you out of their commission on top of that. Up until now, my broke, 2 job working self has not been compensated a dime. So allegedly now I'm going to get compensated. The brokers have to fill out forms saying how much we're going to get and I have sit downs with them tomorrow to determine how much. Now, it's not going to be all that much because I work for newbies who don't produce very much. Still, it's a raise and I'm excited about that.

I'm leaving my options open though. I plan to send out my resume since dealing with other people's money is not my cup of tea. But, it's not wise to cut your nose off to spite your face as they say. What if another job doesn't work out then I'm stuck with no compensation?

So, recently I've become a Jenny Craig drop out. The food just isn't very good and it leaves me unsatisfied which makes me want to eat junk. To compensate for this, I've taken up running. Runners World has a plan to get me running for 20 minutes straight. If I could do that, I'd be impressed. Right now I'm in the begining run/walk phase.

Also I've taken up the guitar again. I'm taking lessons at the local guitar store. My instructor's name is Ben and he's got braces. He'll be a junior in high school in the fall. This means he's got to be about 16 years old, which puts his birth year at about 1991. I feel a little sad about that because I remember 1991. 1991 was 5th grade/6th grade. The gulf war and George Bush (the elder). Age is a funny thing. I don't think I look old, and I don't feel old, but then all of a sudden someone 11 years younger than me is teaching me how to play the guitar.

Good bye GTE Visa

2007-06-06T08:40:00.000-07:00

I bid farewell to my very first credit card. It is officially paid off. I couldn't wait to cut it up!

Turn Offs

2007-05-31T12:58:00.000-07:00

Since it's summer, and people are wearing sandals, I thought I'd report another faux pas. Today, in the office, I spied a man broker wearing casual clothes. T-shirt, shorts - OK. Down to the feet, MAN SANDALS - not OK. I suppose flipflops are ok on men, but leather sandals, no. I don't care that they are Prada and cost $300.00. They are ugly. What is also ugly is Teva's on a (man or a woman) especially with socks.

NYC

2007-05-30T07:18:00.000-07:00

This weekend, Dan and I drove to New York for a get-away and to see our college peeps.

We had a nice time. Although museums make me want to take a nap, we went to the MET. As much as I like the paintings, the coolest part was the knights' armor, followed by the furnature, followed by the mummies.

I also got to hang out with Lucie and Laurie. We went to Spumoni Garden in Brooklyn for some pizza. The sauce is on top! But it's pretty tasty. I felt like you could roll me down a hill afterward, but it was worth it. Next, since Laurie is the most squeemish person I have ever met, we decided to drag her into a sex toy shop.

And of course, since Dan's aunt's apartment is about a block away from the Dakota (where John Lennon lived) I had to take pictures and go across the street to the park and visit his memorial. There I met a hippie named Gary who puts flowers on the Imagine mosaic everyday and has for the last 14 years. It's not often some tells me something about the Beatles that I don't already know, but Gary managed to and therefore impressed me. Apparently Yoko Ono owns the whole top two floors of the Dakota. Around the top is Black wrot iron. There are 2 windows that do not have it, and that is the White Room, with his famous white piano.

My favorite event of the weekend, however, was making an ass of myself in front of Ice-T the rapper and his boob-tastic wife Coco. I was in FAO Schwartz looking at a display of the Nightmare Before Christmas toys, when Dan said "look over there". I turned my head and all I saw was MASSIVE fake boobs, then suddenly the whole display of toy coffins comes crashing down on my head. After I put the coffins back and regained composure, Dan said "did you see that?" and I said "yeah those boobs were ENORMOUS!" he said "but that was Ice-T and his wife! I turned around, and yes, they were laughing at me! AWESOME

some good news!

2007-05-30T07:07:00.000-07:00

So....I'd always been not the greatest with money. In college, at the ripe old age of 18, someone thought it would be a good idea to give me a GTE visa, the same visa that everyone else on campus got! I used it in college like it was cash. I'd say "I'll pay for the whole dinner of 10 people, you all can just give me cash." Then instead of using that cash to pay the bill, I'd just buy something else. So, a couple thousand dollars later, I had a huge bill. Then after college, I negelected to pay the bill on time on more than one occasion, and my rate defaulted to the astronomical 31%. YIKES! And now finally, with a lot of hard work, that bill is down to $31.34. So for all intents and purposes it's paid off.

Now, I can start saving for that dream vacation!

the last 5 years

2007-05-17T11:48:00.000-07:00

in about 2 days, it will be the exact 5 year anniversary of my college graduation. i'm almost positive may 19 is the date....but anyway, it's been 5 years so i thought it would be a good chance to reflect on some of the things i've done/accomplished in no particular order

got a driver's license
owned 2 different cars (2 different gray jettas)
crashed each of those cars
this month is also the 2 year anniversary of my last crash
held 3 different desk jobs (modern continental, john hancock, morgan stanley)
had the same job for 3 years (morgan stanley)
got my first christmas bonus
moved to another state
learned to navigate a new city
moved in with my boyfriend
left behind a terrible boyfriend
lost 30 lbs (re-gained it and re-lost some of it)
got an apartment with friends
went to puerto rico twice
got 1 tattoo in san francisco (accompanied by infant annabelle)
pierced my tongue (and removed it)
pierced my belly button (and removed it)
pierced my nose (removed it and re-pierced it)
voted in 2 different states (MA and VA)

OK i can't really think of anything else noteworthy at the moment. some of those things are big (moving and losing weight) some are silly (the fender benders) and some are pointless (like the tongue ring) but i hope to do some bigger and better things in the next 5 years, such as...

buying a house
getting married
running without getting winded
losing more weight
getting a passport
actually using that passport
buying a dog
getting a good raise or getting a new job that offers more
getting a masters
paying off the rest of my credit cards
buying a new car

OK that should be it for now! wish me luck in the next 5 years :-)

All By Myself

2007-05-14T09:27:00.001-07:00

I thought it would be nice to update my blog, but not much has happened that is worth updating about. Dan has been away for work in Rock Island Illinois, which is a military base on an island in the Mississippi River. I don't think he misses me much at all since his friend from work, Sean, is there with him. Dan and Sean have been spending their days pretending to work and nights playing X-Box and playing poker on a gambling boat in the Mississippi.
Meanwhile I have been catching up on girlie movies and foreign films. Saturday, I went to the DMV, watched the Red Sox on TV (the game was on because they were playing Baltimore), then had people over to play Guitar Hero on the play station. Yesterday, I spent the day at J Crew, which was surprisingly very busy on mother's day. Asside from time at J Crew, my nights are spent with the TV. I think I'd get very bored living alone.
The only good thing about Dan being away is that he can't wake me up with his snoring, other than that, I'd like to have him around.

little update

2007-04-23T11:31:00.000-07:00

I desperately needed an oil change and Dan needed his breaks done, so we went up to the Toyota dealership (even though neither of us have a toyota) because 2 of his friends, Kyle and Brian, work there. All we had to pay for was parts and dinner afterwards.

While the guys worked on the cars (Kyle and Brian worked and Dan looked and worried about grease on his hands), I walked over to the dealership to check out the cars. Toyota makes Scion cars, so after talking to the sales guy, I took a Scion TC for a test drive by myself. The car is not so bad and not very expensive (in the 17K range). It's, for all intents and purposes, a base model Camry. All I really care about is that it runs well, is safe, and has a radio, anything extra would be nice...it has a sun roof, which my current car does not. Anyway, this car will go on my short list.

In other exciting news, I'm going to see the Red Sox play the Orioles in Baltimore on Thursday.

2007-03-29T11:31:00.000-07:00

these are pictures from Puerto Rico...a fortress called El Morro, which means "the morro" actually I'm not sure what morro means. I looked it up on babblefish translation and it told me that el morro means "the nose" but Dan doesn't seem to think that's correct.
anyway, it was built in the 1500 by the Spaniards to defend the island against pirates.
the above picture is a lizard on a tree outside Dan's apartment building.

I know I took a while to put these pictures up, but at least they're here now.

Remember When?

2007-03-13T09:38:00.000-07:00

Remember the days when Doc Martens were just the coolest? I do. I miss those days. Just pausing to remember a moment in (my very own) fashion history. Mine were green

2007-03-07T12:51:00.001-08:00

beatlebum35's Wish...

www.kaboodle.com

I'm off!

2007-02-27T11:36:00.000-08:00

Thursday, Dan and I will be going to Puerto Rico (again). He claims this is the only vacation that we can afford (since we have a place to stay and and a car to drive, we only have to pay for air fare). While we're there, his grand mother will be there the whole time and his aunt will be there the first night.

Even so, I'm sure this will be a good time. Their apartment is a block from the beach. Thursday, after we get there and say hi to grandma, I plan to go to the beach and then Dan's aunt is taking us out for a nice dinner (his b-day is Friday, he'll be 28).

For his b-day on Friday, I plan on getting him a professional massage at a spa. I've had real massages from someone who was in training at massage school. And that was great. I can't imagine how one from a real professional is. Then I'm going to take him to a restaurant called Dragon Fly, which my friend Elina suggested from when she went to PR. It's a Latin/Asian fusion place. Could be good.

The rest of the time, I'm not sure what I'll do, but it will include being in warm weather!

NRA Lady

2007-01-29T09:44:00.000-08:00

So...This weekend I did a very Republican/redneck thing.
Dan has a friend named Brian. Brian was in Iraq 2.0 and has some guns. He goes to the shooting range at the NRA to keep up with it sometimes. This Saturday, Dan and I decided to go with him. Dan had been before, but this would be my very first time holding/shooting a real gun. Brian had a semi-automatic rifle. I think it's an M16. I was pretty nervous about all this shooting.
When you get to the NRA, you have to fill out forms and take a little test to make sure that you aren't going to shoot anyone. You have to wear protective eye wear and sound proof ear phones. I was pretty nervous waiting to shoot the gun while Brian was loading it. It's kind of funny because you see guns on TV and in the movies, I think we're a little desensitized to them. They are a lot louder than I had ever imagined.
Anyway, each clip had 20 bullets. On my first go, I only hit the target once. Not very good. I was really scared and I wasn't prepared for how much kick the gun had. The second time, I was a little more relaxed and hit the target 11 times and pretty close to the center.
I think shooting the gun made me appreciate how dangerous they really are. I really don't think they should be in homes or anything. They are so violent and scary and having shot one, I'm now probably more for gun safety than I was before.

On a more fun note, Dan and I went to go see the Washington Capitals play on Saturday. It was a pretty fun game (even though we sat in the heavens). The Caps won 7-3. They have a second year player named Alex Ovechkin who is supposed to be the next greatest thing in hockey, so it was fun to see him play. I had to explain things as they were going on to Dan. I couldn't tell if he was having fun or not, but I did so that's all that matters!

Walk This Way

2007-01-26T10:45:00.000-08:00

The other day I read an article about how Americans with desk jobs (such as myself) tend not to walk very much. They said it's good for us to walk about 10,000 steps a day, but the desk workers walk maybe 7,000 or so, which is part of this country's overweight epidemic. The article mentioned how New Yorkers (from the city anyway) walk a lot and tend to be thinner. They even mentioned the Amish people, who have a very high fat diet, filled with red meat and butter, have a very low percentage of overweight people because they take about 50,000 steps a day.
Anyway, I decided to buy a pedometer to see how much I walk (or don't walk). Unfortunately I left it at home today and I'll have to test it out tomorrow. I'm curious to see the results. To increase walking, they suggested things like getting up to go see fellow co-workers rather than calling them on the phone. I'll try it and see how it works!

lack of wisdom

2007-01-19T19:25:00.000-08:00

today, i got my final 2 wisdom teeth out. a few years ago, i had my top two out. it was a pretty bad experience. i was supposed to have all 4 out, but i screamed and cried a A LOT and we had to stop.
fast forward to a few months ago, i had a regular dental checkup and found out that i needed 2 root canals. the wisdom teeth were pushing on my back teeth which caused bad cavities. so i had the root canals before the new year (they weren't as bad as everyone says) and today i've had the wisdom teeth out. my last step is to get a cap on the root canal-ed tooth. i don't think that should be too bad. the dentist has to take a mold of my teeth then pop the cap on. easy enough.
but i must say...the wisdom teeth is much worse than the root canal! but today, i am proud to say, i was very brave (unlike last time). no tears, no screams, and i was even awake the whole time.

as of right now, the vicodin is in effect, so i feel OK and i was able to eat some pudding.

anyway, i have a shift at J Crew on sunday for the first time since before Christmas. apparently they've been very slow. no one buys clothes in january. go figure. i will be home to watch the end of the patriots game. since living down here, i've started to like football again. i remember being in kindergarten and wanting to be the first girl on the patriots. now i realize that wouldn't have been such a good career choice. who wants to be pummeled by a bunch of 300 lb men?

the following takes place between 8:00pm and 9:00pm

2007-01-14T20:50:00.000-08:00

when will they learn to trust Jack Bauer?

1st faux pas

2006-12-08T08:20:00.000-08:00

the other day 1st lady Laura Bush wore a $8500 Oscar de Larenta dress to a party... and so did 3 other people.

This dress shouldn't have been worn by anyone. Luckily she was able to run upstairs and change.

But really, if you're going to spend that much money, you can do better! I think it looks like festive curtains. a little too matronly for me.

Thanksgiving

2006-11-23T16:51:00.000-08:00

Thanksigving is supposed to be a day to be thankful, but in reality it's a day to stuff our faces

TV time

2006-11-19T13:17:00.000-08:00

sooo...yesterday we did it. we bought the new TV a Sony Grand Wega 60 inches LCD rear projection. It fits nicely in the corner of our apartment. a little ostentatious, but it's really cool.

we also picked up the new Nintendo Wii and Zelda. Last night we drove by Toys R Us and the line for it was litterally wrapped around the store. I believe they had a midnight launch, so people didn't have to sleep over, but still! they could have pre-ordered it and picked it up in the morning. we also have another one coming from amazon, for our use. the one from today is currently on E-bay.

PS3 madness

2006-11-17T07:01:00.000-08:00

This morning, at promptly 10:00 am, the Playstation 3 makes its debut for the 2006 holiday season. Apparently there has been a lot of buzz about the $600.00 video game console. They are even going on EBay for around $2000.00!!!

Dan being the smart geek that he is, has decided that we don't need a PS3 right away, we can wait until the price comes down after Christmas, but that didn't stop him from buying one to sell on EBay. About a month ago, at places like Game Stop and EB games, they had a pre-sale. You could put a deposit and save your place for the release day. He got in line about 7:00 and waited until 10:00 when the store opened.

The dumb geeks have decided to buy their PS3 at places like Best Buy and Circuit City. Those places didn't have the fancy pre-sale of the geekier stores like Game Stop, so people have been waiting in line overnight since, and I kid you not, MONDAY for a release date of FRIDAY. Last night, we did a driveby of Best Buy just too see it, and there they were, with their little tents waiting for their video games.

Anyway, we're hoping to get a nice flat screen plasma TV with the proceeds from the PS3 sale.

Redskins Fan?

2006-11-07T06:47:00.000-08:00

Sunday, I went to my first NFL football game. Pretty exciting. We left the house at 9:00 am to get to the game and tailgate in the parking lot. Overall it was a pretty good time. The Redskins played the Cowboys and won 22 to 19.

Reston, VA

2006-11-02T09:38:00.000-08:00

today I'm writing from lovely Reston, VA, home of Morgan Stanley's smaller office in the area. This office is relatively quiet.
This office is further away than the one I usually work in. I left the house at 7:30, but did not get there until 9:00 today. This morning I also got pulled over. Not for speeding, not for going through a red light or changing lanes without signaling. I got pulled over for my plates!!! So apparently my Massachusetts plates expired 2 months ago and I need to get Virginia ones. They give me 5 days to get new plates before I get in trouble. I forgot to ask if Sunday counts since the DMV is not open!
Reston sure is a pain in the butt to get to. I have to travel on the same bumper to bumper highway that I take to get to my regular site, go past that and get on another highway where there are 2 tolls in my shorter ride. There is a toll to get on and a toll to get off. I'm not sure why, it doesn't make sense. Why not pay a dollar once instead of 50 cents twice? or if it's different for distances, why not do the ticket at the begining and pay at the end? the 2 tolls really messes with the traffic!

So it is post-Halloween and there is candy EVERYWHERE. it's hard to resist since I like candy so much. I'll admit I've had a few peices here and there. I wish it was all stuff I don't like so I wouldn't be tempted!

off the plateau

2006-10-26T11:53:00.000-07:00

so....for the past month and a half, i'd been plateaued in my weight loss. up 0.2 down 0.2 each week. no fun. but! this week, i was down 1.2! finally off my plateau, i hope. it seems as if all i talk about is my weight, so i think i'll talk about clothes.

i deal with clothes quite a bit. not just because i wear them every day (duh!) but because i work at a clothing store. sometimes i think about brands and trends and such. like this year, for example, the leopard print. very in. now i never thought i'd like the look, but i do, and why on earth would i want to spend money on this trend that has a short shelf life? i thought i'd like to have a pair of leopard ballet flats....but, do you spend the money on a nice pair or go for the cheap version. i went for this cheap Target version.

i sometimes wonder where you draw the line between quality and price. like these $775.00 Michael Kors boots. i like them a lot. they're nice and pretty and could go with a lot of outfits. but what makes these boots so special? is it that michael kors designed them? is it the fabric? the labor?
i also like this J Crew version. they're nice. they are minus the platform and the heel is lower, but other than that, pretty similar. and for $258.00 (or with my discount $103.00) they seem a lot nicer. they wouldn't be bad boots to have. i'm sure they'd hold up....so i guess after all this rambling, my question is this:
i know sometimes we get what we pay for, but at what point are we just paying extra for the name?

Diamonds are a girl's BEST friend

2006-10-19T10:15:00.000-07:00

So imagine all this stuff being yours! You'd probably be a go-jillionaire because these are all heirloom peices at the museum of national history. The second one down is the Hope Diamond. I don't remember which the others are, but they're nice, and even nicer in person.

Anyway, this weekend I'm very excited because The Nightmare Before Christmas is playing in 3D at theaters all over the country. I originally planned to go Saturday night after work, but it is Dan's Aunt's birthday and we have to go do that. Sunday he said "well, i'm watching football" But I'm making him go if I have to go to his Aunt's birthday.
Halloween movies are fun!

Before & After

2006-10-12T10:09:00.000-07:00

or should I say after and before. The picture on the left is of me from this weekend at Lauren's wedding. I'm wearing my last minute emergency dress because the dress that I had picked out (and loved...and loved the $66 price tag) was TOO BIG in the chest area of all places. This dress was nice and it seems like something I can wear again. Overall I had a good time at the wedding. I'm not really a fan of the bubble church, but it's her parish, so that's OK. The reception was nice. The Hyatt at the airport had an awesome view of the Boston skyline.

It was really nice being home, asside from the sucffle with Eleanor the Evil. I got to see Annabelle and Jack after my encounter with the Evil, so they brightened my day. The leaves have already turned up north, so everything was so pretty.

Anyway, the picture on the top right is me on the day before I started Jenny, 15.6 pounds ago. Pay no attention to the outfit. I was just lounging around at home on a Sunday, but I really think you can tell the difference. I'd like to wear a size 6 or 8 even. Right now, I'm a 10 in J crew clothes. I'm not sure if they run big, but they're the only pants I've purchased recently. On top, I'm still a size large shirt. I don't think that would change unless I had surgery. It's the curse of Auntie Katie I suppose. Overall, I'm happy with the way things are going. During the last month, I haven't actually lost any weight. I've had visitors, 2 weddings, and my birthday. It was something different each week that involved CAKE! I do love cake, but it's time to start being a little strict again. I've figured out how to maintian, but now I need to lose that last little bit. I'm going to treat myself to 2 non-Jenny dinners a week so I don't go crazy. Their lunches and breakfasts don't bother me at all, but for some reason, dinner is when I want better food, so twice a week I will either cook or go out.

That's all for now, but I will post again soon

unhappy wednesday

2006-09-06T06:57:00.000-07:00

So the world debut of Suri Cruise. I'm not sure what all the hype was about. It's just a baby. She's cute. Maybe she came out funny looking and they wanted to wait until she got cute. Perhaps we can all stop wondering where she came from. It still is a little suspicious to wait 5 months to let your baby out in public....

This is the Fendi B Bag. I like it, it's almost my birthday, so it should be mine. Who cares about the price? Oh not me!

In other news, my root canal is today. Ouch. I'm not looking forward to this at all!

weight update

2006-08-23T10:31:00.000-07:00

Since I haven't mentioned it in a while, I thought I would. Sooooooo...I am down a total of 14.4 pounds. Even though the loss has slowed, I still feel good. I'm headed in the right direction. I have about 35 more pounds to go, to make it a total of 50 pounds. I was also talking to the girls at Jenny and they said I'm on target to reach my goal maybe by february or march. Sounds good to me. Definitely in time to buy a bikini for next summer!!!

keep on truckin'

2006-07-24T11:51:00.000-07:00

Today I checked in at Jenny Craig to find out that I'm down exactly one pound this week, which brings my total to about 12. Not bad I think.
My challenge this week is Jackie's visit. She'll be here Thursday night and leave then she's leaving Sunday. My plans are to take her into DC to see monuments and museums and such on friday, on saturday, go to King's Dominion (an amusement park) in Williamsburg on Saturday, and Sunday I'm not sure. Maybe shop at the outlets.

Also...This weekend I bought golf clubs. Very exciting. I went to the driving range and hit some balls. It's surprisingly fun. I never thought I'd like golf, but I went with Dan and now I like it a lot. I'm not as bad as I thought I would be for a beginner. Just call me Tiger!

milestone!

2006-07-17T12:18:00.000-07:00

On my weight loss journey, I have reached my first official benchmark and passed the 10 lbs mark at down 11.2. They also took measurements my first week. I'm down 2.5 inches in the waist/hips area, but NOTHING in the chest area. No surprise there. I'd be a DD even if I were the size of Nicole Richie. That would be pretty scary.
This is pretty exciting for me. I can't wait until I need new jeans! I really want a pair of designer jeans. I have a pair of Seven's because they are the only ones that fit, but I would like True Religions. They have cuter butt pockets.

Fashion Don't!!!

2006-07-12T07:54:00.000-07:00

Check out the foot on the left. I just had to post this because hose with sandals is the fashion "don't" that gets to me the most. The receptionist at my office is guilty of the crime every day. It looks terrible and gives me the shivers because I find it so foul. It kind of makes you look like you have webbed feet. Isn't the point of sandals to show your toes? My office doesn't have a policy that one must wear hose, so I don't see the point of this offense. If you don't like your toes, wear close-toed shoes!

Don't Cry For Me Argentina

2006-07-07T13:06:00.000-07:00

So...I am 25 years old. Inching toward 26 and I have never been out of the country. Well, actually, I've been to Canada and Mexico, but you don't need a passport to go there so they don't really count.
I've always wanted to travel. I always figured I'd go to Europe first. England, Italy, Germany...somewhere I'm somewhat fimiliar with. I would like to take this first trip with Dan, but since he's been everywhere, he suggested Argentina. Dan has been to 5 of our 7 lovely continents, not South America or Antarctica. At first I kind of thought "what the hell is in Argentina besides soccer and former Nazis?"
Well I started researching it, and it seems pretty cool. Buenos Aires is supposed to be the new "it" place to go. It's being called "the Paris of South America"

Argentina is also known for it's great seak houses, Mendoza wines, skiing in the Andes, and glaciers.
The place I'm looking forward to going the most is Ushuaia, also know as "the city at the end of the world". It's the small city at the very very bottom of South America in the Antarctic Circle. From there, you can also take a glacier cruise to Antarctica.

Anyway, I'm still planning and thinking about this, but I think it seems really fun and interesting

this week

2006-06-28T07:38:00.000-07:00

This week, I lost 2.4 pounds. That pretty good. I definitely wasn't expecting to lose another 6 pounds. That would be unhealthy. The first week is usually big, but then 1 to 2 pounds a week is normal. This brings my total lost to 8.6. Not bad. I can't tell the difference in the way I look yet, but I do feel better. I don't feel full and bloated all the time. What I'm most excited for is buying a new pair of jeans and a nice dress for Lauren's wedding. By October, I should be able to buy the dress I like, not the one I have to get because it's the only one that fits.

And speaking of Lauren, I find it pretty scary that people my age are getting married! I am also going to a wedding of a friend of Dan's from high school in September. I still feel too young. Sometimes I feel like I'm playing house or something. It also amazes me that I'm in Virginia living so far away from everyone I know. Occasionally I think "what am I doing here?" I never pictured myself in Virginia. The tobacco state. You can still smoke in bars and restaurants here and cigarettes only cost $3.50 (ish).

Anyway, tonight, Dan and I are going to see Spamalot. It's a Monty Python play. Then, Monday the market is only opened a half day and tuesday it's closed! I don't have any 4th of July plans yet, but I'm sure DC has some good celebrations!

Update!

2006-06-19T11:42:00.000-07:00

Sooo...It has been 1 week since I began Jenny Craig. One week means first weigh-in. I am happy to report that I am down 6.2 pounds! Can you believe that? I am awfully proud of myself. It was particularly difficult this weekend when I was home sick watching TV. Every other commercial is about food. One for Appleby's, one for Fruit Loops, One for the new Blizzard at Dairy Queen, KFC, etc. It's crazy!
I was able to fight my way through it. The results were worth it. Next week, I'm expecting a smaller loss, but that's OK as long as I'm on the right track.

Challenge!

2006-06-15T10:01:00.000-07:00

So, I've gained a bit of weight since I moved here. Actually I gained a bit of weight before too. I got sick of it and decided to join Jenny Craig. It's actually not bad at all. I'm not famished all the time and the food is decent. Some of it is actually good.

Today...I had my first major chanllenge! My office brought in PF Chang's for lunch. They had rice and lo mein and general gao's, lettuce wraps. All sorts of stuff that was not the best for you. I really really wanted some lo mein. It's just so good. Food, I guess, is my crack. I was able to resist though, they had a steamed veggie platter, so I had some of that and my small Jenny's turkey burger and Jenny popcorn. *sigh* I'm pleased that I was able to resist. Usually the first challenge is the hardest. I can do it! I can be bathing suit ready by the end of the summer...

Actually, that's partially what I was hoping for. My 2 year anniversary with Dan is in September (it's been that long already? Yes). Perhaps we can go away somewhere sunny.

In other news, I am currently watching the world cup of soccer. England vs. Trinidad and Tobago! Tied 0-0

Origami Master

2006-05-17T16:48:00.000-07:00

These are some of my origami projects, a pig, bird, and 2 dinosaurs. They're pretty simple models. The orange one was a little more difficult, so I'm pretty happy with him.

Dan is Back

2006-05-17T16:40:00.000-07:00

Dan is back from China. Jet lag made him wake up in the middle of the night for a week. Things seem to be back to normal. Although, he does not want Chinese food for a while.

He saw some cool things like the Great Wall, The Yangtze River, and the Starbucks in the Forbidden City.

My new hobby of Origami

2006-04-25T12:46:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago, when we went to visit the cherry blossoms, we also visited the exhibit of a Japanese artist named Hokusai at the Sackler museum. Hokusai was the guy who painted "The Wave". Anyway, that museum is the Asian art museum and in the gift shop I found some Origami books.

I didn't buy a book at first, I just looked up some diagrams on the internet. After successfully making 3 different birds and a pig, I decided to buy a book and some pretty paper. In Dan's absence I needed something to do besides watch TV. So far, I've really only made those birds and the pig. It's harder than it looks. I've tried to make a bear, but I get stuck. Hopefully I can figure it out. It's pretty neat. I of course use plain paper until I get it right, but it looks like I may be stuck with the easy birds and the pig. I do like the pig, it's cute and I had some pink paper for it.

Unfortunately Dan has the camera in China, so I can't take any pictures of my projects, but I will be sure to post them when my camera returns.

We're talkin' about China here!

2006-04-20T10:44:00.000-07:00

So Dan is leaving for China on Saturday morning. Although I think it's kind of neat that he gets to go to China, I'm also a little jealous. After this visit, he'll only need to go to South America to have visited every continent. I don't even have a passport! The most cultured I get is Canada.

I remember that when I was young (little Danny's age, in fact), I really wanted to visit China because my BFF Betty Chin was Chinese and I thought her culture was so cool. At the time, I didn't realize that it was an over-populated communist country. All I knew was that everyone rode bikes. I haven't seen Betty in almost 15 years. I wonder what she's up to.

Anyway, I'm going to be alone in Virginia for 2 weeks. The thought is a little scary. Not only will I be lonely without Dan, I don't know how to get anywhere that isn't near our house or near my work. The receptionist at my work (who is mom aged) offered to give me her number in case I need anything. I think that was awfully nice of her. She's from Massachusetts too.

I hope Dan brings back some fun Chinses souvenirs. He wants to buy cheap electronics so he can sell them on Ebay.

red sox away game

2006-04-11T10:44:00.000-07:00

Sunday afternoon, I went to Baltimore to see the Red Sox play the Orioles. I thought I'd be a minority in my Red Sox gear, but there were so many Red Sox fans there, it was almost like being at home! The chants were "let's go Red Sox" not Orioles. Go figure. We sat along the left field foul pole. A nice view to see Manny Ramirez scratch his bum for half of the game. Even with the bum scratching, a nice time was had by all. Luckily Sunday was a beautiful day. The Orioles' stadium was nice and Baltimore wasn't as gross as I thought it would be.

Cherry Blossom-tastic

2006-04-03T16:32:00.000-07:00

Not so many years before world war II, Japan gave the US a gift of cherry blossom trees. They are the only foreign plant in the US. Several years later, Japan bombed Pearl Harbor and became enemies. Still we got to keep the pretty pink trees. They bloom in Washington DC every year for about 2 weeks, so Dan and I went to see them in person.

New Haircut

2006-03-11T13:20:00.000-08:00

I got bangs. I'm so NOW!

Mardi Gras!

2006-02-28T07:06:00.000-08:00

I am listening to the news about Mardi Gras in New Orleans. They're wondering if it's a good idea since they city is still in shambles. Well I think it's a good idea. They need business in that city and they also need to have some happy times.
But...in the spirit of Mardi Gras, the whole purpose is to indulge before lent. I haven't really given anything up for lent successfully in a couple years. In the past it's been stuff like soda, chocolate, pastries from Starbucks. This year I've decided to give up shopping/buying stuff. Of course I'll have to buy things like food, hygene products like soap, gas for my car, etc. I'm really talking about things I don't need like a new shirt, sunglasses, shoes, books, makeup etc. No shopping for myself until after Easter.
So if I'm going to follow this, today is my day to indulge. I have to buy Dan a birthday present today since his b-day is thursday, I may just pick myself up something small too!

Lucie visits DC

2006-02-21T06:34:00.000-08:00

This weekend Lucie visited DC. We had a nice time, mostly relaxing. We visited the outlets in Leesburg, did a little sight seeing, and saw Brad Carson from college (who lives in Quantico and is now a Marine). A good time was had by all, except that it was cold the whole weekend!

I've set up a webshots account so to see more pictures, go to

http://community.webshots.com/user/thehube02

my weekend

2006-02-15T11:55:00.001-08:00

Today I'm slightly sad because on my way to work this morning, I noticed the beginings of a cold sore!!! These always throw me off for a few days because I feel like the cold sore overtakes my face and I can constantly feel it there. It seems like people are looking at it thinking "eew it's Herpes Girl" Damn cold sores to HELL!!!

Other than the terrible herpes on my lip, things have been going well. This weekend, we drove up to MA to get the rest of my stuff. Including the couch. It's lovely to have a couch. I really like it. I also have a book case, so my books are not spread all over the place any more. Little things like the couch, book case, pictures and stuff are making my apartment more like a home and less like a dorm room.

The ride to Boston wasn't so bad, Dan drove until just before the New York border and I drove, from New York on. The impending snow storm, however, made our journey difficult. We planned to pack the truck Saturday morning and stay until Sunday, relax and see some people. But, in order to beat the snow, we packed and turned right around. I drove Dan's car and he drove the truck with our stuff in it. Things were going well until southern Connecticut (near SHU) when it started to snow. By the time we reached New Jersey, the snow was full force! It took a total of 10 hours to get home, which we finally reached at midnight, only to wake up the next morning, shovel, then move furniture in the snow.

Even though, it was a pain, it's now done and we have a couch. I've also decided I'm not moving again for a while.

a post with pictures!

2006-02-01T14:21:00.000-08:00

finally, I have gotten around to posting pictures of my new apartment. I've been here exactly one month today and we still have no couch. The place is pretty messy because half of our stuff is not here. Everything is just scattered. Either way, here are the pictures featuring my snazzy Ikea furniture!

2006-01-18T13:23:00.000-08:00

end of the day. my ipod is broken, so I'm off to the mall to the Apple store to see if they can fix it. When I turn it on, it shows a sad face and tells me to go get help! Oh well...

Also, tomorrow should be time for the stitches to come out. It pretty yucky looking. I hope it doesn't hurt!

I'm going home for Annabelle's b-day. I miss her and the Jack and Michael and Danny. :-)

lost

2006-01-06T08:57:00.000-08:00

so yes, the inevitable happened. I got lost. So lost, in fact, that I ended up in MARYLAND. I was in the wrong state. I had been staying in Springfield at Dan's parent's house, but yesterday our bed came and we stayed in Alexandria for the first time. I went a different way to work. I take 495 to work. So DC is a little confusing and the highways basically make a circle around the city called the "beltway" and for a point 95 and 495 are the same. The signs said 95N/495W or 95S/495E. I figured Tyson's Corner (where I work) is north or where I live, so I went North. This was apparently wrong because I didn't recognize anything. By the time I had a place to turn around, I had crossed the Woodrow Wilson bridge into Maryland. So 495E and 95S are the same thing. Go figure. That was my lovely morning. Oh well, you learn and now I know better for monday

Here in VA

2006-01-03T12:40:00.002-08:00

Here I am in, still at Morgan Stanley, but in Vienna VA. I'm sharing an office with a guy named Jason, who is pretty cool. He's a HUGE football fan. Virginia Tech in particular. One thing I have noticed about living in the south is that everyone loves college football. So far so good at my office. They are a little more flexible with times when I come and go. It doesn't have to be exactly 9 to 5, it can be 8 to 4 or 8:30 to 4:30, which ever I choose. They like us to stay until 4 because that is when the stock market closes, but other than that, it's OK. I like that I can leave a little earlier than before.

As for our apartment, I haven't slept there yet. The water was turned on today, and our bed won't get there until Thursday. Yesterday we made fun Target and Ikea trips. We got a table and 4 chairs for $100.00 from Ikea. I know that seems a little cheap, maybe it will fall apart, but it's fine. We'll only have it for a couple years anyway. We got pots and pans from Target, all sorts of apartment stuff. The place isn't put together at all, we have 2 more chairs and the entertainment stand for the TV to assemble. There are so many little things I need, it all adds up and gets pretty expensive.

Once the apartment gets put together, I'll take some pictures and post them here.

first post in a while!

2005-12-22T13:26:00.000-08:00

I haven't posted here in a while, but that's OK...

I'm moving to Alexandria, Virginia in about a week. I'm very excited and nervous all at the same time. I'm excited that I will be living with Dan in a new city, but I'm nervous that I will be 500 miles away from everyone and everything I know. I'm sure it will be an adventure. I bet I'll get lost a few times and I'm nervous about that. As for friends, I'm sure I'll eventually make some, I have Dan and one girl I know from college named Alexis. We weren't very close, but we were friendly, had the same major. I've talked to her and we're going to hang out.

We've got a 2 bedroom apartment, so I'd really love visitors. I love taking people to do the touristy things, and they are also educational things in DC. I've never actually been inside the White House, so that is something I'd like to do.

It's almost the end of the day at my first job. Today was presents day, although I didn't know it was going to be. I had no presents for anyone, but people brought in tons of stuff. I feel sort of guilty, so I'm going to give things on my last day (the 30th) since I don't have time to shop tonight. Let's see...I got 2 $25 gift certificates to the Cheesecake Factory, 1 certificate to AMC movie theaters, 2 bottles of wine, a tin of gourmet hot chocolate, and a $50.00 check from one of the brokers. There was also loads of candy and sweets given to us as a department.

Now I have to go work at Bloomingdale's until 11!!!

oh yeah

2005-05-31T11:54:00.000-07:00

i'm going to puerto rico tomorrow. i hope it's good. it better be. i need a vacation so i'm excited about that.
word.

yo!

2005-05-23T13:18:00.000-07:00

this is my new post. annabelle and jen and jack are coming tuesday. i'm very excited because i have not seen jack yet and i have not seen annabelle walk yet.
a week from wednesday i am going to puerto rico. that should be fun. i learned a few words of spanish for my trip. i learned quiero una cerveza y donde esta el banyo. those should get me by. the end

i hate it

2004-11-01T13:20:00.001-08:00

i think i'm sort of frustrated about my living situation. i don't really like being there. ever. pat just called me to remind me about rent and cable money. which is fine. but he said something about marija and nick flipping out about some pots and pans in the sink. OK so i hardly ever eat there. i ate there friday and used a pot, the strainer and a plate. there was much more in the sink thank that. there were ants on the counter i noticed yesterday. i was pretty grossed out and didn't want to go near the sink.

i hate eating there because that stupid dog begs everytime you go to eat something. ugh! why the hell did they get such a big dog? why did they get in like the day after we moved in? why couldn't it wait? i want to live by myself with no roommates, or at least someone i know well enough that i can talk to or something.

i feel like i'm not welcome there at all. seeing marija and nick makes my skin crawl sometimes. i don't really mind pat. he's just a stoner who does his own thing. i just hate being at my house. i feel like when i'm there i have to stay in my room. so marija and nick are close because they are a couple, and pat and nick are close because they are brothers. i'm just this outsider who lives there. i barely live there. i pay to keep my stuff there and shower. i hate buying food because if it's not diet food it's eaten before i can get to it. *sigh* i'm not sure what to do. i don't even want to talk to them.

i hate it so much. i feel like marija talks down to me. it's happened less often since i left starbucks. i hate staying in my room. i usually stay at dan's but i can't stand that because he snores so goddamn loud that it wakes me up and i can't go back to sleep. i think it's only been this bad the last 2 weeks or so, but he seriously sounds like he's going to choke sometimes. picture the person you know who has the worst snoring problem and multiply it by 5. he feels bad. he can't help it. how can anyone help what they do when they are asleep? still, it's pretty bad.

on the upside, jen and annabelle visit in thursday. annabelle crawls now. i'm excited to see her. this should make me feel better

friday is fun

2004-10-29T13:00:00.000-07:00

today is a good day for a few reasons.

last night i had fun at our dinner on morgan stanley. turns out the other young people at the office are pretty cool. there were 17 of us who went and only 5 of us were in the under 30 crowd. we went to a pretty expensive restaurant in boston, the chart house. it was a fish place but i didn't have fish of course. people ordered appitizers which were all fish related so i didn't have any. i had 3 martinis which were about $10 each. i felt like having another but i wasn't sure if i should. i had a $30 fillet mingon. along with mashed potatoes and sauteed mushrooms. it was pretty good. for dessert we had these chocolate lava cake things which were excellent. everyone was pretty silly from having drinks so it was a good time. i didn't even get home till after 10.

anyway, as for why today is good...well the obvious is that it is friday and i can sleep as late as i want tomorrow. we were allowed to wear red sox apparel today so i havea red sox t shirt and cords on.
the gay's birthday/halloween party is tonight and it should be a good time. i made caramel apples last night!!! exciting! everyone is going to be in costume. i can't wait to see everyone dressed up. i bought scrubs, i'm going to be a doctor. i need to find a surgical mask! i'd like to have a few drinks but not get wasted. poor dan is sick. i'm not sure if he'll go. i'll have to go by his house since the caramel apples are there. i was afraid my roommates would eat them.

dariusz from work knows someone who works at the state house. there is a red sox rally there today. he brought melissa who is obsessed with varitek with him to meet varitek. that was pretty nice of him. good thing she has her camera with her today. it would be like if i met ben affleck. i'd die happy. no matter what anyone says i think ben still makes quality movies.

not many people are here in the office today. it's pretty quiet. that doesn't bother me much because i just draw or write in this journal or play mah jong tiles. i'm actually sitting on the other side at doris's desk. she is out sick and robert has the day off so they need someone to help out over here. and of course it was me. lovely. i have about 4 hours left. *sigh*

another reason why today is good because i got paid today. this also means i have to pay some bills, but that's OK. i start peet's on sunday and soon i should have a little extra money to blow. yay for that.

yeah so that's enough for today. i'm going to draw animals with a sharpy and hilighters. it will keep me amused for a little while.

the end