One of the best feelings in the world: Knowing that there are only 3 and a half hours to weekend freedom!!!

I have been really girlie lately and going home after a really long day at work and sippin on a glass of wine in a bubble bath...I feel WAY too grown up...must have crazy, youthful night of shenanigans!! ASAP!!!! Can anyone help? :)

I think I realized why moving is scaring me so much this time around...The size of my apartment and amount of roommates is getting smaller and smaller and come August I will most likely have my own place, seeing as Molly will be moving out to go to law school...hmmm...

Speaking of Molly, she called last night to give me some much needed gossip on the peeps from high school...Talk about funny memories! She told me that my high school crush (the baseball player, for those who know the stories) is engaged...someone else is a pro rodeo rider...she had a reconnection with someone whom everyone dreamed about...one of our friends is coaching private tennis lessons in SB for like $20/hour...it was just funny -- literally -- to hear about people...We starting laughing about funny memories and things that happened over the course of those four crucially formative years...It was a good feeling -- I got in touch with a part of me that has been dormant for quite some time. Every once in a while it is good to remember where you came from...and just how far you have come to reach this point. I was in need of a good reality check with all that is changing in my life :)

Good things are up ahead...I can feel it...

Isn't it funny how the most random encounters make you chuckle the most...Funniest thing I have heard all day: "I see you everyday and I don't know you and that isn't right!"
hahahaha -- I am still laughing...

From final Swiftkick shows, to the welcoming of Thomas, to Stellar at the Gypsie Lounge, to Luis buying his motorcycle, to the dissolution of my apartment...busy stuff man!

My roommates and I are going separate ways, which is good and scary at the same time. I will (as of Feb. 20th) be living with Molly hopefully in this cool apartment in Newport I may have found: conveniently across the street from my office.

Luis finally had an opportunity to buy is motorcycle and he drove surface street from Studio City to Diamond Bar his first day (with me in tow...) I faced my fears...I am okay with it now...I think... :) But the drive was a really cool adventure -- topped off by some of Zoraida's GOOD cooking and "Win a Date with Tad Hamilton!".

It's official: I bought a European travel guide...after I move I am mapping out my trip...Europe in August...I can't wait!!!

So much has happened, but I will leave it at this for now...More to come!


"I am willing and able, so I'll put my cards on your table..."

Ah, it is time for me to submit yet another blog entry...

So, Luis & I had a somewhat spontaneous trip to vegas, which was the perfect getaway!! I needed to get out of the OC for a breath of fresh air, and what better place to breathe than SIN CITY!!! :) It was such a chill trip -- not much traffic (either coming or going), a H-O-T hotel room/mini-suite, excellent company, good alcohol (hehehe), and just a wonderful overall realxing feeling. I learned how to play craps, we encountered quite possibly the rudest dealer in all of Nevada at the Boardwalk, and saw all the vegas sights. On sunday on our way out of town, we had a champagne brunch at the mandalay bay, which was really quite tasty. On a random note, upon cracking the shell of a crab leg at the buffet, a piece of crab meat flew into my eye and caused some comedic drama. (shit like that would only happen to me...)

Yesterday (monday), I strolled into my apartment after a long day at work and was surprised by Molly being in my living room...It was, all in all, a truly excellent visit from my friend. And after everything, it was like old times between the two of us...I got to talk to her about my stressful living situation and just catch up on each other's lives, which we haven't done in an incredibly long time. After lots of laughter and much needed advice, I realized that things really do happen for a reason. Molly came over when I needed to see an old friend. There are maybe 2 other people that know me as well as she does, and it was nice to be able to talk to her about things that we never have the time to share. So, in matter of 2 days I was able to spend some quality time with people I love dearly, which is incredibly reassuring.

Today, however, has not been so chill...work has been stressing me out. I have been having computer drama, I have a headache, and to top it all off, a bird shit on me at lunch and it was so bad I had to buy a shirt beacuse i couldn't reach the spot on my back where the bird pelted me!! The funny thing, although I am having a rough day, I can honestly say it isn't really damaging my spirits any...it just makes me want to chill with my friends that much more...

So, herein lies my question of the week: To get my own apartment, or look for a new roommate?
Can't stand my living situation, but I don't really want to be lonely. Don't get me wrong, alone time is a great thing, but I love knowing that someone will eventually be home...hmmm...something for me to ponder...

There is no way that I will be able to recount all of the oddities and occurances that have happened over the past month or so since my last entry. But, here are some of the highlights...

I went home for Thanksgiving -- good to be at my house and sleep in my room and hang with my family...It was, however, a struggle to get there. One emergency landing, a handful of new friends, and several extra agonizing (yet thankful) hours later I was able to comfortably cross the threshold of our house with an overwhelming sense of security and love.

I have had the pleasure of attending and being an invited guest of two company Christmas parties, which was a shocking (although pleasant) dose of "grown-up reality". Luis's company's luncheon was held at Brother's Bistro in Laguna Beach, which is one of the places we had visited for Valentine's dinner...(ahh...memories...) My company party was held at The Cannery in Newport and was pretty rad! A festive accessory to the evening was the Newport Boat Parade lining up outside the window of the dining room where we were eating. It is always an interesting change of pace to see everyone outside of the office and enjoying themselves. While at the dinner, I was officially promoted (essentially by title) to Assitant Vice President at work, which includes new snazzy business cards and more responsibility.

My parents came down for Christmas which was a relief and a joy in many respects. I had an opportunity to hang out with them without the stress of travelling dangling over my head. Andy was our guest for Christmas dinner, and as is usually the case when I bring friends home for meals, he is family. :) For New Year's, Luis and I went and hung out in Westwood with Don & Vanessa. We had a great time -- dinner at El Cholo in Santa Monica and then drinking at Maloney's -- I couldn't have asked for a better night!

So, what now? I have been enduring the painful realization that this was the first "working holiday" of the rest of my employed life. What do I mean by that? Well, it was the first year I didn't have finals, the first year I didn't get a couple of weeks off to veg and do absolutely nothing, the first year I couldn't get time off to travel...and sadly, this is the way it works once that brilliant time in life known as full-time education is complete. Don't get me wrong -- I thrive on challenges and that is what a working life provides, but at the same time, I yearn for change of pace -- which inevitably working 8-5 seven days a week at a receptionist desk rarely encourages...I like my job, but the fact that I have real responsibility and need to act adult at least 40 hours a week scares the hell out of me. Clausterphobia has set in a bit and i need to travel...

Which brings me to my next point in self-discovery: I need to go away for a couple of weeks this summer -- and it has to be a big trip. I want to hit up Europe: Spain especially...I would love to travel with friends, but I know schedules and life changes are often conflicting with ideal travel plans, so I have made a promise to myself (no matter how hackneyed and cliched that act may be): I need to make this trip whether or not I have people wanting to go with me. I will be bummed if I can't get travel buddies, but I need to do this while I can...Five years from now I want to look back and say, "Damn, that was an amazing trip I/we did...", not "huh, maybe I should have gone...."

Ooh, and just for fun...here are my New Year's Resolutions:

* To practice my Spanish and consider myself conversationally fluent by the end of the year
* To become more organized and neat
* To join and gym and make a habit of working out on a regular basis -- more for health reasons than aesthetic ones
* To learn to salsa dance
* To abolish what is left of my credit card semi-debt (it isn't as bad as it sounds, but i want to get rid of the payments...)
* To cook more

Happy 2004!!