friday commuting thoughts...

coming up with titles for blog postings reminds me of trying to think of a title for your final paper of the semester. so. much. pressure.

people told me i would get tired of the sunshine here in california. i doubted it. until today. the fog was so thick driving to work today, i realized that sometimes it's okay to enjoy the lack of sun. sometimes you just need a break.

my ipod rocked this morning. you know, it was one of those times when the "random" setting spits out a great line of songs. here was my line up this morning (i love that i only have a "five song commute"):

1. "Thanks A Lot" - Third Eye Blind
2. "Girl Like That" - Matchbox 20
3. "Jumper" - Third Eye Blind
4. "I Do" - Lisa Loeb
5. "My Maria" - Brooks & Dunn

these songs all reminded me of CD's that i used to listen to all the time. and not on shuffle or anything. straight through, over and over. i loved them. seriously, matchbox 20's first album..."3am," "Damn," and "Real World." third eye blind...totally my awkward middle school days. those are classics. and i'm not ashamed to admit that i will STILL listen to those all the way through. and still know every single lyric.

we're going to great america tomorrow!!

hell on earth...or at least in california...

at some point i started a list of things i do and don't miss about texas. and with my one year anniversary of leaving the lone star state is coming up this friday, i thought it would be appropriate to mention some things i learned this weekend:

i do not miss the texas heat and mugginess
i wish air conditioning was standard in california
grass fires are NOT as cool as they might seem
angels DO come in the form of strangers selling A/C window units on craiglist.com

this weekend was a record setter in norcal. the creek is 113 degrees yesterday. one hundred thirteen f'ing degrees. don't believe me? look:

this was early in the afternoon...at 5:30pm, it read 113*
(click picture for article)

i don't think it EVER got that hot in texas. if it did, it was only because of the heat index. which we we're also "blessed" with the past few days. for the first time since moving west i have actually felt humidity. the nights are still and damp and it doesn't "cool down" until 3am.

unfortunately my family tried to escape the texas summer heat with a trip to visit, but that failed. understanding our suffering, my mom graciously purchased an A/C unit for our house. which was good because candles we're melting, cats we're panting, and people we're getting grumpy as the inside of the house climbed to a mild 99 degrees on saturday afternoon.

thankfully sunday we all left the east bay heat and explored the cooler, shaded muir woods, stinson beach area, and golden gate bridge. it was a nice change of pace. if you are interested in our local travels, check out pictures here, on theblackstripe.com.

family ties...

so my family (mom, 2 brothers, and sister) arrive today. they made a 2 day pit stop in vegas on the way and are currently waiting at the airport to board their plane. this is the first time they have been to visit since i moved...only knowing of my west coast life via pictures and blogs. i'm really anxious to show them around town and have them see tim and my's house.

speaking of tim, i'd like to make a public apology...i have been pretty darn stressed this week trying to prepare for the visitation. it's not that i'm stressed about them being here - i couldn't be more excited - but it's just making sure everything is "just right" that's getting to me. and i've probably, no, i know i have, taken a lot of that out on him. so thanks, and i'm sorry.

but finally, the house is clean, we went grocery shopping to stock up on food, and the living room is fully prepared for a sibling sleepover. i'm going to let the boys and the sister sleep at the house a few nights, mainly to give my mom a good night's rest without children...but also so i can stay up late hangin' out with the best brothers and sister i could ask for. (seriously, can you tell i miss them??) i'm sure there will be pictures and tales-a-plenty to come!

---
on a random side note, here's a few interesting things i came across while "reading the paper" (what i like to call scrolling through all of the blogs/news forums i read):

• retro phones. geeze, i'm only 23 and phones i remember using as a kid are already "retro." is it just me or is time speeding up? fashion and trends of less than 30 years ago are already catching up? before we know it yesterday's clothes are going to be the cool, retro look...
• i love pirates, but this is just TOO much. and absolutely hilarious.
• talking toilettes? really? guys...how do you feel about this?
  

for laughing's sake...

found this thanks to blithe's sugestions, and then tim's putzing.
check it out, most of them are pretty funny.
just click the picture.

monday morning meanderings...

(i love alliteration...it's my favorite literary tool)

so i visit this site called "the big question" every day. and often the questions force me to think about things i haven't pulled from the depths of my memory's filing cabinet for months or even years. or it will leave me questioning the way i feel about things or events. i highly recommend it to anyone who has a daily "blog roll" that they check, it's good fun reading other people's answers and submitting your own.

anyway, today's question was " when was the first time you ever drank alcohol? what was it, where were you, and who were you with?" such a good question, i thought, so i wanted to share it with other people besides those who also visit TBQ.

when i was growing up my mom was always pretty cool about things, including drinking. around age 12 or 13 (i think), she let me have sips of wine at christmas dinner or during special occasions. i never had my own full glass, but when i reached high school she told me that if i ever wanted to try drinking she'd prefer me to do it in the house, where she can supervise me. and that she'd much rather this occur than me run off to some huge un-supervised party, get wasted off my ass, and have nobody to take care of me should i get sick. i never really took her up on this offer, not because i ran off to those crazy parties (i didn't really hang with that crowd), but because i really wasn't interested.

until the summer after my junior year in high school. at that time, things with my current boyfriend were a tad rocky and he was out of town. while i was stuck with nobody to hang out with, and most of my girlfriends 40 miles away or on family vacation, i started chilling with my cousin alyssah and her boyfriend at the time. they hung out with a semi-older crowd (18-24) and often went to house parties in the friendswood-pearland area that i lived in. so one weekend they invited me to one of these shindigs and i accepted the offer.

i didn't know anybody there except them, but was quickly introduced to mike's friends (some of which played in his band) and their girlfriends. we got their early so to pass the time we sat around and talked, but the party picked up soon after that when the keg arrived. at this point i had never tried beer, and i really had no desire to. i hadn't heard great things and i had already decided that i preferred hard liquor - even with out having tried it. but my opinion quickly changed when i was introduced to parker.

he was mike's best friend from high school, about 2 years older than me, and skated (he even built a halfpipe in the backyard) - a far cry from my current beau. he was the coolest thing i had ever seen. so when he offered to get me a beer, my stomach said no, but my 17 year old heart screamed "YES!" and so it began.

we spent the rest of the night sitting in the back yard of the house, talking and flirting. i sipped my beer slowly, and indifferently. i didn't really care what it tasted like, i was too enthralled in whatever words were coming out of his mouth. he actively tried to get me to call my boyfriend and break up with him, claiming i was the "coolest, most beautiful girl he'd ever met" (or something like that - i'd have to pull out my old diary to be sure). when i finished my first cup, he got up and pumped the keg for another.

i only had about 2 and a half cups, which did give me a buzz, but soon my ride was leaving. so i parted ways with my first true tastes of alcohol, and the boy, but we both met again later that week...and a few other times over the summer...never in excess, but just enough to create some great memories to look back on when i'm not anxious to start another work week, 6 years later.

a few things from my monday night...

okay, i admit it, i watch (and LOVE) hell's kitchen. chef ramsey's ability to drop the f-bomb four or five times in a matter of minutes makes him my hero. i also am a fan of the fact that he uses the word "donkey" when insulting certain chefs on the show. if you've never seen the show, just watch it for that reason alone. an angry brittish man yelling "YOU ARE A DONKEY!" has got to be one of the most entertaining things i've ever seen. but what i really want to talk about here is sara, one of the female "chefs."

now, i don't usually get passionate about reality TV, i just watch it because i see the trailor and get addicted. and i have nothing to do after work in the evenings. but this girl, i have a TRUE hatered of. i think it might even be more of a hatred than i feel toward tom cruise. and if you know me, you know how much i hate that scientology loving, female/baby imprisoning, self-loving man. sara though...i want to kick her in the face and shove a turbot up her ass. i have never hated a reality show contestant more. oh, and it's justified, trust me. this woman is out to filet, grill, and eat the souls of the other chefs. she is seriously the most manipulative bitch i've ever seen in my entire life. woman, this is NOT survivor. i understand there is a restaurant on the line, but seriously...you don't have to be so blatent about how much you don't give a rat's ass about the other chefs. and to a degree, while they might be your competitors, you have to work with them.

but as much as i want her kicked off, i cross my fingers she won't be elimated every week, just so my hatered grows, and when she finally gets kicked off i can celebrate with a joyful dance around my living room.

on another note, last night my cat began a hobby of stunt tricks. i think he might be trying out to replace evil knievel or something. after hearing some rustling in the kitchen, tim and i got up to check out the noise. as i walked in, all i see is a paper bag falling...not even falling, more like hurdling, off the top of the fridge. suddenly, zeke comes darting out, tail in full fluff, and runs straight under the bed. i'm not sure what he was doing, but i nearly hyperventilated laughing at the whole situation. he also practiced his sideways circle running by spinning around the center of his "kitty condo" sideways, while sharpening his claws. now that takes talent people...true talent.

and finally, back to the kitchen. i don't cook. well, i do, but it's rarely good. and ususally pretty basic if i do. for example: steak sandwiches = left over steak, hamburger buns, slice of cheese. heat in oven for 10-12 minutes, or until bun is lightly toasted. served with a side of chips. that's my idea of a meal. and this is my idea of the ideal kitchen setup:

please note the laptop next to the cooking area
(mom, you're sorta in this picture too...i was talking to you on AIM)

4th of july recap...

...can be found here.

but here's the week in picture form...

me and erin...doing the adpi thing the night they arrived...

we went to mt. diablo on the 4th.
we climbed some rocks.
and played in caves...

tim even made his "cave face" for us...

then we came home and did some 4th of july grilling...

and watched some fireworks.
our neighbors invited us to watch their illegal display in the street.
it was really, really cold...

but they we're pretty!

the end

happy fourth of july eve...

i feel like this weekend was just a tease. i go home early friday, have two days off, and have to return to work today, only to have tomorrow off again!? i tell you what, i'm not going to know which day it is after all this craziness! sure, i could have taken a vacation day today, but i need to save those for when my mom, brothers, and sister visit later this month.

so what did i do this weekend, you ask? (because i'm sure YOU, who probably has fourth of july eve off is sitting around on your ass reading blogs. it's more likely you're reading this july 5th while recovering from a long day in the sun accompanied by a lot of drinking.) this weekend i cleaned for the arrival of erin and jeff. while their trip got a little later start than expected, they will arrived today! i'm looking forward to showing off the new digs to people and seeing how house guests #2 and #3 like staying at our place.

tim and i also rented some movies this weekend...an interesting array i might add. "date movie," "ultraviolet," and "the hills have eyes." being the scary movie lover that i am, i was eager to watch "the hills," so we popped it in. it wasn't what i expected at first...i didn't really picture the whole story going down in the middle of the new mexico desert, but it worked and the plot wasn't too bad. until the intense "radioactive mutants burning the father at the stake while raping the two daughters and holding a gun at an infant's head" scene. i wanted to turn it off about 3 seconds into that part, but my eyes we're glued open in horror and fear. when i finally could form words i asked tim if we could please not watch any more, and he gladly agreed. suddenly, after turning it off i found myself shaking and breathing uncontrollably with tears running down my face. no, i'm not a cry-baby. if you don't believe me, go rent the movie and fast forward about 30 minutes into it. you'll understand. the image of that scene was burned into my head and absolutely scared the bejesus out of me. i don't think i have ever been that effected by a horror movie, and i know for sure that i don't ever want to be again. so my review: scarier than hell people, scarier than hell.

needless to say, "date movie" was a nice change of pace...

i also visited our city's newest arrival: H&M. yes, that's right, be jealous. i have an H&M 6 blocks from my house. i can go there any time i want. just to drool if i want (which i did several times while it was being constructed...just ask tim). i probably shouldn't have spent the money i did, but how can you not justify getting a pair of pants, a dress skirt, and 5 shirts for $100. had a walked across the street to nordstrom’s i would have been able to purchase a pair of shorts, a tank top, and half a pair of underwear for that amount. so for all of you thinking about visiting me...you now have another reason, besides the fact that i am the coolest person you know.

and that pretty much brings my weekend to a close. oh, we watched "ultraviolet" last night. my summary: fight scene, hair/wardrobe color change, poor character development, fight scene, crazy motorcycle stunts, fight scene, fight scene, attempt at a touching moment, fight scene. the end.