So far in '09

Apparently in '09 I have been too busy to blog. Okay, so this is only semi truthful, I suppose I just haven't had anything stellar to write about. Well, that and Facebook addiction may have something to do with it as well.

I think my relationship with Facebook is love/hate. Some days it is so fun to log on and get a little peek into everyone's every day lives. Yet, other days, it is the last thing I want to think about. Especially when everyone at work is talking about Mafia Wars- which I definitely don't understand.

For you Non-Facebookers Mafia Wars is a game that you can play on Facebook. Generally when you think of a "game" there is a point to said game...However, with Mafia Wars basically you just click on things. Yup, that's it. A whole bunch of clicking. I just don't get it? The non stop chatting about Mafia Wars and so-n-so's bank deposit and recruiting and blah blah blah definitely contributes to the "hate" side of the Facebook relationship.

So to sum up '09 so far I have spent the majority of my time hating and loving Facebook. Sad, really...I guess this is what happens when you spend half your time at work!

Goodbye to '08!

1. What did you do in 2008 that you’d never done before?
Went on a "real" vacation, two of them actually! I went to Cancun for 10 days with my girlfriend, Chawnta and went to Maui for a week with my friend Desiree and her boyfriend and some of their friends.

2. Did you keep your new year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
I did make a resolution last year. It was to not be such a push over. I am still working on it. I think I have made some progress, but I'm not quite there yet...I am refusing to make a resolution this year. Maybe I will just continue to work on last years.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
Yes! my friend Jenny had her first baby. A beautiful little girl! We can't wait until she is old enough for 4H and horse shows!

4. Did anyone close to you die?
Unfortunately, yes.

5. What countries did you visit?
Mexico, and mini-Mexico (aka the Swap Meet in San Jose, CA)

6. What would you like to have in 2009 that you lacked in 2008?
Will power to not eat an entire bag of cheetos while at work...

7. What dates from 2008 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?July 3rd, my condo closed on that day and I officially became a homeowner!

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Probably buying my own place. It is ever so nice to know my hard earned money is going towards equity, and not just "down the drain"...

9. What was your biggest failure?
I don't think I "failed" at anything. Technically speaking...


10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
Yes and yes. My tummy issues from '07 carried over to '08 and are still going on. I would like to thank my family and friends and co-workers for putting up with all the belching and puking...(not a pretty picture huh?) As far as the injury report goes I pretty much broke my foot on the ill-fated river raftingt trip when a giant boulder fell on my foot, and then to add insult to injury Char stepped on it. I had a nice prescription for some vicodin and a fancy boot and some crutches.

11. What was the best thing you bought?
The dolphin excursion when Chawnta and I were in Mexico. It was the coolest experience ever! We got to swim in the ocean with the dolphins and they even pushed us through the water by our feet.

12. Whose behavior merited celebration?
Mine, of course! Um just kidding...I am going to say my Auntie V. She was in a terribly bad car accident and almost didn't make it alive to Harborview when they airlifted her. She has such a determined attitude and strong will, that thankfully she is still with us and is on the road to recovery.

13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
A very good friend of mine, who is smart and educated yet they are still "involved" with someone who is very very bad...

14. Where did most of your money go?
My condo and all the fun new furnishings for it, and vacations! Best money spent, ever!

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
Vacations of course! And any time off from work really, since I worked copious amounts of overtime.

16. What song will always remind you of 2008?
"Low" Flo Rider!!!, Any Britney song, "Watching Airplanes" Garey Alan

17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
a) happier or sadder? Happier
b) thinner or fatter? Same
c) richer or poorer? Same. I actually make more money, but I also spend more.

18. What do you wish you’d done more of?
Seen friends and family. I feel like I am ALWAYS at work!


19. What do you wish you’d done less of?
Over time! (Do you sense a theme here?)

20. How did you spend Christmas?
I worked Christmas Eve, woke up Christmas day and had brunch and opened presents with Mark. Then I had to go back to work Christmas day from 6pm-2am. Not very Christmasy!

21. Did you fall in love in 2008?
With Fro Yo (inside joke..)


22. What was your favorite TV program?
I don't reallly have a favorite. But I must say I am a fan of Grey's Anatomy.

23. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year?
I don’t hate anyone new. Actually, I don't hate anyone really. Oh wait, I hate those people who park in front of their garages at my Condo complex and not in an actual parking space- even though they are only 5 feet further away! Come on people!

24. What was the best book you read?
Bitter is the New Black. Absolutely hilarious!

25. What was your greatest musical discovery?
Probably Duffy, or Mirah. They are both pretty good. Oh, and of course the rediscovery of Britney Spears!

26. What did you want and get?
I wanted my own place, and I got it!

27. What did you want and not get?
A powder blue beetle convertible. I did not get it. Dang!!

28. What was your favorite film of this year?
I didn't get to watch too many movies. But I really liked 27 Dresses. Such a girl, I know...

29. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
I turned 26. We went over to Leavenworth for Oktoberfest and got all dressed up in the little beer maid outfits.

30. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
Less work, more play!

31. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2008?Whatever I didn't feel fat in. That pretty much covers it.

32. What kept you sane?
Tylenol PM and Reisling. Totally kidding! Ok, well maybe mostly kidding. My friends and family.

33. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
I don't really "fancy" famous people. The notion just seems a bit strange to me.

34. What political issue stirred you the most?
Having to watch inane amounts of political advertisements. Ugh

35. Who did you miss?
Pretty much everyone, since I work all the freakin time.

36. Who was the best new person you met?
Perhaps it was Jeff...haha SKOAL!!!!

37. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2008.
Life's tough, wear a helmet. Or if you are river rafting don't wear flip flops...Same thing pretty much.


38. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year.
"Talking about a bunch of shift work. A big ol' pile of shift work.
Work seven to three, Three to eleven, Eleven to seven"

I giant bedazzled heart Coffee!!!

Somedays, like today especially, life is crazy. Life in general, and especially work. But now I have a Peppermint Mocha from Starbucks, and I am HAPPY. Well, honestly I will be much happier when I get to go home at 2am. But for not the mocha, and cracking jokes about Char's mom will tide me over!

Let the Holidays Begin!

" Where do you think you're going? Nobody's leaving. Nobody's walking out on this fun, old-fashioned family Christmas. No, no. We're all in this together. This is a full-blown, four-alarm holiday emergency here. We're gonna press on, and we're gonna have the hap, hap, happiest Christmas since Bing Crosby tap-danced with Danny fucking Kaye. And when Santa squeezes his fat white ass down that chimney tonight, he's gonna find the jolliest bunch of assholes this side of the nuthouse." - Clark W. Griswold


After sufficiently stuffing myself with all of the Thanksgiving goodness- turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing, green bean casserole, pumpkin pie and whatnot one of my favorite things to do is watch the BEST HOLIDAY MOVIE EVER to officially kick off the "holiday" season.

If you have never seen "National Lampoons Christmas Vacation" then I take pity on you, and wonder if you have a sense of humor, or if your family didn't own a tv growing up....Cause no matter how many times I watch that movie it manages to crack me up. Often, I find myself quoting lines from this movie even when its not the holiday season....("Nice Clark, Real nice!" - Eddie Griswold)

So if you find yourself in a triptophan induced food coma tomorrow I highly recommend that you watch this movie. I guarantee it will have you in the holiday spirit in no time! Happy Thanksgiving!

On Top of My Game!

So maybe it's the fact that I literally get ZERO holidays this year- I work Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve and Christmas day. Or maybe it's that my mom called me the other day and said we weren't doing presents this year. Also, it could be that once I get a project in my mind, it's all I can focus on until I get it done! Most likely it is a combination of all these things....So, not to brag, but I am done with my Christmas shopping....And done with handmaking almost 60 Christmas cards, and addressing them all too. I know, before Thanksgiving even...Somewhat miraculous, huh? I wonder if Martha Stewart would be jealous?

I must admit, I have even been itching to put up my Christams decorations already too! However, I blame this desire on my Mom. Growing up we couldn't even put the decorations up until the 15th of December, and they absolutely had to come down the day after Christmas. Now that I am an "adult" (it still doesn't feel like I really am...)I put them up as early as possible (read: the day after Thanksgiving) and don't take them down until January 2nd. I figure I need to squeeze in a lot of "Christmas decor" to make up for the fact that I won't really get to celebrate any of the holidays. I will have to settle for looking at the pretty tree that will be in the corner of my living room.

Tomorrow is not a guarantee

I had finally turned 16. Which meant I could drive!! Glorious freedom. Especially for a girl with lots of extra curricular activities. Driving on my own it meant I could go and visit my friends who lived in another town. These friends were my "horse family" since my parents didn't own a trailer or take me to horse shows.

I remember how excited I was when we were going out of town for a horse show, or concert or camping. I would maybe be a little too excited while driving up my friend Jenn's driveway. There was a posted speed limit sign "5 MPH", and several "SLOW" signs as well. I always thought 5 mph was a snails pace and usually pushed it to 10-15 mph...Well, okay maybe 25...

Once I reached the end of the gravel driveway, I'd park my car and race to the back porch, where I would be met by Mike, Jenn's dad. He'd usually be out back smoking a cigarette or getting a soda that they always kept on the back porch (pepsi). He'd greet me with "Breezee, you know the speed limit. If you keep driving like that your gonna be out there filling pot holes". And he meant it!

Several times I pulled into the Germano's driveway to be greeted by Mike, or Dan, Jenn's boyfriend, shoveling gravel out the back of the pick up truck. I wouldn't be allowed passage up the driveway until I got out and filled a few potholes as well.

It was a small price to pay to be able to spend time with the Germano's listening to Mike's funny stories, going to horse shows with Jenn, her mom and brother and basically being "adopted" into their family as one of their own.

I told this story at Mike's funeral on Friday. He passed away at the age of 49, unexpectedly. Mike was a great guy, and his family is a testiment to that. I feel blessed to have known him, and blessed to still be a part of the Germano's "family". Even though I rarely get to see them they are the kind of friends that you can go weeks, or maybe even months without seeing them, but when you do it feels as if no time has passed at all.

My thoughts and prayers are with them, I know they will miss Mike so very much.

A Much Needed Respite

As of late it seems all I have been doing is working, working, working and then more working on top of that! I told a friend of mine that my days have all gone like this: work, sit on my butt at work, eat, go home, feed animals, shower, sleep (or at least try to) and then repeat for another 5 days. After 6 days of this, then I *might* get a day off, and then back at it for 6 days. September was especially rough. Largely due to the Puyallup Fair. This year the Fair's motto was "Epic Fun". However, I don't consider 86 hours of overtime in 3 weeks "Epic Fun". In fact, I don't think anyone in their right mind would consider that any fun at all!

By some small miracle though, I managed to pull off some time trades, comp days and one day of vacation to scrape together a trip to Hawaii! Needless to say, I am beyond myself excited and can't wait to enjoy some sun, outdoors, and a break from working like a dog! Some of my excitement for my trip is overshadowed by the fact that a family member of mine is still in the TICU at Harborview. My thoughts will definitely still be with my Aunt and my family as I am enjoying the sunshine, sand and water in Maui.

Hopefully I will come back rested, tan, with a "happy to be back at work" attitude and lots of good news on my Aunt's recovery.

I will have a mai tai for all of you......Aloha!