Wednesday, December 22, 2010

How sweet it was...

I am amazed at how quickly 2010 came and went. I'm generally a big promoter of moving up and on and getting my resolutions ready for the next year, but 2010 was so full of things I thought I would reflect on all that went down.

Let Downs :/
  • Didn't go to Macchu Picchu
  • Had to get rid of Saabi
  • Gained 20 lbs. (yea! I know, scary) - I already have the resolution for this one
  • Lazied on tennis after August
  • Didn't take the GMAT....again
  • Didn't run more races

Achievements :)
  • Saw my first live Celtics game at TD Garden in Boston
  • Participated in my first season of mixed doubles
  • Won a tennis tournament (Calabassas Country Club)
  • Pueblo Ingles teens 2010
  • Traveled through Spain, France, Turkey and Germany with my love
  • Got a new car
  • Attended my first PRSA International Conference
  • Filed my taxes on time
  • Ran in 2 10K's
  • Adopted my adorable Chaka
  • Celebrated the last birthday of my 20's
  • Kicked Coffee (I like to celebrate the small victories too)
  • Got engaged to be married
  • Began planning my wedding
  • Became a chocolatier

Overall it has been a pretty stellar year. I can't wait to see what happens in 2011, I already know of a couple pretty important milestones that will take place. It should be interesting. I will get on the 'list' of resolutions that I have...However, today (while in the gym), I realized that sometimes my over planning is self defeating and I should continue to follow the one motto that I have always loved "Just do it!"

Good luck on your resolutions and Happy Holidays!

Thursday, December 9, 2010

DETOX...It's time!

This should really be categorized as an entry under "Adventures of a Chronic Dieter," but I felt that detox was a much better name for what I'm about to do. I'm going back to when I was less affected by everything around me and becoming pure Ronjini, as I like to call it.

I used to be a fitness/tennis fanatic! I used to continuously improve myself! I used to fit into my clothes! Moreover I used to look good in my clothes. I used to go out during the weekdays and not act like an old cat lady, and I used to not have to drink coffee.

So let's get back to that! When I say let's, of course I mean "I". I have started the engine to changing my habits. Coffee....GONE! Working out...started again this week! Tennis...started again this week! Go out at least once during the week....Pajama Party tonight!

I'm about 25 pounds overweight and I act about 5 years older than I am. This is my public vow to get back to 2004 (right out of college and fabulous).

Here I go!

Monday, November 22, 2010

A November to Remember- birthdays, engagements, thanksgiving and more...

As the end of the month approaches I realize a few things:
1) I did not write enough on the blog this month (even though I intended to several times)
2) Time goes by, whether you want it to or not
3) Regimen is key
4) Anyone can surprise you
5) Getting older does not have to be a bad thing...totally!

A lot of things happened to me this month. Early this month, I had a birthday, which I was completely not ready for. As the day approached I was left feeling listless and unfulfilled. Just one of those moods I guess. It comes and goes with the rain sometimes. The closer my birthday got, however, the happier I got.

I had dinner with my closest friends in Long Beach and participated in a mean game of Scrabble afterwards. Having everyone over, just reinforced the fact that I desperately want to move to a new place, preferably a small bungalow house in Long Beach. Our lease isn't up until the end of January, but I haven't been able to stop myself from preemptively paroozing on Craigslist for available listings. It looks promising. All in all, my birthday turned out to be great and I don't feel any older.

Another thing happened on my birthday, my love decided that he was ready to propose. It's a cute story, perhaps I'll save that for my next blog. Regardless, after spending my birthday working, checking in with the doctor and going on a lovely hike. Beno proposed to me in a garden up in Santa Monica. I could tell he was nervous, but I couldn't stop smiling. The ring is one that I had spotted out when we were in Turkey this past summer, very untraditional and very unique. It was an experience that was greater than I expected it to be.

Now, Thanksgiving is upon us. One of my favorite holidays, as I love anything pumpkin flavored. We're going to be spending Thanksgiving with Beno's family, while my parents are living it up in Vegas (I think it's a tradition now :).

I have decided to take the GMAT in February 2011, which will be a tricky one, because work will become very busy with our recent lineup and plans for next year. Beno has decided to take his NASM certification at the same time, so at least I will have a study partner.

What's next? The most important month of the year (at least as far as I'm concerned), stressful Xmas preparation, figuring out New Year's Eve and of course....planning my wedding. At least I know that next New Year's will be taken care of....Wedding date? 12/31/2011

I'm so excited for all that is to come and hoping the fiance is excited to. Although, I don't think any of this has phased him much. Oh...and the puppy! Chaka is great and is now a well-integrated member of the family, always keeping us on our toes, causing mischief and most of all looking adorable.

Happy Holidays everyone! Let the festivities begin.

Tuesday, November 2, 2010

5-hour energy

I feel like one of those people on the 5-hour energy commercial before they take 5-hour energy. However, I feel like that regularly lately. So much work to be done and so little time. I wish I didn't have so many hobbies and ambitions. Damn me for being so productive :).

I don't think that drinking these will get me through. It is tiring to keep up with myself and I don't feel like I'm finding enough time in the day to accomplish all that I want to. I'll have to figure something out soon!





Friday, October 29, 2010

One day....


I'll write a book about the mind melting pot that is my life, so that others don't have to go through the same thing.


Thursday, October 28, 2010

Red Plastic Cup - WFP


A couple of weeks ago, I had the pleasure of attending the PRSA International conference in Washington D.C., where Bettina Luescher of the World Food Programme was a speaker. She didn't talk about public relations, nor do I think she was really there to. What she talked about was the way that communication was changing and how it makes it easier for people to hear each other from all over the world. Specifically, she told us stories about the Haitian relief effort and how she got the phone number of one of the hottest A-list actors in the industry, George Clooney. Although her story was very entertaining and included a laundry list of celebrities and how they helped in the effort. The message that social media played a large role in raising enough money in a short amount of time to help remote areas during natural disasters, really plugged the message.

Personally, I think a lot of non-profit organizations are pretty annoying and I don't care much for them. That may sound rude, but its just the truth. I had not found an organization that I really believed in or felt made a great impact, although, I'm sure most of them do. When Bettina began to discuss one of the items that she brought to stage, I finally heard something that reached me. What was it?... A red plastic cup!

Bettina said that she took it everywhere she went to remind her and others that filling that red plastic cup can feed a child for a day. "Fill the Cup" is an International campaign to raise awareness and funds for the 59 million children in the world's developing countries, who go to school hungry. What she said was that $5 can feed a child for a month. A whole month! That really hit me and I wanted to do whatever I could to spread the word. It is one thing to donate to a beautiful cause like this, but since I work in public relations, I figured I would volunteer my skills and voice to further promote this grand effort.

Perhaps my audience in limited now, but I will continue to find ways to promote the 'fill the cup' campaign continuously. So please, don't get annoyed, you can just skip those blogs, emails or tweets if/when I do share them, but if you would like to make a real difference, this is one program that can make a difference in the way we care for each other on a global scale.

Wednesday, October 27, 2010

Inspiration or fact?

I found this quote this morning and I'm not sure if it inspired me or brought thoughts to the light.

“Be yourself. Follow your instincts. Success depends, at least in part, on the ability to "carry it off."” - Donald Rumsfeld

Whether in business, in life or in relationships this quote holds true. Maybe it's because I live in California, or become people are becoming less in touch with themselves with the forward movement of technology; but I think a lot of people have trouble pulling this off.

I find this quote resonating with the way I pursue life and have even felt the success that he describes. You cannot gain anything but success when you're being yourself (which includes being honest with yourself and ethical). I guess I thought I would share this to remind people that success is partly instinctual and staying true to your values. If, in what you do, you are not pursuing those two things, success will be difficult to get to.

If you don't feel it with your whole heart, try something else!

Monday, October 25, 2010

I took a hiatus....


But now I'm back. There's so much to talk about, but so little blog space. I should really write more regularly. Well...this will be an update on my furry friend, Chaka. We took him to the dog beach yesterday for the first time (for all of us). It's crazy to see how dogs interact with each other, and great to see my pup enjoy the beach as much as I do.


Rosie's Dog Beach in Long Beach is awesome. It is the only legal off-leash dog beach in Los Angeles county, which had me astonished with the amount of dogs that are in LA County. I am lucky enough to live right there and be within 15 minutes. It was a beautiful fall Sunday when we went over to Belmont shores. I never knew that Long Beach was so beachy, even after living here for more than 5 years of my life.

I was so used to beaches like San Clemente and Salt Creek, that I never even fathomed that there would be pretty beaches in Long Beach. But Alas, there were some really nice areas that you can run, walk, play volleyball, sun bathe, all that jazz and moreover, take your pup. Chaka got a very thorough bath that day, but he loved every minute of the beach. The more time I spend with my cute lil' guy, the more I understand and appreciate how much people love their pets. They are really like an extension of your family and they have their own personalities and they are there for you when you need them.

It takes a little adjustment to get used to a pet and how to take care of him, but for the most part, he is no trouble at all and has made me way more productive and focused in my day-to-day life. Now, I just have to get back on my workout track and everything will be kosher.

I'm working on Ronjini 2004, that was a good year for me physically! :) Wish me luck.

Monday, October 11, 2010

The big picture...

What is the big picture? Does it have to be big? How big must it be? Can I just think its big? Does size matter? Is bigger better? How about I just make a regular picture that suits me nicely?

I am done.

Friday, October 1, 2010

The 'Cone of Shame'

It has been almost two weeks and this damn doggie cone is still on Chaka's head. I don't know if it bothers him more or me. The poor guy can't scratch his ear or play with other dogs really.

Above all, he is starting to get a little stinky and I would like to give the little fella a bath. I can't wait until Sunday when we can finally take it off and he can rejoin the cone-free world.

On another note, he is taking his time in the cone very well and it seems to frame his ever so cute face even more. His preciousness abounds me even when he is naughty. His daddy and myself are very proud of the little bugger and I am happy to report that he has had no accidents in the house for about a week. He now knows how to sit and lay down, we're working on dance moves next!

Love you Chaka!

Tuesday, September 21, 2010

Adventures of a Chronic Dieter - entry XXX???

So my plan this week was to workout in the morning before I go to work. Morning - 2; Ronjini - 0. I did so good last week and don't know what happened, but with every exhale and piece of clothing I try on...FROM MY OWN CLOSET, my desperation for going to the gym gets worse.

I realize it takes a certain motivation and balance of time in life, but my energy has waded with this new puppy and the amount of work I do. Once I'm back on a schedule, I should be good. Maybe I'll set some short-term goals to kick start my momentum.

Goals for this week:
- Drink WATER, no soda (or minimal soda)
- Workout everyday for the rest of the week (Tuesday - Sunday)
- No eating lunch out (that's what kills me most of the time)
- sleep by 11, awake by 5
- no carbs after 7

This is aside from the dozen other personal things I should take care of, yay! Its Tuesday.

Allright folks, here I go again!

Friday, September 17, 2010

Some people are cool...some people are NOT!

I decided I needed to get this off my chest to progress with my day and this post may possibly not exsist for more than a few days. I don't understand how someone can argue with 'facts' that they made up, because they need to win. Especially when winning doesn't affect them, but more the person that they are arguing with.

I keep the contents of this particular post vague to protect the parties involved, but I'm not sure why. They should be put on blast for their disgusting behavior. Fruthermore, you can't talk to someone who is not willing to really embrace and understand the other person.

That is all.

Monday, September 13, 2010

Chaka

We named our new Cairn Terrier, Chaka...here's why:



Except he is way cuter and more loveable.

Sunday, September 12, 2010

Special Delivery.

It was a beautiful Sunday morning as we woke up in Long Beach to a fantastic sunny day. I was too tired to wake up at 6am to make it for the Santa Monica 10K, but I had bigger plans ahead of me.

After some coffee, I made my way to the Alamitos Bay Farmers Market. There were gorgeous fresh fruits, vegtables and other homemade goods, but I wasn't there for that. Off into the distance near the harbor with the boats, was Hearts for Hounds...There awaited a cute brown Cairn Terrier, temporarily named Tate!

After about 20 minutes of walking 'Tate', it was over. This little pup had the courage of 10 pups, barking at any dogs bigger than himself. With an over exerted Napolean complex and fun loving personality, 'tate' became the newest member of my family. As soon as we got home, he found his spot and plopped down next to me.


He has a little trouble getting into cars and there's a lot of training ahead of us, but I am excited to be on this adventure. We're still working on his name, so far we have Chaka, Rugby, Napolean and Spaz in the running. What do you think?

p.s.: Of course we bought stuff from the Farmer's Market too.

Friday, September 10, 2010

Curveballs and Decisions


Some things that come around, you would never expect to happen to you in a million years. The only thing that you can do is to have confidence in yourself to overcome those strange curveballs in life that may come your way. The real outcome is the way to handle, deal and overcome every situation. Most people end up cracking at the thought of something 'out of the normal' happening to them. As long as you have confidence in yourself and think things through (or maybe not think things through sometimes) then decision making is much easier. It is not about making the best of what you have...It is about making what you have, the best!

Although I love the idea of destiny, luck and fate; nothing comes to you unless you make it happen. I think that's why people often make fun of or reject the 'I can't', because it just doesn't make sense most times. There is a way to do and figure out everything that life throws you and all you can do is your best to make the right decisions for yourself, despite what others may think or say. No I had no major decisions to make, but a lot to think about. When it comes down to it, you can only look within yourself to find answers that you need.

Keep your head clear and march forth my friends!

Thursday, September 2, 2010

Return to planet normal...


So I have been back home for a little over a week now and have started new routines and gotten used to the time. I feel like I wake up, workout, work, go home and pass out. My energy has been a little low, however it's possibly because I thought it was a good idea to give up caffeine (I've resolved that problem today).

My new wake-up and workout schedule has been working really well for me, but it's difficult for me to stay up at night after I get home. I feel like I just make dinner and plop on the couch...and there is no return from that. My productive self has slowly been pushing me to wake up earlier to get things done, but I'd really like to stay up longer and see more of the day. I need regain control of my schedule so that I can fight the good fight against time.

Managing yourself as a business is so difficult. There are way too many things that I need to get done in a day. I feel like I over-promise and under-deliver, something that I have always vowed never to do to clients, but keep doing to myself.

Lists are beginning to mean nothing to me. There are no consequences to my personal laziness and if there are, I have already lived with them and they aren't bad enough company where I care. I guess it boils down to the fact that I'm not really a patient person and generally want everything to be done and dealt with yesterday and if it takes longer than that, I feel I have no control. Ah well...we are home, happy, healthy and ready to move forward. Maybe now that I got this out on screen, I can make myself accountable.

I did bribe myself with shopping, which may just work!

Monday, August 23, 2010

The road to home (Istanbul, Cologne, Frankfurt)...

The past week has been a crazy busy one, mostly with work. We closed out our trip to Istanbul by getting a lot of souveneirs, heading to a fancy nightclub called Reina, an extensive carpet showing at a Turkish rug showroom, eating lunch & smoking Hookah (for my first time) on the Bosphorous and wandering around the Grand Bazaar...and when we were just getting used to life at Taksim Square it was time to head to Cologne, not without purchasing another piece of luggage to haul all of our new treasures home. It makes you wonder a little when the guy at the bazaar asks you" "Would you like to purchase something you don't need?" Regardless, we got out souveneirs our new USSARO luggage and headed back to Ataturk airport.

Now it was off to Cologne (or Koln), where Gamescom was waiting for me.

On Sunday evening getting to Cologne, we got on a train headed in the wrong direction and finally got to the Marriott Cologne at about 11:00 p.m. Cologne is a nice city, heading out to grab some food, the first thing we noticed was the Dom. Half of the building was covered in fog and just gave out this increadibly creepy vibe. Eat your heart out Notre Dame, these gargoyles were scary in the fog or in the sun, as it finally cleared up on Friday. The whole week consisted of light rain and overcast weather and me with very little warm clothing. Crossing the bridge to head over to a Gamescom event on Thursday, we noticed the love locks on the bridge. Naturally, we decided to give 'love lockdown' a new meaning and get our own locks for the bridge, throwing the keys in the river to seal the deal. Then the one day (Friday) I decide to wear the one pair of pants I brought...it is blazing hot and I am profusely sweating from transporting boxes to the convention center.

Gamescom itself was a whole different beast. Days were filled with media interviews, marketing meetings, networking and checking out the main halls. I must say, those media interviews are tiring. I had my first run at being 'on camera' (3 times in one day), definitely not my forte, and talking about the Free2Play video game business. I was surprised how much I knew. Once I started it just started flowing out of me. Good experience, but I'll leave the interviews for the producers, the networking is much easier. Gamescom had a huge event on Thursday night with 3000 in attendance (still only a fraction of the attendees). With live performances and buffet's of food set out all over the venue, there were some still there until 4 am. Being the smart one, I headed in at 12.

The biggest success at Gamescom though? Seeding out more little GamersFirst green bags out into the planet (4000 to be exact)! Those obnoxiously colored bags should be our staple, a different neon color for each year.
"Oh you got that green one? That was back in 2010. No, no, I have the orange one, 2012."

Finally, we dispersed Cologne and got on a train to Frankfurt. Unfortunately (like in Paris), the rain pretty much took over the last day there and the morning (right now). It was nice to have a festival near our hotel, where there was International food. Even nicer was the Irish bar we went to, where I could finally get some Guiness and Cider in my system. Now it is POURING. With the extra baggage we bought in Istanbul and that heavy 19" Alienware computer we're trekking home, getting to the airport will be no picnic, but it's a nice feeling to be heading somewhere that we won't have to leave in a week.

After 14,961 miles, 42 days, 13 cities, 10 airports, 7 hotels, 6 countries, 3 suitcases, 2 train rides, and 1 pandemic we are finally going back to the comforts of home. Still together, healthy and ready for whatever comes next!

Wednesday, August 11, 2010

From Paris to Istanbul and then some.


What happened? I was just riding along my merry way on my bike tours and then bam! I get to Istanbul and catch a mean cold. My head is aching and my nose is try to get away from me. But I guess after nearly a month of travel, it was bound to catch up with me.

Before getting here to Istanbul, we spend 4 days in Paris. Which is not exactly a homely city by nature; but we had great advice from great friends and made the most of our days there. We were able to go on two bike tours that took us all around the city, the latter of which got us caught in the unpredictable Paris rain (which is why I suppose I'm sick now). We spent a beautiful day, champagne tasting in Epernay, and one crazy night in front of the Eiffel Tower with our new bike tour friends....waiting for the Tower to glimmer, then having a drink, eating pringles, having a drink, waiting for the Tower and then having a drink, and so on and so forth!

My favorite part of France, by far, was going to Versailles. The gardens are beautiful but we were only able to spend a few hours there, where we managed to walk the gardens, row a boat and eat lunch in the middle of the lake. I could have stayed there all day and I'm sure several people did (as they were passed out on the lawns). But we had to get back for our night bike tour and to climb the 2 floors (yea right!) of the Eiffel Tower.


We left France with one special souveneir that was acquired while at the Moet & Chandon house.

After becoming exhausted in Paris, Istanbul was a relief to arrive to. However it was 3 am and the taxi driver may have not been licensed, traveling at speeds unknown to human kind on the empty road. We were sure he was taking us somewhere else, when 40 mins. later we are finally in front of our hotel, right in the center of Taksim Square, a good place to be if you're not from around here.

So now...I'm looking forward to getting better and going down our "List of things to do while in Istanbul" on Friday and Saturday, with sprinklings tonight and tomorrow night. Now if only I could get a replacement head for the remainder of the week (to relieve this runny nose and headache), that would be a dream.

Stay tuned for updates!

Monday, August 2, 2010

The Massacre at Priego (aka Priego Pandemic)


**warning this is an account of real-life events, the content of this blog may boggle the imagination and reveal TMI aboutboth known and unknown parties; nontheless this blog was kept factual for the full effect of the event**

The morning started out like every other in our little Priego village in Cordoba, Spain (in the south). About a warm 90 degrees and walking up to the hotel restaraunt for breakfast, just like every other morning. The kids were awakening slowly yet surely and arriving at the breakfast hall. Once again we situated our little teen gems as anglo, spaniard, anglo, spaniard to promote the mixing of teens and speaking of English.

Getting to my cafe con leche con hielo, as I do every morning and setting aside a small muffin and toast for my breakfast, I prepared for another ridiculously hot day in Priego. It wasn't just any other day though. It was the last full day of camp where the kids would have a surprising amount of Free Time, perform a Talent Show and go to their camp-end party (aka dance, reason to kiss each other, last chance for romance, etc.).

The day got off to an active start. Everyone was hurriedly preparing for their talent show debuts, groups went off into Orange, Red, Blue, White, Black, Silver, Silver/Black, Green and Yellow. I am the leader of the Orange group a unmatched group of teens at Priego on every level...but that's another story ;).

We got through the day, through the practicing, through the talent show and now it was time to get ready for dinner, pack and dance the night away. Little did we know what lay ahead of us. Dinner came and appetites were surpressed (probably from the excitement of the night...or maybe not). Ana and Beno leave the dining hall feeling ill after the first course. Meals at Priego consist of two courses, salad and dessert. They are not the first ones to feel ill. Hours earlier, Tom had been talking about ill feelings and being sick. Ana and Beno sit for about 30 minutes before sickness strikes, both losing what they had consumed during the day. Beno is very sick and retires to his room to rest and hopefully muster up the strength to go to the dance later. I'm feeling fine and get prepared to chaperone these teen trouble makers. Ana is not sure if she's better or slowly getting worse. Only time will tell.

The dance ensues with all the normal teenage drama of he kissed her, she danced with me, they kissed in the corner, what the heck is Ronjini doing? etc, etc. There is something strange happening though...Amelia approaches crying and complaining of stomach pains, shortly after Enrique announces his misfortunate bathroom trip just minutes earlier, Andrea and Becci are next, along with a trickling few campers that slowly feel sick to their stomach (literally). The night progresses and one by one, stomach pains, tears and weakness terrorizes Priego. 15 down and everyone else at the dance, this night is just beginning at 1:30 a.m.

I've gone back to check on Beno for the 3rd time, things are not looking good, miserable in fact. With the count up to 15 the doctor is called to the camp. An ambulance shows up 15 minutes later and is directed towards Beno's room, he is the worst....or so we thought. After the doctors administer shots for nausea to 15 patients; dancers, campers and sickos all head to their rooms for a night's rest before departure the next day.

Night patrol begins. The counsellors (including myself) are weary from the tremendous amount of hours they have put in over the past 14 days. They somehow have gotten acclimated to the strange lifestyle of watching over 94 teenagers 24/7. Night patrol is up and at 'em as teens show no signs of slowing down on the last night, but something is more peculiar than most nights. The patient count continues to increase. From 1:30 a.m. to 8 a.m. the count increases to 20+ patients overnight.

Wake up call is at 8 am on the last day of camp to get everyone fed and ready for departure. This departure was not as planned however. The reception hall turned into an infermery. We see campers walking up to the reception hall, not to eat breakfast but with pale white and pink faces grasping their stomachs. Slowly, I can feel my pwn stomach churning and taking a similar fate to many of the patients that gained the sickness overnight. What is this? My answer: Food Poisoning. Aching bellies, vomiting, diarrhea and fever hit the camp hard and claimed more than 30 victims.

Not a good day to go down. Nearly half the campers were quarantined, seperated from their new made friends on the last departing day of camp. Tears were already aflood by 9:00 a.m. because these destined intercontinental soul mates were leaving each other, but quarantine? What had Priego come to? Pandemic...

The Priego Pandemic hit hard. Healthy campers were promised to see their new bosom buddies before departure. The sick campers were promised to be able to say goodbye to their friends if the situation called for it. The sight was a sad one. Doors were locked from outside to inside. You can see weaping campers on the terrace, desperate to get into the reception to say a farewell to the sobbing teens on the inside. It was like a scene out of a horror film (or a zombie film).

Three hours later, talks began of departure. Thank god. What else can go wrong? The Anglos and Spaniards, after 14 long grueling hot days together, were seperated into 2 busses. Each bus was piled with half sick teenagers that had been administered a shot to the butt to clear their symptoms. With the camp director and hotel insisting that this was a virus, who is to tell if patients were getting the most efficient medicine for the clearly apparent mass food poisoning that had occurred that night.

Desperate to leave the camp, I had claimed that I was better (seconds after making a visit to the bathroom) and that Beno would be fine to travel. We just wanted to get the hell out of Priego and somewhere air conditioned for recooperation.

We finally get on the bus. 5 hours later we arrive in Madrid, where Beno passes out in the hotel room and I am required to chaperone 22 teens with a fellow counsellor to dinner. Not feeling like eating, I had little and made a meal of Aquarius (a Spanish Gatorade), Sprite and 1/2 a quesadilla. After the extremely slow service of VIPS, we left to head back to the NH Zurbano. The sickness was not over. In the span of time 2 more patients, made themselves apparent. One directly outside of the restaraunt.

Reaching the hotel, I was desperate for sleep, but again....room checks. Does this never end????After making the rounds, and doing drop offs at the airport the next day, I took the recovering Beno and the recovered ME to the airport to head to Barcelona. The day from hell was finally over and behind us, but the memory of the Priego Pandemic will never be lost.

Sunday, July 25, 2010

Adventures from Spain

We are starting week 2 here in Spain and I am finally getting acclimated to the balance of working and....well...working. I'm not getting very much sleep here, but it's fun and poses a bit of a challenge in getting through each day.

I haven't had much free time and when I do, I work, so I finally decided to set some time aside to update all of my fans on the trip. Its going great so far, we are working, so its not easy or vacation-like quite yet.

After 2 weeks I got my SIM unlock code, to unlock my phone and use my International sim card. Geezus. In the meantime, we just started a week long murder mystery game where everyone at the camp has to secretly kill their victims, lots of fun and paranoia


In addition to that, the teens show off their talents on a daily basis and the Spaniards are increasingly improving their English with the patience of the Anglo teens. Of course there are trouble makers and drama, but that's the fun part.


The rumor amongst the teens is that Beno and I are a couple and we're moving to Spain. ;) Silly kids.

Thursday, July 15, 2010

Europe Adventures




Madrid is a beautiful city. Very Tired. Teenagers are Crazy and I really do love my work!
Videos later once I get to Cordoba.

Signing off...


Friday, July 9, 2010

Sports Talk - Green all the way...

I don't often enter into discussions about sports, more specifically basketball, because the truth is, I can't say I have a real loyalty anywhere and I'm not that die hard. However, my bf is a dedicated Celtics fan. Throughout this past basketball season, we have gone to Boston and cruised around to Irish bars to celebrate The Celtics.



Generally, women become bonded to teams through their mates, but I have no problems being in opposition. The case with The Celtics is different, however. After going through two seasons of pondering and watching them, I realize that the Celtics are a fantastic franchise and deserve my support.

Is that against what I should be doing being a Californian? I don't know... Traditionally, people supported the cities that they lived in, but don't you want to support good players too? Although, I did in fact root for the Lakers as a wee toddler, back when MJ, Worthy and Kareem were playing, I find it hard to get behind a one-man team (2 if you include Phil Jackson).

Some of you may disagree. I cannot deny that Phil Jackson is a great coach and if the Shaq/Kobe partnership wasn't dissolute then it would be hard for me to go against it. However, Celtics talent is crazy. The BIG THREE (Allen, Pierce and Garnett)? and now the BIG FOUR and possibly more like 6.

What I find greatly admirable about the Celtics is they truly play as a team, which is where they also breakdown because they are highly dependent on each other. I just think it shows so much sportsmanship and teamwork, which is what basketball is all about. Take Kobe out of the Lakers and you don't have a team.

Kobe is a Hollywood superstar, he can't really go anywhere, he's a Laker and he has fans; their called Laker fans. People attempt to go against the grain and say they love Fischer or Pau Gasol, but really? Even though Ron Artest roughed it out and got in some good ones in the finals, no one cares about his crazy ass. Kobe goes and down go Laker fans. If that ever happens, Kobe has to leave the state ASAP (you saw James jerzees last night on the news right?).It just seems weird to support such a lopsided team.

Although every team has their leaders, the Lakers are a bit ridiculous and the fans are just crazy and immature (which also deters me from supporting). This is my proclamation for the Celtics (for now). Of course, my first team is my home team the Hornets, but let's face it. They are not winning anytime soon, but they get an 'A' for heart.
What spurred this sports rant? This whole 'King James' crap.
"Dear Lebron,
I don't think you should have left the Cavs, but good for you for wanting to win and going somewhere where you feel you can make that happen. Coach Brown is an idiot and was totally out of place and unprofessional in his comments. I'm sure that Byron Scott won't react the same way when you realize that you don't want to be in Miami anymore."
Peace and Love,
Jini (Go Celts!)

Sometimes the stars align.


If you're curious to know what that picture is, it's of Scorpio of course. That's what I am, a Scorpio and last night the stars must have aligned perfectly. This morning, I woke up refreshed and everything seems to be coordinating perfectly for this upcoming trip.

I rose at 6:30 a.m. to find out that the summer camp that I will be at in Spain, does in fact have Wi-Fi...sadly that was my biggest concern. My love went to collect some drycleaning and coffee was ready when I finally got out of bed.

Part of my morning happiness could very possibly be because after about a month of being stressed and having no time to workout; last night I took a 6 mile run that left me, surprisingly refreshed. I miss being fit. I woke up with no soreness and ready to workout again. No..I'm not crazy, I didn't work out at 6:00 a.m. this morning, but I will again tonight. Apparently, this past month has not been so kind, there's a lot of toning to do.

The tide feels like it's turning towards a summer of wonderfulness. I'm incrementally more and more excited to go on this excursion and I am proud to say that I feel like I'm finally getting some progress at work. PR is not the easiest road to go down and validation comes few and far between. Even when people say you're doing well, you need that real affirmation that what you're doing is working for the company. This morning I got the validation I needed to know that we are moving in the right direction and are 'taking the bull by the horns'.

I hope that everyone has a fabulous and special weekend and finds their own renewed spirit. It is very likely the next time I post it will be sitting at the airport waiting to lift off..or it may be about beer tomorrow. Whichever comes first :).

Ciao!

p.s.: Congrats to you know who you are!

Wednesday, July 7, 2010

Blogging has no rules

Blog whenever I can is my new motto. Now writing a book, that's what I have to figure out. Any tips?

Tuesday, July 6, 2010

MOVIE REVIEW : Ponyo

I was looking over my reviews and could have sworn that I wrote about Ponyo, really? I missed that one? Wow.

How could I have missed reviewing such an unforgettable movie?
First, this is not the first movie by Hayao Miyazaki that I have seen. My friend Savery somehow convinces me to watch these movies. I like to try different genres and so I give in to Savery's suggestions.

My first question: WHAT THE HELL IS THIS MOVIE? Really?

Question left unanswered: Why is Hayao Miyazaki so revered?

I feel like there are some things that I don't know about his background or something. I have watched 'Howl's Moving Castle' (another movie I haven't had a chance to review) and 'Ponyo' and I just don't get it. To be honest, I laugh. I'm not sure if I'm supposed to be laughing, but I do. I laughed sooo hard.

What is this ridiculous movie where it's okay for 5 year olds to be left at home alone, allowed to ship their way through Tsunami's and a talking fish falls in love with a 5 year-old boy and becomes human? Since when did 5 year-olds become so capable? Or is that only in Japan.

Other questions that puzzle me are: Doesn't Sosuke's mother wonder where Ponyo's parents are? How did everyone get in a bubble underneath the ocean? Why would Tina Fey leave her 5-year old at home alone with a fish-girl during a tsunami that looks like it will drown their house?

I was looking for the message and I think it was something about unconditional love and love conquers all, all creatures have feelings and learning lessons, blah blah blah...but I still can't help but wonder what he was smoking?

The graphics in this animated delight were pretty ridiculous as well. Ponyo and her brothers and sisters looked like those little orange fish eggs that are on top of sushi sometimes. I'm probably totally insensitive, uncultured and out of line for this movie review and all one of you that read this will never read my reviews again; but I must take that chance to report the truth.

Overall review: WTF?
Movie Highlight: Betty White!

TGJIO (thank god June is over), summer here I come!

The irony here is that it is drizzling and overcast today in Sunny California. Perhaps the Vitamin D deprivation has forced me to write a sunny blog to get me through the day. June is finally over, what a hellish month! The turmoil that we have to go through to transition from Spring to Summer is unnecessary, but this year I may recover.

So, henceforthwithtofro, I am fleeing the country in pursuit of a once in a lifetime opportunity. I will be traveling out of the country for 42 days this summer with my partner in crime (not real crime), transitioning between exploration of the world and....well....working of course (a girl's gotta have new shoes!). By day I will be explorer of foreign lands, by night mistress of PR. I'm pretty sure I'll need a vacation after I get back from this adventure.

Next week my darling and I are off to foreign lands to see what this summer has in store for us.

First stop...Spain (check the map for location)! I'm lucky enough to say I've been there already, but I wasn't there nearly enough to experience and enjoy it enough to where I don't want to go back. I left so many great memories in Spain in my last trip that I am even more excited to go back and make new ones.

Next....Paris; I say Paris instead of France, because it just sounds that much more romantic. This will be my very first time in the city of amor. A friend suggested
Fat Tire Bike Tours while we are there, so we will likely go on an evening and day time tour of the city by bike and boat. I cannot wait to sit at a roadside cafe and sip my cafe, while nibbling on an authentic Croissant (said in my best french accent).

The one thing I'm worried about (only second to allergies)
is the ripe summer heat in any of these places but I'm sure I'll manage (not sure about Beno though). I do hate extreme hot weather, that's what those Spanish fans were made for. These are the pitfalls of economy travel, what can you do? :)

And thennnnnnnn? Well off to Turkey of course. Our Turkish office is located in Istanbul where I will be open-air purchasing my butt off. I'm so excited to go to the open market. I have also heard great things about Turkish foods and so eager to see all the other beautiful things there, like the Blue Mosque and Hagia Sofia. It's too bad we won't have time to go to the Turkish islands, next time perhaps. After we get our fill of the Turkish life (an entire 7 days and mostly working), we'll be heading off to Germany.

Another gaming tradeshow, but at least I'm in Europe. We'll be in Cologne for GDC Europe and Gamescom. I'm sure we'll make plenty of time to appreciate Bratwurst, Sauerkraut, Weinershnitzel and Hoegaarden. Actually, I plan on going to an Irish bar in Barcelona that has Hoegaarden as well (how weird is that?), so I guess location has nothing to do with beer.

(Spain circa summer 2008)


Our adventure ends in Frankfurt, where I'm sure we'll have some lovely food and of course locate some German Chocolate cake. I guess we'll learn all the secrets of getting the most with least by being away so long, at least the Euro is down a bit right now.


I'm ready to get on the metro and find all the coolest spots everywhere we go (literally, there's an ICE bar in Spain I can't wait to go to). The best part, I will be traveling and sharing this experience with my best friend and although he won't admit how excited he is, I got a glimpse of it this weekend, when we started preparing by making some key item purchases for the trip. Hopefully that long plane ride won't break us in the very beginning and then there's spending 2 full weeks with a bunch of teenagers that know how to cuss in a foreign language. LOL. Ahhh summer!

I'll be reporting so stay tuned for European adventures, coming soon.

Saturday, June 5, 2010

Wide Open Spaces.


There's something about enjoying the sun and working on your computer. The past several weeks I have continuously complained that I don't have a patio, where I can sit and type. This morning, I decided to go to my neighborhood Coffee Bean to work, so that I can feel the inspiration and focus to work.

I realize now that whatever new place I live in next, I will need to have a large floor to ceiling window in the office room, or set up my desk next to the front porch. There is just something about being blocked in that blocks my productive thinking. I'm hoping that next week, when work is really stressful, I can take my laptop outside and work for a bit to open up the space around me (as well as in my mind).

Sitting her I just feel like I can type and work all day. I have been more productive in the past hour and a half than I have been (at least in my personal life) in the past 2 weeks. Sad but true. Until I move, I guess I'm just going to have to head to Coffee Bean for a combo of work and relaxation.

Friday, June 4, 2010

Movie Review: SATC 2


Movie: Sex and The City 2

Cast: The usual suspects of course

Story Line: The ladies need to get away and head to Abu Dhabi for yet another adventure. Carrie is bored/confused about her marriage. Samantha is literally in heat. Charlotte is going through what I think is post-partem depression and Miranda goes through a career change.

Surprises: Miley Cyrus, Inappropriate sexual content in a middle eastern country, Carrie wasn't smart enough to RENT out her apartment, Boobalicious nanny, and the wedding in the very beginning of the movie.

The Good: The hot older gentleman that pursues Samantha(reminiscent of the most interesting man in the world), Penelope Cruz, (Paula) Abdul, the amount of formal dresses the ladies have, shoes, Carrie's ring and the blue couch in Big and Carrie's home.

The Bad: The overall story line, the weird twist with Aiden, the scene with Samantha having hot flashes in the marketplace, Charlotte's annoying disapproving looks, Carrie's confidence regarding her marriage, the stain on Charlotte's vintage Valentino.

Overall thoughts:
This movie was like a string of episodes put together and I'm sure most of you who have seen this feel that way. The story wasn't BAD per say, but it wasn't good enough for the big screen. Obviously, show fans will go see this in the theatre, but I suggest matinee if you have to. If you can wait until video that may not be a bad idea either. The great thing for the creators is that there has been no 'show' for the past couple of years, so the anticipation this movie has built up is similar to that of one of those extended sitcoms.

I don't want to give too much away for people who haven't seen the movie. However, my friend and I both thought it was in poor taste to have Samantha's sexual exploits so obvious in a country that is generally sexually conservative, it was just a bit out there! I will say however, 'the most interesting man in the world' was pretty hot.

Falling in line, the clothing was still fabulous, but who has that much formal wear in their closet unless they are a celebrity? Each of the ladies had a crazy amount of formal dresses, which I loved to see, but seems a little ridiculous. I also didn't really like the Carrie/Aiden twist in the plot. I think they put that in there because they didn't know what wrench to throw into Carrie's story line. The way THAT part specifically was written out, reminded me that Sex and The City was just a really good sitcom.

Tuesday, June 1, 2010

Endless Summer 2010? - So it begins.


It was a beautiful Memorial Day weekend and no doubt the beginning of another summer. I was outside most of the weekend, which is what I expected anyway. It was beautiful. The commencement of summer 2010 included; beach workout, beach walk, cuban food, Sex and The City 2, lunch with a friend, tasty dinners at home, playing tennis, a round of golf, a closet clean out, cleaning the house, laundry and desperately wanting a patio to relax on and enjoy the weather and work simultaneously.
It's time for me to check in with those resolutions before I wander off for the remainder of the summer to Europe. E3 is in 14 days, so 14 more days of that madness and 43 days until I'm off to Europe for 42 days.

There's a lot of excitement and a lot of things to get ready for my trip and for the next 14 days. Plus I can't forget that Deven's pirate party will be the weekend immediately after E3.
sigh..............
Here I go as I jump into the madness that is Summer 2010, how exciting and tiring all in one. :)
If anyone has some great tips for Spain, France, Turkey or Germany, please feel free to comment. Our time in Spain will be mostly working but I'm always open into squeezing something worthwhile in there. Although, last time I went to Spain, I didn't feel like I got enough time at the beach. And...I think we're going to get a chance to go to Portugal with the summer camp. Should be fun!

Ahhhh summer! SATC 2 review will be posted soon, stay tuned!

Thursday, May 20, 2010

The Wonderful World of Boba


So...Thai Tea Boba on the rocks is officially my favorite drink right now. Why? I'm glad you asked.

1) Thai tea is delicious and I'm addicted to it
2) Those little boba balls give me something to do while i'm drinking Thai Tea
3) It has single-handedly reduced my coffee intake and eliminated Starbucks purchases (for now)

What the hell is Boba?
Boba's formal definition is Chewy Tapioca (starch extracted from a plan) Balls. Now before you say "ewwww Ronjini, that's gross", chill!

The first time I tried boba, I'm going to tell you, I wasn't that big of a fan. BUT when I found a drink flavor I liked, boba became beautiful. I first tried boba with Chai, which was actually pretty delicious, then I graduated to Thai Tea.

The thing is Boba doesn't taste like anything; and frankly...its a bunch of empty calories, however, it makes you feel like you are accomplishing something by the chewing.
So I recommend getting a favorite milk tea drink and adding Boba's to EVERYthing. It will keep you happy, almost like the way does Flan does. If you don't know where to get boba in your neighborhood, look it up on Yelp! I'm not kidding.
Lollicup is all over the place and is a good standard, but there are various Asian cafe shops or pastry shops that offer boba.
Enjoy!

Journey to the U.S. Open: The results are in....What's next?

Now that the dust has settled, I feel that I am in the proper mental state to report back on the U.S. Open travesty that is the qualifying sectionals. I will open up a very objective analysis of the state of affairs.

Things that were good:
  • I got an official US Open t-shirt and hat
  • Played in the third round (technically)
  • Got back into a REAL competitive tournament
  • Played at the place where my high school CIF championship was
  • Finally got my ankle taped up properly to support me
  • I figured out how to combat my nervous butterflies for the beginning of competitive matches (Tequila!!!)

Things that were bad:
  • I should have got my ankle taped the first day
  • I didn't train nearly as much as I should have
  • I lost mental confidence
  • My first serve decided to take a vacation
  • Tendinitis
and above all:
  • I should have kicked that lady's butt!!!
The funniest thing is that, apparently, the officials come onto the court to make sure that all gameplay is fair. My opponent kept foot faulting and I'm sure the random foot fault calls were getting to her head. That's when I should have stepped it up to take advantage. So many regrets, but only enough to grow from.

So that's the U.S. Open wrap up report. I am really disappointed that I went out the way I did, but I am determined to never let that happen again. How do we resolve this issue?

- 1 open tournament/month
- Train properly
- Eat right
- Get on the court religiously to fix those unforced errors, doh!

Next tourney...

CALABASAS OPEN & NTRP CHAMPIONSHIPS (June 4-6, 2010)...wish me luck!

Monday, May 17, 2010

Movie Review - Coco Before Chanel

I love Audrey Tatou...I mean how can you not? She's adorable and fantastic as the ingenue for Chanel's most recent parfume ads. I love her character in so many movies. When I get into 'French Movie' mode, I stick with Audrey Tatou and Marion Cotillard (if you haven't seen Jeaux d'enfants then you absolutely must!).

This movie is not what you'd think it is. It isn't some frilly clothing movie, but any French film rarely is anyway. This is a great, passionate story about a misfortunate young girl's trials with life and how it culminated in the creation of personal identity that has changed the Fashion industry forever. If you thought that 'Devil wears Prada' was good but to frilly (which it really was, I love it though), then any Fashion Diva (or Divo) will absolutely fall in love with this grungy version of a fashion story.

It has lots of disappointments, love, aspects of betrayal from friends and from lovers; but above all it show the perserverance of one, Gabrielle 'Coco' Chanel, to just make something of herself. She is a fantastic example of feminism without all the man bashing. This woman is epic and Audrey's portrayal of her in this story, made me want to be her. She made the best out of every situtaiton with a bit of optimism and pessimism combined. She truly rose above everything and became an icon to millions, wow! I applaud you 'Coco' Chanel.

I loved the movie and give it 5 out of 5 stars; but you can judge for yourself! :)

Jouir! (enjoy)

The Playlist! (From LBC to Arthur Ashe)


Everyone knows that any respectable athelete has a playlist that will mentally get them into and out of their game. I have created a playlist that will take me through my U.S. Open debut. Now I just wonder if I should also not change my tennis outfits at all for good luck throughout my playing (but then I think of how much sweat is involved on hot days, gross!).


I'm banking on someone breaks their arm, pulls a tendon or even dramatically sprains a pinky toe (which is desperately needed for all the side to side movement in tennis), so that I can make my way to Arthur Ashe. I am ,mentally prepared to get annihilated, but my spirits are high and I don't take well to defeat.


Either way, off I got the US Open wild card sectional, my match today is against Rochelle Perkins ( I have mentioned her before). I feel like I know Rochelle, I have been thinking about her so much, lol.


Anyway, I gathered my thoughts on a playlist that would get me pumped for this event...It may be slightly on the feminine side, but still a powerful list that should help me get through.


1. Bad, Rihanna

2.Tell Me, Christina Aguilera & P.Diddy

3. When I grow up, Pussycat Dolls

4. People of the Sun, Rage Against The Machine

5. Paid In Full, Erik B. & Rakim

6. Don't Stop Til You Get Enough, Michael Jackson

7. Summertime, Fresh Prince

8. Till I Collapse, Eminem

9. My 1st Song, Jay-Z

10. Set Adrift, PM Dawn


Enjoy and tell me what YOU think, what songs do YOU love to get motivated to? I'm sure I need to add others to the playlist :).


Wish me luck.....again!

Thursday, May 13, 2010

Journey to the U.S. Open - Week 3 (Talk about a rocky road)

When I say Rocky Road, I definitely don't mean Ice Cream. Just when I thought that my training was getting to that elite level, where I am truly preparing myself for excellence I have to take a break to go to Arizona; where I get phenomenal allergies. Upon my return....dun dun dunnnnnn...Food Poisoning! Can you believe it ?!?! I mean really, what is that?

Anyway, today is my first day of full recovery from that beast they call food poisoning, the most sucky part is that it was from Yardhouse, which I LOVE! bah humbug!

Anyway, I go to check the draw today and to my surprise, I WON!!!!
....
....
....
....

Ok, no I didn't win the wild card, but I won my first round; which now that I look back at it, several people did. At least they make you feel strong when you start right? Looks like I'll be playing Rochelle Perkins from Torrance, who most recently was defeated in a tournament as a 4.0. Not to be rude, but I'm gonna wipe the floor with her, so I must apologize in advance.

Dear Rochelle,

I'm sorry for my grunting, profanity, dirty looks and laughing for no reason every once in a while. I will try my best to keep this brief and swift for you. I promise that when you go home after our match, you will tell your friends: "DAMN! I really just got my butt kicked!"...And if this happens to be ridiculous after Monday's match...then.....just kidding and Nice match!

Send your positive butt-kicking thoughts my direction the next few days, I will have to pile them up and use at my discretion when needed! Here's to a ferocious weekend of tennis and competition.

Friday, May 7, 2010

Journey to the US Open - Week 2

So I have been on the grind working out and playing tennis. Frankly, I'm damn tired! I have lost 5 pounds which was more depressing than anything else because after working so hard 5 pounds wasn't enough for me mentally. This is the reason I don't weigh myself.

Anyway, training started out to a rough start with several windy days and a flood of allergies. Now I'm quite on track however. I played on Tuesday and felt VERY good about my strokes and my overall game. I played a pretty tough opponent, similar to what I'm going to be running into at the sectional and damn was I tired. Somehow I need to work on my endurance and really aiming the ball with strategic shots.

I have been serving phenomenally however, I can't wait to get a read on how fast my serve is. I have always known that my serve and backhand are the strongest parts of my game and now all my other shots are also falling into place. My volleys have significantly improved from my mixed doubles stint and I feel like all I need to do is keep my wind and keep moving my feet.

I've been forcing myself to go after EVERY shot, which is great practice. Outside of that I have been running regularly, working out my 'serving' arm on the cable cross (which has tremendously improved the endurance of my poor little arm) and been doing court drills (sprinting and such). I feel like my game is really coming together. Even my second serve has morphed into a decent first serve.

Anyway, I'm getting ready. This weekend will be my first away from the tennis court in at least 2-3 months. I will be hitting the gym and apparently the pool with my adorable niece and nephew. I'm going to visit my mom and sister-in-law for Mother's Day festivities. I haven't seen either of them in 4 months or so; its been a while.

Sigh-- of to Arizona, I just want to make sure to get good workouts in this weekend, to prepare for the next week of intensity.

Happy Mother's Day Mothers! See you next week.

Wednesday, April 28, 2010

My Journey to the U.S. Open (aka Adventures of a chronic dieter)

Don't you just love it when you buy 1 and get 1 free? Well that's what this blog is. First and foremost...this is not a test. Yes, you read the title correctly, 'My journey to the U.S. Open', currently supplementing the 'Adventures of a Chronic Dieter' (see...2 for 1). That said, no I am not a world class tennis player, but who am I to stop my destined path to greatness?

I always regretting not moving forward with tennis in college and since its ridiculous to blame my parents for not starting me sooner, there's nothing much I can do about it, or is there? I recently came across the US Open sectional qualifying tournament that is taking place in Claremont, starting May 17th. Its an open tournament, so its open to anyone over the age of 14. Seeing that I have been on a steady path to regaining my slender and healthy physique, this is perfect timing.

Huh? You're thinking. Yes, I am just crazy enough to spend the $134.88 to get my chance at the U.S. Open. How else am I going to pursue my professional tennis career further? So that's that, the 'Adventures of a Chronic Dieter' series, will temporarily be 'My Journey to the U.S. Open' and until then I will report my trials, tribulations, workouts, hindrances of making my way to the U.S. Open. This just means I'm going to really have to workout good, full, and difficult workouts and play tennis every single day in some way, shape or form.

After coming home from the gym today, I am confident that I can motivate myself to put in all the extra work to at least compete in the tournament and have a fighting chance. Who knows...if Melanie Ouidan can make it, it can't be completely far off for some hope for me.

Well then, welcome to my journey and wish me luck! See you at Arthur Ashe!

--signing off as US Open Superstar--

P.S.: Rahul (my boss) if you're reading this, I'm gonna have to take May 17th off to get my wild card bid to the U.S. Open, I hope you don't mind and thanks!

Monday, April 19, 2010

The weekend from hell! Pretty Much...

So I don't complain THAT much, but I need an outlet and this blog is about to become that. This is one of the worst weekends I have had in a REALLY long time. Fortunately, I'm an optimist and during the whole thing I wasn't so upset and handled it really well. However, now looking back, I realize that there are very many weekends that would be worse than this. The only comfort I really had was that I have a dear loving boyfriend; who additionally had a hand in making this a sucky weekend, more on accident than anything else.

It all started when I woke up late on Friday. Late for me is 7 o'clock, that means that I missed the gym. Which is not conducive to my mission. However, I was up until approximately 1 am the night before because of tennis practice.

I woke up, and alas....stiff neck. That was just the beginning. I went to work my usual cheery self yet as the day progressed my neck became stiffer and stiffer, until eventually I looked like a robot and could only move my neck if I moved my entire upper body with it. My boss told me to leave early if I wasn't feeling well; that was nice except that meant that I would have to drive, which was a bit difficult for me at the time.

I eventually had to get in the car anyway and drive home to a very sore neck and back, where my precious boyfriend applied lots of pressure to help dissipate the pain. I eventually passed out from being tired of holding my neck up all day.

Saturday - I wake up still in pain, making it hard for me to sit myself up. We wake up super early to drop my bf to work (they were headed to SD for the day). Apparently it was my fault that the alarm didn't go off. So we were like 20 minutes late getting there. That same day I was supposed to attend a bachlorette party and help set up decorations. I decided early that day that I probably should go out clubbing feeling like this, so I figured I would meet up, help out, enjoy some fun and head home for a good night's rest; because Disneyland was the next day and I wanted my neck to feel better.

So I leave the bachlorette party and head to get my bf from work. On the way there, my car starts showing some strange warning lights. Lights go dim, which really scares me. Enough to where I pull over the side of the freeway to stop and re-start the car. I get to his work to get him and he attempts to try to figure what's up; but it was super dark.

We get the car home and go to sleep.

Sunday -BF wakes up, ready to go to Disneyland, YAY! He washes the car and tried to look under the hood to figure some things out. Saabi is behaving well so we figure it was a glitch and we'll get it looked at later. We have an amusement park to go to! We get out to Anaheim to get our tickets, done. From the ticket place to the park...dim lights and some strange car stuff. Immediately after paying our $14 for parking....dun dun dunnnnnnn....car shuts off completely. NO POWER, NO NOTHING!

I decided that I'm going to Disneyland to enjoy myself all day and worry about it later. While at Disneyland, I joined AAA, so that I can get towed from the Magic Kingdom 20 miles and not have to pay a crazy amount. The people at Disneyland are lame but find a way to get my car off to the side in a space for the day.

I haven't been to D-land for about 7 years and have never ventured to California Adventure, so that was really fun for me. On top of that, I went with a bridal party of people I haven't seen in ages, it was a nice reunion. We tried to stay as long as we could but it started getting pretty cold around 10 pm. Nontheless, we went on most of the good rides (Tower of Terror is now a favorite), saw Captain EO (although all this new shaking made me a little nautious) and watched the 2 hours of fireworks (exaggerating). I was pretty happy with the day and had to go back to the doom of getting towed, which wasn't so bad. The tow guy was really cool but my car wanted to cause drama. First we got the car jumped, thinking that would be enough. We get started and as we are driving out of the parking lot, she shuts off in the middle of the lane that goes to the freeway, fun! The same tow guy comes back to get us home.

We get the car home and go to sleep. I spent most of Monday, finding a car place that won't totally rape my bank account and worked from home, which was actually nice for a change. McMillen's Garage is going to fix Saabi up for me; we'll see how our drive out to Palm Desert for wedding goes this Saturday.

I just realized this story is getting long. To make a longer story, less long. The car's in the shop, my back is sore but almost fully recuperated and instead of being the start of a fresh new week; its the beginning of a crazy HECTIC week at work. Go figure!

Friday, April 16, 2010

Adventures of a Chronic Dieter #3 - no pain no gain

As you may have noticed, I'm on another mission. My goals in life are conducted by endless missions that lead to more missions that will continue until I die, I'm sure.


Goal - minus 22 lbs.
Target date - June 15th (the date of my next big work event)
Current Status - very tired with a crick in my neck, ouch! And way to overweight to mention.

Current supportive activities - running, tennis (3-4 times a week), 24 hour fitness hell and counting calories.

This week has been quite a serious one for my goal achieving. Not only have I done really well with the eating and working out; but I've also completed a lot of important work tasks that I had on my list. I have finalized my summer plans in Europe and we are headed on our way to Spain, Turkey and Germany for 42 days. WOW that's a long time! By then I will be on my next mission of craziness.

Anyway, I made a great effort this week to workout at least once a day if not twice. I introduced myself to a new 24 hour fitness at the Irvine Spectrum, which makes me want to workout even more, because of its fantastic facilities. In result, I have been the most tired that I have been in weeks and far less social than I normally am.

In addition, as a pre-achievement gift I bought myself of very expensive shoes. Result: too small for my big ol' feet :(...boo! They are going back, but I can use that money for something more important...like bills. I didn't deserve them anyway, I stalled on my taxes and still have not filed.

Anyway, this quest continues. However, Sunday at Disneyland is not going to make it easy to continue this mission. I've done really well in removing the whole soda thing from my diet so far. The only problem is that I really want a Snakebite (or Black and Tan, whatever you wanna call it). I love the weekends, more time to workout and enjoy it.

The boyfriend probably isn't getting as much loving attention as normal, I figure I will make him dinner tonight to make up for some of it; a healthy one of course.

Forward I march....sigh...

Monday, April 12, 2010

Adventures in Tehachapi...


I went to Tehachapi this weekend to visit my dad at his work site. I knew going into this that it wasn't going to be that eventful, but I thought that it would be interesting to take photo account of my trip. Here are the photos; YOU can see how exciting it was.

Highlight: My Egg, sausage, cheese biscuit at the continental breakfast.

Low point: When my tire blew out on the way home!





Happy Hour before Thai dinner











Getting ready for a Thai Dinner!







Breakfast Time




Going to the site









































Trying to get home!