Filed under: a few of my favorite things, family first, obscure pop culture references, party star, the cat's meow, work and play | Tags: aunt, bizzi, christmas time, christmas tree, dyyyying, even my cat loves gossip girl, gifts, presents, ugly sweater party
i just opened the last box on my advent calendar…. yea for Christmas!
it took me a while to get in the spirit this year, mostly because i didn’t realize it was december until we were already two weeks in. then, just as i was geared up for the holidays — including creating this nifty lil number for our ugly sweater party (my roommate calls it “The Lil’ Orphan That Tried”) — i was knocked out with the vicious stomach plague that seems to be making the rounds. Once I recovered from that, I was blessed with a death cold, which is now gracing me with its presence.
However, what’s a shortage of breath and a plethora of earaches and snot when it’s finally Christmas Eve?! i thought i’d be depressed today since this is my first Christmas away from my family, but i’m surprisingly pretty jolly. my nieces unfortunately will have to miss out on their annual holiday activities with Auntie Claus, but they should be receiving their Christmas cash just in the nick of time for me to keep wearing my Cool Aunt badge. i’m also pleased to say that i finished all of my shopping yesterday on my lunch break — after starting it yesterday on my lunch break… (ahem, except of course for those of you who have been randomly selected to be a part of my inaugural New Year’s Gifts from Flippy Program. you can expect to see your gifts sometime before Dec. 31, 2009. and they might not be gifts at all. they might just be hugs. or beer. i’ve found that the two are pretty interchangeable.)
we’ve got free food covering every inch of the office until 3:01 p.m., when free booze magically appears in my hands and my belly. i love Christmas.
and now, a present to all of you, using my newly found talent for quickly and sloppily using Microsoft Paint:
my cat wishes you a very "Meowy Christmas. Hope it's PURRRRRRfect!" (don't worry -- in real life, she has legs.)
Filed under: the cat's meow | Tags: conehead, crazy cat lady, yes i'm obsessed with my cat
and so not pleased with me… luckily, i’m a sucker for her affection so when she pretended to fall down the stairs last night, i took the conehead off for good.
Filed under: a few of my favorite things, fear and loathing, the cat's meow | Tags: fast food fast, heart attack on a plate, kitty lipo, my cat hearts pink
she secretly loves the pink bag
sadder news: i may be joining her at the people hospital because my diet includes the somewhat regular consumption of chili’s honey bbq chicken crispers, which apparently have 1890 CALORIES and 99 GRAM OF FAT. not including the side of heart-attack-flavored fries dipped in ranch.
seems i may need to modify my fast food fast to exclude sit-down chains.
Filed under: a few of my favorite things, bestest friends, perfectly impossible, the cat's meow | Tags: all about me, alphabet soup, surveylicious, time waster
i just noticed i was tagged to do this by lily’s pad. little does she know, i’ve always been obsessed with filling out surveys and talking about myself.
A. Attached or Single?
well, i’m pretty sure they don’t call attached people ‘crazy cat ladies.’
B. Best Friend?
i’m lucky to have quite a few spread around this country — in alphabetical order as is the nature of this post: al, amanda, anna, beth, brooke, crazy eyes, dead robin, elise, erika, jelena, jenn, kelli, lyd, mel, mike… i’m gonna stop there because i sound ridiculous. but seriously — i have several people i can count on when i need a shoulder to cry on.
C. Cake or pie?
cupcakes, ice cream cake, cheesecake, cake batter ice cream…
D. Day of choice?
lazy saturdays and sundays.
E. Essential item?
lately, my piece of mind on-the-spot relief lotion from origins. it soothes my restless mind and actually allows me to fall asleep at a decent hour.
F. Favorite color?
super-duper-happy pink. i’m also a fan of the blues and greens.
G. Gummy bears or worms?
i’m all about bears.
H. Hometown?
fall city/north bend, wash.
I. Favorite indulgence?
a massage and pedicure followed by a bubble bath with a bottle of red wine, scented candles and some “brand new’ playing in the background followed by a long nap.
J. January or July?
july, for sure. cold, gray weather makes me a whiny lil mess.
K. Kids?
none at the moment, but i have my fluffy pseudo-child to provide for… and my adorable lil nieces.
L. Life isn’t complete without?
friends and family and lots of sleep.
M. Marriage date?
i’m gonna go out on a limb and say sometime in the next century. maybe.
N. Number of brothers and sisters?
got the bro, the sis and the bro-in-law.
O. Oranges or Apples?
baby oranges — clementines.
P. Phobias?
everything, but mostly raccoons, fire, knives and bees.
Q. Quotes?
i actually have a book of quotes that i scribble in every time i hear something i like — but i always freeze when someone asks me offhand. i think i’ll go with one listed on my facebook:
“in reality, there’s nothing more damaging than a secure future. the very core of a man’s living spirit is his passion for adventure.” — into the wild.
R. Reasons to smile?
everything listed here — and pumpkin spice lattes. i can’t believe i didn’t include those before.
S. Season of choice?
spring.
T. Tag 5 people:
Meh… whoever wants to do it, but I wouldn’t mind seeing some answers from pithy, smug monkey, 20 something and both bendtheredonethat bloggistas.
U. Unknown fact about me?
i had to wear corrective shoes when i was a baby because my feet were pigeon toed. (Sorry, that doesn’t link to a picture of my alien feet.)
V. Vegetable?
celery — yummmmmy. sometimes i eat celery with cream cheese and steak seasoning salt for dinner. sounds weird, but it’s sooo good. seriously, try it.
W. Worst habit?
i don’t really do moderation — but i’m getting better! i also chomp on my nails when i’m stressed.
X. X-ray or Ultrasound?
neither — i hate going to the doctor. it creeps me out.
Y. Your favorite food?
crab, mashed potatoes, baked mac and cheese, almost all desserts
Z. Zodiac sign?
a stubborn, bossy, competitive aries.
Filed under: geek chic, the cat's meow | Tags: blind as a bat, i'm kind of a dork, my fluffy cat, stolen glasses
but i can’t seem to find my glasses.
Filed under: the cat's meow | Tags: cat, diet, exercise, fat, fluffy, mama, pet, vet
…and i just found out i’m a horrible cat mom. my “fluffy” princess has gained half her body weight in the 11 months i’ve had her. whoops!
i’m now required to feed her less and to exercise her 15 minutes a day. i’m so buying a leash.
Filed under: a few of my favorite things, my melody, the cat's meow | Tags: animals, beautiful, book, brand new, happy, heart, hugs, kisses, pretty things, smile, vacation places
i have a tendency to obsess over things when i decide i like them. today’s happy obsession is the dedication page in my next literary conquest, “extremely loud and incredibly close” by jonathan safron foer. It reads:
To Nicole,
My idea of beautiful.
It’s so simple, yet it makes my whole heart smile inside.
And it makes me think of all the niceties in life that encompass my personal definition of beautiful…
(in no particular order) the word “beautiful”. bizzi. blank journals. brand new lyrics. smoothies. yoga. golden retrievers. italy. sandy white beaches. sunshine. mojitos. cozy hoodies and loose-fitting sweatpants. black and white photography. big earrings and gaudy accessories. pedicures. wine tasting. exploring. laziness. san francisco. snail mail. flip flops. enchanted. lake chelan. super duper happy pink. naptime. this picture. a good book. dolphins. people watching. forehead kisses. hugs from my nieces.
… and so on, and so on.
Filed under: fear and loathing, geek chic, obscure pop culture references, the cat's meow, work and play | Tags: apple, computer, internet, laptop, mac, work
bye bye, Mac.
bye bye, happiness.
hello, ugly PC.
I think I’m gonna cry.
Good-bye, my wonderful glorious Mac, good-bye.
(*sung to tune of Simon and Garfunkel’s “Bye Bye Love,” of course)
It’s a sad, sad week at the office for me. The evil-doers in the IT department are confiscating my precious Macbook Pro and dumping an icky, clunky PC laptop on me. I’m not sure when I became such a Mac whore, but I suspect it was about a year ago, thanks to Smugsy.
Bye Photobooth (and creepy pictures of my cat).
Bye easily configured wireless Internet.
Bye iLife.
Others would prefer to drink beer and watch reruns of “sex and the city,” hoping that the piles of clothes and books will pack themselves…
i can’t believe i’ve been living here for a year already… but i just signed a new lease, and I’ll be living in the DC area for at least another 16 months. While a commitment of that long scares the beejesus out of me, i’m looking forward to another new adventure.
i think….
Filed under: fear and loathing, my melody, the cat's meow, work and play | Tags: cat, coffee, customers, jimmy eat world, music, office, rush hour, sleep, traffic, work
Pithy, you win. Early mornings blow.
5:05 a.m.: Cat threatens to cough up hairball on face. Works much better than an alarm clock.
5:45 a.m.: About to throw this Jimmy CD out the window. Need to update music collection.
5:46 a.m.: Realize I’m going 85 on the Beltway and still being tailgated.
6:02 a.m.: Realize I’m at work and I’ve been on autopilot for most of the morning.
6:03 a.m.: Co-worker greets me with, “We have a reeeeeallly angry customer.”
7:09 a.m.: Finished first cup of coffee. Need three more.
7:10 a.m.: How have I only been here an hour??
