Painting

Dear World, I have made a painting. I am so proud. Behold: (this is actually a pretty bad picture of it taken with a camera phone)

You Cannot See

But at this moment I am break-dancing in a very white and nerdy way over the outcome of the elections. I hope you voted. Groove on.

The Best Party Ever

Yesterday, Saturday, I went to THE BEST HALLOWEEN PARTY EVER!!!!
At this party I saw some of the coolest costumes (like the first dog who went to outer space), and there was plenty of alcohol, and music and sooo much fun. As soon as I get some pictures I will post them. I went as Queen Guinevere, and Alan was Lancelot. I had a horrific ball-of-a-time!

Today is Sunday, Alan and I have plans to go to a pumpkin-carving party, so we need to buy pumpkins. I am so excited. I really wanted to make Alan a pumpkin pie, but there has been no time for that. Did I mention that this is the weekend of Alan's birthday?? Well, it is. :) I like to tease him by saying that I am dating "an older man". - He is only turning 25. -

I have done a mini-survey: apparently people who turn 25 start freaking out about getting old. This is totally ridiculous, especially because most of my friends today will probably live to be over 100. 25 seems like nothing compared to 90 and 100. Technology and medicine are making it so people can live forever! In any case, worring is stressfull and stress makes you age faster. Worrying about getting old just makes you wrinkle and get older sooner, which would be a kind of self fulfilling prophecy.

Anyway, I need to get ready to carve pumpkins. I haven't carved one in years. I wonder if I need a special knife or something.

I Could Not Resist

Jacqueline did it and I could not resist. Apparently I look like a lot of not-famous people, people I have never heard of, and then there is crack-head Kate Moss. ?!?!
Actually, Jean Harlow is pretty cool. In fact, she is awesome.

Fuits and Vegitables

Nothing much happening here… I’m in Monterey this week, again. I have discovered that tomatoes are not the most horrible fruit in the world, and I have eaten lots of them today. I especially like them covered in EVOO and paired with mozzarella cheese with Basil.

Before this discovery, the only tolerable form of tomatoes for me was salsa. I would eat any kind of salsa, but pick tomatoes out of my salad. I do not know when this aversion for tomatoes began, or why I was so particular about it. Everybody has their culinary quirks. I am working on my tomatoes… but I still HATE avocadoes for no good reason. I will not eat avocadoes under any circumstance, and I am sticking to my guns about this.

Note: For those of you who do not watch Rachel Ray, EVOO = Extra Virgin Olive Oil = it makes everything taste ten times better.

Note to self: buy more EVOO.

Life

First of all: I did not know Lady Bugs could bite. When I yelped in the middle of the street, and slapped a Lady Bug off of my arm, Alan thought I was going crazy. But it is true, and the bite left a mark.

My postings have not been as frequent as before because I have no internet access at home, and at work most of the fun sites I go to are blocked off.

Life is good. The HOLIDAYS are coming, like Holloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas. Even though they seem far away, time has been passing so quickly for me that I fear by the next time I blink I’ll be 42. Unfortunately I have NO vacation time, so a January trip to Italy will in all likelihood not be repeated.

I still like my job and my bosses; they treat me very well. My responsibilities have been increasing almost daily at the workplace… and I am not complaining. I love what I do and I am learning a ton. I especially enjoy overtime (the pay is much better).
But not all is work: A couple of weeks ago, on a Wednesday, we closed all the offices in the area and all of us workers went to the Golden Gate Race Track. In this splendid location we had a wonderful buffet at the Turf Club, and gambled away company money. There was an open bar… I even won a race! It was a lot of fun.

I’m in Monterey at the moment, at Alan’s house. Saturday we attended a friend’s very informal wedding. I believe I fussed more about what I was going to wear than the actual bride did! There were only about 12 people (including the bride and groom). It was very sweet. With small intimate weddings you can almost see the love in the air. An old couple, that has been marring couples for years, wed my friends on Garrapata beach. The ceremony master wore a gigantic robe, which had once belonged to the Jesus of the Jesus Christ Super Star play. On this singular robe there were patches and embroidered trinkets that every couple he had ever wed had stitched on as a symbol of their relationship. Our couple stitched on Blinky, from the Simpsons. Alan was a witness and the ring bearer. Except, there were no rings, just engraved Superman-dog tags that they lovingly tied around each other’s necks.
…The only thing that did not go according to plan was that the bride was sick. Very sick, with a horrible cold. In fact, half the people at the wedding were sick (because they are all coworkers) and now I am paranoid that I might be getting sick. I made Chicken soup last night.

Over and Out.

NEW CAR

Yes, I purchased a car. Yes, I am debt for the rest of my 20’s. The following is a contrastive list of the benefits and the not so beneficial aspects of my recent consumer downfall:

Benefits

- I HAVE A BRAND NEW CAR. Toyota Corolla 2007. This means that for the rest of this year, I have the car of the "future"… and for all of next year I will have the car of the year. Yay!
- The car will last a long, long time. It is Silver and Pretty.
-I bought the car in my town, which means all the taxes from my purchase will go to the schools of my area.
- Alan was able to negotiate a really good price for me.

Not so beneficial

- I have car payments. Ohh Lord. Car payments. And I am poor, so poor for the next couple of months. Not to mention that my insurance has more than tripled.
- I am paranoid that some stupid-freak accident will happen and total my car again. (Like with the Nissan).
- It was really sad how I got treated at the car dealership (Not sad for me, but for the misogynists jerks who work there). Nobody even spoke with me; they all spoke with Alan. I did not exist. Alan kept pointing out that I was the person buying the car… I had never felt discriminated against, due to my gender, until I bought this car.

All in all, I am happy with my purchase. I will post a picture of it shortly.

Quick Update:

-May car got totaled this Monday. It was hit in a parking lot, when it was parked, and I was in the Office working. Needless to say, this event has provided me with many, many headaches. However, my little Nissan has been a blessing from the start until the very end: The insurance is going to pay me more money that what I paid for the car. (I bought the car over a year ago!)

-I need to buy a new car. AHHHH!!!! I don’t have the money for this Cr**. And, I don’t have the time to sit down and find the perfect used car in good conditions. Therefore, because of the circumstances, I will probably be forced to buy a new Honda Civic.

-I am going to San Antonio, Texas, for Labor Day Weekend. This could not come at a better time. I need a vacation. Alan and I plan to eat plentiful amounts of southern charm.
- My little bro is leaving town this Sunday, for Venezuela. I hardly got to spend any time with him at all. I’ve been working so much, and he has been out and about the country visiting family. So, I’m a little sad that I didn’t get to enjoy summer with him.

August 15, 2006

Dear World,

I think you are a wonderful place to be. If I didn’t have to work so much I might have been able to go with my family on a family-vacation this week, to explore you. Alas, I am growing up : Due to my condition as a workingwoman I am forced to, well, work. I work in an office, behind a big desk and a big computer. This means that I have very little time for going on hikes, bike riding, traveling in general, and enjoying you (… before Hummers and other ugly polluting parasites destroy what is left of you). My condition as a workingwoman sometimes makes me sad; being behind a desk all day is truly, very un-worldly. However, not all is lost: I plan to retire soon, and when I do I will go on many camping trips and soak in your star-filled sky.

Love,
MM.

The Grass is Always Greener…

A little background: I have been a full time student for as long as I can remember, and I can’t remember ever having a summer vacation that lasted more than two weeks in the past four years. I worked 14-hour days at a minimum almost every day as a full time student.

This is the first summer of my life that I have actually felt as if I were not a student, but a human being that works and toils for shelter and grub (mostly grub). I also feel a lot more stupid. My work can be challenging at times (and I DO love my job), but it is more of a “time management” challenge than an “intellectual” challenge. My brain is painfully letting evaporate all the swollen cells of knowledge that I wept proudly over during graduation.

Ironically, even though I now have a fixed 40-hour a week schedule and a steady income, I find myself lacking the energy after work to do anything. I get a lot less done in terms of “MM-things” (like crocheting and swimming). I also feel a lot poorer than I did when I had only a part time job. How is this possible? Am I comparing myself to a new set of impossible work-standards instead of student-standards? Am I being nostalgic about my student days? Or am I simply going crazy because of the summer heat wave?

In Monterey

This that have happened since my last post:
- I fell in love with a pair of Aldo shoes that I cannot buy. It is against my principals to pay so much for a pair of shoes.
- I made a commitment to train for my walkathon. I begin Monday.
- I have learned a lot at work. I like my job a lot.
- I've been pondering about starting a yoga class.
- I enrolled in a business class for next semester (I can't help myself. I must study)
- I saw Superman (the movie) with Alan.
- I got a pedicure and manicure for the first time in my life. It was so indulging!! I would love to do it again.
- Fourth of July came and went. There was a big party at my place. It was fun. I ate at least three times my weight in food during the course of said party. And of course, I went to the Alameda Parade. This parade is a mix of Mayberry meets Tehegraph avenue= the best!

It Is About Time

That I started telling people I'm in the 20th Annual Aids Walk in San Francisco. I'm actually really excited about it. The 16th of July, if you look hard enough, you might see me in the crowds... marching along with my ideals about how the world would be a better place to live in if we could find a cure for Aids.

The reason why I have taken so long to blog about this major event that could change the world: I hate asking people for money. But I need to get over that: So give me money!!! It is for a good cause. I am registered under Margaret Bryden, with the UCB team. You can also send me checks/cash/money orders... anything that would help.

Follow This Link to visit my personal web page and help me in my efforts to support AIDS Walk San Francisco
Thank you.

Discovery of "A Sauna"

I have lived in an apartment complex with a sauna since I turned 18. I had never gone to the sauna, until last week. I went because of the terrible cold I got from all the flying. – the hot steamy air helped me breath through my nose again- I stayed because it was the most wonderful heat-experience I have ever had. I always thought the idea of sweating in a hot box was gross… but it makes you feel so good and relaxed! It helps you breathe better and shed toxins. I now understand the value of a good sauna.