2008 - Wow So Far!

This year has been utterly insane. By insane, I mean so busy with cool stuff that I now feel insane.

I celebrated my 30th birthday with a weekend in Tahoe (dodgeball tourney, remember), Meggie's 30th with a weekend in Portland, Kellogg's (30th for the 2nd time) with a weekend of Sonoma County goodness, Wenis' 30th with a weekend in Napa (sounds like a vacation but uh we live here), Swheel's 30th (+/-a few) at Ceja Winery in Carneros, have done speed dating, Match.com dating, gone camping, been a bridesmaid twice, attending one other wedding as a guest and have another in a week and a half, hosted a co-ed wedding shower (brown chicken brown cow), did an engagement shoot for my friend at work, went to Twin Pines casino and showed my brother how to pay blackjack, hosted a Labor Day BBQ, done the 5:30 Bootcamp which I never thought I'd do, vowed to run a 7k this Sunday but I'll be the one walking, and so much more I can't even think of it all.

I have the greatest, silliest, most fun friends ever and I'm so happy to have experienced all of this with you. I don't see my family enough, but I dig them too :)

Cheers to an eventful 2008 - 10 months in!

PS - Some Portland photos...

Light Stalking

Finding other people's information online can be fun, detrimental (emphasis on mental), or fascinating. I google myself and everyone I know just to see what comes up. Sometimes I should just let it be...leave it alone. If I knew what was good for me...

Greenie

I try to live greenly...but I don't feel like I'm making a difference. I have always recycled (the product of hippie parents who drilled that into our brains at a young age) and are annoyed by people who don't. I would like to get rid of my too-big-for-me car, but haven't had any takers (I'm trying though, k?) I try to use a kitchen towel instead of paper towels, cloth napkins instead of paper napkins (besides, cloth napkins for a dinner looks quite fancy. I'm not usually fancy, so I'll take it where I can get it), and will try (emphasis on try) to use cloth diapers instead of disposable when I have kids. I know I should do a lot more...any ideas that you've incorporated that are easy no-brainers?

If someone could now just use the Wine Train tracks for a couple of commuter cars in the mornings and evenings, I'd be set!

The Dating Life...

...why is it so weird?

Saturday, a few friends and I went speed dating. Knowing that it was going to be nothing like the scene in Hitch (good looking, normal, nice, YOUNG people), we all mentally prepared. This particular speed dating company offered 2 age ranges - 30-45 and 45+. When I signed up, and I didn't really think "maybe this isn't the speed dating we should go to" for some reason. Mistake.

I logged into the site, read the FAQ ("how do you make sure there's a gender balance?"), and paid my $27. All I kept thinking for the next 2 weeks was - they're going to be George Costanza. All of them.

It was held in a Community Center, and as you know, this is as far away from ambiance as you can get. Harsh lighting, awkward setup, echoy and loud....not exactly nerve-calming or "romantic" per se. The four of us sit, waiting for an eligible bachelor to sit across from each of us. I was the last to get a guy across from me. I watched the door in anticipation, thinking, "my old coworker's new boss met her husband at speed dating...my old coworker's new boss met her husband at speed dating...my old coworker's new boss met her husband at speed dating..." Lo and behold, my new husband did NOT walk through that door. Nor did any potential matches.

I remember when I was 21, and going to the bars in Cotati for the first time: the 8-Ball, the Yacht Club, the Inn of the Beginning (which is now Friar Tuck's, how weird is that!), Spanky's...and being the YOUNGEST person there and how awesome that was. Being the youngest person at speed dating was not that fun. Not even close. It's actually the worst thing ever. The men (and I call them men because, hey, they were almost as close to my dad's age as mine) were almost all 40+. Now I'm not saying this was a horrible experience...they were actually really cool for the most part. Super easy to talk to and really nice men. Just way way way too old for me. Now I can say I've done it, and would do it again if the age range ended at 37. I'll scope one out and let you know how that one goes :)

NOTE: there was one jerk guy who said that I seemed like I was 24 (I reminded him that the minimum age was 30. Idiot.) and that I seem like the type that doesn't like to leave the house and doesn't like to do new things and doesn't like to take risks. Interesting how he's telling me about me (uh tell me about you, dude, this is speed dating)...and obviously he doesn't know me at all! UPDATE: I had forgotten to mention that he said I was picky. Ugh. Yeah, not pickin' you. Bye now.

I did receive an email from the speed dating company with my "matches." I thought that was odd when I saw the subject line because I said NO to everyone which automatically means I'll get no matches. I opened the email...2 women's names from the 45+ group with phone numbers. Really? This was followed by a "freakout" email - their systems had a glitch and please do not contact those matches. No problem there. Not really interested in women 45+. Figures, doesn't it?

Cheers to dating stories!

Wild & Crazy Guys (and Gals)

This weekend was pretty funny - nothing crazy happened, it was just the culmination of a bunch of little things that keep my life interesting and entertaining.

Some highlights:

FRIDAY
--A pre-dinner Corona with a lime with Wenis at the Napa Bowl (coincidentally enough, I tried to find a Google image of the Napa Bowl to share with you here, and my own blog came up. Time to bring my camera to the Napa Bowl)

--A cozy dinner with a friend turned into sushi at Sushi Mambo, where the food is good but the service is SLOOOOOOOOOOOOOW

--Some beer at Bounty Hunter, where I ran into some coworkers and our group of four turned into a group of 9

--Closed down BH - go figure

--What's next? Why liar's dice at Henry's (pronounced "Ahn-rees" en le francais) of course!

--Closed down Ahn-rees

--Headed to Denny's, home of Elvis, the world's coolest late-night Denny's server!

--Brought the crew to their respective homes and called it a night. Time check? 4:07am.

SATURDAY

--Woke up late, headed to the Napa Wine & Craft Fair, got some sun, fell asleep on the couch for two hours (being the old lady that I am), and then Wenis came over to work on our identities. I'm going to be Batman and she's going to be Superman.

--Ended up not working, I lied in that above bullet point, and went over to JH's for some bocce, bbq, and boisterous laughter. He and SH have some cool friends!! Had a blast with them! Tasted some awesome wines too - couldn't have been better.

--Went back home with Wenis to work again, chatted about our identities, (I have a cool phone, she can fly) and then decided to meet JH and his posse out at Trancas Skankhouse for some karaoke! (note: I missed JH's rendition of Ice Ice Baby on Friday night, a sight that I could only dream of witnessing again sometime in the future.)

Where the magic happens (above)....I DID get to see a little Humpty Dance which was just rad.

--Where do people go when they need a full course breakfast at 3 in the morning? Denny's of course!!

--Once again, we stepped into the glorious world of eggs & bacon, spending $3 on the claw machine trying to get a Hillary Clinton doll, then some dude spending probably another $5, then we ate. Again, had the pleasure of Elvis as my waiter. It was something that dreams are made of.
--After the French Toast Complete for only $6.99, we headed towards that claw machine again, for one last dollar. Wenis ALMOST got her out, then we needed another last dollar to get her all the way through the hole. Lo and behold, the Hillary Clinton doll came into our lives!



--After a run in with an old friend (WHY DON'T YOU LOVE MEEEEE) and some silly cab-driver talk, we headed home, arriving at about 4:12am, then slept peacefully with Hillary between us. She's quite cozy I hear.

--Spent all of Sunday in my jammies, talking identities with Wenis - about how it's so cool she gets to wear a red cape and mine is always black. I'm so dark and mysterious and she's so adored and revered. This is why we're working on those identities. At least I have a cave and a rad car.

Cheers to long weekends and wacky, fun-filled randomness!

Silly Stuff

One thing I like to say often is "if such-and-such had a baby" to describe something to someone else. Example 1: What is Facebook like? It's sort of like if MySpace and LinkedIn had a baby. I'll add more examples, better examples, as I think of them.