One to Nothin'

For My Mom

by 2 Comments

You gave me life.
You kept me warm, full and safe.
You taught me words, strength and love.
You showed me patience, compassion and selflessness.
You played, laughed, smiled, cared.
You read to me and made up stories.
You woke up when I had bad dreams, when I felt sick, when I was scared.
You didn’t like that “shut up” or drug humor.
You broke up fights and rarely raised your voice.
You took down bullies and stood up for me.
You helped me study.
You calmed me down.
You stayed up until I was home safe.
You scratched my back.
You tolerated me.
You splurged in the bookstore.
You respected my privacy.
You supported me
You believed in me.
You held me.
You made it look easy.
You continue to do all of these things every day.
You made me the person I am.
Thank you, mom.
I love you.

Let’s Talk About Sweat, Baby

by 3 Comments

Look at me gettin’ all fancy with this chart! I had way too much fun with that. Basically what I’m trying to say here is that I might be doing an impromptu half marathon on June 1 because my girl Emma already signed up and promised she would walk with me. Also, I think “run 26.2 miles” has been on my list of things to do for at least the past five years, and I think it’s time. So I did what I always do, which is Google training plans. I sort of filled in the long runs and I fully expect to be all over the place on the shorter ones. I have good intentions of running four days a week and maybe, just maybe, I’ll do two days of cross-training too (don’t hold me to it, though). This week is week 1 and Sunday just so happens to hold the weeks because I’m not savvy enough to add extra columns, okay? Stop judging me! That star represents a wild card and the general uncertainty any weekend running plans may hold (see hangover tendencies here or here).
So here we go, kids. I’m hoping to update you all on my running/working out progress on Fridays or maybe Saturdays if I’m not too busy have a blasty blast, not because you want to read about my shweddy ballsack and gaze at my beautiful chart, but because I want to feel responsible for this in some way. Hellooo accountability. I’m doing it this time, guys. Who’s with me? Anybody know of a super awesome marathon coming up approximately 16 weeks from now? Let me know. On the West coast preferably. 
Now in the name of fitness, let’s back them azzes up with Whitney!

PS: Who’s going to see Great Gatsby tonight?! I can’t wait to see it. Happy Friday!

10 Things I Love Right Now

by 7 Comments

1. The Yeah Yeah Yeahs in general, but this song specifically. It gives me chills every time. 
2. GIFs. Sometimes they just make me laugh so hard. I don’t understand it, but I love it.
3. Brownies. I made these for my cousin’s birthday last night (and ate way too many).
4. Music videos. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. I can (and do) watch them for hours on end. After discovering we get the all-music-videos-all-the-time channels, I haven’t found much need for leaving the house.. 
Have you seen this catchy new song by the fanciest raccoon ever? Click here.
5. A Beautiful Mess blog. These two women are like my heroes (heroines?). This site is an endless pit of inspiration. I just stare at the screen in awe of it sometimes. They both have amazing stories and I want to be them. The end.

6. Amy’s Soy Cheeze Pizza. It’s the best dairy-free pizza I’ve ever had and I can’t find it anywhere. I want it in and around my mouth right meow. If you see it, please find a way to send it to me. Pack it on dry ice or something. It’s important.

7. Diet Dr. Pepper because it’s delicious.

8. This little nugget. Best running partner ever.
9. New Girl. Seriously. This show makes my heart happy every time. (I’ve watched the first season, in full, three times already. Obsessed much?)  I might secretly be checking Craig’s List for 3 dudes sharing a loft in LA.. just saying.
10. The responses I got on yesterday’s post from all of you beautiful people. Thank you so much for reading and even more for reaching out and letting me know that I’m not alone. It truly makes all this time I spend behind this computer seem worth it when I come to realize that others can relate. You are amazing and I would give each and every one of you a hug right now if I could.

A moment of reflection

by 12 Comments

I’ve had a lot of time on my hands lately. During the week when my roommate and only two friends in this strange new place go off to work, I am free to cuddle my dog and sit down at the computer to reflect on my life, goals and current situation. Sure, there’s also a lot of puzzle making, Netflix-ing, eating and running (and maybe some loneliness) involved too, but while in this in-between period of waiting to hear back from interviews and applying to any and every job listing I see, I definitely get some me-on-me time.
I never really knew what I wanted to “do” when I grew up. Even in college when I was forced to pick my major at preview, I chose journalism because my sister told me that’s how I could become an editor. And I only thought I should be an editor because I was the obnoxious kid pointing out grammatical errors everywhere we went. Maybe that is a good indicator, but that doesn’t mean I’m passionate about it. I never came across a major I thought I’d like better though, so I never changed it.
I know I love to write in this blog. That’s why I’ve stuck with it for almost two years now. I love seeing my name in print and showing my mom my most recently published article, but I’m not in love with the articles I write. I realize not everyone lives for her job. Few people are lucky enough to wake up excited about doing the job they have chosen, to feel passionate toward their career path for years on end, but some people are. And I want to be one of them.
Last night I thought deeply about the things I’m passionate about and the things I would really love to learn. It went something like: music, writing, photography, Photoshop, html/CSS, design, running. I started thinking about the things I used to love that have been pushed aside multiple times in my life: performing, singing, drawing, painting, playing soccer, dancing, playing guitar.
I realized there are many things I stopped doing because I believed I wasn’t good enough at them. I think there have been times when instead of pushing myself to be better, I tried something else to see if I was already better at it. At the end of the day I chose to forget how much fun these things were despite not being the best at them.
Now that I’m trying to find a career and settle into some sort of routine, I still don’t know what I want to be, and I’m certainly not in a place (or economy) to be too picky about it. But I can do the things I love anyway. Even if my job is a chore for now, whatever it may be, if I continue to learn and pursue the things I enjoy (regardless of how great or lousy I am at them) I believe I will be satisfied.
For now, what I want to “be” is creative. This blog has been the best creative outlet for me for the past two years. I want to actively pursue greatness with it, too. I want to learn html, photography and photoshop so that I can improve my skill set and churn out better and more beautiful content every day. 
And if I have to serve tables until I can afford a badass camera, photography lessons and Adobe Creative Suite, then so be it. My goal is to keep learning. No matter how hopeless or lost I feel, I must keep learning and something will come of it eventually. I am confident of that.

Fountains & Honey Buns

by 3 Comments

This time two years ago I was just graduating college. After four years of learning, growing and making unforgettable memories, it was time to wear a cap and gown and pretend I wasn’t terrified of leaving the safety of guidance counselors, credit hours and a set schedule every semester.
But the weeks leading up to that big day were some of the greatest ones I can think of so far. My friends and I frequented the local bars, went to class when we had to turn in final projects or take final tests and skipped when we didn’t. We all had that burning inside our stomachs before something big happens and we knew we had to make the best of it.
One particular night after a failed attempt at going to a Pretty Lights concert as a group, we walked to “midtown,” the string of college bars off University Ave, and bought a huge cheese pizza which we all devoured on the steps of some old building while we waited for pledges to come pick up the drunkies. Pretty soon our group dispersed and last call rolled around, but I wasn’t ready to go home.
Several of my best friends were still with me and we were off to find a fountain. I had a UF bucket list, and playing in an on-campus fountain was on it, but most of them were dried up and full of flowers, so when we found this one, my heart swelled. 
So there we were. A bunch of fully clothed 21-year-olds at 2am laughing uncontrollably, trying to jump on the spouts before they were able to shoot out, lying on the ground, trying to freeze this very moment in time forever. Combining four years of wonderful, irreplaceable memories into one cathartic, beautiful, soaking wet moment. I could feel it all coming together. It was like jumping on the trampoline when I was 10 with the sprinkler underneath tickling my feet, or driving my car all alone for the first time listening to The Shins’ Chutes Too Narrow, or slip-n-sliding on senior day of high school with blue Braveheart face paint and shaving cream.
My reverie was interrupted when we saw some guy messing with our stuff. We immediately started yelling thinking he was stealing our shoes, but he ran away back to his dorm. Upon closer inspection we realized he left us honey buns. Unwrapped, delicious honey buns in our shoes. It was incredibly bizarre and absolutely amazing. We ate them, of course, knowing this was just one more magical thing to add to this magical night.
I will never, ever forget this night. And something tells me this familiar burning in my stomach I finally feel again means I did something right. It seems like there’s a fountain opportunity everywhere I look here and I can’t wait to experience them all.

Enter Sandman

by 7 Comments

Friday night I went to my very first MLB game in San Francisco and it was pretty awesome. I tried garlic fries for the first time, I bought an overpriced Giants sweatshirt, I saw METALLICA play the national anthem (umm what?!), we sat in the third row and we beat the LA Dodgers in the 9th inning with a homerun. We even got to hear a super obnoxious old Giants fan fanatic with a makeshift baseball uniform on talk–no, scream–mad trash to the Dodgers players wishing them injuries and making fun of them for wearing sweatshirts. Bizarre. So overall, pretty fantastic start to baseball for this guy. Saturday I chilled out (and by ‘chilled out’ I mean sweated my arse off since it was 90 degrees here).
For Cinco de Mayo (or ‘Cinco de Drinko’ for Shannon’s benefit) I made my way to the city yet again, but this time for Hecho en San Francisco, a super cool event in front of the ferry building featuring unlimited local Mexican food and drinks. These drinks were no joke, I’m talking handcrafted tequila cocktails, not just margaritas. The one pictured was garnished with nutmeg and brown sugar. Delicious.  They even had custard tequila sundaes. I made DIY salsa, and that little ropa vieja concoction with salsa verde up there was heaven. We volunteered with La Cocina, an awesome company that helps low-income immigrant women make a living by creating ultra delicious dishes (that’s where I got my sweet shirt). If you’re in the area, I highly suggest checking it out.
After the event Michelle, Emma and I headed over to that beautiful field/waterfall combo up there and just hung out in the grass. It was fabulous.
My sole complaint about this weekend is that I did not get to eat any guacamole. So if any of you Bay area bloggers are looking for someone to stuff your faces full of guac with.. I’m your girl.

Air Five!

by 4 Comments

High fives and lots of gratitude for..
1. Puppy kisses. This little furball has definitely helped me out when I’ve started feeling homesick in the past two weeks. 
2. Interviews. I’ve had three so far, so keep your fingers crossed for me, friends. This chick needs a job. 
3. My new home. I love the hills, families, dogs, shops, cafes and weather here. It’s the perfect little town for raising babies, which isn’t my forte.. but it’s wonderful for now.
4. Trails. Ziggy and I have discovered awesome new places to walk every day. 
5. This song. It just makes me smile.
Now back that azz up with Whitney because it’s Friday and we can.

Hangover Ponderings

by 8 Comments

(Let me know if you’d like a tutorial..)
Last night was first Wednesday, which is a huge block party here in Pleasanton on the first Wednesday of each month. This particular celebration includes a beer and wine garden with live music, and being the responsible adult that I am, I chose to partake in the festivities despite having forgotten to eat dinner. This, my friends, is a recipe for epic hangover disaster time. It is currently 3:46pm and I am still in bed, and since I literally haven’t done a damn thing all day, I thought I’d do a little overview of the things that run through my head while bedridden and maximally hungover (one word? two words? Is there a listing in the AP Style Book for hangovers..?)
“I would pay more money than was spent on drinks last night just to make this feeling go away.”
“Maybe that means I should give up drinking..”
“I wonder if I would make friends in AA..?”
“God, I wish I had some sweet tea right now.”
Google search: “Are there Chick Fil A’s in California?” 
“I just want the sauce..”
“Why don’t fast food restaurants deliver?!”
“BRB, gotta vom.”
“I’ve said this before, but I’m really never drinking again..”
“Time to lay on the shower floor.”
“I’m so jealous of Ziggy right now. She’s NEVER been hungover.”
“How the hell did my roommate make it to work this morning?”
“I have now collected three different types of beverages, which shall I throw up next?”
“FOUND THE ADVIL!”
“Man, my hair looks good.”
“It’s so hot in here.”
“I’m freezing!”
“Maybe my parents will ship me Chick Fil A sauce…”
“I can have fun sober, right?”
“Why have scientists not discovered a hangover cure yet? I would buy that ish in bulk.”
“Omg, I think I found a sleeping position that doesn’t make me want to puke and die. Don’t you dare move a muscle.. Yes.. Sweet sweet slumber.”

Truth About My Bod

by 12 Comments

Today I’m linking up with Tami over at Friday Morning Buzz (who just so happens to be my IRL friend) and Kate of Eloquent Graffiti for their “Truth About My Body” party. So cheers to hoping you all will still read my blog even after you learn all the weird stuff I’m about to expose about this bod of mine.

1. First truth: That photo above is from May of last year and is not an accurate portrayal of what I’m working with right now (but look how much my hair has grown in a year!).

2. I have an extraordinarily long tailbone. I guess you could just say I have a tail. That would probably about cover it. When I did gymnastics as a kid I used to get crrrrrrazy bruises/rug-burn from “V-ups” and still do from sit-ups. Also, one time I went on a family trip to Wyoming and was beside myself playing in the snow, so I decided I would fall backwards into a big, fluffy pile of it. I was rudely awakened when I landed, tail first, in rock-hard ice snow and was convinced I had broken my butt. I couldn’t sit down comfortably the whole rest of the trip. (I didn’t realize I had so many tail anecdotes until now, I could probably tell you, like, five more. I won’t. Unless you want me to, in which case e-mail me. I’d be glad to discuss my deformity in more detail.)

3. I can make my eyes shake crazy fast. It freaks my sister the eff out and it’s kind of awesome to watch other people try to imitate. They pretty much just look like they’re constipated. I always get scared I’m going to strain them too hard and go cross-eyed or something though, so I try to only use it when I need to freak people out (or break an uncomfortable silence).

4. Baby got back. I’ve addressed this before, but I got a big ole donk. Even when I was in high school and went to the gym after cross country practice, it was still disproportionate to the rest of me. It makes jeans shopping quite the frustrating ordeal.

5. My second toe is longer than my first one. I had an interview today and a lady there said this was a sign of intelligence, and I’m going to have to agree. Also, when I hold down the big one and the two smallest ones, it looks like alien fingers throwing up deuces.

6. I get the gnarliest blisters on my feet when I run, and I have this weird compulsion to show them off. I think it’s a runner thing. Also, maybe I should get better socks.

7. Once upon a time I walked down a runway wearing barely-there bikinis and 6-inch heels for a fashion show. It was terrifying and liberating at the same time.

8. Freshman year of high school I gained about 20-30 pounds really quickly. It was because of this that I decided to start running — first in soccer, then track and field, then cross country. By senior year I was in the best shape of my life and started running half marathons my sophomore year of college. I’ve been running sort of consistently ever since.

9. I wear a size 6.5 shoe, which I really love simply because most display shoes in stores are my exact size.
10. I’m allergic to dairy (which I didn’t realize until college), penicillin, peanut butter (but not peanuts.. weird, right?) and very possibly alcohol. See how ridiculous my hangovers are here.. None of them are life-threatening (thank goodness), except maybe penicillin — haven’t tried to test that one out.
Overall, I am very thankful for this body I was born with. Despite the many insecurities I’ve battled throughout my adolescence (just like every other little girl out there), I have finally made peace with it. I no longer wish I could transform it (longer legs, tanner skin, skinnier arms, etc.) instead I strive to make it the healthiest it can be. I still get twinges of jealousy when I see super skinny girls (especially ones who don’t even try) but I fight it because I know that healthy is beautiful and I can easily achieve that when I put my mind to it. Body image is a delicate thing, my friends. And I encourage you to praise yourself for the parts you love and to quiet that voice inside that criticizes the parts you don’t. The happier you are, the greater you’ll look.

iheartEG

JINX you owe me a coke

by 6 Comments

By now you guys have probably noticed that I’m a big fan of games. Boardgames, drinking games, road trip games; you name it, I probably like it. They all make my heart happy (I mean I even named my blog after my favorite game). So that being said, I thought I’d give you non-real-life friends a little peek at some of the stupid games I play on the reg.

One to Nothin’ — Get in on this magical competition where the points don’t matter and the game never ends by downloading the Shazam or Soundhound app (for checking, not cheating obvi) and obnoxiously naming the artist of every song you hear followed by “ONE TO NOTHIN’!”Nobody got time to keep score.

Jinx — This one is an oldie, but it’s classic so I’ve carried it on to my adulthood (if you can call this adulthood). Basically when you say a word at the same time as someone else, you call “JINX 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10” before the other party has a chance to, followed by “You owe me _____.” The loser is shunned to silence until he or she delivers what is owed. This also applies to text messages I decided (mainly because I don’t have friends here yet), so when the bearded man and I both texted “gross” at the same time, I promptly jinxed him and said he owed me Chinese food. Surprisingly (or maybe not since he’s a good sport), there was a delivery guy at my door an hour later. Best jinx ever. (Thanks again! 🙂

Punching — Maybe I get bored in the car easily, but it seems like most of these games really shine through on extended car rides. Whenever you pass a cemetery, you want to be the first person to yell this phrase: “People just dyin to get there, last place I wanna be, BB BUSHES!” and punch everybody else in the car. Morbid? Yes. Violent? Oh, yea. Nonsensical? Definitely. But very satisfying nonetheless. Along the same lines, when you see an out-of-state license plate you call out the state and punch everyone. Also, when there’s a curvy road ahead sign, you yell “SQUIGGLES” and get your punch on.

Badiddle — When in the car, watch other cars’ headlights. If one of them is out yell “BADIDDLE” and hit the roof of the car with your hand. The other person/people in the car must remove one article of clothing. The longer the road trip, the more interesting this game becomes. (This is a funny game to play via text too, especially when the people around you have no idea why you’re stripping off your socks).

Buffalo Club — This game is strictly for getting people drunk quickly. When in a situation where the libations are flowing, if a person is holding their beverage with their dominant hand, you call “Buffalo Club” on them and they are then required to finish their drink immediately. This usually results in a lot of people awkwardly trying to connect non-dominant hand to mouth. Always a good time.

I could totally do a whole post just about my favorite drinking games, but I’ll spare you for now. You can read all about my obsession with Truth or Dare here though. Also, the awesome game that kept my sister and I entertained on our cross-country trek can be found here.

And just because I’ve been watching CMT music videos all morning and this song is adorable..

Happy Tuesday!
Pinterest
Instagram
Tiktok