31 Candles

I've decided that my dirty 30s are going to be the decade of international birthday celebrations. This year's festivities involved a lot less travel than last year, but it still required a passport so I say it counts. My mom and I took a ferry over to Victoria, BC for a weekend getaway. We stayed at a nice hotel just off the water with a great view of the inner harbor (and they were running a dine and stay deal where they gave us money back to eat in the hotel. Score!) We had high tea the first day in the hotel and it was delicious! The best herbal peppermint tea I've ever had.

We spent the day wandering around town and checking out the old tourist haunts. We used to come here a lot when I was a teenager and it was funny how few things had really changed (although a lot of places had moved further away from the water, cheaper rent perhaps?) I was sad to see the Wax museum was closed while the building was being renovated. I can't even tell you how many times I'd been through that place.

(wax museum reflecting off the water, with our hotel in the background)

While Victoria is only separated from PA by 15 miles of water it is worlds apart in culture! We did our best to make the most of it. We did some shopping at the Bay (sort of like Dillards) and I scored some majorly cute, cheap finds. Our hotel also had a gym attached to it and we got to take a water aerobics class that was super fun. We also watched "It's kind of a funny story", which I thought was sweet (and starred Zach Galifinakis which didn't hurt either).

The weekend was full of delicious food. We had some yummy dim sum in our hotel after a trip to the spa (massage for mom, facial and reflexology for me). Other musts if you ever make it to Victoria: Reef for delicious Caribbean food and cheap virgin mojitos; Fiamo Italian Kitchen where I had squid ink pasta for the first time. Sounds nasty, but I'm a total fan.

The weather cooperated and it turned out to be a great, relaxing birthday trip. Thanks Mom for coming along and making it such a good time!

(Parliament Building all lit up)

Next year I'm thinking of a long weekend in Reykjavik. Who's coming with me?

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year!

The time has come to start putting together my Christmas cards! For me, this means an exhaustive search through iphoto to pick and choose the best photos from the past year (of me, obvi. There might be some great group photos, but if I don’t look good, it doesn’t make the cut). I’m also reflecting on the theme from my last year as well as any high points I want to share with my family and friends.

I know a lot of people are anti-Christmas letters, but I love them! It’s great to get updated on the happs in people’s lives (ok, Facebook might lower the surprise factor of the letters, but still, there’s no denying how exciting it is to get actual, personal mail.) I think there’s an art to the Christmas letter where you can share without sounding like a total braggart. It might be a fine line, but I’ll take my chances. I mean shouldn’t the people you are sending these cards to be rooting for you anyway? I love hearing about people’s successes (and seeing pictures of their super cute babies or puppies isn’t too bad either.) I don’t send them to my arch nemeses or anything, but hey, that might not be such a bad idea during one of my more stellar years! :]

The thought of Christmas cards also excites my inner stationery hoarder. I justify my stationery purchases with the knowledge that it at least serves the practical purpose of keeping in touch with people (that is if I don’t keep it to myself due it’s overwhelming cuteness). Well this year, I don’t even need to justify the expenditure b/c Shutterfly is hooking me up with some free holiday cards for blogging about them. Hallelujah!

Here are a few of the cards that I’m drooling over:

How cute is this? A great way to include the year’s highlights as part of the card’s design. I’m kind of wordy though, not sure I could keep it so short. We’ll keep looking.

Love 2010 Christmas Card

You know that I love me some sparkles! It might be a bit classier than I’m looking for this year, though.

Shimmer Sparkle Shine Christmas Card

In the words of Rachel Zoe, “I die.” I would give anything to have this be the appropriate choice for me next year!

Bright City Lights Christmas Card

What, you thought I’d give away my pick for the year? Hardly. The surprise if half the fun! Final decision coming to a mailbox near you in December.

If you blog and want in on Shutterfly’s deal click here. And remember, I love getting cards as much as I love sending them. :]

136 E. 8^th St PMB 138

Port Angeles, WA 98362

Don’t worry I haven’t gone all crazy and posted my home address. This is the mailbox we use in town. I guess if someone wanted to they could try and stalk me there, but the lady who works there is really mean. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.

Two Month Anniversary

Some people might be wondering what I do with all my time now that I'm gainfully unemployed. Well, besides trying to boost the ratings of my favorite tv shows (RIP Lonestar, you'll be dearly missed) I've made it part of my daily routine to enter the contest to win HGTV's Urban Oasis. You better believe I'll be dressed to impress November 20th, should Vern Yip show up on my doorstep to announce me the winner. I wonder if tv watching is better in your own swanky residence at the W in downtown Manhattan? Oh, how I hope to be able to find out the answer to that question! :]

Observations from the Dock of the Bay

~I love that you only have to go a few blocks to end up in a different neighborhood and that each neighborhood has its own identity. Hildoug was bombarded all weekend with the question, “Where are we now?” She politely obliged and showed me where we were on the map. I love me some maps!

~Fleet Week = lots of men in uniform. ‘nuff said.

~Berkeley has a pretty campus, but a crappy stadium. Porta-potties? No thanks, I'll hold it.

~People in San Francisco are really friendly. On different bus rides I had one man offer me a cookie, another offer us a beer, and yet another eavesdrop on our conversation and share his wisdom about how they got the lights on the Capitol Building to change colors and his thoughts about vajazzlers.

~There are lots of hidden jems all over the city. Hildoug took me out for an amazing early birthday dinner at the Tonga Room. It felt like a supper club you’d see in an old black and white movie (the presence of a bunch of Marines in dress blues might have helped that a bit too).

~I like drag queens. I kind of think I might be a drag queen trapped in a straight woman’s body.Big hair, over the top make-up, costumes and lots of sparkles? Sign me up!

~The Golden Gate Bridge is truly gorgeous. We were down in the Marina watching the Blue Angels on a super clear day and it was an amazing back drop.

~People have such pride in and love for their city. It's cool to see.

Nobody puts Tobey in the corner!

I love my car and was happy at the prospect of being able to finally park him in a garage. He's experienced his fair share of trauma over his short three years of life; everything from vicious teenagers wielding keys and Arby's ranch dressing, to West Texas hail. Tobey will have to wear his wounds proudly until I'm able to cough up the casheesh necessary to have him repaired.

He treated me well on the half country drive and I like to give back by trying to keep him as clean as possible inside and out. Unfortunately, nature has other plans.

I couldn't park my car in the garage for the first few days I was here because some stuff had to be moved around. Imagine my surprise when I came out one morning to head into town only to see bird poop all over the passenger side mirror. I gave Tobey a quick bath and went on my way thinking it was a fluke thing. Only to have the same thing happen a few days later. Moving him inside became a top priority then.

Hildoug and I were making a quick stopover at home before heading back into town and I got lazy and parked him in the driveway only to come out to this:

I've decided that all birds are the enemy.....

and will be treated accordingly. Ka ka! Ka ka!

Casita del Lago - Olympic Peninsula is open for reservations!

***Spoiler Alert*** If you are planning to come visit me (which would totally be worth a little piggy bank smashing) you might experience a little déjà vu during your trip after reading this post.

Hildoug and I made the most of her time on the North Olympic Peninsula. To get here she got to take a ferry and cross a floating bridge (ooooh, ahhhh). We jumped into PA’s cuisine head first with a trip to Frugals for burgers and shakes (mmmm rootbeer shake). We then headed down to the pier to take in the view while eating. Little did we know that we would also be treated to a performance by “Dancing Hands” (a local drum circle). I blame myself for not having a picture of this awesomeness to share with you. I’ll do better next time I swear. We also drove around looking for the “unipus” (this news story is funny on sooooo many levels).Hildoug also got the full tour of town and I took her out to my favorite contemplation spot, “The Spit”. Besides serving as a high school make-out spot (no, not for me, I was in band, remember?) it also gives you a great view of the Strait of Juan de Fuca and the downtown area.

We did a little lounging before heading into town to check out The Odyssey bookstore before grabbing a late lunch at Togas Soup House. His crab Panini will seriously make you wanna smack yo mama. We then capped off the afternoon with a little hot tubbin’ in the rain and are about to do a little Jersey Shore Watching. Good times, all around!

No trip to PA is complete without a little West End adventure, which includes a visit to Forks and LaPush for all things Twilight as well as a hike to my favorite waterfall. It was my first visit to La Push and there was the cutest little Quillayute boy working at the gas station we stopped at. I bet those boys are killing it with the ladies these days! I got a kick crossing over the “treaty line” on our way to the water. First beach was pretty, but super windy and rainy. We literally jumped out of the car to take a quick photo before heading back on our way.

My big splurge of the week was an Olympic National Park Annual pass (which paid for itself after our visit to Sol Duc and Hurricane Ridge). We hoofed it up to the Ridge on a pretty overcast day, but luckily we got up high enough to break through the clouds and enjoy a little stroll overlooking some of the mountain range.

Hilary deemed the trip a great mix of lounging and adventure time and I totally agree. She did an amazing job getting up on the Stand Up Paddle Board her first time as I gave the kayak its inaugural cruise. We had one gorgeous day and made the most of it by spending it on the lake.

We also caught a showing of “The Town” at the old theater downtown. The movie was even showing in the upstairs theater, which is by far my favorite. If the super stained carpet could talk, I bet it would also remember me from my middle school viewings of “The Bodyguard” and “Dances with Wolves”. On a sidenote: I liked the Town and was rooting for the “bad guys” the whole time. My love of wounded bad boys doesn’t bode well for long term relationships, I’m just sayin’….

It’s always fun to have people visit and help me be a tourist in my own time (nudge, nudge, wink, wink). While PA leaves a lot to be desired in terms of hot nightlife, I’m constantly amazed at the natural beauty that is literally everywhere you look. If you’re looking to get back to nature, look no further…and give me a call!

**All photos courtesy of Hildoug 'cuz I'm a slacker**

No Tell Motel or the Holiday Inn?

I blame the W Chicago for my affinity for nice hotels. It was by far the nicest hotel I'd ever been in and had the best perks. We were there for Hildoug's birthday in '09 and the W helped her celebrate with comped champagne one night and a free candle the other night. Hildoug and I were also entranced by the super fragrant flowers in the lobby and the fact that they changed out the welcome mats bidding us Good Morning, Afternoon, or Evening. How cute is that?

I love a good value and bidding for hotels on priceline gives me a little rush when I get a great hotel for a discount. I didn't go the priceline route on my roadtrip, b/c I wanted some more leeway in case my plans changed along the way. Instead, I went with Holiday Inn Express. Free internet and free breakfast? Sign me up! I thought that I'd also made reservations at a HIE in Yakima, but it turned out to be a regular Holiday Inn. At first, I was bummed I wouldn't be getting a free breakfast, but the super nice decor of the hotel (and free wifi) totally made up for it. I realized that I want ammenities for my dollar, but will do with a few less perks for a nicer hotel room. Hotels I hate are the big chains (i.e. conference hotels where I'm forced to stay in order to be able to run up to my room between sessions). They are the worst! Sure, the room is a bit nicer, but they charge you for everything! Give me free wifi or give me death!

What's your bottom line?

Home at Last!

The road-trip ended up being super fun, as were my stops along the way. It was great to get to see places that wouldn’t have normally made my must visit list (Moab & Yakima). I got in Wednesday night and as of Friday mid-day I am already a little lonely and bored. I spent the first day cleaning up the house and making room for my stuff and started the major unloading today, and if you’ll remember I’m in WA, so of course it was raining. The flooded front tile steps and my flip flops were not friends and I ended up falling on my booty twice while loaded down with bags. Needless to say, I’m delaying the rest of my unloading until they dry out, which let’s face it, could be next summer. :] It’s been crazy to see how little stuff I actually brought with me. I don’t think it will be a problem to find a place for everything, which is nice. I’m now in the process of re-claiming the guest room as my own so I’ll be comfortable during my as-of-yet undetermined length of stay at the lake.

Things I like so far:

1) The smell of WA. It’s so distinctive, I know I’m home when I smell it.

2) Waking up to see water out my front window. Heavenly

3) Access to WE, Style, Oxygen, and HBO. Ahhh.

Things I don’t like so far:

1) I realize I could go a long time without talking to anyone unless I come up with some creative ways to meet people (my mom’s in Cali until early October).

2) Accessing the internet from the lake might require a tinfoil hat and some yoga poses.

3) It’s a little weird to see people I knew back in the day without knowing if they remember me and therefore whether or not I should say hello.

4) The temptation to buy comfy/ugly shoes is getting stronger and stronger. I see a pair of Uggs in my future!

Uh Oh! My ox done died and Ma's got dysentery.

In the 11.5 hours I drove today I passed through 4 states (ok, maybe not a feat for East Coasters, but a way bigger deal for us West Coasters). Much of today's drive was also along the Oregon Trail. I really tried to see the road through the eyes of the pioneers who made the harrowing trek across the country (although I wasn't willing to give up my AC or ipod). I can only imagine how happy they would have been as they crested the mountain and saw the lush green banks of this river.

Oh, how things have changed over the years. My joy now comes from things like this (seen at the Arrowhead Truckstop just before Pendleton, OR):

~ I'm settled in for the night in my cushy hotel room in Yakima, WA. I made it into town with enough time to pick up some pizza before tuning into some season premieres. Only one short day of driving left between me and unpacking Tobey! Look out PA, here I come!

Utah: The dance state

As I contemplated how to condense my four days of Utah fun times into one blog post, a them emerged: dance.

Friday~Megan had some professor things to take care of on Friday so we met up for lunch in Provo at Spark. It was a pretty trendy place and they had some cool mocktails. She then gave me a tour of her office and we stopped to say hello to Roy. She also showed me around the student union where my mind was literally blown when we rounded a corner to see a group of kids swing dancing in an attempt to get others to join their club. No one else seemed to find this odd, which I found odd. I snapped this picture of them dancing as other students studied/finished up lunch.

There were also two dance classes going on in the ballroom. Alright, I admit it I was jealous. I leap at any chance to shake my booty. To show my solidarity I bought myself a BYU dance t-shirt.

Later that night Megan and I went to the Salt Lake Temple (and took the requisite self photo) before hitting up Anthropolgie and grabbing dinner at the Gateway. I fell madly in love with this coat (in purple) and will be stalking it until it goes on sale.

Saturday~ Megan also introduced me to Cafe Zupas. Amazing. Wish there were some closer to any of the major cities I visit, but alas, no such luck. Megan took me with her to her brother-in-laws surprise birthday party. We passed this along the way: the spot where Rusty learns to dance!

We then went to a Colors concert (Utah based band that does one reunion show a year) at the Sandy Amphitheatre. A very cool venue and a great concert. We then hit up In-N-Out for a little late night nosh.

Sunday~ Who knew people went to Church at 10 AM? I'm so used to late evening church I was a bit overwhelmed with all the extra downtime in my PJs. We smartly filled it with viewings of The American President and Shall We Dance.

Monday~ Started the day with breakfast and catch-up with Roy (former awesome Tech MFT faculty, still awesome just no longer at Tech). Megan had to put her professor hat on again while I cruised around town hitting up my favorite places: the mall and IKEA. I also drove up Provo Canyon to Sundance Resort. Beautiful scenery, but unfortunately no Robert Redford sighting. Megan and I met up at the end of the day to check out Park City (site of the Sundance Film Festival which I would give my right arm to attend and wouldn't mind hitting the slopes there as well).

We did some shopping at the outlet mall and had dinner in town. Dinner was tasty, but also taught us a lesson. Never ever tell someone you are a therapist. The chef started to talking to us about the food (which was yummy) and when he found out what we did he started peppering us with questions (for like 10 minutes). Questions that people usually sign consent forms and pay money for us to help them figure out the answer that works best for them. Megan did an amazing job of keeping us out of legal trouble by sidestepping his questions without sounding cold or uncaring. Well played Megan, well played.

Thanks for the good times, Megan!

Arch-tastic

I started my day with a tour through Arches National Park. Amazing. I'm already in the pre-planning stages of my next trip which will hopefully include family and must include some quality ATV time. I was blown away by the beauty of the park. The contrast between the sky and the striations in the rock was just awesome. It was super crowded for a Thursday in September. I can't imagine what spring/early summer is like.

Yours truly at Park Ave

Delicate Arch. It looked to me a little like a scene out of Star Wars

Balanced Rock not only balances precariously. It also shoots laser beams out of its head!

Today's drive was only about 3 hours. I enjoyed seeing the change in scenery along the way. The coloring of the rock formations quickly turned drab, then I encountered some small hills, larger hills with brush, then the mountains that say Utah to me. Megan and I hit up a quintessential BYU place "Cafe Rio" for some delicious burritos. I was also impressed with their drink selection. I got to indulge my predilection for Diet Coke without the nasty caffeine buzz that would keep me up all night. Thanks Utah!

The only thing good about New Mexico.....

is the speed limit. Lovin' 75 mph. You know what else I love about New Mexico? Leaving it. How is it that the entire state of New Mexico is undergoing road construction? Lame. I made it safely to Moab tonight after enduring a pretty nasty rain storm through the corner of Colorado. I saw the storm from New Mexico and it was pretty daunting.

Things learned on the roadtrip so far:

1) A variety of snacks purchased at the Walmarts before the trip cuts down on stop-along-the-way time.

2) Books on tape are pretty awesome. This is my first roadtrip alone and my first opportunity to try them out. Michelle gave me "The Mermaid Chair" audiobook quite a few years back and before now I've always forgotten to take it with me.

I'm super glad it was saved until now b/c it's a welcome break from the monotony of long stretches of Navajo reservation.

3) Driving alone lends itself to lots of singing out loud. So what? Who cares?

4) Always save some upbeat, sing at the top of your lungs music for the last hour or two. It helps keep the lead foot in check.

Saw this on the way into Moab (I believe it was near Canyonlands). I see Moab's appeal: super cute downtown and lots of rugged outdoor types. :] Headed to Arches National Park tomorrow for some more sight-seeing before heading up to Megan's.

Say a little prayer my hotel is bedbug free.

Amarillo Fun Times

The Mercados were nice enough to host me for a few nights in Amarillo. There was movie watching, shopping, and some fashion magazine reading with Cadence. Oh, and lots and lots of Braums runs. I really wish I would have gotten a picture of Cadence perusing InStyle while on my lap, but alas, I didn't pull out my camera. This iphone photo of Cadence mooching Daddy's drink will have to suffice.

A big thanks to Thomas for checking on my tires and finding that my driver side tire was at 60 psi. Thanks for nothing Discount Tires! They put my new tires on and when I told them that the check tire light was still on they told me that I needed to drive it around for awhile before it would go off. Lies! As much as I love Tobey, the idea of never having to deal with shady car repair people is enough to make me want to switch to public transportation...except for buses, 'cuz they're just gross.

Her name was TT......

The Harringtons were kind enough to put me up for a few days to milk Lubbock for all it was worth before leaving. We had a good time eating Lubbock delicacies and just spending time together. They played a huge part in making Lubbock home for me and Friday nights with all of them will be sorely missed (even Stanley and his oddly heavy paws). I'm also having a really hard time breaking the habit of referring to myself in the third person as TT (part Stephanie, part Auntie?). I knew that it wouldn't matter what Kate called me, as long as she called me. And who could say no to this little nugget? It's been such a pleasure getting to see her grow up over the past two years and I'm constantly amazed that each phase is even more fun than the last. I can't even think about what I'll miss being so far away. :[

Kate & TT 5 days old at Fish Fry Friday

Kate & TT doing what they do: 25 months old

I've officially been out of Lubbock for a few days now, but am holed up in Amarillo (at Rebels) soaking up a little more Texas hospitality before heading into the Sunset.

Cleaning out my apartment turned out to be way more work than I expected. Numerous runs to both Goodwill and the dumpster helped along with good friends who came to take a lot of stuff off my hands. I also learned to love Craigslist. In short order I sold my couches and gave away my bed. I realize now that I should have taken before and after pictures of my progress, but I had a lot to do, yo.

Tobey is now loaded down with all of my earthly belongings (minus 2 boxes of books and clothes that just wouldn't fit). He's equipped with new tires and just itching to hit the open road. Hildoug's amazeballs grad gift: the iPhd (iPod for PhDs, duh) will help me pass the time through the desolate wasteland that is New Mexico. The caravan heads out Wednesday morning for points West. Stay tuned for updates from the road.

Awesome August

**August 6th Graduation Party at Four Bar K**

Hot Lady Docs

Familia enjoying a little BBQ in the LBK

Beau, Boar, Bush

**August 7th Graduation**

These ain't no cheap seats

Love these ladies

**Vegas Vacay**

California, Washington, Oklahoma, & Texas Represent

Phoning it in

If I had the type of job where I could call in sick without the headache of a bunch of re-scheduling, today would be a sick day. Nope, I'm not physically sick, just sick of work. Four work days left until FREEDOM!!!!!!

Heading for the Hills...literally

This week saw me making some big decisions and actually moving forward with them. I put in my notice at work and my last day will be August 26th, after which I'll pack up my stuff and head up to WA state for what I'm calling my last summer break before becoming a grown up.

Without boring you with all the details of what led up to this rather sudden decision, suffice it to say that it definitely feels like it's time for me to leave Lubbock. I've been dragging my feet on pulling the trigger for quite some time now. It also gave me the opportunity to set a boundary professionally that I think was much needed and will lead to good things for me in the future.

Although, the LBK lacks a few things that I desire, it does make up for it with lots of people that I love! It's been my home for 8 years now and is the place that I've lived the longest in my life. That little tidbit is crazy to me because it seems like only yesterday that my beat up Jeep made it to Lubbock packed to the brim with the basics necessary to start my life here. It's going to be rough, but I'm going to see how close I can come to making it out of Lubbock again with only what will fit in my car (plus a few boxes to be UPSed). That means everything's got to go, folks! So, if you are looking for couches, a washer/dryer, twin bed, kitchen gear, or any other odds and ends you should hit me up. For you, so cheap, almost free!

The scary part in all of this is that I haven't lined up a job yet. Moving home gives me some cushion to be out of work for awhile, but I know I'll go stir crazy if I'm idle for too long. I'm till hoping to line something up on the East Coast (NYC and DC keep beckoning me). I'm a little wary of the stigma that comes with being the creepy 30 year old doctor who moves home to live with her mother. Enter the "summer break" re-frame. Good to know all those years of schooling come with some practical applications. :]

Alright, breaks over, back to cleaning out my apartment. Seriously, how did I collect so much crap?

Waiting and The Way We Were

I'm cooped up at home today watiting for the Lawn Care guys to show up to take care of the jungle that is my backyard. They are now 2.5 hours late, so I'm thinking they might not show. Oddly, this is now the second time that I've been no showed by people I've set up appointments with. I guess everyone is just as reticent about Ivy removal as I have been for the past 7 years. Yeah, it's bad...real bad.

I've taken care of a lot of odds and ends while I've been waiting and am now treating myself to a viewing of The Way We Were. Just a few short lines sum up the whole movie for me (posted below **major spoiler alert if you haven't seen it**). It's heartbreaking really. Is it better to have loved and lost, than to never have loved at all? I'm still not sure, but it makes for a good movie plot!

Katie: I don't have the right style for you do I?

Hubbell: No you don't have the right style.

Katie: I'll change.

Hubbell: No, don't change. You're your own girl, you have your own style.

Katie: But then I won't have you. Why can't I have you?

Hubbell: Because you push too hard, every damn minute. There's no time to ever relax and enjoy living. Every things too serious to be so serious.

Katie: If I push too hard it's because I want things to be better, I want us to be better, I want you to be better. Sure I make waves you have I mean you have to. And I'll keep making them till you're everything you should be and will be. You'll never find anyone as good for you as I am, to believe in you as much as I do or to love you as much.

Hubbell: I know that.

Katie: Well then why?

Hubbell: Do you think if I come back its going to be okay by magic? What's going to change? What's going to be different? We'll both be wrong, we'll both lose.

Katie: Couldn't we both win?

~Later~

Katie: Wouldn't it be lovely if we were old? We'd have survived all this. Everything would be easy and uncomplicated; the way it was when we were young.

Hubbell: Katie, it was never uncomplicated.

Katie: But it was lovely, wasn't it?

Hubbell: Yes, it was lovely.

~Finally~

Katie: Your girl is lovely, Hubbell. Why don't you bring her for a drink when you come?

Hubbell: I can't come, Katie. I can't

Katie: I know...

Which came first?

I have a thing for intelligently bizarre men (not to be confused with bizarrely intelligent men). Case in point, Zach Galifianakis. From The Hangover to SNL, my crush has continued to grow. I think that Dinner for Schmucks might just cinch the deal and it’ll be time to order my

Team Zach t-shirt.

Over the weekend I had two different friends tell me that they had men they wanted to set me up with.

Description of Dude #1: He’s a really great guy with a healthy dose of redneck in him. The only con is that he’s missing some teeth. This was reframed by telling me that missing teeth could easily be fixed after I find a job with benefits.

Description of Dude #2: He’s a single guy in my friend’s ward (these days that’s all it takes for people to think they should set me up with someone). The con is that my friend predicts that he has a porn addiction. The reframe was that I could just love him into recovery.

So, does my love of unique characters lead my friends to try to set me up with these types? Or is it the increasing number of friends trying to set me up with oddballs that has influenced my preference?

Talk amongst yourselves….

What's in a name?

A few years ago, my intrepid travel companion Hildoug and I were tromping around the South, Georgia to be more specific. We spent some time in Atlanta and then made the drive down to Savannah. I wanted to see the city, but was really hoping for a Paula Deen sighting, or better yet one (or both) of her boys. I failed on all accounts. My Paula obsession hasn't let up yet. I'm still tempted to dress up like her for Halloween and walk around feeding people biscuits and dropping colloquialisms in my best southern accent.

One of the major thorough fares in Savannah is called Abercorn Street. I had mapquested directions to our hotel and it told us that our hotel was on this street (note: this is pre iPhone days). Now, I pride myself on my directional abilities. Let me loose in a city and I can find my way around no problem, and even if my subsequent visit(s) to the city is a few years later it's like I haven't even left and can still find things based on landmarks. Yes, I know, I'm awesome.

My directional genius was quickly rendered incapacitated upon entering the Savannah city limits (due to the humidity, perhaps?) I held course and continued to follow Abercorn street into downtown Savannah and then out into the boons. After driving in the boons for quite some time we did manage to locate a Piggly Wiggly and a major highway shortly after that. We were able to find our hotel (fyi: with no help from an iPhone or locals) which was actually nowhere near the downtown area. What stood out to me was the fact that we had a great time getting lost and I don't know if I'd ever laughed so hard before, or since then.

What in tarnation does this story pertain to, you ask? Well, this little experience led to the name of my blog. It's become my way to keep things in check. Life is a cornucopia of abercorn streets. There's really no way to avoid them, it's all about what you do with them. Hence the blog detailing my life: Abercornucopia.

Thank you, and good night.

Drool Worthy

Here are a few of the things that I am currently obsessed with.

Sonic Diet Strawberry Sparkling Lemonades. If it was a cartoon character I'm sure this is what it would look like. So yummy. Thanks to Amanda for introducing the two of us. Needless to say there'll be a lot Sonic stops through the summer.

Fauxidermy. I have an inflatable deer head on my wall now (named Eddie). He's served his purpose well during my time as a student, but now that I'm in the real world I'm ready to class it up a bit. This lacquered deer head should do the trick. Overall, I'm just getting very excited to move and revamp my space from head to toe. Classy, but with a bit of Stephanie kitsch thrown in for good measure.

Chirp by Lenox China. Love this! I went and visited it last week at Dillards and loved it even more in person. It's described as sturdy china and has a fine china price tag. Oprah always says you should use your good stuff every day, and you know better than to argue with Oprah. My fingers are crossed that it's somehow drastically reduced and I can scoop up a few settings. Until then, I'll continue to visit it at Dillards and daydream about all the lovely dinner parties it would inspire.

Not without my Abaya

The search is on, folks! I'm in full-on job hunt mode. In this process, the Universe is attempting to keep me humble since acquiring three new letters after my name. I put in an application for a clinical job that I was well qualified for (hours, clinical experience, etc). It was also a job that only required a Master's degree. Well I heard back the next day that they had other people more qualified than me for the position. Uh oh. Not what you want to hear after spending so many extra years in school. I assume that it had a lot to do with the fact that I'm not licensed. That drama is worthy of its own post, but suffice it to say that the State is great about cashing checks, but not so great at tracking and completing the paperwork that said check was meant to pay for.

I understand that it's a rough market right now for applicants and will be throwing my net wide in hopes of catching something. That being said I came across a position to work as a therapist with students at a newly organized University in Saudi Arabia. It was posted as only a 6 month position and I've heard that many jobs in the Middle East are very high paying. It's the first co-educational university in the Kingdom. Now, for some reason I thought that Saudi Arabia was more progressive, you know along the lines of the UAE. False. After submitting my application I did a little more research into the plight of women in the country.

Turns out women not only don't have the vote, but also can't drive or ride bikes in the country. Further, women are still found accountable for rape if they were "illegally mingling" with an acquaintance of the opposite sex. Yoswers. There are interesting requirements of foreign workers as well. You have to relinquish your passport to your employer while you are in the country and as a woman you need a man to act as your guardian while there. Said guardian also must give permission before you can leave the country. As I continued my research, I quickly realized that this was probably not the job for me, but even more than that it made me realize how many of my freedoms I take for granted. While I often get frustrated with the gender inequality that exists in our country, I realize how lucky we are to be able to voice our dissent.

While I believe that a cultural immersion would be an amazing experience, I'm a big fan of feeling safe and having personal freedoms.

So, back to the drawing board it is. Although I loved the movie "Not without my Daughter" I think I'll pass on living it as an experience, although I can see the appeal of rocking the Abaya on really bad hair days. :]

Sell Out

In an effort to clean out my spare room before company comes in the beginning of August, I decided to sell some books and the newest seasons of Weeds to Hastings. I've been wanting to watch "The Big Bang Theory", but am too impatient to wait for each disc to arrive from netflix. It also seemed like the ultimate way to recycle and save me a little cashola.

I'm really easy on my books, the jacket covers stay pristine as do all of the pages. I had a very large stack of recent hardbacks that I thought would bring me a pretty penny. I was shocked and appalled at how little each of these little jewels brought me. I was tempted to make a case for each book, "No, wait! This is a really good one. You shouldn't only give me $2.75 for it." It wasn't so much the fact that I wouldn't be getting a lot of money for them as much as feeling like my poor little books were being judged unworthy. I was a little sick to my stomach walking away from the first Hastings store with $24.99 on a gift card for like 10 of my books. In a side note, Hastings will only let you sell back $24.99 worth of stuff each day. The worker informed me that I could go to the other store and sell back the rest if I wanted. Weird, but whatever.

My measly gift card was enough to buy the first season of "The Big Bang Theory" new (they didn't have it used). I headed all the way across town to the other Hastings and sold back the rest of my loot. My frustration grew when I was able to see the individual prices that they were giving me for each of my items. The newest season of Weeds? $4.25. I have no doubt that they will jack up the price by at least four fold. Low blow, Hastings. Low blow.

I was checking out their TV section and found that they had the second season of "The Big Bang Theory" as well as the first season (both used). Way better way to get more for my measly gift cards. So, I went to my car to grab my recently purchased new first season and receipt, only to be told that they couldn't take it back because I'd bought it at the other store. What? Aren't you a chain? I rarely argue stuff like that, but it just didn't make sense. They didn't budge, so then I was mad. I drove all the way back across town to return the first season and get a gift card, which they were able to take at the second store. What logic follows that they won't take merchandise, but will take a gift card from the other store? I wandered around the second store for awhile trying to find something to buy so that I could use up the full amount on my gift cards, b/c there's no way I'm going back there again. My final choice? "Young Guns". I haven't seen it and have heard good things.

Lessons learned? 1) Hastings is the devil. b) I'd prefer to sacrifice any monetary gain and instead give my books a home where they are loved and appreciated III) The Big Bang Theory is ridiculously funny, luckily making the wasted gas and frustration worth it.

Guilt-free time

It's been so long since I've done nothing and genuinely had nothing to do. It's been a whirlwind few weeks filled with a rush to finish my dissertation, defend it, and make changes. I'm now waiting on approval of my changes before submitting my final version to the grad school. Then I'm free at last! Free at last!

So, what do you do when you're done with school? No, not look for a job, silly. Find a new hobby! So far, I've tried my hand at party planning-so far so good if I do say so myself. I also picked up some cool notecards that you can cross stitch on before sending off, so I'll also be giving that a try. Maybe blogging will experience a re-birth too? Here's to hoping!

The weekend also entails a lot of cleaning, organizing, and cheesy movie watching. It seems like nature likes my plan too as the forecast calls for rain, rain, and more rain, which makes staying in doors that much more appealing since drainage is a foreign thing here in Texas making street flooding a very common occurrence. Good thing I haven't started collecting cats, or my little homebound weekend could turn from rejuvenating to creepy real quick. :]

A little something new

My genius friend Megan came up with the idea of starting a group blog where people commit to trying something new and documenting the experience. What am I up to, you ask? Guess you'll have to mosey on over to find out.

Challengers of the Unknown

Interested in joining the gang?
Step 1: Figure out who would play you if the blog was made into a movie. (People's choices so far are dead on!)
Step 2: Leave me a comment and I'll get you Megan's info.