A California Girl in Kansas, Part 2

We're Moving!

2007-08-30T21:30:00.000-05:00

Yes, ACGIK finds yet another new address...

Actually, its owner finally ponied up the cash to buy a domin name. Yay!

So please, ladies and gents, direct your browsers to (drumroll please) http://californiagirlinkansas.com

You'll love it. I swear.

Love It

2007-08-29T21:48:00.001-05:00

Feel like a trip back to 1993? Go check out this post on Go Fug Yourself. Hilarity ensues.

It brings back nostalgia for my youth just like this one (Jessica was always my favorite twin) and, well, this one, largely for its reference to David Silver singing "You're so precious to me..."

Of course, I wasn't really allowed to read Sweet Valley High books cause they were kinda raunchy for a 13 year old (but I managed to read them anyway) and I had to sneak episodes of 90210 at friends' houses, but made up for it the summer after my senior year when I watched EVERY SINGLE EPISODE because they lived on forever thanks to syndication - twice a day on TBS!

My Secret Celebrity Crush #2

2007-08-29T21:36:00.000-05:00

I totally have a dirty celebrity crush on Zac Efron. Dirty because I could have been his baby-sitter and that makes me feel kinda pedophile-ish.

But he's sooo dreamy!!!

Things I Don't Get #426

2007-08-29T16:41:00.000-05:00

Why Jessica and Eric didn't totally backdoor Danielle on Big Brother 8.

Hello, perfect opportunity!! Dick and Danielle are clearly NOT going to afford Jess and Eric the same courtesy if one of them wins HOH, which is totally possible next week.

Another thing I don't get - how exactly I became so hooked on this damn show.

It's a Real Schmoozefest Around Here

2007-08-28T15:06:00.000-05:00

I've been nominated for (and thus apparently the winner of) a blogger schmooze award by Doc, who claims I can drink him and The D under the table. His claims are correct. Maybe that should be the next blogger meet-up idea - see who can out-drink me. Hmmm...

Nonetheless, I now have the privilige of nominating some other schmoozers. 5 of them, in fact.

So here come the nominations. Envelopes please.

Ahem.

I hereby nominate (or award): The Awesomeness of John, Shaynanagins, Midwest Valley Girl, Chimpotle, and 3 o'clock am. All of these are worth checking out (if you haven't already, of course). You each have received 5 nominations/awards of your own to hand out. USE THEM WISELY!

All right. Enough of the blog love.

Things I Don't Get # 401

2007-08-28T10:27:00.000-05:00

People who don't observe a novel concept known as the courtesy flush.

LA Story - Sundance

2007-08-27T21:39:00.001-05:00

It's been awhile since I told an LA story. A long while. So... here we go. It's a long one. Get comfortable.

One of the biggest perks to my job in the 9021...2 was that I got to take an all-expenses paid trip to the Sundance Film Festival. It was pretty much the most last minute thing ever. I ended up driving up to Park City, Utah from LA in a rented Chevy Trailblazer with 2 tons of brochures stacked up in the back, Dixie Chicks playing on the radio and a friend in the passenger seat along for the ride.

The main purpose of the company's trip was to sponsor a big party along with Seven jeans and CAA (one of the big talent agencies). I was absolutely ecstatic about this. As an avid reader of fine publications such as Us Weekly and In Touch, I knew that I would see more celebrities at one time in one place than I had for the previous 6 months in LA.

I was right.

Mostly my trip consisted of chauffeuring my boss, my steadily drunken co-worker and other assorted friends and acquaintances all over the place. To the Seven jeans house and back. To the Motorola lodge and back... You get the idea. But there were perks to that too.

Like just driving around and spotting Ashton Kutcher and Rob Thomas and Lance Bass (for some reason, I had regular Lance Bass sightings). And then there was the Seven jeans house where I was offered free jeans (for some absolutely insane reason I turned this down) and literally - LITERALLY - bumped into Paris Hilton and Nick Carter (remember them together?). Then I saw Christina Applegate sipping hot chocolate on the other side of the room and Bo from Days of Our Lives trying on jeans in a makeshift dressing room. Hi-larious!!

My friend and I just sort of stood there feeling awkward and uncool and non-celebrity-ish.

That night was the big party. And after some drama (we couldn't get into our own party - sad, I know), we were finally rubbing elbows with the big guns. Only there really weren't any big guns. Just some C and D-listers like Kevin Richardson, formerly of The Backstreet Boys, and Jeremy Sisto. Not that I'm knocking C and D-list. I am Z-list.

My boss and his fiance had taken off because of the aforementioned drama, leaving me with armfuls of brochures and random hats to hand out to the partygoers. I was also, at this point, a bit drunk. Let me tell you, it made it a helluva lot easier to walk up to complete strangers and ask them if they had already reserved their yacht for Cannes and, if not, would they like a brochure?

And then I asked the question to a really tall, attractive middle-eastern man. And he actually wanted one. And he apparently knew my boss. And the next thing you know, his manservant (I kid you not) was holding my purse and brochures while Sam Nazarian - the tall, attractive middle-eastern man, was pouring me a drink from his table. Yeah, table service. This is about the time that I realized that this guy was kinda important. We posed for pictures for Wire Image (they never posted them - jerks) and he continued to woo me. Yup - woo. It culminated with his manservant getting my phone number and Sam informing me that they wanted me to come back to his hotel for an after party. They actually did call too - they were in a limo outside and did I want to join them?

I had absolutely no idea who this man was, other than he had cash and a manservant and liked to woo. But I politely declined. I'm not that kind of girl. So instead I went back to the house where we were staying and party all night and make a Lean Cuisine for the guy who played Luke on The OC.

When I got back to LA, I googled Sam and found out that he's kind of a mogul in LA - hotelier, restaurateur, film financier, etc. Do the clubs Hyde and Area sound familiar? How about the Viceroy hotel? Yeah. That's Sam.

And then, last night on Entourage, there he was, larger than life on my TV. Sam being Sam.

So whenever I rattle off one of these random, bizarre LA stories, I kinda don't believe it ever happened. It feels much more like the crazy dream I had last night than the actual events that took place in my life. But as my pal Aaron reminded me, here I am in Wichita receiving gifts from MTV Canada and interviewing Heidi and Spencer, so I guess you can take the girl out of LA, but you can't take the LA out of the girl.

The End.

SWAG!

2007-08-27T13:21:00.000-05:00

Somehow, someone at MTV Canada knew that I was a compadre.

And they sent me a bunch of swag!!! YAY!!! I love free things!

In case you were curious, my care package from MTV includes: Season 2 of The Hills on DVD, MTV stickers, MTV temporary tattoos (hilarious), a keychain, a lei, and three "lip butters."

Things I Don't Get # 386

2007-08-23T15:41:00.000-05:00

Grumpy people.

I really don't get grumpy people. Look - we all have moments when our panties get in a bunch, but overall, none of us (and by us, I mean me and those of you whom fall into the same demographic as moi) have it so rough that we have any reason to be consistently irritated and downright grumpy.

We have roofs over our heads. Clean drinking water. Obscene luxuries like built-in Bluetooth in our cars. We have indoor plumbing and the means to watch Big Brother After Dark on Showtime Too. We have laptops and iPods and leftover Pizza Hut in the fridge. Decent bottles of Sauvingon Blanc and Viognier in our wine racks. We spend $4 on coffee. COFFEE! Don't get me wrong - it's not all champagne wishes and caviar dreams. Cars break down. Hard drives crash. People get fired. Friendships end. Illness occurs. But in the great big scheme of life, that stuff is just that - life. The little nuggets of sh*t amongst the plethora of good. Yeah, that's right - the plethora of GOOD.

And yet some of us are still grumpy... All. The. Time.

Just, like, stay inside until you can come out and play nicely.

I mean it.

I'll Sing for Free

2007-08-22T23:18:00.000-05:00

My mom is convinced that I need to be on The Singing Bee.

I'd do it just to hang out with Joey Fatone, but that's just me.

Plus, you know, I have previous game show experience. And a six-CD Time/Life collection of classic rock favorites as my consolation prize.

I actually called the hotline for The Singing Bee casting department tonight just to satisfy her and to see what happens. I'm a good game show contestant. I'm energetic. I laugh at myself. And you can bet that I will belt it out and sing like I've never sung before. Whether I know the lyrics or not.

I mean, I'm the girl who thought "Papa Don't Preach" was "Bubblegum Street" until early adulthood.

Holy Childhood

2007-08-22T22:59:00.000-05:00

Many a weekend in my youth was spent in front of the TV at my dad's house watching American Gladiators and Star Search. And since leggings have already made their way back, why the hell wouldn't effing American Gladiators? Yeah, that's right. American Gladiators is back and you could even try out to be one of them. So if you happen to be excellent at jousting or obstacle courses or just being one crazy motherf***er, go for it. I'll root for you. Oh you'd better believe I will be all over that sh*t just like I was when I was nine.

Blame Canada

2007-08-22T15:02:00.000-05:00

So emawkc posted this country quiz thing last Friday. I'm a little behind the times due to my weekend in KC and odd ailments, so I finally took the damn thing today.

And I'm Canada. CANADA! Freakin' Canada. I'm not even a South Park fan and I know that there's an entire song about (aboot?) blaming Canada!

You're Canada!

People make fun of you a lot, but they're stupid because you've
got a much better life than they do. In fact, they're probably just jealous. You believe in crazy things like human rights and health care and not
dying in the streets, and you end up securing these rights for yourself and
others. If it weren't for your weird affection for ice hockey, you'd be
the perfect person.

Take the Country Quiz
at the Blue Pyramid

So the real question is... What country are you?

Amber the Crier

2007-08-21T23:26:00.000-05:00

So my addiction to Big Brother 8 is pretty strong. Strong enough that I've actually spent a significant amount of time watching Big Brother After Dark on Showtime, which basically amounts to watching other people play beer pong and whisper to each about strategy for hours on end.

While Dick and Danielle are the most obvious houseguests to hate on, I find myself more often laughing at Amber, who cries every five minutes (with like the most awful ugly cry ever - one that she will surely regret when she is finally out of the house and gets to watch her many scrunchy-faced moments), tells everyone she loves them, has crazy visions sent from God and, more amusingly, has absolutely no grasp of the English language.

Ugh. Misery.

2007-08-21T23:10:00.000-05:00

So somehow I ended up with a pinched nerve in my back and I've been moving like a slug all day because the slightest move in the wrong direction sends shooting pain all over the place. Sucks. Balls. This AND a not-right stomach all day have equaled some serious misery. A dear friend from work took pity on me and brought me my work laptop, soup, dark chocolate, Icy Hot and a heating pad thing during lunchtime. I had been dying for soup all morning (weird, I know) and when he brought me some, you would have thought he gave me an iPhone. I was excited.

So here's what I've spent my day doing: napping, trying not to move, cuddling with the Pug, checking emails and watching copious amounts of TV saved up on the ol' DVR (The Hills, Big Brother, Damages, Rescue Me, and, shamefully, High School Musical - 1 and 2).

That's it. That's all I've got. Just some Zac Efron and killer back pain.

A few kind of amazing things...

2007-08-19T15:12:00.001-05:00

1. Did you know that bars in Kansas City, Mo. are open until 3 am? Craziness!

2. I spent my belated birthday gift card to Sephora (thanks Big Sis) and got the worlds largest bottle of Marc Jacobs cucumber eau de toilette. It smells heavenly.

3. Because I've been rather culturally deprived, I spent some time at the Nelson-Atkins museum doing the audio tour thing and checking out the new Bloch building. It was really cool.

4. I experienced the nightlife in Westport, which knocks Wichita's Old Town clear out of the water. Not that there was any question...

5. I enjoyed brunch this morning at McCormick & Schmick. It was delish.

All and all, my random KC getaway has been excellent- lots of pampering (pedicure), yummy eats, Boulevard beer, good shopping, a comfy hotel bed and drive time in my new car!

I Heart Michael Cera

2007-08-16T22:37:00.000-05:00

I've loved Michael Cera since his painfully awkward portrayal of George Michael Bluth on Arrested Development (one of the greatest shows basically ever) and now I'm definitely planning to watch him in the new movie Superbad.

Here's a pretty classic George Michael clip from Arrested Development. If you're a fan of the show, there are so many hilariously subtle comedic moments that it's impossible not to giggle.

Better World Shopper

2007-08-16T20:31:00.000-05:00

Janet talked about Better World Shopper over at Slice of Pink recently and I was instantly curious. What is it? A ranking of companies based on their overall social and environmental responsibility over the past 20 years. The idea as that you should use their rankings to basically vote with your wallet - support the companies that excel in areas like human rights, the environment, animal protection, community involvement and social justice. Being kind of a granola-crunching California girl at heart, I had to check it out.

Luckily, my hair products rank highly, as do my choices in retail stores. Same with my pick when it comes to drinking water (out of a PUR water filter attached to the tap that I bought after reading THIS. Check it out - it might change your perspective on bottled water too). Because I believe in rewarding companies that strive to be good corporate citizens, I may be re-evaluating my shopping habits in the categories where my choices didn't fare so well...

What do you think? Is this a lot of hooey or should we, as responsible consumers, use this kind of data when we make our decisions?

The Blogger Meetup

2007-08-15T16:35:00.000-05:00

Ok, so there's been some confusion about this blogger meetup thing. And it's my fault because I swear I have adult onset ADD (well, only about certain things).

Anyway, the Blogger meetup is on SUNDAY, August 19th at 3 pm at Fred P. Otts at the Plaza.

As for Saturday night, I got a bit ahead of myself... I actually have another commitment that has come up, but thanks to everyone who volunteered to hang out with my sad self. :)

Really looking forward to meeting all of you that plan to attend!

Should you have any questions, you can email me at shea@b5media.com

The Rusty Anchor

2007-08-14T17:29:00.000-05:00

I have just finished up four days at the Delta Gamma house here in the 'ta where I helped with all things sorority. I haven't been an active alum for years, but got back into it this year when I received an invitation to the Founder's Day brunch and thought, "Aw, hell. Why not?" And then I took an office and made a bunch of new friends. I've always teased Martine that she is the most expensive friend I've ever had. We met during recruitment and became fast friends during our semester as "new members." And then came the poverty when the financial aid checks went to things like pizza and satellite TV and a shopping spree or two at the Gap outlet. Anyway, with the addition of cool new DG friends, Martine's price tag has gone down a bit. She's still my favorite though.

So after being immersed in DG stuff (I wish I were kidding when I say I braided 46 friendship bracelets. It's embarrassing, but true...) pretty much non-stop, I have finally returned to my normal life of work, Jazzercise, Pug, naps, shopping, reality TV and regular blogging.

Yay!

On Saturday Night... Saturday Night

2007-08-13T09:33:00.001-05:00

Um, so my plans have changed a wee bit this weekend and I was wondering if anyone might be available for some dinner/drinks on Saturday night? Preferably at the Plaza.

Otherwise, it will be me and some takeout in my hotel room. Wah.

Mild Sauce, Please.

2007-08-12T23:18:00.000-05:00

My idea of the perfect evening: a new episode of Big Brother 8 and a Taco Bell bean burrito (with mild sauce) and an order of regular nachos. When else can you have so much fun for $2.02?

Martine and I subsisted on that meal during our poverty days in college. That and the Big Cheeseburger and two tacos from Jack in the Box to be washed down with vodka and V8 Splash.

Ahhh... poor enough to max out our credit cards, get our cell phones turned off and never be able to make rent, yet wealthy enough to always have booze on hand.

The Kansas City Blogger Extraveganza

2007-08-12T07:51:00.000-05:00

Ok, y'all. I'm having a hard time making decisions about where we should meet in KC, especially since I don't live there...

I was thinking meeting somewhere at the Plaza would be easiest, especially since that's, like, the one place I know how to get to (hello.... shopping....) and there are plenty of spots to dine, drink or sip coffee at.

So. I've narrowed it down to general location. You guys have to help me pick a specific spot. What do you think about 3 or 4-ish for the meet? Would earlier be better?

You have to know that I am the most indecisive person ever about this kind of stuff...

HELP!

A Pic!

2007-08-10T09:21:00.000-05:00

I'll post actual pictures later... Though those of you who are coming to the KC Blogger Extraveganza will get to see it live and in person. I'm sorry that I am so excited about this. Give me a few days to simmer down.

Goodbye Beetle, Hello Versa

2007-08-09T21:58:00.000-05:00

I did it. I bought a new car. A brand new, never driven by anyone but me (seriously), smells deliciously of new upholstery and plastic and metal and carpet, never been dented or spilled in or made out the backseat of, BRAND SPANKING NEW CAR.

It's the end of an era, really. Well, a brief era, but an era nonetheless.

I thought I might actually get a little misty about it. I mean, the Beetle was quintessential ACGIK. I am the girl with the Beetle and the Pug and the iBook and the addiction to Starbucks, Gap and Target... and reality TV. Well, I guess I'm still all of those, just minus the first one on the list. I really thought I'd cry. But the truth is, that car was hell from day one. Well, more like day three when the check engine light went on and the dealership (ahem, Mike Steven Volkswagen Stealership) refused to fix it. And then I became poor and The Ex and I broke up and I moved into a slightly ghetto apartment that apparently was once a meth lab and then I lost my job and... Well, y'all probably remember some of that.

But I digress... It was time to do a little out with the old, in with the new. And, in case you were wondering, the Beetle's A/C was fixed for a whopping $74. $74 that translated to many thousands of trade in value which basically made my new car a fantastic deal.

So I now own a 2008 Nissan Versa SL. It's adorable. I mean, really. And it has gadgets! GADGETS! I love gadgets! I have Bluetooth - In. The. Car. How effing amazing is that? I just push a button on the steering wheel and press the talk button on my Blackberry and I am talking to people over the radio. There is, however, a lot of gesturing going on from inside the car and while I am in love with this feature, I also fear that random passers-by will think I'm a crazy person.

But I digress again... Gadgets. It has this crazy smart key thing that you don't actually really use. You just, like, have it on your person. And you turn the ignition with your hand and, bam, there you go. There is XM satellite radio which means that Linda B. and I can sing along to the best of the 60's and 70's anytime we want, not just when we are in a rental car, driving back from Atlantic City. There is an auxiliary port for my iPod. And a six disc, in-dash CD changer. And a sunroof. And many airbags and safety-type items. It's fantastic. I'm in love with it. I want to hug it.

I'll take pics. It's adorable.

And now I can relax and focus on everything else in this world that doesn't have four wheels. Phew!

BB8

2007-08-07T23:40:00.001-05:00

Uhhh... is anyone else obsessing over Big Brother 8?

Things I Don't Get #346

2007-08-07T23:30:00.000-05:00

People who can poo in public restrooms like it's no big deal. I have public poo stage fright. I've been known to go home at lunch if the moment arises. I can't handle the idea of someone sitting three feet away from me, separated only by a metal stall, while I have a bowel movement. I also fear ridicule if there is a stink or a loud plop. Or a fart for that matter. Lord knows that a plop or a fart coming from another stall will send me into a fit of elementary school style giggles. And stink will send me into a gagging fit.

Who knew that poo could be so complicated?

Obsessed

2007-08-07T22:50:00.000-05:00

The updated plan goes a little something like this:

Take Beetle to have A/C serviced by nice, if not slightly crazy, men at small, independent VW shop in seriously sketchy and hood-like part of town because Mike Steven Volkswagen, the local dealer, is working for Satan. Try not to pass out from heat exhaustion on way there.
Avoid car shopping for a night, no matter how strong desire may be. Even though real reason avoidance is occurring is because car will be at shop, thus no method of transportation will be available.
Dream of new car incessantly.
Read edmunds.com incessantly (though obviously not at work because that would make Really Cool Boss unhappy).
Pray that cost of repairing air conditioning falls more into the "two hundred bucks" range than the "one thousand bucks" range.
Test drive Nissan Versa and maybe check the Mazda 3 again. And the Scion. And maybe the Prius, which I can't afford, but want to drive again just because I loved it so very much.
Buy new car.
Stop being obsessive.
Find new thing to obsess over. Preferably something less costly.

Cars, Cars, Cars

2007-08-07T17:30:00.000-05:00

I spent 5 hours looking at cars today. I think I managed to sweat off 30 pounds in the process. And might I mention that riding in a car without A/C when it is 107 degrees is So. Not. Recommended.

Cars I test drove:

Mazda 3s
Hyundai Tuscon
Toyota Prius
Scion xD

Cars I bought:

None

And tomorrow my A/C gets fixed. Yay!

Things I Don't Get #331

2007-08-06T22:39:00.000-05:00

The fact that on any day of the week, in any city in the US, there is a small child being dragged through Wal-Mart at 1 am.

This item can also be found at #72 on the list titled "Reasons Why I Won't Shop at Wal-Mart."

Event Planner

2007-08-06T22:33:00.000-05:00

Ok, so The D made a really good point regarding the Blogger Meet-Up on Sunday, August 19... I have no idea where we should meet, y'all.

I need help, KC-ers! If I might make a suggestion, the place should either have nice, cold beer on tap or really good coffee. You decide.

Get Outta My Dreams and Into My Car....

2007-08-06T22:10:00.000-05:00

The A/C in the Beetle went out last week. Let me tell you how joyful I was feeling over that one since I live in Kansas it's effing AUGUST!

Logical Shea was like, "Well, whatever.... I've already put over a thousand bucks in the Bug in the last two months. I'll just cough up a few hundred more and suck it up."

But completely illogical, impulsive, Ridiculous Shea (the one who wins most of the time) was like, "Uh, maybe I'll just get a new car." I blame this on The Mentee and The Boss who sort of convinced me of the idea over lunch and once I get something in my head like this, I'm done for (examples- The Pug, The Ex, moving to LA, buying the Beetle...).

So I actually went car shopping today. I didn't buy anything. Sometimes when I do crazy sh*t like this, I think that I should just go through with it to confirm the aforementioned craziness. But Logical Shea actually took over and I walked my crazy self out of the dealership and got into the hot as balls Beetle and drove home.

Of course, now the seed is planted and I give myself two months before I'm cruising around the 'ta in a new ride.

(Complete sidenote: Martine, who the heck are half of these jokers on General Hospital now? I just tuned in for the first time in probably a year and I might need some GH tutoring, Bishop's Court style...)

Blogger... Integrity?

2007-08-06T17:21:00.000-05:00

Is that an oxymoron?

I can assure you that there is less of a code of ethics when it comes to blogging than in, say, actual, like, journalism. For instance, check out any celeb blog (mine included) and tell me that bloggers aren't absolute whores for free stuff. I'm guilty as charged on that one. MTV will from time to time offer up some sort of swag for blogging about their shows. And because my job is to blog about their shows anyway, why shouldn't I get a free My Super Sweet 16 tank? Of course, this is all in the context of the blog world where there are no rules and anything goes and, no, most bloggers aren't making the big bucks (Perez excluded).

But that's on the professional side. So let's talk personal. How many of us have overshared and then realized that someone (or multiple someones) who we never would have expected to stumble upon The Blog, have, in fact, stumbled right to it? Show of hands? Ok, so if you've been doing this awhile, you are fully aware that what you write out there on the WWW is highly likely to come back and bite you in the ass. Let's face it... We all take precautions. We come up with clever aliases for those who we wish to remain anonymous. We follow the cardinal blogging rule of never, ever, under any circumstances discussing work unless it is in tiny blurbs about how much you love your job/boss/company, etc. Of course, you never give details. And then there are the majority of bloggers (not counting yours truly) who refrain from discussing romantic details because if anything is going to take a big chunk out of your rear end, that would be it. Of course, I will even say that I tend to over-dramatize (hello - makes for more interesting reading) and leave out details that I either don't want to elaborate on or don't want the world to comment about.

But I think at the end of the day, when we start to break some of our steadfast blogging rules, we do it because it's our little rebellious way of having our tiny voice out there. And the catch is that you have to own it. You gotta be able to say, "Yeah, I said that. And I meant it. And if so and so happens to get clever with Google, they're gonna find it. And I'm ok with that."

In the oversaturated blogging world, you might as well be yourself and write from the heart. Otherwise, what's the point of blogs? Well, other than giving you the opportunity to gawk at scary pictures of Britney without her drawers on. I mean, look at Dooce. That lady has balls. She's careful, but she puts herself all the way out there for the world to relate to, judge, like, dislike, admire, laugh at, laugh with...

So if you're gonna be a blogger, you might as well do it with some cajones. Even if it's only every once and awhile.

It's Official

2007-08-05T00:06:00.000-05:00

I'm definitely headed to KC on the weekend of August 18. If you're up for a blogger get-together on the 19th, I officially will be there and would *love* to meet y'all who live close by.

This has been a bizarre weekend already.

I need some sleep.

'Night guys.

Things I Don't Get #364

2007-08-01T14:51:00.000-05:00

People who keep their cell phones turned off unless they need to make a call.

The Next 5 Songs on my iPod

2007-08-01T14:32:00.000-05:00

These literally are the next five songs on my iPod. Unfortunately, even with hot tunes like these bad boys, my day is totally dragging.

Fire and Rain - James Taylor

This is a Forgery - Dashboard Confessional

Rock With You - Michael Jackson

Warehouse (Live) - Dave Matthews Band

Right Here Waiting - Richard Marx

Number 5 was our senior ball song in high school. HOT.

This One's For Kerry

2007-07-31T22:27:00.000-05:00

SEVEN PRONGS?!

I listened to your voice mail and laughed hysterically for, like, 10 minutes.

Love you, Ker!!!!

Kansas City....

2007-07-31T16:16:00.001-05:00

So I'm tentatively planning to be in Kansas City on August 18 & 19. I was *hoping* that maybe all of you KC (and surrounding area) bloggers might like to get together for a lil' soiree at some point during my trip. Maybe an early afternoon thing on the 19th?

If you're in, post a comment...

Holy Busy

2007-07-30T22:25:00.000-05:00

I have been so busy for the past four days that I didn't have any sort of couch potato time in which I could catch up on The Closer or Big Brother or, like, the nine million episodes of Property Ladder and Moving Up (thanks, TLC, I'm obsessed) that are currently overloading my DVR.

I did, however, have time to discover this amazing Bucket o' Mojito thing at World Market. Mmmm... tasty.

Moving on...

2007-07-27T09:01:00.000-05:00

Ok, so I'm putting all of the unpleasantness from the week behind me. And now it's time for some fun. Here's what's on tap for the weekend:

Bunco tonight with my DG alumni sisters. Woot!
Pug Meetup tomorrow. Hopefully Lola's boyfriend will show up.
Dancing tomorrow night with Jenelle and a group of ladies from another department at work. It's been awhile since I did that.
Brunch at the art museum with Jill on Sunday. And probably some TJ Maxx or Target time, cause that's how we roll.

Have a fabulous weekend everyone!!

And thanks for your words of encouragement. :) Y'all rock.

Things I Don't Get #302

2007-07-26T00:04:00.000-05:00

People who still wear fanny packs.

DUNZO!

2007-07-25T15:29:00.001-05:00

So. The Crush/The Ass and I are officially over. Finito. No mas.

It ended rather anticlimactically (is that a word) - he called me Sunday night and apologized profusely. Gave weird (like REALLY weird- implausible weird) reasons why he was unable to call me on Saturday (when he STOOD ME UP!). Asked me to call him from Ohio (btw, I'm in Ohio). I called. Left a message. Haven't heard back. So today, in a display of pure wussiness, I sent him an email.

Yeah, yeah, I know. An email. But here's the thing, y'all - it's sort of been talked to death between him and I before. We've had some weird issues that most couples (if we ever were actually considered such a thing!) don't experience in the first three months of dating. And so with me being the overtalker/oversharer, etc. that I am, I've tried to be really open and talk about issues as they arose. It obviously hasn't done much good. So I didn't really feel like having another exhausting conversation about the whole thing. So I carefully composed an email that I thought was fair, well thought out and essentially said that if things remained the status quo, I didn't think it was a good situation. Though I did offer him the opportunity to suggest how we might make it right.

How did he respond?

Four sentences:

You make a good point. This probably won't work. This type of thing happens too often regardless of blame: earrings, the talk on Thursday, the Saturday thing, and your periodic angry text messages, emails, and voicemails. Take care.

Wow. Thank you. Really. For exemplifying EXACTLY why this was over. Way to take ZERO responsibility for anything. Like standing me up, disappearing for days at a time, lying and in general being someone completely untrustworthy and kind of a pompous, immature, inexperienced ass. Hence the name (The Ass). And if any angry message of any sort was ever left, it was because of the behavior described above. And I wouldn't call them angry. More like sarcastic and biting.

So there you have it. It's done.

And truthfully, I feel like a HUGE weight has been lifted off my shoulders. So if anyone is available, I'm free for cocktails tonight to celebrate.

I Want Charles in Charge of Me

2007-07-22T11:43:00.000-05:00

So there's a new show on VH1 called Scott Baio is 45... and Single. And I find it hilarious for a multitude of reasons.

First, it's a reality show about Scott Baio. SCOTT FREAKIN' BAIO!

Second, Scott is 45 and single and afraid of commitment and is a compulsive cheater. And he's on TV admitting this.

Third, Jason Hervey is one of his best friends. You may remember Jason from The Wonder Years where he played Kevin's jerky older brother, Wayne. We also share the same birthday, along with Candace Cameron of Full House fame.

Fourth, one of Scott's assignments from a life coach he has hired to help him straighten himself out is to reconcile with old girlfriends to find out what went wrong and to apologize to them for any wrongdoing. This includes girlfriends like Julie McCullough, best known as Mike Seaver's girlfriend, Julie Costello, on Growing Pains. She was the girlfriend who was also Chrissy's nanny and the Seavers took her on a cruise.

I have no idea how I know/remember all of these completely useless facts. I can't remember the plot of a movie that I saw two months ago, yet I can recall an entire Growing Pains story line (and the theme song in its entirety).

Nonetheless, Scott Baio is 45... and Single is my new guilty pleasure of the summer. At least until The Hills returns.

Ugh.

2007-07-21T21:17:00.000-05:00

In all of the dating I've managed to squeeze into the past 10 years, I have never been stood up.

Until tonight.

Yup, The Crush stood me up. We made plans on Thursday night and today... nothing. No phone call. No explanation. Nothing.

So I think, unless he has a reason similar to "I was in the hospital after a near-fatal car accident," he no longer deserves the title of The Crush.

More like The Ass.

I am so done. So, so, so done.

And now I'm going to go cry for a bit.

Pownce!

2007-07-20T23:28:00.000-05:00

I feel special because my friend, Matt, sent me an invite to join Pownce. It's invite-only at this point, which basically makes me feel like one of the cool kids.

I have six invites of my own, so I thought I'd offer them up to you guys first, since you are all pretty tech-savvy and I think you're cool too.

If you're interested, leave a comment or send me an email.

Yowza! I've been tagged!

2007-07-20T22:43:00.000-05:00

Erin tagged me. Oye! Now I must reveal 8 secrets. So basically, it's kind of like any other day here at ACGIK...

I obsessively read the engagements and wedding announcements in every Sunday's newspaper. I make snap judgments about each couple, their financial status, how tacky or nice their wedding might have been and whether or not their marriage will last.
I really, really like Fergie.
I'm still actually really kind of frustrated and hurt over the whole friend break-up with Carly. And the complication that it brings to my situation with The Crush only makes it more frustrating. I really need to just stop thinking about it altogether. And that is the one and only serious and/or deeply personal thing that I'm going to discuss on this list.
I kind of think my dog is a person. A very hairy, very small person.
I check my Blackberry at 3 am when I wake up to pee and read my emails. And then I forget about them in the morning and read them again.
I once jell-o wrestled (fully clothed! keep your minds out of the gutter!) at a college party after explicitly instructing Martine to not let me jump in the jell-o filled kiddie pool because I knew it was exactly the kind of thing I would want to do after drinking large quantities of "jungle juice" (ah... jungle juice). She warned me not to do it, but true to form, I went for it anyway. I was stained red for two days.
I'm afraid of dolls. They give me the creeps. I'm also afraid of weeds and the sprouts that grow on potatoes as they go bad. I can't buy potatoes for this reason.
I want to be a private investigator and my pal/ex-bf, Aaron, and I laugh about this for days because he comes up with secret missions for me to help hone my PI skills. Plus, I am really good at eavesdropping, general snooping and nosiness. And, As Andy once put it, I have a PhD in Google.

Ok, so now I'm going to tag all of you who blog because I really want to know what your 8 secrets are. Because, ya know, I'm nosy like that.

Good Things

2007-07-18T23:35:00.000-05:00

C.O. Bigelow menthol body wash with peppermint oil. It seriously cools you off after a workout and makes you smell minty. Which is kind of nice and also kind of weird.
Brie on baguette. Delish.
Kim Crawford Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc ($18 or so)
The now defunct TV show Firefly, living on through DVDs that The Crush and I have been watching. I never thought that I would like Sci-Fi, but apparently I kinda do. More specifically, I like Nathan Fillion.
Gap Body's cheeky hipster. Ladies, you know what I mean.
Lola.
Planet Sub's Green Turkey sandwich. Hold the salsa and the onions.
Jazzercise.
Delta Gamma.
My Kiss Me I'm Irish shirt that I wear regularly, even though I'm not Irish and it's not St. Patty's day.
The Mentee.
Free lunch.
Summer cable TV series - Rescue Me on FX, The Closer on TNT, and Weeds on Showtime.
Tennis. I'm taking lessons.
My friend Matt earning himself a really fantastic opportunity in Washington, D.C. Which is fabulous for him but kinda sad for me because then I won't have anyone to share crazy marketing ideas with or make fun of people that we went to school with. Only he can fully appreciate Jeanine in all of her wonder.
Fast Company magazine. Post coming shortly regarding bottled water. Pretend to be excited.
Air conditioning.
Sleep.

Blah.

2007-07-18T23:28:00.000-05:00

I quit. I'm giving up on relationships. They're too confusing.

Do you men come with a decoder ring? Cause I'll buy a lifetime supply of Lucky Charms if they're the prize in the box.

I also really like the marshmallows.

My Mentee

2007-07-18T11:17:00.000-05:00

A month or so ago, something rather exciting happened at work. We got an intern. Yes, an intern. Which is pretty great on many levels, including that I can dump menial tasks on him without feeling guilty.

But even better is the fact that he's a really great kid - ridiculously smart, funny, cute, and incredibly kind. In fact, were I six years younger, I would totally be crushing on him.

Interns here at the corporate office of Really Big Company, Inc. are paired up with mentors. And my boss decided that I would make a good mentor and he knew that I would take great delight in molding the fragile mind of one of America's youth. He might be regretting that now...

The Intern and I have become fast friends and co-conspirators, not to mention cube-mates (he's my first!). He calls me "Mentoir" (mentor with a French twist because, as he said it, "Mentor sounds too masculine and you like fashion and that's kinda French") and I call him "Mentee."

We set up meeting requests to do things like discuss where we're going to lunch or if we need to have a heart to heart (or "H to H") to deal with office drama. I help him with his intern project, which is a fantastic marketing project that they've assigned to science and accounting interns. So his science brain and my marketing brain work together to come up with some pretty cool ideas. He puts up with my girl talk and communicating via song lyrics. Sung, of course. He's dealt with my jazzercise performances and faux tap dance and incessant throwing of random office supplies at his back, balloon tossing, snorting when I laugh, general craziness and the occasional playing with my dancing hamster.

Best compliement ever - when he pulled me aside for an H to H right after I had a particularly rough day because I felt picked on for being different. And by different, I mean that I'm outgoing, kinda goofy and have more pizazz than most of my co-workers. He told me that he was proud of me for always being myself and being fun and silly in an office full of non-sillys. He said that I make him look forward to coming to work each day and I'm easy to work with. I even remind him of his older sisters. And that he and I should always have open communication and tell each other what we think. And he likes being my mentee.

Greatest. Feeling. Ever.

I told him that he made my day. Then I said something about warm fuzzies and he rolled his eyes and got back to work.

Being a mentor pretty much kicks ass.

Preach It, Rev Run!

2007-07-17T13:29:00.000-05:00

As you all know, watching MTV is part of my other job. So it should be no surprise that I watch (and like) Run's House. If you've ever tuned in, you know that Rev Run ends every epsiode with a bubble bath, typing an inspirational email to his friends on his Blackberry.

Well, I happen to be a recipient of these emails. Don't get all excited - I signed up for them online as part of the job. Really. I swear.

So usually, I skim them, feel mildly inspired and then go on about my bizness... But today's message seemed aimed right at me:

Good morning. You must despise where you are before you will ever be where you want to be! You will never change your location until you determine your EXACT destination. If you REALLY want a marriage and a family you must persist! How much do you hate being alone? How much do you hate where you live? How much do you hate living a mediocre life?(Remember!!!!!!) THE PROOF OF DESIRE IS PURSUIT!!
God is Love
Rev Run

INSOMNIA

2007-07-17T00:02:00.001-05:00

I think I have it.

Boo.

I'm Like Barbara Walters, Only Lazier

2007-07-16T23:03:00.000-05:00

So... I'm interviewing Davis from The Real World - Denver tomorrow night.

Any questions that you'd like answered? I'll ask anything, I swear.

I mean, this is the kid that broke up Lance Bass and Reichen Lehmkul. I am not passing up any opportunities to get the scoop.

Perez linked to me once. Let's see if we can make it happen again.

Post your questions... NOW!

My Secret Celebrity Crush #1

2007-07-16T22:58:00.000-05:00

Sure, Sarah Silverman would kick my ass. But I love him. Purr...

Guess What Time it Is?

2007-07-16T22:48:00.001-05:00

Time for a midly (yes, midly, not mildly) drunken post! Woot!

So in my short, three year span of life in Wichita, I've managed to make some pretty awesome friends. Including the owner of a liquor store. Yes, you read that correctly. The Owner of a Liquor Store. His name is Paul and he sent out an email to his peeps (yes, peeps) with a list of discontinued wines that are heavily discounted. Of course, I scoped out every Sauvignon Blanc (I really should start drinking something else. Maybe a nice Pino Grigio for the summer?) and asked him to order me up a bottle of each. Let's face it, I cannot resist a sale. A wine sale? Pshaw! Like I'm turning that sh*t down?

So I picked up my three bottle bounty (yes, bounty) and what do I find? They taste like ass so far. Really. I see why they're discontinued. This is not the joyous New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc treat that I was expecting. This is ass in a bottle.

But, because I'm dedicated, I will drink on. Drink on, dear readers! I am on bottle two and expect that I will uncork (or untwist that handy little screwtop cap) bottle three on Friday.

You'd all be happy to know that I am planning a wine tasting event for my sorority alumnae group. And who better to be at the helm of such an occasion?! I mean, really....

Thirty-two bottles (ok, that's a rough estimate) of Sauvignon Blanc down... many more to go....

It's pretty much my favorite animal

2007-07-16T20:08:00.000-05:00

Look what I found today at Target:

Flippin' sweet.

Wanna Waste Some Time?

2007-07-15T21:30:00.000-05:00

I somehow found myself spending two hours playing the World Series of Pop Culture online, thanks to VH1. It's perfect for someone who once came in second on a PAX network game show and ended up with an embarrassing fifteen minutes of national television time AND a six CD set of Classic Rock Hits courtesy of Time-Life.

Check it out here if you're so inclined.

Frustration

2007-07-15T20:47:00.000-05:00

I am so frustrated.

It kinda falls into three categories:

1. The Crush
2. Work
3. Everything else.

I wish I could go into details on all of this, but I can't. So there ya go. A lame ass post about nothing because I can't talk about it.

Things I Don't Get #297

2007-07-12T20:42:00.000-05:00

People who do not observe the social norm also known as "the buffer zone."

Example #1: If there are three stalls in, say, your workplace restroom and you take the first one because, hello, everyone knows that it's the least germy, should someone enter after you, they should always take the stall on the end, thus allowing the middle stall to serve as the buffer zone. This allows for what little semblance of privacy remains when sitting in a room with another human while your pants and undies are around your ankles.

Example #2: Should a movie theater be nearly empty and you happen to be sitting in the back row near the middle, the next patrons to enter should, under absolutely no circumstances, sit directly next to or in front of you. Furthermore, as the theater fills up, there should be at least one seat between you and and a patron with whom you have no relationship whatsoever.

Hello, social norms. Observe them.

The Guylossary, Part 2

2007-07-10T15:39:00.000-05:00

The Nice Guy: His last name was Kay, which made me leery because, really, Shea Kay just sounds ridiculous. He was a pretty successful film guy. Owned a home in LA (an amazing feat for someone under 30) and took me out on lots of dates. Like, LOTS of dates. Our relationship was just a long succession of dates. The poor guy had lots of physical ailments while we were together - asthma attacks, bloody noses, diarrhea (this one is just a guess, but I'm pretty confident based on the noises coming from his stomach that I could hear from THE OTHER SIDE OF THE CAR). Current status: Still single. Still asthmatic. Still nice.

The Air Force Guy: Took me out on two dates and then it suddenly turned into fatal attraction. I had just found out that I got the job in LA and was moving in, oh, three days. He freaked out. You would have thought we'd been dating for years. I told him about the move over salads at Pluto's in Davis. He looked like he might cry. He called me for awhile after that. I never answered. Weirdest thing about the guy - he had photos from his trips overseas, only every photo was just of him. Him standing in front of some monument. Him eating dinner. Him drinking a beer. Hello, disturbing. Current status: Crazy.

The Computer Geek: Now, I love me some geek. Let's get that straightened out first. But I suddenly developed a crush on a geeky co-worker and the next thing you knew, he was crushing on me. Aside from several random kisses and a quasi-date, it never really went anywhere. But I think that was probably a good thing because a) he is the most forgetful human being on the planet and b) he does laundry like once every three months. Stinky and forgetful don't really do it for me. Current status: Still friends.

The Gay Straight Man: Ever watch Sex & The City? Remember when Charlotte starts to date her friend that she had always assumed was gay? He was a pastry chef and about fainted while making her breakfast when a rat darted across the kitchen floor. It was he who jumped up on a chair and started screaming, not Charlotte. And it ended. This was pretty much the same scenario with The Gay Straight Man except he wasn't a pastry chef and there wasn't a rat involved. Current status: Still straight. Still assumed to be gay.

The Neighbor Guy: I had just moved into the West Hollywood apartment that I was sharing with a definitely gay man when our neighbor down the hall began hitting on me. I was single and new to the city and he and his friends took me under their wing. One night, we hit up Barney's Beanery on Santa Monica Blvd. with him and his friends dressed up as faux-British rockers (you had to see it to believe it) and I was their groupie. I wore a boa. I can't remember why that was a good idea. Nonetheless, we sorta had a brief thing and then it fizzled out. Mostly because he spent a good deal of his time with a bong attached to his face, playing Yahtzee and watching stupid movies. Um, no thanks. I like my men with brain cells. And I really hate Yahtzee. Too much math. Current status: Still high.

Jane, RIP

2007-07-10T15:16:00.000-05:00

Sadly, one of my favorite magazines ever is dunzo. Jane closed up shop yesterday and the August issue will be its last. Which I guess means that my subscription is up. Good thing all the total cost was a mere 400 Northwest Airlines miles.

I really did find it to be a fantastic alternative to Cosmo or Glamour (both of which I pretty much despise).

So wah. I'm bummed. Good thing I have like 11 other magazine subscriptions to keep me happy. The only thing my frequent flier miles ever amounted to was a full mailbox (ok, and a trip home to CA in January).

Fun Facts About, Well, Me

2007-07-09T15:36:00.000-05:00

My sister (aka Big Sis) sent this to me as an email forward. Instead of forwarding it, I decided to post it and y'all can do the same on your respective blogs, the comments, or send an email to shea@b5media.com. See - fun for everyone!.

Four jobs I've had:
1. Veterinary Tech
2. Office Manager for a yacht broker
3. Nordstrom Sales Associate
4. Counter girl at an ice cream/gourmet coffee shop

Four places I have lived:
1. Santa Cruz,CA
2. West Hollywood, CA
3. Rocklin, CA
4. Pleasanton, CA

Four Places I've been on vacation:
1. New York City
2. Vancouver
3. The Bahamas
4. Seattle

Four of my favorite foods:
1. Sushi
2. Hummus & pita
3. Margherita pizza
4. Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf Vanilla Ice Blended (does that count?)

Four places I would rather be:
1. Napping
2. Boulder, CO
3. The Italian Riviera
4. On a Barefoot Windjammer cruise with Linda B.

All right, y'all - get busy making your own lil' list!

A Few Random Things

2007-07-08T21:32:00.001-05:00

Only I could douse my body with insect repellant and still get eaten alive by mosquitoes.

Also, I saw lightening bugs tonight! Growing up in the Bay Area, I never saw a lightening bug. We didn't have the opportunity to catch them in jars or whatever. However, my sister, Ashley, and I used to catch worms after it rained.

And finally, my pal Jenelle sent me an email letting me know that she was cleaning house and found a bunch of things that I was welcome to take because they reminded her of me:

A free car wash coupon
A bottle of unopened, cheap vodka
A partially used bottle of Aveda shampoo

If this is what one thinks of when they think of me, I must be making quite the impression. One of a mildly drunk girl who has lovely smelling hair and drives a dirty car.

I love it.

Sunday Dinner

2007-07-08T20:17:00.000-05:00

Insalata Caprese is one of my favorite salads ever. It's beautiful (tricolore - meaning it has all of the colors of the Italian flag), easy to make and so very summery. I put my chef hat on this evening and got busy:

In case you were interested, the ingredients are simple: high quality tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, fresh basil, good olive oil and freshly ground sea salt and pepper to taste. Easy and yummy.

Even better, pair it with a glass of wine. Because I'm still on my quest to drink every Sauvignon Blanc at the liquor store, I chose to pop open this fantastic 2006 White Haven Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc (about $18). It's one of my all time faves. If you like a light, crisp and slightly dry white wine, this is a great bottle. I highly recommend picking a Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand because they tend to be a bit fruitier and easier to drink than anything from Napa, Chile, Washington or California's Central Coast. Though I'll feature a few from the other regions throughout the next week or so because wine at the liquor store today was 30% off (I love Sunday liquor sales) and y'all know I can't resist a good bargain. So I stocked up.

And thus concludes another edition of A California Girl in the Kitchen. Bon appetit!

Rats!

2007-07-08T19:09:00.000-05:00

According to Perez Hilton (whom I love sometimes and hate other times, but mostly love since he did link to my Spencer/Heidi interview, thus causing 6 b5 Media servers to crash. That's validation for a lil' ol blogger like me. Anyway, I digress...) none other than Britney Spears showed up for church at Bel Air Presbyterian. Which I totally went to when I lived in LA. The only "celebs" that I ever saw there were a couple from The Amazing Race. I feel gypped.

By the way, I totally had to look up how to spell "gypped."

Things I Don't Get #283

2007-07-07T12:51:00.000-05:00

Bluetooth headsets that appear to be permanently attached to one's head. Hello, pretentious.

Well, It's About Time

2007-07-06T09:35:00.000-05:00

From The Wichita Eagle:

An attempt to put Sunday alcohol sales at liquor and convenience stores to a citywide vote failed Thursday, allowing dozens of Wichita stores to immediately start selling all week long.

Alcohol sales will now be legal from noon to 8 p.m. on Sundays and many legal holidays. Stores still cannot sell on Easter, Christmas or Thanksgiving.

For many liquor stores, that will mean hiring extra workers to cover more shifts because owners feel they have to be open when their competition is.

But some also hope it will mean more sales and fewer people driving outside the city limits to spend money on Sunday suds.

"It's good for the customers, it's good for Wichita," said Ron Groves, a vocal proponent of Sunday sales and owner of Groves Discount Wine & Liquor.

Sedgwick County elections officials rejected 40 percent of the 8,171 petition signatures that Sunday sales opponent Wade Moore submitted.

Moore, the pastor of Christian Faith Centre, needed 6,701 valid signatures, but only 4,200 turned out to be valid. Elections Commissioner Bill Gale said the rest were from people who don't live in Wichita (including one person from Alabama), weren't registered voters or contained discrepancies between voter registration information and what was on the petition.

Although Moore voiced confidence throughout the petition drive, he said he wasn't surprised it failed in the end.

"We did everything that we were supposed to do," he said. "I just wish more people had gotten out and gotten behind it." Now that the petition is dead, some are already looking at the next step: allowing convenience stores to sell the same strength beer as liquor stores.

Convenience stores can sell only beer with a maximum alcohol content of 3.2 percent by weight. Past attempts to change that in the Legislature have failed.

Mike Thornbrugh, a spokesman for QuikTrip, said there's little difference between the 3.2 percent beer sold at gas stations and grocery stores and the domestic beers sold at liquor stores.

"It's just a great myth that everybody's bought into," he said.

The difference between convenience store beverages and those in a liquor store are almost impossible to gauge, said Phillip Bradley, executive director of the Kansas Licensed Beverage Association, a professional group composed of mostly on-premise retailers such as hotels, restaurants and bars.

While most beers' alcohol content is based on maximum percent per volume, Kansas convenience stores must get beer measured by weight.

Since alcohol content can vary and alcohol weighs less than most other substances, there's no true way to compare the two, Bradley said.

That, combined with differences in tax structures and licensing, have fatally complicated several attempts to change the law through the years.

Also, since Kansas liquor stores can't sell anything but alcoholic beverages, letting convenience stores sell the same cereal malt beverages opens the question of whether liquor stores should be able to sell other items.

"It is a terrible mess," Bradley said. "That's probably why it won't be resolved anytime soon."

I'm gonna go buy a bottle of wine on Sunday, just so I can say I did. I will never get these crazy liquor laws. Makes me think fondly of buying dinner ingredients at the grocery store and picking up a bottle of wine at the same time. Gasp! Or when Martine and I would swing by Safeway, unable to pay our bills, but perfectly capable of buying a six pack of Smirnoff Ice and frozen chimichangas (ahh... those were the days. Malt liquor and poverty...).

You can't legislate morality. You just can't. As soon as these crazy laws are off the books, maybe Trader Joe's will come to Wichita. And maybe I'll ride my unicorn to work and find a pot of gold at the end of a rainbow... *sigh*

The Holiday

2007-07-05T21:09:00.000-05:00

July 4, 2007 (a day in the life of ACGIK):

3:07 am - Get drunk dialed by two of my favorite California people. First off, 1 am in California is, uh, 3 am here. Second, my ringtone is a Dixie Chicks song and I thought my clock radio was going off and kept hitting it, wondering why it wouldn't shut off. Also wondered why the hell I had set it to 3 am on a holiday. Finally realized it was the phone. Fell back asleep.
6:55 am - Lola woke me up because she had to pee. We took care of business. Went back to sleep.
8:35 am - Lola woke me up again to do a doodie. I reluctantly got up.
9:00 am - Made banana pancakes (my specialty) and the world's largest nonfat iced latte with four shots of espresso.
10:30 am - Started reading The Intelligencer. Fell asleep again as I always do when reading in bed. Somewhat amazed that it was possible after four shots of espresso.
12 noon - woke up. Bummed around. Cursed my upstairs neighbor who was still playing his loud music. Called security in a fit of anger.
2:30 pm - Took off to the grocery store for snacks to bring over to Linda B's.
3:00 pm - Searched in vain for an open liquor store. Finally gave up and bought some 3.2 beer at the Kum & Go. Felt sort of repulsed for even going into the Kum & Go, but chuckled at its name for the one millionth time because I'm mature like that.
3:30 pm - Got to Linda B's. Drank a 3.2 beer. It was my first. Ever. We talked for a bit. Ate massive quantities of snack foods. Got bitten by two mosquitoes. Sprayed liberal amounts of insect repellent.
5:30 pm - Ate some BBQ. Felt full and jolly.
6:00 pm - Laughed maniacally as the sun faded and dark clouds rolled in. Rain began to fall. Shook my fist at everyone setting off fireworks in the neighborhood.
7:00 pm - Felt as though I was in a war zone. Shook my fist again. Yelled, "Curses!"
9:00 pm - Full of junk food and 3.2 beer, which did nothing but make me feel bloated, drove home.
9:15 pm - The Crush called! Woot! Talked for hours. Laughed a bunch. Scheduled a date for this weekend. Woot again!
11:45 pm - Washed, exfoliated, toned, and moisturized. Hopped in bed. Read. Read some more. Kept reading. Tossed and turned. Spooned The Pug. Peed. Peed again (3.2 beer - nuts!). More tossing and turning. Finally... zzzzzzzzzzzzz.....

STOP

2007-07-03T22:19:00.000-05:00

Dear Upstairs Neighbor Man,

You are very loud. In fact, you are the loudest walker that ever roamed the earth. I didn't realize that it was possible to be a loud walker, but you have proved otherwise. Also, the jazz that you blast at all hours is getting Really. Frickin'. Old. I once walked upstairs with a beer as a peace offering and to request that you turn it down a notch (0r seven) and you couldn't even hear me knocking at the door. Which really was your loss because it's not often that cute girls knock at your door to bring you beer, but whatever.

I am already angry with Fireworks Man. I hate tonight. I am so going to buy a house as soon as my lease is up.

Your downstairs neighbor,

Shea

Why I Hate Fireworks, Part 2

2007-07-03T21:59:00.000-05:00

A man is lighting fireworks in the parking lot right next to my apartment. At 10 pm. On a Tuesday. Tuesday, July 3rd, for that matter. Wait another day please, sir. I literally went out there in my underwear and yelled at him. 1. It's late. 2. You're 45 years old, standing in an apartment parking lot lighting fireworks on your own. 3. Not everyone wants to hear you blow up $300 of your hard-earned money. 4. I'll call security on your ass if you keep this up.

Things I Don't Get #264

2007-07-03T17:14:00.000-05:00

Men who sunbathe.

Holiday. Celebrate.

2007-07-03T08:16:00.000-05:00

You know what's weird? When your Tuesday is like your Friday. We get both Wednesday and Thursday off work. And then I'll be one of the very few who will come back to the office on Friday. I have absolutely no plans for the holiday, so I figured that I'd rather not burn up a day of vacation when I have things like weddings to attend in the fall and, ya know, hopefully a trip home for Christmas.

Anyway, speaking of this impending holiday, also known as the fourth of July, I'd like to bring up a topic that is near and dear to my heart. Those of you who've been around ACGIK for some time now are probably familiar with this speech, but I'm going to give it again.

Fireworks. What the heck is the point? I mean, seriously. I think it's just an excuse for men to blow stuff up. They're expensive, kinda dangerous and really not all that fascinating. I don't really even understand why cities spend thousands upon thousands of dollars on colorful explosions when they could be using that money to, oh, better the school system or pay for a stupid downtown arena.

I'm an even bigger fireworks hater because of the fireworks that continue to be set off AFTER the holiday. Like when you're sitting at home on a nice Thursday evening and the neighborhood sounds like it's under attack. It's rude and annoying and juvenile.

So yeah, I'm a fireworks hater. I'll never get it. I really won't. I mean, I don't hold it against everyone who likes fireworks, which is obviously the majority here. But I am never going to ooh and ahhh at a light show in the sky.

While we're at it, here are a few other things that I dislike: zoos, birds, people who spit in public, SUVs, Spangles (it's a Kansas thing), bugs, checking my voice mail, shorts, Pepsi, cooked broccoli, and men who send mixed signals.

So there you have it. Hmpf.

The Luau in Brief

2007-07-01T12:48:00.001-05:00

Um, I drank a few too many cocktails in my lil' coconut, did a Jazzercise routine for Jill, had too many Jell-O shots to count, ran into my favorite DG alum, got smacked on the tush once or twice, danced 'til I couldn't dance no more, ended up crying over nothing and sleeping on Jill's couch. And drunk dialing The Crush because I'm classy and smooth like that.

My mom is probably horrified right now. I don't blame her. I think I've officially been initiated into the Pig Roast hall of fame. Or shame. I'm in good company, however.

On a completely unrelated note, I broke my nose yesterday.

ALOHA!

2007-06-30T17:17:00.000-05:00

I'm getting ready to go to a luau. Because I'm slightly overachieving, I will be wearing a retro, tropical print dress, big wooden earrings, and I'll be bringing the following accessories:

A pineapple upside-down cake. My very first. It looks so cute!

And this coconut cup, found on clearance at Target. Plus a cheesy lei.

LOVE IT!

Home Sick

2007-06-29T11:15:00.000-05:00

I'm home sick today. Wah. The rainy weather has done a real number on my sinuses.

She Won!

2007-06-29T11:06:00.001-05:00

Lola totally beat out the competition and won the title of wackiest dog at work. I was especially proud of this because some girls in accounting were campaigning especially hard for their ugly and totally not wacky dog AND they made fun of Lola. Whores. But let me just say that accounting people can't out campaign the marketing people. Life just doesn't work that way. So my cute lil' Bubba won a $25 gift card to PetsMart which I will use to replenish the forty treats that it took to bribe her into wearing this getup and actually looking at the camera.

Um, Well, If The Stars Say So...

2007-06-28T10:42:00.000-05:00

According to my horoscope on my iGoogle homepage, things should be looking up. I especially like the part about heavy metals to spiritual gold. That's some funny sh*t.

The heaviness is lifted off your shoulders and your heart. Difficult circumstances that have been weighing on you for too long are now transforming from heavy metals into spiritual gold. The philosopher's stone may be working magic for you now, but you cannot take anything for granted. Temper your excitement with humility and gratitude.

Eek! I've been tagged! 8 Random Things About Me

2007-06-27T09:44:00.001-05:00

So I guess I'm it. Or if this was a game of duck, duck, goose, I'd be the goose. EMAWKC totally just tagged me. I now have to tell y'all eight random things about me, which you should pretty much be used to right about now. Jenelle tells me that this blog is basically a list of the random crap running through my brain anyway...

So let's get to it:

I once worked the door at a fashion show in Venice. California, not Italy. I was really bad at it because I had no idea who was "somebody" and who was "nobody." Except for one guy from General Hospital and another guy from Passions. They were somebody enough for me.
I once at a spoonful of nasty things for five dollars on a school field trip.
I own a gravy boat, which has never been used. I just like knowing that I have one should the occasion rise.
I was sophomore class vice-president. Sort of by default. I ran unopposed. Which either means that I either intimidated the heck out of the competition or no one else wanted the crappy job.
I can beat Super Mario Brothers on the first try.
I like the smell of bleach.
I came in second on a game show on the PAX network. Which I don't think even exists anymore.
I did Jazzercise last night. How amazingly 80's is that? I only wished I'd been wearing a leotard and a sweat band.

So there you have it. And because I now get to be the tagger, Erin, The D, Rachael, Sizzle Pizzle and Heidi... you're it.

(Sidenote: for those of you that I owe interview questions, expect them in your respective inboxes this weekend)

Hula Lola

2007-06-25T20:23:00.001-05:00

We're having a funniest pet contest at work. It's company-wide and our company is, like, ginormous. But I have a strong feeling that I may have taken the winning pic:

Ode to Pleasanton

2007-06-24T21:53:00.001-05:00

Craig Ferguson gives the world's biggest shout out to my hometown, Pleasanton, CA. All P-towners (and you know who you are, you "townies") must watch. It's amazing.

Slacker

2007-06-24T20:42:00.001-05:00

I really need to do the dishes:

And fold the laundry that seems to have found a permanent home on my guest bed:

Should You Care

2007-06-24T18:11:00.001-05:00

My interview with Jenn is up and posted. You can check it out HERE.

Gratutitous Lola Pic

2007-06-23T22:33:00.001-05:00

Death of the Diet

2007-06-23T22:24:00.001-05:00

This is kind of how it went down:

Things I Should Have Done Today

2007-06-23T22:05:00.000-05:00

Cleaned my apartment
Took the dog for a long walk
Loaded the dishwasher
Shredded old bills
Folded laundry
Worked out

Things I did instead:

Got a manicure with Jenelle
Had a long lunch at Chili's (totally off Adkins, btw... The Philly cheesesteaks did me in. Instead I'm trying that eat healthy and work out idea...)
Perused the mall
Watched The Closer and Entourage off my overflowing TiVo
Took a long nap
Went tanning

Uh...

2007-06-23T22:01:00.001-05:00

I just realized that one of my "labels" is "Midly drunk and blogging." It should be "MILDLY drunk and blogging." Which makes me think that maybe drinking and blogging do not go hand in hand as I had previously thought.

Um, Yeah. Let's Hang Out

2007-06-23T21:59:00.000-05:00

Kansas City Blog Friends,

I am planning a trip to your fine city.

Anyone up for, like, an in-person meeting?

You all let me know what you think about that... Let it marinate a bit...

Your Blog Friend,

Shea

ACGIK - The Interview (AKA The Longest Post Ever)

2007-06-21T21:24:00.000-05:00

So not long ago, The D interviewed Brad after being interviewed himself on his blog. As part of the deal, the chain of blogger interviews had to continue and I volunteered to be the next interviewee. And now (drum roll please).... Brad's interview of ACGIK:

1) Most anyone who reads your blog knows why you moved to Kansas (for your boyfriend at the time). Since that relationship has since ended, what is keeping you in Kansas? It's obvious that you miss California so what's holding you back from returning there?

Oooh. That's a good one. Actually, it's good timing to ask that because I just got back to Wichita from a hectic week in the Northeast and anytime I visit a big city (such as Philly), I start to ponder why exactly I'm still in Kansas. Over the past two years and 9 months (eek!), there have been plenty of times where I've called my family in CA and said, "Get the U-Haul ready, I'm coming home." But every time, something has kept me here. And I've always believed, since the road trip I took to move here, that if it didn't work out with The Ex, I was coming to Wichita for a reason, even if I didn't realize what that reason was for quite some time. I'm still not sure I know. But when I decided to move, everything fell into place so seamlessly that I knew this was the right thing to do. At the moment, I have a really good job with a really good company and my future there looks really, really bright. I would be foolish to throw away that opportunity. I have made some really, really great friends here and I can't imagine leaving them right now. I've become involved with my sorority alumni group, which I never thought I would do, but am so glad I did. The Wichita Eagle has interviewed me on four different occasions, which is really cool. I find that in Wichita, it's really easy to be a big fish in a small pond and I kinda like that. Um, and can we talk about the cost of living for a moment? Yeah, my apartment now is like three or four of my LA apartments for significantly less money. And as long as I keep making a decent living so I can visit California when I want and as long as I keep traveling for work so I can enjoy big city life without actually having to deal with its hassles on a daily basis, it's kind of nice to come back home where the pace is a little slower, the air quality is good and there is no such thing as traffic. Wichita has somehow become my home and I never expected to like it the way I have. Of course, you've caught me at a bit of an optimistic moment... Oh my gosh, I need to maybe be more concise with my other answers or this is going to be the longest blog post ever.

2) You definitely aren't shy about writing sharing details about your love life on your blog. You've even stated before that even your friends joke around that no one should date you because it'll end up on the internet. Coming from someone who makes a point to not do so, why you do it? Has it ever been an issue in any of your previous relationships?

Why do I do it? Good question. Wow, Brad, way to go all Barbara Walters on me. I guess it's kind of "my thing." Some girls talk to their girlfriends about dating. I put it out there on the Internet for mass consumption. Is it the smartest thing to do? No. But I can't imagine NOT talking about it. I mean, single people have it rough. Dating is really hard after, like, eleventh grade. And I think that if someone reads what I have to say about guys or dating or my mistakes or my successes and relates to it, then it's worth putting it out there. We single people have to stick together. I also think that dating makes some of the funniest writing material ever. So maybe I'm cheapening my relationships by publishing them for their humor, but if you can't laugh about them in hindsight, why even bother dating? It has rather amazingly not been an issue in any of my relationships. When I first start to date someone, I am really upfront about it - "Look, I have this blog thing and I pretty much talk about everything on there..." But once I am serious about someone, I tend to keep it more private. Obviously, it's been awhile since I was serious about someone...

3) I can tell you are a pretty big reality television junkie. In fact, correct me if I'm wrong, but I'm pretty sure you even have another website devoted primarily to gossip pertaining to the genre. I am someone who doesn't watch reality t.v. Assume the role of a salesperson and "sell" me on why it is so great to watch. Try to woo me.

I don't know that I would necessarily consider myself a big reality TV junkie. Ok, that's a lie. I definitely have my "guilty pleasure" reality shows - MTV shows like Laguna Beach, The Real World, Real World/Road Rules Challenges, The Hills (I totally interviewed Heidi & Spencer over at MTV Reality World) and shows on Bravo - Project Runway, Top Chef, The Real Housewives of Orange County... I still watch Survivor even. But you might be surprised to learn that my favorite shows are, in fact, serial dramas and "dramedys": Veronica Mars, Sex and the City, The Sopranos, Entourage, The Closer (back for the summer!), Rescue Me (also back for the summer and just fantastically well-written), Weeds, Grey's Anatomy, Lost and... Oh wow. I am just realizing how much TV I actually watch. Thank God for TiVo. So why should you watch reality TV? It's all about the drama. No reality show is worth watching if you can't watch real people, not characters (though they are cast and edited to become characters) duke it out on national TV, whether it's in a cooking competition or fighting with a roommate or kicking some "Bad Guy" ass on a RW/RR Challenge. It's trashy and deliciously so. Some of the shows are a bit more highbrow than, say, Being Bobby Brown. And this is where I would suggest you take your first reality show nibble. Try watching an episode of The Amazing Race. It's exciting and educational and dramatic and fun. If that doesn't get you hooked, you can just continue on, satisfied that you haven't wasted precious hours of your life like I apparently have.

4) Please list your likes/dislikes of both Midwestern living as well as life in California. I'm sure there are some obvious ones (i.e. the weather), but I'd be curious to know that your thoughts are of each place.

California Likes: My family. The Pacific. Mountains. Great shopping. Diversity. Culture. Real Mexican food. Sushi. SoCal weather. Tahoe. Malibu. PCH. South Beverly Drive. In N Out Burger. Midtown Sacramento. Trader Joe's. Whole Foods. Buying wine at the grocery store. Nordstrom. Nordstrom Rack. Driving down the 10 and seeing the Hollywood sign. Montana Ave. in Santa Monica. Santa Cruz, CA (everything about it, especially my dad). Frozen yogurt on a Friday night in Rocklin with my sisters. Safeway (I have an odd adoration for Safeway grocery stores). The Grove/Farmer's Market in LA. Miracle Mile apartments. Hancock Park homes. The drive from Sacramento to Santa Cruz. The Oakland A's. Napa. Crossing the Bay Bridge (my heart stops for a moment every time). Vacationing all over the state and feeling like you're in an entirely different place.

Kansas Likes: My friends. My job. Cost of living. Thunderstorms. BBQ. Bison burgers. NO TRAFFIC. Friendly people. Tiny airport (this is a like and a dislike). Cute, cornfed Midwestern boys. $3 Beers. $2 Beers. $1 Beers. Gas prices. Open fields. Super Target. Midwestern cities (KC, St. Louis, Chicago...). My apartment. The Crush. Delta Gamma Alumnae. The Northeast Side. Bella Luna Cafe. Old Town. Mort's. The Anchor. Dancing at Margaritas with all of the single over-40 crowd. Seeing the Keeper of the Plains at night. Brunch at the Wichita Art Museum. SNOW! College Hill. Warm summer nights. 15 minutes to anywhere in town. The Flint Hills. Feeling calm.

California Dislikes: Traffic. Traffic. Traffic. Cost of living ($950 for 325 sq. feet in the Miracle Mile district of LA...). $10 shots of tequila (right Fred?). Smarmy LA guys. Hollywood in general. Congestion. No such thing as open spaces unless you're on I-5 and who wants to be on I-5 in the middle of nowhere anyway? The Valley (except for Ventura Boulevard). SMOG. Hot summers. Hot winters. The Plastic Lifestyle. Incessant competition. 16 year old kids with BMWs. Every agent who works at William Morris and walks down South Beverly during lunch. Expensive everything. Gas prices. The Inland Empire. LAX. The ten million people inside Trader Joe's at any given moment.

Kansas Dislikes: No family. No decent shoe stores in the greater Wichita area. No family. Significant lack of mountains and/or ocean. Expensive airfare. Humidity. General lack of culture or diversity. Sushi? Spangles commercials. Cheap beer means gross drunk guys (and girls) in Old Town. Lack of outdoor activity. No one walks anywhere. Giant parking lots and big box stores. Men wear overalls. Everyone wears those damn Crocs. No major sporting events in Wichita. The drive to Kansas City. 11,000 more single women than men in Wichita. The likelihood of running into an ex is significantly greater. Chicken fried everything.

5) If you could have dinner with one living celebrity of each sex who would it be and why? On the flip side, if you could punch one celebrity of each sex in the face who would it be and why?

I'd have dinner with Lisa Loeb because I adore her, her love of pink and Hello Kitty and her music. Also, I'd have dinner with Justin Timberlake because he's dreamy. Who would I punch? Britney Spears. Maybe it would knock some sense in her. And Tom Cruise, so I could distract him and give Katie Holmes the chance to run far, far away.

So there you have it. My interview and the longest post ever. Want to be the next interview victim? Send me an email - shea@b5media.com.

Carbs

2007-06-20T12:02:00.000-05:00

I totally ate carbs yesterday and today...

And I think I've eaten 8000 calories.

Uh, Philly cheesesteaks... Why didn't I try those sooner? Probably a good thing. But when in Rome...

And now my Philly cheesesteak is sitting like a giant greasy lump in my belly...

Off to Atlantic City!

Atlantic City

2007-06-20T10:20:00.001-05:00

We're going to head for Atlantic City as soon as class is over. I seriously can't wait. I have an amazing assortment of photos waiting to be uploaded. You will love it.

I'm in a software training class. Part of the software package includes the ability to create blogs. So I am literally blogging while being "taught" how to blog. How's that for some irony? Um, I think I have it down already, but thanks.

Oooh. Ahhhh.

2007-06-20T06:25:00.001-05:00

Kevin James (Doug on King of Queens and kind of a secret crush of mine) and his wife welcomed a baby girl on June 14.

What did they name her?

Shea Joelle.

I love it.

Philly, Part 3

2007-06-19T21:53:00.000-05:00

Things I love about hotels:

Room service. That's totally a given.
Mini condiments that come with room service.
Free copies of USA Today which I faithfully read.
Triangle points on the toilet paper.
Turndown service.
Down comforters and super soft beds.
Unlimited A/C. I turn it down to, like, 65.
Unlimited hot water. I take loooooong showers.
Free HBO. Even though I pay for it at home.
Free toiletries and shower caps. I have an odd shower cap addiction. I have like 20 at home and the collection continues to grow... I'm like the only person under the age of 60 who uses a shower cap. Well, except my mom. Who is totally under 60 and really hot too.
Maid service.
Ice buckets.
Did I mention room service?

Philly, Part 2

2007-06-19T19:25:00.001-05:00

I just ate my first Philly cheesesteak! Pics coming soon!

I'm so proud of me

2007-06-19T10:39:00.001-05:00

I totally figured out how to use google talk on my blackberry AND I'm totally blogging from the blackberry right now.

I am officially the most connected person ever.

My hair

2007-06-18T22:28:00.001-05:00

It's a sort of futile attempt at a pic, but you get the idea. Not bad for a crazy, kitchen-scissors-wielding novice.

Philly, Part One

2007-06-18T22:14:00.000-05:00

Here's how I spent my evening:

More to come on the art of breastfeeding (this was all new to me), Clinique Bonus Time, Sephora, a handful of carbs and my training course.

Kerry, you are the dearest friend. And Isabel is amazing. I had soooo much fun with you this evening! I wish we'd had more time! We've come a long way since The Great Peep Prank of 1999 (which we totally would have gotten away with if it wasn't for your blasted younger brother)...

Sorry for the grainy pic, but the Blackberry Pearl was all that was handy.

Linda B. took a few with her camera that I'll load later.

For now, my super comfortable bed is calling my name. Well, the bed that lil' Isabel did not spit up or crap upon.

Update

2007-06-18T06:51:00.000-05:00

I'm in King of Prussia. The most amazing mall ever is right across the street from my hotel. In fact, I'm looking at Neiman Marcus as I type. Nordstrom Rack is down the street. Yes, Nordstrom Rack. Mama's gonna buy some new shoes.
Crush status: fantastic. We've communicated our expectations and while I'm not giving details so not to jinx anything, just know that things are good and I am really happy.
The Crush and I went to dinner this weekend at Bonefish Grill. As we were leaving, I slipped and bit it right in front of the hostess desk. Hard. I looked up at everyone and sort of blurted out, "Time to leave!" I then stood up and bolted for the door. I laughed about this for the next three hours. In fact, I'm laughing right now.
Kerry is driving from Jersey to have dinner with me tonight. Woot! She's bringing her adorable baby, Isabel. I fully intent to hold her for the entire evening.
My haircut looks good. It's confirmed. And yes, I'll post a pic.
My hotel bed is the most comfortable hotel bed ever. I slept like a baby.
I've now lost 8 pounds. Though I did cheat and have a mojito last night. Ok, three.
It's Clinique Bonus Time at Lord & Taylor. I've never been to a Lord & Taylor, but guess what? Yup, there's one across the street. Hello there Moisture Surge moisturizer. You're coming home with me. And the free treasures that your purchase will bring.
Jill and I totally rocked an estate sale this weekend. Jill made out like a bandit. I made out with three candlesticks that apparently can't hold candle's because they're a fire hazard. Yeah. How does that work?

Ok. Must go now. More later.

The Next Diane Sawyer

2007-06-15T18:58:00.000-05:00

So... I just finished my interview with Jenn. She was the perfect interviewee, full of good tidbits, talkative, fun, and really professional (which I appreciate since a bunch of MTV kids have blown me off when we've had interviews scheduled). One in particular has a full voice mail box and only responds to text messages. Yeah. That was cool.

So... yeah. It was good. Always nice to spend some time chatting to another Bay Area girl who happens to live a far more interesting life than me.

Ahh... Memory Lane

2007-06-15T15:10:00.001-05:00

Since we recently discussed New Kids on the Block, the greatest boy band ever, I thought I'd remind you just how totally awesome they were, even when animated.

Holy Atkins

2007-06-14T23:36:00.000-05:00

I can't believe it, but in just four measly days eating low-carb and watching myself very carefully, plus working out every day, I've lost five pounds.

Yes, five pounds.

I now have the motivation to make it through an entire week of traveling (seriously - do you know how hard this will be?) without cheating.

I even went out for Mexican food tonight and didn't eat a chip. Not one. And I had a salad. I love Mexican food. I love rice and beans and cheesy enchiladas and chips and salsa and instead I had a salad.

I'm going to go eat a celebratory 15 calorie, sugar free popsicle. Woot!

Philly!

2007-06-14T09:00:00.000-05:00

I'm heading to Philadelphia on Sunday and I am psyched. Luckily, my job has taken me to quite a few big cities (and quite a few little cities) in the past year. I need that city time. I need to remember what a REAL urban area is like. I need to walk city streets and smell the city smell and be around city people and eat at innovative restaurants and drink a $12 cocktail and shop at the stores I so desperately miss and... I just can't wait.

I especially can't wait to do this:

Yeah, I'm gonna get my Rocky on.

I'm Dumb

2007-06-13T22:41:00.000-05:00

So for all of my technologically-savvy, gadget-loving, hidden nerdiness, I have absolutely no idea how to make this page less.... Blogger-template-y. How do y'all customize this stuff? I'm a former TypePad girl. It was easier there.

But this shiz is free which is kind of like it's on a super clearance and y'all know I can't pass that up.