This Year’s Love Had Better Last

Exciting news in 20-Something’s blog land – I’m closing out the end of 2008 with my 500th post. Wow. That’s a lot of narcissism. Thanks for sticking with me…cheers to the New Year, friends, lovers and randoms!

You know you can’t wait for it –
20-Something’s Year in Review:

Best Books I Read: “Fieldwork,” by Mischa Berlinski “The Wonder Spot,” by Melissa Banks, “Eat, Pray, Love” by Elizabeth Gilbert, “More Than You Know,” by Beth Gutcheon and “Water for Elephants” by Sarah Gruen. (I can never narrow this down).
Favorite Movie: “Sex and the City: The Movie” and all the girly festivities and pampering that went along with it!
Favorite New Band(s): Vampire Weekend and Kings of Leon. I cannot stop playing that “Sex on Fire” song! Sooo good.
Best Restaurant I Discovered: Black Bottle. (You must try their chocolate cake – chocolate lava center surrounded with caramel and topped with vanilla gelato. It’s to. die. for!)
Best Happy Hour I Discovered: Twist’s happy hour, which is extra long (4-11pm!) with drink specials and more than 20 food items starting at $2.50!
New TV Show Addiction: Top Chef (there’s a lot more to list here since I got cable for the first time in three years, but I won’t go into boring TV detail).
Best Vacation: It’s a tie between Vegas in March with BD and Mexico in May with my family (the first family vacation we’d ever taken that required a plane).
Best Celebration: Barack Obama being elected President (!!!).
Best Month: September. The best trip EVER with Baby Daddy to the Westbeach Resort on Orcas Island. Oktoberfest in Fremont. My all-expenses paid work trip to sunny and beautiful South Beach in Miami, where we won “Best Booth” for the event I project managed.
Biggest Best Purchase(s): A PC to accompany my Mac, and my pretty new cream micro-suede couch.
Biggest Blunder: Peeing on a federal building.
Favorite Video: Me, of course.
Worst Fashion Trend: Crocs. I know they’re not new to 2008, but I’m holding out here. WHY.DOES.ANYONE.WEAR.THESE.IN.PUBLIC??? Every time I see them, I wrinkle my nose, frown, scoff and get really annoyed. Those things are effing ugly. Keep them in the garden, if you must. *End rant*
Favorite New Fashion Trend: Skinny jeans (yikes, I know. I can’t believe I’m admitting this, let alone wearing them), scarves and lots o’ layers!
Best Party: Tie between the girly sex toy party and Luke and Jana’s wedding.
Biggest Accomplishment: Quitting the Jesus factory and scoring a new job in marketing (with actual paid vacation, a short downtown commute and a pretty decent raise) after a long and arduous nine-month search, more than 30 resumes and cover letters, and 10 different interviews!
Biggest (Failed) Accomplishment: Finishing x365 and NaBloPoMo, and giving up my loved P.I. blog, “Bright Lights, Date City.”
Least Favorite Life Change: Losing my friend Kelly to the mid-West.
Best Life Change: My sexy boyfriend – and finding love, again. Or maybe my color-coordinated bookshelf? It’s hard to decide between those two. OR Bestie Amanda moving back home after three years away – what to choose!
Best New Activity: Pie baking! (Okay, so I only baked one, but it was still fun to learn!) No, but really, I love the Nia fitness class I started attending, to be picked back up after the first of the year.
Best Decision: Sticking it out through my long, terrible and torturous eight-month pro-bono project with The Taproot Foundation. I never want to be a quitter!

On the horizon in 2009…

New Year’s Resolution for 09: Call my dad and grandparents once a month.
Goal to Accomplish Before the End of 09: Move to San Francisco, or very minimum, somewhere new. Seattle feels a bit small for me now, and I feel the need to spread my wings and live with no regrets. I’ve been talking about it for a long time, so I’m just going to DO IT. I’m starting to update the resume and sift through Craigslist now… *fingers crossed* it works out before the end of 2009.
What I’m Most Looking Forward to in 09: The wedding of my Dolphin Sister in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico.
Scary Reality of 09: My sister will turn 21 in October. Wow.

2008 Photo Recap

(To the tune of “This Year’s Love” by David Gray, so put your headphones in. Also the captions come up quick and choppy when it was uploaded to the Internet, not sure why, so you’ll have to read quick!)

Don’t Blame it on the Rain

My career as a back-up dancer continues…

Currently Feeling: Glad I reconnected with W and all his goofiness.
Currently Anticipating: NYE tomorrow. But more for it to be over with. I sorta hate the holiday with a red hot passion.
Currently Listening To: The new Kings of Leon CD I bought Mike for Christmas.

Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens

This Christmas I wasn’t necessarily as spoiled as last years gone past – chalk it up to the economy and my parents’ paying for my sister’s college. But it was one of the best Christmases I’ve had. I, myself, personally made a decision to purchase really good gifts for an elite group, and not every extended family member. The extendeds received homemade fudge and caramel corn, placed on metallic plates and tied with sparkly ribbon and an ornament. What transpired with my limited gift giving this year was the first Christmas that I’ve felt really into. Perhaps it’s because I wasn’t stressing out about not having money for millions of presents. I just enjoyed the season, the festivities and the traditions. I gave a few great gifts…

…and I received a few great gifts. Here are some of my favorites this year:

A hot pink Chi flat iron (to match my pink Chi blow dryer). Pink, pink and more pink! I can’t get enough! (And my boyfriend is secretly groaning inside). Seriously though, I’ve wanted one of these babies since my receptionist days at the J.C. Penney’s styling salon, and it came out as the new “IT” flat iron. And even more so when I had my hair straightened at a salon last spring. I felt like such a sexy bitch, I tried to do it myself for the first time with my $14.99 Revlon flat iron. FAIL. I looked like I had stood in the rain, gone to the beach, then baked my hair in the oven. See these two pics: they do not match. You might not be able to tell, but the right one is smooth and silky, the left, not so much. Anywho, I tried out my new flat iron this weekend, and it worked like a dream! Finally, at nearly 27, I might learn how to switch up my style a bit since in the past I’ve stuck to being a Curly Headed Woman.

Billabong “Timeless” Jacket, which the punchline for says “plaid is timeless!” I could probably argue with that one. But, Nordstrom did list a plaid jacket as one of their “must haves” for Fall, and I’ve been eying all the cute plaid jackets in stores since; I just haven’t found it very practical. So, leave it to my BF to gift me with a cute splurge. (He did a great job, didn’t he?) I wore it today with my grey calf-length boots. Not only is it WARM, but I think it’s a great replacement for that red Billabong jacket that has graced every pic I’m in for the last three months. I do love me some fur-lined hoods!

Tarte’s Limited Edition Vanity Palette from my fashionista lil’ sis. I am a make-up feign. I have a three-tiered storage drawer set in my room, labeled respectively “Face,” “Eyes” and “Lips.” You can guess what’s in each drawer. But, my collection is getting a little ridiculous. I already cleaned it out last spring, but it’s still overflowing. (Especially the bottom drawer, how many lip glosses can a girl really have? I’ve talked before about my unhealthy obsession with it.) I think I need to put a kibosh a little on makeup gifts and buying, but I just LOVE everything about expensive makeup – the packaging, the smell, the texture, the pigment. This palette is super wonderful. It’s jam-packed with everything you need, and look at these colors. Tell me those aren’t to. die. for!

Hot Pink Cherry Blossom Lights, which appeal to my love for all things pink, as mentioned above. The BF was ecstatic about his find here, “I got the last pink ones; they were the display set!” he exclaimed when I opened them. They are oh so pretty, and whimsical and match my bedroom perfectly, which is decorated in hot pink and orange. Something about Christmas lights just make everything look better…so now I’ll have pretty pink, flower lights year-round to light up my room.

A lifetime supply of AA batteries. (Okay, not really lifetime supply, but a really, really large pack of them!) Read this post, and you’ll understand why I received these…now all my remotes will have batteries once again. A girl’s gotta have priorities!

Stella’s Gift, came from not me, oh no, my BF. He really does know the path straight to my heart – through my cat. He bought her a hot pink feathered catnip bird, because I had mentioned that I thought she’d love a feathered toy when we were at a pet store. It’s just so dang thoughtful; it melts my heart. The only thing Stella cares about though is that she’s gettin’ her druuugs. Am I the only one who thinks it seems greatly wrong to get your cat stoned against its will and laugh at it?! Either way, she’s been enjoying getting high, and has carried it around in her mouth – taking it with her on the couch and my bed – not letting her stash out of her site. I guess every junkie needs a fix sometime.

And that wraps up the top gifts of 08… what were some of your favorite gifts this Christmas?!

Currently Feeling: Like Monday I’m going to want to kill myself for all this slacking.
Currently Anticipating: Dinner tonight with Bestie Amanda, and the rest of the week off!
Currently Needing: A majah diet and exercise overhaul plan for the new year.

Eat, Eat and Be Merry

Welcome back, Interneters. I know you’re all coming down from your sugar plum dreams and chocolate kisses. I know I’m coming down – or should I say coming UP – from a lot of horizontalness the past week and food hangovers like you would not believe. I’m pretty sure all I can think about right now is how I want my NYE resolution to be NEVER EAT AGAIN. (I write as I eat Fritos’ Honey BBQ Flavor Twists for breakfast).

My Christmas week was pretty standard, (minus the snow totally blowing my usual drive south to my grandmother’s house on Christmas day). I took a mini vaca from work, starting Tuesday with Christmas candy making. I whipped up this wonderful confection:

Let me tell you – this recipe is amazing. If you don’t care that it consists solely of butter, brown sugar, corn syrup and theatre popcorn, then you must try it. I think it’ll be my future Super Bowl party staple.

Christmas Eve my parents have a party every year that always promises lots of laughter. I’m not sure if it’s because of my whacky Magda aunt, or the never-ending supply of Cosmo Chi Chis my dad pours (a Cosmo made with coconut cream and simple syrup). But my Martha Stewartesque mother always whips up a dream Christmas dinner with my favorite thing ever as a centerpiece – a ham from the HoneyBaked Ham Company.

My sister and I then slept in our old upstairs bedrooms like we were 10 and 3 again, waking up to open presents on Christmas morning. Except now there isn’t quite the rush like when we were young. My family started Christmas morning with a new tradition – ebelskivers. Ever heard of them?! I hadn’t. Apparently they make them at a European breakfast place in my sister’s college town that she’s crazy about, so my mom surprised her by buying a special ebelskiver pan and can of mix. Basically, they’re round pancake balls that you can stuff anything into. We got pretty creative, making blueberry, chocolate, marshmallow and even sweet potato ebelskivers (that was my idea, of course), topping them with powder sugar and whipped cream. Mmmm.

Somewhere around 2:30 – all of us still in pajamas – we opened presents and then lounged around until we met my grandmother at China Harbor in the International District for a classic Chinese Christmas evening dinner. Ring a ding a ding dong.

And then, because the snow melted just enough, I redeemed my previously canceled trip to my other grandmother’s house where I continued to eat myself silly and lie horizontally. (Thank god for What Not to Wear marathons. Stacey and Clinton are my best lazy friends.) And of course, no Christmas is complete without my thoughtful gifts from that side of my family – bubble bath, shower gel, body spray, lotion, more shower gel, a candle, some bath beads and bath gel. And now I’m good for another year.

Hope you all had a very merry, horizontally stuffed Christmas.

Currently Feeling: Ready to take the new year by storm.
Currently Anticipating: Finally seeing my BF and celebrating our Christmas together.
Currently Hating: Food.

In case you’re wondering…

…this is what we're doing all day.
–
Sent from my T-Mobile Sidekick®

Spotted on my walk home

Call us a “green city” or something – we’re saving energy by turning off
our fridges and keeping the milk outside. Genius!
–
Sent from my T-Mobile Sidekick®

I’m dreaming of a NON white Christmas

Okay, okay, I don’t really need to say it – but Seattle is covered in snow; it’s totally nutso. Apparently we’re drowning in the worst sea of white since 1998. The headlines shout “Worst Snowstorm in 10 Years!” but I don’t remember anything like this when I was 16… I have no memory whatsoever of there ever being this much snow in Seattle. It’s crazy.

I know that those reading in outlying cities probably think we’re total pansies. But cut us some slack – we’re not used to this! We’re equipped with extra strength windshield wipers, galoshes, extra large umbrellas and waterproof jackets, but all for the RAIN not a foot of SNOW.

Usually, I don’t mind the snow – when I choose to travel to it in the mountains to snowboard. I don’t love to live my every day life in it. Everything that last couple days has been f@*ked. The buses aren’t running. It takes me an hour to get to work, and this morning I trudged a mile to a main bus stop in my neighborhood, to wait with 50+ other people. When a bus finally pulled up, it was packed and only had room for five people… And driving is out of the question. My little red VW beetle is buried in the back parking lot of my building, and the only exit route is down a huge iced hill with stranded SUVs. You think my car’s going to make it if their car didn’t?! Plus, my tires are bald. I’m terrible at car maintenance unless my dad sits me down and reams me for an hour about the importance of simple procedures such as changing my oil or buying new tires… then eventually gives up, does it for me and then adds it to my long running list of IOUs. So yeah, bald tires dad. Help?

The worst part about it – I’ve had so many fun social engagements canceled the last couple days because no one can drive anywhere… a Christmas party with friends from San Fran who I never get to see, decorating the Christmas tree with my family, a college reunion party with a friend who’s only in town for a week. Insult to injury, my boyfriend lives 30 minutes (no traffic, driving 70mph) outside of Seattle. So yeah, that’s keeping us apart. I’m literally going stark raving mad. If I don’t get OUT. of. the. HOUSE. tonight and do some freakin’ drinking and socializing, or at least get a piece of ass, then you might as well count this as my last blog entry because I’ll be spending the rest of the year down the bunny hole with Alice and the White Rabbit.

Eff you snow.

Currently Feeling: Like I don’t really need two weeks of vacation after all this time snowed in, watching TV and reading.
Currently Anticipating: CHRISTMAS!
Currently Reading: “Saving Fish From Drowning” by Amy Tan

Holiday gift shopping – for myself – again

It’s hard to do all this holiday gift shopping and not pick up a few items for yourself – I don’t really have the budget for it, but I can’t pass up the deals; oh the deals! (Yesterday I scored black Express dress pants for $25, which are normally $80-$100!)

So, I was just reading through Dooce’s Gift Guide 2008 today, and was reminded of these neat little Ork city neighborhood posters, which I had spotted (and loved!) on Pretty in the City last March. At the time, they didn’t make Seattle. But, when I looked again today – there was my beloved city in all her glory. So without hesitation, I purchased the gold screen print on charcoal brown, 100% recycled paper:
I’m really excited to hang it in my front hallway, next to the door, where there’s a big ole space and some empty nails from a key holder that Sarah took when she moved out. What I love the most about it, is how all the neighborhoods of Seattle are included, in all the right spots. (Hello Queen Anne! You’re so cute and little!) The founder and artist, Jenny Beorkrem, even donates 2 percent of all sales to River Action and HEAL Africa.

It’s a really cool item if any of you are looking for gifts! *Wink*

Like cat dander, bee stings and peanuts

Sunday night, watching the Survivor Gabon finale:

Me: Asian facial hair is kinda gross*.
BD: Yeah.
Me: It’s like straight and silky. I wonder what their pubes look like.
BD: *Sideways glance and laugh* I don’t know.
Me: You’ve never slept with an Asian woman?
BD: Um, no…
Me: Really?!
BD: Nope.
Me: Hmm. I was just wondering. You know, some guys have a thing for Asian woman – it’s like, all they like to sleep with or something.
BD: Yeah. This guy I work with has an Asian girlfriend, and I think he kinda has a fetish.
Me: I’ve always thought that was a little weird.

*Silence* *Contemplating Asian woman fetish* *Silence*

BD: I don’t know…I had this girlfriend in junior high…*Pauses*
Me: Yeah…
BD: Well, every time we made out, I got this really bad stomach ache afterward.
Me: What?!
BD: Yeah. It was really weird. I got really sick. Like every. time. It was like I was allergic to her saliva.
Me: Was she Asian?
BD: Yeah.
Me: So, you think you’re allergic to Asian women or something, and you haven’t dated one since?
BD: Yeah…*Sheepish glance in my direction*
Me: BWAHAHHA. YOU think YOU’RE allergic to ASIAN women?!??
Me: You’re so weird.

Alternative title to this post: Here’s Hoping the Coffee Slinging Hooker is Asian

*Disclaimer: I realize a couple people could find this offensive, but just thought I’d throw it out there that I wrote this without any sort of prejudice against Asian people or women.

Currently Feeling: Relieved that my Christmas shopping is done, and I’m not completely broke.
Currently Anticipating: Terriyaki salmon for dinner tonight.
Currently Loving: Iced sweet tea…for every meal…all day long.

I’m gonna lose my boyfriend to a coffee-slinging hooker

I think a lot of times, us coupled types can get comfortable in our relationships and fail to really see our partner through a fresh pair of eyes. After a good amount of time has gone by, you see the other person in sweats and slippers more than than you see them dressed, and it’s easy to forget to compliment quite as much or not pick apart silly stuff.

I’m terrible at this. Lately I’ve been more inclined to crinkle my nose at my boyfriend’s work uniform (I hate it), tell him that he should have probably ironed his shirt, or tease him about his chicken legs. I think I’ve been slacking a little in the compliment department lately. It’s not that I don’t think he’s just as hot as the day I met him. Actually, scratch that. I think he’s MORE hot. It’s just that it kinda not so top-of-mind anymore.

Yesterday a friend posted a group pic from the summertime on his Facebook page that I hadn’t seen yet:

And there was my boyfriend, all smiley and tan in his army shorts (majah weakness for camo), and I was reminded how much I think my boyfriend’s a sexy bitch. Just looking at this pic gets me all hot and bothered. So, I left work yesterday, thinking about how bad I wanted to see him and tear his clothes off, and tell him that’s he’s HOT.

Except someone had already beat me to it. I walked into his kitchen, and there was an empty Starbucks cup on his counter with something along the lines of the following:

Hi Mike! Hope you have a great day out there!
Heart, Theresa
253-xxx-xxxx

@*&$#&!!!! *$##@@$#!!!

I don’t really have a jealous bone in my body, but my feathers are really ruffled about this.

I’m trying to resist the urge to visit all Starbucks within his general work and home radius (which would be really hard, natch, this is Seattle!) and mean-mug all the baristas.

Currently Feeling: Headachy from staring at Web site code all week.
Currently Anticipating: My holiday wine party tomorrow night!!! Should have some good stories and pics.
Currently Needing: To get started on my Christmas shopping.