Help me choose a suit for Mexico! Cast your vote!

Yesterday I finalized tickets and plans to Puerto Vallarta for one of my very best friend’s wedding, April 4th. Woo hoo! Baby Daddy and I will be staying in Playa del Sol Costa Sur. I cannot.wait. for sipping cocktails next to the pool, eating Mexican food (my absolute favorite next to sushi), partying our way through downtown, finding Taco Burrito King again and fornicating on Mexico land with my sexy boyfriend. (Is it less crass if you use the word *fornicating*?) This will be the third time I’ve been to Puerto Vallarta. The first time with seven of my best friends, the second with my family last May, and now to be a bridesmaid. Puerto Vallarta holds some great memories for me, and I can’t wait to make more.

But there’s one small little problem – I’ll need a new bathing suit, of course! Although I haven’t had much use out of the one I bought last year, I want to feel shiny and new! (In hopefully my shiny new body since I’ve been kicking my own ass nearly every day for a month – one more month to go). So, Victoria’s Secret is having a sale on bathing suits – and even some of their full-priced suits are really reasonable. I’ve narrowed it down to three options, and I want all of you to help me decide. Please cast your vote in the below poll as to which bathing suit you think is the cutest!

Currently Feeling: Speaking of kicking my own ass, I’m feeling apprehensive for the personal training session I have this evening. I usually feel like I’m going to die. Not fun.
Currently Anticipating: The season finale of Top Chef tonight! I can’t wait!!
Currently Loving: The Mobe, Air and other spacy music I’ve added to my beloved, growing Pandora station.

Turkey weekend highlights, peppered with lots o tryptophan

I took the 4.5-day Thanksgiving break to fall off the Internet wagon, so to speak, totally failing in my intended last push to completion of NaBloPoMo. Bummer dude.

But, a little failure in one category is usually necessary to get ahead in another. The category I focused on this weekend was my SANITY. Corporate America stresses me out, to say the least. So I took a break from everything for nearly five glorious stress-free days. And here they are in brief:

Wednesday: Went on a totally unnecessary payday shopping trip to Nordies where I purchased the most absolutely beautiful grey suede, flat boots that my feet are stuck in. Literally. STUCK. I don’t think I’ll ever get a pair of heels on again.

After my shopping trip, I got all gussied up and met the usual pre-Thanksgiving college party suspects out at The Wild Rover in Kirkland. The night would have gone on without one little drunken debauchery hitch if it weren’t for the fact that Baby Daddy’s ex showed up at the bar. This is the first time I’ve seen her, in person, since we’ve been together. I was reminded why their kid is so damn cute; she’s pretty. Dammit. But then I was reminded why he likes me so much—she’s kinda loco. I’m not so much. Well, unless you put a marshmallow pie in front of me, then I’m totally loco. Bitch watch out! No you didn’t just try to eat my marshmallow pie!

Thursday: Went to go see Four Christmases with my parents. Do you know how long I’ve stared at the word “Christmases,” second-guessing myself on that spelling? Just seems a little loco. Kinda like the ex. Anywho, totally a movie I recommend. So yeah, it’s a romantic comedy, which are always a bit cheesy and predictable, but it’s still pretty funny. Like a modern National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation. I dug it. Then I dug my face into my mother’s Thanksgiving feast and passed out on my BF’s couch after watching slews of terrible Christmas movies (Read: Queen Latifah is dying and so she spends her last couple weeks avoiding motorcycle-humping sex with L.L. Cool J. What about this says Merry Christmas; I don’t know.)

Friday: Most people spend Black Friday shopping for inexpensive Christmas presents for friends and family. I spent it shopping for myself. Tis’ the season. My Black Friday booty includes a charging dock/radio/alarm for my iPod, a prize for the winner at my holiday wine party, a new cheese cutting board and knife, 50 space-saving hangers to continue my Closet Make-Over Mission (this won’t fail like the Underwear Overhaul Mission) camel-colored motorcycle boots, a matching camel-colored belt, two new tops to layer with my boots and a pair of earrings that I TOTALLY needed to add to the other 100 pairs I own. Merry Christmas to me.

Saturday: After three days of doing virtually nothing, I was ready to hit the town again. Except everyone was either gone for the weekend or staying in again. So, Baby Daddy and I made it a date night with one of my favorite past times—bar hopping on lower Queen Anne. We started at Solo, my 26th birthday party location, where I ordered a couple of their Mojito Catalans (champagne instead of soda water, so lots o alcohol). We then bumped around to Jabu’s for a couple beers, and wrapped up our night with happy hour at Peso’s. Well, that’s not really how we ended our night, but that’s probably T.M.I. for you.

Sunday: A little breakfast at Noah’s Bagels, some coffee, some book shopping at my favorite local shop, and then home to lounge in PJs all day. I did laundry, watched Along Came Polly, cleaned the bathroom, watched Made of Honor (terribly cheesy), cleaned the kitchen, took a nap, read a book, reorganized my closet and cleaned my room—all in time for The Amazing Race and Desperate Housewives.

See it’s two nights of partying and three days of doing nothing that leads me to actually being productive. Why can’t I have this kind of schedule every week? I’d certainly feel a bit more caught-up and balanced.

Currently Feeling: Like my butt is numb. It’s spreading! I can tell the desk job is making it spread!
Currently Anticipating: Snuggling.
Currently Reading: In the Woods by Tana French.

Miami, in the heat

I believe I owe a few of you an update on Miami…

I was in Miami last week from Wednesday through Saturday night, which I’ve been catching-up from ever since. (Lame way to excuse myself for not blogging). Going to Miami was the first time I’d been on an all-expenses paid work trip. I think it’s something I could get used to. And, I might feel less restless in Seattle if I had a way to get out of town that didn’t rely on my general bad money management. (But that’s a whole ‘nother can of worms, my friends).

The hotel I stayed at was tip-top. It’s really odd, however, to stay in a hotel room by yourself. I kept thinking about all the friends who could be sipping cocktails with me on the patio, or you know, other people who might enjoy the king-sized bed. But, once the oddness wore off, I quite liked padding around my hotel room in the luxurious robe, spreading my makeup ALL OVER the counter and my clothes ALL OVER the floor, watching TLC, naked in the feather bed (it’s HOT in Miami), or ordering room service to eat naked in the feather bed while watching TLC and thinking about how glorious it is to not have to clean up my makeup or clothes. It was like a mini 20-Something break from the entire roar that is my constant day-to-day life. (Not that I’m complaining).

Even better—while I was in Miami for work, I barely had to actually do any work. Other than a few trips to pick-up last minute details (tequila shooters for the prize wheel), a few marketing dinners, and the three-hour tradeshow on Friday, I generally found myself with a bunch of free time to a) lie by the pool or b) watch cable in my feather bed, which are really the only two ways I spent my free time.

I have to embarrassingly admit that I skipped out on any and all sightseeing or bar hopping while there. I don’t know—it just didn’t seem right. Like I had my 20-Something Work Hat on, and I didn’t really feel like doing some of the shenanigans I get myself into in front of people I have professional relationships with. But, they all seemed fine with going out with each other and tried to drag me out every night. Even if I did have my 20-Something Party Hat on, I don’t think I could have pushed through the lethargy that enveloped me after the three-course+ dinners we had each night.

On that note, however, I would LOVE to go back with friends. I was very impressed with Miami. We stayed in South Beach, which was warm, beautiful and clean with shops, fancy restaurants and swanky bars within walking distance. It was like Mexico but without all the things I don’t love about Mexico. I would definitely like to go back some day.

Oh, and did I mention we won “Best Booth”? Icing on the cake.

Currently Feeling: A tiny bit sad.
Currently Anticipating: Oktoberfest in Leavenworth this weekend.
Currently Dreading: Taking the bus home tonight. Wish I could fly.

You Can’t Be Crabby When You’re at the Beach…

…but you can be cold!

After Luke & Jana’s wedding Friday night, Baby Daddy and I drove to Ocean Shores to stay at his family’s condo on the beach.

I’ve been to the Oregon and Washington coast a handful of times in my life, and nearly every time it was freezing cold with grey skies. One would think that the hottest weekend in Seattle (up to 100 degrees) would mean that it would be at least a little sunny and warm on the coast. Nope. We drove through town after town with stifling weather, and it seemed as soon as we neared the limits of Ocean Shores, the weather changed to grey, cloudy and windy.

But, we made the best of it–seafood meals with his family, plenty of dips in the hot tub, an early night in, snuggling under a blanket on the couch with the gas fireplace, saltwater taffy and fudge of course–and a sand castle, made from scratch!

Walkin’ to the beach with our pail of sand-castle-makin’ tools…

Carefully sculpting our walls and center fortress…

We dug out a moat…

…and stuck crab claws we gathered in the moat’s “water.”

Ta da! Claw Cast

Super proud of our homemade sand castle…

…even if we wouldn’t have won any contest with it and are huge dorks, it was still fun!

Currently Feeling: Really unmotivated to finish this pro bono copywriting project today.
Currently Anticipating: Black Bottle for a dinner date and wine tonight!
Currently Loving: The quiet office today–my whole team is gone!

I JUST BOOKED TICKETS TO VEGAS!!

I’m so excited!! I will be heading to Sin City with Baby Daddy and a group of my friends at the end of March. I’ve wanted to go back to Vegas ever since my first trip, right after turning 21. I fell in love immediately—I really don’t know anything better than a single destination that allows extreme partying, dancing, gambling and sunbathing for days on end. Unfortunately, I haven’t had the luxury of having work meetings there two or more times a year like a few of my lucky friends. Since I haven’t made it back in the last five years, I figure I’ve been more than overdue.

In the last week that I’ve been researching hotel and flight packages, I’ve realized that I’m slightly neurotic and very indecisive. I mean, I stayed up till 12:45 last night, researching package options, and still didn’t buy anything! I was, quite literally, losing sleep over booking a vacation. Doesn’t that seem like an oxymoron?

You name it—I couldn’t decide on it. Did I want to pay a little more for a little nicer hotel? Did I care that the pool sucked at that hotel? Did I want a Deluxe or Standard room at this hotel? Did I want to upgrade to a better flight, or take the cheaper flight and add on two VIP tickets to a nightclub? Should I book something super cheap and sorta lame, and save my money for entertainment, or should do we want to stay in the middle of everything? Aaaah!

Luckily, I have amazing friends who love me, even if all I harp on and on about for four days is HOW. STRESSED. OUT. I. AM. about booking a package to Vegas. God, really, Jeanna? Life could be so much more difficult. My wonderful friends have coaxed me through making decisions on our trip without the other half of my “our” here to give me the okay on vacation plans, such as purchasing $90 show tickets on his credit card. What’s a girl to do? I finally just closed my eyes and clicked “Proceed with Package” today on Expedia. I knew that if I really spent anymore time changing dates, checking different Web sites, and researching pools and rooms at each hotel, I was going to go quite crazy.

So, I opted for The Sahara—the most luxurious and spacious hotel in Vegas! Right. But, it is one of the most inexpensive hotels on the Strip. Even if it is a little old and more north than I would have liked, but the recently installed Monorail down the Strip solves that problem. Plus, the pool is pretty decent, and it’s one of the only hotels in Vegas with $3 Black Jack! Hello lover! Since it only cost us $300 each for flight and hotel (!!), I’m saving my money for VIP tickets to Tao nightclub and tickets to a fancy show—Le Reve at Wynn Hotel.

The last time I went to Vegas, I drove there with my boyfriend on $300 for the entire week. So, you could imagine there weren’t too many fancy dinners, shows or nights-out for us. I think opting for a crappier hotel, and splurging on the nightlife is a far-better option this time. Someday I might be able to actually see the inside of a hotel room at the Bellagio, MGM Grande, Venetian, etc. But right now, I’ll just live the pseudo four-star lifestyle…

Any restaurant, nightlife, or must-do suggestions, friends? (I still haven’t necessarily made up my mind between Le Reve and Stomp Out Loud.)

Currently Feeling: SUPER excited for that King-sized bed. Whoops. TMI?
Currently Anticipating: Getting this contract crap figured out at work—and hopefully a raise?!
Currently Loving: Shrimp cocktail and BLTs.