this little life of mine

Thirteen Things I'm Looking Forward to Doing (or NOT Doing) During My Upcoming Vacation

May 28 through June 5 I will be on vacation (Yes, I'm counting the weekends as vacation also!), and I am beYOND excited!  Technically it's a STAYcation, since my mom and I are just sticking around the SLO County area, but we're treating it like a real vacation.

Here are thirteen things we're planning to do during our week off:

1.  Not answer the phone. Or email. While I will probably update via Twitter or Facebook, we are basically not available AT ALL for the entire week.

2. Go to Cambria. We can't remember the last time we went to Cambria, and are really looking forward to strolling on the boardwalk along Moonstone Beach, watching the waves/birds/seals/surfers/whatever is out there for us to look at, and taking some (hopefully) awesome pictures.

3.  Spend the day in SLO. Yes, I know I hop on the bus and ride down to SLO every freakin' day for work, but mom and I thought it would be fun to just go for the day to shop (the colour Nook from Barnes and Nobel is becoming a SERIOUS purchase possibility), and browse, and eat, and people-watch.

4.  Eat out. Every. Single. Day. No cooking, no dishes, no nothing! Just eat out or take out or delivery.

 5.  Not go to the gym. Okay that doesn't sound very good (especially coming immediately on the heels of the"eating out all the time" one!), and I really DO enjoy working out, but I think that taking a break from it (and not because either I or my trainer is sick) will be a good thing. And it's not like I won't be doing ANY phyical activity; we're planning to do a LOT of walking during our vacation!

6.  Go to the Avila Beach Fish and Farmer's Market. I've been wanting to go to this for several years, but by Friday evening, I'm usually too beat to want to drive all the way out to Avila Beach. Since I'll be on vacation, however, mom and I can go early and relax on the beach, then check out the market in the evening.

7. Take a wine tasting tour. This is still kinda up-in-the-air, but mom and I have always talked about wanting to take a tasting tour around the Paso Robles area, and this would be a perfect opportunity to do it.

8.  Go to Pismo Beach for the day. Or Shell Beach. Or Oceano. Or Cayucus. Or pretty much any beach, so long as it's a beach!

9.  Sleep in every day!!!

10.  Spend a day downtown Atascadero. We've wanted to check out the shops, eat and drink at some new places like Haven Wine Bistro or Fig or Bru Coffeehouse, and maybe take in a matinee at the new theater.

11.  Pick up some produce at the Atascadero Farmer's Market. Or at least just go and check it out. Their day/hours are hideious (Wednesdays from 3 - 6), so I would just barely get to run past it and grab a couple things as I got off the bus and ran off to the gym, and now the bus stop has moved several blocks away, so I can't even do that.

12. Yard work. Yeah, I know that doesn't sound very vacation-y, but we really need to redo part of the front yard, and this is the perfect time to do it!

13. RELAX!!

Soon

I am SO close to being on vacation I can SMELL it! This evening I'm off to Ohio to visit my friend Jewel. I haven't seen her since last September, so we have a LOT of catching up to do!

I'm also looking forward to:

1. Browsing Sky Mall magazine. (I know it's not PC to lust after stupidly expensive and unnecessary crap, but I love looking at all the gadgets and fun stuff for sale!)
2. Reading Hemispheres magazine - that's when you know you're on vacation!
3. Flying. I really do love air travel despite the security, crowded flights and extra charges.
4. Seeing Dash and Fester again.
5. Meeting Esme - the new kitty.
6. Maybe visiting with BloodBeth and JM?
7. Perhaps a little shopping?
8. I'm definitely excited for a change of scenery.
9. Playing a Rummy tournament (or two).
10. Going out to a movie. Or renting DVDs and staying in. Whichever.
11. Drinking coffee and shooting the breeze.
12. Eating out at different restaurants. (Max and Erma's? P.F. Chang's? Melting Pot? Yes, please, but only if my BFF is feeling well enough to enjoy it, too!)
13. Just being on vacation!!!

Thirteen Things on My Wish List

I got the idea to do a Wish List themed Thursday Thirteen from Jennifer. Thanks, Jen!

1. An iPod touch. Yes, I have two iPods already, one of which can play TV shows, but the touch is shiny and new and it plays games! Games, people!

2. A shiny new red reel mower w/ grass catcher.

3. This Citizen Echo watch: Riva Diamond Chronograph.

4. A 2009 Green Bay Packers calendar.

5. A Canon SLR digital camera with a telephoto lens attachment.

6. A pink Sony Vaio laptop computer.

7. A funky laptop bag.

8. A new versa climber for the gym.

9. A pink Townie bike with a basket on front and a bell.

10. A large red suitcase with rollers.

11. A pair of funky Wellies.

12. This shearling coat.

13. A complete backyard makeover.

(Also used as an entry for Holidailies.)

Thursday Thirteen: A Smoke-Free Entry

Today is the Great American Smoke Out– the day smokers are encouraged to quit smoking for one day. Years and years ago – it was either the first or second year of the Smoke Out, '77 or '78, I can't remember now – I asked my dad to please quit smoking just for one day. He did, and never smoked another cigarette in his life. He smoked a pipe occasionally, but not too often. I have no idea if it was hard for him to quit. He never complained to me anyway. Then again, I was a little kid, so he probably wouldn’t have complained to me anyway.

As for me, I foolishly started smoking at 16. I’ve quit off and of many times since then, but last Friday I quit for good. I mean it this time. I'm done with cigarettes. For reals. And, in celebration of quitting, I came up with a list of thirteen good reasons to quit smokingand to never smoke again:

1.     You’ll be healthier. It’s been proven that once you stop smoking, your lungs start to become healthier. Eventually, you will have lungs as good as a nonsmoker.

2.     The air smells fresher and cleaner.

3.     Food tastes better.

4.     You – your clothes, your hair, your breath - won’t stink.

5.     Your house – your carpets, sofas, draperies, etc. - won’t stink. And your walls won’t be discoloured either!

6.     Your car won’t stink – if you smoke in your car, that is. And there’s less chance of you starting a wildfire by throwing your cigarette out the window!

7.     You’ll be more active. I find I can do more cardio now with less wheezing and coughing than before.

8.     You’ll be prettier (or more handsome). No more nasty yellow nicotine stains on your fingers or your teeth!

9.     The world will be a better place without all the second-hand smoke polluting the air and all the nasty cigarette butts on the streets, beaches, parks, etc.

10.    You’ll sleep better. Fewer coughing fits waking you up at night!

11.    You’ll save money.

12.    More people will like you. I'm just guessing here, but there are more nonsmokers than smokers out there.

13.    One positive healthy change will lead to many more! Since I'm feeling so much better and feel empowered by kicking this bad habit, I'm going full force into losing weight!

Thursday 13 Update

Wow, it's been a long time since I've done a Thursday 13! It's been a while since I've updated, too. So here's 13 updates that should kill both birds with one stone:

1.  My trainer has decided to start "mixing up" our workouts. Monday he had me do biceps curls while sitting on a balance ball and yesterday he added weights to my seated press. I'm sore, but strangely energized.

2.  I took pictures of what's left of the garden this past weekend, but haven't uploaded them yet. Basically we have some tomatoes, peppers and a few Japanese eggplants left. The crookneck squash was attempting to make a comeback, but we had a couple days of frost, so I don't think it'll make it.

3.  I had Monday off, so I walked to the downtown, met my mom after her dental appointment and we strolled the "beautiful downtown" of Atascadero. The street is all torn up because they've decided to put in some fancy-pants "bump outs" and other "improvements", so getting to the few shops that are actually still open was a challenge. Then of course we discovered everything was closed because it was Monday. Gah!

4.  We did, however, get to have a delicious lunch at The Art Cafe at the Carlton. The Art Cafe is the place that has Oprah's favourite curry chicken sandwich. I was originally going to get that, but at the end of the description it said "fiery hot" and decided to go with a less fiery option. We both enjoyed our lunches and decided that since the Cafe is open for breakfast that maybe we should start walking every weekend again - which we haven't done since Carlene's/The Gathering Place closed down. With a new destination, perhaps we'll be more motivated.

5.  I've started putting stuff on eBay again. So far I've sold three things, although I've only gotten paid for two, and two more will sell when the auctions end this weekend. It's pretty exciting to get rid of all this stuff I'm not using!

6. Of course, I've been buying stuff on eBay, too. Mostly stuff for my upcoming trip to Chicago over Halloween. I've got a funky wig, three tops, and some vampire teeth. Can you guess what I'm dressing up as?

7.  I am almost finished with Eldest, but didn't finish in time to get the book back to the library before it was due. I have an overdue library book. That makes my tummy hurt a little bit. I feel really guilty about having an overdue book. (And, yes I tried to renew it online, but was denied; someone is probably waiting for it! More guilt!!)

8.  Another thing making my tummy hurt is the election. Mom and I are going to do our absentee voting this weekend, and I'm dreading it. I know how I'm voting for all the local stuff (Wal-Mart? Yes, please you idiots!), but I don't know who to vote for for President. I was going to vote for McCain, no question, but then he picked that stupid woman for his VP, and I've been questioning his decision-making skills. Why, John, why? You HAD this election wrapped up then you screwed up! What were you thinking?!?

9.  *sigh* Enough of that depressing stuff. At least Survivor is good this season! I'm also loving Chuck, Fringe, Amazing Race, Ghost Whisperer, My Own Worst Enemy, House and Project Runway, although that one is basically done now. I would like Knight Rider better if they didn't have the lead characters stripping down to their underwear in the first episode. Can we have our entertainment withOUT the pornography, please and thank you? Gah!

10.  I'm gearing up for NaNoWriMo and NaBloPoMo coming next month. I have no idea when I'll find the time to do them, but I'm giving them both a shot. Again.

11.  I need to start taking pictures again. I kinda go out of the habit, and I miss it. There hasn't been much of interest to photograph, but Colony Days is this weekend, so I might find something good there. It's disappointing that we don't get an actual "fall" here with all the gorgeous colours. Only a couple trees have started changing here, and they're'e not that pretty.

12.  I also need to start thinking about my Christmas cards. I have a couple new stamping magazines that have some really cool ideas, and I'm getting really inspired!

13.  And finally, why is it that a four-day week feels twice as long as a regular five-day week? Gah!

13 Updates

So far this week for the Thursday 13:

1. My sprained tendon is healing nicely. I haven't needed the cane at all this week, although I brought it in to work with me on Monday just in case. I almost have full range of motion now.
2. I cancelled my appointment with the rheumatologist on Tuesday. I know it was something I was really looking forward to a few months ago, because I really wanted to find out why I got the iritis and why it was lasting so long, but actually my eyes have been getting better. I can tell they are. And, since I don't have any weird symptoms of anything else, there's really no point in going. And also, I'm very tired of going to doctors!!
3. Speaking of doctors, my eye doctor appointment yesterday went really well. While there are still some "rare cells" in both eyes, my distance vision is the best it's been since the start of this whole mess, and everything looks great. Dr. B. is pretty happy about it, and just wants me to stick to my current eye drop routine for another few months. By the end of the year, it should be totally cleared up, I should be totally off the predne-whatevertheheckitis, and hopefully I will not have this problem ever again.
4. I really kind-of enjoyed driving into work yesterday (Dr. B.'s office moved across town, so I can't walk from work any more) - listening to the radio, singing along to the songs I know, not waiting around for a bus to show up (or not), being in control of my time; it was awesome! - but I did kinda miss reading my book, and I definitely missed being able to take a nap on the way home!!
5. Speaking of reading, I finished Island of the Blue Dolphins by Scott O'Dell. It was one of my all-time favourite books when I was young, and I read it over and over and over from probably 5th grade through high school. I hadn't read it in a long time, but was inspired to do so after visiting the Santa Barbara Mission and learning that the girl from book was based on a real girl who lived on one of the Channel Islands off the coast of Santa Barbara. I either didn't remember that little fact, or had never learned it when I was younger, but I found it fascinating, and looked at the book from a totally different perspective.
6. Last night after my doctor appointment, I headed to the Farmer's Market in Atascadero. (It closes up at the annoyingly early time of 6:00 p.m., so I usually don't get to go.) It was hotter than hell, but I was determined to get fresh produce! And so I did: radishes, spinach, baby red potatoes, carrots, white nectarines, blueberries, broccoli, fresh squeezed orange juice, a sweet potato, and some apricots. Yes, I did go a little crazy, I guess.
7. Speaking of veggies, our garden is looking really good! There are two yellow squash (as you might remember) that are veryvery close to being ready for harvest! I feel bad for the poor Japanese eggplant, though, as the yellow squash plant is totally crowding it out!
8. This week has gone by really fast, it seems to me. Things are a little crazy at work, so that might have contributed to the feeling of increased speed. More changes, more people coming and going ... gah! It's frustrating, but I suppose that makes life a little interesting as well.
9. Miss K., Miss S. and I are planning to attend the Central Coast Writer's Conference at Cuesta College this fall. I know that's a long way in the future, but I guess I'm writing it down to remind myself that I need to get on the ball and get some writing done!!
10. I haven't taken a single photograph this week, and that thought makes me very sad.
11. It has been incredibly hot here in SLO County! 105° in Atascadero and 102° in SLO. It's crazy! What makes it worse is that it's not cooling down at night much past 77°, so we really don't get any relief from the heat. I'm afraid I'm just going to spontaneously combust when I walk outside!
12. I am so looking forward to having lunch with Miss K. and Miss S. tomorrow! I missed our Friday lunch last week due to the leg injury, and really missed chatting with my friends.
13. The Atascadero Wine Festival is this Saturday. I had been looking forward to going, but with this heatwave continuing through the weekend, I'm not sure I want to bother going. I might just buy some fancy-pants wines at the grocery store and mom and I can have our own wine tasting in the comfort of our air conditioned house!

How I WANT to Spend My Summer Vacation

I haven't done a proper Thursday 13 in a while, so here's a list of 13 things I would like to do over this coming summer.

1.   Spend a long weekend is Santa Barbara. Okay, this is totally cheating because I already have the time off and the hotel booked for this little trip. I decided after spending the winter months frustrated and upset about my broken eyeballs not healing fast enough for me, that I'm just going to give that whole mess to God, and go about my life. And my goodness if that wasn't a weight-off-my-shoulders-type of feeling!! Thank you for lifting that burden, God! I'm sure You will handle the whole this much better than I have been! Anyway, my mom hasn't been on a vacation since accompanying me to San Fransisco for JournalCon in, what, 2000? 2001? so, I figured we both deserved a break, and I booked us a three-night stay at a nice hotel in SB where we can relax, tour the Mission and the nearby rose garden, walk on the beach, window shop along State Street and have afternoon tea. I can hardly wait!!

2.   Bar-b-que. I don't even know if my grill is in any shape to cook food, and I haven't grilled in two years, so I'm not sure I remember how to do it, but by golly, this summer I will BBQ!!

3.   Spend more time outside. This one may be difficult with the recent purchase of two new television sets, but I would like to sit outside and enjoy the back garden more.

4.   Go to the beach. And not just for a walk along the boardwalk near Cambria, but a real, nice, sandy beach like Pismo or Avila where mom and I can drag out our beach chairs and umbrellas and bring a cooler with snacks and drinks and stuff, and just sit on the sand and watch the waves roll in.

5.   Get a tan. Yes, I know tanning is reallyreally bad for you and gives you cancer and age spots and blah, blah, blah, but I just hate being so pale and I don't really like the look of the fake tans. Besides I really miss laying outside in the sun soaking up all that vitamin D!

6.   Wash the cars. This one might sound stupid to some of you, but neither car has been washed for about a year, and they're both really disgustingly dirty.

7.   Go swimming. I love to swim - I basically swam through my entire childhood all the way up to high school - and this past weekend I was dying to go swimming! I've been contemplating reserving a lane at the gym's pool for about a year now, and with the yummy summer weather coming (or if you were in the neighbourhood this past weekend when it was 105°, the yummy summer weather that is here now), I'm thinking swimming would be a great replacement for the hot, stuffy cardio room.

8.    See some summer blockbuster movies. I have a list that could probably be another Thursday 13 list of the movies I want to see this summer. Every movie trailer I’ve seen has looks fantastic!!

9.    Have a picnic/Take a hike at Santa Margarita Lake.  I’ve lived here in SLO county, what? 13 years now? And I haven’t been out to Santa Margarita Lake. Apparently there’s a nice picnic area and some hiking trails and lots of fun outdoorsy-type stuff.

10.  Go to Friday Night Concert in the Plaza. Not every Friday, but maybe just one or two. I can take a later bus home.

11.  Go to Farmer’s Markets. Not necessarily the one in downtown SLO (although my friends and I will probably go to a few of those this summer), but I’d like to go to the one in downtown Paso and I hear there’s a nice one in Templeton, too.

12.  Do some stamping. I really should start on my Christmas cards. I know that sounds insane, but if I get a good start on them now, people might actually get Christmas cards on time this year.

13. Update more often. Um, yeah, well, if I manage to get all of the above done, it's unlikely I'll be updating any more than I have the last month or so, but, hey, I'll give it a shot! 

13 Things I Enjoyed About This Week

For this week's Thursday 13, I decided to dwell more on the positives of the week rather than the fact that I got a nasty cold AND my period on the SAME DAY, so I've been feeling cruddy all week, and haven't been able to go to the gym, and waaahhh, poor me!

1.  I finished reading New Moon last night. I'm really enjoying this series! I'm just devouring these books!

2.  Starting Eclipse. I picked up my copy at the library on my lunch hour today and can't wait to start reading it on the way home tonight!

3.  Putting together the new TV stand from West Elm. It was remarkably easy, and it looks amazing! Here's the TV stand we had before (it's actually a Lane cedar chest, but it worked just fine):

And, here's our new TV stand:

Now we just need to buy a new flat screen HD TV to go on top of it!

4.  Trying a delicious new tea! It was a blackberry/sage/somethingorother from Black Horse, and it was really delicious!

5.  Losing 4 pounds. (I guess being sick does have its advantages!)

6.  Getting my new cookbook in the mail! I love the Clean Eating magazine, and I'm really looking forward to trying some of these yummy looking recipes this weekend!

7.  Break/Meetings with Miss K. and Miss S.! So fun to sit out in the atrium and talk about books AND work!

8.  Good hair days! Every single day this week my hair has behaved itself and looked fantastic!

9.  Learning new things at work. It's been exciting and fun to try new stuff that has in the past been left to the LWs. Since my LW is on vacation this week, I've been trying my hand at some different things.

10.  Keeping busy. Nothing better for making the days go by and for making work fun and interesting!

11.  Getting over a cold. I got this cold last Saturday, and today is the first day I really feel better.

12.  Getting a good night's sleep! Well, I cheated and had to take Nyquil a couple of nights, but I slept SO well it was worth it. That's probably why I'm feeling better today.

13.  It's almost the weekend! Thursday evening is always wonderful for me because I know there's only one day left in the week and that day is Friday - jeans day, Glory Day, and this particular Friday is PAY DAY!!!

13 Miscellaneous Things

Another miscellaneous list of thirteen upcoming projects, things-to-do, weekend plans, random observations and a picture:

1.       I’m going to SLO’s Farmer’s Market tonight with a couple of my co-workers. I haven’t been to the Market for a very long time, and I’m really looking forward to it! I’ve been really enjoying the company of these two women – bibliophiles like myself – even more than I imagined I would. We have a lot in common and are secretly planning some grand adventures.

2.       One of the things I’m looking forward to this evening is buying some fresh produce! Our local Farmer’s Market only runs from 3 – 6 on Wednesdays, and while many vendors are still open when the bus drops us off just before 6 p.m., I have an appointment to rush off to, so I can’t take the time to examine all the yummy fruits, veggies, nuts, olive oils, honeys - and yes, even fresh fish and meats! Last night I went through my new cooking magazines (Clean Eating and Vegetarian Times) for some recipes I could pick up produce for, but they all sounded so good, and I was so tired, that I gave up. I’m just going to buy whatever and figure out what to do with it later.

3.       I would also like to check out Papyrus for some lovely stationary, and if my friends will go in with me and keep me from buying out the whole store, Stamp Luis Obispo to look for just a couple of specific stamps. Just those two or three. I used to frequent the stamp store every Thursday when I went to Farmer’s Market, but after amassing thousands of rubber stamps, I had to break the habit, and have avoided the store ever since.

4.       Saturday mom and I will start work on our next home improvement project: putting new tile on the kitchen floor. We’re going to use peel-n-stick tiles, and found a few styles we liked when we were browsing at Home Depot last weekend (we were really there for faux wood blinds, but got distracted). We’ve decided that we will go buy 1 tile in two or three different styles we like, bring them home, and see how they look in our kitchen. (Actually, it was my mom’s idea, and I think it’s brilliant!) Once we decide on a style, we can do the measuring and buy the tiles. There’s a pretty good chance we’ll be tiling the kitchen over the next three-day-weekend (Cesar Chavez Day)!

5.       I WILL STAMP THIS WEEKEND COME HELL OR HIGH WATER!

6.       I will now elaborate on that, but I wanted to make a real statement with that. I know I am going to miss St. Patrick’s Day this year, but I still have a shot at Easter, which is the 23^rd. I also want to make some pretty spring-themed cards just because, and start working on an anniversary card for my grandparents who will be celebrating their 70^th Wedding Anniversary next month. 70!!! Too cool!

7.       I will also print out some small pictures to take to work and decorate my space. I am really tired of looking at the same old stuff from last year!

8.       I have decided to give my old printer one last chance. If I have time this weekend, I intend to hook it back up to my computer and see if I can get it running again. Actually I hope I can, because I just purchased two brand new printer cartridges and I’d hate to just throw them away (the new printer I have been contemplating doesn’t use the same cartridges. Of course.).

9.       I think my broken eyeballs might be getting better! Specifically, my left eye, which has been the problem child of this whole situation. It was always the one that’s red in the morning, and has been bigger than the right one for weeks. I could feel it under the lids when I touched them lightly with my fingertips. I could also feel it when blinking and moving my eyes around, which felt very strange indeed. Today, however, lefty feels about the same size as righty. At the very least, it’s less swollen than it has been. And decidedly less red. I feel we’ve turned a corner, my broken eyeballs and me, and it’s a good corner, this time!

10.   On the fitness front while the numbers on the scale haven’t moved dramatically in the past couple of weeks and I’m still a massive wimp in the weight lifting department, my stamina has increased considerably, my shin splints and foot pain seems to have gone away, and my once-perfectly-fitting size 18s are becoming loose in the waist and baggy in the butt. Wonderful but annoying at the same time!

11.   I started reading Twilight this week, and I’m nearly halfway through it already! It’s awesome! Not quite as beautifully written as Prodigal Summer (which was so good it made me want to commit http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seppuku hara-kiri because I will never, ever be that good a writer ever in my life), but still pretty good. My co-worker friend loaned it to me and we’re thinking it’ll be the first book we talk about during our new book club meetings. Apparently there are three or four of these books out with one more coming out this fall, and even a movie, though I haven’t heard or seen anything about that. And, yes, I know as a Christian I probably shouldn’t be reading a series of books about teenage vampires any more than I should’ve read a series of books about teenage witches and wizards, but dang it, it’s just a book! I will not be going to hell for reading a book (or two or ten)!

12.  I am, however, going to hell for eating this (turkey burger w/ fries):

13.  Oh, but it is good! So. Very. Good.

Thursday 13 Weekend To Do List

Many of these items on today's Thursday 13 (i.e., My Weekend To Do List) are repeats from a previous 13 simply because I haven't accomplished them yet, and really, really need to. However, this is a(nother) 3-day holiday weekend (3 days in a row, that is, unlike last weekend where the holiday was on a Tuesday!), so hopefully I'll accomplish what I set out to do.

1. Measure windows in living room for new blinds.

2. Measure space in living room for new TV stand.

3. Measure other space in living room for new small accent chair.

4. Print pictures to take to work (I have a calendar that allows you to insert your own photos, but I haven't done it yet this year, so I still have the sample photos with the banner stating "Insert Your Photo Here" on it. Gah!).

5. Pull weeds in front and back yards.

6. Cut down shrub that's blocking the view from the window in the den.

7. Fill bird feeder.

8. Trim bushes and trees.

9. Clean out leaves and other debris from planting beds.

10. Sell stuff on eBay (relist unsold items and add additional items - fancy jeans, two cameras and some miscellaneous jewelry).

11. Research flat screen HD TVs.

12. Sort through jewelry and get rid of the cheap junk.

13. Upload CDs to computer and get rid of them.

Happy Valentine's Day and Happy Thursday!