What happens in Vegas...

John and I went and saw The Hangover tonight. How could a movie not be good with a post like this?Seriously! Look at that baby in those shades!

This has by far been one of the funniest movies I have seen in a LONG time. Granted I have yet to see Bruno, but this was well worth the cash. By far my favorite part of the movie came at the end when they showed the photos. That is all I' going to say, but some of those photos hit so close to home that I was in tears! I just tried to Google the photos and could not find them. I don't think I can wait until the movie comes out on DVD to see them again.

So if you are looking for a good laugh I HIGHLY recommend this movie. Check out The Nard Dog toothless:

Still Happy

We have now owned the mini for 4 days and each day I love it more and more. It still doesn’t feel like it is ours though…I wonder how long that will take. I really can’t believe how exciting having a new car can be. I have the hardest time not smiling while driving. Maybe it’s so exciting for me because I’ve had my Maxima for 10.5 years and I barely remember the day I got that car! How many cars have you had in the last 10 years? I know John has had 4. Think about it…for me, if I have one car every 10 years that means I will only own 3-4 more cars! That is not a lot, so it is a good thing we got the mini when we did.

I also think that adding to the excitement is that we’ve wanted a mini for so long and now our dream has come true. I honestly never thought I would get to own a mini. Well maybe not until I was 50. If you have a dream car, or a dream ANYTHING set the goal right now to one day achieve it. After feeling the joy the mini has brought me I want you all to experience the same thing by making your own dream(s) come true. Since dealing with my cancer I have realized that life is too short, and I for one do not want to have any regrets. (Which includes one day dying my hair a color in the rainbow someday).

We have yet to receive our owners manual, but it is kind of fun trying to figure everything out. I keep forgetting that BMW makes minis so it’s really like a mini (no pun intended) BMW. I keep finding similarities in the BMW we used to own. For one it has the dashboard computer which includes all sorts of neat stats. My fave is the temperate gage. John and I would always play ‘Guess the temp’ in the old Bimmer…ahhh the memories. It also has really heavy doors, super comfy seats, and stereo controls on the steering wheel. Man did I miss those! When we sold the Bimmer last year I really didn’t think that I’d ever have a car with that feature again.

Another thing that seems a bit odd to me is that I feel like the mini is our new baby. I know super weird right? But it’s true! I seriously want to take photos of all it’s firsts…car wash, filled tank, road trip, visitors, passengers, etc. Even the first night we had it home John and I checked on it before we went to bed. (Probably because neither of us could be believe it). I even washed the windshield last night! I have only ever done that at a gas station…not at home! I have the feeling there will be regular car washes happening on the weekends.

John’s company car got picked up yesterday. I’m actually a bit sad even though it wasn’t the greatest…although it did have some sweet features that my Maxima does not have. It was a total after thought that I realized I should have taken some photos of it. Last night I was looking through the photos I took this past weekend and I found this one.

The last shot of the civic. I’m so thankful John's eyes are open.

Note - Hopefully our new license plate will be MINIBOO...good guesses people!

Despite what they say...

...smaller is better! That is right people! We finally did it! On our way home from Ukiah today we stopped in the bay area and picked up a new Mini Cooper! After 6 years we finally got our dream car and I still can't believe the cutie is ours! It really feels like we just drove it down here for someone and will be giving it up in a few days.

It was a tad stressful driving home making sure I wasn't going too fast since it is VERY easy to do, but it was also fun learning all of the new features. Oh!! And it even has seat warmers!! I am SO excited! Granted I didn't get to use them until the last 10 minutes since it was so hot during the drive, but it was awesome. I really wanted the warmers, but I knew I didn't have to have them. I was totally willing to sacrifice that feature to get a good deal, however I didn't have too! That was one reason I wanted this car because I knew it had them. Heck I guess it has a bunch of upgrades, but John knows more about them then I do. We saw this car a couple of weeks ago when we were in the bay area, and last week it was reduced by a grand and it was still there today for us to buy today. I definitely think it was meant to be.

Sorry the first two photos are in the dark but we didn't get home until 8:30pm. The only day time photo I have is at the gas station...but at least you can get a better idea of the color.



John's going to get insurance tomorrow, and then soon it will be time to get the custom license plate..any guess on what we are going to get?

Article of Intrest

The article titled 'When you have a Friend in Need' was posted in Good Housekeeping last month. Scroll down to the bottom of the page to read it. See if you can figure out who Molly's friend is. Enjoy!

What to Read

This is the stack of books on my nightstand (circa a month ago). Obviously I was not reading all of these books at the same time, so why are they on my nightstand you ask? Well it’s simple…part of the reason is that I like the majority of the books I read and I like to look at them occasionally to remind me how much happiness they brought me. The other reason is that I’m lazy. Its way easier to stack them vs. finding a spot in our over flowing bookcase. I do think the time has come to put them away though, because the stack is now two books higher and it has become a huge obstacle when I have to turn off my lamp. I can just see me having a dream where I’ve just crossed the finish line winning the Olympic 50 meter dash and knocking the books all over the place.

Just in case you were wondering about these books, I’ve written up mini descriptions for you. Hopefully some of you are in the market for a new book, and one of these will catch your eye.

Veil of Roses - Laura Fitzgerald
The first book on the stack was my most recent book club selection, and let me tell you it was SO good! It was about an Iranian girl who is sent to America for three months to find and marry a man so she can stay in the states. The main character is so likable and seeing America through her eyes is priceless.

Strawberry Cheesecake Murder – by Joanne Fluke
I bought this book in Kauai when we had some time we needed to kill before our flight, (and John needed a new book). When I was younger I loved reading the mystery stories by Christopher Pike and realized that I should start looking into reading more. Why deny myself? Once I saw this bright pink cover and found out that recipes were included in the story I was sold! Ok, not really, but the synopsis on the back did sound pretty good…a baker/detective? How could it be bad? It took me a few chapters to get into the story but once the murder happened I was hooked! I was able to relate to the main character and could see myself doing the same detective work, (minus the dead bodies of course). Apparently she has a TON of other books and I can’t wait to read some more. If you are looking for an easy light hearted read, then this is the series for you.

Loving Frank – Nancy Horan
This book was one of my book club selections and I really enjoyed it. I was a little hesitant when I started to read it since it was somewhat of a historical book, but it turned out to be very captivating. The story is about Franklin Lloyd Wright’s love affair with Mamha. It is amazing to know that the story is true as it has many ups and downs and a crazy ending. The only thing I knew about FLW was that he was an architect…and now I probably know too much.

Notes from the Backseat - Jody Gehrman
This book was given to me by Rebekkah after she read it and enjoyed it. I must say that I enjoyed it as much as she did! I would categorize this book along with The Shopoholic series. It’s an easy read about a girl, Gwen, who is on a road trip with her boyfriend and his ex-girlfriend/best friend. The story is told by Gwen as she is writing in a journal, (in the backseat), to give to her best friend. Gwen’s character is very likable and the situations she gets herself in are quite humorous. The end destination is in Mendocino, which is also where the author is from, so if you are familiar with that area it makes it even more fun to read. The author is actually a friend of a friend of Rebekkah’s and when I was at her house a few weeks ago I stole her other book off of Rebekkah’s nightstand. I have yet to start it, but it is now at the top of my book pile. It’s called ‘Confessions of a Triple Shot Betty’ and the main characters are named Amber and John! How could this book be bad?

Love, Medicine & Miracles - Bernie S. Siegel, M.D.
This book was given to me by one of my mom’s friends who has had quite a few bouts with skin cancer. The premise of this book is all about having a positive outlook when diagnosed with a serious health issue. Some of the facts about the benefits were really amazing, but what was better were the personal stories. For instance, most patients who believed they were going to die usually did vs. patients who believed they were going to live. I know some people may not believe in it, and even if you don’t, what harm can it do to think positively? It helps in all aspects of your life regardless if you are ill. I used to try very hard to be a positive thinker, (I haven’t been doing the best at it lately), and even found myself steering away from people who were negative. Negativity and complaints can really bring a person down. Regardless of your beliefs there are some really uplifting stories in the book, and if you know someone dealing with a medical issue I highly recommend you buy it for them.

It Sucked and then I Cried – Heather Armstrong
The book second from the bottom has been there since the beginning of April when Jen and I went to meet Heather in the Bay Area. I still can’t recommend this book enough…even if you don’t have kids. Her way of writing is humorous in itself despite the subject matter. She could write about paint drying and still make it entertaining…trust me.

The Christmas Sweater - Glenn Beck
I got this book from my dad at Christmas time after he and my mom both read it. As you can see it wasn’t really on the top of my priority list as it is on the bottom of the stack! However since this photo was taken it has been moved up to the top. I do remember getting about half way through it, but now I can’t remember if I finished it! That is not a good sign. Just because this wasn’t the book for me, doesn’t mean it might not be the book for you. It’s about this little boy’s life and how things just aren’t going his way. It’s a really quick read…or not read if you are like me.

As you can see I was on quiet the book reading roll last month and it was great! It’s rare for me to read so many good books in a row. It kept making me want to read more and more. However now I’ve been reading the same book for about a month and I still have about a 100 pages to go. The current book I am reading is for my book club and is called ‘The Spirit Catches you and you Fall Down.’ I think the tag line on the book sums up the story best: A Hmong child, her American doctors, and the collision of two cultures. The story about the Hmong family is really interesting…however over half of the book reads like a report on the Hmong culture and history. Most of it is very informative and important, but when I read I want to read a story. I don’t want to feel like I’m reading a history book…for fun. No thanks. I’m sure it will be a great book to discuss, I’m just having a hard time getting through it. My motivation is that I’m going to read the Triple Shot Betty book after I’m done. Is that bad?

Also next month my book club is meeting to pick our next round of books. So if any of you have any suggestions please leave a comment and let me know!

End of an Era

Whenever I travel somewhere I always like to get a key chain and magnet as a souvenir. So of course when I was in Kauai for my honeymoon I got a key chain. Not any key chain, but one with my name on it! How cool right? Well that key chain has been on my ring for the past 5.5 years, and let me say that it has seen better days. Not to mention the nice brown tint it started sporting.

Moving on...I was hoping to find the identical key chain on our most recent trip, but no such luck. Not to worry though...I did find this sweet Hawaii license plate one.

It was still hard for me to replace it, but it was looking a little gross. You’d think that when part of the 'A' and ‘R’ fell off that would have been the first sign that it needed to retire, but no way! I’m way too sentimental to get rid of something just because it looks a little worn. Maybe if it had broken in half I might have taken it off…but not before I would have tried to glue it together.

Game Day

Well I’ve officially completed my fist two weeks at my job, and I already feel like I’m back in the swing of things. I thought it would at least take 3-4 weeks but my life as a house wife feels like a distant memory. Sniff…sniff. I’m kind of amazed that I could block something I enjoyed so much out of my mind so quickly.

One thing I’ve noticed since being back at work is that I feel more independent and I feel like I have my own life (separate from John’s). I was totally immersed in John’s ‘work life’ since I didn’t have one of my own, and since our home was my life he was connected in it all. It actually feels weird to have something that isn’t shared with him.

It also feels great to be contributing to something. Now my daily tasks are really helping others. I know doing the laundry really helped John out, but this isn’t the same. Now I’m able to use my skills to help non-family members. How significant is vacuuming, laundry, and dishes vs. helping fellow employees land a huge job? House chores really seem insignificant now. I even think I prefer to do them on the weekends vs. everyday. It’s also amazing how all of the house work I did during a week can be condensed into just a weekend. Hmmmm what does that tell me?

Remember my previous post about being so busy this summer? Well this weekend was and will be my only one home in June. Thank goodness we didn't go anywhere. (We almost traveled down south to take a look at a mini, but it had been sold). We had a really great relaxing and productive weekend. Hopefully I'll have another one next month.

Included in this month’s events, John and I met up with my family to go to a Giants baseball game. One of the highlights was that before the game they honored the ’89 Giants team! I watched the most baseball in my life in 1989, (that’s right…when I was 12), and I actually knew more of the retired players then the current players on the team! I So sad…but let me tell you it was awesome to see all of the old players. I was so impressed with how many names I still had stored in my memory...I knew I saved it for some reason! Needless to say it was very exciting, and that was before the game even started!
As most of you know, one of the best parts about going to a professional game is the food! Let me tell you that having the garlic fries made my day. Let me rephrase that…watching the Giants WIN and eating garlic fries at the same time made my day. In fact they had their comeback right after I got my fries, and let me tell you it was very challenging to cheer for them whilst stuffing my face. I managed though.
Another highlight was getting to wear my new Old Navy orange turtle neck that I got for $2. I thought I would have to save it for fall, but I was wrong!
As we were heading out of the stadium with the masses we walked by a closing pretzel stand. John made a beeline over to the cashier and asked if he can have one of the pretzels for free. ‘Sure’ she says. SCORE! I couldn’t believe it!! She then offered us two after seeing my shocked/excited reaction. DOUBLE SCORE! Then out of the corner of my eye I saw theses two HUGE lemonade vats, so I threw all caution to the wind and asked if I could have some lemonade too. ‘Sure’ she said ‘If you have a cup.’ Wouldn’t you know it…we had saved 2 souvenirs beer cups! TRIPLE SCORE! There are few things in life that are exciting as getting free food.
On our walk back to the car we passed by the Marriott hotel, and I notice a group of people standing next to this huge bus that was parked on the curb. I then realized that the bus was full of the ’89 baseball players! Even though I could only recognize 5 of them I made John wait with me in hoping that Will Clark was going to walk off the bus. We did not see Will, but we did see Kevin Mitchell! I got my camera out and was going to take a photo of him, but then I thought that would be lame. I didn’t want a paparazzi shot of him. So instead I said ‘Excuse me Kevin, can I get a photo with you?’ His reply, ‘Sorry it’s been a long day.’ EXCUSE ME? WHAT DID HE JUST SAY? Did he really just turn me down? I just stood there in disbelief! Not once have I ever been turned down for a stalker fan photo. I was SO MAD! Maybe if Kevin didn’t want to be harassed he should have taken OFF his Giants jersey with MITCHELL on the back. Seriously…how often does he get asked for autographs and photos now days? What kills me is that Ernest Miles was walking in front of him, and I should have asked him. I know he would have been nicer. So I will confirm all those rumors back in the 80’s that Kevin is truly an a-hole.

It was a good thing John and I headed to our friend’s house in the east bay that night after the game, because that snub could have seriously wrecked my entire weekend! Lucky for us our friends were just starting up Rock Band when we got there, so we were able to rock out for the rest of the night. The night before we play the Metallica version, but this night we played all of their other songs. I couldn’t believe how many they had in their database…including No Doubt’s Singles album! Talk about awesome! I think we played until 2am…way too late for this new working girl…but it was totally worth it. I feel so lucky to have spent time with my family and friends during the weekend. We were only in town for 48 hours so it’s amazing that it was all able to work out. Now if we all didn’t have to work, we could play EVERY day. Sigh.