Lessons Learned from Mom: Part Tres

Posted on January 28, 2010 by Sarah

I thought it was high time for another round of Lessons Learned from Mom. Click here to catch Part One and here for Part Deux. Today’s lessons aren’t necessarily lessons, per se, but good advice, nonetheless.

When killing a spider, always flush it down the toilet. You never know, it might not really be dead and you don’t want it crawling back out of the trash can with a vengeance.

My mom has always said this. Always. And then yesterday, I was (re)watching “Annie Hall,” and during this one scene, Annie called Woody (or whatever his character’s name was…Who cares, it’s always just Woody playing Woody ANYWAY) to come over and kill a spider. “Flush it down the toilet! Flush it twice!,” Annie yells. I sat there and thought, That’s a smart lady, right there. And also, Mom, is that where you got it from?

“I pity the listless.” (Always make a list and check it twice.)

This seems like no-brainer advice, but it is definitely something I did NOT do the other day, thus resulting in a lack of herbs and a very O. Henry-worthy moment. (The gist: I went to the grocery store, forgot butter and ice cream and, unsatisfied with the store’s herb selection, decided to just make my roast chicken without herbs. Later on, Chris texted me asking if I needed anything from the store. I said yes and let him know I needed herbs, butter, and ice cream. I assumed he’d go to the grocery store he usually went to, which was NOT the store I had gone to earlier that day. [I also assumed he’d text back and ask me what kind of herbs I needed. How about this for a lesson: Don’t assume. Or, just tell your errand-runner straightaway what you need.] Instead, he went to the store I had gone to earlier that day, thinking they’d have a better herb selection than the store he normally goes to. Also unsatisfied with their herb selection, Chris ended up bringing home basil, which was actually quite lovely, but just not really usable for roast chicken.)

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Completely unrelated to Lessons Learned from Mom, I wanted to let you know I have a couple new posts up over at Style Lush Blog. Click here to read about some unique baby/bridal shower menu items and click here to read about luxurious sheets fit for a king and queen (pun INTENDED.) Also, I will be posting there every Thursday, and although I would encourage you to read everything going on over there, if you (i.e.: my husband) want to read just MY stuff, you can check it on Thursdays.

Posted in Lessons Learned from Mom | 2 Comments

Beware of super secret biker gangs

Posted on January 27, 2010 by Sarah

Chris and I met in a bar and while that story – our story, so to speak – certainly deserves a post of its own, this is actually the story of our first date. Or, was it our second date? Shit, now I’m wondering if it could even be considered a date. Regardless, here’s the story of how I became a part of the super secret bikers’ gang.

As I said, Chris and I met in a bar and the following weekend, we met at that same bar again for a date (or not; see above confusion.) The next morning (SHUT UP, nothing happened…no really, nothing happened), as my friend Michelle and I were driving Chris back to his place, he mentioned how it was a nice day for a bike ride.

Allow me to interject here to tell you how much I’d always wanted a biker boyfriend. Don’t we all, right? No, I really wanted a biker boyfriend. Like, to the point that when I was creating my list of What I Want In A Man, I almost added Rides A Motorcycle to the list. But then I decided against it, deeming it too vain or something (nevermind that Must Be Over Six Feet Tall made it to the list. Priorities, people.)

Anyway, so Chris mentioned how it was a nice day for a bike ride and I agreed and then he asked me if I’d like to go for a ride. And I was like, “You have a motorcycle?,” which hopefully came out very cool and nonchalant, because in my head, I was going, “OMG OMG OMG I’VE FOUND MY BIKER BOYFRIEND! AND HE’S SIX-FOOT-FOUR, CHECK AND CHECK!”

Obviously, Chris did indeed have a motorcycle and so he said he’d come pick me up for a ride in a couple hours. Those few hours went by and as Chris’s arrival time was nearing, I suddenly got a terrible thought: WHAT if the motorcycle was actually a crotch-rocket? Now, I did not then, nor do I now, claim to know anything about motorcycles, but I did know that in my vision, my biker boyfriend rode a Harley-type bike. Something about crotch-rockets conjured up visions of…I don’t know…Small men. Small girly men.

[Being married to Chris, I’ve really gotten a lesson in cars/motorcycles/things with engines/things that go fast, and have since learned that crotch-rockets are actually really bad-ass. BUT STILL.]

During my moment of fret, I called not one, but two girlfriends, to discuss my options if Chris did in fact ride up on a Kawasaki (Would I refuse to get on the bike? How would I suppress my laughter? Was I a giant bitch?) Luckily, during the middle of Phone Call To Girlfriend Number Two, Chris pulled up on a “regular” motorcycle and so all was well.

As we were out on the bike, I kept noticing that when we passed other motorcycles on the road, Chris and the other rider would put their left hands down, oftentimes making an upside-down peace sign. What is this mysterious biker gang sign they’re making at each other, I thought?

Well, come to find out, SADLY, all bikers are not a part of some super secret biker gang that requires a special hand signal. Nope, it’s just their way of waving to one another on the road. Disappointing, isn’t it?

Anyway, the bike is long gone; up in Portland with its rightful owner, Chris’s younger brother, but now every time I see a biker on the road, I want to give them the special wave. Too bad they wouldn’t be able to see it…Me waving from my car with DOORS and all.

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A PSA: Y’all know I don’t like to get too preachy up in here, but I have to ask you to please be courteous of those drivers on motorcycles. I know they’re sort of annoying because they can split lanes through traffic and always get the good parking spots (should I park on the sidewalk? Sure!), but they’re out on the road without a giant hunk of tin covering them and if they get hit or go down, they’re probably going to be seriously injured OR WORSE. It could be one of my brothers or my husband or even me on that bike, so every time I see I biker, I stay where I am, I don’t speed up so they can’t get through, I don’t change lanes, and I don’t cut them off. Motorcyclists are (usually) some of the best drivers, so if you stay put, they’ll probably be out of you way in no time.

Posted in Chris, Embarrassing Myself Daily | Comments Off on Beware of super secret biker gangs

Before Jersey Shore, The Hills & The City, there was*…

Posted on January 22, 2010 by Sarah

Have I ever told you about that one time I was on an MTV reality show? Actually, I know the answer to that. I haven’t. Up until now, I have preferred to push that memory to the back of my brain and have actually done a pretty good job of it. Like, to that point that once in a great while it will occur to me that I was on an MTV reality show and I’ll be surprised: I was on an MTV reality show?! I had no idea! Oh, wait…

The blessed event was about eight years ago and I figure since it was almost a decade ago, it might be time to tell you all about it! Plus, I don’t think I need to worry about the video winding up on the Internet**, since the only copy in existence (well, in my existence…Okay, actually, in my parents’ existence) is a VHS tape. Thank you, VHS, for going the way of the beta! (Oh, who am I kidding, I still have a VHS player.)

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Without further ado, allow me to present…

…a Home Sweet Sarah Production…In association with House Party Films…

(Brought to you by Solo plastic cups, Nokia cell phones, and Natural Light beer):

“That One Time I Was On An MTV Reality Show”

I was 19 years old and attending community college at Harvard on the Hill, otherwise known as Bakersfield College. A friend of a friend – let’s call him…Don – sat in front of me in Political Science. We would chat before and after class, exchange notes when one or the other slept in and didn’t go to class couldn’t make it to class for some studious reason. It was a friendship of convenience, more than anything.

One day he mentioned that he was going to be on a new MTV reality show that was soon going to be taping in Bakersfield. Over the next few days, Don kept pestering me to “audition” for the show, as well. Being on an MTV reality show wasn’t exactly my bag and so I kept declining his offer. No thank you, decline. Not really my thing, decline. NOT INTERESTED, decline.

Somehow a producer for the show got my phone number (hmm, I wonder how that happened) and convinced me to come in for an interview/audition. I walked into the Radisson or the Ramada or whatever to find this “producer” sitting cross-ways on a chair in the lobby, talking on the phone with her boyfriend. (Oh, to work for MTV, right?) She and I had a very awkward interview wherein I probably came off as the most boring person ever, BECAUSE I DIDN’T WANT TO BE THERE IN THE FIRST PLACE.

[Come to think of it, why WAS I there? Maybe it was the days before I had a cell phone or caller ID? Maybe I – quell horror! – actually had to answer the phone without knowing who was going to be on the other end, thus getting roped into it that way? Who knows. But either way, I went.]

So the interview was bad and I didn’t get asked to be on the show, which was FINE WITH ME. The night of the taping rolled around, though, and a bunch of us decided to go to the party where the show was going to be filmed. In hopes, you know, of maybe ending up in the background or something. Haha, the background.

Once at the party, Don asked me aside and proceeded to tell me how much he liked me***. I didn’t know how to response (HOW DO YOU RESPOND TO THAT?) and so I told him – with my red keg cup blocking my face – that I wasn’t interested, that I had a boyfriend (“Look! There he is three feet away from us!”) but that maybe we could get coffee sometime? Later. To discuss things. Later.

My friends and I left the party immediately after that and as I recall, it was near the end of the semester, so I (luckily) didn’t have to see Don too many times after that incident. Oh, and we never did get that coffee.****

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*The show was called FM Nation and the premise was to follow college-aged kids from a “normal” town around for one Saturday night to see what “normal” kids in “normal” towns did for fun. In case you couldn’t tell, it was a short-lived show. Bakersfield was the first of maybe four episodes total; I believe the second episode was somewhere in Nebraska or Kansas. Since FM Nation, MTV has obviously wisened up and realized shows in pretty places with pretty people and pretty music fare much better than shows about kids…Cow tipping.

**I don’t THINK it’s on the Internet. I’ve never checked, nor will I ever check…

***He actually “confessed” his love for me. Not “professed,” but “confessed.” And then later, he puked in a toilet with a litter box next to it. Imagine if I had said yes. Wait, let’s not.

****Speaking of hot liquids, one of the other groups they followed around that night was a group of older (read: 21 year old) girls who went bar-hopping in downtown Bakersfield. One of the girls participated in a wet t-shirt contest and apparently the water they threw on her was hot. Burning hot. Scolding hot, as she put it. Haha, scolding hot.

We sher do have gud publik skools in Bakersfield, dont we!

Posted in Embarrassing Myself Daily | 6 Comments

Help me be Stylish: What do I wear with leggings? Edition

Posted on January 20, 2010 by Sarah

First of all, thank you for de-lurking or re-lurking or just lurking around in general on my last post. You made me so thirsty with all the drinks, I had to try one of each of them. Then I passed out drunk and now that I’ve resurfaced, I have another fashion emergency (or two) for you to handle. (Aren’t you glad you come visit my site? I’m always putting you to work! One day I’ll repay the favor, promise.)

Here’s the back-story: Up until about four months ago, I had a full time office job in San Diego. This means I wore high-heels for at least forty hours out of my week and if I wasn’t wearing wedges or high-heeled sandals when I went out, I was rocking the flip-flops.

Now I’m living in Northern California, where it’s significantly colder in the autumn/wintertime (what are these seasons you speak of? I haven’t seen leaves change color in five years, what a concept!) and it rains. A lot more. So, needless to say, flip-flops are out of the question and since I don’t have an office job at the present time, most of my work is done in fuzzy socks (which means all my lovely high-heels are currently gathering dust in my closet, SAD FACE.)

So! What does this all mean, you ask? Well, it means that other than running shoes or UGGS, I have no casual flat shoe options. And, as much as I love my UGGS, I just don’t think they’re necessarily appropriate for going out. Case in point, here’s what I managed to throw together to grab dinner last night. It’s not BAD, but it’s not good either, am I right?
Help me be stylish - Flat shoes & Leggings Related: After you all weighed in on this Help me be Stylish post, I went out and bought both skinny jeans (which unfortunately aren’t “skinny” enough, ARGH) and leggings. Ahh, leggings, how I love thee. So slimming! So boot-friendly! So much like yoga pants! But the question is, what kind of top do I wear with leggings? I threw that chunky grey sweater over the ensemble and I think it looks…Okay…But it’s definitely not the look I’m really going for. I’d like something a little more, umm, streamlined.

Alright, you have your assignments: Flat shoes and legging tops. Now, HEEEEELP!

Posted in Beauty & Fashion, Help me be Stylish | 8 Comments

“I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship”*

Posted on January 14, 2010 by Sarah

Alternatively titled, “Of all the gin joints, in all the towns, in all the world, she walks into mine”*

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I heard through the grapevine that today is Official De-Lurk Yourself Day or some-such-thing. Apparently you’re supposed to go leave a comment on all the blogs you read regularly, but never comment on.

In honor of this momentous occasion, I’m asking all five of you my loyal readers to come out of the wood-work and leave a comment. To ensure you have something to say other than, “Hey, umm, I like your blog,” I thought it might be fun if you answer a couple questions for me. I know, usually it’s all about me! me! me! me! me! over here, but there’s nothing wrong with making it about you once in awhile, now is there? So, answer me this: 1) Which actor or actress would you like to play you in a movie, and 2) If we were out at a bar having drinks, what would you order? Here, I’ll even go first! (Hey, it’s got to be about me a little bit, right?)

1) I would chose Tina Fey. First of all, she’s funny. I like to think that I’m funny, so it’s a natural fit. Plus, I’ve been told on more than one occasion that I look like Tina Fey, especially when I’m wearing my glasses.

[Back in the ’90s, I might have answered Winona Ryder, as I used to get told that I looked like her, although this was during my short, short, short hair days. Nowadays, I think Tina’s stock is worth more than Winona’s and I’m all about my movie doing well at the box office, so Tina Fey it is!]

2) I’ll have a Sapphire tonic, please! Depending on where I am and my mood, though, I’m just as likely to order a glass of champagne.

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In other news, I have a couple posts up over at Style Lush. I’m still getting into my groove over there, but have been having fun thinking up and researching new cooking/kitchen related things. Check out my most-wanted kitchen gadgets (and keep in mind my birthday is coming up!) and also a recipe for some bomb dot com bruschetta. And hey, why don’t you de-lurk there while you’re at it!

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*First round of drinks is on me if you can name the movie those two quotes are from. And NO GOOGLING allowed!

Posted in All About Moi | 13 Comments

Who knew a trip to the drugstore could be so exciting!

Posted on January 11, 2010 by Sarah

Earlier today I Twittered about needing to leave the house to go out and buy hair goo, “smelly stuff,” and Bisquick (a random combination, yes, but all items we needed, nonetheless.)

The “smelly stuff” is in quotes, you see, because this was what Chris responded, via text, when I inquired what he needed from the drugstore…Other than the hair goo, of course, which I knew to buy based on the empty container he left on the bathroom counter. [This is how Chris lets me know that something in his hygiene arsenal needs replacing. You see, Chris wakes up and leaves the house at an ungodly hour and I, being a member of the human race, will not step foot out of bed until the clock reads 6 AM AT THE VERY EARLIEST. Chris knows this about me, having been met with many glares and HURUMPHs and hairy-dog-eyes in the past, and so he usually just takes off without a word. Not without a kiss, though! He gets met with an array of OTHER unpleasant behaviors if he forgets to kiss me good-bye. Why yes, I am a CHARM to live with. Anyway, when something needs replacing, Chris leaves the empty vessel on the bathroom counter and then that day, or you know, sometime in the next week, I rush out and buy him whatever he needs.]

So Chris told me that he needed “smelly stuff,” which I Twittered for all the world to read, and then I thought about it and realized that “smelly stuff,” though I knew it to be men’s body spray, could be anything.

An(other) aside: What is it about dudes and their aversion to saying the words “body spray”? Or is this just my dude? In the almost three years I have known Chris, I have never, ever heard him utter the words “body spray.” It’s almost always “smelly stuff” or the less popular “AXE spray stuff,” but never “body spray.” What up with that, Chris? Is there some sort of connotation with saying “body spray”? Let’s discuss this. We’re in a safe space here.

ANYWAY, I pondered this “smelly stuff” and thought, Hmm, what can I buy Chris that would, LITERALLY, be smelly stuff? [I wasn’t going to actually buy him smelly stuff, mind you, I was just going to suggest on Twitter that I might. That’s totally normal, right? Right?] I thought about it, but couldn’t come up with anything smelly that could be purchased, so I did what NONE OF YOU should ever do, under any circumstances EVER: I Googled “smelly stuff.” And OMFG, that is all there is to say about that. Well, that, and PUT DOWN THE COMPUTER, PICK UP THE PHONE, AND CALL YOUR GYNECOLOGIST. I can’t say it enough, DO NOT GOOGLE “SMELLY STUFF.”

Whew.

In case you were wondering, I did get Chris’s body spray, err, smelly stuff, as well as his hair goo, although not without pondering whether his hair was in a “whatever” mood or a “refined” mood. Behold:

I went back and forth with this one, but in the end, I think I made the right decision. I HOPE.
While we’re on the subject of, umm, the drugstore, I guess, check out this ENORMOUS aisle at the drugstore. It took everything in my power to not go cartwheeling down this giant stretch of space. Maybe if I’d been in more of a “whatever” mood?

Posted in All About Moi, Chris | 1 Comment

Apparently I cannot lead something to water, let alone make it drink

Posted on January 6, 2010 by Sarah

The other night I woke up in the middle of the night absolutely PARCHED (could it have been all that coffee and champagne?) In my late-night 10:30 PM stupor into bed, it seemed I had forgotten to bring a glass of water with me. I woke Chris and asked if I could have some of his water, but of course he hadn’t brought any upstairs either.

I laid there wondering what to do – there was no way I was going to walk downstairs alone to get water. I mean, there are boogey-men downstairs at night, right? So, I did what any independent girl would do: I tried to bribe Chris by saying I’d pay him ten dollars if he went downstairs and got me some water.

What’s funny about this is that I didn’t even HAVE ten dollars to give him. Hell, I didn’t even have ONE dollar in my wallet; I think I had about four cents (I’m not kidding, sadly.) Not to mention the whole joint-checking account business AND the fact that I don’t actually have a money-earning job…Well, you do the math.

Understandably, Chris declined my generous offer and told me to go drink from the bathroom sink. Which is kind of gross, yes, but dude, the boogey-man lives downstairs.

Posted in Chris, Embarrassing Myself Daily | 2 Comments

Hello, 2010 and another blog!

Posted on January 4, 2010 by Sarah

And just like that, it’s twenty-ten.

The leap into the new year passed without incident. Despite my best efforts (two cups of coffee) to stay up until midnight, I ended up conking out at 10:30 PM. I awoke on New Year’s Day feeling a little disappointed in myself, but was reminded by Chris that nothing good happens between midnight at 6 AM ANYWAY, so I probably didn’t miss much. [Please tell me I didn’t miss much,]

That reminds me of this one night back when we were living in San Diego. We lived on a seemingly good street in a safe neighborhood, but for some reason, there was ALWAYS a commotion going on outside our window. On two separate occassions, we had a drunk guy wielding a large stick,walking up the street yelling obscenities. Not to mention the many different couples would have domestic disputes in the middle of the night…We’re talking full-on cop cars and everything.

Anyway, so this one night – nay, morning – at about 4 AM, a girl was walking up our street talking on her cell phone, crying, “…And then you totally ruined my night!” Chris was like, “Duuuuude, your night was over a long time ago.” So yeah, nothing good happens after midnight. Especially when you’re on crack.

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In an effort to catch up on some of the movies I didn’t see in 2009, we rented a quad of movies the other day, including The Hangover, Julie & Julia, Inglourious Basterds, and Paranormal Activity. With the exception of The Hangover, which I had already seen when it first came out in theatres, I was incredibly underwhelmed by the other three flicks. Well, I technically didn’t stay up to finish Paranormal Activity (I am a hot date, let me tell you what!), but the first hour or so was really boring. As for the other two movies, I had high hopes, based on what I’d read and heard, but I almost could not wait for both Inglourious Basterds and Julie & Julie to just BE OVER FOR THE LOVE OF GOD.

I didn’t have a problem, per se, with Inglourious Basterds; I am generally a huge Quentin fan AND it was all about killing Nazis…I just thought I would like it more than I did. I’ll definitely give it another shot, but I just don’t see it becoming my next Pulp Fiction or Kill Bill(s).

As for Julie & Julia, I did love the Meryl-Streep-as-Julia-Childs scenes, but I had an issue with the Julie Powell scenes. Something about the fact that she’s a blogger and got a book deal. I’m all for bloggers and book deals, don’t get me wrong (I definitely jumped on the dooce train), but there was just something about her that bothered me. And by her, I mean Julie Powell, not Amy Adams, who you know I’ve professed my love for before. Anyway, there was just something about the movie that left me with a no-y aftertaste.

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Speaking of blogging, I have a little bit of an announcement to make. As of today – oh, shit, I am so unprepared, AS USUAL – I am going to be blogging regularly for Style Lush. The blog was created last year by this lovely lady and since its inception, Style Lush has held a special place in my Google Reader’s heart. The writers seem to have this amazing quality of being able to find the coolest things on the Internet and then post them for the world, thus saving the world from having to do the research. [This blog saves lives, obviously.] Anyway, I’m really excited to be part of the site and bring my savvy-ness to the table. Also – and this will only impress, like, my mother…Hi, Mom! – but check out my bio at the bottom of the page here!

Read, enjoy, save your life! You’re welcome.

Posted in All About Moi, Book, Movies, TV, & Music, Chris | 6 Comments

An end-of-the-year quiz! Now with more links! And how!

Posted on December 30, 2009 by Sarah

I saw this over here and thought it was cute…Plus I’m just a sucker for quizzes. Who knew it was going to take me all friggin day to complete, though! January was many, many moons ago, apparently. Anyway, here you have it, 2009 in review (and a lot about my house, sorry.)

1. What did you do in 2009 that you’d never done before?
Bought a house (!), tried absinthe (ick), and got reeeeeeally into vampires.

2. Did you keep your new year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
I make the same resolution every year, which is to always be reading a book, and I kept it…For the most part. Right around the time we were moving, I was reading Interview with the Vampire and between work stress, moving stress, stressy stress, and the fact that the book HAS NO CHAPTERS, I just couldn’t get into it. Then I tried reading The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society, but to no avail. Since things were sort of desperate, I turned to the old standby, James Patterson (Cross Country), but got nothing. Luckily my mother-in-law recently came to the rescue with The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo and The Girl Who Played with Fire. Finally, I’m back in the game!

And yep, same resolution for 2010. That, and making more of an effort to remember/acknowledge the birthdays/anniversaries of my friends/family. I suck at that.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
Other than a couple of my internet peeps, nope.

4. Did anyone close to you die?
No, thank goodness.

5. What countries did you visit?
Just Mexico. And it didn’t get too exciting in the states, either: One trip to San Francisco for fun and a couple work trips to Washington D.C., one of which was only made exciting by the fact that one of my brothers-in-law was living there at the time.

6. What would you like to have in 2010 that you didn’t have in 2009?
A baby? Haha…Ha. Ha.

7. What dates from 2009 will be etched upon your memory, and why?
September 15th, the day we got the keys to our house. It’s sort of significant (and the only date, other than my birthday, that came to mind) because it was actually the date we were supposed to close escrow…Which means that we technically closed on the 14th, which in foreclosure world, is a HUGE deal (banks have a tendency to just do things whenever they feel like it, regardless of what the contract says. My [irrational] fear was that we’d have to live out of a moving truck for a week or more.)

8. What was your biggest achievement of this year?
Umm, buying a house? Seriously, it took a lot of work…Three separate trips up here to look at houses, writing FIVE other offers before getting this one accepted, and digging up a shit-ton of documents for the loan. Not to mention all the trips to the bar we had to forgo in order to save money. Now THAT was the real achievement!

9. What was your biggest failure?
I feel like a failure right now, thanks for bringing that up! I’m sort of kidding, but sort of not. I gave up a fun job that I really liked in order to move up here and although I love it here (and I don’t miss my BlackBerry AT ALL), I do miss feeling like my life has a purpose and like I’m contributing to my family/household.

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
I did not! In fact, just the other day, Chris and I were discussing injuries and broken bones and whatnot and he couldn’t believe I’d never broken a bone. I was like, dude, there were four of you, there was only one of me. I’ve never broken a bone, never been to the hospital, and never ridden in an ambulance. Knock on wood.

11. What was the best thing you bought?
I’ll give you one guess.

I was also pretty excited about my iPhone, but I didn’t technically pay for that.

12. Whose behavior merited celebration?
I don’t know if it was his behavior, per se, but my dad retired in February, so that was a pretty big reason to celebrate. He worked for 55 years straight, his first job selling gum, newspapers, etc. to commuters taking the Staten Island Ferry, so he deserves a little R&R more than anyone I know. Now, if only his Cleveland Browns would make it to the playoffs once in awhile…

13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
I had a dear friend who basically decided to up and end our friendship. Without telling me. I’m not really that upset about it; she started dating a guy and basically turned into a different person, so her ending the friendship wasn’t the actual loss of the friend, as that had pretty much already happened. [I hope that made sense.] Anyway, to make it even more annoying, she still stood up at our wedding (presumably knowing then that she hated me?), which means that now every time I look at our wedding pictures, I have to see her. Talk about bad character, right?

14. Where did most of your money go?
Again, I’ll give you one guess.

That, and champagne.

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
Celebrating our first anniversary in Napa at Domaine Chandon and Bottega and with a bottle of Cristal. Also, I was pretty darn excited to go to Mexico.

16. What song will always remind you of 2009?
You guys remember than one song that sounded faintly reggae and went something like, “Hey baby, I love you” or something like that? No? Here, I found it. Anyway, it was catchy and cute and always put me in a better mood. Talk about a one-hit-wonder, though; I heard it ALL THE TIME for, like, a week and now I haven’t heard it in months.

17. Compared to this time last year, are you: a) happier or sadder? b) thinner or fatter? c) richer or poorer?
A) Basically the same; sadder about some things, but that’s balanced by being happier about others.
B) Pretty much the same size, maybe a liiiiiitle bit bigger, but whatevs.
C) Poorer. A lot poorer.

18. What do you wish you’d done more of?
I wish I’d been able to see my family more. I have three very cute, very awesome cousins who are growing up way too fast. If memory serves me correct, I haven’t seen any of them since my grandparents’ 50th wedding anniversary party almost ONE YEAR AGO, which is so not cool.

19. What do you wish you’d done less of?
I wish I’d stressed out less. Maybe then I wouldn’t have this whole wake-up-at-three-in-the-morning thing going on ALL THE TIME.

20. How did you spend Christmas?
We spent Christmas Eve at home, just the two of us; I cooked a turkey breast, orzo caprese pasta salad, roasted vegetables, and spinach salad. On Christmas day we headed over to Chris’s parents’ house; I painted my nails, read my book, and watched Christmas movies. Then we had a New York roast, the best scalloped potatoes ever, brussel sprouts, green beans, and tons of yummy desserts. Hi, I love food.

21. Did you fall in love with 2009?
No. I did not. 2009, you were cool and all, but I think 2007 and 2008 were better. Bring it on, 2010!

22. What was your favorite TV program?
I don’t think I really discovered any new shows, so the old ones held their top spots: How I Met Your Mother, Top Chef, Project Runway, Dexter, Mad Men, Entourage, Weeds, and all the Housewives.

23. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year?
 I’m usually very good at hating, but I actually don’t think I hate anyone right now. Surprisingly.

WAIT! I hate the cotton-headed ninny-muggins drama queen who won Top Chef this past season. The little a-hole.

24. What was the best book you read?
I’m really into what I’m reading now, which is The Girl Who Played with Fire by Stieg Larsson. Its predecessor, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo was also great, and I’m excited for the third installment to arrive in the states in June! I also really enjoyed Sam’s Letters to Jennifer by James Patterson.

25. What was your greatest musical discovery?
I am sooooo not a musical discoverer (although I sooooo wish I was.) Sadly, I pretty much stick with the old standbys, which, I hate to admit, is mostly ’90s grunge or rap. Lucky for me, Chris recently (re)acquired all his old CDs from his brother, so I should have lots of “new” punk bands and underground hip-hop groups to discover.

26. What did you want and get?
I wanted a house and I got a house.

27. What did you want and not get?
I wanted to wake up one morning and find that all my cellulite had miraculously disappeared, but I have not gotten that. Yet! There is still one more day of 2009 to wake up to.

28. What was your favorite film of 2009?
Gosh, I can’t even remember what I saw in 2009, with the exception of New Moon, because that was, like, three weeks ago. I think I saw Vicky Cristina Barcelona early in the year, which I loved. Oh, and The Hangover was AWESOME. I left the theatre feeling as though I’d just worked out, that’s how hard I was laughing.

29. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
I turned 26 this year and went to dinner at Po Pazzo in San Diego. It was a very good birthday, minus the fact that I have now broken the camera Chris got me.

30. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
This sounds like a pageant – I mean, scholarship program – question, so I’ll say world peace! Other than that, I would have been pretty psyched if #27 had happened. There’s always tonight!

31. How would you describe your personal fashion concept of 2009?
Haha, fashion concept, that’s a good one. I am the queen of jeans and black t-shirts – is that a concept? Other than that, I got really into big flower rings this year. Peace, love, and happiness, yo.

32. What kept you sane?
I’m not gonna lie, the booze helps keeps things level ’round here.

33. What political issue stirred you the most?
If I told you what political issue I was most stirred by, you’d probably look at me like I had worms coming out of my eyeballs. Working in politics, I tend to get twisted about issues most people haven’t heard of; conversely, I’m usually unstirred by the things that most Americans (or at least the national news networks) are bothered by.

Case in point: I am currently VERY irked that Chris’s Jeep didn’t pass smog, because of some new Fuel Evaporative Controls Functional test they started doing this year. No mind that the emissions portion passed with flying colors; we can’t get new tags until this “issue” is fixed and because Chris doesn’t know what causes this issue, he can’t fix it himself. Grr.

34. Who did you miss?
As I said before, my family, especially those ten years old and younger. Sorry old folks, love you too, but you’re not as cute as the young-uns.

35. Who was the best new person you met?
I feel like I *met* a lot of cool new people on the Interwebs, but that doesn’t really count, now does it? As for a real-life person, I [sadly] didn’t meet anyone all that awesome. At least not anyone who was so cool I had to get their phone number (yep, checked my contacts – no new numbers.)

36. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2009.
Bolt your safe to the ground.

37. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year.
“When the pigs try to get at yea / Park it like it’s hot” – Snoop Dogg

Posted in All About Moi, Holidays | 3 Comments

Pop, pop, pop, pop culture

Posted on December 28, 2009 by Sarah

You may not know this about me, but I am somewhat of a pop culture addict. Up until we moved, I religiously read my Us Weekly magazine every single Friday (with a glass of champagne in my hand, natch), but since the move, either the subscription has run out or the United States Postal Service has screwed up (take your pick), because I have not received ONE Us Weekly in almost four months. That being said, and I can’t believe I’m admitting this, I continue to get Us Weekly‘s updates on my phone, so as to make sure I’m not totally out of the loop.

Although I am a pop culture addict of the worst kind, I try to refrain from going into lengthy tirades here, so as to keep up appearances. TRUST ME, I could talk about “The Hills,” “The City,” the Kardashians, what-have-you, until the sun don’t shine, but in an attempt to make it seem like my life has a purpose (Spoiler Alert: It doesn’t), I’ve refrained. Until now. There are just too many things happening at the present time for me to keep my mouth shut any longer. So, here is my take on a  few recent pop culture headlines. And don’t worry, you’ll find nothing about Tiger or the Gosselins here.

– I was in Mexico when Brittany Murphy died and when I found out days later…From the E! news ticker, as I was watching my DVR’d episode of “Keeping Up With The Kardashians,” SHUT IT…I was shocked. I mean, not THAT shocked; she couldn’t have weighed more than 75 pounds, but shocked nonetheless. Not that she ever did anything that great, outside of playing Tai in Clueless, but there’s just something…Hmm, how do I put this?…Heath Ledger-ish when a star dies so young and unexpectedly, you know? Not to mention that now I can’t go around saying things like, “And my bu-uns, they don’t feel nothin like steel” or “Get outta town, I can do Marvin the Martian!” (WHICH, I’M NOT KIDDING, I ACTUALLY SAID LAST WEEK, prior to finding out Brittany had passed away) without feeling a pang of sadness.

– This past weekend, Charlie Sheen was arrested AGAIN for domestic abuse. I’m sorry, but I just found this to be kind of hilarious. I’ve been a fan of Denise Richards since her Drop Dead Gorgeous days, so when their divorce went down, I was definitely on Team Denise. I love how through their divorce, through his remarriage, and through everything in between, Denise has always said something along the lines of, “It’s only a matter of time before he does it again,” and right you were Denise, RIGHT YOU WERE. Sure I sort-of-not-really feel bad for the new wife, but once a cheater, always a cheater and all that jazz. I’m also really hoping the cameras were following Denise Richards around for her show, “It’s Complicated” when this Charlie Sheen mess went down. I’d love to see her reaction; I’m just a sucker for I-told-you-sos.

– Jersey Shore. Oh, Jersey Shore, Jersey Shore, Jersey Shore. This show could fill up a blog post all on its own, it is just that trashy and outrageous and ridiculous and other adjectives that I can’t even think of at the present moment because it’s just SO AWFUL. In fact, I propose we make Jersey Shore an adjective to describe the worst behavior imaginable. I can see it now: omfg, did u c spencer n heidis baby gettin crunk????!!!!1 hes only 2ys old, thats soooo jersey shore! Do the kids still use crunk, by the way? Probably not; I’m so out of touch. Either way, I really think Jersey Shore as an adjective might catch on. Just remember, you heard it here first.

The really funny part about Jersey Shore is NOT the fact that Mike calls his abdominal muscles “The Situation” (which confuses the hell out of me, by the way: “WHAT situation are you referring to, Mike? Oh, wait, you’re just talking about your abs again.”), but rather the shit-storm that Italian-Americans have started raining. Alyssa Milano, for example, has spoken out against the show. Sheds Italian-Americans in a bad light or some-such-thing. Umm, Alyssa, hasn’t the mafia, and more importantly, filmmakers who make movies abut the mafia (I’m looking at you, Scorsese), been shedding Italian-Americans in a bad light for years? Correct me if I’m wrong, but I rarely see people up-in-arms about how Jersey Shore Goodfellas was. (See? It totally worked, right?)

Posted in Book, Movies, TV, & Music | Comments Off on Pop, pop, pop, pop culture