cruisin for a bruisin

Well, I had myself quite the weekend. And um, well, I have quite some bruises to show for it. Oof. Yesterday in the midst of this hot, humid, danky weather streak that we’re getting slammed with here in New England, I spent the afternoon with my roommate, her sister and husbie and their two adorable little boys, and husbie’s drop dead HOT friend, sitting by the pool and hot tub for a total of about eight full hours. Adult beverages were consumed (Bud Light Lime, yay or nay?), many a laugh were had, the time flew by like nothing, and even though my less-than-a-week-old-pedi is now wickedly chipped it was so worth it. Because the poolside day was deliciously devine (as were the corn on the cob, the burgers, the dogs, and the brews).

And this is the day that the bruising went down. I had myself a literal nose dive of a situation when me and Drop Dead Hot Friend (drop it like it’s hot) decided to have a hand stand contest. First mistake. Because I? Am not coordinated. Needless to say, contest didn’t last too long; before I knew it I was face first to the pool bottom (ouch), and as my janitor just nicely pointed out, “looks like the pool won.”

Then there was the whole part where I thought it would be fun to try out my new Bootcamp Triceps? By hoisting myself up onto the diving board and doing a little flip-and-reverse it, attempting to end myself up there, sitting down appearing all composed and put together and all “Bootcamp Champ!” Well, not so much. The bruises I have that are noticeable are bad enough, all under my arms and somehow on my shins and my knees, but they got nothin on the mother of a patch of bruises on my chest (that’s right), where I kept slamming into the board whilst attempting to look classy trying to pull this maneuver off.

Hold me.

Finally I retreated and stayed put in the hot tub, where I belonged and should have (apparently) stayed for the duration of the day. Yikes, I look like I’ve been through the ringer and back, and it ain’t pretty.

And Friday, on the 4th of July, yours truly was not at a bbq or a fun picnic drinking brews or watching fireworks like the rest of USA. No. I ended my badass self up at an Asian restuarant (On the 4th of July?), singing “Like a Virgin” on karaoke.

Yeah, it just went downhill from there. But in a good way, you know?

And tonight it’s off to bootcamp I go, and I hope to hell I don’t end up continuing on this path of injury and embarrassment. Hey, I guess it makes for good blog fodder, eh?

(I don’t like the word fodder.)

 

seeing my way out of here in three days

On Thursday I leave for a long weekend getaway with my five girlfriends to a sweet little condo in NH.  Last year we rocked out Bike Week in Myrtle Beach (we didn’t actually plan to go on Bike Week, we just kind of fell upon it.  Also turned out that not only was it Bike Week, it was Black Bike Week.  And that’s not me being racist, it’s just the straight up facts and the name that the festivities go by down there- here, check it out for yourself!)

I know, if you read my post over at AllTheWine you might be wondering then, why the hell is she so gung ho on complaining about a Monday?  I’m asking myself the same question right around now, because as it turns out, today wasn’t so bad afterall.  Because it’s the end of the “year” (fiscal year that is) at work this month, we all have to bust ass to get our stuff done by July 1.  And since Wednesday is my last day before vacay, I’m extra busy writing blog posts getting work done before then. 

So this year instead of doing the whole flying thing, which costs major bucks nowadays and we have two new engagements in the group (ie, it’s $$ saving time), we opted for something a little more local.  So we’re kickin it in a furnished condo this year instead, driving up Thursday, partaking in local actvities and all in all planning a hell of a lot of relaxing time.

Oh, and we’re signed up to do a zip line excursion.  Yeah, we’ll see how that turns out.  I’m actually beyond pumped for it, we may just need to reference an adult cocktail or two ahead of time to calm the nerves.

Speaking of, has anyone ever done the whole vodka/watermelon concoction?  Rs27 mentioned it over at his place today and it reminded me of how I’ve always wanted to try that one out.  Are there certain instructions on how to whip this up?  Is it simply just about pouring a bottle of vodka in a watermelon and going to town?  Should I google this or what?  Since this is the only way I’ve ever enjoyed a watermelon/vodka combo, I guess I’m just a little clueless.

There’s a new episode of Intervention on, or at least one I haven’t seen, so I need to be going.  Besides, I’ve probably given you enough randomness to make you want to reach for your own adult beverage of choice right about now.

Oh but wait, check out the new HOH over there.  Thanks to all of you for helped me out with some suggestions- rest assured I have them tucked away for another day.  All were damn good choices, I just felt like my heart was telling me to go with this guy because let’s face it, he’s in a uniform and that kind of thing just undoes me. 

 

I wish it were Sunday

I’m over here today talking about a case of the Mondays and swoony Sawyer.

 

And I need a new HOH up in here.  Suggestions?  I’d like a light haired look this time.  Just to switch things up a bit. 

 

Petty, old friends, & style (or, I can’t think of a better title for this)

So hey.  I’m able to post right now because I’m not at bootcamp.  Our trainer had some other piece of business going on, so we added in an extra day last week and are busting out an 8am session this Saturday.  Just shoot me now.

I don’t have too much to write about but I do have to say that Tom Petty was fabo, as was the prime people watching that you get to do at this type of show.  Quite the eclectic mix, let me tell ya.  Oh and my Friday was quite a hit- with my best friend from high school in town, it was absolutely necessary to take sake shots go out on the town and show her a good time.  And it also just so happened that my new young non-speed- date friend from last Thursday called and ended up meeting up with us.  Nice guy, sweet, blue, kind eyes, and not a bad looker at all.  We’ll see.  It’s fun.

Anyway, one other thing is that I’m absolutely obsessed with whipping up new outfits thanks to this special lady who told me about the site (that I think I’m the last to hear about) that I’m now totally addicted to. 

Case in point, my roommate and I spent hours Saturday afternoon making outfits for various friends and making the other guessing who it was.  It’s the little things, for serious, that amuse us.

Here is an outfit that I could absolutely get down with wearing on an outdoor patio for an after work happy hour:

And here’s the definition of the kind of guy I wouldn’t mind doing this with:

(I know he seems to be dressed for a bit cooler weather than I am, right?  That layered look though, I just can’t not dig a guy who does The Layer.)

That’s all for now, I think.  I’m going to go watch Letterman’s response to Speidi on his show again for kicks before sitting down to read more of Eat, Pray, Love (and then I’ll probably watch this six more times for the hell of it because for me, that’s always a guaranteed mood lifter).

Monday be gone!

 

if I laugh, I might cry

Yikes. We got a wicked scorcher out there.

And I hate to complain about it (too much). Because, Hey New England in the (almost) summertime, you look familiar, like we’ve known each other for 26 years. The heat, the downright oppressive humidity, it happens every single year and complaining about it isn’t going to change it. It’s just not something that you ever “get used to,” no matter how much you deal with it.

Anyway, I made it through week # 2 of bootcamp tonight. And not to keep going on about the heat, but bootcamp on a GOOD day, in mild temps is tough, so bootcamp on a Monday (never been a fan of a Monday) night after a busy, tiring (in a good way) weekend, combined with steamy sticky temps is kind of nasty.

But this week was better than last week.  The stairs seemed easier, the squats weren’t as hard, and I didn’t whip anyone with the jump rope.  Except, I bruised my ovary.  Or uterus.  Something happened when I busted into the plank position to get ready for a set of push-ups and I can only imagine this is similar to the contractions experienced whilst carrying a child the size of a full grown German Sheperd.

Holy. Hell.  Worst part?  There’s heaps of pollen all up in these parts and I keep sneezing up a storm and each time it feels like I’m being stabbed in my left side.  For serious. 

Laughing kills too.

Anyway.

My co-worker told me that his son plays on a volleyball team in Southie and he does it solely because at said games there’s a keg of beer for refreshment. He asked if that’s the case for the bootcamp (as though all “outdoor” things in Southie would have kegs of beer (they should) for those in attendance?); sadly, it is not.

But there are about 17 bars right down the street from the bootcamp “area” (as well as Mr. Match’s apartment, just shoot me) that we could, if we so choose, hit up at some point after our workout. That is, if it’s all of a sudden considered a new trend to show up in a soaked with sweat tee shirt and frizzed out hair with 136 mosquito bites. All.Over.Our.Bodies. Which I think is actually the exact opposite of any cool trend and in fact, quite freaky looking, if you ask me.

So after our workout, me and my girlfriend dumped ourselves into my car, opened the windows and cranked the AC and radio (does anyone else do a window slash AC combo?), and headed home.  It wasn’t until we were a second away from the toll booth that I realized that, oops, my wallet was in my trunk.  So I promptly pulled up to the “cash only” lane, put on my hazards and my friend snuck out and got my wallet and then we were finally off.  Those girls, we were them.

When I got home my roommate and I, like every other freaking year, waited until the last possible minute (ie, when it’s 100+ degrees out and humid as hell) to put in our AC’s in our bedroom.
Two single girls.  One who feels as though they just fell onto a dull blade.  The other who cracks jokes while both are holding an awkward AC up a flight of steep steep stairs.  One lazy cat who doesn’t know where to turn in this heat.  = a pretty scary situation.

Well we’ve finally maneuvered them in the window, and are crossing our fingers that they’ll stay put for the next four(ish) months or so.  God help us.

I finally just managed to sit down to have some dinner after all these events (I made soup which is absolutely nutso), and the glass of milk I poured is sweating profusely.  Warm milk, hot soup on a hot night.  Disgusting.

And I still don’t have that masseuse here that I craved last week.  I really think he that would make me all better.

 

Big weekend gone by too fast

Today was one of those perfect New England days where it’s just the right mix of warm and breezy, hardly any humidity, with a few seemingly perfectly placed puffy clouds in the sky.

One best spent outdoors if at all possible. Time to bust out the sundresses and flip flops, time to stroll around the city and soak in the sun and the Sunday, time to forget all your worries.

I did all that today.

Went off with a girlfriend and stopped by a cafe for a yummy crepe to start things off. Walked around South Boston and stopped off at the Open Market, and enjoyed some quality people watching and a yummy Italian Ice. Discussed the pros and cons and whereabouts of the best locals for bikini vs. brazilian waxes, and what constitutes a Perfect Sangria recipe.

Got home to spend some quality time with my roommate, watched a go-to movie for a guaranteed laugh, and watched 15 minutes of a pretty lame Lifetime.

Why are there such things as Mondays? And if there was always a long weekend like the one before this, would people go around having a case of the Tuesdays?

I wonder about these things.

Oh, I of course loved SATC. Being the humungo, obsessed fan that I am, how could I not? Truth be told though, the night for me was more about spending some quality Girl Time with my friends, going out for dinner and drinks beforehand,*

and remembering just how good I’ve got it. Between whacked out schedules, friends moving, graduating, planning weddings, etc., it can be tough to get our group of six together. Yet somehow, we always seem to buck up and get it done. I’m one lucky lady and there’s not a day that goes by that I don’t feel grateful for that.

Sniff sniff.

*SPOILER ALERT*

I thought the movie was good. Wonderful of course to see the whole cast on the big screen after all the hype these past four years. I thought it was all pretty predictable, as much as I loved and embraced the whole thing. I have to say I found Carrie’s breakup scene to be quite emotional, because what woman cannot relate to that whole scene? The girls going in to check on Carrie in the room, Samantha feeding Carrie especially, really got to me.

*Spoilers done.*

Sniff sniff again. This post was so not meant to be a Debbie Downer.

Anyway. I liked the movie; I’ll probably see it again this week, because that’s how I roll. The weekend was good. The weather (other than the rain showers yesterday) was damn good.

Oh, I also met a woman last night at a restaurant who wants to set me up with her son who is a hot man in uniform cop, who “works out” (at the same gym I attempt to get my ass too), and is “just looking for a ‘nice’ girl.”

Hmm, we’ll see about that. I gave her my info. But really, what dude would be all over calling a chick that his mom met out one night that she thinks would be a “great fit!?” I’m thinking not many.

Aaaaand, that’s all she wrote.

*I guess I unanonymousized myself a spec x 2 in this post. If you look closely you can see my right arm/red sweater in martini picture, and of course, those are my gams in the top picture in the grass. Wicked sneaky, I know! Shh. Keep it on the DL. I don’t want people recognizing my arm and HOH! Speaking of, new one in the house. Old school Chris Noth- who cares if he’s being put back in the rotation again; the timing is appropriate.

I revived it! But I couldn’t revive the comments made on here already… sorry about that!

 

here’s a post that surely won’t wake you up…

This weekend:

• Didn’t end up including those “pomegranate smash“ martinis that I mentioned, but it did include many a brewski.  I took that trade off in stride as we already have a few martini bars scoped out in Palm Springs for next weekend.
• My dear friend from college who got engaged over the holidays, asked my roommate, another bestie, and I to be bridesmaids in her wedding next June.  On the Cape.  On the beach!  I couldn’t be more stoked.
• Speaking of weddings, I’m in another one this coming August, for which I might be partaking in a bride/bridesmaid boot camp.  Interesting, yes?  Two nights a week for a little over a month, four girls, with (hopefully) a cute personal trainer, for an hour session to (hopefully) be followed by cocktails?  I’m so there. 
• Oh, and ANOTHER dear girlfriend from college was also just proposed to this past weekend! 
• I watched Michael Clayton, which took a lot of mental power for a Sunday, but truth be told, most of my focus was placed on swooning over Mr. Clooney. 
• I thought a lot about Mr. Match.  And missed him, a few times.  Realizing more that though the relationship wasn’t meant to be, I’m still pretty bummed that it’s over.

This week:

• I need to make that birthday list I keep thinking about….
• I hope to buy a couple cute new outfits (and shoes) for the weekend.
• Can NOT go by fast enough.

Hmm.  Methinks that is all.  Also, I do believe this may just go down as one of the most boring entries on this blog. 

It’s kind of embarassing, really.

I mean seriously, I’d totally understand if you didn’t even click over here from your reader.  And if you did, I apologize! 

At least I can FINALLY offer you a new HOH!

 

monday randoms

I have mentioned before that there are indeed some good bennies I get as a state worker.  Oh, say like one holiday off per month.  Today being one of them, Patriot’s Day.  Not a bad deal, as it’s also Marathon Monday, and!, the Sox are playing!  In addition, it’s a mostly sunny day, a little crisper than the weekend, so the windows in my apartment are opened up, I’m doing a little spring cleaning, and meeting a girlfriend for coffee this afternoon.

I don’t have a whole heap of things to say today, so I swiped this meme-like thingy from a new blog I’ve found.  Hope everyone has a good Monday (as good as Mondays can be, right?).

1. maybe i should not turn on the tv all day.  at least until the hills tonight. 
2. i love the smell of warm chocolate chip cookies in the oven.  and sensual amber body lotion from bath & body works. 
3. people would say that i’m silly, sassy, kind-hearted, fun, & thoughtful.
4. i don’t understand why on any given morning that i want to sleep in, even a spec, there is some type of mayhem going on right outside my bedroom window.
5. when i wake up in the morning i immediately need water.
6. i lost a really pretty necklace that an ex had given me.  it didn’t hold any huge meaning to me anymore, but damn was it really pretty and i just…. miss it. 
7. life is full of chances.
8. my past has been (fortunately) pretty easy.  not a day goes by that i don’t feel grateful that i can say that. 
9. i get annoyed when i don’t hear from someone when i expect to. 
10. parties are better in the warmer weather.  bring on the patios, grills, and beer! 
11. i wish for a solid few months of no big personal upsets. 
12. dogs are something i see in my future.  i’d love to get a pup one day… though apartment living doesn’t really lend itself to that kind of… lifestyle.  cosmo it is, for now. 
13. cats have always been something i’ve had an affinity for.   
14. tomorrow is tuesday.  and i’m looking forward to wednesday. 
15. i have low tolerance for wicked slow drivers.  also, road rage.   
16. i’m totally terrified of burglars.  people breaking in.  knives, and people hiding in secret places in the dark. 
17. i wonder why some people just can’t seem to catch a break.  and why they seem to be the one’s who so very much deserve that break. 
18. never in my life have i eaten oysters.   
19. high school was a really good experience.  college was better. 
20. when i’m nervous i get really fidgety.  i talk a lot.  or not at all.  my hands get sweat(ier) than normal, and i bite my lips.   
21. one time at a family gathering i fell off of the couch after too many jack and cokes.  oops.
22. take my advice: take good care of yourself.  it will help change your outlook on both large and small feats, and help you to better tackle both good, and bad days. 
23. making my bed is on of my least favorite things to do.  actually putting new sheets on, more so.  but the whole bed-making-process just pisses me off.
24. i’m almost always thinking too much about things. 
25. i’m addicted to buying new shoes.  getting manicures (most recently).  talking on the phone wile driving.  lipgloss.
26. i want someone to surprise me with something random, special, and out of the blue.

 

they are my sunshines

I’m at Panera right now, and I’ve finally figured out how to use this wireless internet business on my new snazzy laptop.  This has proven to be a feat my friends, a big big feat for someone as untechsavvy as myself.  But, alas, I’m connected, hooked up, whatever the lingo is for it, and in the 6 o’clock hour on a Monday, the people watching here is at it’s prime.

As it was at the 2pm hour.  Yes, this is in fact, my second time in this same Panera (different seat) today.

Last night I stayed with my mom at my grandmother’s house.  My grandparents’ house?  I can’t describe how weird it feels to be saying that given the fact that they are no longer there.  It took some adjustment just to get in the swing of saying “my grandmother’s house” as opposed to calling it as a plural.  Even at that, I didn’t  get much of a chance to get too used to anything about that whole idea either.

I haven’t had the chance to grieve the loss of my grandfather, and then just like that, in a matter of weeks, my grandmother is now gone.

My grandfather dying in January…that has been such incredible and profound loss for me.  It still hurts, ginormously hurts like hell.  And now on top of that grief… now my grandmother is gone too.  We’re talking in a matter of 11 weeks, my whole entire life as I once knew it, has been totally turned around. 

I used to feel so special to be able to say that at almost 26 years old, I had all four grandparents still alive and healthy.   How many people can say that, really?  How fortunate and lucky I felt.  And not a day went by that I didn’t thank God for how good I had it.

How fucking quickly things can take such a drastic turn for the worse.  Amazing how true that saying that I quoted in my high school yearbook, “the only thing that stays the same is change” really is.

Right now, I think I am just pretty numb from it all.  It has all hit me at random moments over this past weekend.  At 12:45am the night following my grandmother’s death, when I found myself wide awake and sobbing into the arms of my amazingly understanding match.man.  Earlier that evening as my roommate left to go out for the night, pulling me into a big hug as the tears just began to flow.  Last night as I looked in the top drawer in my grandmother’s room, and found cards sent from me to her and my grandfather from over the years.

Today, I have an emotional wall up.  Tonight, I will, like last night, sleep in my grandparents’ house with my mom.  Tomorrow, at 12pm, my family will proceed into the church that we were in 11 weeks ago for my grandfather’s funeral.  Tomorrow afternoon, my family will drive to the ocean.  We will play skee-ball like we used to do in the summers as a family.  We’ll get pizza right by the water and sit on a bench and look out as the tide makes its way in.  We’ll sit together, we’ll sit and just be, together, and we’ll watch as the sun sets, looking for the sign that both of my grandparents told us to look out for. 

A sunset.  A sign.  That they are okay.  Living on… together again.

 

iLike

Things I have an affinity for as of late:  

• Oprah’s new show, The Big Give.  Did anyone watch it last night (and not cry?)?  The mother whose husbie was murdered with the two twins really got me.  What a wonderful idea for a show.  I’m diggin it.  
• Geesh, apparently racking up minutes on my cell phone again!  I went over by almost 150 minutes this month and over $100 dollars!  And, another reason my mom and I are so alike?  I get a voicemail from her today saying that she did the same thing last month and needed to consult with me since she knows I’ve been in this certain pickle before.  Granted, last month was a high volume call month with my grandfather being sick and all.  Still, hurts the wallet a spec when you gotta shell out an additional $100 bucks when you weren’t planning it!  
• My new! red! laptop!  (I’ve decided his gender is in fact male, mainly because I don’t really understand his whole make-up, how he works, etc., but also because I tend to almost always refer to inanimate objects as “he.”)  
• The Kite Runner.  I’ve finally gotten back into reading it.  I started it back a couple months ago, and was in this routine of reading before bed which is never a good thing for me.  I fall asleep pretty much on contact (which is good I guess), but not so good for retaining what I’m reading!  So, I’ve started back up with it and I’m liking it.  A lot.  
• Stellas!  I had one for the first time (a shock that I hadn’t already tried it out) when I met up with Nilsa a couple weeks ago.   
• Getting regular manis.  There’s a place near my apartment that charges just $10!  Pretty good deal if you ask me.  Speaking of, watch this, which puts me in hysterics every time. 
• Kelly green.  My roommate and I are obsessed with this color lately.  I’ve always had a thing for it, but with Springtime coming around (though it doesn’t feel like it here), it’s a perfect color to add a little oomph to an ensemble.  I just got a wallet in the color and I love it.  
• Hard boiled eggs.  Yeah I know, weird.  
• Clorox wipes.  I swear those things can do a job on everything.  I bust them out on the kitchen counters, the bathroom sink, you name it.  And they leave behind a nice clean, fresh smell!  The only small qualm I have, is that after using them?  The surface just seems too… wet (that’s what she said).  So I end up having to kind of take a paper towel to the area afterwards.  Which, is not a big deal per se, I guess I just wish they were a spec less wet.  Hmm.  
• Jotting down memories of my grandfather.  I’ll be sitting in a staff meeting in the morning and randomly remember a sweet conversation we once had, or a memory we shared together.  I’ve started carrying around a notebook to write these little gems down.
• Always, Red Sox players and any slash all news regarding them, their spring training, and their dancing.
• Jonathan Papelbon, because he deserves his own category.  The things I would like to do to him…  
• The new SATC trailer.  Enough said.
• The new HOH, courtesy of cdp.