Annoyed, Irritated and Just Bitchy...Today's Random Vent!

So, I am seriously cranky this morning! I have no idea what might have set it off with the exception of me being really tired...the kind of tired that makes my eyes want to shut immediately and fall back into that haze of sleep. I don't think I ever got out of the sleep mode...I'm still in the fog! Mondays are hard days for me because I work and then go straight to San Marcos for meetings and am not home until after 10:00 p.m. or later...which made bedtime that much later and Tuesdays are even harder because I didn't get my sleep. Plus, D and I carpooled this morning and he had a meltdown which pushed me over the edge of crankiness. Needless to say, the ride north was extremely quiet...I did fall into the stubborn mode and refused to be the first one to say anything. I understand his general frustration, but I don't understand the need to be a crank about it. I know that I am partially to blame for some of the crankiness and need to fix my part...it's just a little difficult. I need to sell my car since it's been sitting (and now has a dead battery) since we got married and because D has 3 cars. So, now, I need to call AAA to come and replace the battery...especially because we may have an interested buyer. However, for some reason, I am having a difficult time doing this. I feel like this is the one thing that was mine coming into the marriage and letting go of it is like letting go of myself...it's a car, but it's mine...weirdly random thing to feel attached to, but I do. Also, in losing the car, I lose my personalized license plate because I don't think D would like to drive around with it on his cars. I know that it is the best thing to do financially and logically, but it's hard...so, I'll get things taken care of and let it go.

I guess this morning was a wakeup call...it's time to get our proverbial shit together and stop procrastinating...it's become easy to fall into certain patterns, but not so easy to get out of them. So, after my vent, I still feel cranky, but a little less edgy...hopefully, we are now on a trend of better feeling...hope everyone has a great day!

Drama Free Zone Declaration

So, I have been involved with a lot of situations filled with drama the last few weeks and decided that all this drama is taking it's toll on me. Between work, chapter and everyday life, I was so exhausted that last night, I couldn't even make it past 9:15 without my eyelids falling. Since we got back from EC on Sunday night, I have not stopped running. Monday was work and the Chapter which caused me to walk in the door around 11:15 p.m. By the time I finally stopped my mind running, it was way past midnight. Tuesday morning was bus driver appreciation breakfast. This is an annual event put on by our transportation department in recognition for their employees...all District staff are invited. Breakfast consisted of omelets, bacon, pancakes and the best golden nugget tangerines. It was a nice way to start the work day...except for the office drama that unfolded and continued throughout the day. Then, I took a 2+ hour lunch to attend a birthday lunch for Bunny at Olive Garden. Bunny is one of the sisters of our family friends (we attended her sister Mary's 65th birthday party a week or so ago). It was a nice break from work...there were 10 of us in attendance including Mom and Meema. We had a great time talking and celebrating Bunny's special day! After work, in spite of my exhaustion, I met D at the gym for a workout. I felt a lot better afterwards and then seeing that it was only 6:30 when we got home made me feel like something had been accomplished. I made dinner (salad, pork chops and leftover rice turned into fried rice) and lunches. After dinner, I took my stinky self into the shower. After I got out, I asked D if we could turn off the TV (nothing on) and just spend some quality "us" time together. I know we are married and live together, but with all the activity in our lives lately, I have been feeling like we haven't had much "us" time. I miss that time where it's just us together...he on his laptop and me reading or us talking without any distractions. This was a great plan until I could not keep my eyes open and fell asleep as soon as I put my book down. I apologize to him this morning and we were going to try "us" time again tonight after he got home from his 6:00 softball game. But I just got an email from my coworker and friend Maggie...she and her husband have Padres season tickets and can't make it to tonight's game and offered them to me. I called D and asked if he had to be at his game...he said no. So, now "us" time becomes a night out together at the Padres game. I am so excited to go to the game and spend the evening with D cheering on the Padres.

So...in honor of all the drama in my life, I now declare this a drama-free zone! If there is drama, keep me out of it...if there is stress, let it go! Enough is enough...peace out!

I Love Rock and Roll...and Other Weekend Tales

It was another busy weekend for D and I...Friday night, we were both wiped out from work and our week, so we did nothing. We watched the Padres get their butts handed to them early in the game and frequently through the rest of it. I finally could not watch the carnage and went to space out on the computer. Around 9:00, D turned off the tv and we hung out in the bedroom laughing and talking and planning the rest of our weekend.

Saturday...we got up, packed for our El Centro trip (more on that in a few) and headed to CJ's Sportcards and Memorabilia for a signing. Ron Mix, a former Charger and Raiders player from the 1960 and Hall of Fame member, was there from 11:00-12:00. Since we have made a lot of friends with the other "collectors", we hung out for a while. Ron Mix was really nice...he wanted to know my name. We took a photo with him before he left and he kind of perved out on me. As we were getting ready for the picture (D on one side and me on the other), Ron Mix put his arm "tightly" around my waste. I had to laugh because this happened last year time with Lem Barney (a football player) who found out that D and I were getting married. He shook D's hand and said to me "Give me a hug so I can get a taste of what he's getting". I was so shocked that I didn't know what to do, but laugh. It's a story to tell!

After the signing, we grabbed a quick bite to eat at McDonalds before our drive to EC. When we got into town, we decided to stop at the mall and we met up with our friend Ron and his girlfriend Perlina. We walked around the mall for a bit...D got some new sunglasses. We kicked it at Ron's for a while before meeting other friends, Danny and Anne for dinner at Celia's. This place has such good mexican food and it is a required stop when we go to the EC. They have this thing called a "Special Quesadilla" which is a fried tortilla filled with cheese. I haven't found one in SD, so it makes the trips to the EC that much better. After dinner, Ron, Perlina, D and I called a taxi and headed to Stark Field for the free Joan Jett concert and fireworks in honor of El Centro's Centennial. We decided that we were better off using taxis all night because we may be drinking, there would be a lot of traffic and police from El Centro, Calexico and Brawley were out in full force.

The concert was great...Joan Jett looks amazing and can still sing her heart out. The fireworks show was good. After the festivities, D and Ron ran into some of their old classmates before we headed to Main Street and the bars. Our first stop...The Owl Cafe. Not too much excitement there, so after one drink, we headed a block down to Tommy's. This place is a dive, but we had so much fun there! They had a band that played Beatles, CCR and other oldies...we were laughing because everyone in the band was short (the lead singer had to get on his tip toes to reach his voice into the microphone) with the exception of the drummer. There was an interesting crowd there that night...a girl D used to date in high school who was all interested in talking to him until he introduced his wife (me) and then she started talking to me and then decided not to say anything; the guy Ron and D knew from high school who was so drunk that his eyes were shut and his girlfriend (who dressed very reavealingly with her "tramp stamp" showing) who kept trying to make out with him as he was talking to us (can you say awkward?!?); the woman who was a deadringer for either the girl with headgear in Sixteen Candles or the PE teacher who hooked up with Long Duck Dong; and the best person of the evening...the middle aged bar rat who grabbed D and danced provocatively with him for one song (she was drunk and it made us all laugh hysterically)! We left there and made one last stop at The Amigo Room (a hispanic bar stuck behind a Denny's and the Ramada). We danced a little, before walking back to Ron's. We were up for a little bit longer talking until we all crashed around 2:30...Ron has 2 kids, so D got the Batman bed and I got the SpongeBob bed!

Sunday morning, Ron, D and I had breakfast at Burgers and Beer which is a good place to eat. Following breakfast, D and I headed to Yuma to check on the house (we have a rental there). The house looks good...we have a good tenant who takes care of things. She has 3 kids and they love having the space. Then, we headed to Super WalMart...D and I love this place and had planned all month to stop there and do some grocery shopping. Their food is so good and their prices are such a deal...so, $163 later, we came out with a full grocery cart (which become a full freezer and cabinets at home). Our last stop was Sam's Club to get gas and some other things we needed. We kept our heads about us and didn't buy much. As for the gas, considering it is $3.89 for regular unleaded in San Diego...we were overjoyed to see gas at $3.35. It only cost us $40 to fill the 4Runner for the drive home! Who would have thought that $3.35 gas would make anyone so happy! At home, we did some things...I put away groceries and did the Food Saver thing, D cleaned the bathroom and took out trash before relaxing watching The Office and Top Chef on the DVR. I crashed a lot sooner than D...I heard him come to bed, but was so comatose I did say much.

All in all, it was a busy weekend, but we had fun! Now, it's a new week...have a great day!

Feeling Blah and Other Random Thoughts

I am feeling so blah for no explainable reason. It's a relatively random feeling because life is pretty good...I even went to the gym with D after work yesterday. After the gym, we headed home, made dinner and flipped between the Padres game and The Biggest Loser Couples Finale. Padres won 6-0 which was great. Bernie won the at home challenge and Ali won the finalist challenge on The Biggest Loser. I read some of my book...nothing too exciting. I ignored my email for one night (which greeted with several emails from the Chapter this morning). It felt good to accomplish so much and get to bed at a reasonable hour, so why am I so blah?!?

This morning, work had a breakfast for our department's announcement of Classified Employee of the Year. Since I am on our department's committee, it was no surprise to me, but it was good to have some muffins, bagels and strawberries. And the highlight of my morning is my Yahoo chat with D...he kept telling me that he was so excited (and hungry) because his company was having a BBQ to celebrate their successful first quarter. He called it their morale boost in lieu of raises and bonuses. He cracked me up with his excitement and told me at 10 minutes before the BBQ that he had to go get ready to be in line for food! The rest of day has been fine...not much to write about today.

Now, my random thought/vent/whatever you want to call it...I am fascinated with crime and courts and jail...I love to watch Lockdown on MSNBC or Court TV and those types of shows. It is so interesting to me, so I check CNN's crime section regularly and watch Court TV if I am home. Well, last week, I was home and saw a nice looking baby faced 18 year old "kid" getting ready for his trial to start in Michigan. He was on trial for murder which included mutilation and dismemberment with body parts of his victim dropped at various locations. The murder was committed because the "kid" along with his co-conspirator and the guy they killed were going to extort money from another guy who never showed up...plus, they did it at his grandfather's home. Again, fascinated by this kind of stuff, I googled his story and have been following it on CNN. His friend/co-conspirator bypassed trial and plead guilty to 2nd degree murder. This guy decided to go to trial because as he told his parents in jailhouse conversations, he would never be convicted and sent to jail. His defense for the crime was that the guy he killed was twice his size and he felt threatened. Well, he was wrong! Because today, a jury convicted him after 10 hours of deliberations of 1st degree murder. I understand the self defense claim, but not when you chop someone into pieces and dump him at random locations through the city (and set his torso on fire so they can't identify the body and dump his head into the river). Come on...give me a break! Talk about stupidity! If you want to read it, check out CNN and the articles on the Teen Thrill Kill Case.

At least, I get to go home in one piece and not spend the rest of my life in jail...so, why am I so blue?!? Now, that I think about it from that perspective, I'm not feeling so blue anymore!

It's All Worth It...In Stress, There is Gratitude!

In an effort to get the junk out of my head so it will stop irritating me and bogging me down, I'm trying to blog on a daily basis. Monday was a decent, but long day. Work was its usually fun place (haha) and we had our first weekly "team building" staff meeting. It went well until one of my coworkers decided to lay out what we hadn't been doing correctly...this is so wrong! Why can't we just ask each other why we didn't do something a certain way instead of laying it out in front of the boss?!? I swear it's like being children again...such drama! The day progressed fine until another incident happened with the same person...I'm trying to be the bigger person and not roll my eyes and let her get under my skin, but sometimes it just is easier said than done! Then, as the day went on, I checked my email and had questions and issues from the girls in the Chapter. In my free time (and I have so much of it), I am Chapter Advisor to my sorority at Cal State San Marcos. Apparently, the girls have hit the time of the semester where they lose their common sense and do stupid things. So, instead of my plan to head home and make dinner and have some much needed alone time before D got home around 8:30 from his softball game, I headed to San Marcos to meet with the Chapter President and get some things hammered out. I told D that I would be home around 8:00 and he laughed at me because I say I'll be home from things earlier than I do. Well, he was right...I walked in the door just before 9:00.

Upon my arrival, I ran into 4 of the girls who proceeded to tell me about the drama and stupidity that had taken place over the weekend at a philanthropy event. So, nice me was slowly evaporating and I decided to take matters into my own hands and stay for their practice meeting last night. My meeting with CP was good and productive before we went into the regular meeting at 7:00. In a span of 25 minutes with guest speakers, I had to yell (which is not me) to get their attention and tell them to keep quiet. This pushed the nice me out of my body and took all my non-confrontational issues away. In a room of 50+ college women, I lectured them! I was quite proud of myself for what I said and how I commanded the room. I will always have a visual of a silent stunned room of women in my head. At the end, some of the girls even clapped for me and thanked me for talking to the Chapter. It reminded me of why I put myself through long Monday night meetings where I walk in the door before midnight exhausted and drag myself around on Tuesdays...it reminded me that I am doing something important and possibly making an impact...in the end, it's all worth while!

Now, today, Tuesday is another day...with any luck, D and I will make it to the gym right after work and head home for some dinner and the Padres game and Biggest Loser Finale. And again, when I get home, I'll see how worth it this life can be...it's a good life I lead full of great people who teach me something everyday and reward me for being who I am! Have a grateful day!

Back to Work...It's Monday!

As I mentioned in my last blog, I had quite a week. Well, our social calendar continued to fill up with our attendance Sunday at a 65th birthday party of a dear family friend, Mary. We have a lot of family history with Mary and her family...my great grandmother (Meema's mom) and Mary's grandmother (her mother's mother) met when they were 18 and worked across from each other in Portland, Oregon. Their friendship has been passed down through generations and now my generation is having children and getting married. It's a cool history to have. So, after a lazy morning on the couch, D and I headed to Mary's house in Escondido. Her husband, Joe, coordinated an afternoon of eating, drinking, socializing and game playing. We had some Pat and Oscar's, played 2 Truths and 1 Lie and got to catch up with everyone. Then, we played a trivia word game similar to Huggermugger (I'd never heard of this). Basically, there was a 2 word, 14 letter phrase that we had to solve by answering trivia questions. My team consisted of D and my aunt Carol. We were quite the unstoppable team, answering 10 questions correctly in a row. At one point, the letters we had looked like the phrase was "Mary is a Bar Whore", but it wasn't! We ended up winning the challenge...the real phrase was "Wheelbarrow Man", which is something random Joe came up with. I did learn some random facts...60% of the babies in the US are circumcised each year, Rita Moreno won an Oscar, Tony, Emmy and Grammy and other useless facts that will take up valuable space in my head! After most people had left, a group of us stayed and watched Mary open her gifts and chat a little more.

Before heading home, D and I went to Mom's to help her get something off near the pool equipment. We stayed at Mom's until 9:15 talking and catching up on things. We then headed home to get ready for the new work week...got Jeffrey's birthday gift ready to mail this morning and made lunch. I think I crashed first...I started reading and fell asleep long before D came to bed. I think he tried to talk to me, but I was so tired I couldn't even muster an "I love you". Now, it's a new week...we'll see what this crazy life has to offer!

Whirlwind Few Days...Home Again!

So, the last week or so has been quite eventful! I worked one full day last week (it was Spring break, so a more relaxed work time) and had a lot happening. I originally had planned to work half day on Thursday, but decided to not work at all. This turned out to be the best decision and helped make the rest of the weekend easier. D and I were going to El Centro (D's hometown) for his uncle's funeral and planned to leave in the early afternoon. Instead of the initial rush anticipated with us working half day, we got to catch up on some sleep and get things ready before we left for EC. We walked out of the house around 1:00p.m. and ran some errands to the post office, Kohl's and lunch. I drove from San Diego to EC...the weather was so nice that we had the sunroof open listening to tunes as we cruised. We hit town around 4:00 and stopped to clean our windshield from all the bugs that become planted there on the drive. We got to D's brother's house and changed before heading to the viewing and rosary. I must say that viewings and funerals are not my favorite thing to experience, but it was good to see the family. D's uncle was 98, almost 99 and the last of D's mom's siblings. He had 5 kids and numerous grandchildren and 4 great grandchildren. We stayed for the whole thing...we had planned to leave sooner to grab dinner, but stayed to visit with everyone. After the viewing, some of us headed to Famous Dave's BBQ for some dinner. It was good and we had a nice conversation. Then, we headed back to the house to relax and get some sleep. D's other brother also stayed at the house, which is nice to see since there had been a small falling out after the death of D's parents.

Friday morning came early...the funeral was at 9:00 a.m., so we were up getting ready to go. D and his brothers were pall bearers. After mass, we headed to the cemetery. His uncle is buried in the plot next to D's parents to whom he was very close...they lived two houses away from each other and from what I heard this weekend, they were always talking and visiting either in person or on the phone. I can just imagine the reunion in heaven...they are probably visiting and catching up! Following the cemetery service, we headed to cousin Eddie's house (the son of uncle) for a wake. Lots of good food, lots of good drinks and a lot of visiting took place. The weather in EC was warm...probably in the upper 80s at least...so we decided to go change clothes and come back. As we were getting ready to leave, D's oldest brother fainted and knocked his head on the TV stand. He was okay, just a little shaken up. We made him stay a lot longer than he had planned before he drove home to San Bernardino. We hung out for a while longer after changing before heading back to the house. We took a quick rest before meeting our friend El Ron and his kids for dinner at Celia's. Celia's is an amazing mexican restaurant...we eat there every time we head to EC! After dinner, D and I went to the movies and saw 21. It was a good movie!

I also got a call from my mom...she had left me a message the night before that my cousin's wife, Christine, had gone into labor and was headed to the hospital. So, last night (April 11), I got a call that Baby E had made his arrival into the world...Tucker came out a bouncing 8 pounds 9 ounces! The first great grandchild for my grandma and the first grandchild for my uncle! It's exciting!

This morning, we headed to LA for a signing...Tom Flores, former Oakland Raider head coach, was signing at a place we go regularly. We ran around the area...getting lunch, stopping at Target and Costco before heading home. I realized when I got home, that today, D and I had been on 6 freeways (86, 10, 60, 15, 163, 8)...what a whirlwind!

Sad Venting...

So, my usual cheerful blog will be preempted today because I feel like crap! First, D and I had a small disagreement...I overreacted to something and snapped at him. I was (and still am slightly) frustrated with a situation and this morning was probably not the time to address it. Then, I hit the wall today at work and came to a strong realization about my office. A little background... Things have been rough in our office for a while (snapping at each other, not talking and that kind of behavior) and last week, the boss has a chat with us that we don't need to be BFFs, but we needed to work together. Also, we were told no personal talk and no whispering (because people might think that you are talking about them). This sucks...it means that the people I spend the most time with each week (more than my husband or family) and we can't share our lives. So, this week is Spring Break which means a more casual environment and the boss is gone. This seems like the perfect time to do lunch, get Starbucks, but not in my office. I swear the morgue is noisier than this place ;) It all came crashing down in my face when my lone friend in the office (who I can't talk to because others may get offended) said that she was going to lunch with someone from another department and we were all welcome to join them. I can't because I'm leaving around noon for a hair appointment. The other two snapped saying they had plans. It was so sad...I have felt like I have wanted to break down since the big chat last week and today almost pushed me there. I guess the positive in this situation is that I'm getting ready to leave to get my hair done and won't be back to work until Monday. D's uncle passed away, so we are heading to El Centro tomorrow afternoon. I originally was going to work a half day tomorrow, but decided I needed the break. Although the reason for the trip to the EC is not good, I am looking forward to my Celia's dinner (such good Mexican food) and possibly a trip to Super WalMart! Off to get my gray hairs dyed and cut...peace out!

Oh Doctor...You Can Hang a Star on That One!

Last night, after an especially challenging day for me, D and I went to a book discussion and signing by Jerry Coleman at Warwicks in La Jolla. For those who may not know, Jerry Coleman is one of the radio voices for the San Diego Padres. He has written a book entitled An American Journey: My Life on the Field, in the Air, and on the Air and had a speaking engagement to talk about his life and then sign copies of the book. D wanted to go to have Jerry sign his Hall of Fame bat, but the signing was limited to the book only. We arrived around 7:15 (the event was scheduled to start at 7:30) to find a crowded store. We purchased two copies of the book, found a space to stand and then, Jerry came out and began to talk. He is so interesting and has some interesting, non-nonsense opinions...I was so enthralled by his talk and was sad when the events coordinator cut him off to begin the signing. We had to wait a bit...we were numbers 88 and 89 in the signing queue. It was fun to listen to Jerry interact with the customers and neighbors who had come to get the book signed and meet him. We finally made it to the front...I got one copy signed as a birthday present for my cousin Jeff (transplanted San Diegan unhappily living in Cleveland until the right opportunity to move home is presented) and D got his copy signed for us. I was so impressed by Jerry Coleman...he is quite a legend and deserving of the praise that he receives.

After the signing, D and I headed to 99 Ranch Market in Kearny Mesa and had some dinner at Sam Woo. OMG...this is such good Chinese food! We ordered Won Ton Soup (I forgot to order the right one, but still good), plate of duck, house special fried rice and shrimp with scrambled egg (sounds gross to some, but it is so good). After dinner, we headed home to watch some news before crashing hard. After having my butt kicked all day, it was a nice way to end...all cuddled in bed with my husband forgetting all the BS of my day!

Life As We Know It...An Update!

So, the last week since my last blog has been quite eventful! Thursday, after running errands, I got to hang out and have dinner with Mom, Meema, Oneder and Buttons. It was nice to hang out and catch up on things. Friday was a long day at work...the situation has escalated into more than it should be. The worse part is that it is out of my control and there is not much I can do to change the situation! It's a difficult situation to realize that I am basically powerless and how I act and react is up to me! After work, D and I made a stop at his favorite place (CJ's Sportscards) for him to pick some stuff up for his addiction, I mean hobby :) and then headed home, where I proceeded to fall asleep on the couch for 2+ hours. Around 9:00 p.m., I roused myself and headed to bed (without dinner...too much irritation) and finished my book (The Friday Night Knitting Club, which is so good that I cried) and got a lot more sleep. I think this work situation stress is getting to me because I sleep so much!

Saturday morning, D got up and ran errands (got a haircut and went to the post office). He came home and we ate breakfast. We then got ready for our Sushi class at Great News . This was one of my Christmas gifts to D...it was fun and I'll post about this on it's own later (I have pictures of our class and the creations). After class, we did some grocery shopping and headed home to relax and become a part of our couches for the rest of the evening. We caught up on the DVR, including Biggest Loser: Couples and Dateline NBC (the mistaken identity story of the 2 college students Laura VanRyn and Whitney Cerak in an accident...they pronounced the wrong girl dead and realized the mistake almost 6 weeks later...so interesting). Our night was finished by watching and channel surfing between VH1 Classic and MTV Hits, amusing each other while laughing at Metal Mania and the other hits. It's free and fun entertainment!

Sunday, I was the cooking fool...I made us breakfast again (bacon and eggs), apple dump cake (to take to dinner at Mom's) and chocolate pecan blondies for my friend's birthday at work on Monday. After a relatively couch bound day doing laundry, D and I headed to Mom and Meema's for dinner. Since we go out on major holidays, Mom was planning a belated Easter dinner with ham and the fixings. We had a great time...I'm glad that D and I spent quality time with them and he agreed with me later!

Monday was another work day...my friend's (and partner/ally in this mess) birthday was over the weekend, so the morning started with my boss bringing Starbucks and then lunch from Daphne's. After work, D and I went straight to the gym for a workout before heading home. At home, I made sloppy joes and oven fried potatoes in honor of opening day for the San Diego Padres! Dinner was easy and the Padres won...woo hoo, it's my favorite time of the year!

Tuesday, our plan was another trip to the gym, but someone (not me) forgot their clothes. For me, yesterday was that day that I wanted to scream in the middle of an empty field from the pent up frustration. A trip to the gym is the last thing I wanted to do. Instead, we went home and D took a nap while I watched DVR episodes of Jon and Kate Plus 8 and The Hills. I felt so much better after this, until my dinner stuck to the bottom of the pan! I was about ready to throw it across the room and cry until D made me laugh over something so random and stupid that I was crying! After dinner, I went to bed early...too tired to make it through the Padres game (they won 2-1...yeah!).

Tonight is my weekly visit with Mom and Meema...we normally do it on Thursday, but they have plans tomorrow night. I hope everyone is well...take care of yourself!