Weekend Shenanigans: A Recap

I can't remember the last day I let pass without posting on the blog. And somehow, I let a whole weekend go by?! What is wrong with me?

My deepest apologies for my absence. I was in Santa Barbara, living life, having a blast, and was not sitting around on my laptop per usual.

Recap time!

I took Friday off work, drove to SB, got mani/pedis with the Biff, and then we had a classic SB night seeing a movie on the courthouse lawn. We watched "North By Northwest" while cuddled up with pillows and blankets on the grass under the stars, drinking champagne and eating cookies, and it was pretty fucking magical.

Saturday morning, we went to the beach and I taught a yoga class for the Biff. It was great practice and so much fun. She put herself in the mind of a beginner and it was super helpful to see how my cues were interpreted by someone who knows yoga but was pretending not to. Plus, the puppies were very helpful as well.

Then that evening I attended yet another wedding! One of my friends from high school married her best friend and boyfriend of something like six or seven years, and it was an absolutely beautiful event. She was overjoyed (and tipsy), he was beaming with pride (and drunk as well), and it was just a love-filled event full of dancing and laughing and....drinking.

Sunday there was brunch with the Biff, teacher training (at which I got some great feedback from my instructor on my presence), then another date with this new boy. Yup. Four dates in a week. He might like me.

We went to trivia again with his friends, then it turned out that motherfucking Dave Chappelle was doing an impromptu set at the boy's improv theater just down the street, so we ran over there and caught the last hour of his stand-up. So. Much. FUN! Such a classic LA night. I was stoked on it.

Oh yeah, and I'm kinda stoked on the boy too? Maybe?

So that was my weekend.

I'm exhausted.

Naptime?

New Perspective

I've been sorely lacking in creativity lately. I'm sure this totally lackluster blogspace has made that perfectly clear.

Maybe I just need a change of scenery.

Freedom Day

Gosh, sorry y'all. I was off living life yesterday, and I'm sure you just missed me terribly.

Right?

Sure.

I hope you all enjoyed your day of freedom from work (hopefully) and from the British (WOO!). You know, personally, I can take or leave the 4th of July, as a holiday. It's okay. But I enjoyed myself yesterday.

My parents throw a party every year due to their excellent view of the Santa Barbara fireworks, and of course I usually attend. Plus my sis and her boyfriend were in town for the weekend, along with her pup.

I'm always happy to help my mama out in the kitchen, so I spent the first part of the party there, and the second part drinking a bottle of wine.

Wiiine.

But let's not talk about wine, let's talk about food. And freedom. (I did go to the new SB CorePower yesterday, and freedom was the theme chosen by the instructor. FREEDOM!)

That whole introducing food groups slowly? Didn't work. Freedom is hard. But, you know, nothing has affected me awfully terribly. So that's good news.

Also in good news: I actually can handle freedom, in some ways. I have not gone crazy on portions, or on options. I had a few things the last two days that stray away from the way I've been eating the last month, but I wasn't tempted to go hog wild and binge on anything or everything. I was content to eat like a person.

Win for me.

Freedom tastes great.

'MERIKA.

Y'all, I'm getting married!

Yesterday's bridal shower was a wonderful afternoon of ladylike fun.

And look, I'm a bride!

Assorted Thoughts For Your Amusement

• My parents have way nicer toilet paper than I do. So soft...
• A reader (hi reader!) thought they saw me at a Chipotle in LA the other day, and almost went up to the girl to say hi, but didn't. Which is good, because it wasn't me. I officially feel like a celebrity.
• Have I told you one of my ultimate goals in life? To have a paparazzo take a picture of me, thinking they probably should 'cause I just look SO GOOD I MUST BE FAMOUS. Yup.
• MY FUCKING PERIOD STILL HASN'T COME AND I AM A TIGHTLY WOUND BALL OF HORMONES READY TO EXPLODE AT ANY MOMENT YOU BETTA WATCH OUT. 
• SHOUTY.
• I most definitely am not carrying the son of God.
• Right?
• I cried at a really bad movie yesterday. Really bad.
• I'm mentally totally zen about not hearing from New Guy yet, except because of the GOD DAMN HORMONES I AM TOTALLY NOT ZEN.
• I frosted a bajillion cupcakes while volunteering today and didn't eat ANY.
• That's...all. 

Sunshine Serenity

A Glorious Day

That's the word my Biff and I keep using to describe everything we do today.

Glorious.

We woke up and took the pups to get their exercise, getting it out of the way bright and early. Then we hit an amazing yoga class, had a fantastic brunch complete with champagne "poinsettias", ran a few errands, and were back home on our asses with nothing else left to do before three pm.

My darling Biff made us "spa water" with mint, cucumber and lemon after we showered off the sweat, and we are now lounging, reading, writing, enjoying the glorious sunshine.

Glorious, glorious, glorious.

Night and Day

Tree

Dark. Mysterious. Trapped.

Deuce and Annie Boo

Happy. Sunny. Free.

Just A Little Lie In

Well, I was supposed to go on a nice healthy beach walk with my mama this morning.

But instead, I slept in until one pm like a lazyass.

Those posts you see below? Yeah, pre-scheduled.

Whoops.

Guess my sickly body needed the sleep.

Saturday Shots

I drove to SB for less than 24 hours for my sister's belated birthday. I would have gone for the whole weekend, but I already had plans with the college roommates that I was never going to cancel. To be honest, I was bitching about it, but I'm glad I did it, and I had a great night tonight and I'm glad I got to celebrate with her and make her happy.

Obviously, if I was going to be about and about for the day, I was going to get pretty. I even blow-dried my hair. Woohoo, celebrating self-shot Saturday!

I met up with my ladies at the Commons in Calabasas, which is a super fancy schmancy outdoor shopping mall. The Kardashians get photographed there and shit. The three of us had lunch at Marmalade Cafe and then mani/pedis. It was just a blast, I just love the both of them to pieces and when we get together it's like no time has passed at all, we're cracking jokes and making fun of each other like we're nineteen again.

(Remind me to tell you about the children of the corn sometime.)

It was nice being already a quarter of the way to SB, so the rest of the drive went quickly and I got to my folks' place and had a glass of wine in my hand before I knew it. Before we left for dinner my sister gave me my belated birthday present, which was incredibly thoughtful and definitely worth waiting for. It's a yoga bag from Lululemon for when I start my teacher training program, I can fit my mat underneath and still have room for my notebook and books and towel and water bottle. And it's PINK! I LOVE it and it was incredibly sweet and generous of her.

We went out to dinner for sushi at one of the best places in town, Arigato, which is always fun and delicious. We met up with a friend of my sister's boyfriend, who ended up being entirely charming, friendly, and winning in every way. My parents liked him. He had a beard. Did the dishes after cake. A+ to him all around. Crush worthy for an SB girl, I'd say.

Also, I took a shot of sea urchin and quail egg. Yeah.

After sushi, we went back to the house and opened my sister's gifts (Visa gift cards/cash), ate German chocolate cake, drank wine, played with dogs. The usual. Well, not the total usual, we drank the BEST red wine I think I have ever had. It seriously smelled like honey, it was amazing and sweet and delicious. I want to drown in it.

But I got way sleepy, due to the consumption of red wine vs. white, and refused the invitation to go out to the bars with the cool kids. I'm way too lame for that. Of course, a second wind came on, and then I blog.

Still, I drowsy like Dubsies.

Kites and Kitchens

The plus side to the fact that I seem to wake up at ungodly early hours on weekends now is that I can get so much done before the clock strikes noon.

Like today I have blogged, and cleaned the incredibly dirty kitchen, and took the pup to exercise, all before lunchtime. There was a kite festival going on at the city college, so we took a stroll over there after balltime and observed. Deuce had no interest, though.

Pictures, you say?

Sure.

A Bromantic Date Night

I bought this DVD pack at Target a few weeks ago on sale.

It inspired tonight's night in with my Biff. I definitely knew I wouldn't be in the mood to go out for a third weekend in a row (two is really my max in a one month span, old lady that I am), and of course she was happy to join me for a healthy meal and some puppy snuggles.

Our version of a Bro Date.

I made one of my mama's new best recipes, a strawberry feta salad with poppyseed dressing, added chicken, plus brie and apple crescent rolls!

The rolls were delicious. I'm a pretty remedial cook, as we all know, but I managed not to screw them up. I used low-fat brie, so the cheese wasn't as melty and they weren't as messy, which worked out really well. The salad, of course, was not as tasty as when my mom makes it, but I did alright!

Also, there was wine.

We watched "Forgetting Sarah Marshall" and "40 Year Old Virgin", watched the pups play, and had our usual gossip sessions and bonding.

Good times. Good bro times.

I'm sure bros eat strawberry salad all the time, right?

Typical SB Saturday

If you're a regular reader of this blog, you might guess what I did with my Santa Barbara Saturday with the Biff.

Yoga. Brunch. Dogs. It's a winning combination.

Oh but wait...Taylor didn't go to yoga with her Biff, because Taylor had wine last night and Taylor had a headache. Lazy ass. Of course, the second it got too late to go, I regretted it.

But nothing's better than a scrumptious brunch at our fave Mesa spot. We're Mesa girls, what can I say? If I ever do get the chance to move back to SB, this is where I'll want to live.

In a biscuit.

Then it was time to exercise the dogs, and if you think I'm not going to force you to look at pictures of puppies, you don't know me very well.

A Daaay: Some words.

IT'S TOMORROW. And, now that I have had a few drinks, I can talk about my day.

I had a day. When I finally arrived at my parents' place to greet them with big hugs and a weary smile after two hours of traffic, I said, "Give me wine. The good stuff."

So, my poor Marilyn is still at the doctor's. I'm so sorry, Marilyn! The whole day at work (yeah, work) was spent calling the body shop checking in. "Should be ready 2-5. Call around 2." "Call around 3." "Call around 4:30." "Maaaaybe."

I don't like the unknown. In case you didn't know.

Then she wasn't even finished, and I had to drive the little tiny Fiat with no pick-up and no vroom to SB again, and everyone wanted to run me over on the freeway, and I finally go to SB and I drank all the wine and half a cocktail at the play.

Oh, right, my parents and I went to a play. We saw "The Year of Magical Thinking", a one-woman show starring Linda Purl. She was phenomenal, really, though at parts a bit scenery-chewing, but I was kind of bored by the show. One-person shows can only be so entertaining. But I imagine the book is incredible, and really, the show as great, just maybe a bit too long.

Then family bonding and chatting and catching up. All these weeks of house-sitting meant no parental time, which is unfortunate. Since, as you know, I happen to actually like my parents.

Now cozy room bed. I will sleep, and have yet another glorious SB weekend.

Sleep.

Friday Night Flirtini

Final photo offering of the day. Tomorrow, I promise, I will use my words.

How To Be A Klepto

Saturday night before hitting the bars (and getting in a bitch fight), my Biff and I went to dinner at my friend's parents' house with her boyfriend and mommy and daddy to celebrate her birthday. We had a fabulous time chatting and drinking authentic Puerto Rican sangria made by the Puerto Rican boyfriend, and after a few glasses I of course had to use the restroom. There, Drunk Me discovered and coveted a pair of colorful retro aviators. I tried them on and admired myself.

When I emerged, I asked if they were my friend's younger brother's, who lives at the house with his parents. (A few years ago, he was my roommate in LA, but that's a story for another time.) He was lurking about, had eaten dinner with us but was mostly hiding in his room. The answer was yes, so next time I saw him I caught his attention.

"Hey. You know your sunglasses in the bathroom?"

"Yeah?"

"They look really good on me."

(pause for laughter)

(longer pause)

"You can have them if you want."

That was totally not the intent of my comment, but I guess my subconscious manipulations were effective.

Hey, free sunglasses!

Picture Perfect Weekend

The Santa Barbara Views

 

The Siblings

The Boyfriends

Nail And Phone Coordination

Traditional Sunday Morning Breakfast