Happy new year!!!!

The new bedroom setup

It felt like moving day all over again

Stanleys room to be....

Adventures in San Diego

When I have recovered from this past weekend in San Diego I will post some pictures. Please note it is Wednesday and I'm still recovering. Tim and I have now developed a nice little pair of colds as a lovely parting gift. Lucky us!

Gasp, Gasp. I'm coming up for air.

I'm alive. Still breathing. Don't worry.
Only 1 more week til Disneyland.
I can smell the Churros already.

Zack and Miri

Tim and I went to see Zack and Miri Make a Porno today. I love Kevin Smith and I have for a long time. Whenever Tim and I can't figure out what to watch, we always turn to Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back. Classic. Kevin Smith is cool guy because I think that if Tim and I were around him we would be friends with him. He loves Star Wars and all things geeky. Just like us. He's sarcastic, rude, vulgar and very perverted but somehow he always manages to turn all that into an entertaining couple of hours. I do see what all the controversy was about with the initial NC-17 rating. Yes, there is a lot of sex in the movie and quite graphic at that. Boobs and penises run amok. And there is 1 scene with poop. However, it's actually a very nice little story that I think we can all relate to (minus the wanting to make porn because you can't pay your bills). So overall, I think that Kevin Smith has done a good job with his latest adventure. Supposedly he is making a low budget horror movie next (boo) but I'm looking forward to whatever else comes next from this man. Oh, the clip is NSFW but I think it proves why I really like this man.

Booked!

Our vacation is booked. 2 days at Disney in December. We're going Thursday, Friday and then coming home Saturday. It'll be a nice change to go mid week (not as busy) and also we'll have Saturday night and all of Sunday to sleep and recover from all the churros and whatnots.  I'm looking forward to that fake snow too! Woot! I can already hear the fireworks song in my head (plus the spanish translation for laughs) =)

new do

I got my hair cut yesterday. About 1 1/2 inches. I'm glad. It looks nice. 

Sharks are winning against Detroit. Sweet.

Is it the weekend yet? Can you tell my brain is gone? I can only write in short sentences.

Off to the bath before bed. Yay!

Spartans vs. Boise

Slacking.....again!

Yes yes, I've been slacking again with posting. I have made a few attempts to mobile blog with pics but it always seems to hang up and never goes through so I usually just quit. Anyway, we're in the middle of Heroes which has quickly turned from an awesome show into somewhat of a Lost fiasco. (Sorry Tim).  So far the best shows on this fall are: Chuck, How I met your Mother and The Big Bang Theory. I also can't wait for 30 Rock to come back because, contrary to what Lorne Michaels thinks, lots of people watch that show. It's probably the best comedy on tv since Arrested Development (Oh snap I went there). If you aren't watching 30 Rock, you should set your Tivo now. It's worth your time. Plus, what else you gonna watch? =) 

A postcard picture of SJ

The beginnings of our French cooking class. Good start!

TGIF

Happy Friday everyone (almost). I'm taking a test this weekend for further certification in my work so keep your fingers crossed that I pass. I haven't even started studying yet, but I have a bit of time tomorrow so hopefully I'll get some studying in then. I may even take it to the gym with me so I can study while I work out. So again, keep those fingers crossed! =)

poop

Property tax bill has arrived

Rough week at work

No weekend to relax due to Seminar/re-licensing

Yes I know it could be much worse. My house could be under water or I could have lost my job due to the stock market crashing. But sometimes you just want to wallow in your own sadness. Maybe some filth too. 

Burn Baby

So I got a tad bit of sun yesterday at the game. I am a champion of sunblock but somehow missed my chest and a few pieces on my shoulders. I also have a nice stripe across the top of my head near my hairline. Fortunately, I have good makeup and most people couldn't tell that I was burned. I'm just now starting to feel that tight, hot, itchy feeling across my chest so I'll be keeping a cool ice pack on me later on. =) A cool shower is also in order I think. Unfortunately, our bathroom has been invaded by ants so I need to corral that tonight as well. Happy Monday everyone. Only 4 more days til Friday!

Faithful

Good evening party people

Hello world. Sorry for my absence. So many things happening, so many naps to be had. I hope everyone had a great Labor Day vacay. Tim and I went to see Tropic Thunder. It was pretty funny and just solidified my love for Robert Downey Jr. 

The one good thing about holidays that occur during the week mean that the rest of the week is short. Today was a crazy busy day but I still managed to get a lot of paperwork done. I just plugged in my headphones and blocked out the rest of the office. Now mind you, my dad was kind enough to buy me a really nice in-ear pair of headphones with noise canceling (not Bose, so Tim approves). Once you put them in, you really can't hear anything. I heart them.

Today also marks my first day back to the gym in about 2 weeks. It felt great to slog it out against the elliptical machine again. I'm looking forward to getting in a few more workouts this week before the weekend rolls around again. 

Birthday baseball! Love u Bee!

Why?

Why is it that you spend so much of your younger years trying not to get pregnant and then when you want it so bad it doesn't happen? 

The recap....

A quick recap of the Vegas trip:

We arrived on Friday afternoon after a great flight with US Airways. I highly recommend them! We got to Caesar's and checked in. After situating ourselves in our rooms, we went over to Margaritaville on the strip. What an experience. We managed to snag ourselves a table by the bar and got our tower of drink (See picture below) and some snacks! Little did we know that this was going to be the rowdiest party around. At one point a girl goes sliding down a water slide into a giant plastic jug of water shaped like a blender splashing water all over the crowd. It was nuts but so much fun. Then, we walked around a bit and gambled some over at the Mirage before hitting the hay. Saturday we cabbed it over to the Wynn. I had never been to that hotel before. The Wynn is absolutely stunning and I hope to be able to stay there sometime, although, I think it might be a bit out of my price range. Although, Tim was a big winner on the slots there. After the Wynn, we walked back through the Palazzo (new as well) and through the Venetian. We went on the gondolas with my aunt and uncle as they really wanted to try them out. After the Venetian we went back to Caesar's and shopped a bit. We then went down to Mandalay Bay to the House of Blues for a snack and drink before going to see Mamma Mia! After seeing the movie, I didn't know what to expect. However, the show is exactly the same as the movie. Great music, great show! After the show, we went and had dinner at the Rum Jungle club at Mandalay. It's a Brazilian steakhouse and the food was delicious! After the steaks, we went back to Caesar's and gambled a bit more and listened to the DJ at the Shadow Bar. Before we knew it is was past midnight and we were pooped. Full of good food and drink, we rolled into bed. Oh yes, all this talk of bed reminds me of something I forgot to report. We were in the cheaper tower at Caesar's to begin with, however, my parents had some people come into their room at midnight on Friday (people who had been given a key to that room, not robbers or anything) and so my mum insisted that we all get moved into a nicer tower. We wound up getting put into the Augustus tower which was a nice treat for us all. Overall, the trip was a great success and my relatives had a really good time. I'm glad they got to experience a little slice of surreality while they were here in the US.

My husband is a big winner!

Courtesy of jimmy buffet!

Happy Anniversary to me!

Three years ago I truly married my best friend. Today I am enjoying a new Coach wallet from him. Did I pick a winner or what?

In 2 days...

I'll have been married for 3 years.

My relatives will be coming from England.

+8 I'll be in Vegas.

Snip Snip

I got a haircut today. I have shed my winter coat. I am freshly blonde and much shorter in length....but, I LOVE IT! Woot!

Birthday princess

Happy roller birthday Sarah!

What I like about sonic is....

The Dark Knight

Last night I contributed to the world domination that will be The Dark Knight. Overall, I thought is was an excellent movie. Even though it is only rated PG 13, it is a very intense and quite violent. I had to turn my head at a few parts, especially as the Joker has a propensity for using knives. Otherwise, I do believe the hype that Heath Ledger may receive a posthumous Oscar for his portrayal of the Joker. Definitely a buy.

Dan in Real Life

So this movie totally exceeded my expectations. I would almost give it 4/5 stars. Also, why do I find Steve Carrell oddly attractive? (Especially in this movie) I usually don't like funny people trying to be dramatic/serious in their movies, however, I thought it was really well done. 2 thumbs up.

Bye bye laziness

With some help from my parents and my wonderful husband, our closet is
now clean and mostly empty. Sunday task completed!

I'm lazy

I've been doing some self reflecting over the past couple of days and realized that I am pretty lazy. I'm not good about doing things that I know I need to do. I think that a lot of the time I just don't have enough motivation to get started yet I know that until I get the things done that I need to I just won't be able to have a clear mind. Maybe that's why I feel so "full" all the time. I think that best thing to do will be to set a timeline/schedule for myself in regards to not just the big things I want to do but I think also the small things. So let's start: this weekend I will get all the Christmas/ other extraneous closet things over to storage. Check back next week to see if I did it =) Wish me luck.

Aloha continued...

Our first day on Kauai. Straight to the beach.

View of us from the helicopter!

The famous wild chickens of Kauai. According to our helicopter pilot, these chickens were all displaced during a hurricane in 92. Since then, thousands of them have been born and they just roam the island free.

The Na Pali coast seen from our helicopter

Aloha!!!!!!!!!

Steady hand with the camera in the car. Welcome to Poipu!

View of the pool at the hotel.

View from the beach at our hotel

Secluded beach we found when we got lost. No matter though, as Kauai is an island and the highway stops at one point so you just have to turn around and go back. =)

The world famous Waimea canyon. The Grand Canyon of the Pacific!

Mound of chicken at Olympic cafe in Kauai

Kauai 3pm 80 degrees surfs

Kauai surf 3:00 pm 80 degrees and sunny

weekend update

Recap: Friday we went to see Zohan. I loves me some Adam Sandler and it is always good to have a mindless movie going experience once in awhile. Especially since Tim and I have been on a serious drama Netflix kick for awhile. Listen, nobody can make kicking a cat like a hackey sack and calling it "cat sack" like Adam Sandler.
Saturday I had to work a bit in the morning but the shift was pretty easy so the time went by quickly. I came home and had a bit of a nap. I'm trying to break my napping habit since I know that it will be tough once Tim and I have a baby. Then, we had the gang over for dinner. I have to say, I think that last night was one of the best times I have had in a long time. We went to the park downstairs and played ball games and Frisbee. Then, we had BBQ and S'mores on the grill. Drinks were a'plenty and tasty (so I hear, I've given up alcohol while we're trying). We played Catchphrase and of course the conversation got dirtier and dirtier as the night went on. Thanks to the gang for being so awesome and making the night so memorable. I love your dirty minds and your blank blank blanks. =) (Cheri your clue giving skills were awesome)
Today we had our parents over for Father's Day. Delicious food was enjoyed by all and now Tim is playing Metal Gear. I want to go to the pool with him but he is being a bit of a slack Alice (English term for someone who mopes about and doesn't want to do much), but I might go by myself anyway. It's too nice to be inside I think =)

Summer fun! Baseball in the park.

Afternoon zen courtesy of my parent's back yard.

Into the Wild

Dear Sean Penn,
Your movie is boring, shallow and pedantic. I'm going for a bath.

Ballgame! Yummy magheritas!

Line for Indy 4. We are first!

Sexy alligator courtesy of Capers

This weekend's events....

The downside of maintaining a license. At least we are at hotel
Valencia.

Watch out food network! I'm on my way!

I am Iron Man

Tim and I went to see Iron Man last night. One of the best movies I've seen in a long time, by far. Of course it does help that Robert Downey Jr. is super hot and looks great in this movie. It made me think about the days he was on Ally McBeal and how much Sarah and I loved him. Then he went all druggie crazy and wound up getting fired. Boo. However, he seems to have made a nice recovery. Definitely a buy.

In other movie news, I have Gone Baby Gone sitting in our drawer. I've had it for several weeks now but I just can't seem to bring myself to watch it. I know that it's supposed to be such a great movie, however, I just don't seem to be in the mood for such a serious topic. I think that we'll have to watch it today though before Tim gets mad =) We just watched Sweeney Todd as well. I love musicals and found that the music in this movie was fantastically difficult. Those who know music and can read music will appreciate the complexity of the score. I know that some of you are thinking how could I watch this movie considering it is about throat slashing and gore etc. Please note, this is Tim Burton! I love his movies (strange) especially Corpse Bride. He is always over the top and super fake so it didn't bother me too much. I think however that this really is a broadway show and not really meant for a movie, so I'm adding it to my list of stage shows I'd like to see. I have to give props to Johnny Depp though as his singing was actually quite good considering he doesn't read music at all. =) I would recommend this movie for musical buffs mostly. I think most people might be put off by it. If you've seen it, let me know what you think!

facebook

I've given in. I'm over to the dark side. Come find me on Facebook.

I predict 3-1 win!

Hairdo!!!!!

Finding a good hair person can be hard these days. I had a really good girl and then all of a sudden she upped and left for San Diego. No warning, No goodbye, Nothing! So, I had to get a new girl. I stayed at the same place and went to the girl that has been cutting my mom's hair. I needed to get my hair highlighted too, so needless to say I was nervous. It's always scary when someone new works on your hair, especially when they are working with chemicals that could cause blindness if spilled in your eye. Anyhoo, in the end, she did an awesome color job and gave me a great haircut. I'm quite excited. I will definitely be going back to her.

today

Tim and I met with our potential OB today. I really liked her and felt she was on the same page as me. She seems very relaxed and sees pregnancy not as a "medical" issue, but just as a great part of life. I'm looking forward to working with her. She said the average time to get pregnant is now 6-9 months. Hmm...maybe we need to start trying earlier? =) Tim will be happy to know this...

Musings on the future

I was thinking the other day that come Christmastime, the traditional O'Connor Disneyland trip will roll around and I will probably be pregnant. What does that mean? Am I relegated to Peter Pan and rides such as that? No more California Screamin? No more Indy? Hmm....My mum actually said "maybe we won't go". Blasphemy! Sacreligious! Can't even fathom it....=)

However, thinking about the future some more, I realize that I might be pregnant for Tim's sister's wedding (Early); but for sure for Mike's wedding and for the Christmas party and for New Year's. I will say that I'm excited to be the sober driver though as I'm expecting a great drunken dancing show performed by Tim while Mike takes more of Eric's clothes as Eric angrily argues with himself for hiccuping. Ahh good times!

Happy Friday Everyone! Beware of boogie woogie sheep!

Happy Easter

Happy Easter everyone. I hope you all have a nice weekend and enjoy some time with your families. Wonder what they serve at Hooters for Easter? (B, any specials?) Can't wait to get some chicken strips.....mmmm...ranch dressing (or maybe blue/bleu cheese) Who's with me?

A bit of the motherland

I have a new love in the "girly" area of life. Boots No. 7 face wipes from Target are fantastic. For those of you who don't know, Boots is like the Target of England except we call it the "chemist". Anyway, Boots has a lot of products at Target now and I know that both my cousin and aunt use these face wipes and love them. I decided to give them a try as I had been using neutrogena wipes but felt they were hurting my eyes. The Boots wipes are very gentle and have a nice smell to them as well. They are great for using right before you fall into bed when you can't be bothered to take your makeup off. Try them. You won't be dissappointed. =)

Living in California

As I sit here at Panera on a Monday afternoon, it is quite clear that despite the high cost of living, crowding and pricey gas, California is a great place to live. I'm working outside, in the sun, in March! Some of the country still has snow! What???? God Bless, Podunk Wisconsin! Bring them some sun!

Not bad for 30 minutes

zzzzz........

This weekend I slept for a total of 22 hours from Friday night til Sunday night. I think that it was greatly needed. Tim is a little in shock that I can sleep so much but I really needed it and still could have slept more I think.

In between my sleeps, I got all of our bills organized. With this being a leap year and all I totally forgot that the mortgage was due etc.....Fortunately, we have until the 15th to pay our mortgage so a few days late is ok.

I have rediscovered my love for diet 7up. As most of you know, I've been trying to cut down on my caffeine intake so that when I get pregnant it won't be too hard to cut out. Also, there has been quite a bit of research lately about caffeine making it harder to get pregnant as well, so I think it's best to cut it out as much as I can. As far as soda goes, 7up seems to have the least chemical content and the most "natural" ingredients. It's also super refreshing. I recommend it as a great middle of the night parched mouth drink as well. Yum yum.

Good news everyone

We don't owe the taxman any money. Yipee. We are thinking of paying off Tim's cars with the money we are getting back and then buying a new car at the end of the year. This will allow us to save a little more for a down payment. So now comes the question of what type of car we should get. What do you think, loyal readers?

This.....is American Idol

What is it about Ryan Seacrest that just ruins everything? =) Anyway, while American idol is on in the background, I thought I would do a quick post. Didn't get a chance to go to the gym today as I went up to see the mega mansion in Fremont (and the parentals too). Overall, I feel pretty good and I'm not sore. I'm not too out of shape, surprisingly enough. =)

Tomorrow Tim and I are going to see our tax guy. Fingers crossed we get money back this year instead of owing a buttload like last year....

back in the saddle again

Today was my first day back exercising after taking a break due to my prolonged lung/nose ickyness. It felt good to get back on the elliptical again. My legs are a bit sore but overall I feel pretty good. I think that a good nights sleep is in the air...=)

Oh yeah, I wanted to add to my list of non-resolutions from the beginning of the year:
-Take more weekend trips with my husband

Will keep you posted at we travel a bit more this year. =) First stop, hopefully, Tahoe.

iPhone v4

Yes, you read the title correct. I'm now on my 4th iPhone. On Thursday night, at La Fondue, i wanted to take some pictures. So, I turned on the camera and the screen turned green, like night vision. Bummer. When we got home, I made an appointment for the next day to talk to someone at the genius bar at Valley Fair. When I got there, the guy said "I have to talk to my lead repair guy." So, he disappears into the back for about 5 minutes and then comes back and says that they can't replace it because of "cosmetic damage". "You must have dropped it so many times that the leads to the camera are loose." That'll be $250 to fix it. UMMMMM No. Anyway, long story short, I got him to give me a new phone in the end. I think it might be a refurb but I don't care because the camera works. So yes, I'm now on my 4th phone. Let's all pray this is the last one.

Thanks to Tim

As per his blog, Tim is a great cook! It's true that our meals have been a little less than nutritious over the past few days (half a pint of S'mores Ben and Jerry's). I love that he does the shopping and most of the cooking though. But he's right, how can I work 2 jobs and cook as well? Plus, he is getting to be quite the "Jamie Oliver". (That's what I call him in the kitchen) What exactly is a "knob" of butter, anyway?

As a side note, we are going to La Fondue tomorrow. And yes, my taste has returned. =) I'm excited about celebrating Valentine's Day on the actual day. And yes, I know that it is an over-commercialized day, but I'm really looking forward to it. Melted chocolate, here I come!

Wild Kingdom

So, the hamsters have been fighting all night. We can't tell if they are playing or if they are really fighting. It all began when Tim put new food into their cage....Hmm....don't know if they are trying to establish dominance or what but it's a little be unnerving as they "scream" when they fight. Eek! They seem to have calmed down now as Tim scattered their food all over the cage. Let's hope this episode of Wild Kingdom was enough...

PS- this you tube video is not of our hamsters but this is what it looked like:

I did it!

Yes folks, the short hair has arrived. Now I told some people that I would cut my hair when I got pregnant, but let me go on the record to say that I am NOT pregnant (yet). I'm just too lazy to style long hair. There, I said it. A weight has been lifted (literally).

The O'Connor sickness, end of month 1

Yes it is true. We have been sick for 1 month now. I'm almost completely back to normal, I just can't taste or smell certain things. It's super frustrating as I love food! Eating is kinda frustrating when you can't taste it. It better be back by the 14th as we're going to La Fondue and I want to taste every pricey morsel! =)
On a side note, I've decided to cut my hair. I think that I have finally come to terms with the fact that I need to cut it as it is getting unmanageable now. I wanted to grow it out until I got pregnant but I don't think I can last any longer =) We shall see. I might lose my nerve!
I will update after I go to the hairdresser.........stay tuned!

Good news everyone

After breakfast this morning, Tim and I decided that we wanted to get new hamsters right away as the den is so empty without Cocoa. So....we trekked down to petsmart to check out our options. We narrowed the field down to a breed called robo hamsters and winter whites. (Tim wanted mice or a rat, but they just were a bit to ugly for my liking. Plus, one of them mooned me quite blatantly so....) They didn't have any russians in groups of 2 or more and we knew we wanted at least two so we had to pick something else. The robos were SUPER tiny and seemed a bit too feisty for us. It actually said on the cage that if they got loose you would never catch them.
So, winter whites for us. Evidently, if the weather is consistently dark, they turn white. Right now they a little grey with white tummies. So cute. Pictures to follow. Oh yeah, their names are nibbler and squeak. =)

Our fat little friend

Cocoa our hamster died last night/this morning. She was all snuggled up in her bedding with her eyes closed. =( Good way to go, I guess.

Don't make resolutions....set goals for 08

I read this quote today and liked it: "concrete goals don’t evaporate in the face of adversity, hardship or laziness. Resolutions are broken — and usually abandoned — with one misstep; goals are such a long journey that bad footwork days are to be expected. There have been goals that have taken several years to accomplish but that have been achieved over time."

What are your goals for 2008? Mine are as follows (in no particular order)
1) Be more efficient in my job so I don't have to work so hard
2) Continue my exercise/eating plan and lose 7 more pounds (10 lost already).
3) Read more non-fiction books
4) Break my habit of leaving piles of papers and bills on the kitchen counter
5) Limit procrastination of any kind in all aspects of my life (note I didn't say completely stop)
6) Enjoy my parents new house/mansion (pretend it's my summer home in the Hamptons)
7) Prepare (as much as possible) to get pregnant
and lastly just for Bee-
8) Feel great in the 08! =)

Happy New Year to you all. I hope that all of your hopes and dreams come true this year....