Trick or Treat, Smell My Feet

mike and i often reflect on how much we miss city life. san francisco is one of the best cities in the world filled with great restaurants, eclectic shops, nightlife, culture and many of our friends.

it doesn't hurt that we also fell in-love there. anyway you cut it, it'll remain a very special place for us and sometimes the nostalgia gets to be too much - that's when we know we're long overdue for a visit.

still, we both agree that we traded up. we have a great house in a great neighborhood only a mile from the ocean.

and it's all ours.

i think the reality really hit home when the doorbell rang and we were greeted by our very first trick or treaters tonight!

The Great Pumpkin

when i was a kid, i believed in the great pumpkin in addition to santa, the easter bunny, tooth fairy and every other make believe holiday legend. granted, i was very gullible but in my defense, my parents did everything possible to insure my little imagination went wild.

my dad would actually go to the pumpkin patch and pre-purchase a pumpkin for me. he'd write my name on the bottom and hide it in the midst of the the other 300 pumpkins. when i'd arrive, i'd search high and low to find my very special pumpkin brought to me by the great pumpkin.

as an adult, i still get a kick out of going to the pumpkin patch - even though it's much cheaper to buy a pumpkin at the grocery store. i no longer expect to find my name on the bottom of my special pumpkin but i can't wait to carry on the tradition with my child someday.

My Little Monster

lola got another shot this evening. she only has one more to go - the big rabies vaccination. she was such a good girl that i decided to treat her with a trip to petco afterward. while there, we checked out the halloween sale rack and i just couldn't resist the temptation to dress my puppy up for halloween.

clearly, from this picture it's obvious that i tricked her into treating me for a laugh. she's miserable but such a good sport!

It's a Bird, It's a Plane...

i was driving through my neighborhood on my way home from class tonight when i saw a figure coming towards me in the dark. it was moving quite rapidly on so i just assumed it was the usual...a very fast girl jogging by herself, ipod blaring at 10 at night

(why do girls do this, by the way?)

imagine my surprise when the figure neared and i discovered that it was actually a gorilla on a skateboard.

yes, you heard me right. a guy (or gal) in a full, head to toe gorilla suit (mask and all) went speeding past me. my only regret is that it happened so fast i didn't have time to snap a picture.

ah...i love halloween!

Lights Out

our house has become the location of choice for mike's study group. i don't mind actually because even though we don't see each other all night, it's nice having him home. plus, we certainly have the space.

tonight, his group met to prepare their final communications presentation next week. i decided to do my homework and study for my accounting test downstairs while they took over the dining room upstairs. all was going well when out of the blue, we found ourselves sitting in the dark.

turns out, the wind had blown the grid on our block.

after some fumbling around in the dark, we were able to find enough candles to keep us all in business and within a half hour the lights came back on.

no harm, no foul.

the most hilarious part of it all though...coming upstairs at the end of their meeting to see four grown men sitting around a table, laptops open, candy wrappers a plenty, lights blaring and 15 tea lights still lit in the middle of the table.

why they didn't blow out the candles when the lights came on i'll never know.

Parking Fairy

as i was walking to my car on my way out of the gym tonight, there was a line of cars waiting for a parking spot - ah, mondays. the first car in line was a guy driving a jeep and unfortunately for him, he was parked right in front of my car. i pointed to my parking spot with a "so sorry" smile and his smile back had "just my luck" written all over it.

imagine how surprised we both were when the car behind him scootched out and went on its merry way allowing my guy to back up just enough to snag my parking spot.

I don't know what jeep guy did in his past life to deserve this kind of luck but the parking fairies were surely riding in his passenger seat today.

Recovery

woke up feeling miserable. hangovers will do that to you, i guess.

still, halloween is the best holiday around and it's worth every ounce of pain.

i can't lie though...i'm pretty happy that i only torture myself like this on rare occasions these days.

Partying with Mom, Dad and Hef

there are so many reasons why being such great friends with your parents is absolutely awesome.

1. talking to them about anything and everything under the sun
2. getting real-life advice from the two people you admire most
3. being able to pull the plug on said advice when it gets out of control
4. doing favors for each other
5. having more fun at a family dinner than any "night out"

i never thought that partying together at the playboy mansion would make that list but sure enough, it has. i can't believe my parents are hot enough to blend in yet classy enough to act their age in such an environment.

i really am lucky!

Surreal

surreal: marked by the intense irrationality of a dream

in my house on a friday night. husband and puppy nearby. favorite music playing in the background. sitting at a desk that once belonged to my nonna, reading a book written by my dad about his life, containing all sorts of stories about my mom and sis that i never knew.

surreal.

Undercover

i ran a super top secret errand today and it went off without a hitch.

phew!

Trash Day

in our household, we don't have the stereotypical chores based on our gender. believe it or not, i actually married a man who helps with laundry and washes dishes...and they even come out clean afterward.

i know, right!?

he doesn't do bathrooms though. cleaning toilets is where he draws the line. but i don't really mind so it all works out.

the "manly" chores that mike insists on calling his own are mowing the lawn and taking out the trash and trust me, i let him. still, i like to surprise him every so often and bring the trash in for him since i get home from class first on wednesdays.

tonight was one of those nights.

Evening Stroll

i spent the whole day looking forward to taking our sweet lola for a walk this evening.

does that make my life very small?

i don't think so but even if it does, i don't really care. she's new to the leash and she's been doing so good! her spindly legs can only take her 7 pound belly so far so our "walk" is really a three block stroll but she loves it. and added bonus...she's absolutely exhausted afterward!

maybe i have a bit of a hidden agenda as well.

you see, tuesdays are tough. even though we're both home, we're usually preoccupied most of the night with homework and lately, dad's book. so, walking the dog is really an excuse for mike and i to have a short and sweet, 15 minute mid-week date.

i'll take it!

Sports Fan

growing up, my dad decided that if i wasn't going to play sports, i was sure going to "know" sports and i couldn't be more grateful. from an early age, i was taught the art of sports lingo. i was quizzed regularly on the mascots of every nfl team and i was told that i bleed dodger blue.

those skills have only grown as i've aged. i hate sounding like a "girl" so i've made a point of listening to sports radio and learning all i can about "my" teams. there's nothing like a loving a team so much that their win can literally brighten your week and their loss can break your heart (i know that all too well with this month's performances by the dodgers and cal bears).

i don't know many households that have espn on tv 24/7 (especially when the wife isn't complaining) but ours does. more than that, i love the look i get from my husband when the topic of baseball or football comes up and i hold my own in a room full of guys. i know that in that moment, he truly believes that he married the sexiest woman alive.

It's a Beautiful Day

beautiful sunday.

tired girl.

but so thankful for a task list that doesn't feel too taxing - visit baby, complete halloween costume, eat lunch, work on dad's book, play with puppy, makeout with husband, do homework, watch dodger game (or first half until i had to turn it off in disgust), cook dinner, upload pictures.

Memory Walk

what a day. there were so many wonderful things going on in this 24-hour period i swear, they could fill up a year's worth of this blog.

but, for the sake of space, i'll just make a list.

2a - woken up to the loudest yet most adorable snoring. lola was sound asleep on her back half on her bed and half on the floor.

4a - alarm goes off - time to head to cal state fullerton.

430a - on a desperate hunt for coffee. gas station #1 turns me away. circle k across the street welcomes me with 6 freshly brewed pots all calling my name.

515a - shivering in the dark on a metal folding chair with the early morning dew still fresh. waiting patiently for my sponsors to arrive and praying that they don't flake on me.

7a - breathing a sigh of relief because they didn't.

730a - registration opens. so many faces, all still weary from the early morning wake up call, begin to arrive.
8a - three cups of coffee later, in desperate need of a bathroom break. as i enter i run into an unfamiliar walker. i say, "good morning! thank you for joining us today!" she replies, "no honey, thank you for giving us a reason to be here - all together." she leaves. i get choked up and forget that i've been up for four hours already.

10a - walk countdown begins. families head to the start line. i secretly thank god for the chance to sit down for a whole 10 minutes. i decide to get out of myself for a minute and notice all of the bibs on everyone's shirts - they say, "walking in honor of my mom, my best friend" and "walking in memory of my nana. i miss her." i actually cry a little and decide to instead, thank god for the chance to call this "my job." how i am blessed.

11a - 3,500 walkers approach the finish line hot and thirsty but very excited to be a part of something so big.

1130p - overhear the band playing an eagles song in the background. smile because it reminds me of my wedding day.

12p - closing ceremonies. let the breakdown begin.

1215p - chef from el cholo worries that i hadn't eaten all day and brings me six tamales wrapped in a napkin to share with my husband. i have an overwhelming urge to hug him.

1p - wrap up complete. air-conditioned car is like heaven on earth.
2p - driving home with lola asleep on my lap feeling very fortunate to be so inspired - and very tired.

245p - open the door to folded laundry, scented candles, freshly made bed and vacuumed house - my husband is my hero.

3p - enter shower - good thing because i stink! as i dry off, mike returns home with a burrito and horchata to feed his hungry wife (someone stole my tamales during clean-up. it was the low point of the day).

315p - nap

7p - sitting on the balcony, glass of wine in hand and lola on my lap. watching as mike cooks dinner and enjoying an evening chat with my honey.

10p - turn on pirates of the carribean in bed.
1001p - embark upon the best night's sleep i've had in a long time.

T-Minus 24 Hours

waking up the day before memory walk is like waking up on moving day. there's a sense of excitement and dread all going on at the same time because you know the next 48 hours are going to be some of the longest you've had all year. i don't think anyone really knows what goes into a charity walk or race until they plan one - i know i didn't until last year. it's six months of work, hours upon hours of manual labor in 90 degree weather and about 1,000 moving pieces.

with only a half a dozen staff to create an event to raise a half million dollars, we are incredibly reliant on volunteers. in fact, since i started working in non-profit, all of my assistants have come in the form of volunteers or interns. as you can imagine, you never know what you're gonna get and by the end of your time together, you've become quite close.

today, i was assigned a volunteer who brought her mom along for the day. her mom was diagnosed with alzheimer's two years ago and since then, her daughter has been her primary caregiver. she was recently laid off from her job at wamu and has started selling avon to supplement her unemployment income. her mom requires constant entertainment (very typical of ad) but with her recent change of employment, her daughter has been forced to cut back on the time they spend dining out. unfortunately, her mom has picked up on the fact and recently asked her if "she's running out of money."

the daughter is a young, beautiful woman who is so committed to caring for her mom, she's put her needs completely on the backburner. you can tell because throughout every conversation, she's constantly looking over her shoulder to make sure her mom is in the same place she left her five minutes before. they stayed with me all day and i joked that for a volunteer, she did my job better than i do. as 6p rolled around, we said our goodbyes and i thanked her profusely for all of her hard work. a few minutes later, i noticed her mom was standing by herself near the parking lot. i ran over and she explained to me in spanish that her daughter went to get the car but she wasn't back yet. she was visibly worried so i put my arm around her and we stood together. minutes later a minivan came veering around the corner. her daughter jumped out, brows furried, out of breath. she helped her mom in the car and simply turned around and with a smile said, "thank you, nicole."

i so desperately wanted to yell to her, "why are you thanking me? i haven't done anything. thank YOU for being such a wonderful daughter. thank YOU for finding the time to volunteer despite your very full and exhausting life. thank YOU for reminding me why i do what i do and thank YOU for being such an inspiration."

instead, i just nodded and smiled back. i watched them pull away and turned around to get back to work. it was a long and exhausting day but one of the best i've had in a long time.

You Gotta Believe

i worked from home today and left our house in redondo beach at 4p to make it to game 1 of the dodgers/phillies national league championship series. i had to swing by downtown on my way to the stadium to pick mike up from work and new the odds were slim that we'd be there at 5p for the first pitch.

still, i had no idea what was in store for us. we didn't walk into the game until the middle of the 4th inning at 730p. no exaggeration - it took 3 1/2 hours to get into the parking lot!

i was crabby, frustrated, guilty (for wasting two of my dad's playoff tickets) and annoyed yet the minute i sat in that hard yellow seat, my irritation melted away. the dodgers lost. we had to hike up a dirt hill to get back to the car (which was parked in a remote lot behind the "think blue" sign) and i really should've been working that night but there's no place like dodger stadium. standing between my husband and my mom and dad singing "take me out to the ballgame" at the top of my lungs is really one of my favorite experiences in the world and i'm so blessed that i get to do it really regularly!

There's Always One

my pet peeve in the classroom is the person who insists on asking 20 questions when the rest of the class is ready to move on to the next subject. i don't know if it's that they're a little slow on the uptake or if they just want to instructor to know that they're paying attention (i suspect the latter) but there's always one.

as luck would have it, i actually have two of these students in my class. every time i see one of their hands shoot up, i breathe an internal sigh of frustration. but tonight, i forced myself to see them differently.

i realized that they're both probably 40-45 years-old. i doubt either are taking this community college accounting course for a grade but instead, to advance their careers. they never miss a class and it's obvious by their determination to understand that they're really invested in the art of learning this subject.

don't get me wrong, they still annoy me from time to time but at least i have a new sense of respect for their reason for being there!

The Art of Costume Shopping

as i strolled up and down the aisles of the costume superstore for the 22nd time tonight, i was overcome with a sense of frustration. i realized that i really hate the pre-made and very expensive bag costumes. they're generic, kinda cheesy and very over-priced for what's included. even worse, the bag only contains the nuts and bolts of the costume. in order to actually look like the girl in the picture, you have to spend another $50 on accessories - tights, boots, weapons, hats...you know the drill.

my poor and very patient husband continued to make suggestion after suggestion only to receive an emphatic "no way!" or "are you serious?" - reserved for the especially slutty selections. in midst of our unsuccessful shopping adventure, i couldn't help but wonder why i'm the only woman in the store unwilling to find peace with my selection.

then i thought of my mom. my beautiful mom always had the most amazing costumes. when it came to halloween, she truly lived by the motto of "go big or go home" and it always paid off. she's won more than her share of costume contests over the years and it's because she never settled for what was in the bag.

i suppose the fruit doesn't fall far from the tree.

Fully Stocked

i consider myself a "european" grocery shopper which is really just my way of making an excuse for the fact that i'm physically incapable of stocking the pantry with more than a day's worth of meals. still, i've been making a real effort to learn the art of grocery shopping because i think i'll not only save money but time if i learn how to avoid going to the market every single day.

it's all about baby steps.

so, for the past few weeks, i've been grocery shopping on sundays (along with every other person over 30 in america) and planning a week's worth of menus. better than that, i've been buying all of the ingredients to make wholesome and delicious lunches - and actually preparing them the night before.

i don't know who this woman is but when she opened her well-stocked pantry tonight, she felt very mature and all grown up!

#1 Auntie (for a minute)

cooper's 3rd birthday party was this afternoon. it was a sunday sundae party and it was a blast.

selfishly, i was most excited because, for possibly the first time ever, i gave the best present of the bunch. i have no idea why but he went for my box first and after opening it, all bets were off. he was completely distracted and we had to take a temporary recess from the present opening portion of the event.

i can't lie. i was a little flattered!

Can You Ever Have Too Much Arugula?

i took mike to a cute little sidewalk cafe that i discovered for lunch today. it's this adorable little french spot with a great cheese bar and all sorts of delicious eats. the exact place a guy would NEVER want to eat at. what was i thinking? fortunately, he was a good sport.

now, don't get me wrong. he harassed me all day for feeding him plates of food covered in arugula - and in his defense...there was a lot of arugula goin' on. i was constantly reminded that it's the perfect restaurant for "a group of girls to go after a bachelorette party" (clearly, he knows nothing about what happens at my friends' bachelorette parties).

rest assured, all is good in the world though.

i redeemed myself by taking him to a taco stand i've been wanting to try for dinner that night. we've been on a hunt for legit mexican food in the south bay - not an easy thing to do when nearly everyone who lives there is white and wealthy. but, we found it. it's a walk up stand with cheap tables in the back. we dined between a kid on his skateboard and a homeless man and had some of the best tacos we've had since we were last in tijuana.

my husband was so happy he almost forgot the arugula incident.

Black Tie Preferred

we went to the mexican american opportunity foundation's aztec awards tonight because mike's company was the title sponsor. the invitation clearly stated that it was a "black tie preferred" event although when we arrived, we learned that we were among the minority who actually took that request seriously.

most everyone else wore a suit and cocktail dress. oops.

i imagine that most people would be a little intimidated being totally overdressed - we showed up in a black tux and evening gown - but not us. fortunately, mike's confidence prevailed and me? i was just so excited to get all dressed up for an event that wasn't in any way related to "my" organizations that i couldn't care less that people were looking at us!

overall, the gala was pretty boring but it was at the biltmore and we did swing our black tie wearing selves into the hotel lounge for two over-priced cocktails and a half hour of live jazz music at the end which made up for it.

oh, and the kicker? we saw a young girl who looked EXACTLY like the female version of the long-haired kid from dazed and confused. i mean, it was one of the most amazing doppelganger sitings i've had in my life!

Dodgers vs Cards

anyone who knows me knows that my dad is possibly the biggest dodger fan alive. it started with his childhood in brooklyn and has only grown over the years. i have been going to games since i was in my mom's belly (or so i've been told) and as a family, we've shared some incredible memories and witnessed some awesome moments - not the least of which was kirk gibson's homerun in the '88 world series - yes, we stayed to the bitter end.

thank god.

so, you can imagine my sadness when i learned that i had conflicts for both of the two nlds playoff games guaranteed to take place at home this year! mike, on the other hand, was able to sneak out of work early and go to the game today with my parents. as jealous as i was (sitting in my office, typing away at the computer), i was also so excited to see that although he's a cubs fan at heart, he's embraced the family tradition and our agreement to root for each other's teams as long as they're not playing each other.

i also said a little prayer of thanks that i was blessed to marry a man who gets along with my family so well - even better than i do sometimes!

95%

my score on my first test in years.

i love school!

and apparently, i love accounting! who would've known?

Bella Jade Ferris

my friend had a baby yesterday! she's a doll and as i told him, "not at all creepy-looking like most newborns."

crass? maybe
but true? totally!

congratulations, james and krystal! i'm so happy for you guys and can't wait to meet sweet bella this weekend!

Ladies Night

lola and i had a really nice evening to ourselves.

mike was at class so we went for a walk around the block...literally (her legs are still very short), made mac and cheese and played around for a bit while the golden girls cackled in the background. then, she sat peacefully on my lap while i did my homework, studied for my test on wednesday and talked on the phone to my friend who recently moved to florida.

before we knew it, it was 1030p and mike was walking through the door. all in all, it was a productive and satisfying monday night for the girls.

Snuggle Up

it's been so hot this summer and we don't have an air-conditioner where we live. there's something about houses at the beach, none of them seem to have it. i think the thought is that there's always a steady ocean breeze to keep you cool. i get that if you live on the strand however the breeze doesn't always make it a mile inland.

we typically sleep with a sheet, coverlet and a down comforter. in the summer, we keep the comforter folded neatly at the foot of the bed until mike thrashes around in his sleep and it falls onto the floor. for the first time in months...actually, for the first time since we moved into our house in june, i pulled the comforter up to cover me in the middle of the night.

it was nice to be all cozy and warm under the blankets!

The Sweetest Thing

we barbecued at jen and casey's tonight for the cal/usc game. despite the despicable showing by my bears, it was a really great night amongst friends.

i sat back at one point and just took it all in.

i'm so happy for my best friend and the amazing life she and her husband have built for themselves. their house is awesome. their new yard is welcoming. their pooch is a total lover. he seems perfectly natural behind the grill and she's the consummate hostess insuring everyone's glasses are full.

seeing it all work out for someone you love is a really good feeling.

Dance, Dance Revolution

we started our friday evening with martinis and cigars on the patio. it was the first time we both felt healthy in a while so i think we were celebrating a little. we barbecued burgers and asparagus, matched them with tater tots and wine and watched the dodgers game .

it was truly glorious evening.

we may have had a little more wine than planned or maybe it was the martini to start the night off but we ended up dancing around the dining room with lola and singing "the gambler" at the top of our lungs.

ah, nothing like a good song and good company!

The Reviews Are In

i had my annual performance evaluation today. i'm lucky because i've never had a "bad" review. i always walk out knowing that there are areas that i need to improve but fortunately, my managers have always been constructive in their advice.

which makes me reflect...i suppose i never did have a review at fox sports bay area. i was there a year and a half and never had an "official" review. thank God for that...michael mcright was anything but "constructive" or "supportive."

today was good...i'm growing professionally and even receiving a title change in acknowledgement of that progress. not bad in a tough economy.