goodbye 2008, helllllo new year

2009 is just around the corner - I can almost feel it! Today is new year's eve eve and I am working from Baltimore. Things are slow and then get crazy and then go back to being slow so I figured it would be a good time to get one more 2008 blog post in. I've been back in Maryland for almost two weeks and it's been great. Started out a little bumpy, snow in Las Vegas and SW lost my bag but I arrived safely into BWI at 2 am with Kendall and Mom waiting for me. I really do have the best family.
I've gotten to see Shelly, Sherrie, Ashley, Jaime, Heather, Angi, Ben, KMR, LMR, Andy, Meredith and pretty much the whole fam :) I still want to connect with a few more peeps are are quickly running out of days - just booked my flight back yesterday for Monday morning so have just less than a week (I am famous for this)
Christmas Eve and Christmas day were pretty fantastic although I was definitely whiped from not enough sleep, good food, running around and all that jazz.
Last night Mom, Kendall and Jeff came down and we all played rock band at Kara and Brian's. Um - I am so into this! It's really fun - I am very horrible at the guitar, am pretty darn bad at the drums and am pretty darn good at the vocals :)
Danny is home from the hospital as of 12/26 - his tumor has shrunk significantly and he is having to go back to the hospital for chemo every so often. Please continue to pray for his recovery.
Happy almost 2009! I have a great feeling about the year ahead -- and will make an attempt to be a better blogger....

raindrops falling on my head

Last night I went to my very first ugly Christmas sweater party. It was hilarious! A tradition that I hope to keep up for quite some time. Iz and I meet up yesterday morning for coffee and ran some errands. She starts work again tomorrow. This week is secret santa week at work so we drew names and each day bring in something for our person for $3 - I got hers which is kind of fun. I woke up to rain this morning - my first thought was nice, a rainy Sunday and I can stay in bed, my second was poor Julia who had gotten up hours before and was running in a relay race in the wet and cold. Eventually, I braved the rain and headed down to SOMA in an attempt to find a Dora sleeping bag - after going to 3 places...I wasn't even able to find a sleeping bag let alone one with Dora on it. I felt so defeated - that was the only thing that the 7 year old from the family giving tree requested. We will see what I can possibly find between now and tomorrow morning. I got caught in the rain everywhere that I went and must have been quite a sight trying to manuever on the streets and bus. I've come to accept the fact that I will never be one of those people that don't even look like they get wet or are affected by the rain. Nope, not me. I am the one fighting with my umbrella, in my rain boots, make-up probably smeared, juggling bags- quite the sight to see I am sure. I was able to get 98% of my Christmas cards done today. I know works is going to be crazy this week - our holiday get together is on Tuesday afternoon at the Bebo office. I can't get warm in our apartment this weekend. Even broke out the heating blanket tonight, but still chilly. Better get some Zs before Monday is here.

the ATL

Just got back tonight from Atlanta - it's been years since I have been there- like I really don't remember the last time that well. Such a cute town! Very spread out but I really liked it. Come to find out the airport there is the busiest in the world... I had no idea. Tuesday night we went to a mexican/tapas place with Brian, Angela, Suzy and the rest of the west coast AMDs. I have had a lot on my mind so even after quite a few glasses of sangria, I had a hard time sleeping. Two days of training/meetings followed and it was actually better than I expected. It is really hard to manage people when you have no idea what you are doing. I came out of it wanting to be better and hoping that I can make changes to my style and provide more direction and support for my team in the next few months. We will see. Last night was so fun! Suzy and I took a cab to Fados and crashed the Atlanta holiday happy hour --mostly to hang with Alia and Kathy. Afterwards the 4 of us went to Lola where we had reservations. It was so great to all be together, sipping bellinis and catching up. I really miss them! We dropped Alia off at her condo (very Melrose Place-ish apparently) and spent the night at Kathy and Erik's. Their home is so beauitful...today we worked out of the office a bit and then headed to the airport. One week from today, I will be back on the east coast for the holidays! I really need to get shopping

keeping things in perspective

I would be lying if I said that I saw today coming. I did not. I guess that is what happens when you just go about your everyday life - taking things for granted and not living each minute in a way that you would be glad to.
I was completely taken by surprise this morning when I talked to mom - she didn't quite sound like herself but I had no idea what had gone down the hours leading up to then. Apparently, Danny was taken to the hospital last night when he was having problems breathing. The doctors found a mass in his chest and he was flown to UofM in Baltimore. After doing a biospy today, they are starting chemo tomorrow and being aggressive about the treatment. Here he is a 20 year old, sweet, college boy and now he is dealing with all of this and my heart just breaks for him and Ms Karen. I am trying so hard to be optimistic. I mean he is in good hands but still I am so sad. I cannot even imagine how TJ and Kendall are coping...If you are reading this, please keep Danny in your prayers.

procrastinating

Right now I am writing only so that I don't have to do anything else... how riduculous is that? I don't want to pack, I don't want to do Christmas cards, I don't want to clean, I want to be productive without actually doing anything and so I am putting it all off. You would be amazed at how good I am at this. I could go on and on but need to make it to Sunday night yoga which starts within the hour (and I am NOT going to be that girl that walks in all loud right when everyone is in their comfortable place with their eyes closed - I always try so hard not to open my eyes and look at these people, but it never works)
It's crazy to me how we are in a recession and yet you would never really know it by going down to Union Square with all the shoppers and hustle and bustle. There are still waits in restaurants and people trying to spend money any way they can.
I read today that the top 3 healthiest cities in the country are - 1) Bethesda 2) SF 3) Honululu I think that it is very interesting that I have lived in two of these places in the past 6 years or so and would totally live in Hawaii. It was funny because today while I was running around I was thinking that San Francisco is really like an outdoor playground where you can play every day of the year - minus the month that it rains of course. But between the crazy hills and the hidden parks and sights, it's something else.
Tonight I am making stir fry. I never had before and hope that it turns out. I know I will be thinking about dinner the whole time I am downward facing dog, etc. Alright, on that note, I am off to the gym so that I can further procrastinate getting things done before the weekend is over ...such is life...

Eat, Drink and Be Merry!

December already?

It is fair to say, the rest of my time at home was pretty fantastic. Of course I didn't quite get as much time with everyone that I would have liked but it wasn't too much crazy running around and I got to spend lots of time with the fam.

I flew back on Tuesday, went to the Oasis concert in Oakland on Wednesdayand totally needed this pretty chill weekend.

Yesterday I decided I am going on this amazing cruise in February with Dad. Really, it's such a good deal and we are going to all places that I haven't been before but want to go like Costa Rica and Panama - two weeks off works which I am not sure that I have ever done...two months from now ;)

Julia decorated our apartment today and it looks so good! She has a knack for throwing things together and making it look fabulous. We had a good day today running around town. Definitely starting to feel like the holdiays which somehow have been sneaking up. I really need to get Christmas shopping!

Tuesday I am headed to Atlanta for an AMD meeting. I can't wait for Thursday night when Suzy, Kathy, Alia and I are all getting together!

Today is Meredith's 30th - she is throwing down in NYC. I'm really glad that we got to catch up while I was home.

I finally saw Twilight and LOVED it...I am obsessed with vampires and started reading the second one - New Moon. I am also reading Three Cups of Tea which started slow but now is so interesting. I am in awe of how some people can truly make a difference in the lives of so many people. And it is really cool because Greg lived in "the Bay area" for a bit and so it references a bunch of places in San Francisco and Berkeley. I must admit I am not very good at reading more than one book at once but I'd like to think that I have other talents :)

“Go for long walks, indulge in hot baths, question your assumptions, be kind to yourself, live for the moment, loosen up, scream, curse the world, count your blessings, just let go, just be.” – Carol Shields

Tuesday before Turkey day

So as you may have picked up, I have been extra excited about Thanskgiving this year - partically because we skipped it last year and partically just because I have been itching to see my family, eat and visit. I flew home on Saturday - changed my flight so that I could be there for Kristen's 29th Birthday throw down in DC. Brian picked me up at BWI and we headed down to Tiff and Chris' to pick them up, kiss the kids, freshen up and see Dad and Jo. Today is Kristen and Joanne's actual birthdays. Happy birthday to two truly fabulous ladies! I love, love, love you guys and know that I am not always the easiest person to put up with and you do it so very well. You both mean so much to me, I can't even find the right words to explain it. I am blessed that our lives have become so entertwined.
So Saturday night was super fun (to use a Kendall term) - we had quite the crew at Kristen's - drank, ate, hung out, laughed a bunch (tick tock). Kristen performed the Thriller dance which is something that I will not soon forget! Of course then like 20 of us piled into a number of DC cabs and headed down to The Bottom Line. We always have a great time at this hole in the wall place with sticky floors, a make shift dj booth in the back and lots of intersting people. It also helps that Kevin usually hooks us up like crazy and we never leave remembering everything that went down on the dance floor :) VA Ben showed up - it was great to see him and crazy to me that we have known each other as long as we have - I think it's like 5 + years...fast forward to mid-day Sunday ;)
We celebrated Joanne and Kristen's birthdays in Frederick. Everything was great about that day. The food was so delish! Football was on, Dad made bloody marys, we told stories from the previous night, Morgan was running around being cute and Carter was drooling all over everything. Lindsey brought Maddy by after dinner - oh my! I haven't seen them since she was only a few weeks old and the difference is unreal. She is so pretty and let me hold her the whole time. I think we bonded because we both had fuzzy boots on but I felt extra special because Linds said she is usually not like that with people she doesn't know very well. Kara dropped me with Mom and Kendall and we drive Ken up to school. Mom and I hung out for a bit before I totally crashed from all the weekend festivities.
Yesterday I had the day off which was so nice. Mom and I had breakfast together and visited before I head out to see Jaime and Jackson. Jackson was born the day after I left MD my last visit. He is so smiley and precious. I got to spend a few hours with them hanging inside on a cold Monday - we caught up, had lunch, looked at pics, watched the baby and all of the expressions! After that I headed up to Heather's to hang with her and Siena who I hadn't seen since the day she was born. Her eyelashes are crazy long and I just got to hold her the entire time that I was there. I can't tell you how awesome it was to spend the day with two of my closest friends and their adorable children that call me Aunt Kelly :)

link and yay!

Okay, okay, - so here it is: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a0MXjGCNnC0 for your entertainment... hahaha

I am getting so very excited about Thanksgiving and my upcoming east coast trip! Really cannot wait to see everyone and eat and veg and so much fun stuff planned, I am not sure if I can handle it! I get to meet Jackson, celebrate Kristen and Joanne's birthdays, have a girls night at Suzy's on Monday, Thanksgiving at Chrissy's, hang out with the fam in Easton on Friday, Thanksgiving at Dad's on Saturday, etc. More later!

Concert

So last night was ridiculously fun! Our seats were amazing - second row and so close to everything... I could not believe it. Little Big Town opened for Carrie and let me tell you -I actually may have enjoyed their performance better than hers... it was great. When they just played the very first keys to You get a Line, I get a Pole, I jumped out of my seat and started screaming and dancing (well as much as you can in a very confined space) and the camera guy put me on the big screen jumbotron! It was hilarious but I just love that song and live music in general....at intermission, some guy actually came up to me and told me he saw me on the big screen, ha. Johnny is Carrie's #1 fan - of this I am sure. He bought her gorgeous flowers and actually had the chance to give them to her during her last song! She sang holding them and he was on cloud 9 - it was so cute! Of course, during Before He Cheats, I may have been singing and jamming out a bit and lo and behold, I am back on the jumbotron singing my little heart out - hahahaha. Too funny! It was a great show and I had a blast with Rachel and Johnny.
It is seriously 80 + degrees here this weekend - so close to Thanksgiving in November - crazy! I love it though - yesterday I went to Washington Square Park and sat out and read and people watched for a bit. There was a big Prop 8 protest march through the city that I saw in North Beach area. It is stuff like this that is so uniquely San Francisco and makes this town unlike any other. Definitely would not be happening in small town, Maryland.
I am getting ready to head out to the East Bay and visit with the Bradley's. Its been since before Hawaii that I have gotten to see them. It will be great to sit out in the sun and spend time together. They are so super sweet and crazy good to me. I love having them in my life and am so thankful.

Tights and Carrie

So -whole SoCal trip was great. Sunday we went to brunch with Ken, Martina and the boys and then headed to the beach. It was crazy windy - like Tiffany literally thought Morgan was going to blow over. But still was so nice to put my feet in the sand and be close to the ocean. I forget the name of it but Uncle Kenny said that the Beach Boys wrote a song about it and it began with a D. Ha...We went and had bloody marys at this cute spot on the water then headed to Ryan's baseball game. That night all five of us checked into the Anaheim Marriott and piled into their hotel room. It could have been interesting but was actually fairly uneventful. Carter slept 11 hours! The next morning after we were caffenieted, Tiffany and I put the kids in the car and headed to Long Beach ** Note it took us a few hours to get them ready, ourselves ready, etc - it is a completely different world and my gosh does Tiff handle it like she's been doing it forever. She remembers stuff I would forget and is prepared for pretty much whatever situation may come our way - I was super impressed. We went to the Aquarium of the Pacific which was packed with strollers and kids everywhere but was actually pretty cool because they let you pet the sting rays and fish and whatever else is under water. There was a super cute restaurant around the pier called Parker's Lighthouse (I admit, I just had to look at my online statement to figure that out because my memory is not so good). Lunch was delish and on our way back to the car with two sleeping kids (which made me feel like we accomplished something huge), we encountered a film crew. There were so many cameras, people running around, equipment - it was nuts. I asked one guy what we missed and he told us they just finished shooting a scene for Prison Break - WHAT! I was super excited - he said they were heading over to the aquarium next and so so did we :) It was really neat to watch them in action although we didn't see anyone that I recognized. I still put my lip gloss on just in case...you never know and I am my mother's daughter. Tiffany and the kids dropped me off at LongBeach airport - Morgan was saying she wanted to go to Aunt Kelly's (omg - seriously, how cute?) and I flew back to SFO. I did purchase a few fun pairs of tights at the Target down there and sported a pair to work this week. Big fan. Next week at this time I will be on a plane headed home for Thanksgiving - I really can't wait! I am getting so excited - lots of fun stuff planned - Kristen and Joanne's birthday celebration on Sunday, visiting Heather and Jay on Monday and then girls night at Suzy's that night. Thursday at Chrissy's, Friday in Easton/Cambridge, Saturday at Dad and Jo's. Last year at this time we were getting ready for Ocho Rios! What a fun trip that was...Okay, I really need to jump in the shower - tonight I am going to Oakland to see Carrie Underwood and Little Big Town. Should be a great show - Johnny invited me and was able to get 2nd row seats!! I love, love, love the American Girl song (got tears in my eyes when I heard her sing it last time) Just got to catch up with Shelly -it had been a while and I actually didn't even know she was having a GIRL until I got the shower invitation! Grace Louise Deale - she will be here in a little over two months. Check out this quote --- love it!

"There are things you do because they feel right & they make no sense & they may make no money & it may be the real reason we are here: to love each other & to eat each other's cooking & say it was good"

long beach airport

okay- so amazing, amazing weekend in Southern California with the family! Let me just start out by saying that I have so much respect for parents. Wow - it is a completely different world and yes, I knew that but omg! I was nervous that Morgan wasn't going to warm up to me or even remember me too much since it's been almost two months since I have seen her - was I wrong...I got to the airport a few hours earlier than Tiff, Chris and the kids so I got to wait for them which was actually really cool. I realized that I am not usually the waiter at the airport (not having a car here and not usually picking people up when I am back east). I got all excited and weird and couldn't wait for my people to be the ones that came through the gates next - and then - there they were - all smiles and car seats and layers!! Morgan not only knew "Aunt Kedy" but she wanted me to hold her and play and it was awesome. We got luggage, rented a car, and were off to In N Out for burgers. Seriously, I probably could eat there everyday and be very happy. Carter has totally filled out - he has chubby cheeks and focuses and seriously is sooooo cute and noisy- my goodness, I had no idea a little baby could make all of those crazy noises. Today they went to Disneyland and I can't wait to hear about it! More later- I need to get home and chill.

the monday scoop

So I am not in NY for all of those curious minds... my trip was cancelled last minute- all this drama- would have been great to see Heather and Meredith and leave this rain for a few days but I guess it wasn't meant to happen.

I am happy to report that I am now a wine club member - something that I have always wanted to be- hahahaha! The spot is called Cellar 360 and it's right in Ghiradelli Square so I get to taste for free there with up to 3 people whenever I want. I get 20% off all of there wines and I get free tastings at the 6-8 wineries that they are associated with. Really, I think I am meant to do something like this full time!

We fell back yesterday morning... I forgot and then remembered and am now sitting and typing at my desk and it is pitch black out.

Thursday is spa day at Nob Hill Spa and I so cannot wait!
Saturday is head to the airport at 5 am to meet the crew in LBC aka Long Beach.

Did not dress up this year for Halloween - second year in a row - next year- look out!

Oh- and the title of this thing is really the title, but I am open to suggestions, just not always as creative as I would like to think...

“May the sun bring you new energy by day, may the moon softly restore you by night, may the rain wash away your worries, may the breeze blow new strength into your being. May you walk through the world and know its beauty all the days of your life.” – Apache Blessing

loooooong day

Today was challenging at work. I am trying hard to keep things in perspective - but it's hard.

Great quote that I came acrosss in the midst of all of this "There are many wonderful things that will never be done if you do not do them" LOVE IT

Booked my NYC trip today -will be there Sunday night- Wednesday night -but am I ready for the fall east coast weather? Probably not so much.

Kara's test is tomorrow. She has been working so very hard and studying like I have never seen anyone apply themselves. I am super proud of her already and hope that tomorrow goes well.

$22.5 MM

I read in the paper this morning that visitors to SF spend $22.5 M DAILY! Isn't that crazy? And employ 78,000 people - blows my mind... I do like being a part of the tours though that drive by and being a "local"
Tonight I may go see Changeling with Angelia Jolie -I am obsessed with her....Happy Tuesday

sunday night

Could the weekend possibly be over already? I do love Sundays though - although I think of them as family days. I remember Sundays in Laurel but I wish that I recalled more specifics- everyone was there and we would have dinner - it was warm and loud and a million things were happening at once.
Yesterday I went out to Berkeley for the afternoon - such a cute town. I could totally live there. There are definitely some crazies and my goodness I couldn't go 4 steps without someone wanting to talk politics or asking if I knew what proposition2 or 8 or whatever is. I will be glad when the election is over. Sometimes I wish that I was more political but at the end of the day, there is just more important things to me - call me crazy. Maybe that will change as I get older - who knows.
Last night I took a bus down to the Mission and met Brian, his roommate Jeff and his girlfriend Mimi. We wandered around Valencia and I really need to go down there more.There are tons of restaurants, bars, stores -much like my neck of the woods but different. We went to this fabulous tapas spot -- ate lots of good food, drank a few pitchers of sangria -- all in all a great night.
Today I cleaned, went to Washington Square - it has been so warm - and read, putzed around a bit, went on a walk with Iz and Chloe, went to my new yoga class which I am trying really hard to make a regular thing and then came home and cooked like a mad woman. Banana bread is in the oven, I busted out the crock pot for the first time this fall and threw together some random things on made this really good chicken - I mean I am very impressed with myself at the moment.
There is a chance that I am going to NY for a few days next week. I wish that I was able to spend more time there and see everyone. In two weekends, I will be in Aneheim with Tiff, Chris, Morgan and Carter - it will be so fun!
Halloween is later this week which means the holidays are right around the corner. I was in Bmore last year at this time. Need to book my December flight! Actually should do that now...

"Life is slippery. Here, take my hand"

jalapeno margarita...!

Seriously - I had one of these at one of my new favorite restaurants (Colibri) last night and OH MY. It was positively delicious and I am still dreaming about it. I only had one but it could have very easily been a few more. If any of you out there make the trek out to the west coast, this will be on the list of places that I drag you to for sure.
BTW -- I love having followers! I love hearing that even though I am a big sharer - I like to share what books I love and make other people love them to, I like to share food which sometimes gets on people's nerves, I like to share clothes - well mainly, to wear other peoples cute things when I can --that people enjoy my new blog! When I started this (granted it was just last week but still) I didn't know if it would be read by anyone other than me. So thanks! And I hope you are having one heck of a Friday

"I don't want anything from you, I said, unless you want me to want something from you & she smiled & said, I knew you were in one of those moods. "

tuesdays....

Few things:
Party last night was amazing! So many people, great venue and really such a good time - it did not make for an easy Tuesday morning and my alarm clock and I were in an all out battle after just a few hours of sleep/
There are not enough hours in the day. I want to spend hours on the phone catching up with everyone and don't ever get to do that. That makes me sad... and to appreciate the time we have together all that much more/
Went to a very good newer fish house for lunch today - Anchor and Hope on Minna - delish
My bus broke down this morning - it was crazy
That's all for now - more later!
xo

yoga and hats

Today is the first chilly, fallish day in the city. Brunch didn't end up panning out -- it is my favorite meal of the week, the bloody marys, the choice of breakfast and lunch, the coffee , the laziness of it all-- I did, however, feel the need to try to make sense of my apartment ** even when this happens, I somehow never get to fully complete the project. It drives me crazy - I know I need more storage and less stuff - working on that...
I ventured into Union Square. The Nike Marathon was today and it was very cool and inspiring to see all of these women roaming around having just accomplished something so amazing. I hit some stores, took the cable car to Chinatown (where else can you buy peppers, kiwi, lemons, carrots, zuchini, cilantro, brocoli, etc for less than $5?) and eventually worked my way back to my hood after getting a mani/pedi at Glamorous on Columbus. It was most definitely a hat day and there were such cute hats spotted all over the place. I want to get a knit one that is a little more practical than what I am sporting now. The slightly crazy but nice man outside of my lunch cafe told me that he loved my hat and it was so me - now how he knows what "me" is, I have no idea but it was nice of him :)
Lucky for me, I found that Crunch has a 6 pm "virgin yoga" class on Sunday nights. I really enjoyed it and felt like it was so good to stretch and breathe- although let me just state for the record that it is not as easy as it looks and I was struggling with some of the moves that everyone else seems to be able to do so easily. The instructor was super cool as yoga gurus typically are. I am going to try to make it a point to go when I am able to.
I got an email from Jenn tonight - she is expected baby 3! I am excited for her and do hope that we will have the chance to see each other one of these days. Its been 12 years or so which is insane...lots of babies are coming into my life lately and in the near future - more opportunities to buy baby clothes - I had no idea just how fun that really is - got some great deals at Children's Place the other night for Carter, Jackson, Siena and Morgan.

"May your life be crowded with unexpected joys"

journaling, take 1

well here goes- my attempt to share what goes on in my world, head, life. Not sure how this is going to go but I figured, ever since I can remember I have sporadically (shit, there is no auto spell check!) made an effort to write down my deepest thoughts and feelings about pretty much whatever I felt like, so why not do that online now?
Today was a good day, not to sound like that 2 pac song but really, it was...nothing too eventful or uneventful happened. I stayed in bed as long as I could - there is just something about being able to do that on a Saturday morning. Called mom and got the haps back home (Kara met Jeff yesterday, Chrissy and crew are in Florida and left mom medicine to drug Kobe in their absence, Mom and Carol had taken a walk earlier) I was able to catch up with Jul who I haven't seen in a few days since the whole AdBrite thing happened on thursday morning when I was at the eye doctor who I absolutely adore and picked out the cutest frames ever which I cannot wait to wear. I met Iz, Chloe and dog for a walk around town - mainly to Fisherman's Wharf for lunch and then Trader Joe's. I had a facial at a new place on Polk Street at 4 pm. Facials are funny things - I always think that I am going to be ultra relaxed and leave feeling like a million bux and really it's just painful at times and then you leave looking like hell - but I know it's good for me. She did this weird light treatment thing that I have never experienced before and said I could end up peeling in the next day or two -fabulous, and I really paid for this? During a recession too...nice. I ran a few errands after - decided not to grace the city with my newly red and hydrated face - and holed up in my apartment with a few glasses of cheap but pretty good Cabernet, the makings for lentil soup and a movie. Oh gawd, if I can type all of that about doing abolsutely nothing, imagine when that is not the case....ha. My soup turned out pretty good and now I am contemplating what to wear on Monday night. Big work shin dig at the California Academy of Sciences Museum which is supposed to be very cool. Some Baltimore people are coming into town for it and it looks like there will be about 450 people there... should be interesting.