Today it is pouring in Palo Alto and San Jose. I will be needing to hit up Target after work for an umbrella, but I'm so excited about the weather. I felt the flick-flick-flick of tiny rain spatter on my face waking up this morning (slept with the window open -- rain was blowing in a little bit).

Bliss.

I love the rain. Alex and I have talked about how cool it would be to live in Portland or Seattle, where it rains a great deal.

Of course, prolonged rain does get depressing after a while, but generally speaking I love it. I have a sixth sense for when it's going to rain. I can feel it, smell it, KNOW that it's going to rain . . . Of course, the grey clouds are a pretty big tip off, but even on overcast days, there's something distinctly different that goes along with the rain.

Tonight, on the way home, I'm picking up broth, green onions and a few other ingredients I'm missing so I can make potato soup.

Will blog about how this turns out . . .

I tried Twizzlers Rainbow Twists just now, thinking the fun new colors and flavors would somehow make me hate licorice less.

Didn’t work. Licorice still tastes like plastic.

What the heck is that?!!?

I am amazed at just how rude some people can be. As in, I am willing to overlook a multitude of transgressions, but I will stand in awe of bad manners.

There seems to be a growing awareness of just how rude our society is becoming and though it was mocked to no end, the interruption that Kanye West gave during Taylor Swift's acceptance speech at this year's VMA's was a perfect illustration of what I'm talking about.

Saturday was an in-depth look into rudenss and more over, is rudeness contagious? Growing up I always thought my parents were nuts for not liking ALL of my friends, but the older I get the more I'm finding that maybe they were onto something . . .

I have a friend who has a boyfriend. Her boyfriend is very rude and perhaps a perfect illustration of how rudeness is contagious. When I politely offered to help his girlfriend out so that he could focus on something specific, he criticized me to my face and shot me down. Now, I understand "everyone is entitled to an opinion," but since when did someone's opinionated-ness become superior to good manners? Even if he had still refused my offer to help, there were many ways to do this to not be so . . . rude.

This same friend (the one who has the boyfriend) later left with him early from a very special event in which she was a part. Without going into the gory details, I can say that the event in question was a big deal. The person that the event was focused around is supposedly a best friend of my friend with the boyfriend. So my friend let her rude boyfriend talk her into being even more rude? The excuses given were exactly that: excuses. What blows my mind is that had this person stayed just a few more hours, it would have been over, not a big deal, and there would have been extra hands to help tear down after the party was over with.

But no.

And now, I can't help but wonder if this friend will regret leaving her best friend's big day when she's looking back after she and this jerk boyfriend (inevitably) break up?




This may become my new catchphrase . . . (Steph was onto something!)

Tricks & treats . . .

I love this time of year.

October for me means dusting off my volume of Edgar Allan Poe and scouring library shelves for books that will make my hair stand up. Pumpkins and cold, rainy days and crisp air . . .

Fall means spooky stories and scary movies. An excuse to get cozy with my handsome guy . . . ;o) Alex doesn't share the same level of enthusiasm for the holiday as I do, but I'll work on him, I'm sure.

I'm still in a place of "settling" into my new apartment . . . If I were pregnant, this would be called "nesting." Actually, I don't think being pregnant is a prerequisite to nest, so we can safely say that I'm nesting . . . So many projects! So many things to take on!

The living room has a blue and brown color scheme going on . . . The bookcase is almost finished being painted a rich brown with blue inside. I'm growing increasingly fond of colored glass as decoration . . . I have red glass in the black/white/red bathroom, I have blue glass in the living room, purple in the kitchen and green in the bedroom.

My bedroom is still evolving . . . I know it's probably better to focus on one room at a time to really enjoy the process and take my time, but I'm having a hard time controlling myself. My suitcases are becoming decoration pieces and there are three clocks on the back wall that tell the time of San Francisco, New York and Paris. (There's kind of a travel theme if you hadn't guessed . . .) I'm having visions of vintage post cards tucked under the glass of my nightstand, framed maps on the wall, newspapers as decoration (though I'm not so sure how . . .).

I itch for projects . . .

I am full.

I'm so full . . . Beyond full.

Full of excitement . . .
I've moved out of my parents' house and into my first, all-by-myself apartment. I'm paying my own bills, building a savings account and making car payments. (Okay, that's a bill, but it feels like it deserves special distinction.)

Full of infatuation . . .
Alex is my adorable boyfriend. (No, you can't have him.) Having been friends for years, there's something about the way this fits that I don't even know if I have words for. I cherish him. I look forward to hearing from him. I love how he listens, how considerate he is, how truly awesome things are with him around. I know it's early, but things are so good (beyond good) that it's really hard to see anything other than that good stuff. He's not perfect -- he likes candy corn-- but he's pretty close.

Full of promise . . .
Feeling more established in my job, I am able to keep ahead of projects . . . mostly. There's been some minor weight dragging on a certain project that will not be named, but the long and short of it is that it's getting done and once it's over, I can keep charging full steam ahead. I'm finally feeling like there's a niche that I fill. It's good.

Full of food . . .
Literally. Grocery shopping for yourself is such a strange experience for the first time. The few times I did in Fresno, part of my grocery list were things that were communally used. Food situations with my roommates were often fluid -- "Hey, I'm making XXXXX. Want some?" etc. Last night, it was so nice to evaluate what I wanted, plan around work and what kind of food storage options I have right now, etc. I'm also very literally full -- lunch was salad, a pita with some hummus, and just to balance the healthy with not-so-waistline-friendly, I had mac & cheese. The kind with the neon orange sauce. Oh yeah. :o) Delicious.




Life is incredibly sweet right now . . . Will definitely post apartment pictures soon.

I'm warning you, we're growing up.

These days we go to waste like wine,
that's turned to turpentine,
till it's six AM and I'm all messed up . . .
I didn't mean to waste your time,
so I'll fall back in line,
but I'm warning you we're growing up . . .

I have much to be thankful for, and the gratitude is only just hitting me . . . I'm expecting a wave pretty soon. That I am thankful, though, is a good thing . . . even if I'm a little slow on the uptake.

Growing up is challenging me . . . it's really molding, forming and in some ways breaking me. I don't mind though. Honest. I feel like somehow I can manage this -- I can keep hold of this, even if it's hard.

Come to think of it, I was never very good at waiting.

I am so bursting with questions and frustrated with things that seem to be stalling that I can barely take my mind off of this little "dream world" of what I'd like the answers to my questions to be. Part of me feels so frantic that the idea of a fortune teller, palm reader, tarot expert or other psychic medium sounds great just to put my mind at ease - yes things are going where I think they are, or no they are not.

Questions about living situations, finances, personal relationships and where I will be in 10 years (literally and metaphorically) are plagueing me and I have no idea what else to do.

For every question I have, I can already anticipate that I will be looking for answers for a long time. In an age of limitless information access, how do I still find myself spending so much time waiting?