1. YOUR SPY NAME: (middle name and current street name):

Marie Wright. Totally spy-like, actually!

2.YOUR MOVIE STAR NAME: (grandfather/grandmother on your dad's side and your favourite candy):

Modesta Truffles. Wow, there's no excuse for Modesta. Ever.

3. YOUR RAP NAME: (first initial of first name and first two or three letters of your last name):

KRid. Haha my sister goes by KRide.

4. YOUR GAMER TAG: (favourite colour and favourite animal)

Green Cat. Riiiiiiight.

5. YOUR SOAP OPERA NAME: (middle name, and city you were born in)

Marie Mountain Gate. Wow. That's...special.

6. YOUR STAR WARS NAME: (first three letters of your last name, last three letters of mother's maiden name, first three letters of your pet's name)

Ridore Lau. Ohhhh awesome. I wonder what breed I would be. Hrm, definitely a Tauntaun.

7. YOUR JEDI NAME: (middle name spelled backwards, your mom's maiden name spelled backwards):

Eiram Erohs. Notsomuch.

8. PORN STAR NAME: (first pet's name, the street you grew up on):

Chiquita Blueridge. SOOOOOOOO wrong.

9. YOUR SUPERHERO NAME: ("The", your favourite colour and the automobile your dad drives)

The Green Ranger. Lesser-known cousin of The Lone Ranger?

10. YOUR ACTION HERO NAME: (first name of the main character in the last film you watched, last food you ate)

Nick Lasagna. Haha, fighting crime with delicious Italian dinners.

Forgoing several possible formal opening phrases,

I GOT THE 911 DISPATCHER JOB!

I will now be training to serve as an Emergency Services Dispatcher with Yolo County.

So exciiiited!

My start date is Monday, June 5th, which means I have just about 4 weeks to wrap up my job at the bank and hopefully give them some time to select my replacement. Marie's a little concerned that they won't be able to hire someone right away, seeing as they just got approval last week to hire a Teller Coordinator, and they've been wanting to do that since like February, when Anna was let go. I told her I'd stay all through May (obviously) and help out with whatever training I could, but in the end, you gotta go when the opportunity arises. Marie has been really sweet and cooperative and supportive of me throughout this whole process, and she's glad I'm moving on to a job where I'll be much better suited.

I will be attending the POST Dispatcher Academy in Sacramento within the first couple weeks of June. My 911 supervisor, Marcie (HEY! It's "Marie" plus a "c"!), told me I'd get all the details about it when I go to sign paperwork on May 31st, but I Googled the course and found out that it's offered through the Sacramento Police Department and it's a 120 hour course. So, like 2 1/2 weeks? 3 weeks? I'm actually really looking forward to bringing a notebook and pen with me and taking notes and LEARNING! Yay for psuedo-school! How I miss it! And working in Sac during June should coincide perfectly with the move to our new apartment, so my commute will be nice and short for a bit.

My last day at the bank will be June 2nd. I'm kinda sad and I'll definitely miss my coworkers, but man I am SO psyched to be moving on. This is will be an incredibly welcome change for me.

YAY, I want to CELEBRATE! Oh wait, I have no money. OK then. Maybe after my second or third paycheck...

I've all but abandoned the theory that my current health ailings are completely the result of spring allergies. My throat is sore, not just tingly and itchy as it is with allergies, and the majority of my drainage is on my left side. I feel like my left ear and nostril are all plugged up. I think I got it from Kerrean. We are both sick, miserable little bank tellers.

In the past three days I've gone through a box and a half of corporate Kleenex at the bank, two pocket packs of tissue, and close to an entire roll of Todd's toilet paper (sorry babe, I really owe you some). It's hard to believe all this snot is coming out of two little holes in my skull. Disgusting. I can blow everything out and feel a slight breeze of air through my nose, and then I can feel it start to fill right up again.


On a more positive note, it's Cinco de Mayo! I am looking forward to making huge quantities of Mexican food and drink with the roomies/lovas and relaxing most of the evening. I'm glad we're not doing a bar or club celebration; it's going to be crazy-packed out there tonight, with idiots at their top notch performance! To anyone who has to drive tonight: please be exceedingly careful! Stay in if you can at all help it.

It's early to bed for Todd and I tonight...he has to be up by 7 am tomorrow morning! He's been working hardcore at Fry's this week, putting in heart and soul. He's already logged several hours of overtime, with no break in sight until this Tuesday. Poor guy. His paycheck will be wonderous, but I miss him so!

Beautiful weather, cheery people at the bank, reasonable allergen levels...what's not to love? I rode my bike to and from work again, this time with my iPod and sunglasses in tow, and was quite proud and elated with my subsequent energy boost. I even stopped at the Co-op on my way home from work, picked up a can of cream of mushroom soup for tonight's dinner recipe, and enjoyed feeling like a college student/liberal/semi-hippie/progressive as I walked back outside to my bike.

Shout-out to LOST for being the most captivating TV show I've ever gotten hooked on. I've been tripping out over last night's episode all DAY today. God, I love how this show keeps me on my toes! Truly an amazing work of fiction.

Another informal shoutout to Natalie and Nathan, my two best friends in 5th grade. I was talking to Kerrean today at the bank and somehow accidental public urination came up, and as you all know I have PLENTY of stories about that. (Shana can vouch for several, all on her own.) But I started thinking in particular of ALL the times I've accidently peed on someone or in front of them, that the day in 5th grade on the playground really takes the cake. Natalie and Nathan and I were going down one of the long squiggly slides in choo-choo train fashion, with me at the top. I was laughing so hard my bladder let loose and I peed the entire length of the slide, and of course, right on Natalie and Nathan. I was immediately horrified and tried my best to cover my wet pants, but it was to no avail; Natalie and Nathan were wet too and the truth immediately tumbled out. They were, amazingly, incredible friends. Nathan told me not to worry about it and gave me his sweatshirt to tie around my waist until my pants dried. And Natalie said she'd just tell people she spilt her Capri Sun all down the slide, and that's why we were all wet. The fib and the cover-up worked perfectly, and I was able to escape the day without further humilation. I realize now this is a pretty incredible feat for a couple of 10-year old's, and I just wanted to say thanks to both of them for being so mature and understanding. I couldn't have asked for better friends!

That is all; I must go prepare a delicious meal of meat, potatoes, and fresh veggies for my hard-workin' man!

After quite a long dry spell of sitting on my ass, I decided to bike to and from work today. Actually, I decided to bike to and from work all week, or for however long the weather is nice and however long I still work there. Fuck driving my car two miles each way and then moving it 3 times a day. Can we say "Lamez0rz"?

Jackie actually hatched the plan on Saturday as we rode to the Farmers' Market together. She mentioned that biking from Todd's house to the bank would be totally doable, and then I was like, "Huh, how about that, I spend nearly every night there anyway, why the hell not?!" So I must give her due credit. I had already considered biking from my house once the weather was agreeable, but I'd have to leave 30 minutes earlier, and I was dragging my feet at that proposition. But it only took me 15 minutes this morning from Todd's place, and I didn't have to move my car or anything...totally the way to go.

Some improvements to make tomorrow: bring my iPod, and remember to wear glasses (allergens and early morning / late afternoon sunlight = killer!). And I'm gonna get TANNN now! Wahooo!

We'll see how long it lasts. Hopefully 911 will call me back tomorrow. (I called today, but the Human Resources lady, Marcie, was out of the office. Crossing fingers!). And then maybe in a couple weeks, I'll be working in Woodland! Gee...that sure sounds GREAT!

FOUR CATS. Four cats and ofuryt roommattes! THat is what could be. JAckie sayd cats are social anaimals and could easily live in fours. OUT of control is what fourrrr cats would be. SO much cats. More cats than god himselfl.

I'm officially fed up with my chosen method of birth control (Levlen-28). Not only is my period NOT being delayed 3 months as the continuous method promised, it has gone from mostly regular to the MOST irregular flow EVER. I am now entering my third straight week of semi-menstruation. And by semi-menstruation, I mean not enough that you can leave a tampon up there for a couple hours and forget about it, but enough to ruin every pair of underwear I own. Sheesh, I feel like I'm in middle school again, trying to cover blood spots on my pants. Honestly.

In addition to all the period drama, my mood swings are out of control. I keep having weird times where I'm extremely snappy for no reason at all. I've had it!

So, I could start taking the same medication but traditionally, meaning I'd get my period every 28 days as normal, or I could switch off that birth control completely and try another brand of pills. I'm leaning towards the latter, since I think the mood swings are attributed to the Levlen-28 and not the way that I'm taking it.

This means back to Kaiser for another evaluation by a weird-ass doctor I don't know, and another healthcare bill that my insurance doesn't seem to cover. *Sigh*

Just to warn you all, this is a completely ridiculous post, even before I've typed it. I just know it's going to be ridiculous.

As you may or may not know, I have spent virtually every single day with Todd since the time that he moved down here in late August. EVERY SINGLE DAY. What's more, I've spent a significant amount of time with him each and every day - several hours, minimum.

Today marks the first day since he's been living down here that I will not be seeing him. Actually, the first three whole days. I'm so lonely already!

It's not even the amount of time he's been gone (just past 13 hours as I type this) but simply that I KNOW he's gone, and that's he's far away. On any normal day-span I could have passed 13 consecutive hours of not seeing him. But it already feels like days and days have passed since we've been together.

Every facet of my daily schedule is structured around him. 8:30 am - kiss him goodbye when I leave for work, his sleepy outstretched arms encircling me. 11 am - call him on my cell when I go to move my car at work, my hand instinctively moving to "T" in my contact list. 11 am - 5 pm...multiple text message exchanges, depending on how busy the day is. 6:30-ish pm - hug and kiss him when he gets home. 8:00-ish pm - dinner, usually cooked together, standing at the stove in my kitchen. 9:00-ish pm - cuddles on the couch. 11:00 pm - settling down for bed. I literally have to relearn how to spend an entire day without him.


I know, ridiculous, right?!?

Seriously, this is probably a good thing for us. I'm sure we'll both make good use of this time away from each other. But I already miss him so much! As far as I'm concerned, this weekend can't pass quickly enough for me.

I virtually NEVER drive with my windows rolled down. I've never liked the wind in my face; my hair blowing helter-skelter; the noise of the road beneath the wheels.

Today though, when I got off work and got into my car, it was so hot and stuffy that I immediately rolled all four windows down. I thought about cranking on the AC once I got on the road, but I resisted - it's only April, and that car pushes my gas mileage as it is. So I just left the windows down, and let my hair blow everywhere, and I cranked up the tunes...

I was rockin'.

Yay for summery weather and bright dispositions!

Huzzah! We found a place to live!

The place is near Arden Fair – great shopping, restaurants, comic book stores, you get the idea. It’s a 1 bedroom, very cute apartment in a European-style, small, gated complex. There’s a cute little fountain right outside our front door and a beautiful tree outside our window. There’s two covered parking spaces for us, and right outside the front gate there’s a row of buttons and a phone that link to each apartment – and ours will have our last names on it so we can buzz people in when they arrive to visit us. SO FRICKING COOL. We have a cute little stacked washer and dryer off the bathroom, and a uniquely-shaped kitchen with lots of counter space. YAY! I’m really, really excited.

Our lease will start in the first week of June, so we both have several weeks to move in. I think for simplicity’s sake we’ll try to do the majority of the large moving in one weekend so we can rent a U-haul and just get it done.

Now my inner nerd REALLY comes out…it’s time to start drawing up floor plans and organizing furniture and making lists upon lists upon lists…

AhahHAHAHAHAHhhahahaahHAHAHah.....mwahhh hahahaheheheheeeeheeeee!

The MOST fabulous weekend in quite awhile!

( Picnic Day pics... )
( Nicole's 25th Birthday )

You guys have to help me choose between the lesser of two evils.

Just a couple weeks ago I reported that I wasn't seriously considering the 911 dispatcher job, despite all the time, money, and effort I've put into the application process. As it is, I am scheduled to complete my medical exam on the 26th of April (next Wednesday), and soon after that, I should be offered employment. (The Psych exam went well... absolutely ridiculous test, however).

I was looking back at some of my old LJ entries and found a post in early September 2005 that mentioned I had just heard about the recruiting for the 911 dispatcher position and was going to apply. Early SEPTEMBER. That's how long this thing has been in the making.

But seriously, here's the rundown of my latest epiphany.

Nothing ever turned me away from the 911 dispatcher job except for the fact that I heard about the Sac Probation position and had a career orgasm. I know 911 dispatching is not really what I want to do for the long-term. There, I said it. And obviously, that's noteworthy. A big part of me feels like at this point in my life, I should be at least substantially rooted in where I want to be for a long time. But that's mostly my pride; I can get over that. The fact of the matter is that I am still attracted to 911 dispatching as a short-term job posibility. I would love the challenge and excitement of it and I can see myself there for awhile, at least enough to try it out.

With the prospect of the Sacramento Probation position not panning out until late August (thank you very much H.R. - no, I'm not resentful at all), and my day-to-day experience at the bank growing more and more undesirable, I'm beginning to genuinely consider accepting the 911 position. Even if it's not what I want, I can at least TRY it, see if I'm a good fit there, stick it out for a couple months, and figure out if I'm happy with it. I can bet I'll be a whole lot happier than I am now. And if I don't like it, no sweat, because I'll have at least one potential job offer for the fall, and I'll be in a much better financial situation at that point (assuming I take the dispatching job).

The bottom line is, I can't have what I really want right now, but at least I could pass the time a little more productively and interestingly until I can achieve what I really want.


Thoughts, comments, suggestions? Please please please tell me everything you think. I need to make a decision soon!

Well, it's been quite a week. I'm psyched to finally have a little bit of relaxation time to myself to sit down a make an update.

I've been riding a turbulent sea of emotions these last couple days. For the first time in my life I've been having pretty extreme mood swings. Like, I can bite someone's head off one moment, be happy-go-lucky and smily the next, and then burst into tears for no apparent reason at all. All of this has been compounded by the fact that I am, most certainly, on my period this week, despite my desperate efforts to pretend otherwise (I'm trying a continuous method of birth control, where I [supposedly] will only get my period every 3 months, but clearly, it takes some time before I'll be completely continuous). Which makes me EVEN grumpier.

So in case you were wondering what the hell I ate for breakfast this morning, or what side of the bed I got up on, or whatever other cliche you might have in your head for WHY I've been a completely unpredictable raving BITCH this week, well, there's your (feeble) explanation. And here's your apology: I'm sorry. As I told Todd, I am completely and fully AWARE when I'm having these crazy mood swings that I'm having them, at that I'm acting absolutely ridiculous, but I am unable to control my emotions. I've put him (and others too, most likely) through the wringer for these last several days and I do want to say that I am truly sorry for my behavior. I'm really hoping things will begin to stabilize soon. (And just in time for my 8 hour psychological exam on Monday, YAY!).


Speaking of career-related news, I should mention that I was delivered a most unwelcome piece of news this week regarding my highly-anticipated Probation Aide/Assistant job with Sacramento County. Apparently, my online application for Probation Assistant was never received, despite the fact that I submitted it in exactly the same manner and time as the Probation Aide application. I learned of this - when? - oh yes, THIS week. In APRIL. I applied way back in FEBRUARY, and I've already been to the orientation, completed the physical agility test, and, oh yes, submitted my gargantuan background investigation packet. But it turns out I'm not actually considered an applicant for the one position I was really going balls-to-the-wall for. LAMEz0rz! I can't TELL you how badly it pissed me off to hear that bitch from Human Resources say, "We have no record of your application for Probation Assisant"... GRRRRR!

ANYWAY, the deal is, I had to reapply for the job (and yes, I called HR afterwards to confirm that they had, in fact received my application), and although I am still in the running for the Probation Aide job (part time, no benefits), I can't actually be hired on as an Assistant until well into August, since I've missed the earlier written examination periods. So I can go forward with everything else - background, polygraph, medical, and psych - and then theoretically be offered the Aide position in mid-June, and I guess transfer or get promoted to Assistant after taking my test in August. I'm just unsure as to whether I can afford to leave the bank to go to a part-time job with no benefits, and no real guarantee of landing the full-time Assistant position a couple months later. It would be a leap of faith, for the most part.


And SPEAKING of the bank (wow...all my topics are flowing well tonight...like a REAL essay), things have been livening up there, too. And not in a good way. On Thursday morning, one of our Sacramento branches was brutally robbed at gunpoint (actually, the branch I was in for all my training). So that got everyone pretty shook up, even though the Davis branch has never been robbed (knock on wood), it's of course, always a possibility.

So yesterday (Friday) was proving to be a quite normal day until around 3:30 pm. We had been really slow and no one was in the bank when a police officer walked in. I was at Marie's desk talking to her at the time. The policeman went up to Joe's teller window and talked to him for a couple minutes, and then left. Joe came over and said that the cop had advised him that an African-American couple had been going around to various banks in Davis and trying to get cash for a large amount of rolled dimes. The rolls, apparently, were actually pennies (at $5 a dime roll, you can make a significant profit with even just a handful). So when he told us that, I almost shit my pants. I remembered a transaction I had done not a half hour earlier, for an African-American man who gave me $200 worth of dime rolls in exchange for cash.

I went back to the line and opened up my coin drawer and took out the forty rolls of dimes and twisted one open on the counter, spilling pennies out everywhere. I just burst into tears because I knew instantly I had fucked up big time and the guy had gotten away with $200 out of my cash drawer.

Long story short, we had to call the cops back to make a formal case report. The police officer talked to me for awhile to see if I could remember what the man had looked like (and for all my criminally-oriented experience, I wish I could have described him better). They took my formal statement and told me that they'll have to have me come in to get fingerprinted so they can identify my prints on the dime rolls. Marie took me into the vault and gave me stern talking-to about how we NEVER do anything for non-customers (you have to be a U.S. Bank customer to exchange money with us, and the teller is supposed to ask and get an account number to write on the rolled coin, which of course, I didn't do. I asked him if he had an account with us, and he told me he did, and I didn't even doubt him for a second. And I wasn't going to write his account number on all forty coin rolls. So I messed up big time there). My only consolation is that of the 5-6 banks they went to within an hour long period, they got away with around $700 at Bank of America, and around $350 at World Savings. So I feel slightly less dumb knowing that. And $200 is not particularly a lot of money, and it's insured and all and will just be absorbed as a loss, but I'm still potentially in trouble for going against policy. I'll most likely get written-up (my second time, yay!) and HOPEFULLY that will be that.

Emotionally, however, I feel so violated by that guy. We weren't technically ROBBED, but he completely exploited my trust and took money that was not his to take. It angers me so much! All yesterday evening I just kept thinking and thinking and thinking about it, replaying it over and over again in my head, wishing I had just asked him for his account number or split open one of the rolls while he was standing there or SOMETHING. I was seriously obsessively thinking of it and had a hard time getting to sleep last night. And then my dreams were all bizarre, and I've still been going over it a lot today, although thankfully, it's getting a little better. I hope as it becomes more and more distant, I can forget about the entire experience. It pisses me off so much.

(And that's why I flaked on you guys last night for hanging out, and I'm sorry. I was not feeling up to it. Jo, James, Nicole, and everyone else, I hope you had fun and that we can hang soon. I'm free tomorrow during the day, incidentally. Let me know.)


And finally, on a lighter note, today was a really neat day. (I NEEDED it, this week, can't you tell?). Todd is working night shift tonight, so we were able to sleep in (a little, anyhow, I always have a hard time sleeping late anymore), and then we went to our favorite sushi buffet for lunch, and then we went into Sac to tour a possible apartment. The management ended up flaking on our appointment time, but we didn't really like the area that much, anyhow, so we went to Ross and IKEA instead. We found soft affordable sheets at Ross (for a QUEEN bed, WAHOOOO!) and then we spent over an hour in the mini-world that is IKEA. We were looking for a couple pieces for our new place (like an entertainment stand for the living room, and a new desk chair for Todd) but figured we'd just look today and then buy later when we know what kind of space we'll be in. We did, however, purchase a very cute blue and green comforter cover (to match our new green sheets), and matching blue and green candles. And Todd found a really cute desk lamp for his computer area. I think we potentially have a green and blue theme going on for our new place, and it's fitting since it's our two favorite colors. I'm getting more and more excited as our moving date draws nearer.

So were you wondering if this update was ever going to end? You, yes YOU sitting right there. My faithful friends who painstakingly read every innumerable word I write on here. Are you rolling your eyes and yawning and my diarrhea of the mouth syndrome yet? Er, diarrhea of the fingers? Or brain? Ah yes, BRAIN I believe fits best. I most definitely have Diarrhea of the Brain this week.

I'll have to make it a point to update more often. Especially after weeks like this.

Ugghhh...it's so FRUSTRATING searching for apartments in Sacramento!

First off, there's a host of different websites to compare and contrast... ForRent.com, Apartments.com, ApartmentRatings.com, Rentals.com, and then Google to figure out where the heck the place is located, and then SacPD.org to figure out what the crime is like in the area...

I just spent 2 straight hours online going from place to place, getting my hopes up and then getting them crushed, being dissuaded by horrible reviews from current tenants, finding out our dream apartments are out of our price range, or don't allow cats, or have shitty parking, or 5,000 miles away from where we'll be working, or don't include a washer and dryer, etc., etc., etc.

My eyes are bugging out...


I know we still have time. I'm not freaking out yet. I just really, really, REALLY want to get a place nailed down soon. Is that too much to ask?

Today, I:

Slept in.
Didn't take a shower until well into the afternoon.
Sat cross-legged on the floor while eating a toasted peanut butter and honey sandwich.
Missed someone.
Realized I'm not quite as irresponsible with important documents than I had previously thought.
Made a special birthday card for my mother, who turns 57 tomorrow.
Thought about generosity and openness, and wondered if I should change.
Had the "We are Siamese" song from Lady and the Tramp stuck in my head.
Stole someone's place at the gas station and didn't apologize afterwards.
Had time to really think.

Made a silly LJ update because of all the deep thinking.

Marie's comment to me after I showed frustration at not being able to balance my drawer tonight because of a stupid, tiny mistake:

"Oh, what do you care? You're leaving us soon anyway! I mean, I want you to stay forever, but you're leaving, so who cares if you don't balance?!"

Take aback, I didn't really say anything except mention that her comment hurt my feelings. I don't think she took me very seriously.

I left the bank, got into my car, and burst into tears. RIIIIGHT, I only think sleep eat dream and worry about the bank and my performance there 24/7, SURE, who cares if I don't balance, I'll be leaving eventually anyway, right? In fact, I'm purposely fucking up and not balancing because, shit, who cares if I get into trouble, when I'm on to bigger and better things?!


Marie of ALL people knows how hard I try there and how much I care, so I know she didn't intend for me to take her remark the way I did, but jesus, that was a pretty shitty thing to say, wouldn't you agree?


P.S. This was originally going to be a long, bitchy update. I tried extra, extra hard to make it short and to-the-point. The End.

Hmmm... I forgot how to make a normal update. Where do I start?

OK, so I finally gave in a joined MySpace. It was the last online friends networking portal to acquiesce to. I mean, really, once you've given in to Friendster, LJ, and The Facebook, there's really no point in going back. I am now currently enjoying full-blown nerd status...

I went to the orientation today for the Probation Assistant job I'm applying for. I'm very, very, very psyched. I think I've finally managed to get my foot in the door to exactly where I want to be. The position is with the Sacramento County Probation Department, and even though the mandatory Juvenile Hall appointment isn't specifically what I want to do for life, it's a guaranteed (and necessary) step towards becoming a full-fledged Deputy Probation Officer. The D.P.O. position can be either court-centered or field-centered, and you can be assigned to anything from Juvenile Drug Court (where I am working now with the CASA program) to adult work alternative programs, to Gang Investigations, to Computer-Based Crime. There's tons of fields within Probation that I could go into, and you can move around from assignment to assignment with relative ease, and best of ALL, they are hiring like NOBODY'S business for Sac County. They're in the process of constructing a 190 bed wing to the Juvenile Hall and they are hiring a minimum of 50 people in the next couple months to staff it. That's HECKY open positions! Even better news is that the majority of the applicants are younger than I am and still working on their degrees, so I'm one of the very few people eligible for the Probation Assistant title, which you need to have a degree for. GOD, I've waited SO long to really and truly apply for a job that requires my degree. Amazing!

So after I turn in my background examination packet (oh yeah, if you got a call before for my 911 dispatcher application, you're most likely going to get a call again), and next I'll get scheduled for my polygraph-like test, and then I'll take the written exam (shouldn't be too hard), and then, once all the background info is completed and the report has been typed up, they'll offer me conditional employment. Supposedly. Quite excited!

I won't spoil Todd's good news, but let's just say things are progressing well on the job path for him, too.

Pretty jazzed about all of that, and this mental/emotional stuff...putting it on the back burner. For now.

I am planning on making a very long and emotionally intensive update within the next day or two. I am currently working on typing it all up and I'm not sure when it will be ready, but please watch for it. This is a special and very private post that I will only make visible to a select group of my friends.

Please watch for this post in the next couple of days and please wait to read it in its entirety until you have a fair amount of free time and you have the leisure and privacy to devote your full attention to it.

Thanks in advance guys, I think this is going to help me enormously.

Bleah! I just wandered into the kitchen, wanting something sweet to drink, and upon finding no soda or juice in the refrigerator, I set about making my own concoction of sorts. I had half a can of frozen Limeade concentrate in the freezer (I bought it for when I make smoothies, to make them more tart), and figured it might just taste OK as Limeade. I mixed two teaspoonfuls with some cold water and took a long sip...quite yucky. Bittery tart and watery all in one mouthful. So I thought I should add some sugar - I only have confectioner's powdered sugar - so I added two spoonfuls of that and mixed well. The result is a watery and vaguely unpleasant drink, and I feel like a bit like a hummingbird gulping it down. I have a strong hunch that Todd will not be impressed.


Last night was a blast. We had a relatively low-key St. Paddy's Day celebration, complete with bright green Budweiser, hilarious camera shots mostly featuring one Mr. Ratti and his incorrigible expressions, a mediocre live band, and tipsy giggling aplenty. We started early and left early to avoid all the idiot drunks, and I enjoyed hobbling my way through downtown Davis in my sexy new brown boots, hanging on Todd's arm. It was a really perfect night of partying that I hadn't experienced in awhile.


So my 23rd birthday is this Thursday, and I'm trying to figure out a reasonably big, really fun, and modestly-priced activity to do on the Saturday that follows (the 25th). A few ideas have been floated around:

* Dave & Busters, a sort of Chuck-E-Cheese for adults, that looks like it could host us a grand ole' time. The only drawback is that it's in Milipitas (San Jose area), so it'd be a bit of a drive for us. Google Maps says it would be an hour and 37 minutes driving time from both the Davis and Rohnert Park areas. I;m not entirely sure if it would be worth it to all of you to drive that distance (round-trip) on Saturday.

* Going to San Francisco for the afternoon/evening - less of a drive than Milipitas, and potentially more entertainment to offer...we could go to a nightclub, eat out at a fun restaurant, walk on Pier 39, go to Chinatown, or other suggestions...?

* Going to a casino (specifically Cache Creek, which is a mere 25 minute drive from the Davis area - a bit longer obviously for my out-of-the-area friends [Shana? Michael?]). We wouldn't have to spend tons of money to do this, and we could load up at the buffet and then go waste $20 or whatever on slot machines. I've never really gambled before, so it might be fun.

Speaking of, is anyone actually free next Saturday afternoon/evening and want to come celebrate my golden birthday with me? I work till 1 pm because I'm covering for my coworker who wants to have some semblance of a spring break, but I'm also doing a half-day of work on my actual birthday (Thursday) to compensate for working on Saturday. My natural inclination is that Sat would work better than Thurs for most people, but let me know your desires / availability / suggestions for activities and we'll go from there!

Are we going out for St. Paddy's Day???