Tuesday, March 30, 2010

Splish Splash

It's going to be in the 80's for Easter weekend. Summer is right around the corner and my favorite summer clothing (aside from sundresses and cute tanks) is bathing suits. I'm mildly obsessed with them. I'll readily admit I don't look close to Marissa Miller or Heidi Klum in a bikini but a girl can dream that just the right one will give you super model curves.

I think ever since college, I've bought one... or three... bathing suits a season. I keep them all tucked away in a hat box in the guest bedroom and each summer I pull them all out and just breath in the smell of beach and chlorine that lingers no matter how many times you wash them.

Here are a few I found on www.victoriassecret.com that I could spend the rest of the summer lounging by a pool or on the beach in....


I am a sucker for details around the waist... belts, ruffles, pattern, you name it. I feel like it cinches everything in.



Proving there can be an old-Hollywood sexy-glam to a one-piece. Maybe you don't need a bikini to look like a beach goddess.

I love that it looks a bit naughty - like you slipped out of your shorts and shirt and took a dive in your bra and panties.





I have always wanted and am terrified of a white suit. There's always that is it see-through factor. I love the turquoise accent color though.

Monday, March 29, 2010

Week 12 of the 52 Week Challenge

Hanging in there? Are you even still doing these? Ok I'll admit I kinda skimped on last week - I partially did a puzzle at lunch... does that count? So this week - read the news and find three current events each day. Why? Because you should know what's going on.

Thoughts on Mansfield Park Thus Far

So I’m reading Mansfield Park for book club. I was reading like a mad man this weekend thinking book club was this Wednesday but I am saved and can once again procrastinate as book club is next week. It has gotten me thinking though and I don’t know if I’ll bring up at book club or not – am actually afraid to bring up here as I know a lot of people are die-hard Jane Austen fans. But here I go (don’t be too mean in the comments).

Is Austen as good of writer as everyone claims or is she really the seventeen hundred’s version of say a Nicholas Sparks? I read a lot and I’ve read a lot of Jane Austen books (if not all at this point at least 90%). And reading this one I’ve struck with the thought all her books are pretty much the same romance bundled up and packaged under different characters and different names. Girl meets boy, is somehow unworthy of boy or not interested in boy, girl realizes she is deeply madly in love with said boy, randomness happens (usually something to do with what’s proper and not or social classes), boy and girl get together. I tried to google Jane Austen critics but got a bunch of literary reviews that I didn’t feel like reading and none that screamed in the Google site description – same story over and over. Are they well written? Sure – better than half the dribble current authors put out at lightning speed. But that doesn’t change the fact that pretty early on you can guess where the story is going.

Maybe this is just the way it is with romance – I recently heard a romance writer talk and she said publishers want the heroine and hero to meet in the first chapter and if you can do it on the first page even better. Have romances not changed in 200 years?

It makes me mad though when I fall for a writer and slowly come to realize after devouring a few of their books that it’s the same stories repacked in a shiny new cover with a few new names. I can name a list right now: Janet Evanovich, Nicholas Sparks, Danielle Steel, practically any romance novel, Jodi Picoult, Sophia Kinsella (although I’m still addicted to the shopaholic series)…. They all have a stick – Nicholas Sparks is guaranteeing some tragic event, Danielle Steel is most often some down in her luck heroine with expensive things meeting an unlikely price charming, Evanovich with her Plum series is all about an unlikely bounty hunter and the scrapes she continually finds herself in… And Picoult, who used to be a favorite of mine is all drama wrapped up in a social commentary of sorts - school shootings, the death penalty, suicide, it’s all fair game and it’s all likely to be an open ending.

Is it the curse of a prolific author to be drawn to the same story over and over? Maybe. I truly believe you write things you want to read. But I also think some of it is pure laziness - it's easy to repackage something that already works. Hell, half my job is to think of a new way to sell the same products. There's only so many ways you can write a love story.

So get to discussing... I'm interested on your take.

Tuesday, March 23, 2010

Book Club April Book

So I don't think I told anyone but the book is Mansfield Park by Jane Austin. I just started and it's ok... in all honesty I haven't been motivated to read so that could be it. I'll let you know what Book Club thinks but if you read it too - I'd love to hear your thoughts.
So I have an interview on Friday and I'm basically procrastinating doing this writing assignment they want (by tomorrow morning). First off the assignment is a press release but I don't feel like there is enough information in the document they gave me to write anything substantial and I'm not sure if we're supposed to go on the website and get more information... I mean a little instruction here would be nice.

So I had to go by an outfit because one I always feel more confident in something new that I think is totally fierce. And two because I'll take any good reason to go shopping.

This is what I got (http://www.thelimited.com/):

What do you think? Obviously would look way better if they would shell out a little extra money to have real people in their clothes but I thought it was cute. It's different - not your standard black suit (hard to tell but there is a pattern and a slight sheen to the material) but not so crazy they'll take one look at me and shut the door. I'm thinking a white cami underneath and my pearls because it's expected. I don't think an interview is the time or place to break out my glass ring and purple nail polish.

So I'm confident about the outfit now I need to wow them with this writing sample and interview. My goal - make them know they can't live without me. Wish me luck!
Side note about a model in the clothes - I was thinking about this after I hit publish. And maybe no model is good. I'm not distracted by some 18 year old, 6 ft, 100 lb model and I can really judge the outfit. Usually I'm left pondering - ok well Marissa Miller looks amazing in that bikini but could I pull it off being that I'm probably a few pounds heavier and a lot of inches shorter (and I don't have professional hair, make-up and a spray tan).

Monday, March 22, 2010

Week 11 of the 52 Week Challenge

I'm getting bad at this posting on Sunday stuff - but in my defense this weekend was a little busy. So I'm going to cheat and make this week easy. All you have to do is some sort of brain teaser puzzle - Sudoku, cross words, word search... I don't care. Just pick one and do it. I'll try to find an article to link to but it's good to keep your brain active and learning.

Sunday, March 21, 2010

Week 10 Update

So I didn't go to the book festival. I know... I know... I should have. Think outside the box and all that... Well here's the thing. The weather here was gorgeous. I'm not talking about just an ok spring day where the weather is somewhat sunny and warm. This was full on spring with a hint of summer. I couldn't make myself sit inside all day. So I took the time to run some errands instead.

One thing I got into last year was growing my own herbs. It sounds like such an English garden - I love it. Plus I have fresh herbs for all my new recipes. So I went to Home Depot and although its a little early picked up a pot of Lemon Thyme to plant in a spare pot. So far I have, English Thyme, Lemon Thyme, Lemon Balm, Lavender, Sage and Rosemary. The Rosemary has done the best - maybe because I use it the most in recipes. It's huge! I also had Basil but the bunnies ate it about a week after I planted it. Last year I had two Cilantro plants - yum! My mom had said Cilantro was an annual that dies about mid-summer. I had let it go to seed thinking I could use the seeds to plant next year (did you know Cilantro seeds are the spice Coriander?). Well this morning when I was adding a few new plants to our beds I noticed all these baby Cilantro plants coming up - Surprise! :) I was so happy. I've been googling it all morning and apparently it is an annual - the only thing I can think is because I let it go to seed some of the seeds sprouted. So happy for all the tacos and salsa I can make.

So my getting outside of my box?

I've applied for and I have an interview for a new job. I don't want to jinx anything so we won't discuss it right now but I'm excited and nervous. And I had to go get a new suit - which is super cute - I'll try to find photos later.

I bought a lottery ticket - I never buy lotto tickets. It's such a waste of money but I was hoping I would suddenly get a shot of good luck and win - but alas... I didn't.

I think that's everything I can think of right now. We're going to see Wicked tonight - so excited. I'll try to do a post tomorrow about it.

Friday, March 19, 2010

Book Review: The English American

I picked The English American because the author will be at the book festival I've been thinking about going to this weekend. It sounded like it could be interesting - a story about an English girl who was adopted from America.

So what do I think? This book is interesting to me - part of it made me want to keep reading and I devoured the first half quite quickly. The second half of the book dragged. I found myself wanting to shake Pippa. She seemed to naively bounce along and do exactly what everyone else wanted her to do just because she was English and apparently English people don't stand up for themselves and hide their emotions.

I think this book tried to be too many things:
- A take on the cultural differences between Americans and British people. The British according to Larkin are reserved, quite, don't share their feelings, etc. Americans by contrast are loud (most in the book are downright obnoxious), pushy, and overly emotional.
- A slight political rant on whether or not England and the US should be in the Iraq war.
- The feelings an adopted person goes through growing up and deciding to search for their birth parents.
- A romance.

There are probably more subplots but that's all I can think of at the moment. I think the book would have served a much better purpose to pick one or two things and go with that. The part about Pippa being liberal and against Bush and the war really served no purpose in the book other than to have a few spats with friends and her birth-father.

The romance in the book feels contrived and the "surprise" ending wasn't much of a surprise. It was pretty much romance book writing 101 - does she fall for the jerky guy she's been lusting after or the friend who is always there for her. I won't tell you who but I'm sure anyone who has read much Chick Lit can figured it out.

I felt like the ending in general was a major let down - it was this big build up to will Pippa finally wake up and realize who she is and fall in love, etc. and the book quickly wraps everything up in about twenty pages.

The cultural differences were interesting but very stereotypical. I just don't think every English person is reserved and quiet and all Americans are brash, arrogant over-sharers. As an American, I felt like we were painted in a very bad light. Larkin has apparently spent time in the US but was raised elsewhere. I would hope her experience with Americans has not been so crazy. It would be as if I wrote a book about typical stereotypes of English people or Canadians, or French people... it was a lot like a horoscope to me - all Americans are this and all British are this. I've read other books by British authors and never came away with quite the same take on the British (who in this book I felt came off in a bad light as well - as a bunch of push-overs who quietly go along accepting their lot in life). I liked the language differences a lot - the difference between a pocketbook and a wallet for example - and the fact that apparently Fig Newtons don't exist in England.

Although it says in the back of the book that the author Alison Larkin was adopted as well and shares a similar story to Pippa - I felt like Larkin had read a book on how adoptees feel and tossed every stereotype imaginable into the work. Pippa loves but feels unconnected to her family (the ones that adopted her), she has issues with abandonment, she doesn't let people close to her, her (adopted) family doesn't understand her, she feels guilty for talking to her birth family, her birth family when she meets them suddenly get her and love her instantly... It felt contrived.

Let's talk about Pippa's birth parents for a second. Pippa finds them and meets them - Billie and Walt. Walt is a self-centered politician (they never really say what he does but he works in DC in the government so lets just say politician). He's cheated on his wife with Billie, who ended up getting pregnant and they gave the baby up to not hurt his career. He claims to have loved Billie but later you learn that he had a son with his wife the same year Billie had Pippa. Pippa is immediately infatuated by him despite the fact that he seems stand-offish and is obviously a people user. Billie on the other hand, works with art somehow - her job seems very fluid. Pippa is also drawn to her. She moves in with her shortly after meeting her - which just seems weird. Billie is from Georgia and from the very beginning seems like she has some sort of mental disorder. She's spacey, she over-shares, she's downright trashy. If I was Pippa I would have been on the next plane back to England. But instead she tries again and again to make it work with them and suffers through both of their antics far too long.

I would say the book is 2 out of 5 stars. For me it would have faired much better as young adult literature or if Larkin could have tightened up the story a bit. The book starts strong but flounders miserably halfway through. I only finished it to see exactly what happened to Pippa and I won't say I wasn't tempted to just skip to the end.

Thursday, March 18, 2010

Get Reading I

If you don't know by now that I love reading then you haven't been reading this blog too closely. I've been thinking back to that post on the BBC book list and how the point was that most people hadn't read those books or even a portion of those books. Anyway, I figured from now on I'm going to start posting a list of a few books a month I think are decent enough you should give them a read. Some may be more fluff than substance, some might be classics... it's whatever I'm feeling and whenever I get around to it (hey I'm not committing to a day on this - sorry!).

So here's my first list. Read them all or pick and choose. I will say I will have read every book that makes my Get Reading Lists just I might not have read them recently.

1. Gone With The Wind - I have to say this is one case where I like the movie better than the book but it's a classic - you have to have read it once.

2. My Sister's Keeper - I think after awhile Jodi Picoult books get to all sounding the same but that being said - this is the first book of hers I ever read and I think it is probably one of the best ones she wrote.

3. The Time Traveler's Wife - My book club gave this mixed reviews but I still love it.

4. Persuasion - I did not want to read this book one bit. But I loved it. It is by far one of my favorite Jane Austin books.

5. Wuthering Heights - Love it. Hands down one of my favorite books. Who wants to go see the movie?

Sunday, March 14, 2010

Week 10 of the 52 Week Challenge

Only 42 more weeks to go! So this week I'm going to be slightly selfish and make the goal something that might force me to do something. This week you have to do something you wouldn't normally do.

This could be saying yes to drinks with an acquittance. Buying that camera you've been eyeing (that's me but not sure I'll pull the trigger). Signing up for a yoga class. Whatever... think outside of your box.

For me? Well the camera could make my list but I'm not sure I want to spend the money. And I did pull the trigger on a piece of art at the craft show yesterday (I can't pick it up until May) but still that was big for me - usually I'll say I'll think about it and then never do anything.

But what I'm really debating about (and I can't say I would never go) is there is a book festival and writing classes next Saturday about an hour from here. The classes I picked are free so it isn't the costs. Its forcing myself to do something alone (I don't really know anyone that's as hardcore into writing that they want to sit through classes most of the day). Their website and my writing group all make it sound very interesting and pretty unique that they have writers teaching classes for free. And my goal this year is to actually write something I can start editing to be published, so this could really help me. The thing is if the classes/festival were in town I wouldn't think twice about going. Since I have to drive to a new city and figure out the hotel, etc. I'm a bit more nervous. So I'm hoping this goal will force me to go - or I might just have to go buy a very expensive camera so I can say I completed it.

Wednesday, March 10, 2010

Glamour = Posh Spice

I love my Glamour magazine subscription. Until maybe three years ago I was a Cosmo girl through and through. For some reason (maybe I'm getting older) but Cosmo doesn't have the same allure it had when I was sixteen. I subscribed to Glamour when I moved back to VA and could no longer take advantage of S's free leftover magazines. So how does this relate to Posh Spice?
Let's back track a bit. It's the 90's. The biggest band on the planet (or in my planet) is the Spice Girls. I loved everything about them - what can I say I love cheesy pop music and glamorous clothes. The Spice Girls would probably fall in line somewhere after Britney Spears in my all-time favorite bands/musicians. You can boo all you want that the songs aren't great and that they might not be able to sing without computer help but I love them. I love each and every cheesy song. And from the beginning Posh Spice was my favorite (followed closely by Baby and Ginger, the other two not so much).

What was not to love about Posh? She didn't really sing all that much but was in a hugely popular group. She wore great clothes (for the time - mid drifts and chunky platform heels aren't that great anymore). She was gorgeous and had a cool accent.

So I was pretty thrilled when my Glamour arrived and who should the cover model be but Mrs. Beckham (aka Posh) herself. So here are a few of my favorite photos (pick up the March Glamour or visit http://www.glamour.com/ for more).



Love her or hate her - you have to admit she's got an amazing figure (although sometimes too skinny) and amazing clothes. I know people are always all about Lady Gaga and her boundary pushing style but normal girls wouldn't wear that. Victoria pushes the style boundaries but in a way that makes average women sit up and say I want super short hair, or I want five inch stilettos and a pencil skirt. I think a trendsetter is someone that pushes the rules but is still somewhat attainable.

Movie Review: Law Abiding Citizen

This was K's pick on Netflix. I'm going to go ahead and rate it now and get that out of the way and then tell you my likes and dislikes. I'm going to say 3.5 out of 5 stars.

Likes: Interesting concept. Decent acting (Gerard Butler is pretty hot and gets naked in one scene which has everything to do with his acting ability).

Dislikes: I was able to figure out what Gerard's character was doing before everyone else so it was a little bit of a let down. Case in point: Judge's (who had chastised Jamie Foxx for using a cell phone in court) cell phone rings - I say to K - $10 that phone is going to blow up. Judge answers phone. Phone blows up. Just too predictable for a supposed top-notch spy who no one is supposed to know his next move. Really? I guessed every single one of them.

I never understood why Gerard's family was targeted in the beginning. I did think a twist would be why the bad guys (Darby and Ames) killed Gerard's wife and daughter (no big spoiler this happens in the first five minutes). But alas, it was a random act of violence. I guess this makes it worse and why Gerard felt like he needed to get revenge (that and he felt he got crummy treatment from the DA) but I felt like there needed to be a reason why they killed his wife and daughter and was let down at the end when it was just random.

My other dislike was I started out feeling bad for Gerard's character. His family is brutally murdered. The police messed up the evidence so they have to plea the bad guys down (basically offer one a deal and get the other death row) and the main bad guy that actually killed his wife and daughter was the one that got three years for murder (can that happen?). SPOILER: So Gerard takes out the two bad guys. I don't think any jury would feel bad for a death-row inmate and a convicted murder/drug dealer. But then he gets all crazy on the Pennsylvania legal system and starts just randomly killing anyone involved with the case. I went from feeling bad for him to feeling like he was just a crazy weirdo in need of some serious therapy.

Overall a solid movie. I wouldn't buy it - I think once you see it you're not going to watch it over and over.

Week 9 Update

So this week is all about getting back in touch with people you may not have talked to for awhile. If you're anything like me you have the same two people on speed dial and everyone else seems to be catch up when you can. It's not that I don't love my other friends - I simply don't have the time.

So I started this week by leaving messages for KR - she's been in school and moving so it's been hard to find time to catch up. We still haven't actually talked but I think a voicemail totally counts. I did catch up with S. S and I used to talk practically every day but I've been busy recently and she just had a baby so it's been harder to catch up. It was nice to just touch base and reconnect.

And today, which I'm totally counting. I talked to O. Ok so he called me but it counts. I met O my freshman year of college. He knew my roommate and had a huge crush on her. So we ended up hanging out a lot and he became one of my best friends. The funny thing is later when I met K it turned out he and O were roommates - small world. O is one of those friends that I can go months without talking to him and its like we're right back where we started - sitting in a dorm room gabbing about anything and everything. I will say it is nice to have a guy for a bff. Sure you're not going to discuss girl issues but you can talk about pretty much anything else and you get a guy's perspective in return. Plus (sorry gfs) with guys you never get the petty drama that sometimes engulfs relationships with other girls.

So tonight has so far been good. I meant to take C for a walk (our nightly tradition now that its warm) but I sat on the porch and chatted away until O's phone died. K made beef stew this am so I don't have to cook. Life is good.

Monday, March 8, 2010

Week 9 of the 52 Week Challenge

This one is easy. I forgot to post anything this weekend so you're a day short for this challenge. Basically all you have to do is call someone you haven't talked to in awhile and ask them what's new with them (or some variation) then just listen to them. I'll even let you define "awhile" the only stipulation would be you can't have talked to them in the last few days. So good luck - more later!

Friday, March 5, 2010

Week 8 Update II

This is a little late but I haven't had time to post. Tuesday night I was all amped up to try another new recipe. The potatoes weren't really a recipe so I wasn't sure if it would technically count. So I picked this pasta recipe that sounded pretty good. Basically a lower fat version than full on Alfredo sauce. So it was called Spinach Pasta with Cheese. First off anything with cheese in the title gets my attention. And K loves pasta so I thought it was a good compromise.

It smelled good cooking so I got even more excited. I decided to make dessert too to surprise him. I hardly ever start cooking before K gets home. Usually I'll play with C, go through the mail, check all my usual websites while trying to keep C from destroying random papers on the shredder, call friends, etc. And then when he gets home I'll lay around for ten minutes asking "I don't know what do you want for dinner" secretly hoping he'll finally cave and say we have enough money to go out (again).

In the end, the pasta recipe was no good. The sauce never really became watery. Basically it was a ball of spinach coated ricotta cheese that I tried to mix in with the pasta. I thought it was gross from the first day. K liked it but he ate it again on Wednesday and said it was gross. Oh well - a mad face goes in the recipe book.

You never know if you don't try.

Tuesday, March 2, 2010

What I'm Watching - Undercover Boss

Have you seen this show? I see it on Demand a lot (my source for TV when I'm bored). Anyway, it comes on CBS and I'm thinking the one time I actually caught it on TV it was on Sunday.

The premise is a CEO goes undercover in his own company to figure out what's good and what's bad. Basically it's like an hour long pr commercial (hopefully) for said company. The first one on Waste Management was interesting. I think it's getting a little old at this point for a few reasons:

1. Your CEO shaved off his beard and slicked back his hair and you expect me to believe no one recognized him. Have you ever googled the people that work for your company or I don't know gone on your company's website? A little hard to believe.

2. They always meet people with massive problems (failing kidneys, blind children, etc). I think the people are selectively picked (it didn't take rocket science to figure that out) - I don't think Joe CEO randomly runs into Cindy Down-On-Her-Luck.

3. The people are always quick to share what's wrong with the company. Again - really? It's not something I'd blurt out on someone's first day in front of camera crews.

I'm sure there are other reasons. The show is entertaining but call me spoiled and jaded half the time the CEO's "help" for these people is a little weak.

For example:

1. I saw White Castle's episode last night so it's sticking out. But the CEO started a wellness program because one of the employees had a hard time losing weight and thought she was going to have a heart attack and die. All nice and good but to me a wellness program sounds like a manual or a brochure you'll get twice a year and a email reminder once a year that you should exercise. Lame. (Although I don't know White Castle's program - maybe it's amazing, like free gym memberships, I don't know).

Here's another hard to believe element. The CEO of Hooters went undercover a few weeks ago. He didn't realize that some people thought Hooters was degrading to women.... Really?? You have girls walking around in tight clothes, short shorts and your restaurant is called Hooters - I don't think you're talking about the Owl. Let's be honest for a second and you knew full well that Hooters is degrading and you don't care but want to seem like a nice family guy so you're like "oh really?"

Or the 7/11 CEO who was surprised when a store clerk said there was no where to go in the company. I mean come on half these people are there to hold them over until they finish school, find something else, etc. I'm not sure many people say hmmm I really want to work at a 7/11 store my whole life. I don't think there's anything wrong with it if you do but I'm just thinking most people say I want to be a doctor or a lawyer...

I will say the show is entertaining. It's interesting to me that some of the CEO's come across as complete idiots and you have to wonder how the hell did they get that job. To be fair maybe they weren't trained well at entry level positions but... I'm just saying if I was CEO of XYZ Company - I'd make damn sure I sounded eloquent and looked intelligent on TV.

Also interesting - the behind the scene's (although scripted) look at the company's.

Final verdict - worth checking out if you have nothing else to do.

Week 8 update

So how is the cooking coming? So far I made one new thing but I didn't have a recipe - so does that count?

I sliced (ok K did) potatoes up and put them in a frying pan with oil, a little butter, salt, pepper, seasoning salt, basil and garlic powder and cooked them for dinner last night. Super yummy.

Last week I made a taco salad - I had a recipe but I tweaked it. Here you go (my version):

1 lb ground beef
1 cucumber
approx 1 head of lettuce
2 Roma tomatoes
onion (to taste)
garlic (to taste)
cumin
salt
pepper
onion powder
3/4 cup French dressing
1 cup salsa
whole grain tortilla chips (broken up)
Cheddar Cheese
can of black beans (drained)

Ok this is super easy. Cook the beef. Towards the end add onion, garlic, spices and beans. Heat through. Meanwhile, wash all the veggies and put in a bowl. Cool the meat mixture a bit and then put on top of veggies - combine. Top with cheese and chips.

In another bowl combine salsa and French dressing to make your salad dress.

First off I never would have thought to combine salsa and French dressing but it was by far one of the best dressings I've ever had. Highly recommend.

I'm debating tonight making a new pasta recipe - I'll let you know how it goes.

Monday, March 1, 2010

Random Thoughts for a Monday

I think Mondays are always hard. I'm one of those people that would be perfectly content being independently wealthy (ok really who wouldn't be happy with that?). So I'm always a little sad when Monday rolls around and I have to go to work and I can't just do what I want to do all day. So there's that.

Monday started ok though - my boss emailed me this really nice compliment about me from another employee. (Basically giving me kudos for a job well done last week - how awesome is that?!?!) Life was good.

Then about 8 am we get a company wide email that basically read blah blah blah blah no raises this year blah blah blah. Wait... rewind. No raises this year? This sent everyone around me into a does this include us or not discussion. I was going to think with the glass half full approach and go with it doesn't include us.

Afternoon rolls around we get a 2nd email that says the first email does include us. This led to more discussion about how much work sucks and people just generally complaining.

Here's a thought - I know this was probably planned. I mean I don't think the bosses woke up this morning and were like hmmm no raises for anyone today. So why would you send out such a morale killer on a Monday? You have an army of depressed weekend craving employees and you're going to launch their week with great job but no raises? Really? Why not send it out on a Thursday so we can all go out drinking and bitch about it at least? J/K - sort of. I just don't think Monday was a great day to tell people.

I'm telling myself what I told K when his company said no raises. At least you're better off than all those people that are getting laid off or the people getting salary cuts, etc. but part of me is a upset three year old screaming in the corner. It stinks. I sometimes really feel like I'm beating my head against a brick wall. This is my Monday venting session for a few minutes then we'll go back to the regularly scheduled program of fashion and other frivolity.... I guess growing up part of me was naive enough to think I'd be like the people on Friends. I'd have a great job, a fabulous apartment and designer clothes. Instead I feel like I did all this work to just be stuck like a hamster in a wheel - running like crazy but not going anywhere. My job is okay but there are days where I want something more but I can't really put my finger on what it is - like I'm at point A but I really want to be at point B. The thing is companies have us (and they know it) by the (excuse the expression) balls. They can do what they want, treat us like they want and they know if you're smart you're probably not going anywhere just yet.

So what can cheer me up? I don't know... but this list is usually a start:

1. A Margarita - at least for a few minutes I can dream I'm in Mexico lying on the beach. If I ever win the lottery I swear I'm moving to another country and just playing in the ocean all day. Until then a Margarita will have to do.

2. Shopping. I guess this is like a binge eater except when I get stressed or upset I don't eat. I shop. I crave candy colored dresses, jeans, shoes that would make Carrie Bradshaw weep with desire... I literally had to stop myself from heading to the mall after work. If I'm not getting a raise I can't afford to blow my budget on Loft and Limited.

3. Writing. There is something so therapeutic about it for me. I tend to write better fiction when I'm running high on emotions. It sounds weird but its like this little release for all this pent up energy that I can't get rid of.

4. Exercising. If I can make myself detour the mall and go to the gym instead... I did take C for a walk when I got home and it felt nice to just be outside.

5. Venting. Who doesn't want to vent for two seconds about how crappy everything seems? Sometimes it feels good to let it out and just scream or cry or tell your bff that life sometimes sucks.