Thursday and Friday just blend together sometimes

So my Thursday Thirteen is late - again. Ask me if I care. Anyway, this has been a difficult week. Difficult is an understatement. I thought I'd end the week on a lighter note: Thirteen Things that make Brea Happy 1. Dark chocolate 2. Spending time in nature 3. Road trips 4. Doing something thoughtful and unexpected for someone 5. A walk on the beach 6. Good sex 7. Reminiscing 8. Good food 9. My dog 10. Obtaining a goal 11. Planning and the pay off 12. Making and spending money 13. A sincere compliment Links to other Thursday Thirteens! 1. (leave your link in comments, I'll add you here!) Get the Thursday Thirteen code here! The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It's easy, and fun! Be sure to update your Thirteen with links that are left for you, as well! I will link to everyone who participates and leaves a link to their 13 things. Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted! What makes you happy?

What is wrong with people?!

Sunday started out looking terribly bleak; it was rainy and gloomy. I dragged myself out of bed and went an hour late to my lunch date. By the time lunch was finished, the sun was shining brightly and there was no hint of the morning gloom. My friend and I put on our walking shoes and left our cell phones in the house as we spent six hours walking around downtown, occasionally stopping at small shops and cafes. It was a fantastic day spent walking and talking with one of my best friends. After discussing every little detail of what was going on in each others lives, I drove home with a sense of peace I hadn't felt in a long while. I was completely oblivious that Sunday was also a day of senseless violence. Monday morning, phone calls and e-mails brought me crashing down from my cloud as I learned the events of Sunday afternoon- the very same day I felt as if everything was finally right in my little world. My friend's sister was gunned down Sunday around noon in Baltimore. She was 25 years old, six months pregnant, and at the wrong place at the wrong time. The friend she was with was also killed. Three lives were lost that day, as efforts to save her unborn child failed. Not far away, later that afternoon in D.C., another friend's husband was shot point blank in the chest while loading his truck. For landscaping equipment, he is in the hospital fighting for his life. Tomorrow I have a job interview for the job I am so eager to get. Before I go, I will call my friend to ask how her husband is doing in his battle to stay alive. After the interview, I will drive to the viewing of my other friend's sister. Then I have to go to work. There will be no joy in my heart tomorrow, as the day I have been so looking forward to has been tainted by tragedy. Please pray for the family and friends affected by this weekend's events.

Belated Thursday

Okay, so this week's thirteen is a day late. Better late than never, right? I've been advised to make a list of the non-negotiable qualities for my next partner. That way, even when I'm not looking, I'll know what my standards are if someone should come along. When this was first suggested to me, I thought it silly. But now that I look back over my dating history, a list like this could have really been useful. Especially when people seem to come into my life unexpectedly, I am always caught off guard. I'm also really bad at listening to my inner voice and instead my drive to "make things work" or "give them a chance" or "just see what happens" takes over. So, since I always seem to ignore my SCREAMING inner voice, I think having my non-negotiables in writing is quite necessary. Perhaps if we all had this in writing, we'd stop kissing so many frogs... What would your list look like? Post it in the comments or on your blog. Does your current partner have all of your non-negotiable qualities? Can you recall a past relationship where your partner was missing a non-negotiable? Do you think having a list like this is useful? Do you think sticking to it would have saved you from past grief? How about you, any plans to use such a list as you make these decisions in your future? I seriously plan on sticking to this. From experience, I know these are qualities I need in a partner. I don't want to waste any more time with the wrong person. Thirteen Things about Brea's Next Partner 1. MUST be self-confident. Jealousy and insecurity will not be tolerated. 2. MUST be affectionate. Hugs, kisses, soft touches...I need all of it. 3. MUST be a great communicator which includes the ability to express feelings. 4. MUST value my feelings and opinions, even if they do not agree. Respect is the key word here. 5. MUST be a good listener. The more I talk, the more comfortable I am with the person. If I am opening up to someone, I want to feel like I am heard. 6. MUST be physically fit. Physical attraction plays a big role between two people. A fit body is a requirement to get my chemistry flowing. 7. MUST be adventurous. Food, music, art, travel, activities, ect. I want someone who is willing to try anything at least once. 8. MUST have a good relationship with their family (unless they are crazy). 9. MUST love the outdoors. Duh! 10. MUST make me smile. Laughter is important too. But mostly, I want someone who makes me light up whether I am talking to them or about them. 11. MUST have a healthy sex-drive. 12. MUST master the art of "just because". 13. MUST know how to let things "go with the flow" without rushing or running from commitment, labels, ect. If they or I want a commitment, make it known. I'm not into playing games. If I come to a point where I want them to be my boyfriend, I will say so. I'd expect the same from them. Until then, let's just enjoy getting to know one another. Links to other Thursday Thirteens! 1. Josie 2. Torrance Get the Thursday Thirteen code here! The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It's easy, and fun! Be sure to update your Thirteen with links that are left for you, as well! I will link to everyone who participates and leaves a link to their 13 things.

Weekend Recap

Look, I'm blogging before Thursday! Are you proud of me? ;) Well, I had an awesome weekend, although nothing went as planned..... The plan for Friday: mountain bike by day, party downtown by night. What actually happened: I awoke to a gloomy, rainy morning. After talking to my friend, it was decided that the bike trip was off. Perfect, I could curl back into bed. And curl back into bed I did. There is nothing like waking to an alarm only to discover you can sleep as long as you want. I snuggled up in my comforter and was sound asleep in mere seconds. I slept until my back started to hurt, then I slept some more. Finally, Trek had enough of my laziness and demanded he be taken out. After walking the dog and eating a ridiculously big breakfast, I did what I do most rainy days - I went shopping. I picked up a cute blazer, a button down top, a gift for Steph, some socks, this ring (sorry, best pic I could get - it's cool, take my word for it), and these shoes. I'm not a big shoe person but I absolutely LOVE these shoes! By the time my shopping trip was concluded it was bright and sunny out - figures! I took myself out for a late lunch and then headed home during a beautiful sunset. The fun doesn't stop there. However, the pictures do. See, there is the little matter of this: My battery charger. It is quite a simple process actually. After using the camera, place batteries into charger and go to sleep. Put batteries back into camera in the morning. Had I done that the last time I used my camera, I'd have a ton of fun pictures from this weekend. But nooooooooooooo, I didn't. And my camera died. Okay, back to the story. Fast forward to late evening. I showered and after three outfit changes, headed over to a friend's place. Remember, the plan was to head downtown. Well, somewhere between our phone conversation and the 30 minute drive to her place, the plan changed. Now we were going to drive another 45 minutes and hit the bars in Annapolis. Now, if you'll recall, I didn't exactly like the bars I went to last time I was there. But I made the best of it and ended up having a good time anyway. Plus, it gave me something to blog about. So, off to Annapolis we went. I ended up having a really awesome time - great atmosphere and company. We hit several bars but ended up spending most of the night at Ram's Head where someone rang up a $60 bar tab! Hey, they have good beer. And you can get it by the pitcher! :) I met an awesome guy who spends his summers on various outdoor trips - we exchanged numbers. I also met up with my drunk ass H.S. friend who had been at happy hour since six - keep in mind I didn't get there until 11pm. Drunk ass is an understatement actually - but it was funny. After last call we took my drunk friend home and then hit up Double T Diner. Yum! French toast and eggs at 2am is amazing stuff let me tell you. I was in heaven. It was the perfect conclusion to the night. The plan for Saturday: wake up early to go hiking, lunch, run errands, late night girl talk and art projects. What actually happened: Woke up late. Lounged around in PJs until nearly one. Last minute decision to hike in Loch Raven resulted in never finding an actual trail and listening to the county firing range - not exactly the best way to enjoy nature. But it was good company and good conversation where we compiled a list of all the art/music/outdoor trips/activities to be done this summer. After our "hike", we went out for lunch. You'd think we hadn't had a bite in years. Between the three of us, we rang up a $100 food bill. We had salads, lobster, crab legs, and filets. Yum! After lunch, I ran errands with a friend. I went home to shower and never made it back out of the house for girl talk and art projects. The plan for Sunday: sleep late, go to work, endure a slow shift of 10% tips, miss Easter dinner with the family. What actually happened: Well, everything pretty much went according to plan: sleep, work, bad tips.... However, my Mom saved the day! There was Filet Mignon, rice, and veggies left for me from Easter dinner. A couple minutes in the microwave, and I was enjoying Easter dinner with my family (even though I was the only one eating and it was in the living room watching TV- minor details). I was even able to hang out with my brother a bit before he had to go back to school. This weekend was much needed: I had fun without a drop of drama (unless of course you count the 17 phone calls from a crazy ex-co-worker - yes, 17, I just counted). I made a big decision - I'm moving downtown at the end of the summer. I'm not taking the job my Dad wanted to hook me up with. Instead, I'm going to apply for another job. It will still be more than a teacher salary - but not a HUGE salary enough to tempt me from not following my dreams. I really bonded with a new friend in my life and did a lot of catching up with some old ones. I have some exciting trips and activities in store for the summer (which I need to put in writing lest I forget anything). I've also decided NOT to tell Mr. Right to go f*^k himself should he come along. Actually, I'll just ask him to be my friend. One can never have too many good friends. I still have quite a bit to get figured out, but less left up in the air. It feels good. Smiley for the Day:

Bitchy Thursday

This week's thirteen quickly progresses into my own personal bitch fest. Enjoy. Thirteen Things about Brea 1. Not sure if I'm hungover or dying. Either way, I hope it is over soon. 2. The cut on my finger from last week still makes people shutter. I have shock value - very cool. 3. I'm on a roll - made another awesome dinner last week. This time without hurting myself. I may catch on to this domestic stuff yet! 4. I have a bit of a housing dilemma. I was supposed to move into a county apartment with a friend. However, another friend of mine just landed a job downtown and wants to move into the city. I've always wanted to live in the city. Plus, we can get a townhome instead of an apartment. What to do?! 5. I have the entire weekend off = hiking, mountain biking, and live music. I can't wait! 6. Thank G-d for unlimited text messaging. 7. I have misplaced the face plate to my car stereo. Car rides are so boring now. I mean really, when I'm screaming at all the jerk drivers out there, there is no theme music. That's no fun. Plus, I can no longer share my awesome singing talent with anyone stuck next to me at a traffic light. 8. I finally saw Crash. What an awesome movie! And the music! I think I may have to buy the soundtrack. If you ask me, the score really helped make the movie so powerful. 9. Is it me or is everyone on a diet? Don't get me wrong, I'm not exactly happy with this winter belly. But the thought of not eating anything I want is just plain scary. No carbs? No sugar? I'd starve! Scaaaaaaaaaaary! 10. I've been presented with an awesome job opportunity. All I have to do is apply and train. It's a hook up from my Dad - which has always worked out great in the past. I'd make more than my teacher salary after graduation (which thanks to our societal values, isn't impressive to begin with - but that's another blog...). So what is the problem? My passion has always been to teach. I'm afraid if I take this job, I won't be able to give up the money. But it would make the right now fantastic. Dilemma number two. 11. Why is it the guys I attract are either arrogant assholes (who think every girl is trying to wrap them up), a friend (who cannot keep boundaries), obsessive (who can't just chill without trying to force a commitment and/or have to know where I am at all times), or just plain BLECH?! Where is the happy medium?! I give up. If Mr. Right comes along, I'm going to tell him to go f--k himself too. 12. Why do some people still think 10% is a good tip? And why are these same people so proud of their shitty tip that they have to deliver it personally? Your verbal tip of, "You did such a great job" isn't going to pay my bills. That being said, none of these people were out last night. I was on fire! Every single table OVER-tipped me and I ended up making three times anyone else in the restaurant. So to the guy who made me cry last week, I'd just like to say....nevermind, I'll spare you the profanities. 13. This blog needs a new look. I'm just not sure what I'll do yet. I think I may blog before next Thursday. Yes, I will. I will blog before next Thursday. There, I said it, now I have to do it. Stay tuned... Links to other Thursday Thirteens! 1. Audrey 2. Dee-Dee Get the Thursday Thirteen code here! The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It's easy, and fun! Be sure to update your Thirteen with links that are left for you, as well! I will link to everyone who participates and leaves a link to their 13 things.

Happy Thursday!

Got this idea from Audrey's blog. At least now you can count on hearing my randomness at least once a week. Aren't you excited?! ;) Thirteen Things about Brea: 1. Developed a sore throat and swollen lymph nodes (the ones behind my ears) today. Gee, wonder if I'm getting sick? 2. Dropped $500 on car repairs. Oh happy day! 3. Reconnected with old friends from H.S. and college. What ever happened to solid platonic relationships with men? Why do they always have to see how far they can go? 4. Anxiously awaiting news of our next backpacking trip. Can we go now? How about now? Now?! 5. A customer made me cry Tuesday night. What kind of piece of shit offers $25 and an apology as constellation for being an asshole. Get the f*%# out! I hope they burn in hell. 6. I'm not bitter, really. 7. I love red wine, it made me forget my work shirt at the bar. Don't ask. 8. Sliced my finger on an empty can of green beans. Right on the tip and it took a good twenty minutes to stop the bleeding. Who does that? Oh, I do. Fortunately, this minor setback was forgotten quickly. I made an awesome dinner. 9. Still searching, finding nothing. It may be easier if I figure out what the hell it is I am looking for in the first place! Which brings me to... 10. I miss blogging and my blogging buddies. I know for a fact that I am most successful when I work things out in writing. You'd think in my current state of BLAH, I'd be writing up a storm. I'm not. 11. Bought a $45 bra at Victoria's Secret this weekend. It makes my boobs look good and has clear straps for use with halters and spaghetti straps. I'm still trying to convince myself it was worth it. When is the last time a man spent more than $10 on underwear? It just doesn't seem fair! Moving on... By the time I left the mall, my pocket was $200 lighter. Good thing I don't do that often. 12. Trying to decide who I should invite to the annual fishing trip this year. Part of me would like you-know-who to come. How sad is that? I have all these wonderful people in my life and HE is the one I want there. That says something about me, doesn't it? 13. Debating whether to take classes this summer or to work my ass off and save money (or spend it all decorating my new apartment, on car repairs, or buying bras from VS). Links to other Thursday Thirteens! 1. Audrey Get the Thursday Thirteen code here! The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It's easy, and fun! Be sure to update your Thirteen with links that are left for you, as well! I will link to everyone who participates and leaves a link to their 13 things. Let me know if you decide to start doing this on your own blog. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed a glimpse into the randomness that is my life. Just be glad all you get is a glimpse; I'm stuck in this head for life! Now that's a scary thought!