The Plan

Ultimately in life I want to be one of those people that is so cool that everyone want to be best friends with them.  I've got a plan for this:

1)  Become a PA: I am back in Colorado from California so I can finish up the rest of my prerequisites for P.A school!  I am also working at my cousin Clark's Otolaryngology office to get some more clinical hours.  I am hoping that this will all bump up my odds of getting into school in May, so we'll wait and see.

2)  Develop new talents:  I've started taking piano lessons now that I'm back in CO.  Maybe one day I'll be as cool as my Mom.

3) Become more cultured:  The idea is to read more books and watch less trashy television (I won't hold my breath on that last one).

4)  Develop the art of conversation:  My grandmother was a master of this.  She could converse fluently with anyone on nearly any subject.  Not only that, but by the end of the conversation, the one talking to her would feel like the most important person in the room and loved her for her genuine interest in their lives.

If all of that fails I'll follow this kid's list:

be sure to wear a flower in your hair

So this one time for Lauren's birthday...

 

we went to San Francisco.

 

 

We ate great food...

 

                          saw some nature...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

...and other cool stuff.              

Did I mention we rode a boat?              

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

but not trolleys.                       

 
       We hung out by the Tanner's place...

and saw all of the big stuff.       

A merry time was had by all!

23rd

Yesterday was my golden birthday and it was fantastic!  The kind of fantastic where you almost want to cry because the people in your life are so great.



Birthday flowers from Mom

 My mother sent me some gorgeous flowers at work and my sister Katie took me out for lunch (bagels of course, my one weakness).  When I got home my lovely room mate Lisa Ann had arranged a collection of fun little gifts on my newly refinished  nightstand,  it was like Easter when I was a kid!  For dinner I went with some choice individuals to an Italian restaurant in Huntington called Mazara Trattoria.  Yay for yelp because it was life alteringly good!  I got the rigatoni alla vodka and sampled most of the other dishes, all of which were exemplary.  Then we all went back to the apartment where Lauren served one of her glorious pieces with an "under the sea" theme.  It was a solid evening, complete with everyone telling me why they liked me (always a fun game). 

My goal before turning 24? Get into PA school.  This one's going to be a good year.  I can feel it!



FINALLY!!!!

So,  after considerable effort and multiple months of work my dresser is now officially refinished!!!  

I'd like to thank the academy.  My room mates Lauren and Lisa Ann for being patient with me through all of the dust in our apartment and junk left around to dry.  My loving sister Kate for the use of her sander which surely shaved a year off of the time it would have taken me.  And finally, pinterest, for inspiring me to want to be cooler in my spare time.


BEFORE

Here's what I spent, roughly. 

Original dresser: $50

Sander: borrowed from a lovable and patient sister

 Sand paper: $10

Watco Danish Oil in dark walnut: $22

New hardware:$30

Time: ...let's not talk about that one shall we?



AFTER

Which brings us to a grand total of around  $110 and a few realizations: 1) Furniture should be refinished outside or in a garage 2) nail polish remover will get oil finishes out of carpet (mostly) and 3) sometimes it's worth it just to buy what you wanted in the first place!



 

 

 

Here's a closeup of the hardware, just for fun.

Oh My Adorable

 

Okay... super jealous of this kid... but he's so dang cute and the story was pretty cute too.

Learning Spanish

I just moved with Lauren Brown and Lisa Ann Poulsen to a cute hacienda-courtyard style complex in Santa Ana (essentially Irvine) The location is bomb! There are restaurants, shopping, even a costco close by. It also sits right in the middle of everything important: 14 minutes to work, 15 to the beach, and 20 to Disneyland.

My favorite part about the complex, however, are all of the cute hispanic girls that seem to pop out of the woodwork like little mice whenever we come home. They think we are pretty great (which baffles my mind because I realize I am now that "cool-older-but-not-too-old" girl. We told them that at some point this week we would invite them over to help us make cookies and they are SO EXCITED!!! I also asked them to help me learn some spanish. Now our salutations are all in Spanish and I try to ask them, "¿cómo se dice _____" (fill in the blank) whenever I think of something.

The one with the Valentines blackout

So it's been two weeks since Valentines and I haven't written about this, but I really wanted to:
On the evening of Valentines Day Huntington Beach had a large blackout that affected most of downtown Huntington and a few other areas. It was like driving through a ghost town! So eerie!

I wondered as I was driving up PCH what all the retail stores and restaurants were supposed to do when something like that happens? Do they just sit in the dark? I assume they have to kick everyone out to avoid theft, but do they send all their employees home? Or make them sit there in the dark in case the lights come back? I feel like being stuck somewhere during a blackout would be like getting locked into a library. Something everyone dreams about in their childhood as being terribly mysterious and cool.
I wanted to make note of some of the things that surprised me in what was a very fortunately placed (that is if you had a Valentines date) mild emergency:
-my first reflex when entering a dark room is to flip the switch (even when I know the power is off)
-wifi needs electricity to work... thank goodness for smart phones
-the water dispenser on the fridge also requires electricity. That one was an interesting realization.
-when walking back into a room I have already failed to turn the lights on in, I will still try and fail yet again, twice, three times. Old habits.
-emergency preparedness is something that is easy to think about in retrospect when you lack candles and your phone is dead.
-I am in no way prepared to deal with an earthquake (but secretly I would like to experience a gentle one just to know what it feels like)

The final most awesome realization? THE STARS!!!! without the ample light pollution they do exist in Orange County! It was like seeing old friends again.