I am in Paris at this very moment in a tiny, hot internet cafe using 1 of the 2 english keyboards. I pay 1 Euro for 15 minutes so I don’t have much time after checking my other email….2 minutes to be exact…but I wanted to let you know Paris is everything you think it is and I am having a wonderful time. I will tell you about it when I get home the my native San Francisco. Merci!
So much is going on right now it is hard to keep my head straight! Two weekends ago I went up to Lake Tahoe with a group of 12 other co-workers. It snowed like nothing else and was beautiful. since I have been saving money for Paris, Urian and I decided to hit the casinos instead of snowboarding. This proved to be a good idea as I only lost $35 bukeroos! The house we stayed at was cozy and nice. The hot tub was a bit cold but that didn’t stop us. And what Tahoe trip would be complete without a visit to the Red HUt Waffle Shop? Brown came with me and got an eggbeater omelette…at a waffle house!
Last weekend, Ronnie and I got word that 3 other people were interested in the pup we were leaning towards, and since we had pick of the litter, we had to decide then. We could not decide based on a picture so on a whim, we drove down to Bakersfield. Now those of you who know me know just how much I hate this scum hole. It has the smog of LA and the trash of Fresno. GROSS! We checked in to the Doubletree then went and met the pups. It was so hard to choose from these little piles of blubber, but the one that walked over to us and stayed with us the most was the one we choose. See pictures below. On the way back to the hotel we stopped by Buck Owen’s Silver Palace but got too frightened of all the fake cowboy dummies in the patios. Buck was supposed to perform that night at a whopping 7:30pm, which was too late for us…yeah right! We decided to take a trip to Boot World instead. We tried on some cowboy hats then when back to the hotel. I love the suburbs for beer. We each got a pint and buffalo wings for $11.50! Holy Gosh! We then went back to the room to clean up, but decided it wuld be more fun to drink the cheap free wine we got with the “romance package,” and order room service. We also watched Fantastic Four which was one of the worst movies I have ever seen. 2 out of 10. It was just trerrible. The next day we pretended to be regualrs by going to Costco, Best Buy, Target and of course PetCo to by some pup stuff. After a couple hours there we were ready to head home.
AND! Tomorrow I head off to Paris. I haven’t been over the pond in almost 2 years when I last went to Japan. Kirsten and I are so excited…we can’t believe it is finally here. I checked the weather and we are going to get snow for about 6 days….oh well…winter wonderland! I will miss Ronnie an aweful lot..but when I get home from my 10 day trip, we have concerts to go to…a house warming party, a trip to Arizona and then full circle back down to Bakersfield to pick up our pup. What MAGIC this time in my life is!
Below: Pictures of Ronnie and I with our pup Byron….
This past weekend I ventured to Wondercon, a San Francisco comic book convention that I have been going to since I was a little kid. It is so different now. Not in a way where the goods have changed, still lots of Star Wars and Batman comics, but now that I am in the “industry” I see it with different eyes. It was really fun to be there with Ronnie too. We both pretty much like the same stuff so it is fun to share with eachother our “dork finds” like artbooks and Nana plushies.
That night we went to a party to celebrate two of our friend’s birthdays. Andy made his famous Joe’s Special which knocked Ronnie to the floor. The affects of alcohol on the humans always cracks me up. It’s like a person’s inner personality comes out. We danced and played with Bandit (it was at his owners house.) It was an all around fun party. Good job Gals!
In other exciting news I have now lost 10 pounds since new years! Below is a picture of the weigh-in this morning:
The puppies were born on Jan. 31st and we finally have pictures! It will be one of these little guys…
It was a nice an quiet little weekend spent with Ronnie. I did have a nice lunch with Aaron on Saturday and brunch with Dad on Sunday. Ronnie got a ton of artwork done and I worked more on my new painting and did 2 new mini comics! Hooray! Super Bowl was okay…I was a bit disappointed in the ads and the half-time show but perhaps I am being too picky.
Paris is rapidly approaching and so I have been doing a lot of studying up on places to see and things to do.
Last night our puppy was born. We are so excited about the lil guy. This means we can pick him up at the very end of March. He lives down in Bakersfield which many of you know, I hate, but I am willing to sacrafice one night there to pick up the pup. It is amazing how motherly I am becoming to this lil fella I haven’t met yet. I bought this book about the best places to take your dog in the bay area, because I love traveling with dogs. It reminds me of being a kid. Having a dog just adds a new kind of joy. I will be sure to keep everyone posted.
I am also back on weight watchers and have lost 7 pounds so far! It feels so much better to pay attention to the foods I eat. My body is much happier. My mini goal is to lose 10 pounds by Valentines Day.
Below: Puppy pics from a previous liter
Our Landlord said yes! So we have found a breeder that was recommended to us by a friend…and she is expecting pups in early Feb. which means we would get the pup in April. AND we get “pick of the litter.” How exciting! So yes..we are expecting…
Here is a size comparisson of a Shih-Tzu pup…
So this past weekend we babysat a friend’s Shih-Tsu named Bandit. He was so amazing. Quiet, affectionate, friendly to other dogs…and so Ronnie and I fell for it. We want one just like him. We walked every with the lil guy. So much we had to carry him home! So yeah, we want one. Now let’s see what our landlord says….
below:
Pics of Bandit
No, I am not tired of my job. In fact I love my job and everyone I work with. Where else could I work with comics all day and bs with the likes of Brown? The reason I need to retire is that I want to travel!
I have always had a deep thread of waunderlust in me and this year proves to tickle that fancy. But it is never enough!! I always want to get up and go explore new places and revisit places that I love. Kirsten and I were very close to packing up and just waundering the world for a year working odd jobs and letting life carry us where ever we wanted go. A part of me still wants to do that. But for more realistic travel, things are proving to be most difficult. Mostly because I get only 17 PTO days a year. I know I know…that is already generous, but the trips that are stacking up need more time than that! I have some friends wanting to go to Tahoe next motnh to snowboard which I totally want to do! But then Ronnie has been very homesick lately and desperatly wants to go and visit New York. The cheapest time would be in Febuary. Then from March 1-10, Kirsten and I are going to Paris. Following that, at the end of March, I am going to Arizona with my dad for our annual Spring Training for the SF Giants trip, then there is talk of Ronnie and I hanging with his parents in May, Comic-con in San Diego and Big Bend in July… not to mention I am really acheing to go back to Mexico. OYE!
So I want to have a humble lump of money and more days off to enjoy travel and keep the job I love so much. What is a girl to do!? Perhaps I could write part-time for a travel book? Hmmm…
Recently Drank: Right now I am drinking Lavendar tea. It reminds me of being at a spa.
Recently Ate: I am about to go get sushi with Kirstina at Godzila. Ooo do I love that place.
Recently Watched: Lost season one disk 3. I do enjoy this series but sometimes I think it is silly how many mysteries there are. Good creepiness though!
Recently Played: 5 Up Dominoes. Aaron taught me this game awhile back and I love it. Ronnie and I often play it.
Recenlty Drew: Ack! Nothing really, but I did do another mini comic for my APE book. (Alternative Press Expo)
Image: A Sample of my comic and how I look in it…very simple.
So the time has finally come. Ronnie and I have taken the next step in our relationship. I was always a bit nevous about this part of the “dating,” world, but it just seemed that we had reached those cross-roads. We took a trip to Pottery Barn.
HOLY GOSH! I had NO idea that place was so expensive! I looked at a regular blanket…$80 buckeroos! Who spends that kind of money on a blanket…honestly! Or like a 5×7 frame at $45?! Why? I just don’t get it. Any place with the word “Barn,” in it should be cheap as all get-up! We took a walk through just to see their design ideas but it was really basic. I will stick to more affordable stores.
Below…$60 dollar frames
Last night Ronnie and I saw Wolf Parade at the Independent. I must admit that I was not wanting to go by the time I got out of work because I was grumpy and tired. But dinner and a nap helped me get my spirits up. We got there around 10:15 and saw Chad VanGaalen who was pretty good. He did this weird thing with his voice but he had a good sound. And if I say something was pretty good…that means really really good because I was slightly still in the “I am grumpy” mood. Chad broke a string on his guitar but continued to play anyhow. I guess it is a Canadian thing to do that. Wolf Parade rocked my cons off. They are going to be big. Man were they awesome and we were lucky enough to be only in the second row back from the stage, so Ronnie and I could see the keyboardist/singer rain sweat down on the keys. I just hope these guys can hold it together for a few years so they can get the recognition they deserve.
There was an attack at my apartment two nights ago. It happened in the night while Ronnie and I slept…a creature snuck in and feasted on my blood and left pink itchy spots. Yes I got eatten alive by a mosquito. A BIG mosquito because whereever it bit, I had a very strong reaction. The worst of all the bites is one on my left eyelid. My eyelid is now so swollen that it looks like I am Quasimoto from the Hunchback of Notre Dame. I have been wearing my glasses to hide this odd looking reaction of one eye being really open and another half closed. Luckily, only Ronnie noticed it but he has been super sweet to me about it because I feel like a monster. Curse you evil things!
Below: A picture of Wolf Parade…and you don’t really want to see a pic of a bug do you?
