Thursday, March 24, 2011

Thankful Thursday

San Francisco, I hate thee for thy weather. Seriously, the last few weeks have been nuts. I mean I guess weird weather is normal here, but I still hate it. Right now for example, it's brilliantly sunny outside as the sun gets lower in the sky. You'd never have known it wasn't warm and sunny here all day. But about 30 minutes ago it was pouring down rain, and that had been going since this morning. Yesterday was worse, because it was switching back and forth ALL DAY. I went out for coffee at one point because it stopped raining and was sunny and clear, and while CROSSING THE STREET, the clouds literally blew in and started dumping. I barely made it back to my office before it was all over. I don't understand. I will say this: I cannot WAIT to live in a place that has normal weather, has sunshine and isn't windy all the freaking time, and has actual, lovely summers. Hellooooo, Palo Alto. That is definitely something to be thankful for. Also:

1. I'm thankful for my down comforters and Milo's ability to radiate heat like a heatlamp. It's been pretty cold here again lately, and going to bed is always an adventure. I just lay there curled up for awhile trying to heat up, and even with the electric blanket on, the cold air creeps in. So I fixed it by layering my already huge bed with another down comforter. And Milo likes to curl up on my chest and purr until he falls asleep. Sweet, blissful, free heat!

2. I'm thankful for options. Options for where to live next, options for HOW to live next, to get a dog or not (I think YES), to take BART or Caltrain, to drive...

3. I'm thankful that Vegas is finally here. My flight leaves on Monday, returning on Friday, and I get to work in my jammies until the airport shuttle picks me up...and most likely get immediately into them again when I get home, hah! My suite at the Venetian(!) is SUPER cool, and our flights to/from Vegas on Virgin are basically going to be a party. Heck yes.

4. I'm thankful for Amazon and the prime membership my mom got me. What would I do without it?

5. I'm thankful Ash U is willing to try new things with me! Oh and that she takes care of my little prince while I'm traveling :)

6. I'm thankful for the talents I've been given. I feel like I'm starting to really appreciate them.

Blogging from here on out over the next week may be spotty (poker and peach bellinis, anyone?), so happy end of March to all!


Quote of the Day:
My dad, upon reading this post: "My Internet is so slow that you wasted ten minutes of my life on that sucky video"

Tuesday, March 22, 2011

4eva

As of today, Nolan comes home to me in 1 month. Less than 5 weeks,and it still feels like FOREVER. Hopefully my trip to Vegas next week will break things up a little :)

I'm over halfway done with my language courses that I've been studying while he's gone, I've been faithful with my workouts (for the most part), and my blanket is very slowly getting done. Now I need to work on my chess strategy some more. Oh and scrapbooking, SIGH.

Monday, March 21, 2011

Tripped out

Last night, before we began the game part of our weekly game night, some friends and I tried "taste tripping", which I've skeptically read about but never tried. Lest you be frightened, there were 2 doctors in our party so they checked the ingredients for bad things first :) Basically, we tried miracle berries (in the powdered tablet form, since the berries go bad quickly), which are these little berries that grow in West Africa, and make your taste buds heightened to sweetness. So they're tricked into tasting everything as sweet for about an hour. I didn't believe it until I tried a tomato and discovered it tasted like a sweet apple! Then my cheap, day-old red table wine...which tasted like a fine, sweet aged port! We sucked down lemons, hot sauce, and spoonfuls of balsamic vinegar, as you see Ash U doing here:

...and had many a strange thing. Here is an awesome article about it, if you're curious! Miraculin! I'd definitely recommend it, just for a fun thing to try!

Today, I got a delivery for my work on a project, as a thank you...and some of the pieces were, uh, rather large:

I didn't know there existed strawberries the size of my fist.

I also painted my bedroom this weekend to prepare for moving...I've been sleeping SO BADLY since then with the fumes and lack of curtains now, so hopefully it'll be all aired out tonight.

Friday, March 18, 2011

Friday, Friday

Has anyone else had their ears pummeled by the awfulness that is this song? Truly, I weep for future generations of Americans. Also: why is that 13-year-old driving that car? ALSO: why is that older rapper dude following them?

To make it up to you for wasting 3 minutes of your life with that video, here's one that is TOTALLY worth it. This revives the desire for children that the above video rapidly quashed.

Feeling sick still today, I worked from home to try and do nothing and recover. I'm thinking that my sedentary-ness today will be a huge benefit as I will be all rested up tomorrow, with hopefully nothing but good health!

Something that also helps, is homemade roasted butternut squash soup:

As we speak, I'm making delicate, peaky meringues made out of practically nothing, to nibble on for dessert. Here's what they look like in the oven at this moment:

Pretty!

I also saw these videos today and couldn't help posting, because I feel like they help communicate why I hate the muni so much...this will all go away once I start taking BART (yippee!):


I was actually THERE for this particular fail:

Thursday, March 17, 2011

Thankful Thursday

The day finally arrived...and this morning at 9am, Nolan and I found out that we're going to...
STANFORD!
I know, surprise, right? But an awesome one! This means a lot of good things for us...like me getting to keep my job, living in a more rural area (!), a 3-year program instead of 4, staying in NorCal, etc.
When they called out the countdown, I was eagerly waiting with the envelope in my hands, and my friend Heidi (who was there for support, since she gets her envelope next year) was gracious enough to capture the action with possibly the best ever accidental photobomb in the background of the second picture:



With that...
1. I am SO FREAKING THANKFUL that we know where we're going. The suspense has been absolutely unbearable. Now we can get excited about a particular place, and plan our move and our new life for the next 3 years! WOOHOO!!!
2. I'm thankful I get to keep my job. I love my job, and don't want to leave it to move elsewhere.
3. I'm thankful it's St. Patrick's Day! It means I've been working from home all day to the smell of my corned beef simmering away in a brew of garlic, spices, and beer! The cabbage smells pretty out-of-this-world too!
4. I'm thankful for the many times I've been able to talk to Nolan this week. It makes the loneliness at home more bearable.
5. I'm thankful it's almost the weekend, because I'm definitely getting sick and feel kind of awful already. Amazing: it's been coming on slowly for about 2 days but really AMPED UP about an hour after I found out our match at Stanford. It's like my body has been storing up all the stress and anxiety and finally the release is making me sick. Blech.
6. I'm thankful for the classes at my gym! This is the first time in a long time that I've actually started to SEE results. Weird.
7. I'm so thankful for Ash U, who comes over to keep me company all the time, puts up with my foul moods, and likes to watch stupid movies with me. Cheers to that.

Happy Thursday!

Countdowns:
7 days until my parents come to visit!
9 days until Vegas!
5 weeks until Nolan comes home!

Wednesday, March 16, 2011

ALSKDJFOIWE

You can always tell when I'm out of sorts, because my weekday posts are either super short, or nonexistent. The state of my nerves as we creep up on the 9am revelation of our future tomorrow is chaos. Therefore, I've not blogged as much this week because I have nothing to say except NLSDAASLFOIREJFRWEJLKFJDSFLKSJDF


So. I'll leave you with that until tomorrow when, surely one of my Thankful Thursday items will be not lurking in suspense any longer. Phew.

Monday, March 14, 2011

Love

"They will know you by your love." (John 13:35, paraphrased)

The other day as I left for work, I saw two snails on the sidewalk, crawling along next to each other with their shells touching. It reminded me that love is a universal thing (though I realize those snails had nothing themselves to do with love...derrr). It's been on my mind a lot, as I'm challenged to be a better person. I am often very spiteful towards those I get frustrated with, or don't even know. So I'm trying to develop patience.

I saw this picture the other day, and was so moved by it that not only am I going to ask Nolan to frame it, but I wanted to share it with you. I can't help feeling like this is how we were intended to be - loving our fellow man in the most tangible way possible. Jesus never called us to love only those we knew, or only those who believed the same things as we do, or only those who are x, y, and z...we are supposed to love everyone. Maybe hippies had something right after all. This picture was taken during the riots in Egypt. It's a picture of Christians protecting Muslims during their prayer-time:

photo credit

I guess you have to start small, and work your way up. I wish more of the world (including myself) put a bigger priority on loving people they didn't know. But it's so easy to only favour those you know. This gas station sign (thanks, Nate) has more love in it than most people out there:



Speaking of love, I went to visit my parents this weekend (Love!) and took Milo (Love!). But...he doesn't like the car ride so much, and he LOVES his pet friends up there. So each time he knows I'm packing up to come home, he hides. He's gotten better and better at it too, but I think this time was by far the best. Even better than when he hid under the covers, perfectly flat.

He even blends with the wall behind him, and didn't even disturb the cobwebs when he crept in there. I'm pretty sure he wasn't breathing, in case that gave him away. It took us a good hour to find him here. Sneaky thing.

On a totally related note, speaking of my need for patience: I'm no longer allowed to work out in the morning, even though I do pilates usually, which doesn't involve jumping or running or anything. I'm usually standing or sitting in place while doing moves. So...what the heck?

Apparently I've been living in an apartment made of paper, because I guess the walls vibrate when I do a situp.

Thursday, March 10, 2011

Thankful Thursday

I can't believe another week has flown by already - this bodes well for my Nolan countdown going by quickly! And this weekend I'll be visiting my parents, with Milo in tow, since he's been "SO. DAMN. LONELY." (his words - not mine) without his playmate to keep him company.

With that...

1. I'm thankful for our brilliant new car that can take me up to Placerville and back with perfect ease...and pleasure to boot!

2. I'm thankful Milo is a pretty decent fellow - sure he can be a PILL, but he is pretty dang good about knowing when I'm playing around and when I just need him to knock it off and be a cuddler rather than a biter. He also travels well in the car, so that makes my life easier.

3. I'm thankful that Nolan and I have been able to connect on Skype - it's been awesome getting to see where he's living, and even admire some pretty things he's bought for me! It definitely helps to SEE the person you're talking to.

4. I'm thankful for our new church, that inspires me and welcomes me. I've gone to a women's social and a new bible study as a result in the past week, attending both events at strangers' homes, without knowing a soul, and it's been a blast. People have invited me to coffee, emailed, and just been so friendly.

5. I'm thankful for my many projects, which sometimes feel overwhelming, but keep me busy and feeling productive!

6. I'm thankful for coupon websites like Groupon and TownHog...it's because of them that I'm on my way to a killer deal for a nice mani-pedi with a friend. And my poor fingers and toes are in sore need of some TLC.

7. I'm thankful it's starting to warm up! Even if it's just by a couple of degrees, I can feel a difference! I'm tired of being cold and miserable.

Happy -almost-weekend, everyone!


7 days until our residency assignment!

Wednesday, March 9, 2011

swag

A coworker today heard me admiring the sweet new McK swag that came in, and didn't want hers, so I got an awesome new shoulder bag today:

Just to show off my McK pride!

Most of the swag I've gotten thus far is pretty cool (except for the TERRIBLE gum), but this tops the list. I love advertising things I love!

Today's my busy day, and so far, so good. Only two more things to do on the list, and I'll hopefully be in bed by 10. So now off to tutoring I go! Plus tomorrow I get rewarded with yoga and a mani-pedi with a friend, so...it's all good.

8 days until we find out our assignment!

...and Nolan's still in China.

Tuesday, March 8, 2011

Pain

(my original title was "Painted Ladies" but I only typed the first part of it, then got excited about my countdowns (see below) and forgot until I hit save. So I went with it. Mostly because I run out of good titles quickly, and I can't foresee actually using "Pain" as my title anytime in the future except for maybe when I blog about giving birth, in which case I think "Pain" will probably be the most apt title I can come up with. HHH. Who knows - maybe more of my gossip-monger friends will read this post just because of the title! More traffic! WOOO!)

Today, I spent 4 hours straight working on org charts for an executive. Using the Paint program. FML.

However, I also had my yoga class, and that was excellent. I've really been enjoying yoga since I started being more conscious about my protein intake. I can see and feel a noticeable difference in my body, and it just makes me feel stronger and more energetic - and I can take on some new yoga postures that were more challenging for me before. Protein! I highly recommend it!

Tonight is my early bedtime night, because tomorrow morning I have to get up at 5am so that I can get started on my packed day. Wednesdays are my busy days, because I have to fit in a workout AND tutor after work AND usually plans after that. And tomorrow night I'm checking out a new bible study in our neighbourhood on top of all that, so it'll be a whirlwind!

Countdown time:
9 days 'til we find out Nolan's residency assignment!
2.5 weeks 'til Vegas!
Way too long until Nolan comes home to me...

Monday, March 7, 2011

buttercream

This weekend I painted our bathroom what I thought was a shiny clean white. The result was not shiny, has a definite yellow-hue to it...but is a definite improvement! Now it looks like a bright sunny room instead of a moldy cold bathroom. And I did it all by myself which is pretty fantastic, since I couldn't reach the corners and had to balance on a shampoo bottle braced against the shower (an accident waiting to happen) to get up there.

But when you're listening to the Harry Potter Pandora station, anything is possible!

I also tested out my Skype connection with Nolan, and it's lightning fast! So I got a little virtual tour of his prison cell (hah!), and got to admire some of the pretty things he's gotten me while browsing markets over there. It was SO NICE to be able to just talk like we were in the same room again...I <3 Skype.

I went to the women's social at my church this weekend too, and for the first time I felt like I was actually meeting potential friends instead of just checking the boxes with other women. It can be hard to feel connected to other girls here in the city when you don't see that many on a daily basis, but it was nice to meet SO MANY that I (may) have things in common with. Plus, going to church the next day was awesome because I walked in and saw so many familiar faces! I guess that's the good thing about joining a new church - you get to meet all sorts of new, fun people. Now if I can only remember names...

Friday, March 4, 2011

Thankful...Thursday?

Okay, okay: sometimes I get caught up in other things on Thursdays and forget to be thankful...which is the whole point behind doing these posts. To remind myself of the awesome things in my life. So better late than never, eh?

1. I'm thankful Nolan made it to China safely and that we've been able to chat several times now! We've arranged our first Skype date, so I can't wait to get a virtual tour of his digs over there.

2. I'm also thankful that I can eat whatever I want here. Apparently Nolan's eaten some foul things so far. I'm loving my daily protein bar (now that I've realized I eat nowhere near enough protein in my diet). Hey, a healthy way to eat peanut butter and chocolate? I'm in!

3. I'm thankful for the wonders of the internet age. Not only because it helps me communicate with Nolan, but also because I've found SO MANY good workout videos online. So many. For free! I've started working out 7 days a week (instead of what, 4?), and doing the workouts at home where I can really throw myself into them and get sweaty without worrying about cleaning myself up to see people afterwards. And the variety is awesome. Other than my normal Tues/Thurs yoga classes, I get to do dance, pilates, pure cardio, you name it!

4. I'm so thankful that God's provided a great job for me so that we can afford to maintain a decent lifestyle in San Francisco. I'm amazed at how expensive it is here, and I'm not a newbie to the city! Somehow, it's still possible to have fun on a budget.

5. I'm thankful for Milo again, because even though he is an absolute TERROR when Nolan's gone (he adores his dad), he keeps me company and entertains me. It's fun to have a little creature following me around in the morning as I get ready. Even if he does steal a whole half of my English muffin.


Happy weekend, everyone!

Quote of the day (are you seeing a trend here?):
"Nolan: Did you get my last message about the lung dish? I got kicked off
Anneliese: mao doesn't like you telling me about his lung dishes
Nolan: Well, long story short I had some of a dish that was later told was slices of male and female human lung. I almost threw up
Anneliese: oh.my.gosh.
i'm married to a cannibal! WAAA
Nolan: lol
I didnt know :-p"

"Anneliese: what market are you going to today?
Nolan: the "dirt" market
Anneliese: what."

Thursday, March 3, 2011

Trimmings

Today, I used a coupon I had to get a nice new haircut. And I figured I'd go a little crazy since I have 2 months to grow it out before Nolan comes back. Although now that I look at this picture...it isn't that crazy. But I still love it!


I also just saw a thing on the news about cops giving tickets unlawfully and unnecessarily...and the ticket they showed was from Davis. Go figure. These are the same dudes that charge innocent college kids with felony arson.

I'm so grateful that I've been able to chat with Nolan a bit already. Granted, it won't last long, because it's only due to his jetlag that he's up at 3:30am his time to chat with me. I miss him so much, and it's hard when I'm about to text him something during the day, and then I remember I can't :( But! The days are going by, and I'm excited about all the fun things I have planned to keep myself busy. This week, I booked my tickets to Vegas (for a business trip, not because I'm going crazy), and bought up some groupons to blow with friends. Things are looking good!

Quote of the day:
"Nolan: my jetlag is our gain :)"

Wednesday, March 2, 2011

cauliflowered

For Nolan's birthday (we celebrated early), I thought I'd try my hand at making him some of his favourites without the carbs he is avoiding. Voila! It was easier and more delicious than I imagined! I made carb-free pizza and carb-free (and sugar-free!) cheesecake. Both were awesome, but the cheesecake was ESPECIALLY AWESOME. I tweaked the recipe a little and came up with maybe the best cheesecake I've ever made...and we went through almost 3 of them. So there's testimony to them being tasty. How? Pizza dough made with riced cauliflower, and cheesecake crust made with crushed up macadamia nuts and pine nuts.

I also perfected my San Tung chicken wing recipe, which got rave reviews...and therefore am not going to post it unless you email me for the recipe yourself. Because I want to keep it as close as I can :)

Another of my goals while he is gone is teaching myself chess, and learning to be really really good at it so I can beat the pants off of him. This is part of his birthday present, because it's going to take a lot of time on my part, and he's been begging me to learn. So here goes!

Tuesday, March 1, 2011

Angry Birds

I felt like I would rather not blog until today, as this weekend I was trying to squeeze in every moment with Nolan, and yesterday I was too sad about him leaving to really say anything productive. As a result, I have several insignificant pictures to share, but nothing really amazing (per usuale, no?). In fact, today I laughed hysterically at my desk when I saw this new comic on The Oatmeal, since I am an avid Angry Birds player, and this is nothing but truth.

Anyway. In our last few days, we went to a party, we threw a party, we played poker, we played miniature golf (which I DOMINATED), and we just kind of laid in bed lazily. Perfect weekend. And now I'm just glad to be on the other side of him leaving, because now I can officially count down to his return. I was lucky enough to talk to him on gchat today, though admittedly it was 3:30am there, and he was supposed to be sleeping. Ah, jetlag.

While at the airport though, he hijacked my phone and took these super classy pictures:


One of my goals for this time is to be more creative. Well...I feel like that may be the most boring of my goals, but still! I started off on the right foot this past week, by making myself two pretty things. I crocheted this headband, flower and all with no patterns just because I was craving something this colour:


And I yanked this beaded flower off of my Lady Gaga mask, de-feathered it, and attached it to this old plain headband:


This pretty much sums up Milo and I's relationship with Nolan gone.

Quotes of the day:
"Nolan: Flight was okay.
Poor service
and the in flight movie looked bootlegged
Anneliese: lol
Nolan: But I didnt care, I was popping my ambien
Anneliese: sweet, they probably thought you were a drug addict"

ylehsa: "if you work out any more you're going to get man-abs. do you want nolan to come back from china to a husband?"