My internet has been very spotty for the last ten minutes...

So I had to go for some non-internet activities to keep me occupied. My time-wasting poison of choice lately has been pulling up Photoshop alongside my Photos folder, finding an old school picture, and messing around with textures, layers, and actions until I get something cool.

This picture came from the February 2009 folder. In fact, it was almost exactly a year ago today this was taken (this day was the 28th). I've realized, now that I'm not doing Picture of the Day this year, how fun it is to be able to go back exactly one year, and see what I was doing, or at least what I thought was interesting enough to take a picture of then.

I may be picking the project up again in March. I'm pretty dissatisfied with the lack of folders in my 2010 Pictures. I think there were only 4 days in January that I took any pictures at all.

The previous pictures of the OSF and I are from a spur of the moment, Hey! I need to get back in the habit again! He happened to have the most amazing light coming in through the window, and I started snapping pictures of him, then self-portraits of myself, which eventually led to cutesy couple pictures where only one of us is ever in focus each time.

But at least we're making pictures. That's all that really matters, right?

*Even if I'm the one who's always blurry?

All right, now that this here internet is back up and working, I'm off to finish up some to-do's for National.


* Story of my life

Look at how cute we are.

I know. I, too, sometimes find myself disturbed by it.

Valentine's Day

So... Chris has had a Valentine's surprise in the works which he had been taunting me with in the weeks leading up to the 14th. Well, okay, I guess taunting isn't accurate. It was more like:

Me: "What are we doing?"
Chris: "Not telling you."
Next day:
Me: "Where are we going?'
Chris: "Wouldn't you like to know."

What a punk!

I did know we were going out to eat. Had no idea where.

I figured it out when we reached North Park... and the street started looking really familiar....


Flashback- May 13, 2009


The First Date


The week before Sonia's wedding, the OSF took me out for our first date. We went to a restaurant he'd been to recently called Vagabond- a client at his work had taken him and few of his co-workers there for a thank you lunch. I had a yummy caesar salad. I think I was also sick. And the OSF was so forward as we walked back to his car that evening- just reached for my hand like he already had me won over. (Okay, he had.)

So there we were, wandering down a street in North Park, until he spotted Vagabond and we parked. We were among the first couples there and got a great table to the side. They had a set menu for the night, where we had three choices for our appetizer, salad, and main dish: We each chose the filet mignon for the main dish, and oh my gosh, it was amazing. I was very said when that part was over. ;) We got free champagne, too, and a little cake/mousse thing for dessert. It was such a nice little dinner with my favorite person in the world! I love him to pieces!

That was the end of the planned surprise, he said, and I was ecstatic about that, since I'd felt soooo tired all weekend, even throughout our dinner. So we went home and started a movie, Winter Passing, that he'd grabbed from his parents' DVD collection when were up there for his mom's birthday. The movie had Zooey Deschanel and Will Ferrel in it, so we figured it was going to be a winner.

We watched to the part where Zooey Deschanel's characters drowns her kitten in the river, before Chris reached for the remote and snapped the TV off. "Valentine's Day downer movie!"

And after that we talked and snuggled.

It was a great night.

Notes from the Big V

We're off for our Valentine's Day date! Have fun, everyone else!

Five on Friday

I know. Right after a Ten on Tuesday. Weird.


(Really, I just have a few things to mention that I don't want to make into full-length blog posts.)


1) Got my hair cut and colored by the beautiful Jenafer yesterday. I LOVE talking with Jen while she cuts my hair. We've known each other since junior high (fifth grade for Jen), so it's so great talking with someone about past stuff when they've actually been in your past. And of course she did a great job with my hair. I absolutely adore the cut, and she highlighted the heck out of it so I'm actually blonde (and not dirty blonde/light brown) again. Chris is very pleased as well.


2) I had the day off today, since the school gives us a four-day weekend in February, instead of two Monday holidays. Slept in until eleven, got my nails done (for the first time ever!), dropped off Zoey pictures at Justin and Jen's house, and went to Joann's before meeting the OSF back at his house. And at 7:30 we went to....


3) ...my older sister's beautiful new house. Some of you may not know I have an older sister: she's a half (from my dad's first marriage) who's ten  years older than me. She and her husband Trevor just moved from their condo on a golf course in Dehesa to the new development of super nice houses on the hill overlooking the new 52/67 highway connector. Basically they're up on a hill with an amazing view of El Cajon and Santee. They just got an adorably new puppy that she's been texting pictures of to me. I've been looking forward to introducing Chris to the more "normal" members of my family, which is essentially Jacqui and Trevor. Tonight we went over for gluten-free brownies, beer (him) and pomegranate vodka (me) and hung out for awhile. So great to catch up with them. And now Chris knows that not all my family is crazy!


4) I started my new hours at the school on Wednesdsay. I go from mornings at the Woodman classroom (in South County) to the charter school headquarters up in Sorrento Mesa (just north of Miramar). Quite a difference. It only takes me about 20 minutes to get from one to the other on the 805, so it's not that bad. The thing that sucks is getting back from Sorrento Mesa. I had anticipated some horrible traffic coming home that first day; I did not foresee a 45 minute wait to get the six blocks down Mira Mesa Blvd. back to the 805. Forty. Five. Minutes. And I hadn't even gotten to the freeway yet. When we get back from Chris' house this weekend, I'm hitting up the library for any book on CD that sounds good. Apparently I'm going to need a stock to keep in my car for my rides home.


5) I had a traumatic experience earlier today: I went to get my nails done with Jenna.


Disclaimer (and I know some of you people may be appalled by this): I had never gotten my nails done before today.


I'm okay with it. You should be too.


Anyway, all I wanted out of the experience was French tips on my fingernails and toenails. Through a lack of communication (they didn't quite speak English most of the time) and a sudden influx of customers right when they started on Jenna and me, they somehow failed to give the French tips. And I, who had never done this before, just figured the tips went on at the end, so I was just waiting for them to do it. Until Jenna realized they should have done it first... so they ended up re-doing my fingernails (they look amazing, FYI, except I immediately chipped my right thumb polish trying to get my keys). I didn't have the heart to ask them to redo my toenails since they had so many people in there at that point. 


So at least I know now. 


And really, the nail thing wasn't for me; it was for the OSF. 


He likes when I get all "girled up." ;) 

Ten on Tuesday

1) I signed up for my first 3 months of classes at National! Chris and I drove through the rain and traffic to get to National headquarters. He came along because he wanted to know about the loan application process, but we ended up not meeting with the financial aid guy. So no news on aid, but I start classes in March. 


2) Anyone have any suggestions for good shaving cream or lotion? These dry winter months are killing my legs!


3) I just found out that I'm moving up to 40 hours at the charter school, which is excellent news. I get to work in the "library" at the main office in Sorrento Mesa. Don't know what it entails yet, but it's something to do with all our textbooks and lesson guides!


4) The rain sucks and here's why. a) I don't like my feet being wet. b) Several strands of my hair start doing this wavy thing that would be cute if it were my whole head of hair and not just here and there pieces; it just looks like I couldn't decide how to do my hair that morning. c) People are rude in the rain; they only care about getting out of it themselves. Example, it took me 10 minutes to merge a lane over tonight on the 15 north. Then when I finally went for it, the guy sped up, forcing me back in my lane. Horrid rain people.


5) Had dinner at La Salsa with the OSF tonight, while we waited out the traffic, rain, and horrible rain people. A delightful experience as always.


6) The OSF's taking me out for Valentine's Day... but I don't know what we're doing! This has caused some speculation amongst the people I work with.... and yes, they're thinking what you're thinking.


7) I wasted a lot of time tonight trying to download youtube videos.


8) I found a youtube video of the German (I think) cast of Spring Awakening! It kind of sounds awesome in (I think) German.


9) No news on the writing front. There hasn't been much writing in the past week or so. There has been much getting inspired by reading the blogs of other authors though! That counts, right? Right?


10) And for our number ten spot we have the birth of the new Burmeister Baby: Micah! A.K.A. Hamster Cheeks, for obvious reasons. Fresh meat to photograph. I love it.

If you call, they will answer

The day after I posted the OSF's funny about people in the scrapbook biz, I found this in my email:

Hi. I saw your blog post. I wanted to check to see if anyone from Making Memories had contacted you for help.
Let me know.
Thanks

This was from Jenny. From Making Memories. 

Since then I've been in contact with the service department at MM, and my Slice is back up and working (with the exception of tiny designs that still distort a little bit, but really, that's just nitpicking right now). 

Who would've thought posting a quirky comment from the OSF would get me such a quick answer!

Thanks, Jenny, Ashley, and Making Memories!

Sick = Sad face. :(

I hate being sick. It's the lamest thing ever!


I have an unusual cold right now. Unusual in that it does not follow my usual cold pattern which goes like this:


Day one and two: sore throat
Day three and four: runny, itchy nose and watery eyes
Day five and six: gross cough
Day seven: pretty much good to go


I like patterns. They are predictable. Also my colds have always responded to either Dayquil or Tylenol Allergy relief meds. As in, six out of those seven days I'm fine enough to carry on with life without too many problems.


But this cold is shaking things up a bit:
Day one: sore throat reminiscent of the crazy sore throat I had back in July, complete with accompanying headache and earache.
Day two: fine
Day three: mid-afternoon slap in the face with runny nose, itchy, watery eyes
Day four: Same thing
Day five: Brief reprieve
Day six: Slap! The worst! Couldn't make it through the workday without a box of Kleenex next to me. Meds are helping for about an hour and then I'm on my own. A hint of a yucky cough mixed in with a sneeze foreshadows darker days ahead.


Michelle, at the school. says maybe it's the seven-years' change, where supposedly every seven years your body finds a new way of dealing with things. Kristen thinks it's just allergies. I do not like either of these suggestions. One, I was fine with my old cold pattern. It was cake. Two, if this is allergies, please do not sign me up. What number do I need to call to get me off this list?


Now if you'll excuse me, it's been four hours and I have another two tablespoons of Dayquil waiting for me in the kitchen. 




Signed,


Sad Face


:(