Catching Up!

Hi friends!  Hope you all are well.  Apologies for my blogging absence, but there have been so many things happening lately that my blog has fallen by the wayside again.

First of all, I have a new job!  Woohoo!  I was recently offered a full-time position after 3 interviews (!) and have been at it for the past 2 1/2 weeks.  I am excited for this new opportunity, and with it comes a 2-hour roundtrip commute (yay for San Diego traffic).  Anywho, that's my least favorite part but I'll be stocking up on books on CD and getting my daily dose of NPR news :)  I'd love suggestions from any of you who commute on how to make the time fly!

Since I'll be commuting quite a bit, Hubby has graciously offered to take on some of the cooking duties for us.  I hope to continue blogging at least once a week, but knowing my past attempts to stay on top of things, I'll play it by ear.  I hope you understand :)

Thanks to Tara for her lovely award!  Check out A Daily Dose of Fit for great recipes, workout tips, and healthy living ideas.  Her daily email is a great motivator and encouragement to wake up to :)

In return, I gift this award to these fantastic bloggers (I couldn't pick 15, so these are my faves.  P.S. Since it's been a while since I actually got this award, you won't hurt my feelings if you don't do it!).  Go check 'em out!

• An Opera Singer in the Kitchen
• Anecdotes and Apple Cores
• Baking Serendipity
• Baking Without a Box
• Beautiful Feet
• Can't Wait for Breakfast
• Gingerbread Bagels
• Maren's Morsels
• The Pizza Files
• The Strength of Faith
• ¡Comida es me vida y mi vida es comida!

It's tough for me to think of 7 interesting facts.  Here we go!

1.  In junior high, I had a recurring dream that I stole cigarettes and smoked them on the sly.  Sometimes I wake up and wonder if I really did.  I know I didn't, but it's still weird to wonder!

2.  I am ambidextrous.  I write with my left hand, but I do most other things with my right hand/foot: kicking, throwing, cutting with scissors, using a knife, brushing my hair.  It's kinda fun :)

3.  I am deathly afraid of heights, especially when I can see the bottom or I'm on a bridge.  It makes me nauseous.  Oddly enough, I have no problem flying in planes.

4.  When I was little, I used to make up lists of different people and stories about their lives.  I drew a map of a fictitious town, named all the streets, and labeled all the houses with the families who lived there.  I made up phone numbers, addresses, the kids' ages...everything!  I even made a swim team roster and divided the kids into the proper age groups.  And the funny thing is, I would spend HOURS on this during the week.  I still wonder why I did this - any psych experts out there know? :)

5.  I cannot blow a bubble out of a piece of gum.

6.  When I fold my laundry and put dishes away, I remove the clothes/dishes that have been in longer and put my clean clothes/dishes on the bottom of the stack, then put the "old" clothes/dishes on top so my clothes/dishes are evenly rotated and used.  Is that OCD or what?!

7.  I have probably spent more time in the Dallas/Fort Worth airport than any other in my life (it's a hub for American Airlines, which was my layover point halfway between California and North Carolina to visit my mom's relatives, and going to/from Tennessee when I was in college).

And of course, my blogger ABCs!

A = Age
27.  Am I really that close to 30?  Where has the time gone? lol :)

B = Bed size
Queen!  It's probably my favorite spot in our apartment since it's so comfy.

C = Chore you dislike
Vaccuuming...ugh.  That and picking up random hairs that end up in places they shouldn't.  Blech :p

D = Dogs
I have a 13-year-old cocker spaniel named Beau, and he is a sweetie.  He lives with my parents and is finally starting to show his age: he's now deaf and his vision isn't the best anymore.  I love him to death!  He loves to cuddle, get his butt scratched, and eat fruit off the trees in my parents' backyard.  There he is trying to sneak a dinner treat :) (and yes, I am super jealous of my parents' awesome kitchen - a foodie's dream!)

E = Essential start to your day
Working out, showering, coffee, and breakfast, in that order.

F = Favorite color
Blue.  It's very calming :)

G = Gold or silver
Silver

H = Height
Technically, 5'2 3/4", but my driver's license says 5'3" ;)

I = Instruments you play(ed)
I took piano lessons for about 4 years as a kid.  I enjoyed playing but hated practicing, so being a stubborn 11-year-old I put my foot down and quit.  Of course I regret it now.  Oh well.  I played the flute for a year in 5th grade and got bored with that, then picked up the acoustic guitar in junior high and taught myself how to play.  I haven't played in years but would probably enjoy it if I started again!

J = Job title
Director of Guest Services

K = Kids
None yet!  Waiting a few more years until we can get our finances where we want them to be.

L = Live
North San Diego County.  I love it here!  We are about 45 min. from downtown, so it's much more laid back and quieter in our area.  We are a 20 min. drive from the beach and there are tons of parks and places to explore nearby.

M = Mom's name
Donna.  She's the best! :)

N = Nicknames
Lola, Laurita Conchita Bonita Fajita (thanks Dad :) ), Princess, Princess Tooka Wooka, Ren

O = Overnight hospital stays
None yet! (knock on wood)

P = Pet peeves
Dirty fingernails, annoying neighbors who blast offensive music from their cars and scream through the walls, hairs stuck in the shower/toilet, dirty dishes in the sink, people asking me what grade I'm in (I look really young for my age)

Q = Quote from a movie
"Did you not tell him they were the Lord's chips?" - Nacho Libre...love that movie! :)  Another fave of mine is "There's no crying!  There's no crying in baseball!" from A League of Their Own.  I can also recite about 80% of Forrest Gump verbatim.

R = Righty or lefty
Lefty!  Woo southpaws!

S = Siblings
Don't have any.  Would've liked to, though...I was kind of a lonely kid

T = Time you wake up
Between 5-5:15 AM so I can work out before work (otherwise I won't do it!)

U = Underwear
I like Victoria's Secret cotton undies.  They're comfy.

V = Vegetables you don't like
Brussels sprouts, cauliflower

W = What makes you run late
Not having all my stuff together before I leave, waiting for other people, traffic (it's the WORST on my commute - this morning it took me an hour to go 42 miles)

X = X-rays you've had
My teeth at the dentist, and I think my lungs once when I had bronchitis as a kid.

Y = Yummy food you make
Dessert would be my fave since I enjoy making it the most.

Z = Zoo animal favorites
Chimps, koalas, pandas, giraffes, lions