Spreadin the Love

This morning I got up for my 6 AM work out.

Reluctantly.

And the whole drive there, and the whole drive back (3 minutes each way!) all I could think about was how to get out of work today.

Of course, there was no way out.

Not today.

I'm one of two people working full-time, and the other full-timer is off for the day. Plus, there's that Big Wig that I have to show around and I have needy ol' students and a full inbox to attend to blah blah blah grumble grumble.

I left work early yesterday to take a nap.

I've never done that before.

I'm glad I did. I'm feeling much better.

(Obviously. I mean, I'm Blogging and all, right?)

Anyway, I dragged my butt to work a whole TEN MINUTES EARLY. (Actually, I have done that before. Really, I have.)

And then I draaaaaaaagged through my email and other matters of minor importance.

And then, at 12:45, this little distraction showed up at my office door:



We had a lunch date.

He told me I should take this Olive seed home with me--so I could plant an olive tree.



I told him he should take my sunglasses--so I could have this picture:




I'm so glad for little distractions.

Because No One Else Is Around

I have both bragging and complaining to do!

Hey Guys!

So, it's been a while. I don't care to check how 'while' exactly, but while enough, right? This won't be much of an update because it's 11:16 PM and darnit! I have beauty sleep to get. The point is: I have been tired lately. SO. TIRED. I mean, I get 7 hours a sleep a night--occasionally 6--and I eat mostly healthy things most of the time. I eat very little candy (I'm serious, yo) and I go to a pretty intense workout class 2-3 times a week. I'm in good shape but oh my lands! The fatigue.

Last year at this time, I was taking 18 credits and working 30ish hours a week. I was, for the most part, NOT getting 7 hours a sleep a night, and except for my 15 minute walk uphill (almost) every morning, I was not exercising. And yet, I had SO. MUCH. ENERGY. There were nights (mornings) that I'd be up writing papers and I'd think to myself, Dang. It's 1:30 and I am not even tired. I never slept through any of my classes--was not even tempted to! I have never felt so good in my life.

Which is funny because, as I just said, I'm eating moderately well, getting a good work-out regularly, and getting more sleep than I did as a student. But since starting my job two months ago, I haven't had any extra energy. In fact, I've barely had sufficient energy. What in the heck??

So, all of this is just a long way of saying: I am too tired to write. I haven't properly blogged since I don't know when and I haven't written a proper email in a few weeks--which y'all know is CRAZY because I'm all about writing proper (=too long) emails. Writing takes energy and I just don't have it these days.

I hope that soon, it will return. In the meantime, please lend a willing eye to my woeful slash KICK--uh, TRASH weekend.

*ahem*

On Thursday it was day 1 of Global Day, which is just called "Global Day" despite it actually being a 2-day affair. I was there till 11:30 with some friends and after a day of being in (my awesome gold ballet) flats, my plantar fasciitis-afflicted feet had had enough. I suggested an after-party. Only one friend was interested and that is how at 12:15 Friday morning, I was on my way to the Sharjah Co-op to pick up some chocolate ice cream. 24-hour supermarkets are the best. thing. ever.

At 2:00, I was too beat to make it to the after-after party, so I went to bed.

At 9:00 Friday morning, my dad woke me up so we could go grocery shopping. Normally I'd be getting ready for church at this time, but this week church was being pre-empted by the Sunday AM session of General Conference. Mom opted not to go, and Dad--the household's Designated Sabbath Breaker--decided that instead of sleeping in, I should have a driving lesson (and break the Sabbath along with him, which I did because mmmmmm...freshly-baked whole grain goodness bread.)

Have I mentioned my driving lessons? I can't remember. Anyway, I got a license December 20, 2003. I got 11 of 12 points on my driving test; I missed one point because as I was backing up in a straight line, I was paying more attention to my side mirror than my rear-view mirror. (I was worried about hitting the curb and being automatically failed.) On August 18, 2004, I left for Dubai and the night before that was the last time I drove (in any real sense). Also, until these lessons began a few weeks ago, I had only once been on a freeway. So, at 22 1/2, my parents finally decided it was time for me to use that license for something other than age-verification).

That morning, I woke up with half of my face congested, which is only a weird description if you've never had sinus problems. Any who has knows exactly what that feels like--like someone planted a 5 pound lead ball in right in my cheekbone. The pressure. The difficulty breathing. The heaviness. It made me sleepy and so, shortly before noon (after the grocery shopping was done and I was showered), I settled down on the couch for a little snooze. I woke up three hours later and went upstairs to see my mom who, come to think of it, I hadn't seen all morning (or afternoon, as it now was).

I ended up falling asleep on her bed--a nap which lasted another two hours.

When I woke up, I wondered if I had a concussion. But, no, hadn't hit my head recently.

At 6 PM, I was tired but awake. My parents were leaving for the airport at 7 and I passed the time watching them scramble room to room, floor to floor, getting last minute things in order.
Then I ate some more ice cream.
Then I read.
Then I watched some conference (which is just not the same when viewed outside of Utah. It's so much more boring without friends and pancakes).
Then I watched an episode of Glee, which I shall discuss in another post.
Then, at approximately midnight, I couldn't even muster up the energy to go upstairs to bed. I passed out on the couch.
At 4 AM, I got up and brushed my teeth, washed my face, and crawled into bed.
I woke up from a solid sleep around 10 and I've been awake ever since.

I showered today, but didn't bother getting dressed or doing makeup. I came downstairs, did the dishes, and spent the next 6 hours watching Glee. (I finished the first season!) (Or, whatever. I mean, Is it over?)

After episode 13 (WHAT WAS THAT KISS??) was done, I dragged my un-made up, pajama'd-out self to the store and bought chocolate chips and eggs so I could make cookies (that may or may not serve as this week's breakfast).
Instead of making them, though, I went upstairs and hemmed a pair of pants (!) and THEN---Guys, prepare yourselves for this. Scoot to the edge of your seat. Hold your breath. Become giddy with anticipation because do you know what I spent this evening doing?? *drumroooolll*--I CLEANED MY ROOM. Sorted, trashed, vacuumed, CLEANED. For the first time in at least 8 months, but probably more like 10 or 24. It looks so amazing. It FEELS. So. Amazing.
I knew it would.
And if these past two months hadn't worn me into the ground, I would have done it before now.

Hallelujah It's CLEAN! No clothes piled on the back of my chair. No crap strewn across my desk. No hair littered all over my rug and tiles (ugh hair. and it's sooo looooong). No mre little nasty speckish things that get stuck to my feet when I walk barefoot on my carpet. No piles (well, a few. Shut up.).

Just: clean.

Then I came downstairs and made cookie dough and cleaned the kitchen (MORE dishes. THANK YOU, PARENTS!) while watching Grey's--which is seriously one of the best shows ever. Oh, how I miss it!

So.....wow, that was a really detailed account of my weekend. I need to go to bed now before my headache returns.

Just one more thing first: Remember November 2009's Headache From Hell ? What the heck, Head? Why you be aching all the time?
I didn't even bother with drugs this time. Well, sort of I did. I took one dose Thursday afternoon. Success! Then I took one Saturday morning (4ish). Fail.
Rawr.

In conclusion:
Pity me for my headachey weekend.

Praise me for my domestic awesomeness.

Until next time,
Me :)

PS Feel free to send some energy my way. Or lots. Really. I misssssss itttttttttt-tuh!

Ricky Martin = Still Hot

Last week, my mom made me dump this out:




I told her it'd give me a disease.

She told me it'd give me character.

Whatever the case, it gave me something to blog about.


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I've been listening to Spanish music a lot lately. A LOT.

This is my favorite tune:



I still have a mad-hot crush on His Puerto Rican Hotness--and don't even act like YOU don't.

This song is like chocolate to my ears. The kind of chocolate with chili in it.

Come to think of it, so is he.

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This was once my apartment:



We really knew how to throw a party.

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A couple of years ago, I was at Barnes and Noble picking up a book for a friend's birthday and I happened across Vagabonding: An Uncommon Guide to the Art of Long-term World Travel. Our birthdays are only a day apart, so I picked up myself a gift, too.

Quotes about travel are scattered throughout the book and there are several good ones, but this has always been my favorite:

Don't wait around. Don't get old and make excuses. Save a couple thousand dollars. Sell your car. Get a world atlas. Start looking at every page and tell yourself that you can go there. You *can* live there. Are there sacrifices to be made? Of course. Are they worth it? Absolutely. The only way you'll find out is to get on the plane and go.

And let me tell you something. That first morning, when you are in your country of choice, when you are away from all of the conventions of a typical, everyday lifestyle, looking around at your totally new surroundings, hearing strange languages, smelling strange, new smells, you'll know exactly what I'm talking about.

You'll feel like the luckiest person in the world.

--Jason Gaspero

I don't know who Jason Gaspero is, but clearly he is very wise.

I think I'd like to meet him someday.

Quote of the Day

Brought to you by: Nothing But Bonfires

I am nostalgic to a fault, perhaps because of the way I grew up---always moving, always leaving, always idealizing the place I used to be before I left it---or perhaps because of something else entirely, a rogue strand of DNA that got mixed in at the last minute. I miss people before I've left them. I reminisce about things ten minutes after they've happened. I look back on times that were happy and they make me happy but they make me sad too, and sometimes there is just no way to separate the happy from the sad, and it's because you can't go backwards, I think, because there's no way to press the repeat button. Things happen and then they're over. People are here and then they're gone. We keep going forward because we have to, and the past recedes in the rearview mirror behind us, and it gets smaller and smaller and smaller.

You can't go home again, they say, and it's true, you can't: you can't go back in time to a dusky summer evening in 1994 when all the world seemed alive and new. You can't go back with hard-won knowledge and hard-earned skills, and you can't do it over, even if you swear you wouldn't do it any differently at all. You can't go backwards, and so you have to go forwards. But there's nothing wrong with looking over your shoulder every once in a while.

Nothing But Bonfires is one of my very favorite blogs. Holly Burns, the author, is both British and witty, so really how could it not be a favorite? And while most of her posts do crack me up (like this one about her French cat [be sure to read past the first picture]), she is also talented in the Sentimental Sans Sap category (like this one and, of course, the one quoted above).

Anyone else nostalgic to a fault?

O Frabjous Day!

It is after midnight and I must get myself to bed. This morning I was supposed to be up at 6 to work out but didn't even gain consciousness till 10 to 8! Ups.

So, I will make this quick. Today was great. I feel great. Why?

Because it was raining when I woke up this morning.

I love rain.

Finally got stuff accomplished at work.

Productivity makes me :)

Lunched with Khabeans and got some great photos.

While taking pictures, the 5-yr old I used to babysit came out of a building with his mom. This kid has *lovely* curly blonde hair. His mom was wearing a bright red coat and carrying a bright yellow flower print umbrella on her shoulder. Her son took it and ran down the hallway yelling, I'm flying!!

When he came flew back our way, Khalisah says, I don't know which is yellower: that umbrella or your hair!

He immediately looks angry and with a FROWN goes, My hair is not yellow! It's golden!

Ah, I love a good laugh.

I left work early (only 20 minutes!) in hopes that I could go home and cozy up with a blanket and a book. I walked outside and was greeted by lovely golden sunshine and a bright blue, nearly cloudless sky. I was sad I couldn't take advantage of the rainstorm, but thrilled to walk home in the bright sunshine.

I love bright sunshine.

Dad made BLTs for dinner.

I love bacon.

I went to my Mexican neighbour's to study Arabic and watch The Closer. When I got there, she was sautéing pumpkin leaves fresh from her garden. We took a health break to run to the mini mart where we purchased chocolate--she, toffifee and I, Lindt Mint Intense Dark :D--and then ate it in the kitchen as she sautéed more pumpkin leaves.

I love good food.

On our way home, we caught a glimpse of a full, glowing moon peaking out from between a break in two clouds. We pulled to the side of the road and watched as it emerged completely and lit up the dark-blue clouds around it.

Spectacular.

Then we watched an episode of The Closer. I love this show. Afterwards, she French-braided my hair.

Beautifully.

Then, my gold shoes and I came home to 11 tagged photos on Faceboook--11 photos preserving memories of an extraordinary day.

I love an extraordinary day.

Good Thoughts For A Monday Morning

Monday morning YOUR time, that is. For me, it is Monday night, and I am taking this opportunity to watch Chuck (I love Chuck) and write about the wonderful past few days. I'm two days into my week, but you: you are just beginning. And that is hard. May these thoughts warm your cold hatred for the start of the week.

On Friday, I had to stay after church for a bit because my mom got roped into an octet (haha). I passed the time by "playing" the piano. I would have passed more time that way, but a girl cam up to me and asked my name. Uh, [Ray]. What's yours?

Maddie. Did you know that 3 hours in human time is a week and a half for a dog?

Guys, you couldn't write this stuff. I couldn't either.

Evidently, however, the writers of Friends could, and did. Friends, by the way, is off limits in her house and she and her older brother--who, in brave defiance of the ban--downloaded all ten season and burned them to DVD. When I asked what would happen if their parents found out about his DVD collection, she shrugged. Eh, probably get kicked off the computer for a month.

Oh, does he get in trouble often?

Half shrug. Probably thrice a year.

Guys, I am not even kidding! She actually said Thrice a year! Oh, I love this kid.

Then she ratted out her brother on a number of other serious no-nos, before imparting to me more great wisdom.

Did you know...

A blue whale's tongue is bigger than an African elephant?

Snails are so slow, it takes a whole month for it to go 1 kilometer!

Smokers lungs are really gross. (She saw them once at school.)

Pluto isn't actually a planet. It's too small, and anyway, it's just a bunch of ice, which real planets aren't.

But my favorite part of the whole conversation came at the very end, accompanied by a factoid about siberian tigers.

Male Siberian tigers can be as long as a compact car. I hope they're not jerks. We have enough of that in human boys (that's my girl!): attention span of a spider empathy of a python.

I don't know what that last part means exactly, but I LOVE IT.

On Saturday I went shopping and got some shirts. yay.

That night it rained. downpoured. flooded from the sky? I mean, I have never seen anything like it--and I know rain! Rain, thunder, lightning--for more than an hour! HEAVY rain, and near-constant thunder and lightning. I took video, but don't have the harddrive space to upload it right now. (Here's to my March paycheck! That will buy me a new computer!! A MAC !!!)

It's seriously cool. Y'all should be on the edge of your seats with anticipation. I'll get it up soon so you don't damage your gluts and quads :D

Last night we went shopping again and, because my mother made me, I tried on a pair of pants. I had tried on 4 other pairs that night and was soo tiiired of trying on pants! Plus, these were not my size AND they're petite. I'm short, but I have never successfully worn Petite-sized pants.

But she made me!

And do you know what? They are *perfect*

So perfect.

They are exactly the right length (UNPRECEDENTED!) . They flare below the knee. The fit in the thighs without being too tight. And they fit perfectly on my waist--no stretching out and falling to my hips. No awkward gappiness. Just: Perfection.

Do you know what that's like?

It's like those two perfect pairs of $70 Express Jeans I own. Only this pair of pants was only $40 and I can wear them to work.

You know, the Real World really isn't so bad.

And now it is time for me to go make and eat pancakes, then join Halina in several episodes of The Closer.

Hope your week is off to as great a start as mine :)

Postcard 2

Dear You,

I went to Cairo last month.

When I got back, I promised that I would get around to the details and the pictures and all that.

I have lots of pictures to upload and share, but very little hard drive space.

I'm sorry.

I won't be able to afford a new computer until April.

Until then, please experience my trip to Egypt through such savory morsels as these:

Much love,

Me