Ocean Beach

I love this picture because it looks like you are far away from others when in fact I am standing on a pier...the water is beautiful and I love the clouds. I am far too used to smog.

"Miss Mackail was stunning of body, but in the face very like a horse eating an apple through a wire-netting fence."
-Colleen McCullough in The Thorn Birds

Ryan

Thi s weekend my friend Ryan came to visit. I remember the first time I saw him at the beginning of 7th grade. He was playing four square at Ridgewood. I couldn't believe it when, 10 years later, we both ended up in Pasadena. We were running buddies and then didn't see each other for over a year until this weekend. Reunions are fun.

The dancing fish

This is our fish Finnigan the Terrible. He is ever hungry and will nearly lunge out of the water at you if you put your face above his bowl. He likes Jessie better than me.

Family traditions

Yes, the flowers are fake, but that is my aunt's wedding dress. What is even better is that I am wearing my Grandmother's wedding dress. None of my sisters, cousins or I ever got to meet our Grandmother Leona but we have the dress she wore when she married our grandfather. It is awesome to have, and to be able to wear a part of family history like this.

A few weeks ago Brandon and I went on a date to the Rainforest Cafe...the atmosphere was a lot of fun, but it ended up being a bit more expensive than we anticipated. It's always a bad sign when the waiters wear pins that say, "Ask me how you can save 10%."

Car Woes and evil mechanics

The fact that the rear driver's side of my car was bashed in (before I bought it I must add) has sometimes meant that people think that I am a terrible driver/ditz. Case in point...last weekend my car was making horrible noises and when I took it into a repair shop the man was blatently laughing at me. He even said, "this happens when you have had one too many Corona's to drink." The nerve. He looked at the car and proceeded to say the repairs would cost $857.00 plus tax. I hate being at the 'mercy' of car mechanics...especially ones who think you are stupid and have money to throw away.

Well, I may have an ugly car, but I know better than spending that much money on a car I paid $1000 for two years ago....It has now been fixed for a mere $175. Imagine that.

So, my car is still ugly and bashed in, but it is running and cost less than $200 to fix. And now I know what brake pads sound like when the pad is completely worn down and rubs against the rotor...