Freeeeezing

I forgot to mention that my first day back I was greeted with below freezing temperatures, and freezing rain.  I haven't been this cold in a long time!  Good thing it's supposed to be nearly 60 by Friday...ahhh, good old Cincinnati weather...so consistent!

Cincinnati - Day One

I made it safely back to Cincinnati this morning and although I am extremely exhausted, I enjoyed a fun day filled with family and friends!  It feels like I never even left this town...and that I just saw my friends.  It's so nice to have so many people in my life who I can just pick right up where we left off as if no time has passed at all.  I can already check Frisch's and LaRosa's off my must have list...and I am going to go heat up my LaRosa's leftovers right about now!  I hope everyone has a Merry Christmas filled with family and friends who pick up right where they left off...

Bella likes sunflower seeds...

3 days...

til Cincy!!!

I'm coming home, for Christmas!

I finally got a plane ticket to make it back to Cincy for Christmas next week!  I am sooo excited!  I cannot wait!!  I am so anxious to see my mom, and brother, and the rest of my family and friends!  I just want to have a nice relaxing time and of course, hit all the Cincy spots that I miss so much.  I definitely need Frisch's, and probably Skyline.  I need a night out in Newport to hit up Hofbrau and JHall.  I think that will give me my fix for a while.  I can't wait to see everyone!!!  Of course, I will miss my baby, Bella while I am gone, but don't worry--I will spoil her with presents before and after :)  haha...really, I will.  Luckily she is cheap to shop for!  5 days and counting....

Starbucks Love <3

The Way I See It #293

The way I see it
Isn't necessarily

The way you see it

Or the way it is

Or ought to be

What's more important

Is that we're all

Looking for it

And a way to see it

-- Desi Di Nardo, Author and poet. She lives in Toronto, Canada.

The above poem was on my Starbucks cup a few weeks ago and I found it online because I love it so much. I think it reminds us that sometimes we're right, sometimes we're wrong, but in the end we are all entitled to our opinions-so express yours and listens to others.

On to the yummy drink...I was recently told to try the White Chocolate Peppermint Mocha at Starbucks (one of their Christmas specials). This drink was absolutely amazing! If you haven't had one yet, you have to go try it. I get the non-fat one because its FULL of calories and every little bit helps...but be willing to let it take a chunk of your daily 2,000 calories. Anyway, it's a great seasonal drink and I give Andi all the credit for making me try it! Oh, and be sure to get the Peppermint flavored whipped cream as well! Merry Christmas!

I hate DVD menu music!

Phew...I am exhausted.  Tonight my dad and I went to Pace (Pach-hay) the Italian restaurant next to my apartment.  I haven't eaten there until tonight and it was amazing!  Well, we ordered a pizza from there once, but that's it.  I ordered the butternut squash and spinach tortellini...it was amazing!  I have to say the dessert was by far the best part. We got chocolate souffl'ee and espresso, so yummy!  Anyway, it was a great dinner, then we drove around and went sight seeing.

I finally had my car appraised today...and I am taking it to a shop tomorrow morning so they can look at it to see what parts they need to order.  They plan to start work on it on Monday, so if all goes well, hopefully my car will be fixed by the end of the week!  I just want to put this stressful mess behind me, car accidents suck!

Well, I still have not found a plane ticket home for Christmas yet.  I just looked about 20 mintues ago and the best deal was $769.  blah.  I know they will come down the closer it gets --at this point I may just have to wait until the last minute! 

Time for me to crash...and my roommate Nikki must have fallen asleep in the living room because the movie ended and the DVD menu has been playing on repeat for about a half an hour now and I can't take it anymore...I have to go turn it off!  

Goodnight!!

where does the time go?

My dad got into town tonight around 5:30, so I raced home from work to take Bella on a quick walk then drove down to LAX.  Poor Bella was in her cage all day and then I came home for an hour and left again...oh well, she is happy now as she sleeps in my bed!  

It was great to see my dad, although it feels like I just saw him.  Maybe I have been so busy, or something, but it just doesn't feel like I have lived here that long... or it feels like I always have lived here.  I dunno what it is, but it works out okay.  I guess I have been here for, 3 months now? almost 4?  I don't know where the time goes.  The longest time I have ever been away from Cincinnati was the 4 months I spent in Luxembourg, and that felt like a loooong time.  Then again, it was harder to keep up with everyone--having a US cell phone sure makes things easier :)  

Well, I am off to bed, I am going to get to work early tomorrow so I can sneak out around 4 or 4:30.  I am meeting Dad at the Santa Monica Pier for dinner tomorrow night.  I hope everyone is having a good week.  Cheers!

Christmas in LA

I wasn't sure it would ever feel Christmas-y in this city because of the non-stop sunshine and gorgeous weather...but it does.  There are Christmas lights up everywhere, and decorated trees in the stores and office buildings.  I seem to notice all the Christmas decorations more because they feel unexpected because I have yet to realize it's really December since it still feels like October to me!  Luckily the weather doesn't mask the Christmas spirit.  I bought a little tree at Trader Joe's t

oday.  It smells amazing and came with lights all for a small $13.  Not a bad

 deal at all, and it's just what I need to remind me that Christmas is just a few weeks away!  I should start shopping!  

Tomorrow my dad will be here, and I cannot wait to see him again!  It seems like I just saw him...but when I stop and think about everything that's happened since I moved out here, it seems like ages ago.  I am going to try to convince him to take me to Pace, the organic Italian restaurant in front of my apartment!  Yuuum.

Here are some recent pictures I have taken with

 my BlackBerry...not the best quailty, but you get the idea :)  The building is the bank where I work.  The view of downtown and the Hollywood sign are from a scenic view on Mulholland drive-just up the street.  The beach picture was sunset at the dog beach and the moon picture was from my dining room window!  Enjoy!

My first video blog!!

Back in Business!

Here is a picture of me as I am writing this blog...I actually have my glasses on, but they kept reflecting in the picture, so I had to take them off...haha. I dyed my hair dark brown...sorry Mom. At least I didn't get another tattoo? Not yet at least...

Anyway, as many of you know, I left my college computer in Ohio. It was a good six years old and running slower than ever, and it was just way to big to move. So, I have been without a computer since I moved into my apartment a few months ago. I have been able to keep up with things at work, but I am really not supposed to do personal work while on the clock! So, I finally went and bought a computer! Best Buy has 18 months same as cash financing right now-so while I really wish I had saved up cash for my computer, it was just taking too long...so I plan on paying it off in the next 3 to 6 months. Life without a computer is pretty much impossible for me. I need to keep job hunting and it's just too time consuming to do without a computer at home! So, I am back in business...you can bet I will blogging all the time now!

I spent Thanksgiving with my roommate Nikki. We volunteered for the Cheesecake Factory (one of the places Nikki works) in the morning serving Thanksgiving dinner at a halfway house. Then, Nikki and I came home to make dinner for her dad. It was a nice and relaxing day and I definitely ate way too much!

The day after Thanksgiving, on my way home from work I got in a minor car accident. I got rear ended and the whole back of my car is pretty messed up! The girl who hit me was driving her mom's car and ended up filing the claim under the wrong insurance company (her's, not her mom's). The claim was finally filed correctly on Tuesday of this week and it's been a mess for me trying to get the answers I need. I need to get a rental car before I can just drop my car off somewhere, and I also think I need to see a doctor because I might have a mild concussion! I have had horrible headaches, and the back of my head is definitely bruised! I was pretty dizzy on Thursday at work and I've had some blurred vision. Luckily everything I've read and all the things my family and friends have told me sound like it will heal on it's own! So hopefully my head will be all better soon and I can be my normal goofy self again :)

Well, I am sure I have many more stories to come...but for now, I am off to learn about my new computer! My head hurts pretty bad, so I am sure I'll call it a night soon anyway. Peace, punch, captain crunch.