March 22, 2009 by samantha.

One week until Spring Break and I have come down with Spring Fever. I think it is in part to me running around and not having the stress of worrying about being pinked. Yup, March 13 rolled around and I did not receive a pink slip. I thought for sure I would get one and that it would be rescinded. I still think I am in a bit of shock. I have gotten so used to worrying about it, that I do not know how to not worry. I feel horrible for my co-workers that did get pinked. I wish I could do something for them, but what can I do? I did not have long to celebrate because the following Sunday I was off to a union workshop in Newport Beach. The workshop was okay. The highlight was driving a friend’s Prius. I have decided that the 2010 Prius will be mine. I am so excited! On Thursday I chopped off my hair. At the time I thought it was a dramatic change. Now that I am used to it, it does not feel much different.

Friday was exciting. Some friends and I went into LA to see my favorite author, Jodi Picoult. I brought about 8 books for her to sign and sign them all she did!! Of course, I picked up the Jodi Picoult’s new book. I think it save it to read over my break. After seeing the author, we went to El Coyote for dinner. I heard so much about the place and I was excited to go. It was horrible. The service was poor, the food was awful, and the drinks were so bad they had to be sent back. Thank goodness I was in good company. Of course, driving a friend’s Mercedes did not hurt either.

Yesterday was a lazy day. I did some schoolwork and read. Last night, I did head out to the movies to see Duplicity. It was horrible. I was so bored. I was playing on the Internet and sending text messages during the movie. I should have stayed home and finished my book.

Today was the highlight of my weekend. Some girlfriends and I attempted to go for a hike. It rained this morning and we thought it was over. Val was thrilled. We began our hike, up the hill, enjoying the cool air. We did not even make it a mile when the rain began to come down. We decided to turn around. Of course it was too late. We got soaked. Still the little hike we took was fun. I took a couple of pictures. Enjoy!

A wild sunflower that we saw on our hike

I love trees. This one I thought was beautiful. Too bad someone decided to tag it. And do you see Val in the corner?

This is the hill we attempted to hike up.

Posted in School, Friends, California, Val, Movies, Weekends, Rants | 1 Comment »

February 15, 2009 by samantha.

My first two days in Portland have been fun filled and busy. My flight up here was quick and it arrived early! It was a good thing since my cousins had plans that started the minute I departed the plane. Our first stop was lunch. They took me to a cute Veggie Thai place that I think was called VegiTahi. I had my favorite soup and some yummy soy chicken nuggets. Then we went up the tram. The views of the city are amazing from the top. Of course the tram ride left us famished and there was only one place to head to next- Saint Cupcake! I had heard so much about this place. I am not a fan of cupcakes, but I knew that I had to try some from here. They were worth the trip to Portland! Delicious! I recommend the Toasted Coconut We came to watch Run, Fatboy, Run. It was hilarious.

Today, we got up early and headed to the coast. The drive was spectacular. We had to drive through the mountains and snow in order to make it to the Pacific. And it was cold!!! We visited Manzanita Beach and lunch at a great Mexican restaurant. I do have to say that they were some of the best Chicken Tacos I have ever had. Next stop was Cannon Beach. There is not much to see at Cannon Beach, but I had read about it and I wanted to see it. I cannot remember if Sea Lion Rock is in Canon Beach or in http://www.oregonstateparks.org/park_188.php, but it really looks like a Sea Lion. I am convinced that some carved the eye so it looked more like a Sea Lion. Still, it is quite impressive. Canon Beach was beautiful. The whole Oregon coast leaves you craving for more. I love beaches that are rocky. I would take an Oregon Beach over a “regular” beach any day! The main destination of the day was Astoria. Any one that saw The Goonies needs to visit Astoria. As a matter of fact, many of the places we visited today just happened to have been in The Goonies! I could happily live in Astoria. It is a quiet little coastal village. We took a scenic drive home, through Washington. We even had to take a ferry across the Columbia River. The perfect day ended at a local restaurant that had some very yummy Broccoli Mac n’ Cheese.

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February 1, 2009 by samantha.

I have survived my first cold of the year and it knocked me on my butt. I still have some sniffles and a raspy voice, but the worst of it is over. I have to credit Zicam for helping through it.

Zicam Intense Sinus Relief is the worst thing you will probably ever put up your nose, but it is worth the discomfort twice a day. I highly recommend it. Get the one with the cooling menthol and eucalyptus.

My weekend was fairly uneventful. I slept a majority of it away. I had some fantastic plans that had to be postponed. At the time I did not care, but now I regret that I stayed home. I know it was better to rest. Oh well! I did see Milk with Sean Penn. It was awesome. I really enjoyed it. I thought it was better than Slumdog Millionaire. The movies are completely different, but the message is the same. Both are inspiring in their own way and remind you that giving up should never be an option.

I have a busy week ahead, so I should take it easy again today. In 41 days I will find out if I will have a job next year. I am not too worried. Still, the threat and worry hang over my head. Every one is worried and stressed. I think I am okay, but I will not know until March 13. All I can do now is pretend that everything will be okay. It could always be worse. I hate when people say that!

Posted in School, Weekends, Movies, Rants | 3 Comments »

November 2, 2008 by samantha.

Halloween has been my favorite holiday since I can remember. This year lived up to my expectations. I hung out with friends and “family”. We had a bonfire and roasted hot dogs and marshmallows as we passed out candy. I saw some great costumes. I am hoping to put some pictures of some of the cuties I saw, but I have to get permission first! It is always so sad when Halloween comes to an end. Now I have to wait another whole year before it comes around again. I should start planning now!

Today, I went to see W with a good friend of mine. We were both disappointed by the movie. In fact, we both found the movie a bit boring. I expected more from Oliver Stone. I wanted to be shocked and learn something new. Instead, the movie showed us everything that we already knew. Josh Brolin did a fantastic job as W. His accent and mannerisms were perfect. I can see him getting an Oscar nomination for his performance.

Now I am gearing up for Tuesday night. I am going to a friend’s house to watch the results. I know I will need to be monitored. I am so nervous. I hope the right guy wins. And in California, there are so many controversial props on the ballot. I have already decided that I will dress all in black on Wednesday if I am not happy with the results. I may have to take Wednesday off to morn. This election is so exciteing! No matter who wins, history will be made! It is an exciting time! I wonder how many of us will be disappointed come Wednesday.

Posted in Holidays, Friends, California, Weekends, Movies, Rants | No Comments »

October 19, 2008 by samantha.

I know that I have no right to complain. I have a pretty plush life. But I am in a complaining mood. I have a headache (tension and sinus). The kitchen sink is clogged again. Work is so overwhelming that it is no longer fun. And that is just to name a few things. As much as I love to complain, I tend to dwell and obsess over the issues in my life. I know! People who know me are shocked to hear that I obsess over EVERYTHING!

Okay, now I feel a bit better than I have complained out loud. Now we can move on to something more interesting.

Saturday, I went to a Halloween party. I did not know a lot of people there and I was not in the mood to mingle. And the party was way past my bedtime! I am too old to stay out after the sun goes down!!! But still I had a good time. I laughed and met new people. The food was good and I tried some interesting drinks. Almost everyone was dressed in cute costumes. I put on a witch shirt and called it a day.

Today I saw The Secret Life of Bees with a friend and I loved it. I read the book a few years ago and was moved by it. I was nervous about seeing the movie, since I had such fond memories of the book. The movie does not disappoint. I loved the characters and the story. It was wonderful. And after the movie, we went to the bookstore and for sushi. It was almost a perfect day!

I have exciting plans for election night. I am going to Disneyland on Friday, attending a conference this weekend, and I am sick (sniff…cough…sniff), next Monday. I think I have plans for Halloween. And I have to go an order my new shower door and maybe a new kitchen sink. I am heading to France in about six weeks. All is good.

Still, I have some complaining to do. Complaining makes the world go round.

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August 31, 2008 by samantha.

So far, my Labor Day weekend has been uneventful. I watched Lars and the Real Girl and loved it. One of the secretary’s at work recommended it and I was hesitant. I did not expect to like it. The plot was too out there. It is about a young man that has no friends and is beginning to become a hermit. Then one day he announces to his family that he wants to introduce them to a friend. I found myself laughing out loud, feeling sad, and just plain puzzled as I watched this movie.

The highlight of the weekend was I finished my current book. I started it Thursday and by Saturday morning I was done.

Lost and Found by Jacqueline Sheehan was the perfect book for the mood I was in. After Rocky’s husband drops dead of a heart attack, she struggles to find a way to continue life. She leaves her home and runs away to an island off the coast of Maine to hide. She begins to work as an Animal Control Officer, but is still struggling to enjoy life again. One day, she happens upon a black Lab that has been shot in the chest by an arrow. Rocky decides to foster the Lab until his rightful owners can be found. As the Lab heals, Rocky beings to heal.

I will admit that I picked up the book because of the dog on the cover. Thankfully the story lived up the the cover!

Posted in Weekends, Movies, Family, Books, Rants | No Comments »

July 16, 2008 by samantha.

I am a list maker. I always have been. Since I moved to California, I started a list of all the places that I wanted to visit. Well, I can happily say that my list is now a little shorter.

On Saturday, we visited the California Wolf Center in Julian. It was fantastic. The Wolf Center is a breeding site for two different types of wolves and hopefully the wolves can be released back into the wild. The center educates the public on wolves and allows you to see them up close. I had never seen a wolf so close. They are amazing animals and absolutely gorgeous. After the wolf encounters, we stopped by Mom’s for some of Julian’s famous Apple pie.
Tuesday, we went to the Arboretum in LA County. It is a 127-acre garden and beautiful.

You can see plants from around the world. The property is home to a wide range of birds. We even saw peacock chicks.

On the property is Queen Anne’s Cottage, which was seen in the opening credits of Fantasy Island.

I think we would have enjoyed the Arboretum more if it had not been so hot. We did not stay long, but we enjoyed the time that we were there.

Back at home we have been playing many games on the Wii. The Wii has been a lot of fun. I think our favorite games are Kabookii and Wii Bowling. Of course, the beautiful new ceiling fan has helped to keep us cool!!

Yesterday, we went to see Wall-E. It was cute. I loved the message that it sent and the music was worth downloading! And who knew that a cockroach could make such a cute pet?

Posted in House, California, Travels, Movies | 4 Comments »

June 22, 2008 by samantha.

Let me begin by saying it was a hot weekend! Yesterday I saw the thermometer go up to 111 degrees!! Today was “cooler” at 103. I did my best to stay cool. I stayed in today and made use of my movie channels. I saw The Last Supper, a long time favorite movie of mine. That was the only good movie I saw today.

Here is my dilemma. I am not a fan of Rachael Ray. For some reason I do not like her. She gets on my nerves. But I really like the set of pots and pans she has. They are orange and I like orange. So do I put aside my feelings for Ms. Rachael and get the colorful cookware or do I stand strong? I have seen other pots and pans in a variety of colors, but none other in orange!

My other dilemma of the day is Oprah. I have a love and hate relationship with Ms. Oprah. Right now I do not like Oprah. Do not ask me why. But I had to buy her magazine. It has 27 must read books for the summer! We all know that I am a weakling for a book and the lure of 27 books to read was to tempting for me to ignore!! I am a book whore! What can I say?

Posted in Weekends, Movies, Books, Rants | 3 Comments »

April 27, 2008 by samantha.

I always hear that weekends are supposed to be relaxing, but I am too busy cramming all I can into two days. On Friday on got my hair done. I am in a constant battle with my hair. I love the color, but I cannot find a style that I like. Every time I go in, I say I want something different and then I get tired of it a few weeks later. My hair stylist, Terri, is hilarious. She does what she wants to and she always makes me look good. She even talked me into bangs. Anyway, Terri always makes sure that I am the last client of the day so we can go out to dinner after my hair is done. We have a good time being silly. Terri is so busy that we have a hard time getting together. I think that is why I look forward to getting my hair done!

This was the weekend that a few girls and I were supposed to go to Los Angeles. As with most plans, they got rearranged a million times. The final plans were to do a movie and junk food day. It was exactly what we needed. We watched The Kite Runner (not as good as the book), Juno (even better the second time), and Sixteen Candles (never a disappointment). We sat around and had ridiculous conversations. It reminded me of sleepovers that I went to when I was a kid. In fact, we had such a good time that we are planning another movie and junk food day. Eventually we had to clean up and go home. I was still overflowing with energy and I was looking for something to do. So on the spur of the moment, I decided that I was going to buy myself a new mattress. I have needed a new mattress for a while and I decided yesterday was the day to get one. I think I was in and out of the store in twenty minutes!

Today, my new mattress was delivered. And I cannot wait to go to bed! I washed everything so it is all clean when I make my bed. I bought a new bed skirt. Other than that, my Sunday has been boring. I did laundry and went grocery shopping. I need a quiet day after a busy week. Hopefully this week will be quieter than last. I think I was home one day last week! And it is hot. Yesterday it reached 100. I think today will be a little cooler… a cool 97!!

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April 15, 2008 by samantha.

How many of you will be running to the Post Office tonight in hopes of getting your taxes post marked by midnight???? I sent my taxes in already, thank you very much. Because of the side business, I owed Uncle Sam. So much for having a tax return spending spree!

Last night, I watched The Memory Keeper’s Daughter on TV. I hated the book. I could not even finish it. But since I believe in giving everything another chance, I decided to watch the movie. It did not help. I think it made me dislike the book even more. I cannot understand why the book is so popular. What am I missing?

Posted in Movies, Books, Rants | No Comments »