MOLD

Ok everyone, this is gross. Here we go.

So, my closet is actually in the bathroom since its larger than the one in the bedroom. Fine.
Our bathroom doesn't have a fan. Fine.
I store clothes, shoes, bags in the closet in the bathroom. Fine.

Well, one of my canvas bags filled with wintery items like mittens fell down off the top shelf. So, I got the stool out last night & climbed up to put the bag up. But, wait a minute. What are those little black dots on the bag....it smells musty...it's MOLD.

Holy crap. I pulled out all of the other canvas bags up there(why do i have so many) and checked them all. A backback bottom was covered in mold. GROSS. The Vera Bradley bags smell musty. I threw out probably 5 bags. The rest got strewn across the living room and sprayed with Lysol.

No more bags in the closet. Actually, I am giving away and/or selling 1/2 of them because if they are shoved up in the closet, I don't use them or need them!! Impromptu cleaning out of stuff. Oh and this happened at like 1030pm last night. So, when Erik got home at 12, I was up & going crazy cleaning.

Friday

Since I am password protecting this blog as of Friday, email me if you want the password:

pinkpolkadotdiary@gmail.com

Another Oprah episode

On Oprah the other day, she talked about how a child is affected negatively when they are neglected. She showed a few cases of kids left in a room with no parenting, affection, starved, neglected, etc. She had a child psychologist on the show that said there are more neglected kids in the US than those who are sexually/physically abused.

One example was a girl who was kicked out her house at age 3. She lived in the backyard with the dogs. She acted like a dog when she was removed from the home 5 years later. Another was this little girl named Danielle in Florida who was neglected. When she was rescued by the Police & went to the ER, she was afraid to be touched, wouldn't look at anyone, and could only speak like an infant - she was like 5 or 6 years old. How sad.

Did you know the major architecture of the brain is created by the time you are 6? When you are neglected, your brain does not form properly. So this poor little girl's brain did not form properly thanks to this neglect. So so sad.

Oh and...

I will miss Evie so much when I am gone. Erik is dropping her off at her camp. Good thing because I would cry. I would hug her and kiss her and say Mommy loves you like 800 times and then run out and cry in the car. I know it. So, he can bring her. She will be happy. She loves it there and loves the owners and the other dogs. Plus, when she comes home, she will be TIRED.

Next week

I am getting excited because next week we are going back East! We will be in CT from Tues-Sun. It is Erik's birthday so we are going to home to see our families & friends. It will be good to hit up our fave restaurants, see everyone, and have fun. Yipppeeee!

Rice

I like rice but not couscous. Couscous is ok but its the texture. ick

Pictures of Evie

Here is a funny picture of Evie. Look how she is laying on the pillow. nutty.


I got Evie a St. Patrick's Day collar at Old Navy for $5!

The Purple Shirt

I am finally getting a few pics off the camera. For those of you who know about The Purple Shirt well, I finally wore the dang thing when Erik and I went to Citizen Cake.

Freedom to Marry

The CA Supreme Court is hearing arguments on Prop 8 tomorrow. They could overturn the current ban on gay marriage. As you all know, I fully support the RIGHT for anyone to get married - gay, straight, transgender, purple, black, white, pink, blue. I don't care. In my mind, it's human rights - not gay or straight - to be able to marry who you want.

The helicopters were circling tonight around 6pm because rallies in the Castro and City Hall were taking place. Sean Penn was even here (yesterday, I think) to support the freedom for gay marriage. The fact that Prop 8 passed with 52% of a vote is crazy. Even Republicans like Arnold Schwarzenegger are getting around 'No on 8'.

Privatizing

Hey Everyone - I decided that I am going to make this blog private. I'm going to make it private as of FRIDAY so if you want the password, let me know. Thanks

Reese

Doesn't Reese Witherspoon look great here. It looks so not like her.

Cool article

Did you know that Google was not the original spelling of the company? Do you know what Lego stands for? How about Tupperware. Fun article in NY Daily News today about how companies got their names, HERE.

WOW - Quote

How appropriate is this quote for right now - work, the economy, LIFE

Change alone is eternal, perpetual, immortal.

—attributed to Arthur Schopenhauer

Drama

More work drama. Our head boss is leaving our SF office. Change is the constant these days. That means there will be 5 of us here. 5 girls. Women. Isn't that crazy. All of our clients are women too. We can thank Women's Lib for that!

The Oprah/Suze Orman Challenge

Suze Orman was on Oprah today talking about how to live a simpler life. Here is her challenge to everyone:

• Don't spend any money for a day.
• Don't use your credit card for a week.
• Don't eat out in restaurants for a month.

I really like the advice of one author:
Want to start simplifying? Mary says you shouldn't think of the process as a punishment. "It can't be, 'Oh, you're taking this away from me,'" she says. "It's: 'What am I opening up? What am I going to gain from this experience?' And with this experience, you gain the appreciation for the things in life you are so blessed to have."

And this from Oprah,
Oprah says people should strive to have less stuff with more meaning. "That's the goal this year," she says. "I want to ask everybody, no matter where you are in the world, to make your own pledge."


This seriously is hitting home with me. When I think of how much stuff I have, I feel almost bad about it. There are people out there with NOTHING. Now, I have made changes in my life this past year to cut down on having stuff. I don't buy books - I go to the library. I always bring lunch to work except for once a week. We do eat out 2-3 times per MONTH(not week like i said before) but we enjoy it. Plus, we don't buy 7 days worth of groceries and then let the food go to waste. Still, there is always ways to make life even more simple.....

JT does JM

Justin Timberlake was on Jimmy Fallon last night mocking John Mayer. Funny!

Jason is the world's biggest Jackass

Wow. This season's bachelor, Jason, is a real classy guy. Dumping your 'fiance' on national television is really nice. I knew everything that was going to happen because the entire story was on the internet. If Jason really wanted to dump Melissa, he definitely didn't have to do it on TV! And then there is Molly who is already jumping back in his arms. Get some self respect, girl!

I like this article that says, what will Jason's son think about how you treat women?!

Hmmmm....

Do I know you in Queensland, Australia?? Also, who are you that lives in SF & reads this besides betsy & amy???

Books

I read 1/2 of the Zookeeper's Wife. It is set in WWII in Poland and is about a couple that owns a zoo. Once the war starts, they begin hiding Jews in their zoo. They are not Jewish but helped a lot of Jews escape. The problem with this book is that it is written in the 3rd person. I like books written in the first person. I loved Anne Frank. I felt connected to her as she told the story. This book is told based on diaires, intereviews, etc. It almost seems like the author was so worried about misinterpreting the 'data' she had that she was overcautious in telling the story. The problem with that was that you didn't get to really understand the characters.

I am now reading 'Here's The Story' by Maureen McCormick aka Marcia Brady. It is her autobiography & it is so good. Did you know after the Brady Bunch, she became a coke addict? Unreal. It is a quick read and a good story.

oh and also

my hair is complete mess today. there is no controlling it in the rain. get the bobby pins out - stat!

Rain Rain

It is raining today, again. It IS the rainy season so we will be dealing with this for the rest of the month. Thank God we do not have the snow like the rest of the country. I want to move somewhere where there's minimal elements. Maybe San Diego. Warm, Sunny.

Tonight is Bachelor Finale. Can't wait. I just went to the dentist to get my mouth guard adjusted since I am taking it out in the middle of the night! I had to walk in the rain, to the dentist & back. I stopped & got a white chocolate mocha though and that made things better.

I have a good lunch too. Salad with butter lettuce and lemon pepper tuna. I love butter lettuce. Oh and my fave dressing - 4 Seasons. You know, that stuff you make at home. So good. No soda. I went 2 days w/o soda then 2 days with soda.

Crazy of the Day

The body of a 44-year-old man was discovered inside a bathroom at the San Francisco Bloomingdale's complex on Friday. Patrick Callahan, who was homeless, "was found in the morning when employees opened the store," according to AP. While the exact cause of death has yet to be revealed, "investigators are also trying to determine if Callahan broke into the store and hid out in the bathroom, or if he was there before the store closed and fell unconscious." A Bloomingdale's spokeswoman described Callahan's death as "very sad."

(sfist.com)

Sweepstakes Galore

I found a bunch of sweepstakes today in the coupons of the paper. Here you go. Click on the pic to get to the sweeps site:


















Win a Staycation from Febreze:

Water Rations

California - home of the celebrities, sun, surf, mountains. California - home of the 10% unemployment rate, budget defecit, and now...water rations. CA is running out of water. In fact they say, "No Californian should act like there is an infinite amount of water." Check out the article, here.

Tent Cities

I watched an episode of Oprah and it is scaring the crap out of me. It is about Tent Cities which is essentially communities of tents where people live because they lost their jobs & home. These are middle class people who made $50,000+ salaries, couldn't pay their mortgage, lost their jobs, and were forced out on the street. This could happen to anyone.

If you lost your job, could you still pay rent/mortgage, buy food? For how long? Suddenly, spending money at the bars and buying clothes seems absolutely ludicrous to me.

After watching this show, I want to not spend a single cent on anything. Because....you never know.

Wicked

So, Wicked was so so so good! The story, the music, everything was great.

Friday

Yesterday, work was sooooo busy at work. I didn't leave til 6pm and normally we leave at like 4pm. After that, Cristin and I went to our favorite little cafe for $1.50 beers. It was packed! People were sitting, standing in the corners of the place. Sign of the times!

We ended up going out last night, too. We came home to make tacos and then went out to DANCE. We went to 2 bars that had DJ's and danced. It was fun.

Almond Butter

Almond Butter is one of the most amazing foods on the planet. It's SO good and nutty & buttery. I can't believe I haven't been eating it my entire life. Too bad it is like $10 a jar.

Crazy of the Day

My bus driver on the way to work yesterday yelling at some guy to 'Cover Your Mouth' when he was coughing. This is the same woman who yelled at that guy 'Get off My Bus!' a few months ago.

Meet the First Dog

Well, the Obama's have chosen a dog....a Portuguese Water Dog. I guess they are getting it in April. This is a pretty easy going dog which is good for young kids. I think they are trying to rescue one, too. If it's a rescue, they can't count on the easy going aspect. As we know, my rescue dog has a screw loose. haha.

(THis is not the actual dog)

iPhone

I got my iPhone. Whenever you get a new phone, you don't know how to use it for a few days & that is me right now. This thing is pretty cool. Just the screen alone and how you can see legit web pages is awesome. Flip the phone on the side, and you have a widescreen.

Plug your headphones in and you can hear your phone call so much clearer. There are a million applications you can put on your phone. You can download a level and use your phone as a level if you are doing a project. Crazy.

The phone also doubles as an Ipod. I just dragged my songs on it and now I have an ipod, too.

Well, so far, I think it's cool and I am glad I got it!

Soda

Oh man. I am watching Biggest Loser and they said by drinking soda you increase your risk for some metabolic syndrome & belly fat. Gross. It makes me want to stop drinking it yet Diet Dr. Pepper is so freaking good!!

WICKED

I am so excited!! Tomorrow, I am seeing Wicked! Yippee. First, we are having dinner at this Chinese restaurant called Heaven's Dog (weird name!) and then......Wicked. Can't wait.

Wine Guide

Real Simple has this cool wine thing on their site now. You tell them what you are eating, if you like white or red wine, and what kind of flavor you like your wine to have(ex. full bodied). You plug this all in & then it recommends a type of wine for you.

Dentist

Today's dentist visit was exciting. First, the hygenist told me that I have a moderate amount of GUM DISEASE. Luckily, she said this can be reversed with a lot of flossing. She also said that everyone pretty much has some form of gum disease whether they know it or not.

Next, she told me I should be using an electric toothbrush because it is a better way to clean your mouth. Luckily, the dentist office sells them at COST. I got an Oral-B Triumph for only $65! If you even tried to buy this on Amazon, it is $120. Amazing.

Finally, I told the dentist how I take my mouthguard out in the middle of the night. Turns out I am grinding my teeth on that thing now & despite the hard plastic, have work part of that down too. I am going back next week to see if he can alter it so I can't do that anymore. But, basically, I have to wear it or else I will grind my teeth into stubs.

So, I left the dentist with a new toothbrush. Thank God for Healthcare Flexible Spending!

Hockey

Erik's hockey game last night was really good. It was a playoff game. They played a really good team that scored in the first 30 seconds but the Bulldogs(Erik's team) came back and won the game 9-6. I love high scoring hockey games with fights & that is what we saw last night. Afterwards, we went to the team bar and had a few beers. It was fun. I'm glad that he joined that team & met those guys because hockey is a huge part of his life.

FREE Quizno's Sub

Quizno's is giving out coupons for a free sub. Go here.

Tuesday

Ugh I have to go to class tonight since I am seeing Wicked on Thursday. I am pissed. I want to go home, eat dinner with Erik, and go to this hockey game. Now, I have to go to class til 830 and then drive to the rink after. Wah!

Attention!

We all know Walgreens sells everything under the sun. Well they have a few new additions....introducing, Snuggies & ShamWows to the aisles of Walgreens!

Next Bachelorette?

I predict Jillian will be the next Bachelorette. Although I sort of wish she wouldn't be because I like her & want her to find REAL love not TV love that ends 2 mos after the show. If you watched last night, you saw how people from different seasons of Bachelor/ette are friends and 2 people from different seasons are actually dating. It was really cute.

Next Bachelorette Prediction: Jillian

Bachelor Tonight!!

Bachelor is on tonight: Women Tell All Special. Next week is the mega, finale week. Woohoo!

New Phone

Well I just used my upgrade and got an iPhone. As I mentioned, I am horrible with phones so...I got a refurbished iphone. this is perfect for me. It says that refurbished phones are phones that someone had for 30 or less days & there was either something wrong with it or they didn't like it & returned it. There is even a chance the phone has slight scratches on it somewhere. Now, I won't feel as bad if I scratch it. Just to be safe, I got a HARD case for it. I do want it to last & will try very hard not to drop it. yippee.

Mardi Gras

In celebration of Mardi Gras, here is a great meal from Real Simple of Jerk Chicken!

Shop the Gap & Support TNT

The Gap brand stores are having a promotion in mid-March. Use the coupon to save 30% and they will give 5% to Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. This is what TNT raises money for & what I ran my half-marathon for!


(Click me for the coupon!)

Win $250 to Marshall's

Want to win a $250 gift card to Marshalls? Click here.

Milk

I am so happy Sean Penn won best actor last night. I haven't even seen Milk but I have seen clips and read a lot about this movie. I really appreciate that they made this film - I only wish it came out in October before Election Day. Maybe then, we wouldn't have passed Prop 8. Marriage shouldn't be a privelge for men & women. All people should be able to marry. Look how good male/female marriages work out anyway - a divorce rate of 50%!

If two people want to get married, let them. Why should anyone stop them!?

Films

While I sit here and watch the Oscars and all of these well made FILMS, I checked my Blockbuster account to see what movie I am getting next. Oh yeah, it is....


AYyeyeyeyeyyeyey!

How sad...

...was it when Heath Ledger's sister got up to accept his award and said "I remember you & I talking about being here together". Then, she dedicated the award to 'his Matilda'. Choke up!

My Oscar Predictions

Here are my Oscar predictions:

Lead Actor: Mickey Rourke (I was WRONG and I am happy because I wanted Sean Penn to win!)

Supporting Actor: Heath Ledger (Right!)

Lead Actress: Kate Winslet (Right!)

Supporting Actress: Marisa Tomei (Wrong!)

Animated Film: Wall-E (Right!)

Best Picture: Slumdog Millionaire (Right!)

Bachelor Spoiler!!

This year's Bachelor has a lot of internet buzz around it. If you watched the very first episode of the season, you saw that ABC showed the ending - and you can pretty much see who Jason picked. People on the internet even took it so far to keep each episode on their DVR and match up body parts to that winning girl in the 1st episode to see who it was. Well, since there is just a blonde and a brunette left - you can figure out who won already.

However......last week, the Bachelor host said there is now going to be two 'After the Final Rose' ceremonies because of something 'so dramatic' happening.

Well, I love spoilers and wanted to find out what was going on and I did....If you want to go know what is going on, you can read all about the finale on RealitySteve.com This guy has the inside scoop and seems pretty reliable. I guess we will find out on March 2nd though to see if he was right.


Is he who we think he is???