Proteus Syndrome

I watched this show on TLC last night about Proteus Syndrome. I never heard of this or seen anything like it. This woman has legs that do not stop growing. They are now each 100lb and its hard for her to get around. She might have to get them amputated but the problem with that is the stumps left would be so large that prosthetics wouldn't fit. Her feet are absolutely huge. I would say one was as long as from your knee to your ankle. She has to get these special shoes made so she can walk.



(This is Mandy Sellers who was on TLC)

Taxes

We did our taxes this weekend and we used Turbo Tax online. It is SO easy to do. Seriously, it took 20 mins each. They ask you all of these questions and make it super simple. It shows up at the top of the page what your refund looks like throughout the process. It's awesome. Then, you can choose direct deposit and get your money in like 2 weeks. I recommend Turbo Tax if your taxes are easy to do!

Weekend

This was a good weekend. Fun Friday night, Fun Saturday, Fun Saturday night, and relaxing Sunday. On Saturday we went to the Little Chihuahua(which I love and now call The ChiChi) and then to this DIVE bar next door, The Page. It has carpeting. PBR on tap. I felt like I was in my bf from kindergarten's basement. haha

Anyway today, we did grocery shopping, laundry, cleaning. fun. I have homework to do! It won't be hard though. So, it was a good weekend!

Here's to a good week....

Sweeney Ridge

On Saturday, we went down to Sweeney Ridge. It is an area to hike down near Pacifica. It was a nice hike and I would go back to go even further next time.

Coldplay

Coldplay is on tour this summer. They are coming to the Bay Area in July so we might be going. We'll see how much tix are...

10 year reunion

Yesterday, we went to happy hour after work. After work as in 330pm when my boss told us it was time to leave for the weekend. I have a friend here from HS that has been living here for 5 years. Since we have lived here, we never met up. Finally, last night - I told him to come over to happy hour & he did. It was great to see him & catch up on what has been going on the past 10 years!

Crazy of the Day

This morning, a large & in charge woman was at the bus stop. There were a few of us waiting to get on the bus. When the bus came, she let a woman get on and then proceeded to tell one of the men waiting "Now sir, there are two other women here waiting to get on before you came. So, let them go on first" He was probably scared of her so he obeyed. Then, when she got on, I heard her say 'Some people won't speak up for themselves so I will speak up for them!'

Then, I heard her telling someone on the bus about Obama and now the door is open for anything to happen in the US. "That's right....Barack Hussein Obama"

Friday

Last night, my friend Cristin and I went to the gym & then had taco night. She missed Gossip Girl so we watched that and then The Biggest Loser, finally. TBL was good and Joelle finally got kicked off. I felt bad for her partner Carla though. Carla was working so hard and lost like 20 lbs in one week and Joelle lost nothing. She was lazy & didn't want it bad enough. She couldn't even come up with a few sentences to convince everyone on why she wanted to be there.

Anyway, it is rainy today but this weekend should be nicer.

Crazy of the Day

This morning, Evie and I saw the crazy of the day in our park while taking our morning stroll. Our resident homeless guy was sitting by the tree with all of his carts, as usual. Except, there was a cop car pulled up next to the tree. Then, another one came. Of course, I wanted to walk right over there and basically ask the cop what was going on, but didn't. We did make it a point to walk past them to leave the park and it looks like there was another guy sitting there with the usual homeless guy. When we were leaving, it looks like the cops were arresting the other guy. I still wonder what for. Hmmmmm.......

Too Funny

Right before every weekend, I get this newsletter from Going.com telling me what is 'going' on around SF. Well, here is something going on this weekend! I thought this was too funny:

Yoga for the Broke and Out-of-Shape

Finally! A yoga class that's based on a sliding scale and is targeted towards "people with physical limitations" (i.e. lazy), beginners, and those who tire easily or are self-conscious about their bodies. No lululemon outfits here. Kundalini Yoga uses breath, posture, mantra, guided visualizations and lifestyle technicques to affect deep yet gently, changes in physiological and psychological pattern.

Diary of Working Girl

I am finishing reading a beach book, chic-lit book. It was a book that I'm sure you've read before or a movie you've seen. It was a combination of 'How to Lose A Guy' and Shopaholic and those type of books. I liked the main character though and I recommend this book for a plane ride or for sitting on the beach.

Crazy of the Day

Today in San Francisco, a federal judge opened up hundreds of pages of court documents against disgraced Giants slugger Barry Bonds. According to reports, "The documents released included ... a transcript of a taped conversation between Bonds' personal trainer and personal assistant discussing injecting the slugger and a list of current and former Major Leaguers, including Jason Giambi, who are scheduled to testify at trial for the government." We are very much looking forward to reading said transcript. We'll update when we know more. The Bonds trial is supposed to start next month. He convicted of lying to a grand jury in 2003 when he said he didn't use performance-enhancing drugs during his time with the Giants. Which he totally did.
(http://sfist.com/2009/02/04/evidence_against_bonds_unsealed.php)

Tuesday

I am taking the day off from the gym. My thighs are on fire. It's good though. I can't believe it is Wednesday already. I did not get to watch Biggest Loser last night but it is waiting for me on the DVR for tonight! I can't wait - I heard it was a good one.

My birthday is in like 2 mos but I am already thinking of what I want to do. One thing on my wishlist is 5 personal training sessions for $99 at the gym. They are 25 mins each which is short but is a good amount of time for a trainer to teach you what you should be doing to push yourself.

Erik's bday is in about a month. We are flying back to CT for a few days to spend with friends & family! I am already compiling a list of the places I want to eat and things I need to buy on the EC that I can't get on the WC.

Work it Mi Amigos

In an effort to get a hard earned sticker today, i went to core class at lunch. It was hard. My butt and thighs were burning. I will be super sore tomorrow but it's worth it!

Work Out

Sarah introduced me to the idea of putting stickers on your calendar after you work out. This way, when you don't workout, you see no stickers and realize what a slacker you are. Well, I want stickers! So, I'm working out.

Yesterday I was so tired around 4pm but I was like, I want that sticker dammit! So, i went to the gym. I went for 30 hard minutes of lifting and treadmill. I was sweating & I was done in 3o mins. I am sore today! My goal is to use the gym 3x per week and workout 5 days per week total.

Also, Biggest Loser is my new favorite show. If you need any motivation to work out, watch it. These people are 350+ pounds and are losing a ton of weight and getting back on track. It is inspiring.

Crazy of the Day

Why have Coit Tower, the Ferry Building, and City Hall literally turned green? According to SF Citizen, it's in honor of the third return of the popular Stephen Scwartz musical Wicked. The "untold story of the witches of Oz" is based off of the popular book by Gregory Maguire novel. The musical version got its start here in San Francisco when it made its out-of-town premiere at the Currran many moons ago, and went off to New York to win several Tony Awards and gain a rabid cult following from enraptured fangirls.

Rollerblading

About 3 years ago, I begged Erik for rollerblades for my birthday. 2 months ago, I begged my sister to bring them out to SF with her. Yesterday, I finally tried to use them again. I thought that I could learn to rollerblade with Evie. Then, Evie could pull me just like Caesar Millan does.

Not so much.

Evie & I went to the parking lot yesterday. I scooted around very slowly. I tried to turn and fell...really hard on my hip. Today my arm is killing me from helping my fall. I'm sure a big bruise will be showing up on my hip.

Rollerblades are going on craigslist.

Happy Birthday Evie!

This weekend was Evie's 3rd birthday! She had an exciting weekend.

"I'm 3!"


Lounged on the couch

Dug in Buena Vista Park



Took a nap, after running around

Watched the AKC Dog Show with my parents

Attacked Daddy



Had my 'birthday cake' aka a PB sandwich!

Happy 3rd birthday to me!

"The Pointer, Please"

The AKC Dog Show was on last night. I love dog shows because the dogs are so cute. I was happy because the Best in Show overall was a Pointer. In the terrier group, they had an American Staffordshire and a Staffy Bull Terrier. I now think that Evie is more Staffy Bull Terrier. Here are some pics.


The Pointer - Best In Show


American Staffordshire Terrier


American Bull Terrier - Doesn't this sort of look like Evie??

Ruffles

Have you seen that show, RealSimple Real Life. I love it. The Real Simple team goes to a woman's house and helps her out. They help her dress better, organize or re-do a room or two, help with her with time management and finances. The host is Kit Hoover. Kit is so cute & wears cute, ruffly, feminine outfits. I love her clothes.

So watching the show & Kit makes me think about how I can update my style like hers. And, I realized - It's so simple. She wears a lot of cute blouses with belts. She wears cardigans, jeans, and flats. Well, if you remember - my uniform is short sleeves, cardigan, pants, flats. All I need to do is get some accessories!

So, here's Kit - The Inspiration. Then, I found some cute shirts on Forever 21. But you can see the purple cardigan(have), black top(have), silver flats(have)....so all I need to update the outfit is a belt. Forever 21 has belts for under $10.

Times are tough & the economy sucks. This is such an easy way to update your wardrobe pretty cheaply. I have seen this tip in many magazines but never really thought much about it. Anyway, you can get cheap accessories at Claire's(no one will know its not real silver or pearls!) and cute shoes at Target($20 flats!). So, this spring, I will not be stressing about wanting to buy the new styles. I am seriously going to just update my current clothes! Thank you Kit Hoover for the inspiration.

Top Companies in Your State

Check this out on CNN Money. Pick your state & it shows you the best companies to work for in your state. Try it, here.

Bistro 9

Erik and I went to a bar for a beer that looked cute, The LIttle Shamrock. I drive past it on my way home from school so we tried it out. We were starving and were in the Sunset neighborhood. This is further down into Golden Gate Park. We never go over here but I realized tonight how much stuff is over there - especially food! We went to this cute little place for dinner, Bistro 9. I had a veggie sandwich which was good.

Weekend

This weekend is looking nice! I like how weather.com suggests what you should do that day. Tonight its going to be 45, so you might want to stay in and install your floor tile.


This is really bad though because we need rain, desperatly. Apparently, we have one of the worst droughts in state history right now & the state might have to start putting rations on water.

Anyway, it is Evie's birthday this weekend! She is turning 3. We will be taking her to the park or beach so she can have some fun. I might get her some special treats and of course, I'll make her wear her party hat(which she HATES).

We are not doing anything for Superbowl. I could care less. In fact, I might scrapbook instead!

Well, have a great weekend!

Vote for Evie

Evie is now in the The Humane Society of the United States' and Humane Society International's Spay Day Online Pet Photo Contest! You can vote for her & donate to the Humane Society ($5 is the min) to help animals.

HGTV Dream Home

Here it is...the annual sweepstakes to win the HGTV house! Just think, if you win & don't want the house, you can opt for the CASH equivalent.

Crazy of the Day

Because SF'ers need a reason to protest. This neighborhood doesn't want an American Apparel coming to town!

The fine folks over at Pirate Cat Radio have organized a rally this Saturday to protest American Apparel's plan to open a clothing store on Valencia Street. Pirate Cat Radio will be broadcasting live from the location, giving attendees the opportunity to voice their concern about the construction of an American Apparel clothing store 988 Valencia St. ATA and Mission residents will join Pirate Cat Radio in expressing the significant interest in the Mission District protect the economic integrity of Valencia street.

100 SF Things to Eat

7x7, a SF magazine, did an article of '100 foods to try in SF' - Some look exciting, others do not.

Seattle

I am so excited! We are planning a trip to Seattle for 4th of July. We are renting a house for a few days on the sound. Yippee!!

Crazy of the Day

Arnold Schwarzenegger....

Going against the wishes of state workers' unions that said the governor's plan to save $1.3 billion with unpaid time off was both illegal and unconstitutional, Judge Patrick Marlette ruled this morning that Schwarzenegger can order two furlough days a month. That is to say, Arnold can now force state workers to take days off a month without pay. "The current circumstances constitute an emergency," said Marlette, citing California's budget crisis and lack of funds.

Linens & Things Final Blowout

As you know, LNT is going out of business. Finally, they put everything on 70-90% off.

GAP - Spring

The GAP has some cute, colorful stuff for spring! I will be waiting for everything to be on sale before buying anything.

Evie In the Bed

I have had Evie for almost 2 years. I got her when she was 1 and she is turning 3 this weekend. We never established where Evie should sleep because for the few mos that I had her before we moved, she lived in a million places. She went from the shelter director's house, to the shelter, to my Mom's, to my house, back to my Mom's(while I packed to move), then to CA with us. When we got to the new apartment, she just got in the bed with us so we let her. Bad move. We tried to kick her out but she cries and cries that we give in. I tried to put her bed next to mine and leash her to the bed - doesn't work.

Well, now, we want to try again. She is going to live for many years and really, I can't handle her in the bed for another 10 years or whatever. It is going to be painful. I will need earplugs and strong will. I will be sad but she takes up too much room!

Wednesday

It's Wednesday!

Yesterday, after we dropped Sarah at the airport, I got my haircut. It is pretty short - like sits just at my shoulders. I didn't really plan on cutting it that short but oh well. I like it, its something different. I had it long, then cut off like 3" and then cut off like another 3". I guess I am trying to find my happy length. At this shorter length, I dont have to spend a ton of time drying & flat ironing!!

Then, I went to the hospital for my volunteer placement. I am going to be in the maternity ward. So exciting! I have to get a TB test first and find my vaccination records before I can start though. Then, I have to figure out the volunteer/gymnastics schedule. I might alternate every other weekend.

Then, we had Erik's hockey game at 8pm. I was so tired. Unfortunately, they lost. We did not go out after. Erik was tired too.

They're Hiring

In the midst of thousands of jobs lost, these companies are hiring. Here you go!

Also....love your job? How to keep it - read it here.

Travel Deals

Secret Travel Deal Secrets

Check it out!! Airlines are slashing prices & here are some more tips.

Crazy of the Day

Monday - There is a guy in SF who tours the city by foot. He has in tow with him....his dog, a cat that sits on top of the dog, and a rat who sits on top of the cat. It's scary.

Tuesday - I'll borrow this one from a co-worker. There is a nude beach here in SF - Baker Beach. She stopped down there over the weekend and saw a totally nude woman posing on the rocks while a photographer took her picture.

The Weekend Quick Recap

Here is a quick recap of our long weekend with Sarah here!!

On Friday, we did some shopping in Union Sq. and took a cable car ride to the wharf - it was a rainy day.


On Saturday, we went to Napa. We had TOO much fun and never made it out to the drag show we hoped to see on Sat night. Oh well, we had a blast in Napa and hit up 4 wineries.






On Sunday, we went & had a great lunch at Buckeye.



My amazing lunch of seared tuna/cabbage salad

Stopped in Sausalito for ice cream and....




to see the bridge!

Sunday Night, we saw a SF Favorite, 'Beach Blanket Babylon' followed by an Italian dinner at Firenze!


Monday, we hiked Land's End and did some shopping!






Today.......I cried my eyes out after we dropped her off. I hate saying goodbye when people visit because it makes me realize how far away we live from everyone. But, it was a great visit and we had a ton of fun & we will see everyone soon when we go home in March!

Basket Case, again

Sarah left today. I am a basket case. I miss her already.

Lunch

We went to the Buckeye Roadhouse today for lunch. It is in Mill Valley & was one of the restaurants recently on Rachel Ray. It was so good. We had mimosas, crab cakes, and I had the seared tuna cabbage salad. There was so much good food on the menu, I can't wait to go back!!