lovelovelove

My boyfriend is turning down a six-figure salary today. And I am proud of him.

Unexpectedly Warm in Riverside

I'm a bit musky today, i feel. I showered, believe me, but I didn't expect all this heat. And then I went stumping around UC Riverside, since I got across campus only to find that I left my wallet in my car, and walked all the way back to the parking lot, wearing black in this heat to get it.

I hate thinking other people can maybe...smell me.

it's my birthday. freakin' hell

It's my birthday and i'm 23. i'm going to buy my parents flowers for birthing and creating me. i think it's really special, all the hard work they put in to make me and get me this far.

yes, i'm going to buy them flowers. i called them both to thank them. my father accidentally told me 'happy birthday' yesterday. my mother was very busy this morning and admitted that she almost forgot. it's okay, i was born anyways.

freakin hell tho. i'm sick...i'm on the mend, i need more sleep, my throat is sore. and my period started this morning. oh well. such is life. also, i decided to wear my flats to school, and they are getting a bit sweaty, making me feel self conscious about possibly having smelly feet.

but i got work off tonight. and my poor boyfriend is not feeling too well. i think we'll lie around my house, staying warm and watching Battlestar Galactica, since season 3 just came in the mail. And he will be bringing one of my favorite desserts...either panna cotta or a lemon meringue pie. mmm...being on my period, dessert sounds fantastic.

Our Christmas!

Last night was our fantastic Christmas Date! This should totally be a tradition.

This Christmas was our second together and we teamed up to get everything done! Unfortunately, he's been so busy working hard, so as soon as my finals were done, we got our shopping list together and I went out and bought all the presents.

WHEW! I was pooped...I think next year, I'll make the money and he can go shop. I'm not much of a shopper...

But I'm so glad because its Christmas Eve and all the presents are bought and wrapped. I've never spent so much on Christmas before, and being so cost-conscious it makes me kinda anxious! His family seems to spend much more on Christmas than mine does, so next year I'll have to get used to this.

One of the fun parts of wrapping the gifts was thinking of fun ways to up the surprises Christmas Day. Since we ordered so many gifts online, we further disguised them by wrapping them and re-wrapping them in the boxes they came in. I fancied the gifts up by using some fun techniques with the bows that I saw on a Martha Stewart episode. And the peel-and-stick Christmas labels I bought last year were very handy.

But now to the awesome part: Our Christmas Date!
-We finally got around to seeing the Festival of Lights at the Mission Inn, and the lights were beautiful!!! There were so many people and cute Christmas animated figures. Couples were going on carriage rides, but I skipped that. I don't need a Cinderella image to feel like a princess. We were a little dismayed that the horse hooves had glitter on them! I realize it doesn't hurt the horses at all, it just felt undignified towards the horses. Maybe I'm too concerned about it.

-We tried to eat there, but all the restaurants were packed! So we drove to Cheesecake Factory. We had such a delicious dinner! I feel so blessed to be able to eat such delicious food all the time.

-After, I coaxed him into taking me to the bookstore, since I stopped spending so much money on books. I meant to leave all the books there, but I couldn't help taking a few home.

It was such a fantastic Christmas Date, and I hope there are many more to come.

Now, I can't wait to see what he got me! I know he'll love his present!


Btw, that picture is the Mission Inn at Christmas taken by Steve Mendoza.

My Boyfriend Hates These Pajamas.

but I love them. don't know why.

Wishlist Trees vs. Thanksgiving Trees

Although I'm not always successful, I've been really happy lately because I'm able to focus on all the great things in my life. We're in a down recession and yet I still have so much love and support. I'm still working and though I'm just barely paying my bills, they are still getting paid.

I was reading this article and the commentary at WiseBread about needy families who are using wishlist trees to ask for big ticket items like iPods and Xboxs and turning off those who want to donate but can't afford those items for their own children.

In the comments many talk about ways that they get around these seemingly exorbitant requests and others don't want to stop needy kids from dreaming, but I think there's another side to this.

This Thanksgiving, I asked many around me what they were thankful for and many seemed reluctant to say, or made jokes. But so many seem to have little problem as to what they want. Any maybe this is our problem.

Why don't we have Thanksgiving trees instead of Wishlist trees? It seems that it would help the needy and those who aren't needy more to help them to focus on the good instead of the bad. Having been depressingly unemployed last Christmas, I cried thinking about the things I didn't have and the things I couldn't get for those I love, because it often seemed like Christmas was about what everyone wants. But maybe it's no accident that Thanksgiving and Christmas are right next to each other. And if you're religious, Christmas is a celebration of God's blessing to the world. Not a celebration of what God wants, or what you or I want.

I'm taking this time at the end of my year to look at all the great things in my life now that I've spent the whole year putting it back together. And I'm looking forward at next year and what I seek to accomplish then. As much as I'd like to, no one I know is getting any big ticket items from me, but I'll definitely be finding a way to show them that I really appreciate all they've contributed to my life this year.

And when I have my own family, I hope to give them a Thanksgiving tree.

Comments

I've decided to start actively commenting on the blogs I read. I know. It sounds simple and retarded, but so often I'm just happy to read and absorb without getting involved in the conversation. And now I realize that reciprocity would be nice.

I guess I always assume that a "Thanks for a great post" is too mundane. And someone else will say something anyways. But as a blogger, every comment is appreciated.

I also get nervous mentioning other people's blogs. but bloggers love that too.