I think I am having one of those days or moments rather right now. What did I do to feel this way? being that this is a fitness and wellness blog, this will sound horrible, but the truth is that I ate a chocolate bar. That's right, I ate a big chocolate donut.

Ugh, there I said it. I'm guilty, but just let me say that it was absolutely delicious. *yikes*

Don't get me wrong I wouldn't say that my stomach is as tight as it was before, but I definitely can't complain. You can still see my abs, I don't have stretch marks and I'm not at all hesitant about wearing a bikini, but come bikini season I will definitely lay off of the sugar filled foods and stick solely to goood old h2o.

If I had known that I was going to bounce back so quickly and so effortlessly I wouldn't have gotten rid of all of my fabulous jeans at my pre-vacation garage sale, but that's ok...out with the old and in with the new right?

****BIG NEWS****

Congrats to Judy on losing a total of 20 pounds since November 1st. Since Greg has designed her a custom workout and nutrition plan she has lost a whopping 16 pounds. Hurray...she'lll be ready for Summer in no time!

I wouldn't mind so much if they were already the silver color, but since they are still new (arriving in my final 3 weeks of pregnancy) they still have that redish color to them. Ugh I hate them.

We are all flying to Florida in less than a month and I'm covered in these stupid things. I have been putting StriVectin, BioOil, cocoa butter...everything, yet nothing seems to be working.

This sucks. Really it does. I hate it. I hate it. I hate it. It's going to be all fun and sunny and everyone else will be all cute in their bathing suits and I will be cute...except I have these hideous marks on my legs. So sad!!!

I'm really really tempted to go into a cosmetic dermatologist's office and have them lasered away; I think that's the only thing that might work for me. I saw it done on The Doctor's and it looked like she never even had them. I'm really tempted, but since I don't know the cost yet, I'm able to hold out.

We will see what happens...hopefully they will fade more by the time we leave.

It should be a fun little event though; we have lots of people joining in.To name a few: Sister, Judy, Jess, Mark G., Grandma and Grandpa, and many more. We'll make it a fun day. The only not so fun part is having to wake up...I think it starts really early and with a baby I already get less sleep than I'd like so this isn't exactly the part to look forward too.

It will be on October 25th at Harvey Bear....visit this link if you want to sign up.

 https://www.svendurance.com/races/register.aspx?seasonName=2009&slug=SVE_Dirty_Legs_Fall_Trail_Running_Series__2

It's a happy Monday is it not? It is for me, so I guess that's a big bummer for the rest of you who aren't quite as peachy!

Today I had a fun and fabulous cardio session at the rent's house. It was fabulous because it's FREE!!!! Who doesn't love freebies?

I was really really close to joining the gym with my sister Mel, but quickly changed my mind when I saw all of the greasy D-Bags that fill up the joint! Umm...no thanks!

I have decided that I am going to work out every single weekday doing cardio sessions during my lunch break and do the resistance training in the privacy of my own home.

What's even better about working out - NOT - in the gym???? I can sing and dance as loud and crazy as I want too without anyone having to see or hear me haha. Greatness!

Alright, well my Monday workday has ended and I'm on my way to a Terrific Tuesday. Hope the rest of ya's will join me on the fab train.

Work it out ya'll!

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Apparently this "super food" as it has been dubbed is popular in Brazil, but until recently not really anywhere else. With all of the media coverage from shows like "Oprah", "NBC" and "ABC" this super food has fast become super popular world wide.

What is all the fuss about? Well the media claims that "this is the best diet aid" in years. While Acai Berry does help to promote weight loss and can suppress your appetite, claims appear to be greatly exaggerated.

The truths are that it can help the following:

It's a new week and it's time to start a new routine. I have decided that I am no longer going to drink any soda and will stop eating fast food.

It may seem like a simple change...the fast food yes, but the soda is going to be a toughie for me. After being pregnant, I am hooked. It was the only item that actually craved during my pregnancy and it stuck with me even after.

I am loaded with my fun Crystal Light mixers and I should be just fine today. I've got my packed lunch in hand too!

I've been walking daily with Mel, Judy or Arnold and the only time I felt the pinching pains were a week ago just before my Dr appointment and this morning. I have another walk planned for 3pm today so we'll see.

I've tried spicy foods, walking, squatting, just about everything aside from taking Castor Oil. As much as I want her to come out, I don't want to be sick all day with no effect on getting her out. It would be just my luck that it would play out that way.

Tomorrow is my birthday; Judy's original prediction day, so perhaps I'll get her as a birthday present. She had better be worth it if I have to spend my birthday like that lol...only kidding!

I woke up last night at 4:12 am with some crazy back pains, but after about 15 minutes of tossing back and forth I somehow fell asleep and forgot all about it.

Still hoping that Lo will turn around soon to avoid major back labor. She's still sideways - I can tell by her kicks. My birthday is on June 30th - maybe she will be a birthday present.

Still waiting...

I used the trainer for 30 minutes and then did a few leg stretches to make sure I didn't cramp up. Ugh...boy is stretching not an easy task these days. Don't believe me? Stuff an NBA style basketball in your shirt and try bending over to touch your toes...yea, not so simple right?

After my workout I felt great and was so glad that I did it. I always love the feeling afterwards, when it's all done and over with. I sit directly in front of my giant fan and chug a slushy water mixed with Crystal Light flavor mixes. Mmm...so good! Those mixes really make me drink so much more water - I've got my mind convinced that I am eating a snow cone haha.

I'm gonna get in my 30 minutes tonight and hit the scale tomorrow at my doctor's visit...I hope it's not too depressing to look at the scale. Oh well...I'm just about done with it and can't hardly wait.

Happy Hump Day Friends! 

I only posted back to May 28th, becuase that's all I could remember through today, but I am going to make sure that I am much better and organized about it from here on out.

 I have been using my elliptical for 30 minutes every other day and have been trying to take it moderately as I am pregnant hehe. Don't want to overcook baby Lo hah.

Happy Friday!

Think Low Impact! - This is always the safest method of cardio during pregnancy, but will still provide your body with the activity that it needs. Research has shown that women who have continued to be active during their pregnancies are more comfortable, birth is easier and recovery time is less lengthy.

Running can be tough on joints these days, but walking is a great low impact cardio activity for pregnant women. It can be done easily throughout the day and location isn't really an issue. Think a walk in the park, around the block or simply head to the mall and kill two birds with one stone. My only recommendation is to be sure you have a nice comfortable pair of walking shoes...flip flops have not been friendly to me on my walks!

Other Options - For those of you who may not find walking all that amusing, you may consider other alternatives such as swimming or water aerobics. In water your body is lighter and easier to move and lets not forget that the feel of the water isn't half bad. Remember to stay out of the hot tub as temperatures are not safe for your growing baby.

Fitness experts recomment a 20-30 minute cardio workout to provide the fullest benefits to your workout. Just keep in mind that a little exercise is always better than no exercise at all. Consistency is key - one exercise per month is definitely not going to be noticed. Short, daily workouts will provide the results you desire - which should be a healthier body and an easier pregnancy.

**Always consult your physician prior to starting a new exercise routine**

The other day I was on the machine and heard a crack sound; I checked around and noticed that one of the bolts on the pedal had broken through the plastic. The machine still worked fine, but I knew I had to take it easy and not lean inward on the pedal or it would break.

So the day before yesterday I could hear my boyfriend , Arnold,  running on the machine so I went out there to tell him to be careful with the right pedal when all of a sudden I see it completely break off. I couldn't believe it.

He says that all I need is some epoxy to fill in the openings and it will be fine to use again; he is going to pick some up today from his work and Doctor it up for me. All I know is that it had better work or I am gonna be one pissed off pregnant lady hehe.

I kept it nice and light since I got a call from mom while I was running away and she snapped at me for being pregnant and running hehe. Lola seemed to be doing just fine, but I decided to tone it down a bit to be safe.

I followed up my session with some arm and leg toning exercises using my hand weights and resistance bands. I always feel great after I do those; couldn't tell you why, but I enjoy it.

I was a lone soldier last night so I danced around my apartment for a good hour since I finally found my long lost iPod...whew did I miss it.

All in all I would have to say that my exercise sessions were successful in at least making me feel mentally fit hehe. The pregnant belly sets in the reality hehe.

I got some WD-40 to try and get rid of the sound, but I haven't tried it yet. Rather than mess with it yesterday I decided to go for a walk around the block. The weather so great and I preferred to be outside anyway.

I;m not quite sure if the heart rate monitor is reading me correctly because I feel like my heart is beating much faster than it says it is. Aside from the fact that I am 8 months pregnant, I doubt my heart rate is only pumping at 75 bpm after 8 minutes haha.

I will keep you posted on that lol...now all I need is the treadmill to go with it hehe.

I finally took a pic of my belly this weekend; I should have done it last Thursday, but this is close enough to 6 months. So as you can see it is definitely growing and hopefully people will start to think I am pregnant rather than addicted to alcohol.

I have done some browsing on the Internet, YouTube and Google Images, to see where other people were at my stage of pregnancy and I'm pretty small compared to all of them...and I am in no way complaining! I just hope that I don't all of a sudden bust out with an enormous belly and raging red stretch marks everywhere. I am hoping that luck is on my side.

As of right now I am stillw earing all of my pre-pregnancy clothing. Most of my pants and jeans are low rise so they fit low enough so that it doesn't bother my Lola belly. Well let me know what you all think about my tummy so far. I am going to continue to take monthly pictures to document the changes; I didn't start until recently since there wasn't much to show. I will post up my previous picture as well so you can see what it was like last month.

Until next time....

SIDE VIEW 3/15/2009; 6 MONTHS & 3 DAYS

Last night I was feeling around for her to move; she's real active late at night around 9-11pm. I decided to watch my tummy to see if I could catch a glimpse of her moving through my skin and shockingly I was able to see it moving. So weird.

I am 21 weeks today and am finally starting to show, but I kind of just look like I drinkl a lot of beer and not so much like I have a baby in my stomach haha. It's cool though; I'm closer to looking pregnant now so that might be fun.

P.s. The pic on this post is not me, but I thought it was cute that you could see the little foot...even if it might be fake. lol.

I am expecting the Doc to get on me a bit as I get further along for not gaining as much weight as they might like, but I'm really not sure what else I can do. I don't count calories, I eat whevever I am hungry, very moderate exercise and I don't have a scale. Yet still only a total of 2.5 pounds have been added to my frame.

At this point I would have to say that it has been a breeze; perhaps due to the fact that I don't necessarily feel or look pregnant...yet! I know that it is gonna catch up to me, but at least I won't have gone through Hell for 9 months.

I have decided on a date for my baby shower; I guess it's a bit early for planning, but why not right? I'm super excited and this way it gets diluted accross the span of two months.

I haven't taken any pictures of my belly other than one when I was two months along and I guess I didn't feel like I had too since you can't really tell. I think I will take one today just for the Hell of it. I'll post it up tomorrow!

Out of all of the games that I have gone to at the Warriors stadium my Kings have always managed to pull through when the time counts.

We were up the entire game and those are the ones that usually end in favor of the other team and of course the Warriors had their run to tie it up at the end of regulation and sent the game to overtime.

It was awesome the Warrior fans were loud and kept running their mouths, but this is the Bay and there are Sacramento fans around here and it was nice to have a few of them in our area to battle back with the Warrior fans.

The game went to three overtime periods and in the end the Kings proved to be able to go the distance and put it up when they needed to. It's always fun to go to another team's house and make the fans put their foot in their mouth. Can't wait to go to another one.

Go Kings!!!

It's absolutely appalling and kind of makes you throw up a bit in your mouth...ewe! They have this burger called the "Quadruple Bypass" and consists of nearly an entire tomato, onion, 8 slices of cheese and 4 lard fried hamburger patties...a whopping 8000 calories all for only $12.95. Who could eat that?

The waitresses are dressed like nurses, but rather the Halloween whore nurses and they are sure to put a medical like wrist band to identify their "patients" and check your vitals to let you know if you will live through the meal or not. I'm kind of wondering why anyone would even bother with this place.

Their whole deal was that people are tired of hearing about what you should and shouldn't eat and are basically telling their customers before they even walk through the door that this stuff is bad for you and it will kill you. With a name like "Heart Attack Grill" you enter at your own risk.

Oh and anyone who weighs in at 350+ lbs gets to eat free all day, any day - unlimited. CHeck their website if you don't believe me. www.heartattackgrill.com

Here's the video, see for yourself...

http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=4632991n?source=mostpop_video

I think I will pass!

The holidays are over and we're getting used to being back in the office for full weeks, but at least some of us have our tax returns to look forward to now. I'm gonna do mine as soon as I get it; I can't wait. I think I might try to apply some deuctions this year. I usually don't bother becuase I am afraid that I will mess up and they will come after me for an honest mistake, but I'm gonna go for it this year.

For right now I am gonna focus on the happy fact that tomorrow is already Thursday. Happy Hum Day!!!

I have found it very hard to resist so lately I just don't, but I think it's starting to get the best of me becuase right about now I feel like I could throw up my lunch. I had way too much sugar today.

From cookies, cupcakes, chocolates, brownies and root beer I've had it all today. Thank the world for water to help me through it all or I just might not make it.

Ugh...I feel sick!

Now that I have to take these giant horse pills called "Prenatal Vitamins" on a daily, consistent basis it's even more of a pain. Before I used to take the prenatal vitamins to get my hair and nails to grow healthier and thicker, but now I HAVE to take them. I have no choice.

Let's just hope that they are doing the good that they claim to do.

I have logged my most recent workouts, but have to tone it down now since I am preggers. I thought that it was ok for me to run, but apparently not on level 10 for 5 miles. Oops, my bad. After some reading I realized that wasn't such a hot idea.

Since my new found knowledge I've decided to keep it limited to speed walking and hill exercises on the elyptical machine and stationary bike. Whoa do those hill settings really work; I felt like I was hiking up a mountain. I kept it slow though.

I couldn't work out last night since I had school, but I will put in a session tonight after work. I'm shooting for at least every other day which is fine with me. I don't want to overdo it at all. I haven't logged any of my stretching, crunches, squats or anything like that becuase I can't remember the days that I did them on, but that's fine with me too becuase I just really want to track the cardio portion of it.

I've been working out with Judy, but she hasn't logged her time in yet either. I think she needs another push.

Til' next time...

Oh Man. That was my first thought, then I quickly remembered my colorful and fully packed closet of fantastic clothes that I have. I am determined to get back in to them very quickly after all of these body changes that I'm destined to endure. I'm ready.

I went to Borders and bought some books; I'm not sure if I want to weather the dvd's; I think that might scare me away and that's probably not a great idea. I'd rather not know what it looksl ike to deliver a 15 pound baby. Not my fortay!

I've started drinking 5 gallons of water a day and I pee constantly...ok maybe not 5 gallons, but it seems like it. I'm eating better; the book has tought me a lot so far hehe. I'm still trying to figure out exactly what I need, but my prenatal pill should make up for the things that I miss out on during the day.

Off to the restroom...

We have tried the Republican, George Bush way and clearly the majority of the population is not happy with the results, nor should they be. It has been a complete disaster.

I am happy that the American people have voted for change and have overcome the racial boundaries that have been so challenging to our nation. The Democrats have taken back the Senate, the House and the Presidential Office. I hope that change for the better is near.

Way to go voters!

I have started a new exercise regime rather than exercising soley inside of my apartment. As fun as it is dancing around my apartment I decided that it was time for something different. Now by best friend and I have started running a lot more and we love it so far.

We alternate between running on the treadmill and using exercise bikes and elyptical machines to outdoor activities. If I work out in the gym I always like to do one final lap around my complex to cool off before I go back into a hot house. By the time I'm finished with my run I am usually cold and ready to go inside; it works out perfectly.

It seems like it has been forever since I last logged on, but I guess in all reality it has only been about two weeks...much less than I had assumed. I will be logging in a lot more to share my news...enjoy!

Since I have done my fair share of postponing and I;m not even sure why I have been, I mean it's a massage. You'd think I would have been in there as soon as I could, but no I wasn't.

With that said I think it's finally time that I went in there and used this puppy up. I have been dealing with the homebuying process which is stressful alone, but on top of that I have school and work and issues with people owing me tons of money. I think I'm long overdue.

It's time to indulge and de-stress for a bit.

I could not sleep for the life of me last night because these people are up non-stop. I was constantly awaken by the sound of slamming drawers and hard stomping; I mean is that really necessary?

Not only are they loud, but their hearing must be bad becuase their TV volume is so loud that the people accross the street should be able to hear it and lets not even get started on their house phone ringer. What older couple gets calls at 3:22 am?

When I first moved in about a year and a half ago, I was really hoping that they would get in to some type of routine that I could flow with, but unfortunately for me, they have yet to do so, but that's what happens when you live in an apartment right?

Oh well...I shouldn't be dealing with it for too much longer. I can't wait for my escrow to close.

Ugh, I hate the whole scene of community gyms. It grosses me out for one. You see all of these people sweating like they just ran in from out of the rain and when they're done with the machine they don't even clean it off. Ewe, it makes me want to gag.

Another thing that totally discusts me are the steam rooms. There was one incident at a local gym involving two guys in the steam room. Yea well someone walked in on their festivities and the police were called. That is so gross; it;s a public place and these people could have diseases.

I hate the public pools too; I feel like I am swimming in someone else's bath water and that really makes me feel super dirty. I would much rather work out at home in my living room with my very own equipment.

I have found that the best thing to do is crank up the volume on my iPod, grab some hand weights and dance around my apartment. I have fun and I'm being active so it's a double bonus.

1.		China		51	21	28	100
2.		United States		36	38	36	110
3.		Russian Fed		23	21	28	72

Previously Stated Count - Aug 21:

1.		China		46	15	22	83
2.		United States		29	34	32	95
3.		Great Britain		17	12	11	40

She is the daughter of a longtime family friend and I have worked with them for years to this day. Her dad, Dennis and sister, Sam are just a short stroll down the hall. We couldn't be more excited for her and the other girls on the team and wish them all the best of luck.

The girls beat the favored Brazillian team in a hard fought battle that ended in a 1-0 overtime win for the USA. The USA Womens Soccer team also won Gold at the 2004 games in Athens.

It turns out that it is actually his pelvis which is fractured. The Doc tried to give him the rest of the month off, but he reluctantly had to decline the offer. With instruction to avoid heavy lifting and any tasks that require a ladder he was back to work the next day.

With pain meds in hand, that sore leg that makes him feel old getting in and out of the car should heal just fine on its own in just a matter of weeks. He was told to avoid skateboarding for a couple of months, but I doubt that will happen.

The fall caused him to land directly on his side, focussing mainly on his hip area. The bruising and swelling was already severe, but with an attempt to skate again a week later accompanied by another fall on the same hip and with a punch in the area from a co-worker pretty much sealed the deal.

He now has even more swelling and hardening in the area and is hardly able to walk or do anything for that matter. He was finally convinced that he needed to go to the hospital for an x-ray and is now on his way to hear the diagnosis.

The swelling is so unbelievable that it looks fake. It looks like he has one male butt with no hip and another that is a female butt with a very curvy hip. It looks fake. I took a picture becuase it was so swollen. I would post it up for you to see, but I doubt he'd want his picture posted for the world to see.

I'll be back with more news once he gets out of the emergency room.

Michael Phelps blazed through the men's 200-meter freestyle, powering to his third gold medal and third world record at these games.

"The plan was to take it out and dare them to try to catch me," Phelps said.

Fellow American Peter Vanderkaay joined Phelps on the podium with a bronze medal. This is Phelps ninth gold medal of his career, tying him for the most won by any Olympian ever.

In the men's and women's 100-meter backstroke two Americans defended their Olympic titles.

Natalie Coughlin held off world record holder Kirsty Coventry of Zimbabwe, breaking the American record in the process.

Aaron Peirsol broke a world record of his own, leading a 1-2 American finish ahead of silver medalist Matt Greevers.

The only swimming event the U.S. didn't win was the women's 100-meter breaststroke.  There was still a surprise silver lining for runner-up American Rebecca Soni.

The U.S. has won 21 total medals in these games, seven gold, six silver and eight bronze.  China is next in the medal count with 20 total medals, 13 of them gold. 

Phelps will try to add to the U.S. total medal count Tuesday night in primetime.  He will swim for a record 10th career Olympic gold in the 200-meter butterfly.  Also in primetime, the U.S. women's gymnastics team goes head to head with China for gold in the team final.  For a complete schedule of events visit News 4's Olympic Zone Web site.

I'm in the process of buyng a "fixer" house and I keep thinking of the changes that I am going to make once I get the keys so each time I wake up that is the first thing that comes to my mind. From then on I can't seem to relax and just rest.

This whole process is super exciting, but I am seriously lacking on sleep and I can feel it starting to catch up on me. My eyes feel super tired and unrested. I think maybe I will take some NyQuil and sleep away. I am hoping I will sleep from the moment I get home til tomorrow morning.

Ugh! I'm so tired.

Press the forearms, fingers and the palms into the floor, and press the hips up and back. Keep the spine straight and long, reaching up high through the tailbone. Keep the feet are hip's width apart with the toes facing forward. Press the heels into the floor feeling a stretch in the back of the legs.

The legs are straight, or you can have a small bend at the knees to keep the back flat. Let the head and neck hang freely from the shoulders; the forehead can rest on the floor. Breathe and hold for 2-6 breaths. To release: bend the knees and lower the hips back to Table pose, or come all the way down to child pose

Modifications:

A. Press both heels against a wall

B. Hold onto a yoga block between the hands

Variations:

A. Interlace the fingers

B. Lift one leg at a time towards the ceiling

AKA:

Half Peacock Feather or Peackock Feather Preparation

Standing, breath in through nostrils, bend forward, exhale, bring forehead to legs, gently wrapping hands around ankles from behind. Place palms flat to floor. Step right leg back, then left leg back. Gaze to belly button, hold for five breaths.  Relax further into the pose with each breath.

Relieves stress and mild depression
Energizes
Stretches
Strengthens arms and legs
Menopause symptoms
Menstrual discomfort
Improves digestion
Relieves headache, insomnia, back pain, fatigue

Alternate position: hands on chair.
Caution, do not perform in late pregnancy.

Drop knees to floor.  Relax in pose of a child. Forehead to floor, arms to side, palms up.

I went to Vegas for a couple of days hoping to ride the Desperado Roller Coaster in Primm, but when I got there it was closed...AGAIN.

The crappy part of it is that I called ahead of time to make sure that I didn't wast time going over there and it be closed. They said it was open and so I drove the hour out there and waited in line, got to the cashier and she said "sorry we had to keep it closed for maintenance."

Is that not BS or what? I couldn't believe it; that is the same thing they said the last time that I drove over there. Why do they even have maintenance? He obviously doesn't do his job if the roller coaster has to be closed every day.

Anyway Fremont Street is where I stayed this time and I like it much more than the strip becuase the strip is just like lliving here. My room was very nice and very cheap which is fantastic.

It looks like I will be making another trip out to Vegas to see if I can get on that roller coaster. We'll see what happens though; I'm not holding my breath.

If you have an event that you would like added to our site feel free to send me a message and let me know all the details and we will be sure to get it up.

There is a section of the pamphlet that talks about where you can do zip lines which seems like it would be more in my range. It says that you are 1500 feet above the ground and will travel up to 40 mph which seems pretty exciting.

I can't say that I wouldn't still be horrified and afraid that I might bust out of the safety clamps and fall to my excrutiating death, but I just might consider it. I can't say for sure though so I guess that even my consideration is "just talk." If I manage to get myself up there the people below had just better watch out for scattered rainshowers.

The frustration didn't come from the park itself, but rather the ridiculous rules and guidelines that must be followed upon entry.

Here is what we've been told:

1) There is an entrance fee of $3-$5 (no biggie, but if they want skaters off the street it might be smart to keep it free...just a thought!) Visitors also have the option to pay monthly or annually.

2) Full Pads Required (head to toe)

3) No Smoking (understandable while in the park, but it's not allowed in the parking lot either...you chain smokers had better stear clear!)

4) Waiver is Required for Youths (This sucks! Sorry kids...I guess you had better make sure mom drops you off. I know it's embarassing, but at least you're not the only one right?)

5) Open and Close Times (Ok, well this one is understandable and goes for numerous skateparks, but you can always hop the fence if you're feeling brave enough)

Skate Hours: Daily, Opens 9am Sat & Sun & 11 on weekdays and closes 30 minutes before sunset

BMX Hours: Tue 3-5pm | Thurs 530pm - 30 minutes before sunset | Sun 9am - 12pm (hope your schedule permits)

The latest gossip from regular visitors of the skatepark say that Steve Caballero has worked with the city to try and get some of the requirements reduced as kids haven't taken a liking. From what they say the pad rule has been changed to only be needed for the vert terrain and now only requires the kids to have only 1 pad and a helmet.

We will see what happens next, but until then it might be worth checking out if you don't mind large crowds of people that is.

The accident occured just past Lark Avenue on Highway 17 at approximately 8:45 am as she was on her way to work. Along with her was Nathan Gilroy (28), her boyfriend of 7 years, who suffered only minor injurines. Roxi, who was said not to be wearing a seat belt, was ejected from the vehicle and died at the scene from her injuries.

The accident is currently under investigation to determine exactly what occured. The CHP has said that Roxi was in the number two lane traveling at approximately 65 mph when she switched lanes and struck a pickup truck which caused her to spin and flip her car several times.

She was a friend of my sister, Melinda and to many others at Willow Glen High School. Our prayers and thoughts go out to her family and friends in this time of sadness. Roxi will always be with in thought and spirit. Don't let the memories fade and she will never die. Rest in peace.

Happy Birthday to me!

Arnold and I decided to take a mini vacation to Monterey this weekend. We had hoped to go to the beach in Santa Cruz, but with the fire and bad air we didn't think that would be a whole lot of fun.

Monterey turned out to be great; the weather was nice and the drive was smooth as well. We stayed there over the weekend and did some shopping, sight seeing and at on the wharf.

Surprisingly it wasn't crowded at all. I had thought that itmight be with it being Memorial Day, but I guess the travelers decided to go elsewhere which worked out great for us.

Well it's Tuesday and I am back here at the office, but lickily it is a short week. Stay busy and it will be Friday before you know it.

: )

Right now seems like the perfect time to buy and there are a surprising number of homes in my area that are available at an affordable price for me. I never thought that I would even get the chance to purchase in San Jose, but with the housing slump opportunity awaits.

I had hoped to buy a single family residence so that I could get a backyard, but those are still out of my range even with the slump. Maybe it's my taste as well; I tend to go for the pricier look. Moderate townhouses fit my budget perfectly and with a garage who could ask for more?

My only problem is that I let my sisters put purchases on my credit cards and despite all of their promises to pay me back quickly -they haven't. In fact, one sister has owed me for about 2 years now. Luckily, they are both making moves to get back on track. Judy is moving back with her boyfriend's parents until she gets things all caught up and Mel is looking for a second job, but I have heard that one before. We shall see what happens.

It is such a reflief that they are finally going to make an attempt; my credit score which was once 745 has dropped to a sickening 685 and I just can't take that. At least not when the balances don't even belong to me. Ugh, I get stressed just thinking about it.

To give a little background info I did not want to check a bag in fear that it might get lost; in the end I decided to do it becuase I couldn't have packed everything in one carry on. Of course my bag never came down the carousel; it was in SFO while I was in Hawaii. How did I know that this was going to happen to me? Luckily they were able to get my bag to me late that evening.

Then I was reading the driving directions to my resort, and some guy runs out onto the highway and tells me to pull over; of course it was an officer in an unmarked car. Apparently the maximum speed limit on all of Maui is 45 mph and I was doing 62 so the SOB gave me a ticket. I honestly don't see how I was going that fast becuase I had just gone through the stop light and the damn car that I was in had horrible pickup.

The weather was warm, but it was unfortunately super windy every day; it almost made no sense to even do our hair, but of course we did anyway. One day it poured on our side of the island, but when we got about 5 miles in we were in the clear and were fine, but it was just crazy. The sand blasted you whenever we walked on the beach and made us not want to even attempt it again.

During our trip Jessica and I both had plane crash nightmares which we kind of brushed off, but later turned out to have some meaning. On the flight home it kind of felt like our plane had sort of stopped in mid-air; we didn't hear anything from the captain until about 20 minutes later saying that the hydraulic pump had failed and forced them to shut down the second engine and had to make an emergency landing in Honolulu as it was unsafe to continue. It later turned out that there was even more wrong with the plane and they had us switch (sigh). Can you believe that? We were so nervous, but I felt so relieved that we switched; I was that close to buying a new plane ticket just to get off of that flight.

We did a lot of shopping, but the bulk of our money was spent on food which kind of sucked, but that's part of vacation. Don't get me wrong we had a great time, but there was a lot more dampers on this trip than there have been on previous trips.

The vacation was fun, but as always I am so glad to be home and on the ground.  

I have to take my boyfriend to the airport at 2:45 am the same morning that I fly out to Hawaii and I am even excited about taking him there lol. I probably won't be able to sleep that entire night just thinking about it. It's so exciting becuase you know that everyone at the airport is there becuase they are going, or went somewhere distant from where we are and that is pretty fun.

It is forecasted to rain the whole time I am there, but I have decided that I am not going to let that ruin my vacation. I only go once every couple of years and Hawaii is my favorite vacation spot so I am going to have a great time no matter what the weather may be. I might have to find other things to do, but I guess there's nothing wrong with that either.

Well I am almost out of here...have a fabulous week!

Aloha!

I don't know why I am surprised though becuase that is just my luck that it would be like that when I just happen to be going.

I am hoping that it won't actually be as bad as it seems becuase I do know that it rains in Hawaii quite often so I am praying that it will be an off and on type of rain period.

If it is gloomy and dark though I think I just might cry becuase that is such a waste of a vacation. I go on vacation for the sun, beaches, tanning, not to be poured on and stuck in the hotel the whole damn time.

Ugh, I'm sad.

Well as of today the weather channel shows that it will be raining while we are there, but I am hoping that it will change as it gets even closer. I know it rains in Hawaii, but why does it have to be on the says they we are going.

I can't wait to bust open that Hawaiian Tropic suntan lotion and sip on a strawberry daquiry and start baking away. I know its so bad for me, but who can resist a nice tan? I normally use sunless tanners, but I hate that damn smell and I have yet to find one that doesn't have it.

Anyway, I'm out of here soon and can't wait. I know It will be over before it starts, but it's still so worth it. Woo hoo SFO Int'l here we come...limo curb service biatch!

I think it's abou ttime I rode the Big Dipper; it's been a few months and I could use some fun roller coaster action. I think I'm just going to ride that same ride over and over again; I kind of have to becuase that really is the only good ride there haha.

Mmm, and I have to get one of those giant chocolate dipped vanilla ice cream cones. They are soooo messy, but I can't resist. If I get too sticky then I can always swim in the ocean. Or maybe not since the shark attack happened today; sharks can travel fast and I'm not sure if I want to take any chances.

Well hope y'all have a fabulous weekend and remember to slap on some sunscreen.

: )

Everyone at work seems to have had the same idea becuase not only are Judy and I going to Hawaii, but so are Greg, Debbie and Jennifer.

The good thing is we get to go first, but then again we get to be here at the office while their enjoying the sun and we aren't, but I can handle that.

It was such a nice day that it made for a perfect trip. I'm not sure how far I went, but it was pretty far. If I had to guess I would say about 15+ miles.

Sadly I had some mechanical errors ont he way home which put my in an irritated state, but I got through it.

Something broke off as I was riding and now my rear tires rubs and makes it impossible for me to peddle or brake.

To top it off my chain came off and on my particular bike, in order to get it back on you have to take the entire tire off. Such a pain.

I have to take it to a bike shop to have my breaks repaired; thats the piece that broke off...I should work on that asap lol.

Luckily I wasn't too far from my house and made it back quickly despite my dilemmas. It was still a great trip.

Until next time...

Mike Bibby was the last player on our team with ties to the very successful Kings team that nearly went to the Championship and would have if it weren't for RObert Horry's last minute shot that would send the Lakers to the championship. I think it's safe to say that the Kings were a better team and would have won the championship over the East that year, but what's done is done.

It is just such a dissapointment to rapidly go from a number 1 rated team to being under 500. I really hope that the Maloofs make some serious and well thought out changes to get this team back on top where they should be. Withe Bibby, Peja, Webber, Turkoglu, Divac, and Rick Adelman out of the picture it looks like it's going to be a long and painful road ahead.

I'll be waiting...

If you didn't celebrate yesterday that's cool too; at least there is no way to disappoint yourself and or worry about what to do or buy and all of that last minute planning. The lines were crazy yesterday so be happy that you didn't have to wait in them.

Now that the Hallmark holiday is over we can continue with our lives just as we have been. Good thing it's Friday...another reason to celebrate lol.

Happy Friday!

In some way or another she has convinced me and the other girls to play along and I;m not quite sure how it happened.

We need to be at the airport at 7am and she wants to stroll up in a limo. Is it even going to matter? i will probably be sleeping the whole way and I doubt anyone else is going to be in the mood to pop their heads out of the moon roof to be seen lol.

I think she is just excited to get out of the limo in front of all of the other waiting passengers. She kills me, but I love her. She's always felt that she would be famous in some way and maybe this is a glimpse of glamour for her wild imagination.

I'm down to play along in the meantime.

(Haha, see the pic...if only we had gotten that kind of treatment when we were kids lol)

Hairdo. Extensions by Jessica Simpson & Ken Paves

These extensions are unbelievable...in a good way. You will not believe how real they look and how easy they are to use. I absolutely love them. You are instantly transformed.

I received my first order of the 23" Wavy Sandy Blonde extensions and they were awesome. Sadly they were the wrong shade and had to be sold on eBay, but not to worry becuase I ordered the 22" straight and 23" curly in the correct shades.

I can't wait to wear them. They looked so natural once I clipped them in. Not only did they look natural, but they felt natural as well. I would not think twice about whether or not these babies were in snuggly. The clips make for a tight secure fit.

For the price, these are a great idea for someone who, like me, cut their hair and then wished that she didn't, but doesn't want to pay for salon installed extensions. I literally chopped my hair off into a very short bob. My hair grows fast, but not fast enough and these extensions were like a dream come true. I can't wait for the new colors to arrive; I am so excited.

Check them out at http://www.jessicasimpsonhair.com - see for your self. You can always purchase these items on http://www.ebay.com for a great bargain.

 PHOTO BY: Allrecipes

"This is an elegant and quick romantic dinner for two - Just in time for Valentine's Day! Wonderful served with steamed asparagus and baby red potatoes."

PREP TIME	5 Min
COOK TIME	15 Min
READY IN	20 Min

I am going to go home at 12 today to try and get some rest and maybe take a nice hot bath to clear my congestion. I feel like I have  been sick this entire month; it is gettind ridiculous.

At the beginning of the month I had a basic cold and cough, then I got Bronchitis from my damn best friend and now I have the flu. What a nice set of strains for my immune system huh? I think I might buy a humidifier to help me breathe better at night. I'm not sure though because those things remind me of old people and I'm not sure if I am ready to take that leap lol.

 Ok, well I'm off to get some hot water for my throat.

I can already see a difference in your appearance and general aura. You seem happier and more accomplished since you have been able to show yourself that you are capable of saying no to pastas and french bread.

This goes for anyone who is currently trying to follow meal and diet plans. Take it one day at a time and try to look at the overall goal and bits of self accomplishment to keep you motivated to keep going.

Be sure to drink a lot of water to keep you hydrated and your skin pure and free of dark spots and blemishes. It truely does help. Good luck to you all and keep up the good work.

Oh well, I am going shopping and having my nails filled tomorrow with my sister, Melinda, so that should be fun. Today I just want to go home, relax, and drink some hot cocoa.

Until next week...

I waited there for an extended period of time before I was helped and then they totally forgot one of th emeals that I ordered, a side order, and salad dressing for the salads. Can you believe that? I didn't want to compain, but how do you mess up an order that bad? I can understand one wrong thing, but several?

So anyways I didn't get to fo to TJ Maxx and I am kind of bummed becuase I was looking forward to it all morning. I can't go tomorrow becuase I have a meeting, but maybe I will get over there sometime next week. Ugh...today is just lasting too long.

I am super tired becuase I somehow stayed up most of the night doing laundry and now I feel like I am going to pass out and I feel sick to top it off.

: (

Maybe I will have time tomorrow to cruise over there and check out the bargains. I'm not really shopping for anything in particular, but I like to look to see if anything catches my eye and if so, then it's coming home with me lol.

I'll let you know what they've got in store later in the day sometime tomorrow.

Police are investigating whether or not this was a drug related death, possibly an overdose. He isn't the type that was known for being a drug abuser and pills found near the body were prescription.

Thoughts and prayers go out to the family, friends and fans or Heath Ledger. RIP.

I know that I have a long wait ahead of me, but I figured it doesn't hurt to let the fun begin a little early. I got a total of 7 shirts for a grand total of $124 at Abercrombie & Fitch (so good right?) and then I spent another $145 on 9 shirts and a pair of cropped capris from Hollister and Abercrombie - am I good or what?

I also have some store credit from Forever 21 that I have been dying to spend, but they just haven't had anything that I want to spend my money on yet. I'm holding out for the cute, new Spring looks. I can't wait; I'm gonna say that maybe in two weeks or so they should have some fun stuff that I can splurge on.

I love clothes & vacation...perfect mix.

Out of no where it just doesn't want to turn on and you have to power cycle it and wait about ten minutes and it usually works, but yesterday it never came back on.

I tried it this morning and luckily it wokred, but it was disappointing becuase I wanted to workout and I couldn't. I guess I will have to try again this evening.

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - The price of fruits and vegetables is climbing faster than inflation, while junk food is actually becoming cheaper, the findings of a new study suggest.

Using retail prices at major supermarket chains in Seattle, researchers at the University of Washington found that low-calorie, nutrient-rich foods -- mainly fruits and vegetables -- were far more expensive, calorie for calorie, than sweets and snack foods.

Moreover, the average price of the lowest-calorie foods -- including green vegetables, tomatoes and berries -- increased by almost 20 percent over 2 years. In contrast, in the same time period there was a 2-percent dip in the cost of the most calorie-laden fare, such as butter, potato chips, cookies and candy bars.

The findings, published in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association, highlight a key obstacle to healthy eating. And they may help explain why obesity rates are highest among the poorest Americans, according to the researchers.

"Whereas (calorie)-dense foods remain the most affordable option, the price of the recommended healthful foods of lower (calorie) density has disproportionately increased," write Drs. Pablo Monsivais and Adam Drewnowski.

They add that, along with encouraging Americans to change their personal behavior, the government may need to make policy shifts that help people eat more healthful foods -- such as changes in the way the government subsidizes the agricultural industry.

In their study, the researchers examined the prices of 372 foods and beverages at Seattle supermarket chains in 2004 and 2006.

They found that snack foods, sweets and fatty foods offered the most bang for a shopper's buck. Whereas the price of the lowest-calorie fruits and vegetables was more than $18.16 per 1,000 calories, the most calorie-rich foods cost $1.76 per 1,000 calories.

The 20-percent increase in the cost of the lowest-calorie foods may be putting healthful foods out of reach for those Americans who need these foods the most, according to the researchers.

"The finding that (calorie)-dense foods are not only the least expensive, but also most resistant to inflation, may also help explain why the highest rates of obesity continue to be observed among groups of limited economic means," they write.

SOURCE: Journal of the American Dietetic Association, December 2007.

The sound of the wind kept waking me up last night; it was so loud compared to our normal soft, tranquil winds. The rain isn't so bad except for driving on the freeway; I hate the spray from other drivers' tires.

The other bad part is the 101 freeway. Fos whatever reason they decided to build it out of a certain pavement that turns nearly white when wet; are they trying to cause accidents? Come on now. I just don't know why they would choose a freeway that causes the markings to disapear and get super slippery when wet. There are so many better options; I guess they wanted to save a few bucks huh?

Oh well...at least my power hasn't gone out yet. My lights flickered once this morning, but luckily they stayed strong. To all of my California residents: Drive safe and keep warm.

Not only does it cost a lot, but I kind of feel bad not taking my boyfriend with me. I know that he would be sad if he wasn't invited. Haha, I feel bad going up north to see my family for the weekend lol.

I want to, but I'm just undecided. I'm usually the only one with spending cash and I also don't want to get stuck paying for everything. Maybe I will and then again maybe I won't. We shall see.

Aloha

This year I want to make some personal changes; nothing like excercising, or dieting...I think people need to focus on the good things in their lives and that's what my plans are. People are so caught up in what is wrong that they miss the right. That's a way to waste your life away and I'm not about to do any of that.

This morning as I was exiting the freeway to go to work there was a ton of traffic and I looked it up once I got in and as it turns out there was  a 3 car accident and one person died at the scene. It's so sad and people need to appreciate each and everday because you never know when it will all come to an abrupt ending. My thoughts go out to the family of the victim.

Lets all start appreciating the goodness within our lives and stop taking everything for granted. Happy New Year!!!

2008 - A Year For Change.

It's been rough, but with the weekend quickly approaching I will be able to get some much needed rest and relaxation. I think I am going to go to the beach tomorrow; it might be a bit cool, but that's alright because in that case there shouldn't be anyone there. Just the way I like it.

I am so glad for YouTube.com - I have been able to listen to Britney Spears' new album before t's release. It makes me so excited for her new album; I can't wait. She did such a good job...yes I know I have already said this. I'm really excited - haha I am 22, but I'm still a big fan lol.

Ok, well I guess that's all I have to share for the time being; when I think of something else I will be back in acrtion. I need to find out what's up with Judy; she hasn't been on here in a while. Don't we just miss her?

*trisha*

Although she may be in the headlines with all of this drama lately I am more than certain that if the cameras were on you or I constatnly there would be just as many mishaps and or embarrassing moments. Luckily we aren't in that situation.

With her new cd on the brink of release in the US I can't hardly wait to get her new album. I can listen to it on YouTube.com as often as I'd like, but I want it for myself. She truly did an amazing job on this latest creation and I give her props for having the strength and ability to come out so strong in the heat of so much.

This is just what she needs to clear her head and realize that there really are still people out there that support her and enjoy what she does musically; not what she does for their bank accounts. I wish the best for her and hope that she is able to overcome all that had been shadowing her and be better than ever.

You go Brit!

I was carving my pumpkin, which I must say is pretty darn cute, and I had this huge craving for something sweet and I had totally forgotten that I had just bought a TON of fruit...remember the week long fruit only diet that didn't happen??? Yes, well I am still eating it lol.

Luckily the cantaloupe in the fridge came through for me; I will probably eat another half tonight. It's the perfect slightly sweet snack and I love it.

I know I was pretty much just rambling on about a damn cantaloupe, but I don't care. I love it and yeah...I just love it haha.

**trisha**

I fee like I barely graduated, but it's actually been close to five years and I am shocked. Time is a valuble thing my friends so we had better make every moment last. Ok...that's enough sentimental talk.

Happy Halloween! I love the weather in October' it's nearly perfect and the thought of getting to dress up all day long is so exciting. This year I am jumping out of the typical costueme scene and I am going to be something totally unexpected...or at least I would think is unexpected haha.

I can't reveal it just yet as I don't want to spoil the surprise. Check back on the 31st and I will have pictures posted for your enjoyment.

*trisha*

I made it through breakfast, lunch, and mid-day snack, but when I got home I was really disappointed just thinking about not having "dinner". I guess in a way I look forward to having or making something, but the thought of eating fruit all day for every meal really broke me.

I just couldn't hang. I broke down and had the worst possible thing that I could have had haha...Mexican! I had to do it becuase I love it and I was passing right by it so I told my boyfriend that I just couldn't take it and made him stop. I know...it's pretty pathetic huh?

I decided I would compromise though; I will eat fruit for breakfast and snacks. I think this sounds more in me range. This is one tough task; if you don't believe me try it out for fun.

I was told that I get to skip another payment in December which is perfect becuase with all of the spending that goes down during that month it will help me out so much. I love when I get exciting offers like that in the mail. They don't come to often so I figured I'd take advantage of them when they do.

Yay for September & December

My stomach keeps saying "Earl" to me haha. Atleast that is what it sounds like it would be saying lol. I know it's retarded. I think I might just have to pay a visit to the vending machine, but I hate doing that because all they put in there is junk and I'm not realy in the mood for any of that. I want something hot and cooked lol. High hopes huh?

Hopefully I will make it through lunch.

This year I plan on ordering special gift boxes to minimize my gift wrapping. I think I might just have nice boxes so that I can simply wrap a bow around it and call it perfect.

There are only 2 people left on my list that are unfinished, but I am quickly knocking those ones off too. Before you know it I will be done and thankful to beat the crowds, sudden money flow problems and so forth. It is just so much easier this way. My grandma B always shops year round for Chrsitmas; one thing here, one thing there to minimize her troubles and ever since I have been doing my shopping late July or early August and it always works out.

Some of you last minute shoppers might want to make a note of that for this coming season.

Trisha

Ugh, I need to eat something. I can't wait to go home so that I can cook dinner. Mmmm, I am going to make Greek Lemon Soup with extra rice. Oh great! Now my tummy is hurting on the side and I don't even know why it's hurting over there becuase it shouldn't be haha.

Yay! for Barry Bonds on hitting number 756. I am not a Barry Bonds or Giants fan, but it is nice to be able to have watched history happen right before your eyes. You always hear elders talking about this and that and I can only imagine my generation doing the exact same thing 30 years down the road. Funny how that works out huh?

Ok, well I am off!

Trisha

Ingredients:

1/4 cup Soy Sauce

1 tbsp & 1 1/4 tsps Lemon Juice

3 tsps Chili Sauce

2 tsps Hoisin Sauce

1/4 tsps Garlic Powder

2 tsps Brown Sugar

3 Pork Chops

Directions

Mix all of the above mentioned ingredients in a medium sized bowl and let the pork chops marinate for at least an hour.

Cook meat on an outdoor grill or indoor grill for 8 - 10 minutes on each side. If indoor you can choose to cook in the marinating sauce for added flavor.

Side with steamed rice and veggies for a nice, fun dish.

I think I am going to go home, make dinner and then go get some cotton candy at the fair. I know...deep down I am still a kid haha.

My mean best friend Judy is trying to make me jealous describing to me in great detail how she will be making garlic spaghetti tonight...you would even understand unless you had my Italian grandma's secret recipe...yeah, I shared it with her. Oh, but is it wonderful! The Italian in me is the side that loves the fatty, rich flavor filled foods.

Ok, I had better cut it short before I almost share the recipe with you as well; I might not live to see another day if I make that mistake lol. You know how people get with their secret family recipes.

Tootaloo!

I called and complained and they said that I could bring it back into the shop, but that it would take another 2-3 days. I declined for this week and said that I would update them later. I want it fixed, but I also don't want to drive a rental car. I like my car and missed it so much that I'd almost just prefer to say that it doesn't matter.

I am still not sure what I am going to do. I am so tired and stressed out today that it hurts my head to even think about it. I am so glad tomorrow is Thursday because I need to have the weekend. There is just way too much going on for me to deal with it all at once. I'm off to try and clear my mind.

trisha

After I couldn't sit and relax anymore I decided to clean my house haha. I am not sure why, but when I get bored or mad I clean. I wasn't mad, but I guess I got a little bored with the magazine reading. I can only do it for so long or my neck starts to hurt. It was perfect though because I got to do both (relax and clean).

I am crossing my fingers that my car will be ready for me to pick her up today, but who knows? It was supposed to be done last Friday and it's now Tuesday...I'm still hoping. I miss my car...she must be so lonely in that cold, dark shop. Poor thing.

Woo hoo, I am going shopping after work which I can't wait for. I love to shop and since I am doing some exchanging I can shop without forking out more cash; it's great!

**trisha**

So, I didn't go to the beach like I thought that I would, but it is ok becuase I still had a fun, relaxing weekend which is what we all hope for right?

Friday was my 3 years, 8 months anniversary...(yes, I celebrate the monthly ones too lol) so Arnold came to visit me on my lunch break and bought me lunch and after I got home we went to dinner and had a few drinks...party!!! Haha, only kidding!

Saturday we ended up hanging out with our friends Turkey (nn) and Kara and had a BBQ with more friends and more drinks. It was pretty fun; we pigged out big time, but the food was so good that I just kept eating. Weekends are free eat days lol. No carb or calorie counting on Saturdays and Sundays lol.

Sunday...aahhh relaxation day! I usually like to lounge around and wait a few hours before I start to get ready and that's kind of how it played out. I traded in some things and made some cash back from the BBQ groceries and then went job hunting with Arnold and snuck into a movie, but decided to leave haha. So much fo that huh? 

After that I crashed cuz it was already like 12:30 and I need my beauty sleep lol.

We're one day closer to Friday!

**trisha**

I hope you all have something super exciting planned for the weekend ahead; I am not exactly sure what I will be doing, but it should incorporate the beach, BBQ'n, drinks, movies, and a whole lot of fun!

Um yeah, so last night I was at the Ford dealership until midnight!!! Yes! Midnight; ridiculous right? Well, I had gone to Mazda first, but they weren't very helpful so I left and headed right over to Ford and picked out a cute little, black Focus. They were having their model end clearance deals in addition to other rebates since there will be a new Focus model next year which Judy (IWF Friend & BFF) plans to buy early next year.

It all went super fast until I had to go into finance to start the ppw; the probelm was that it was about 2 hours before I actually got in there. For some odd reason they only had one finance guy working and there were two deals ahead of mine. Ugh! having to hear the lame conversations of the people before me was so annoying; I swear they were all chatting it up in there like they went way back. Please, I just want to sign the papers and get the f*** out of there.

I plan on making some simple yet very effective changes...tint, lowering kit, and maybe new speakers, but who knows? I'm not sure I care all that much since I won't even really be driving it; my boyfriend will be so we shall see...

My G35 is still in the shop because they found more damages and now I have to keep the Kia rental until Monday. Ugh! I just want my car back. The good thing is that I got a free tank of gas last night and the Kia is good on gas so it won't cost me too much to fill it back up to the starting point that I am responsible for.

Have a great weekend!

**trisha**

Ok so this weekend I finally went to the beach. We went early Saturday morning at like 8:30 and came home around 4pm. We didn't really have much else going on so we went over to our friends' house and ended up going back to the beach that night with them and stayed until Sunday evening.

It was much needed and I will likely be heading back this weekend too. I am so sunburned it isn't even funny! The sun blinded my vision and I didn't appear to be tanning at all, but when I got home I saw the damages and boy were they extreme; that's what happens when you fall asleep on your tummy.

My Car...

I dropped my car off this morning to get fixed and am hoping that I will get my car back on Friday afternoon; if not then I will have to wait until Monday (please no). I sat at the rental car place for over an hour and ended up leaving with a Kia Rio...not exactly what I was hoping for lol. They gave me a free weekend rental since I had to wait for so long, which was nice, but I doubt I will even use it.

My Life...

It's pretty normal as of right now. Same ol' same ol'. Go to work to pay the bills and play when there's time and money to correspond. I guess that's kind of the same for all of us. Have a great rest of the week; don't worry I 'll be back to check on ya.

Tomorrow is Hump Day; it's all down hill from here.

**trisha**

So as you know I took my car into the collision repair shop to get an estimate on the damages and so forth and it reportedly will cost a shocking $2200. The damages don't look quite so bad, but my bumber has to be replaced and they have to repair the scrathces on my rim so there ya go. Luckily I am not at fault.

I can drop my car off on Tuesday morning and it should be fixed by Saturday if all goes well. My paid rental car is set to be "intermediate", but I might have to make a change once I get there. We shall see. If it isn't too costly, then I will try and upgrade. The only thing that sucks is that I have to pay for the gas. Damn it.

Hurray! Today is Friday and once again I am excited about it. Usually my Friday's end with an arguement of some sort, but hopefully today I will stear clear of that lol. I am off to the beach for sure tomorrow and I can't wait. I used to go all the time, but this year my vists have been scarce.

See you on Monday : )

**trisha**

Luckily I do get to have a rental car, but the problem is that I am not sure what they plan on giving me. I feel so sad letting them keep my car; I love her. I hope they don't try and take anything from me; the last time I had work done on a car of mine the mechanics stole my Michael Jackson cd out of my cd player!!! Can you believe that?

I am out of here in a short couple of minutes, but I wanted to post a quick blog to update all of y'all. I hope you have a fabulous rest of the day. Be safe!

Woo hoo! Tomorrow is Friday!

**trisha**

I have decided that I am for sure going to the beach this weekend. I am waking my a** up early and getting out of SJ for the day or night; who knows I might just want to stick around down there.

Ok, so tell me this isn't so sad! I drank almost an entire bottle of MD last night and felt perfectly fine OMG! Can you believe that because I couldn't. I felt like an alcoholic for once in my life, but not really because I don't really drink all too aften. Usually only on the weekend; last night was an exception.

Haha...so Judy asked me today why no one likes meat loaf. It's a good question, because I don't like it, but then again I haven't actually eaten it for a few yesrs now - actually like 10 years lol. Maybe it just sounds grosse or the thought of it is what is grosse; I am not too sure. Maybe one day i will be brave and give it a shot.

Ummm...yeah probably not.

**trisha**

Onto other news. My weekend was pretty interesting; I argued with my Love for a bit on Friday (alcohol will do that lol) and then my sister got into a fight and was tackled by some dude. Love and I made up and he went to hang out with friends and I went to the mall (of course). I had to exchange some things, but ended up buying some extra stuff too. I just couldn't resist - it was on sale; what can I say?

On Sunday I pretty much didn't do anything. Every once in a while I just feel like being lazy all day so that is just what I did and it was wonderful. I thought that I was going to go to the beach, but I woke up too late and pretty much threw that out the window.

Maybe next time I will have funner stuff to report!

*trisha*

Was I good about eating the donuts? Ummm, no! Hehe, I ate about 5 donut holes and a sprinkled donut. What a porker huh? I know it's ridiculous, but I was so starved on the way here that I had to have a couple lol.

No worries! I am not the only one who's pigging out on donuts; everyone else here is too. It's cool, we can splurge since it's Friday! 

**trisha**

This week feels like it just zoomed right by and I couldn't be happier. I don't ever really have any set plans for the weekend, but I am always so excited when they roll around.

It means that I can stay up later, have some drinks if I want, and anything else that I don't get around to doing suring the week. I'll be sure to fill you in on my trips and travels on Monday.

Who knows; maybe I will take a trip to Santa Cruz. It just might be time to catch some sun.

Have a great weekend!

**trisha**

Every now and then I just start to get bored and want to make a change; playing with makeup just doesn't always cut it. Usually when I change my makeup I feel like I am wearing too much and decide to just take it all off rigt after I put it on. It's pointless really.

So, do I like it? Of course I do. I did a temp dye this time so that it can lighten up over time. I dyed it a very dark brown so that I wouldn't have the urge to darken it within the safety period. The last time I did that it turned green at the tips and that was a nightmare in itself.

I am going to leave it this way until right before I leave for Vegas in September; I think that is a long enough wait until the next dye. I want it to be as close to pure as possible to avoid the need for color correction.

Happy Thursday!

**trisha**

Mel wasn't as controlled, but it's a once in a great while type of event for her so I can't blame her. Ok, well perhaps I wasn't either...I have been shopping online too! I can't resist it. It is justified though: I can pay all of my bills on time and still put money away in my piggy bank as a savings.

On another note my lame best friend forgot her keys in my sister's car and didn't remember until I was already in San Jose - she was still at work. Luckily she had a car key and lives dowsn the street. She drove home so I didn't have to go too far. The last time we had an incident with her keys (not too long ago) she dropped them inside my couch and I had to slice open the bottom to get them out. I could have killed her.

Until next time...be safe and have fun!

**trisha**

As of now I am waiting for State Farm to call me back after Jennika has made her statement regarding the situation. I am hoping that it will be fixed quickly because the rental car will probably be an older Ford Taurus or something like that...ugh, I am sorry, but I hate those cars lol. How do I go from a G35 Coupe to a Taurus haha.

Ok, so that's that. In other news I am going shopping tonight with Melinda; she wouldn't stop bugging me so I figured I would take her to get a few things. She will be moving out of her apt soon so she will have money to pay me back now, which is a huge relief. She's pretty bummed about it so I decided to let her spend $100 or so on herself.

I hope you all have a fabulous Tuesday!

P.s. Check out the recipe I posted this morning...it looks so yummy!

**trisha**

Shortly after watching the movie Four Rooms I decide that I am craving something sweet so my boyrfriend, Arnold and I decide to go to the liquor store; we were probably gone for a good hour or so since we decided to stop by a school to see if we could hop the fence and go for a dip - Willow Glenners are nosey and ruined that one for us.

Ok back to the original story. So we are driving back into our complex when I notice these giant white scrapes and dents on the right front fender of my black car. I immediately jump out of the car, still slowly moving and I start yelling "who the f*** hit my car...people can't f****** drive around here" blah blah blah. Finally my neighbor comes out and says that the people who live in the house had hit it as they backed out in their Audi A4.

The trouble maker pulls into the drive way where I confront her about the whole situation and unbelievably she is smiling at me as if I was going to be cool that I come back and find my PARKED CAR smashed on the side. "Oh, but we will pay for it," she has to be kidding right? Of course she is going to pay for it; she hit my car when there was at least a 2 car space for her to get around my car - how the hell could she have hit it? I was so infuriated by her inconsiderate smile that I was still yelling and crying and bluring out mean things regarding her inability to drive. I plan on apologizing later, but I'm still piseed about it.

The parking at the complex is totally inadequate; I have a two bedroom and am supposed to have 2 assigned spots and I only have one in which some idiot keeps parking. Management does not answer the phone or return calls and they close before I get home. The outside parking is consumed by garbage bins that shouldn't be there and the last resort is to park in the fire lane which is where I was. I am aware that it is not a parking area, but I would never choose to park there if my assigned spot was available. That is definitely not an excuse for someone to carelessly hit my car when there is an excessive amount of space for her to get out. 

Luckily the people left their number for me to call and obtain a policy number, but either way now I have a demolished front fender that makes me cringe everytime I see it. I am hoping my insurance company can have it fixed asap because as ridiculous as it sounds I don't even want to drive it right now. I will keep you posted with what goes down from here on out.

**stressed**

Man was I swamped today?!?! I have been on the go non-stop. On my lunch break I did happen to score some treasure at the one and only Ross Dress for Less lol. No, but seriously it really is like finding treasure. I love it.

Ok, back to the important stuff; I have been entering in new products for sale on this site. They are listed per advisor so if you want to check them out feel free to do so. I am aware that some of the images have display issues, but the site developers are aware and are already adressing the issue.

Lea Meadows, the massage therapist on IWF, has also entered in some exciting products today. I think I might have to place an order or two; the massage items are so fun and anyone can use them. I will be working to get more items up, but for now I want to wait until the images are working properly. I know it's hard to buy something if you don't know what it looks like.

I hope you have a great weekend and I will be back to chat on Monday.

*trisha*

Did you all have a wonderful break from reality? I did and it seriously felt like the weekend to me. I went fun shopping, grocery shopping, saw my sister Melinda, all in enough time to cook up dinner and pick up some fun drinks to watch the fireworks.

This year we decided to stay home and watch the fireworks which turned out quirte nicely. We headed over to a nearby school and climbed up to the roof and hung out there until the shows were all over. I saw shows becuase we must have seen fireworks from at least 10 different locations.

The main San Jose (downtown) show was lame - seriously it sucked. Not only did it start long after the other shows, but it lasted about a third of the time. They didn't have all of the fun fireworks that they usually do and shortly after the start they busted out the grand finale - I was so angry. The Cupertino & Great America (I think it was G.A.) shows were great; both lasted for a long time and and the grande finales were so fun. I thought it was a giant burning ball in the air from where we were.

All in all it was a good night. I fell asleep soon after we came back inside because I hadn't slept weel the night before, but it was a fun day off. Until next time...have fun and be safe.

*trisha*

Well the Fourth of July is tomorrow and since I didn't even celebrate my birthday you can guess that I won't really be celebrating this one. In all honesty I would prefer to stay home anyway.

I read an article last week on MSNBC.com saying that the Fourth of July is the deadlieset day of the year as far as car accidents go. I think I will just get sauced at my house and watch the fireworks from my patio. It's better that way; if I get sick I am already home.

I am off tomorrow so I will be sure to be back on Thursday to post another fun one for you. Be safe and have a great mid-week break.

*trisha*

My birthday was on Saturday and as usual I didn't really celebrate. I'm not sure what it is, but I just never cared about celebrating my birthday. On the other hand my sister, Melinda, who's birthday is only five days after mine always wants to celebrate. She just wants the gifts lol...only kidding; well kind of!

Is it just me or does it feel like the year is just blowing by? I always remember when family members would tell me things like "enjoy it while you can because before you know it you'll be my age" haha - strangely enough it seems true. I'm still young, but I feel like I only recently graduated, but in reality that was already a long time ago.

My words of advice...live for today because you never know when tomorrow will cease to exist in your lifetime. Sad as it is, but our courses have already been panned out; we're just cruising the course. Enjoy it!

*trisha*

Well as you guessed today is my Friday; I decided to take Friday off to get an early start on celebrating my birthday. Yesterday turned out to be pretty calm and relaxing...I fell asleep at 9; haha I feel old.

I don't really have anything mapped out, but I plan on having dinner and a few drinks so we shall see what happens from then on out. All and all I think it ill be under control.

Ok, well I hope you all have a fantastic weekend and try not to get into too much trouble. Be safe

*trisha*

So I have had a few busy weeks lately, but with that said a lot has been achieved. I recently moved into a beautiful new apartment and we all know how much of a pain it is to pack, unpack, clean etc. Weddings to go to, family to visit and plenty of other agenda items...

Today is also my 3 years and 7 months anniversary, It sounds like a long time, but it really doens't seem like it's been that long. I can remember everything like it just happened yesterday. Better and better with everyday.

Also, my birthday is on Saturday so I am looking forward to eating some delicious Aki's cupcakes. If you've never had them then you are surely missing out; they are like dream cupcakes. I've never tasted anything quite so yummy.

Ok, well I need to go and update a few things since I have been out of the loop for a while. Be back soon.

*trisha*

Ok, so I have been slacking a little I guess, but I am here again. I have been pretty busy with trying to find an apartment (yes...I have only recently found one) and it has taken forever.

I can't wait though; I am so excited to move. I am not sure what it is, but I just love to move and buy new things to fill it up. This time I am moving into a brand new complex (still under construction) vs. the ancient one that I currently reside in.

So, prior to my finding an apartment I had paid off all of my CC debt, and unfortunately since I found an apartment to move into I am back in trouble, but not nearly as bad this time...whew!

I decided to splurge and buy an LCD flat panel TV...because I so needed it lol. I know, I am rediculous. I just can't help it. I love to shop and buy things, the good things is that I can always pay it off so I am not one of shoppers that just max out their credit cards and never pay them.

If I were to max out my cards I would have to be a lunatic. How do people do that anyway? I have such high limits on all them that I could never even spend that much or at least I would hope that I couldn't.

Ok, until next time...be safe and I'll be back to blog soon.

P.s...Vegas was wonderful and I plan on going  back in October. I can't wait...I love to fly despite all of the horrifying turbulance that I had to go through.

Ok...I am out now!

I leave on Saturday, but will be out of the office on Friday...sorry no new posts! No worries, I will back in action in no time. On Wednesday  I will have fun and exciting news to report. Hopefully.

*trisha*

I have gotten over the worst of it, but I still wake up with a bit of a sore throat and stuffy nose. Why did it have to happen in May? The weather is wonderful and you just want to be outside in the hot sun, but no I am stuck inside eating hot soup and or sleeping.

I am a trooper; I'll get through it. Wash your hands everyone...save yourself! I washed my hands,  but despite my efforts I still wound up with a cirus. Best of luck!

*trisha*

Greek Lemon Soup

Ingredients:

• 1 Cup White Rice
• 3 Cans of Chicken Broth (99% Fat Free of course!!)
• 2 tbsps lemon juice (I like to use the whole lemon : )
• 1 Scrambled Egg

Directions

1. In a large saucepan bring rice and broth to a boil; let simmer for 20-30 minutes or until rice is tender
2. Add lemon juice.
3. Stir in egg in a stead thin stream; continuously stiring to add strands.
4. Serve and enjoy!

In all honesty, I have nothing of high excitement or new to report. Oh wait...my best friend now works with me which makes work a little more exciting and helps the day to go faster, but not that it wasn't exciting to begin with *wink*

We have a great weather forecast for today and tomorrow; for the rest of the week for that matter and I am totally thrilled : ) I hate having to wear big bulky jackets and sweaters and not to mention being cold.

I will check in later to add anything that I may have forgotten.

*trisha*

P.S. The kid in the pick is my youngest sister Trinity (Boog) pronounced Boo - g

Hands down...one of my all time favorite candies. Chocolate covered peanuts - what can I say?

Please don't even tell me that you don't like them. Despite my efforts to tone up and be "good" about my snacking...I have a weakness and I just got a hold of a box earlier. It's just horrible I know.

*trisha*

We decided to go to a beach that we hadn't gone to before; it definitely paid off. Although we had to walk up and down a very large, steep hill the hike was worth the effort. The only problem was that I forgot to bring my bathing suit so I didn't get to tan. No worries...that's why I have sunless right?

So that is what I did this weekend; I pretty much just relaxed and had fun. I made a spicy chicken dinner on Friday that surprised me. I just put a bunch of ingredients together and luckily it turned out very well. I would share the recipe, but unfortunately there isn't one; we put in whatever was near us at the time...including the champagne that I was drinking.

Sunday I "handled my business," grocery shopping, cleaning, and so forth. I hope your weekend was just as fabulous. Back to work for me.

So anyway, I bought a dresser from Ikea this weekend because I have way too many clothes for just one dresser and closet; not to forget my spring / summer clothes that are packed away in my outdoor closet - not to worry...a lot of them were purchased from inexpensive stores like Forever 21 and used clothing stores...I like to spend wisely *wink*

Ok, so back to the dresser...I decided that I would try to put it together last night thinking that it would be a piece of cake, of course it wasn't. I ended up working on it for 2 hours last night and then again at 2:30 this morning; finally I finished it, but not after breaking the ends of 2 of the drawers and being unable to get a couple of the screws in; all in all it worked out pretty well. Despite any broken drawers it still works just fine.

I moved my night stand out into the living room and put a new lamp and candle; which I must say looks wonderful next to my red couches!!!

Sadly, I plan on moving in the next couple of months and I will have to lug all of my furniture out of my apartment and into a new house or duplex; whichever I find. Like I said, I like to move around...i don't like people knowing too much about me and my neighbors are already weird enough so it's time for me to pack up and move out.

Ok...enough rambling from me. Happy Wednesday!

*trisha*

http://www.funnyjunk.com/movies/173/Evolution+Of+Dance/

Someone please explain to me why people are so ignorant. Remember the saying..."If you don't have anything nice to say, then don't say anything at all." Maybe he's never heard that one before.

Luckily I did get my disc changer replaced in my car. I have never been more sick of the radio broadcasting in my life; ugh it was horrible. There was never anything worth listening to on the radio and I was forced to listen to the same news reports over and over on all presets. Here was my morning for the past week:

• "Anna Nicole custody battle; who is the father of baby Dannie Hope?"
• "There are now 5 potential fathers in the Anna Nicole custody battle. "
• "Hardaway hates gays."
• "Chargers fire head coach; who will replace him?"
• "Battle over Anna Nicole's remains, you can watch the trial on MSNBC.com"

I could go on and on, but I'd rather not replay it all in my mind again and again. It's a headache in its self, trust me.

I hope you all had a wonderful Valentine's Day.

For those of you who did recognize that it was just another day and nothing more than a made up "Hallmark Holiday" - I praise you. I did absolutely nothing and I do have a Love...here's to keeping our sanity and avoiding the trends. Cheers to all of us!

Peace out y'all!

*trisha*

i know you all probably missed my "oh so entertaining" posts, but I'm sorry; there's nothing that I could have done. I couldn't even keep my eyes open. I was really struggling and decided that I just couldn't make it. A few years back I came in when I felt like that and I found myself falling asleep at my desk. That's is just too risky.

Ok, well I am out.

*trisha*

We all know how this stuff works; one year these teams are great and the next year it is another set. Unless it is one of my teams I don't really care. It's more of a chance for people to get together and enjoy company. Correct me if I am wrong, but that's how I see it.

I hope it was a fun and enjoyful evening for all of you. I think I ate 5 pounds worth of snacks and wings, but it was an interesting and fun time.

*trisha*

As it turns out, Bob did indeed have cancer as well a terminal kidney failure. his kidneys were working 10 times more than normal and that's as high as the test measured so it may have been higher. The doctor said that it was pretty much a one way ticket and that he was already on the border right then.

When Mel rushed him into the hospital he started squrting out blood and he couldn't hold himself up; I heard him screaming over my sister's cell phone so I decided to rush over there. Oh boy, was that hard to see.

It was a really hard day for Mel, it has been hard for her since February 2. I call her everyday to check on her and make sure that she's ok, but I can tell that she wants to cry and is trying her hardest not to do so. She called me on Saturday to tell me that she had found his collar and that she printed out all of his pictures and framed them. It's hard, but she's definitely doing well.

We are planning on getting her a new kitten in a couple of weeks. I know that it will help her to feel better. The love keeps going and although she doesn't have Bob with her physically, she has him spiritually. Rest in peace pretty kitty.

*trisha*

He has been in and out of the vet for bacterial infections (bladder infections, e-coli and dehydration) and the antibiotics haven't helped him one bit. Mel has been up crying all night; I think she might have to put her kitty to sleep today.

After doing a little more research it sounds like he may have feline leukemia, which as it turns out, is very common for male cats his age. As of last night he was unable to walk or hold himself up; she said that he kept falling over when she'd try to get him to walk to her. He kept crying like he wanted to go to her, but just couldn't. I feel so bad and she makes me want to cry everytime I talk to her.

Bob is her baby and she has always been really close with him; he's her family so i can understand why she has been so upset these past few days. I couldn't imagine having to do that to my Bear. Sadly enough, it sounds like euthanasia might be the most humane way to handle the disease.

I am going to go get her a little "cheer up" basket of some sort. I think deep down, she knows what the right decision is should the tests come out positive. Bob's appointment is at 11:45 today, so we will see what happens. Hope for the best.

*trisha*

Not only do I have to wait for the part to come in to the service department, but I also do not get my cd's back until they are removed from the current changer, but that has to happen in Los Angeles. The guy said that it could take weeks for me to get them back.......grrr.

What will I do without my freestyle, Garbage, Prince, En Vogue, Mariah, and my burned cds? Why me? Man, it couldn't be just a nice, normal morning could it? Nope, apparently not! I can't even schedule an appointment to take my car in yet until they get the part, which will take about a week. It's hard enough to try and get a regular maintenance appointment that fits my schedule; how is this going to work?

I have to sit there and wait while they replace it too! I hope it doesn't take a long time; I hate sitting there waiting -- while people stare at me as they pass. OMG! Can you feel the frustration? 

*Sigh* At least it is Friday tomorrow; my small ray of sunshine. I think it is the gloomy weather that is making me so irritable. Oh wait, it could be the full moon tonight as well; better yet, all of the above.

*trisha*

The entire trip to work this morning was horrible; I was trying to get the CDs to eject or play or whatever, but nothing worked. I gave in a tried to listed to the radio, but it was either all horrible (hyphie) music or morning rambling and I hate both.

I called Infiniti to see if I could speak to someone in the maintenance department, but of course, no one was available to help me and "they won't be until 11." Oh but of course right?

I guess I am mostly angry becuase everything was working fine and then all of a sudden I try to change a cd and it tells me "PUSH EJECT," but I had already done so. By now I'm frustrated, but I do it again and all I hear is a blank attempt to push the cd out. I am assuming that they fell off of their tracks and therefore aren't ejecting, but I am still pissed.

When you pay a good amount of money for a vehicle you expect it to run flawlessly and when it doesn't you are led to disappointment and that is where I am now. I guess I will just have to get over it, but if Infiniti tries to charge me for this "electrical" error I will be in fumes and you can bet that you all will hear about it.

Ugh...all I can hope is that the radio will have something to entertain me with on the way home. I can't take the frustration again.

*trisha*

So last night I went to the Goodwill...yes, the Goodwill. I went hunting for treasure. Did I find some? Umm, of course I did. Don't seem so surpised; people like you and I donate to these places so why wouldn't they have treasures? I know that the clothes that I donate are nice, so I assume the same.

Don't get me wrong it is definitely a hunt and you have to be determined and willing to look through some pretty shady clothes to find the good ones, but trust me they are there. Last week I found a pair of Seven Jeans and another pair of Chip & Pepper jeans...(just my size woo hoo) and yesterday I got a black pleated Bebe skirt. I'd have sported it today, but the weather wasn't in my favor. Perhaps tomorrow.

I'm out!

*trisha*

With all of that said, I scheduled an appointment anyway and paid the due amount that they needed. Like always she told me "everything was fine and that I was normal in all categories." Whew, just in case I wasn't sure huh?

Oh well, at least this will keep them off of my back for a little while longer. They had been calling my cell phone and automatically scheuling my appointments, which I had been cancelling for a while. I figured I'd alreday done that too many times and gave in.

Parking was horrible, of course, but when I was done with my appointment there were spots everywhere...just my luck I swear. I am proud of myself though, I took care of business this weekend and went to my appointment today. I guess all is well now.

*trisha*

I hope you all had a fabulous weekend. As planned, I got my oil changed and feel like a truck load was lifted off of my shoulders. I had been putting it off for so long that it was really starting to get to me. Boy, have the prices sure gone up! I had to change the oil in my G35 and the Explorer too...$120.00 dent in my wallet ugh.

Oh well, at least I won't be due again for a couple of months; who knows maybe some thing else will come up; that would be just my luck wouldn't it? Let's hope for the best huh?

So the month has flown by and we are on way into February; what should I do for Valentine's Day this year? Hmm, I am gonna have to put some thought into this one.

Anyways, I made a new dish this Saturday and it was just delicous - as you would hope it would be with any new recipe that you pickout. I made Lemon-Pepper Chicken, here's the recipe below:

 Mmm, the picture is tasty too!

LEMON PEPPER CHICKEN - GRILLED

This recipe was very easy to follow and served as a nice new flavor to spice up my t-buds. This recipe can either be grilled or baked; it's entirely up to you. I personally prefer the grill, but the choice is all yours.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1/4 cup lemon pepper
• 1tbsp dry mustard
• 1 tbsp dried rosemary
• 5 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 4 tbsps fresh lemon juice
• 3 cups dry white wine

DIRECTIONS:

• In a small bowl, mix lemon pepper, dry mustard and crushed dried rosemary.
• Place chicken in a medium bowl. Rub with garlic. Introduce the lemon pepper mixture and rub it into the chicken. Pour in lemon juice and dry white wine. Cover and refigerate for at least 3 hours before grilling.
• Preheat an outdorr grill for high heat and lightly oil the grate.
• Cook marinated chicken breasts on the prepared grill until meat is no longer pink and juices run clear, or to desired doneness.

NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION:

• Servings: 5
• Calories: 256 per serving
• Fat: 2.6g
• Cholesterol: 68mg
• Carbs: 4.8g
• Protein: 28.3g

Today, it was smooth saling on the way to work this morning. I decided to carpool so that it was less of a headache for me. It turned out to be a nice, calm morning with zero traffic interuptions. It was definitely a much needed sigh of relief.

For a few days there it seemed like there were two different people almost causing me to crash. Both occuring on the same trip; either to or from work - not one in the morning or one in the evening. That's kind of strange huh?

Last night I was pretty lazy. I didn't cook anything fun and exciting or anything like that; I decided to make a quick can of soup and call it a night. I know, that's pretty lazy huh?

Ok, well I have had somewhat of a slow start this morning, so I need to start pulling things together. Woo hoo...the week has flown by and tomorrow is Friday! I can't wait.

*trisha*

Someone please explain to me why no one uses their blinkers and why people get out of one lane and then realize that the lane they were in was faster and so they just squeeze right back in even if there isn't any room; oh and why people don't check their mirrors and fly accross 3 lanes and assume that they did nothing wrong when they get the "finger".

I really hate other drivers; it seems like no one can drive. Both of those scenarios happened to me this morning and almost caused me to crash into two different walls.

Here is what happened to me: I am driving in the left lane and this guy swerves into the next lane is it appeared to be moving faster at the time, but he didn't see the big rig shortly ahead and decided to get back into my lane after I had already sped up; he didn't use a blinker and there wasn't any room for him to get back in. He caused me to have to swerve into the right lane to avoid a crash and then a Honda Civic is merging onto the freeway so I merge left to allow him to be able to get into the right lane. This idiot decides that he wants to go into my lane (right where I am) and so I move over one more lane, and this f***** does the same thing...not once did he look to see that there was a car there, ME. I had to go onto the shoulder of the freeway and barely made it through without side swiping the left wall.

Let's remember that I just had my car washed and it looks all pretty; the last thing I want is a couple of "clunkers" causing me to get into an accident. It would be just my luck that the idiots would be driving without insurance too. I swear, if I had some eggs in my car, a couple of idiots would have been tagged.

Ok, I need some coffee to try and calm my nerves because I am getting myself all worked up just thinking about it. I hope none of you had problems like these this morning. Drive safe and smart!

*trisha*

It has been two weeks since it's last bath and I was begining to feel guilty. It's poor wheels and tires were dirty and dull, the interiror was dusty and needed a good vacuum and I really just felt bad.

The tires are nice and glossy, the rims are shiny, the interior was given a nice wipe down and a much needed vacuum session. All in all, I feel pretty good about the whole thing. My sister was giving me a lot of giref about it; she parks near me and always has a comment or two for me; let's see what she has to say this time huh?

*trisha*

So last night I decided to do my weekly grocery shopping; I ususally try to do it on Fridays, but for some reason I skipped out on it this past week. Anyway, it mad a mad house; the lines were unbelievably long, there were kids everywhere and a lady smashed me with her cart at the checkout line...I am serious; I was trapped for a moment there.

I ended up buying the whole store; at least it seemed that way. I went in thinking that I was only going to buy a few things for the week, but I was in there a little of an hour and spent a good $160 and now my cabinets are fat and plentiful. It looks like I am eating good tonight. I only forgot one thing...my charcoal briquettes for my BBQ. I was planning on doing so, but looks like I may have to reconsider my options.

Happy Tuesday!

*trisha*

I don't like the Colts and I am sick of the Patriots, but in a way I wanted the Patriots to go more than I wanted the Colts to. I hope the Bears win; it would be such an upset for the Colts, but a miracle for the Bears and that's what I am hoping for. Grossman vs. Manning - hmm, interesting huh?

My team is and has always been the Oakland Raiders, but um yeah...high hopes huh? Every team comes and goes in wins and losses and I know they will get there again one day; it may not be anytime soon, but I am a true fan and I will stick by my team. In the mean time...Defense vs. Offense...GO BEARS!!!!

I usually stick to eating only half of a bagel; I leave the other for anyone else who is carb cancious like me. I love cream cheese so I eat it even though it is super fattening; at least I apply it moderately right!?!

If you really aren't too fond of cream cheese, you can always apply a fruit spread. It will give your tasty moorning treat an uplifting flavor and the added sugars will give you a nice morning boost to get you going.

Yay, It's Friday!!!! I am ready for a break and can't wait to relax and enoy the sunny weather in my area. I wish you all a happy and enjoyful weekend.

*trisha*

I went in expecting my hair to literally fall out or melt away as it has been so traumatized in the past, but luckily her years of extensive experience paid off and I am on my way back to shimmering golden strands.

I have a couple more treatments to get my hair fully restored to it's natural hair color, but I love this in-between color as well. I love to change my hair color; it makes me feel like a different person, but unfortunately my hair feels differently about that. I think I am going to change my color changes to my makeup instead. We'll have to see how that plays out.

If you are in the Morgan Hill / San Jose, CA area I highly recommend that you pay Karen a visit; she can do wonders for you and your hair. She is currently working at Salon Rache in the Pruneyard and at DKW Salon in Morgan Hill. You may also view her website (listed above) for her contact information.

Hope you all have a wonderful day!

*trisha*

Last night I made Mango Chicken and it was delicious. It is a very low calorie and fat meal; I will provide the recipe so that you may all give it a shot if you're feeling like trying something new.

You may want to minimize the amount of orange juice in the recipe as it may drown out the flavor of the mango; I used 3/4 cup, but the recipe suggests 1 cup.

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
• 1/8 teaspoon ground thyme
• salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 1 lemon, juiced
• 1 cup orange juice - I used 3/4 cup
• 1 mango - peeled, seeded and sliced
• 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Directions

1. Heat the olive oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Place chicken breast halves in the skillet, and cook 5 to 10 minutes on each side, until no longer pink and juices run clear. Season both sides with thyme, salt, and pepper. Remove from heat, and set aside.
2. Heat the lemon juice in the skillet over medium heat, and scrape up browned bits. Mix in orange juice, mango, ginger, and cinnamon. Over high heat, cook and continuously stir 4 to 5 minutes, until thickened. Spoon over the cooked chicken breast halves to serve.

Nutrition Information

Servings Per Recipe: 4

Amount Per Serving

Calories: 287

• Total Fat: 11.9g
• Cholesterol: 68mg
• Sodium: 176mg
• Total Carbs: 18.3g
• Dietary Fiber: 2.4g
• Protein: 28.3g

I hope you enjoyed this simple, yet elegant dish. Happy healthy dieting to all of you.