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Friday, February 28, 2014

#LoveYourSelfie

In honor of #LoveYourSelfie week on the Today Show.

You go, Whitney Thore.

Thursday, February 27, 2014

My Birthday Card for Julie (Fall-To Layout #278)

On Monday, I posted the birthday card that my sister Julie gave to me.  Today, I'll be posted about the birthday card that I gave her.  I used Fall-To Layout #278 as a guide.  I went with blue and orange for school spirit and yellow to balance things out.  She's not too much a glitter sparkle card, but I wanted to add a tiny bit for a touch of Tina.
Card Specs:
Rub-On: Karen Foster Design- Birthday
Flowers: Recollections, Prima
Brads: Recollections- Silver Circles, American Crafts
Other: Black Sharpie Ultra Fine Point marker, Stickles

Wednesday, February 26, 2014

Happy Birthday, Julie!

We had a little snow this morning.  When I checked the closing and delays page on the local radio station's website, I was surprised that no Maryland schools were delayed, since the roads looked a little slushy.  OPM said that the federal government was open, but we had permission to do unscheduled leave or telework.  Work from home?  Yes please!

I wore my new Revlon Matte Balm in Standout around the house to test its wear.  At some point, RJ came to visit and gave me a few headbutts.  He came away from that cuddle with a reddish pink streak on the bridge of his nose.  Oops, sorry, kitty.

When I was done with my work day, I went to Panera for a salad and a red velvet cupcake for Julie.  I headed over to my parents' house to visit.  This year, I gave Julie a Zappos.com gift certificate, a bag each of Swedish fish and gummy bears, and some tiny knot earrings from my shopping trip to Kohl's.  I looked this pair up on the Kohl's website for curiosity sake.  The brand is called "Itsy Bitsy" and I noticed that the reviews for this pair of earrings were kinda funny.  "These earrings are too small!"  Well, um, they are called Itsy Bitsy.  Isn't it fitting?

I also saw the nice box that the cremation folks put Ginger's ashes in.  I still expect her to be roaming around the house. :'(

Tuesday, February 25, 2014

Book #2 of 2014

I picked up this book up at the library recently: The Truth About Style by Stacy London.  It was a quick read and I really enjoyed it.  It was like reading What Not to Wear, minus the appearance of Clinton Kelly and add in London's personal stories. 

She made over several women throughout the book and each makeover was documented with what the style (or emotional) hang up was, how does London relate to that problem, what the final makeover look like, why it works, and some reflection to tie it up. 

I found London refreshing on WNTW (so sad the show is over!), but some of show's appeal lies in the interaction with Stacy and Clinton.  With the book, it's about London and that's okay.  She's entertaining all on her own!  There were parts of the book that made me laugh out loud (thankfully, I was by myself) and others that made me nod my head in agreement.  I found myself relating to what she had to say on her skin, weight, and marital status.  She even has a cat.  Maybe we can be friends!

There's a shopping guide in the back of the book and I thought it was cool that she included places where people on a budget could find clothes: Target, Old Navy, New York & Company, etc.  Style and fashion shouldn't just be for the rich and famous.  Everyone should be able to feel confident in cool clothes at an affordable price.

I finished reading it last night, but wished there was more to read!  I thought reading this book was very timely since the TODAY show is doing a week-long segment on body image and self confidence.  #loveyourselfie.

One thing I found amusing while I was reading this book was that a previous reader of the book was upset about the misuse of words.  "Flare" was crossed off and replaced with "flair" and "nerve-racking" with "nerve-wracking."

Monday, February 24, 2014

My Birthday Card from Julie

While my crafty abilities involve ink and embellishments, my sister Julie channels her drawing skills.  Every year, I look forward to some drawn birthday card.  Have I mentioned before that she was the cartoonist for her undergrad/master's newspaper (it was the same school)?  The past couple of years have featured the family cats (RJ, Ginger, Oliver).  Here's the one I got this year...the surprise was the appearance of Harry the Homeless Cat on the back of the card.  I guess he's part of the family now, even though he's not really ours.  We're not really sure where he came from, but since Mom feeds him and we made a makeshift hut out of a recycling bin for him, he's smart not to turn that down.
 
 

Sunday, February 23, 2014

Birthday Celebration #2 and Some Shopping

I got some birthday cake on my birthday last week and then today, I started the day off with brunch at Pacci's Trattoria. The place opened up at 10:30 AM and my family (parents, sister, cousin and aunt) wasn't the only one that showed up right as the doors were opening. I had high expectations from this brunch because I heard such good things about it from my uncle. Wow, he was not kidding! Eggs Benedict, home fries, bacon, 3 kinds of salad, scallops, oysters, shrimp, crab legs (which my mom LOVED), gnocci (my favorite dish from this place!) and some small desserts. I had to definitely pace myself so as not to feel really sick. 

After brunch, I went to get some errands done.  My goal was to get Julie's birthday present and some cat food for RJ.  I had half luck.  I went to a Target that I hadn't been before, but didn't find anything there.  Petmart and Kohl's were right next to this Target, so I wandered there afterwards.  They didn't have the cat food that RJ usually eats.  I did find something for Julie and myself at Kohl's (60% off + additional 10% off at the register on both items!).  I won't share what I got Julie (so I won't ruin the birthday surprise), but I can show what I got myself...I love this necklace! :)

I went back home to camp out on the couch (NCIS marathon on TV!), but then went out again to get this new Colgate toothbrush + whitening pen duo.  It was on sale at CVS (which would also give me $5 Extra Care Bucks) and I had a coupon from the Sunday ads.  I'm very curious to see how it performs.  Using the $5 Extra Care Bucks from this purchase and $6 in CVS coupons AND a Buy 1, Get 1 50% off deal, I snagged 2 Revlon Matte Balms (colors: Standout, left, and Shameless, right) for around $4.00 ($19 if bought at full retail price with no discount).  Whoa, the purple is definitely out there, but I think if I paired it with a pink gloss or something, I could rock it in the fall.  

Saturday, February 22, 2014

Coworker's Birthday Card

My friend Meg was getting over the flu this week, so we thought it'd be best to postpone my birthday celebrations until she's 100% better.  I was already sick this month.  No need to relive that again!

Julie came over for pizza dinner (Hawaiian and sausage/mushroom).  We ended up watching Crazy, Stupid, Love on TV and several episodes of Modern Family.

Here's birthday card that I made for my coworker whose birthday is next week.  I wanted to use two things that I haven't used in a while: the pansy background stamp and the rose coral ink.  My coworker is very much into zen stuff so I figured flowers would be a good fit.

Card Specs:
Ink: Colorbox chalk ink in Rose Coral
Stamp: Hero Arts- Pansy Portrait
Paper: My Mind's Eye- Bloom & Grow
Rub-On: Karen Foster Design- Birthday
Brads: Recollections- Silver Circles
Other: Black Sharpie Ultra Fine Point marker, Liquid Pearl in Buttercup

Friday, February 21, 2014

Finally Friday

Even though I had a shorter week because of the Presidents' Day holiday and taking the day off for my birthday, I feel like this work week would never end.  There was lots of report writing to be done and several conference calls to be held.  BLAH!  I was getting increasingly agitated because I got an email from one of our project leads, saying something about submitting a manuscript for one of our projects.  The manuscript would be due June 1.  I screamed on the inside when I read that email because a) I don't feel like we have enough material for a manuscript yet and b) I felt like I was back in college, "Hello!?  You think this project is the only thing that I spend all my time on?  I need a break!" 

I was so glad to shut down my computer for the weekend and go to Target.  I was invited to go to a coworker's kid's birthday party next weekend (I went to her baby shower in 2012), so I wanted to make sure that I got a gift.  What does one get a 2-year old?  Eek.  I got a tip to get anything with wheels.  I added the book because it was one of my favorites when I was a kid and books will last a while.  His mommy can read it to him and eventually he can read it himself.

Thursday, February 20, 2014

Free Birthday Gift

After my conference calls today, I went over to Ulta to claim my free birthday gift.  It's a full sized Calvin Klein mascara, retail price: $18.  I haven't tried it out yet, but it's tough not to be excited about free stuff, right?

When I was leaving, a girl approached me, saying that her car had broken down and she was short $27 for it to get towed.  She looked panicky and stressed out, and I know that I'd appreciate someone helping me out if I was in the same situation.  I gave her my business card (wow, finally!  An opportunity to use it, but not really for business use...), so she'd know who to contact to give me my money back.  I also got her contact information in case she forgot.  We'll see how this turns out next week I guess.

Tuesday, February 18, 2014

Happy Birthday to Me!

Yay, birthday! :)  No work today...because I said so.  It was another lazy day on the couch, where I enjoyed the texts and Facebook messages roll blow up my phone. 

I got off the couch to go to spin class (yay).  At the end of class, Janice was like "Hey, are you Washington and Lee?"  Yeah (well, that's where I went to school).  "I saw you driving the other day!"  Ah, it must have been Sunday when I was leaving spin class.  "You have Hello Kitty in your car!"  I laughed out of embarrassment. 

Afterwards, I went to my parents' house where Mom had made carrot cake!  That was a surprise to me.  Julie tacked on a candle and let me blow it out.  I posted this picture on Facebook and my cousin had seen it and decided to come over to see if there was any cake for him.  Ha ha.  The birthday celebrations will continue this weekend with friends on Saturday and family on Sunday.

Monday, February 17, 2014

Presidents' Day Shopping

I have been eyeing this top from New York and Company the past few days, but was waiting for a good deal to come along.  The shopping gods were on my side today because I got a 35% off coupon, plus the top was already 40% in the store.  I got dressed and...

*Ding Dong*

The doorbell rings.

o_0

Who's going to come visit me on a Monday morning?

And then I remembered that Mom had an appointment at the medical center nearby. 

Whew.  It wasn't some crazy person.

I think she was more excited to see RJ.  "OMG, he's so heavy.  What are you feeding him?!"  Um, weight management food.  Maybe it's not working....

She went on her merry way and I went to the shopping center near work and stopped by New York and Company (got some new shades as well for 40% off!), Marshalls, and Ulta (didn't buy anything in either place).  I walked by Starbucks and remembered that I had a gift card with me.  I tried the Caramel Flan Latte that I've seen commercials on TV for.  Yum!   The top is great for work and can go well with jeans or black pants.
I'm so sad that my peppermint lotion from Bath and Body Works is all gone.  I guess it signifies the end of winter because it's only available during the winter.  I broke out a coconut lime one...bring on the sun and warm weather!

Sunday, February 16, 2014

Playing with Makeup

I'm so glad that I made it to spin class this morning.  I had to balance out the nice dinner that I had last night and the post-Valentine's Day chocolate that I bought!  When I got home, I did some laundry and caught up on MTV's Teen Wolf somewhat since there was a marathon on.  Whoa, I feel like I missed a whole bunch.  Stiles is acting weird.  There's an Asian girl in the group now.  What happened to Scott and Allison?!  Blah.

I poked around YouTube this afternoon and found a video on how to curl your hair using a flat iron (Jen from FromHeadToToe).  I did get a new flat iron recently, so I was looking for ways to get the most use out of it.  Oh yes, this technique worked and didn't take much time at all!  Since I had my hair done, I decided to do a makeup before and after for fun before I did my weekly makeup brush washing.  Among the things I used: Naked 1 palette (Sidecar, Smog, and Buck), Maybelline gel eyeliner, and NYX soft matte lip cream in Monte Carlo.  This before and after was much more dramatic than the one that I did a few weeks ago.  I was kinda inspired by the Catwoman t-shirt I was wearing.

Saturday, February 15, 2014

The Lego Movie and Post-Valentine's Day Candy!

I was determined to make this weekend, or at least today, awesome to make up for the past two awful weekends (last week having to put the family cat down and the weekend before that being sick).  I had heard good things about the Lego movie, so I used some movie gift certificates and brought Julie with me.  The nearest theater that we could have gone to to redeem the gift certificates has closed down so we had to take the subway a few stops to get to another theater to see it.  Meh, no biggie.  While we were killing some time after getting our tickets, we walked into the TJMaxx to browse, but didn't find anything worth buying.  We went back to the theater 20 minutes before the movie started and there was already a line forming for the movie, started alongside one wall and continuing to the other side of the hallway. o_0  I think we were the two oldest people there that were not parents bringing their kids.
The movie was entertaining and definitely had some laugh out loud moments.  The animation was pretty cool because the characters had to move like Legos would move.  I wouldn't say I would buy the movie, but I could see myself renting it on Redbox at some point.

After the movie, we went to Target to hit up some post-Valentine's Day candy.  Julie got some fruity items and I came away with chocolate (peanut butter M&Ms and Reese's hearts).  Then we went to Ulta so that I could exchange the dark brown eyebrow pencil I bought last week for a black one.  The dark brown was just not dark enough.  I tried on the black when I got back to my parents' house, and it's a little intense, but used sparingly, I think I can make it work.  Julie bought us some dinner from Crisp and Juicy.  My stomach is now full of chicken, starch and tea.  Sleepyyy.

Friday, February 14, 2014

Snow Day, Day #2

I was feeling wide awake last night after making Julie's birthday card so I decided to play with some of the make-up I bought recently.  Using NYX's Love in Florence, Gelato for Two, I created a smokey eye.  For the second look, I tested out a new E.L.F. eyeliner brush and worked on my winged eyeliner skills with some Maybelline gel liner (so far, I like this drugstore brush more than the one that came in my Sigma brush kit!).  Both are rather dramatic looks and probably wouldn't rock it at work.  Well, maybe with glasses, but not with contacts.  They are a little bam, in yo' face!
Even though the federal government had a 2-hour delay today, the big boss already sent out an email last night to say that the office was closed and, like yesterday, instructed us to move forward with conference calls and respond to member inquiries as much as possible.  I broke up the day between emails and digging my car out from the parking lot.  Mother Nature ended up making the job a lot easier by bringing out the sun and melting lots of the snow.  I had an 11 AM call with my boss and a 1 PM conference call that ended up having to be rescheduled because half the people were not able to show up.  I quickly cleared off the remaining snow off the top of the car and escaped to Target for a break away from the computer and from the house.

My goal was to get a hair straightener because my 5+ year old wasn't getting as hot as it needs to be anymore.  I saw a CHI one for $70 on clearance that came with a mini travel sized one.  However, I came away with a $25 one on clearance.  Score!  I already tested it out earlier tonight, and they were not joking when the box promised quick heating!

And of course, it's tough to walk away from Target without buying some miscellaneous stuff.  They were having a Buy 1, Get 1 50% on jewelry and I also had a Cartwheel coupon for 10% (I was totally a sucker for those cute owls in the second earring set that I bought).  I lost my large hoop earrings back in the fall and I've been waiting for a good sale to replace them.  I also stopped by CVS to check out their new NYX display and came away with some matte lip creams that I've been meaning to try out.  I justified all these purchases by saying they are Valentine's Day/birthday presents to myself.  ;)

Thursday, February 13, 2014

Snow Day

Whoa, between last night and this morning, 13 inches of snow fell on the ground!  The weather people were saying that it was the most snow that we've gotten since Snowmaggeden in 2010.  While the federal government was closed, I still had to work today because the show must go on.  I didn't really have an excuse anyway since I did have my work computer and internet.  I hope my boss takes note of my diligence and work ethic.  I need to make sure that I'm on top of things since we're off on Monday for Presidents' Day and I'm taking the day off on Tuesday for my birthday.  Who wants to work on their birthday?  Not me!

I made a card that was intended for Julie's upcoming birthday, but then I realized that it was very similar to the card that I made for her last year.  Meh, that's lame.  I can use this card for someone else and make Julie a new card.

Card Specs:
Ink: Colorbox chalk ink in Yellow Citrus, Prussian Blue, Pumpkin, Charcoal, Chestnut Roan
Stamp: Stampin' Up- Forest Friends, Up, Up & Away, Owl Occasions
Paper: American Crafts- Abode
White Gel Pen: Uni-Ball Signo Broad White Gel Pen
Other: We R Memory Keepers Sew Easy Fancy Floss in Lemonade

As I'm writing this blog post, it's snowing again outside.  The big boss already sent out an email closing the office tomorrow, but asking us to keep an eye on email and proceed with calls if possible.  I'm so ready for spring!!

Wednesday, February 12, 2014

Birthday Card from the Office

Since February is my birthday month, I got my birthday card from the office about a week ago.  It always amuses me because I make the cards that Human Resources give to the Executive Director to sign and give to staff.  I got one from this batch.  One of the HR girls came by to visit me yesterday, asking if my boss was coming in because she wanted to give her the Employee Appreciation Week cards to directors to give to their staff.  Nope, she's not coming in because she broke her wrist and isn't coming into the office this week.  We talked for a little bit and as she was leaving, she backtracked, "Is it weird when you get cards that you made?"  Yeah, a little, but I think it's a nice gesture that the big boss does.
I had an all-day meeting today, but fortunately it went by really quickly and it also ended earlier because a) we ran out of things to talk about and b) we wanted to get our guests out of here before the snow started.  I was strategic in bringing a Tupperware container so that I could snag some leftover Thai food from lunch and eat it for dinner.  It pays to plan ahead!

The snow is coming down pretty quickly right now, but I don't see any of it sticking to the streets.  The county schools announced that school is already closed tomorrow.  I brought my work computer home so that I could get some conference calls done.  Grown-ups don't get snow days anymore, I guess.  Or at least not tomorrow.  No excuses.

Side note: I love this story about kids reading to shelter cats.

Tuesday, February 11, 2014

Approaching Snowstorm

I got the cutest valentine in the mail today from my friend Laura who gave birth to twin boys back in December.  (I blurred out their names for privacy's sake.)
In other news, the biggest snowstorm that the DC/MD/VA area has had in 4 years is on its way, starting sometime WED and going through TH.  We can get anywhere from 4 to 8 inches.  The big boss already sent out an email closing the office for TH.  I don't think that's ever happen before, at least during the 5.5 years I've worked there.

Like whoa.

Song of the day: "Mona Lisa" - Brad Paisley

Sunday, February 9, 2014

Pacifying Myself

In an attempt to make myself feel better after having to put Ginger to sleep, I went to Target last night and stocked up on peanut butter M&Ms and bought a box of black hair dye.  I've been putting off dyeing my hair and figured Saturday night was as good as any.  I still having gotten the hang of doing this right: some of the hair dye cream solution got on my bath mat, so now there's a black splotch on it.  Also, I missed some of my roots.  Oh well.  No one's looking at my hair that closely.

I also bought a copy of Wolverine on Blu-Ray (on sale for $10!!) and watched that before going to bed.  So, so good!

I had high aspriations to go to spin class this morning, but I opted for sleeping in and going to the gym closer to my house in the afternoon.  I also stopped by Ulta armed with my $3.50 off $10 and a $1 off Maybelline mascara to celebrate my 1-month no buy (January 7 to February 7).  My goal was to get an eyebrow pencil and some clear mascara, but I saw that they had some NYX eyeshadow pallets on clearance, so I snagged some of those. :D

Retail therapy at its best.

Saturday, February 8, 2014

R.I.P. Ginger

I headed over to my parents' house this morning and shortly after, I went with Mom and Julie to the vet to say goodbye to Ginger.  Dad had to drive my uncle to the airport, but he had gone with Mom yesterday afternoon to say goodbye already.

Wow, it was a tough morning. Ginger was in a cage by herself, covered in blankets to keep her warm and an IV in her arm.  She wasn't looking so good.  They let us have some privacy and some time with her.  Ginger already had hyperthyroidism and as she got older, she started showing signs of heart and kidney disease.  I think the vet said something about some clot that had formed and it had moved to her lower extremities which explained why Ginger's legs weren't moving.  She also explained that she was probably in pain and even if they could get her better, it'd happen again and it probably wouldn't be a humane thing to do for a cat so old (16+ years!).  The nurse gave her a sedative and gave us some more time with her.  After about 10 minutes, the vet came in and gave her the last shot which basically shut down all bodily functions. We had a few more moments with her and then it was time to go home.  I couldn't be in that exam room much longer.  Mom requested a cremation and the vet office was really nice to say that we didn't have to worry about paying for anything that day and we could pay for the treatment when we came back to pick Ginger's ashes up.

I hung out at the house for a little bit and when I got home, I spent most of the afternoon on the couch.  After a week of being sick and then dreading this morning, it was difficult to get any restful sleep this week.  Now that I've had some time to reflect on all this and while it's sad that she's gone, at least she lived a very full life, complete with a comfy place to sleep (basically everywhere...) and good food to eat (she'd hop on the dining table hoping Dad would give her some fish).  When you take on a pet, you're committing to take care of it through better or for worse.  They are depending on you to make the right decisions, whether it's the choice of cat food or end of life care.  I feel like we fulfilled our commitment since the day we picked her (and her "brother" Oliver) from the animal shelter back in 1997 (!!).  While Oliver died suddenly in 2006, at least we were able to say goodbye to Ginger.

Through all of this, I really feel bad for my mom because Ginger was her constant companion, especially during the years that I moved out and Julie was at school.  Consequently, Ginger didn't really listen to anyone else except Mom.  When we got home today, Mom was like "It feels lonely."  :'( Come over and visit RJ.  I'm sure he'll appreciate the extra cuddles.

I went through my external hard drive and found some old pictures of her.  It's kinda nice to go down memory lane.
 
 
Bye, kitty.

Friday, February 7, 2014

Finally Friday

At the office: Ah, blessed telework day.  A lot of it was spent talking to my boss on the phone and working on a document that was due today.  With her broken wrist, she had to dictate a lot of what needed to be written.  She was planning to come to the office next week, but given that she can't use both hands, she's decided to cancel those plans.  Womp.

Ginger: In other news, the vet said that Ginger was really dehydrated and thus couldn't pull any blood from her.  Mom left her at the vet for observation this morning.  As I was closing up my work day, Mom called again crying (a rarity) saying that Ginger's condition had worsened and she had lost the use of her legs.  She asked that I come by the house tomorrow and we'll all go to the vet first thing Saturday morning to say our goodbyes.

Worst week EVER. 

I was feeling so sad, I couldn't even feel excited for the Olympic opening ceremony (although I did watch some of it).  I didn't feel like celebrating anything today.  I can't even be excited about the weekend because I know it'll start off on a very sad note.

Thursday, February 6, 2014

Back in the Office

It's been a whole week since I've been at the office.  I can't say that it's good to be back because I enjoy working at home in my pajamas, but at least it was nice to get out of the house.  I hadn't really been out since Sunday after grocery shopping.

Earlier this evening, I went to my parents' house to visit and eat the slice of leftover cheesecake they saved me from my aunt's birthday party from Monday.  I noticed that Ginger the cat was really struggling tonight.  Julie mentioned that she was going to the vet on Friday because she hasn't had any interest in food or water.  Her walk was also kinda off.  I'm fearing that we're going to have to make some tough decisions soon.
In better news, a repeat buyer bought 21 cards from my Etsy shop tonight. :D

Wednesday, February 5, 2014

"Snow Day"

Well, kinda.

The Federal government was open, but OPM gave unscheduled leave and telework options due to the slippery conditions outside (we got a bout of freezing rain overnight).  Yes, please!  I was still hacking up stuff, but felt well enough to put in a full day.  I think I sounded worse than I actually felt.  There's work to be done...must keep it moving.

At the end of my workgroup conference call (I had to move this from yesterday to today, and I was thankful that people were flexible), one of the people on the phone was like, "Are you at home or at work?"

At home.

"Are you in your PJs?  (pause) Wait, that's a really personal question.  Never mind."

I had to laugh.  Well, I AM in my pjs!  "Yep, I basically rolled out of bed and turned on my computer."

I think because of my age and the age of the members that I work with, I think sometimes they treat me more like they'd treat a student or a kid, not a peer (well, obviously I'm not a peer).  This wouldn't be a question they'd ask my boss, that's for sure.  As long as they respect me and my work, we can joke around as much as they want.

Tuesday, February 4, 2014

Sick Day, Day 3

Ok, I'm feeling better today, but not well enough to do any sort of work. Another round of cancelling conference calls and meetings.

It was not a good day for my department because not too long after I sent my sick day request, I got an email from my boss's boss, saying that she had slipped on some ice during her morning walk. She fell and was on her way to the ER to check her wrist because she was worried that she had broken it. It turns out that she broke 2 bones and will hear on Friday if she'll have to undergo surgery. :(

In other news, RJ has been a great cuddle buddy during these sick days.

Monday, February 3, 2014

Sick Day, Day 2

Wow, it's been a while since I've been this sick.  Achy, running a temperature (103 degrees at one point.  I hope that was just a fluke measurement), hot/cold, sweaty, headache, dizzy. 

FUN!

I mustered enough energy to go downstairs, log into my work computer, send off a few emails and turn on my out-of-office.  Most of the day was spent under the covers feeling all kinds of emotions...
  • Feeling guilty about taking a sick day and having to back out of an interview panel and cancel meetings with my boss and missing the All Staff meeting.
  • Feeling mad that I felt guilty about taking a sick day.
  • Feeling mad that I was so sick.
  • Feeling frustrated about some news that I got about new rules that are being implemented at the office in response to the new open plan. 
  • Feeling sad that I couldn't make it to my aunt's 70th birthday party at my parents' house, to make sure that no one else got sick. 
  • Wow, my head is pounding.
Please let me feel better tomorrow...

Sunday, February 2, 2014

Tax Time and Sick Day, Day 1

I started to get a scratchy, tickly feeling in my throat when I was at my family dinner last night.  It's usually an ominous of nasty things to come.  I was slow to get out of bed this morning, but I managed.  What does one do when trying to get her mind off that achy feeling?

Oh, taxes, of course.

Blah. 

If I'm stuck at home, I might as well be productive. 

I have to be honest that I've never done my own taxes before.  Dad has always taken care of it.  He handed me a copy of his current TurboTax a week ago, and that I was my invitation to get started.  I feel like I've been assigned homework and he'll check my work when I'm done.  :P

I was able to make it to the grocery store before my cold started to set in earlier this evening.  WAH!

Saturday, February 1, 2014

Happy Lunar New Year!

My family gathered at my uncle's house tonight for the Lunar New Year dinner.  There were 17 of us total!
My favorite foods: duck with sticky rice (left) and noodles (center).
With Julie
Family Portrait