Day 119: lunch with the boys

Life is always interesting when you put these two together.

Here they are playing with creamer packets and making a game to see who can flip them all the way around or whatever. Haha




Love love love

-- 自分のiPhoneから発送する

Day 118: My hair is now harder work :(

I got a perm while on Guam, but the curls are just not as tight as the last time I had them done... maybe it had something to do with having bangs... in any case, it feels a lot harder to maintain the curls than it used to, and I didn't take a lot of pictures today (just one of a blurry shitzu--don't even know if I spelled that right-- who was shipped off to Egypt today) so self-portrait it is.

Sigh.

I miss hassle free hair.

Day 117: Hoarders in Jamaica, NY

Today, at lunchtime, we found this in the cupboard at work:




Nasstyyyy!!!

Rich had to send out a mass email out. Which turned out to be an amusing break from my otherwise irritable day.

For your viewing pleasure:

Dear Staff,

Today, after eating my lunch, I opened the cabinet above the espresso machine to find an open tub of cream cheese, with a knife in it, a half eaten bagel, and a half drank cup of coffee. There is a picture attached.

I want to reiterate that… someone, at some point either today or yesterday, took the cream cheese from the fridge, started on a bagel, poured a cup of coffee, and then put the cream cheese, the half eaten bagel (with no plate) and the coffee in the cupboard for reasons passing understanding.

I imagine that it would be an exercise in futility to delve into how gross that is, so I’m going to give the person who did this the benefit of the doubt and assume a perfectly logical explanation. Therefore, let me address the following possible reasons:

1.) Fear of insufficient bagels/coffee: Every Monday, we usually have about a dozen bagels or so left over. These bagels are typically stored in the red tin in the lunch room or in a bag for anyone who fancies a bagel the next day. Almost invariably, the remainder of these bagels are thrown out by Tuesday, as we often have a bagel surplus. For those of you who do not have faith in the number of bagels and want to save one or two for later consumption, that is of course your prerogative. We have aluminum foil and a refrigerator which will aid you in saving a bagel for a later time. As for the coffee, we actually have a contract with a vendor who supplies our coffee on a constant basis. Adrienne has this vendor on speed dial, and as our stock of coffee runs low, she orders more. This system is, thus far, highly effective. The coffee may not be the best coffee in the world, but the one thing we can guarantee is that we will continue to do our best to keep everyone as caffeinated as they require, except for Brea. We prefer to keep Brea decaffeinated for safety reasons.

2.) A preference for aged cheeses: Cheesemakers, also known as ‘kaas’ date back to the ancient Egyptians and have perfected the craft of culturing and aging milk in order to make cheese. Cream cheese is a dairy product made from cow’s milk. Unlike other soft cheeses, however, it does not undergo any sort of aging process and is meant to be consumed fresh. Modern technology allows us to prolong the longevity of the cheese’s ‘freshness’ through vacuum sealing and refrigeration. If cream cheese is not refrigerated, like other milk products, it will spoil due to the bacteria in sugary butterfat converting lactose to glucose and galactose which curdles the milk within the cheese. Moreover, mold thrives in a moist dark spot, like a kitchen cabinet, and uncovered, unrefrigerated cream cheese is a perfect home to a new colony of mold. This also produces a rather unpleasant aroma which challenges the wisdom that ‘the stinker the cheese, the tastier.’

I will mention, to those of you who didn’t work here during the summer of ‘mousepocolypse’ that this building does customarily receive certain small furry visitors. Every so often, one of these buggers still manages to make it past the mousetraps, and the warehouse pigeons and into the office at which point the lovely ladies of the accounting department scream uncontrollably and jump onto their desks. To a mouse, a half eaten bagel and a tub of warm cream cheese is an exciting discovery and will only result in crowds of mice invading our office. If the mouse could cut a bill of lading or issue an arrival notice, I wouldn’t have a problem with it.

Finally, as a word of caution, these things were next to the espresso cups. Vincenzo’s espresso cups. The idea of mouse droppings or rotten cream cheese on, in or around Vincenzo’s espresso cups makes Vincenzo angry…. very, very angry… I knew a guy once who messed with Vincenzo’s espresso cups, we had to send his body back in 4 ziploc bags… true story.

So, as a courtesy to your fellow co workers, please remember to keep food, especially perishable food, in the fridge and try to exercise some judgment with regards to where you place your half eaten breakfast.

-R

-- 自分のiPhoneから発送する

Day 116: just sitting, waiting, wishing

...To go home...

This is me killing a few minutes at the office while we wait to go home.



-- 自分のiPhoneから発送する

Day 115: Pregnancy glow

Sharon had a mini photo shoot today with my other cousin Ate Irene, who actually IS a professional photographer (or, as Arn says, "frotessional frofroghater")... but I thought I would snap a few myself with my trusty iPhone...

She's an incredibly easy subject. You know, considering she looks so damn good.

Day 114: time with my boy

Finally! Saturdays with my boy again!



-- 自分のiPhoneから発送する

Day 113: "is it really Livington, but changed because we are in Chinatown?"

That's what Brandon said on our way to having our very own date night as we were walking towards Union Square.






Gotta love the stuff that comes out of Brandon's mouth...:)



-- Post From My iPhone

Day 112: a week ago I was on a tropical island...

...now I'm in the middle of the ghetto, with this...




Sigh. That vacation was not long enough. :(

-- Post From My iPhone

Day 111: Parenthood is so engaging

Catching up on tv tonight!

This was the part where Lauren Graham and her daughter are arguing. Sooo good!




-- Post From My iPhone

Day 110: does this make me a little creepy??

I'm sure it probably seems like I'm a little creepy for taking a picture of this couple, but I honestly couldn't help myself. They're just some random ordinary couple riding on the subway, holding hands and just chillin' together... but when she put the other earbud in his ear and they just started enjoying the music together and singing along... well, my heart warmed. Makes me think of love.

I won't lie and say I wasn't jealous. Not because I found the guy particularly attractive or anything. I was a little jealous because they had that connection with each other and it's something I can't deny that I sometimes long for, even though I know I'm not ready to be with anyone but myself... but at the same time.. it made me a little like, "awwwww...." because it's really quite sweet.

Someday, I'll be sharing my earbud with someone and singing along instead of singing alone with both buds to myself. Sharing really is caring.


-- Post From My iPhone

Day 109: Toughing it out...

I'm jetlagging HARD but trying to tough it out. This is me waiting until an appropriate time to fall asleep so that I don't wake up at like, 3 in the morning and then wanting to kill myself after lunchtime because I woke up at 3 in the morning.



Promise to be back to normal and much less lazy/lax about actually blogging when my internal clock is back on New York time...

Day 108: If I have to go home, flying 1st class is the way to roll

-- Post From My iPhone

Day 107: Separation anxiety

I am not at all ready to leave...

More time, please!




-- Post From My iPhone

Day 106: flashbacks of high school...

-- Post From My iPhone

Day 105: another day in paradise

-- Post From My iPhone

Day 104: I like the peace in the backseat

-- Post From My iPhone

Day 103: it's a sign..

-- Post From My iPhone

Day 102: lazy day in the sun...

-- Post From My iPhone

Day 101: I need to take more pictures on my iPhone

-- Post From My iPhone

Day 100- there's no place like home..

Lesson learned: Guam requires no fancy camera settings...

-- Post From My iPhone

Day 99: I got off the plane and it was tomorrow!

I did a layover in Japan! More later! Data roaming sucks! Backblog to follow...



Post From My iPhone

Day 98: Homebound!!!

I'm sitting on a plane waiting for it to take off and take me to Narita where I can transfer to another plane and fly home! Yayyyyer!!! Guam time!!! Aruuuuuuuu!!!!

I've been really exhausted lately, running around to get myself ready for my trip home, but realized I haven't posted any self-portraits in a while. I just rolled out of bed before getting here and now realized I should have at least fixed my face. Oh well.

Anyway.

This day will be over by the time I step off this plane, so I better post now.

So so sooooo excited!!!!

First stop: Japan!!!




-- Post From My iPhone

Day 97: party prep!

So I've been up since 230 in the morning packing. And I thought I was done but ended up buying more party stuff for my sister... It's a good thing I packed a bagpack in my small luggage. :)




I don't know how I'm still functioning right now...

-- Post From My iPhone

Day 96: The storm before the calm

I love vacation, but hate the part before it where you go nuts trying to prep for leaving your work unattended for an extended amount of time....

My desk at work:









But it's all done and I'm ready to go home!!!

Day 95: Procrastination at its best

I go on vacation in less than three days, and rather than do all the things I need to do (clean, do laundry, run last minute errands, etc), I got coaxed into dinner with friends. Not that it wasn't worth it. I love hanging out with friends. Not to mention dim sum is always good...as is the coconut tapioca pudding I had!



And now it's super late and I have been procrastinating some more... Well, I picked out the clothes I'm gonna pack, but I also downloaded ringtones, and talked to my cousin, and my sister... This is sooo gonna hurt tomorrow....

Day 94: Happy Easter!

I spent today with my cousins in Jersey and we went to a family (by marriage) gathering where Matty got to hunt for eggs. It was hilarious how he just kind of let loose in the yard and wasn't really hunting for eggs. More than anything, he was just enjoying being able to run around. I found it so admirable that Matt didn't need approval from anyone and he just kind of did his own thing today. He didn't care about what anyone had to say; he just did what he enjoyed most: running around. He was a "one man wolf pack."

God, I love this kid.

Day 93: if it weren't for my family...

I would be a whole lot sadder. I love that I see my cousins at least once a week; they are the kind of people you can do almost anything or nothing with and still have a good time.

Since my other cousin Sharon's been away, I've been staying at her sister Jenny's place. Though she's five years younger than me and I'm the one who should be taking care of her, I feel like she does waaaay more for me than I can do for her. She drives me around and lets me hang out and is always game to let me try new makeup and stuff on her (like today).




She and her husband Gil cheer me when I'm blue and always make me feel welcome in their home and it makes me feel really lucky they're here.

I find more and more that no matter what trouble may come my way, I have so many more blessings to be grateful for...


-- Post From My iPhone

Day 92: Groupon strikes again

This trying new things via Groupon is really starting to get interesting...

Today, I redeemed a coupon for a slimming treatment at the Luminesa Medi-Spa. According to Groupon:

"The 75-minute treatment combines FDA-approved technology and techniques to stimulate fat and muscle layers, which can lead to slimming and slendering. It includes an Endermologie massage performed by a specially trained technician, which increases circulation and stimulates skin smoothing using a proprietary motorized system of rollers. You'll also receive an infrared Sudatonic thermal treatment that boosts metabolism and other bodily mechanisms to help convert fat into energy. The third component of the procedure is Oleaslim aromatherapy, which uses essential oils to detoxify, stimulate, and promote the elimination of fat and cellulite. The system is designed to help you lose inches that refuse to leave, like a child cling-wrapped to your leg. You'll burn fat, lose non-water weight, and expunge stressors during the session..."

I really couldn't resist that, so I decided to try it...

Wow, I wish I had been able to afford more than one treatment because HOLY. CRAP. I don't know if it's a fluke or not, but my body fat percentage went down a little over 1%, and somehow, I lost five inches all-around. Kinda cool. :) And whether or not today's treatment had anything to do with it...well, today I had to buy new jeans (on account of me going to Church and refusing to show up in the rompers I wore out this morning) and...I'm now in jeans that smaller than the last pair of jeans I bought in college. Yay! :) :) :)

Makes the embarrassment of this little thing worth it...and that's all I will say on the matter. haha

Day 91: six years and still singing

It's about six years since Luca and I studied abroad together in Nagoya where we discovered that we could sit in a box for hours and hours and sing our little hearts out.

And here we are, six years later, still singing. Funny/awesome how we still find the time to get together every now and again to keep singing. Our other 'roke companions may have varied over the years, but no one's been as hard core about it as Luca. (you can pretty much call him at any point and lure him put...)

I love how we can sit with each other during group sessions and laugh no matter who else is with us. :) (from the Belgians at 4 in the morning to tonight's group)

Here's his friend Chris singing "whole lotta love."





What you DON'T see in the picture is that Luca is sitting next to me and we're both giggling as we're rapping the lyrics to "drop it like it's hot" ala the "drop it's a whole lot" mash up. Haha

Love love love


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Day 89: what the...???

So I was looking at my blog and realized Day 89 was missing!!! WHAT!!!!!

I passed out at like 930 pm last night on the couch and my roommate Deej came over at 1130 or so to tell me to move to the bed, and I SWEAR that I posted about how I had a mocha latte in the morning for the first time in forever, and that it made me crash hard and I don't ever want to have coffee anymore...but when I looked at my blog again--- NOTHING!!!! Grrrrrr!!! I know it was not a dream!!!!

In any case...

Here is Day 89's picture: the wretched Mocha Latte from Dunkin Donuts.



I need to stop making bad beverage related decisions!!