Alvin, Simon, Theodore & Me

OK, so maybe I don't look like a chipmunk anymore, but I did all weekend.

The big dental procedure has come and gone and all I have to say is that it was one traumatic experience. I am so very glad I never have to do it again, because I don't think I could. Well, honestly, I probably could but I'd probably be more nervous.

Allow me to take you on stroll down memory lane...

I spent a lovely Thanksgiving in Queens, but I did wake up that morning feeling hot, sweaty and a little weak. JM deduced that it was probably my anxiety manifesting itself as a physical illness. Made sense, but nevertheless I was intent to get home at a decent hour so I could get some sleep.

The next day I woke up pretty early so I decided to go on a short shopping trip to make me feel a little better. I managed to pick up a few DVDs I wanted and a pair of jeans. What? I didn't want to go all crazy on Black Friday. I knew I'd probably have to shell out big bucks in a few hours, so I had to show some restraint.

Eventually I made it to the dentist's office...30 minutes early. Apparently public transportation was working in my favor that morning. Funny how it does that when you have no desire to be at your intended destination. Anyway, I was there early so I decided to immerse myself in one of their celebrity tabloids. Just as as I was getting into the truth behind Robert and Kristin's secret romance, they called my name. Everything happened so quickly and before I knew it the dentist was putting some contraption on my nose and telling me to just breathe normally. He talked me through the process and suddenly the laughing gas hit me. One minute I'm staring at the ceiling and the next I can't seem to keep my eyes open.

At this point you'd think I'd be mellow like Jell-O, uhhhh.....yeah, that's not what happened. My whole body started to feel really heavy so I tried to raise one of my arms, but found that I couldn't for some reason. In fact, I felt like I couldn't move at all. Of course this triggered my mind to go into panic attack mode. I tried to say something, but that wasn't happening with a needle in my mouth. I could feel my heart beating faster and faster and I thought for sure it would stop any minute. (I later found out that an elevated heartbeat was normal in situations like this--who knew?) Then the bright light above seemed to turn into the bright white light you hear people talk about when they're on the verge of death. As if that wasn't enough, I felt like I was spinning and couldn't seem to stop it. So, instead of feeling relaxed, my overactive mind just made me even more anxious.

Then finally, after the dentist had given me my eight shots of Novocaine and I was sufficiently numb and breathing at a much normal speed, my chair finally stopped spinning and he started giving me orders to open my mouth. He started with the top left tooth, which was growing sideways, and amazingly enough it seemed to come out with no trouble. I thought, "Awesome! This might not be so bad." Yeah, not really.

The lower left tooth seemed to be giving him a little trouble, so he had to get some help from his trusty drill and yank on it a little harder. Eventually it came out and my left leg only popped up for a minute before it relaxed again. Next up was the lower right tooth. This was being just as feisty as the lower left and required a little more drilling and tugging. My left leg stayed popped up just a little bit longer. There were a few grunts from me and lots of readjusting of my head, but eventually it decided to come out. OK, so far not so bad, but wait...we're not done yet.

The dentist decided to leave the best one for last--the impacted upper right tooth. This one definitely put up a fight. I'm not sure how long he was working on it, but from where I was sitting it felt like forever. My left leg was popped up the entire time and there was definitely way more drilling and tugging on this tooth. I mean, the man was really trying to yank this one out. He was trying all sorts of positions to get the best grip and my lip was definitely taking a beating. Throughout this whole thing I could feel pain around my lips as they stretched my mouth and repositioned tools. Unfortunately, that was the one area of my mouth that wasn't completely numb. At one point during this knock-down drag-out fight, the dentist warned me that I would hear a sound. I can't really remember what kind of sound he said it was, but I just remember cringing when I heard it. I also remember the assistant stroking my arm and reassuring me that this was almost over. I suppose she did this when she realized there were tears coming out of my eyes. Then finally, the dentist was victorious and the tooth made it on the tray with its other fallen brothers.

They packed my mouth full of gauze and brought me down from the gas. As I sat up I saw the tray in front of me with all my bloody teeth. It looked like something from a horror movie. The assistant asked me if I wanted to keep them and I quickly said no. If I wanted to keep them, I would have left them in my mouth instead of going through this barbaric torture.

After paying my monstrous bill and getting my meds, JM and CM picked up and took me home--for which I'm very thankful. I thought I could make it home on my own, which I would have done if I had no options, but to keep my mom from worrying I decided to ask for help. I'm glad I did. They took me home, bought me some food and cooked for me. They even hung out for a little bit until they knew I'd be OK. Unfortunately, that's when the real fun started.

The Percoset decided to kick in shortly after they left and that's when I realized my body didn't really like it. Of course I should have known this since I knew it didn't like Vicodin but whatever. Now, during the first 24 hours you're not supposed to rinse your mouth or spit, which probably also means that vomiting is out of the question. Well, as many of you know, I have a problem with nausea and vomiting so you can pretty much guess what happened. Three words: Red projectile vomit. It was like something out of The Exorcist. Yeah, definitely not pretty.

After I cleaned up that horrific mess in the bathroom, I rinsed my sore mouth as best I could and stuffed it with more gauze to help with the bleeding. Can I just say that the process of replacing the gauze was totally gross. Every time I took it out blood would dribble down my chin, making me look like a freaking vampire. Amazingly, that violent display of upchucking did not make the bleeding worse. So I crawled into bed and was able to get the sleep I needed and craved.

A few hours later, my rumbling stomach woke me up. After only having oatmeal in the morning and throwing up what little I could eat after the procedure, I decided I needed a tiny bowl of mashed potatoes to quiet my stomach. I made myself some tea and let it cool down while I ate the delicious taters. About 15 minutes after eating, a wave of nausea hit me again. Fortunately, this time I was able to get to the bathroom in time. Once that whole thing was done I decided I was going to call it a night, crawl back into bed and pray that things would be better the next day--and they were.

My face was still swollen and I had some red abrasion in the corner of my mouth, but it didn't look like I had just gotten into a fight with Manny Pacquiao. It just looked like I'd gained 10 pounds in my face overnight. I can only imagine how bigger it would have been if I hadn't put those ice packs on my face. I spent the rest of the weekend on the couch trying to stuff my face with mush when all I really wanted was a giant cheeseburger. I still want one now.

Anyway, that's my tale. The one bright ray of sunshine to come out of this entire experience is knowing that I will not have to pull out another wisdom tooth ever again. I suppose that qualifies as a happy ending.

Does the Tooth Fairy Take Wisdom Teeth?

You know how you'd put your baby teeth under your pillow and the tooth fairy would take it and leave you money? Well, I wonder how much she'd leave for wisdom teeth.

Yeah, yeah, I know.

I've been putting off yanking out my wisdom teeth for quite some time now--probably a decade--and have finally scheduled an appointment to get them removed in exactly one week. So I better eat everything I can on Thanksgiving, because I'm only going to be able to eat mush for the rest of the holiday weekend. Happy Thanksgiving to me!

I don't really trust doctors and there's some anxiety here only because I've heard a million horror stories about wisdom teeth extractions. Everything from the IV slipping out and the person regaining consciousness during the procedure to getting the wrong tooth pulled. How any of that is possible, I'm not quite sure. So, I made it very clear to this man all my concerns and hangups.

What sucks is that when I made this appointment I didn't know the office had two oral surgeons, so instead of getting the one my coworker recommended I got his partner. Some of his reviews have been glowing and others were negative. I tried to switch at the office, but they assured me he was just as good (of course), so I decided to give him a chance. He seemed nice, competent and he didn't give me attitude when I got all crazy on him with my questions. Instead of prolonging the inevitable, I just gave in and made the appointment for next Friday.

With all four teeth being pulled I'm sure my face is going to swell up to twice its size. Even better--I decided to skip the anesthesia and go with the novacaine and laughing gas cocktail. I always thought I'd be one of those patients to be put under, but there's something about it that doesn't sit well with me. Plus my insurance won't cover it, so that pretty much helped me make the decision.

So, until this actually happens I anticipate a few anxiety headaches and an increase in my blood pressure. The only thing that's making me feel better about this whole thing is that maybe it will help alleviate all my other ailments like the jaw cracking and headaches. The doctor did notice how loud my jaw was and seemed slighly taken aback by it, which is the normal response from everyone. After this I may need to get fitted for a mouth guard. He said that over time it could get to the point where I can't open my mouth that wide...and cue the dirty jokes.

By the way, did you know that an impacted top tooth could move up into your sinus cavity if a cyst develops around it? Yeah, I didn't, but now I do. So I'm making sure that sucker gets yanked.

Booked & Ready to Go

I'm pretty proud of myself for making vacation plans before airfare skyrocketed. I did the research, put in my vacation time, got it approved fairly quickly and bought my ticket for the bargain basement price of $279. Yes, I'm pretty impressed with myself. Now all I need to do is make plans for when I'm in California, which by the way will be from December 18 to January 4.

The good news is that my family wants to take a trip up north the weekend after Christmas, so I may finally be able to see friends I haven't seen in ages. One of them is pregnant, so I'm hoping to get a glimpse of her baby belly. So exciting! In fact, while I'm home another friend is due to give birth and I hope I'm there when it happens. Last time her little buddle of joy timed it just right and made an appearance the day I was leaving. I actually got to see her hours before I boarded my plane.

I'm also really excited to see the changes my mom made to our house--new exterior paint, new flooring, new toilets! Trust me, the place really needed these updates.

Then of course I can't wait to see all my favorite former coworkers, who of course are now dear friends. I don't think we could have stayed in touch all these years if they were merely people I used to work with once upon a time. Every year I make it a point to try to get together with them for lunch or dinner when I go home for Christmas. It's kind of become some sort of tradition since I left. Thankfully, I don't have to sneak into the old office to see them since they've all been able to escape its clutches.

Disneyland is also on the agenda this year. My sister has an annual pass, so she has kindly offered to pay for my ticket as a Christmas treat. Unfortunately, she's going to do everything in her power to get me on Space Mountain. In case you didn't know, I hate roller coasters. Can't stand them and I don't get the supposed rush that everyone gets from riding them. The feeling I get when my stomach drops and my heart starts racing is probably similar to that of someone suffering from a heart attack. I think it's the most horrible feeling ever! Oddly though, I'm perfectly OK with going on the Matterhorn and Splash Mountain. Yeah, I don't have an explanation.

I'm not all that excited about another year ending, especially so quickly, but I am looking forward to this 18-day vacation. Yes, I do have a crapload of vacation days and for that I'm very, very thankful.

Pretty in Pink

I was sitting at my desk this morning when the office guy came by with a package for me. (Minds out of the gutter people!) I figured it was just another product from a PR firm. I don't really get that many compared to the other editors, but then again, I'm relatively new to this position.

Anyway, when I opened it up I found a heart-shaped box wrapped in tissue paper. OK, I thought, this is obviously a promotion for Valentine's Day, which really isn't that far away if you think about it. What freaked me out a little was the fact that the tissue had "X rated" all over it. (Yes, my mind then went to the gutter at that point.) When I shook the box I could hear things moving around, so I figured it could be anything, from chocolate to lingerie or even a sex toy. As I opened the box I was fully prepared to find something completely naughty, but I was pleasantly suprised to find chocolates and three itty-bitty bottles of pink alcohol: X Rated Fusion Liqueur, a sensuous  fusion of ultra premium French vodka and Sicilian blood orange mingling with mango and passion fruits. Sounds delicious!

I brought it home with me, but I have yet to bust it open and drink it. The box included a few drink recipes, so I'll have to try them out. I shared the other bottles with my coworkers, and one of them decided she needed a swig at 11:30 this morning. I busted up laughing as I watched her, which of course made her laugh and almost choke on the drink. She was so happy for the little treat--I don't think I'd ever seen her that excited the whole time I've worked with her.

So what was the verdict? She gave it an enthusiastic two thumbs up. Since it's pink, I'm pretty sure my male readers won't touch it with a 10-foot pole. Well, except maybe JG--he's always up for girly things. :) I kid, I kid--not really.

I think what's keeping me from opening the bottle and downing the contents is that it's just too cute to drink. I will have to do a taste test soon if I'm going to write something up for our site. Although it's a tiny bottle, I'm pretty sure the color of my face is going to match the bottle once I'm done. Cheers to me!

Not in a Party Mood

I knew it was happening today, but I didn't think it was a good enough reason to take the day off and stay home--even though I have a million and one vacation days. So I decided to brave the commute and the sea of pinstripes to get some work done today. I should have reconsidered that plan.

My first indicator that things were not going to go well was at the bus stop. There were people there bundled up in every piece of Yankees clothing they could find, slutty fans who re-purposed their Yankees gear into more revealing outfits, adults who probably called in sick and kids cutting school. It seemed like every bus was more crowded than usual for a Friday at 9 a.m.

When I got into the city, the subway at 42nd wasn't too bad. I could tell there were some people trying to make their way downtown for the parade, but it wasn't insanely crowded. It was a completely different story when our train pulled into the 34th St. station. As the train slowed, all I could see was a see of Yankee fans and I knew they were all getting on my train. The minute the doors opened a huge crowd of them filed in, forcing me to flatten myself like a pancake against the door. I was never so glad to get off at my stop. I practically had to push people aside just to exit. The woman behind me got so annoyed she started to yell "Excuse me!" at the top of her lungs.

I thought I would have a little more breathing room once I stepped out of the train. Nope, I just ran into a huge mass of fans at the Metrocard machines. Once I surfaced on the street, it was basically the same scenario. The only place I could find refuge was in our office. Then, lunch came around. One of our former employees came by to visit so we went to a local BBQ place where, as you'd expect, were a million fans watching the parade on the many TVs in the joint. I felt like I was stuck in a Yankees nightmare. I'm surprised I even survived the day.

I'm not saying the Yankees and their fans don't have a right to celebrate. They played well and in the end they were the best team. Plus, it's about time the most expensive team ever created won a championship. I say party hard--enjoy it!

I just should have stayed home.

A Return to Order

It's hard to believe in two short months it'll be 2010. I feel like we were just ringing in 2009!

One of my New Year's resolutions was to consistently maintain a blog, and I think I've done OK. Granted, the posts haven't been as frequent lately, but I blame that on the fact that I've been staying home a lot for budgetary reasons. I really can't blog about things I'm doing if I'm not really doing anything, right?

One project I started recently was a writing blog. OK, I know what your're thinking, isn't this a writing blog? Well, yes, sort of. I prefer to see this space as more of a this-is-what-I've-been-up-to blog. It basically exists to let people know I'm alive since I'm not on Facebook or Twitter. I don't really know how many people are reading this, but I'm pretty sure I can confirm that I have four regular readers and maybe one or two who stop by occasionally.

Anyway, I got the idea for this new blog while reading someone else's blog. Basically, she's reading this book on writing called A Writer's Book of Days by Judy Reeves that offers daily writing exercises. These prompts are completely random and are meant to get your brain moving--kind of like mental exercises--so you can get over whatever issues you have with writing and just write. Well, considering I've become a cheapskate lately, purchasing the book wasn't really an option, so I decided to create my own plan.

I searched the Internet for seven different writing prompt sites/generators for each day of the week. It's kind of fun because I never know what I'm going to get. Although, I will admit to occasionally cheating. If it's one of those generators that allows me to hit a button for the next one, then I will if I think the current prompt is completely lame. So far I've been sticking to this plan, with the exception of the time I took off for my Maine vacation.

Some days I'm pretty excited to get home and see what my topic is for the day, and of course, on other days it's the last thing I want to do. On those days I pretty much force myself to get something up on the site even if it's just a short paragraph.

I think the reason why I've hit a huge block with my writing is because I've basically psyched myself out. I need to remember that whatever I write does not need to be perfect, and that the most important thing is to get my thoughts out before they disappear. First drafts are supposed to be imperfect. Sometimes they're not even supposed to make sense--that's what the editing process is for, which is something I forget sometimes since I spend most of my time being an editor.

I didn't really mean to make this whole post about writing, but it is what I've been doing lately. I haven't added this blog to my list at the right mainly because it's one of those things that's raw and full of mistakes and incoherent thoughts, which I suppose isn't too different from this one or the TV blog. 

I've realized that in order for me to get anything done in my own life, I must set deadlines. I'm not good at being self-disciplined or self-motivated, at least not anymore. As I've gotten older I've become more complacent--used to the life I've created for myself. This doesn't exactly translate to happiness or feeling fulfilled. Of course, this falls into my hands. If I want that, I've got to do something about it, right?

So, the only thing I can think of that may work is to create personal deadlines. I've always been able to meet them in my professional life and I seem to respond to them, so why not try them in my personal life? Now, I realize I've created deadlines and life plans in the past, but that's not what I'm talking about. I've tossed aside the idea that I need to get married by a certain age or start having babies at a certain point. Yes, biology plays a factor in that last one, but planning those things isn't realistic. There are so many factors outside of my control that it would seem silly to put a deadline on all of that stuff.

What I need to do is start small (writing five pages a day) and work my way up to the bigger things (moving back to CA). If I can get myself into a regular schedule of deadlines, then maybe, just maybe I can begin to get things accomplished again. My mind has been zigzagging all over the place (which I believe can be blamed partly on my work environment), and I just need to find a way to create some sort of order.

The other day I had another horoscope that seemed right on for the day. Actually it pretty much described every day: Getting through the workday will be a bit of a battle -- not because you're fighting with anyone, though. You just won't want to be there. You'd much prefer to be home, either alone or with the one person on the planet you feel comfortable enough to be completely silent with. It's not that you're tired -- you're just drained. You've been burning the candle at both ends lately. It's okay. Even you need to rest every now and then.

Although that's pretty much how I feel every day, the feeling was particularly strong on that day because I went to bed at 2 a.m. and I woke up to rain. Yes, I would have much preferred being at home.

The Maine Event

Day 1: Started our trip from Jersey to Maine by hitting the road around mid-morning. On the way up there, WH discovered I'd never been to a Cracker Barrel (even after living in mid-Missouri for three years and visiting the South countless times) so she took it upon herself to give me my first Cracker Barrel experience. It did not disappoint. My country fried steak was heaven in my mouth and the cheesy hash potatoes were totally awesome. Let's not forget the candy selection in their store. It had every old-fashioned candy you could think of and more.

A few hours later we arrived in Freeport, Maine, and checked into our humble abode for the week, The Hampton Inn. A large moose statue sat at its entrance ready to greet us. The property was surrounded by trees and felt warm and cozy. I think my favorite part about staying there was the endless supply of hot chocolate and the freshly baked cookies that came out at 6 p.m.

Once we unloaded our belongings, we drove around town to get a feel for it. We stopped at a nearby Thai restaurant for dinner then headed home to rest after our long day of driving.

Day 2: We decided on an early start to get most of our sightseeing done since rain and snow were predicted for the following day. We started off at Bradbury Mountain State Park to look at what was left of the foliage. Thank goodness we went here first, because I don't think I would have made it to the top of Bradbury Mountain at the end of the day.

We chose the Summit hike, which was supposed to be the shortest but steepest of the hikes. A .2 mile hike? Piece of cake. As we started, we saw a group of children making their way down and thought, if they could do it, we surely could. Ummmmm, they weren't kidding when they said it was the steepest of the hikes. Halfway through I lost my breath and had to stop at least twice. I collapsed when I got to the top. I was wheezing, huffing, puffing and doing everything I could do to not toss my cookies. When I thought I was OK, I stood up, but the head rush that followed quickly put me on my ass again. Was it all worth it? Yes, it was. Check out these pics of the view from the top:

My camera obviously does not do it justice, but hopefully WH will send me the ones she took with her supercamera.

After enjoying the scenery for a few quiet moments we made our way back down, which was soooo much easier and faster than the hike up. Obviously. We jumped back into the car and headed to Wolfe's Neck Woods State Park to see the water. We followed one of the trails, which brought us to this, a view of Casco Bay and the Googins Island Osprey Sanctuary:

 

When I close my eyes and think of Maine, this is pretty much what I envision. How awesome would it be to own one of those houses in the distance?

After hitting the water it was time to head to the desert. Yes, you read that right. There is a desert in Maine. Apparently a glacier caused this natural phenomenon. To find out exactly how it happened, check out the video:

Here are some great views from the Desert of Maine:

 

 

After all that we decided to look for a lighthouse. This little trip brought us all the way to the Portland Waterfront, which really didn't impress us all that much. Since we were starving, we gave up on our search for an accessible lighthouse and headed back to our little hamlet for some Japanese food. Food coma eventually hit us so we returned to our home away from home and waited for the cookies to appear at the front desk. We were exhausted. Actually, I was pretty much wiped out after our hike up Bradbury Mountain. Yeah, I really need to work on being in better shape.

Day 3: We passed by a cantina/pub called Pedro O'Hara's numerous times, and of course, we had to make a stop and see what it was all about. We decided on a late start since we had such a long day the day before and it was freezing...luckily there was no precipitation. Pedro O'Hara's had some interesting cuisine--some Mexican, some Irish but the clientele proved to be much more interesting. There was a group of senior citizens from the South at one table and a rather odd family at the other. I could try to describe them to you, but I couldn't do them justice. Control and freak are the two words that come to mind when I think of one of the women at that table. She really had some issues.

Anyway, since Freeport is the home of a rather nice outlet shopping center and L.L. Bean, we decided to do some shopping. With a little push from WH (or perhaps a shove) I finally bought the furry winter hat I've wanted for the past year.

Yeah, I'm going to be stylin' this winter. LOL!

Next stop was the Cold River Vodka distillery. We got there just before they closed and were able to sample some of their vodka, including their special blueberry vodka. It really did smell and taste like blueberries. Hours after we drank it, WH and I were still burping blueberries. Yeah, you probably didn't need to know that, but I just thought I'd share so you'd get the full experience.

Although our day was short, the shopping and drop in temperature were enough to tire us out so after our potato vodka lesson we picked up some lobster rolls and chowder then made our way back to the hotel. Have I mentioned how much I love lobster rolls? We had them twice while we were up there and that really was not enough. WH had never had one before and now she's addicted. My coworker told me about a place in the East Village called Luke's Lobster, which I'm definitely going to check out if I need a lobster roll fix!

Day 4: Time to say goodbye to our little Maine home. Luckily, the day was sunny and clear, which made the ride home pretty easy. No traffic at all and we only saw two cops! I did think it was funny how the sky turned gray as we made our way back home.

If you've never been to Maine, I highly suggest a visit. It felt a little weird to be so far away from the rest of the country, but the scenery is incredible and well worth the trip.

Status Report

It's been a while since I last blogged about anything. It's not that I haven't had anything to say, in fact, I was going to update this past weekend, but my body had other plans. A sore tooth and headaches just made it hard for me to be at the computer for long periods of time. Now, I'm leaving for Maine for a few days, so chances are I won't be posting anything until sometime next week. Sigh...so much for my attempt at regular posting. Have a great week!

To be or not to be...

I was so anxious today. All I wanted to do was go home, stuff myself with all the cookies I baked, and watch my Tivo'd shows and BSG DVD. Is there any way to make a living just watching TV? There must be studies out there that need guinea pigs. I'd happily volunteer.

Don't worry, my ass is not permanently stuck to the couch. This summer I actually finished four books on my pile, which happens to be an accomplishment for me considering how much television I watch. I'm lucky if I can finish one in a year. Unfortunately, I have stacks more that I need to finish. I recently started reading The Lovely Bones because WH highly recommended it, it's been sitting on my shelf for more than two years now, and a movie is coming out soon. So far it's been a great book. Unfortunately, I can't read it before I go to sleep, which is when I do most of my reading. One night I had a nightmare, but I just thought it was some random stress-induced bad dream. Then I had another one and realized that was not the case. They both related to the book in some way, so now I have to find some other time read it. Note to self: Choose more light-hearted stories for bedtime reading.

Let's see...what other Arts & Entertainment things can I talk about? I did see Hamlet starring Jude Law last night.

As repayment for cat-sitting, my co-worker took me to see the play. Say what you will about Jude Law's personal life, but the man is a phenomenal stage actor. He delivered a great performance and his interpretation of the Prince of Denmark was quite entertaining. It's been a while since I read the play, but as it progressed it all came flooding back to me. Sometimes I get a little nervous when I watch Shakespeare just because it's almost like they're speaking a different language, but it was fine. I'd forgotten how funny Hamlet was for a tragedy. Anyway, I had a good time and like I said, Jude Law was amazing. If you ever get the chance to see him on stage, you definitely should.

Note to DS: It was in the same theater as Equus. It was weird to see it without the circular stage.

Not much else was going on this week and it looks like more of the same for this weekend. Rain is expected on Sunday so I should be locked up inside catching up on new shows. Maybe I'll even squeeze in a Netflix movie.

Puppy Love

My sister sent me a crapload of puppy pictures this week, so I thought I'd share them here:

It's Ninja Bruce!

What are you looking at?

I'm soooooo tired.

Ahhhhhhhh...nice pillow.

That's one big mothereffin Toblerone!

Little Bruce cracks me up. My sister also sent me a pretty funny video of them playing...well, Bruce taunting Mocha and Mocha growling at Bruce.

About two weeks ago we had a little scare with Mocha. For some reason she was breathing harder than usual so my sister decided to take her to the vet. At first they thought she had a collapsed lung, so we started preparing for the worst-case scenario. Thinking that she wasn't going to make it through the night, we all kind of got ourselves ready to say goodbye. But when the radiologist finally looked at the X-rays, he said that she didn't have a collapsed lung. Apparently there was fluid in her lungs signaling the beginning of pneumonia. So my family decided to leave her at the animal hospital overnight where they continued to pump her with medication and oxygen. The next day my sister took her home, watched her and kept her medicated. Within a few days she was her old self again, as you can tell by the pics.

As a kid I never had pets except for a good amount of goldfish, which always died the same week I got them, and three parakeets. When the parakeets died I was a little sad, but that didn't compare to how I felt about the thought of Mocha going away. It's funny how these furry little creatures can wiggle their way into your heart without you even knowing it. Before my sister brought these two home I never in a million years would have wanted a Chihuahua--didn't really like them at all. But now, I can't imagine going home and not having them there to greet me with their excited snorts and wagging tails.

I Am a Warrior

Once again my daily horoscope amuses me:

You want someone who's physically attractive, intellectually appealing and brave enough to handle your warrior spirit. All that needs to happen well before the hopeful applicant can even become remotely close to being invited into your heart. If you've already found someone who's up for the challenge, you'll let them know how much they're appreciated. If you haven't, you'll spend yet another day on the prowl -- but now, you might have some luck.

Too funny! Does this mean my Tom Welling look-a-like is hanging out at my local Starbucks?

That third quality is going to be the toughest one to find in a guy. I suppose "warrior spirit" really means stubborn as a donkey. Anyone willing to put up with my attitude, BS and most importantly, my crappy TV lineup deserves a medal.

It Must Be Love

I took a day off the Friday after I got back from the West Coast so I could go to this year's US Open. This outing almost didn't happen because of my stupidity (didn't get tix early enough), but my persistence paid off and I was able to snag two general admission tix the day before thanks to Ticketmaster and the USTA tennis center organizers. Thank goodness for last-minute tix!

My day started a little rocky with a small morning work problem and tons of traffic in the city, but by 11:30 a.m. JM and I were at the tennis center for a great day of tennis. The weather was beautiful and the atmosphere was awesome. If you're a tennis fan, there's nothing like spending an entire day at the US Open. General admission tix are the way to go and such a great deal.

So, what was the first thing we did? Hit up the Grey Goose stand for our liquid breakfast. This is the special honey deuce drink created just for the US Open:

It's made of Grey Goose vodka, lemonade and Chambord. They even added three honeydew balls that looked like tennis balls. It was so good--I didn't even taste the alcohol. I just strolled around the grounds watching tennis and sipping my drink. Of course, it later came to kick me in the ass when the sun started beating down hard. Thankfully, JM, a lobster roll and some waffle fries got me through, otherwise it wouldn't have been a pretty picture. I have an iron stomach, but not when it comes to alcohol.

Walking the grounds was fun. Just hearing the sound of tennis balls going back and forth was like music to my ears. I really wanted to get on the courts and hit a few balls, especially after being beaten the week before in doubles by JG and SJ. Don't even get me started on that one. I'm even embarrassed admitting I lost. No doubt JG is going to chime in because he'll take any opp to gloat. Bring it on...next time I'm kicking your ass!

Anyway, back to the main event. Here are some pics:

I forgot what court this was, but this is Marin Cilic during a changeover.

This is Na Li vs. Maria Kirilenko in the Grandstand. I read an article where Patrick McEnroe said the best place to watch a match was the Grandstand, and he was right. You get the feel of a big match in a small, intimate space. It's awesome!

This is Taylor Dent serving to Ivan Navarro in the Grandstand. See how close we are?! After the previous match we moved down to the second row. We could feel Dent's 140-something-mph serves. I thought some of the old guys sitting with us were going to have a heart attack.

Tennis legend Nick Bollettieri signing JM's visor.

Kim Clijsters defeating Kirsten Flipkens in the Louis Armstrong Stadium. Clijsters has been amazing during this whole tournament. Didn't look like she took a 2-year hiatus from tennis. She was in top form.

The brackets. It was cool how quickly they changed this thing. Here's one of the guys updating it.

I meant to get a pic of the moon in this one because it looked cool, but the clouds started moving in and blocked it.

Goodbye, US Open. It was so fun! I had an awesome day and can't wait to do it again.

Before leaving, I did manage to pick up a souvenir or two. When we saw this T-shirt, we knew I had to have it, so JM got it for me as a belated bday present:

She also got one for her hubby and I purchased one for my sister. If you've seen me or my sister on the court, you know how fitting this is.

This was the slogan for this year's Open, which I really liked, so I had to have it in T-shirt form. I also went home with my Grey Goose US Open honey deuce cup (which lists all the previous champs), a bag for my mom and a cap for WH.

Like I said, it was a fabulous day and I can't wait to do it again next year!

Set Me Up

A funny thing happened last week. I received a text message while I was on vacation from an old co-worker, HT. He asked if I'd be interested in meeting one of his new coworkers. My first reaction was, no. I mean this is HT...the last time he set two people up they became office fodder. Needless to say, it didn't go as planned and the news spread like wildfire in that office. But then I sat there for a second and thought, "What the hell? It'll give me something good to write about." So I said sure and planned to call HT when I got back to town.

Now, I'm not opposed to a set-up, but I do have a few requirements. I tossed the long "must-have" list a while ago because it was pointless, but there are still a few things I can't let go. Here they are for those of you who ever feel the need to set me up:

1) Must have a legitimate job.*
2) Must be a nice guy.
3) Must have a sense of humor.
4) Must be taller than me when I wear heels.

OK, that's it. Not too bad, right? Well, apparently HT never received the memo. If he had described the guy as a Filipino Colin Farrell then maybe I would have reconsidered. (LOL...sorry, little inside joke. Couldn't resist, NG. I swear, that still makes me laugh.)

Anyway, fast forward to last night. I gave HT a ring to find out what this whole set-up was about, but the minute he started describing the guy, I knew he wasn't for me.

Here's part of the conversation:

HT: Well, I'm not sure he's your type, but he might be your type, but I'm not sure. He might be shorter than you. How tall are you? He does the photography for our company. He's Filipino, has long hair, some facial hair...did I lose you already?
ME: Honestly, you lost me at the beginning. I'm short but I'm somewhat of a height snob. He has to be taller than me when I'm wearing heels.
HT: I can't guarantee that.
ME: Well, thanks for trying, but this isn't going to work out. I'm curious...does he have an accent?
HT: A slight accent.
ME: Is it a Brooklyn/Bronx/Staten Island accent or something else?
HT: Something else, but it's very slight. Sort of.
ME: Thanks again...so how are you?

Of course it didn't go EXACTLY like that, but you get the gist. Now, if you know me, you'd know that this would never work in a million years. He may be a perfectly nice guy with a job, but the fact that HT couldn't guarantee he'd be taller than me was a dealbreaker. I once went out with a guy who was the same height as me, which is short since I'm 5'2", and I just couldn't get over the height thing. I hated that I had to wear flats and the whole time I felt like a hobbit couple. Call me shallow, but size really does matter.

The list of things I don't want in a guy is much longer than that itty bitty "requirements" list above, but we all have preferences...we can't help who we're attracted to, right?

*Due to the current economic situation, I could let this slide based on his plans. Actively looking for a job? Sure. Sitting at home on his parents' couch watching Oprah every afternoon? Uhhhh...no, thank you.

I'm Baaaack!

After a week of some fun in the extremely hot sun, I'm back on the east coast where it already feels like fall. Sigh...where did the summer go?

As usual I had a fantastic week, and I'm exhausted. I always feel like I run out of time on these trips and never get to spend enough quality time with my friends and family, but I do what I can. During this visit I opted to spend a little more time with the family mainly because I've been missing them a lot lately. Hopefully I'll be able to see everyone on my next visit, including PB & HB's new baby girl. She's scheduled to arrive on January 5, but I'm hoping she decides to make an early appearance so I can meet her. :)

The one thing I did a lot of on this trip was eat. Boy did I eat. I feel like I need to detox. Everything was just so good I couldn't resist. RJ introduced me to this awesome strawberry croissant thing that I'm craving now. Yum! I was also able to go to Sonic numerous times. I love my strawberry limeades and strawberry creamslushes. Happy hour between 2-4 p.m. was the greatest because all drinks were half off!

And of course I did manage to find time for the puppies. My sweet girl Roxy was awesome as usual and little Mocha and Bruce were so cute I just wanted to cuddle with them all day. Poor little Gizmo got stung in the nose by a bee and his mouth and nose swelled so much he had to be taken to the animal hospital. He's fine now, but I have to say, he looked really cute--kind of like Scooby Doo.

Now that I'm back it's time for me to gear up for September--lots of things going on including tons of work, all the fall TV premieres, the U.S. Open, Hamlet and outings with people I haven't seen in ages. Before I know it, October will be here already. Seriously, what happened to summer?

Did I mention I was tired?

No Circus for Me

My horoscope for today:

It won't be a boring day. Startling, for sure--shocking, maybe. But definitely not boring, humdrum or run-of-the-mill. Your first surprise will likely arrive via either a coworker or someone else you see on a daily basis. Either way, they won't be acting even remotely close to the way they usually do. Of course, you being you, you'll enjoy the change -- and encourage it. Hey, it's your job to be a sparkplug. Might as well have fun with it.

Lately this thing has been so accurate, it's scary. The week I was in a crappy, horrible mood, each horoscope for every day of that week mentioned something about me being angry and getting into disagreements. Totally freaked me out.

Before I read this morning's blurb, I received a surprising email from my boss asking my co-worker and I if we wanted tix to the Britney Spears concert. Apparently, one of the intern programs we work with is giving them to us as a thank you. Unfortunately, I'm out of town next week. Of course I totally would have gone because say what you will about the girl, but she really can put on a show. I went to her Pepsi-sponsored concert years ago because we got free tix from a family friend, and it was definitely entertaining. Oh well...I wonder if they have any tix to the U.S. Open they can give us. ;)

No matter--hopefully I'll be able to catch an Angels game while I'm home, and I'm really hoping my sister's hook-up can get us tix to the Pageant of the Masters in Laguna Beach. I've lived in Orange County most of my life and I still haven't been to a show. What is this you ask? It's basically an art show where they re-create famous works of art with real people. It's really cool if you're into that kind of stuff.

OK, I have a few more things to do before I hit the sheets, so I better get to them. Vacation here I come! Woohoo!

Goin' Back to Cali

I'm heading out West on Friday, and I'm pretty excited. As usual, I have some activities lined up already, but I'm also looking forward to spending some down time with the puppies...and my family, too.

I write about the puppies so often, I'm sure some are wondering why I don't have one of my own. The main reason is that the dog I want just doesn't fit into my lifestyle right now. Back home my aunt has a beautiful golden retriever, who's as sweet as can be, that she's willing to give me when I'm ready. Unfortunately, my building doesn't allow dogs over 25 pounds and I only live in 750 square feet with no yard. I realize people in the city have big dogs and small spaces, but I just couldn't do that to my dog. Plus, it'd be difficult to get home in time to let her out. It's usually 10-11 hours between the time I leave and when I get home. That's just torture. Of course, the last reason is economics. I just don't have the money for vets and doggie hotels.

So, I have to resort to traveling across the country to spend time with my favorite four-legged friends: Mocha, Bruce, Roxy and Gizmo. I used to have Diva in the city, but she moved to Colorado. Of course there's also Dolly and Lucy in Tennessee and Maui and Seymour in North Carolina. Before you say anything, yes, there are actual humans I can visit when I see these pups. And yes, I call all the dogs I love puppies.

Anyway, I've spent the week tying up loose ends at home and work. I'm going to have to do a little work on this vacation, but it's OK...I'm setting it up so all I have to do is click a few buttons to get everything updated. One thing I love about working on a website--you can do your job from anywhere.

I just packed my suitcase, so all I have to do tomorrow is put together some small odds and ends, and I should be good to go. I hope. It's funny, no matter how many lists you make or how prepared you think you are, you inevitably end up forgetting something. Which reminds me, I need to make sure my Dramamine is packed...

What is Jeopardy?

An awesome game show that I’ve recently rediscovered!


I used to watch it religiously when I was younger, mainly because my grandma always watched it along with Wheel of Fortune. You know that scene in She’s All That where the dad blurts out random answers while watching Jeopardy? Yeah, that was me and my grandma. Hell, it’s still me now. Although, sometimes I do surprise myself when I get one right—like the Final Jeopardy question on Friday. And the only reason I got it right was because I watched The Tudors. Who knew TV could make me smarter?

The minute European History went up, my first thought was, “Ha! I’d bet zero. That’s soooo not my subject.” My second thought was, “Wouldn’t it be funny if the answer was Henry VIII?” And it was! The clue was something about citing Levitcus’ “ If a man shall take his brother’s wife, it is an unclean thing…” in his divorce. Of course, anyone would have guessed him because he’s the most famous king to ever ask for a divorce, but this time I actually knew my answer was correct. Don’t you just love that feeling? OK, I’ll stop being a geek now.

BTW…Jeopardy is in the middle of its college tournament and a Mizzou girl made it to the semi-finals. I guess we all know who I’ll be rooting for this week. :)

Back to The Tudors…The other night I was looking at the official site and noticed the “Who the Tudor Are You?” section. So, wanting to know which one I was, I took the quiz. The little meter thing at the end was such a stupid tease. Just like The Price is Right wheel, "The Great Chain of Being" pointer leads you to believe you’re a Queen before dropping the bomb and telling you who you really are in the hierarchy. What did mine land on, you ask?


Yes, you read that right. I would have been a nun during the time of King Henry VIII. Here’s the official description:

Well done, Sister. Unlike the vast majority of the population, you’re morally pure, relatively well educated and, more importantly, you’re not horrendously filthy. Unfortunately, the price you pay for this cleanliness is a life of celibacy and constant prayer. You’re the closest thing to a nurse in your community, but if a rewarding life tending to the sick isn’t for you, don’t worry; King Henry is about to tear down all the nunneries and kick you out onto the streets. A life of chastity increases your lifespan, though, at your age, you can expect to live for another 23 years.

Get thee to a nunnery my ass! Whatever. Stupid quiz.

Dear Mr. Hughes...

At first I was going to let the day go by without mentioning John Hughes’ death, but then I realized I just couldn’t. How could I ignore a man whose movies were a huge part of my life? Although he’d been out of the spotlight and hadn’t written a teen masterpiece for years, the news of his death deeply saddened me. The possibility that he could pull together one last brilliant movie about teen angst is forever gone, but fortunately for us, his legacy lives on forever.

If asked what my favorite movie is, without hesitation I will always tell you Sixteen Candles, even though The Breakfast Club is more widely known for being his best work. Yes, my favorites list is very long and I don’t have the most discriminating eye, but there’s no other movie I’ve watched more than this one. I watched it so much I just gave up keeping track of the number. I’ll watch it on my birthday, if I’m happy, if I’m sad, when I need an escape, or if I’m flipping through channels and I see it. There was one period in my life when I came home from school every day and popped the tape into the VCR. Yes, it got that bad.


Look through my T-shirt collection and you’ll find Sixteen Candles, The Breakfast Club, Pretty in Pink and “I Love Jake Ryan.” My sister gave them to me for one of my birthdays, and they were the best presents I’d received that year. My “I Love Jake Ryan” shirt has been worn so much, his face has faded slightly, but it’s still my favorite shirt.

Even if you weren’t obsessed with Hughes’ films, there was no escaping them. Anyone who was a child or teen of the 80s knows his movies and can remember at least one great quote or memorable scene. How can you not know The Breakfast Club dance in the library or smile when you hear “Bueller. Bueller. Bueller.” It’s impossible to look at Molly Ringwald and not see awkward Sam, the Princess or outcast Andie. Anthony Michael Hall will forever be the scrawny geek no matter how big he gets. When I see Eric Stoltz and Mary Stuart Masterson, I think of that hot “practice kiss” in the garage. Of course, whenever I see that iconic photo of Sam and Jake sitting on the dining room table, as if they’re floating on a cloud, my heart will always flutter.

I always dreamed of writing characters and scenes as well as this man, but it’s just not possible. (Did you know he wrote The Breakfast Club in two days and Planes, Trains and Automobiles over a weekend?!) There is no way anyone can come close to what he’s done, so the only thing you can do is appreciate his work, acknowledge his influence and hope that one day your voice has the power to influence a generation much like his did.

So in honor of the man who heavily influenced my youth and still continues to do so to this day, I will throw on a T-shirt and watch Sixteen Candles and The Breakfast Club this weekend. (Sadly, the rest of my collection is on VHS in California.) I will laugh, swoon, recite my favorite lines and silently thank the man for always giving me a reason to smile.

Why Banks Suck

Aside from the obvious reasons--the financial meltdown, inflated executive bonuses, ridiculous fees, blah, blah, blah--I discovered another thing that makes me want to stuff money into my mattress.

I'm already pissed off about the lame way Chase is handling WAMU's switchover, but that's to be expected. What really lit a fire under me today was the fact that some random insurance company decided to withdraw money out of my account without my authorization. To top it off, this caused my account to be overdrawn. Yeah, not nice. Unfortunately, I did not discover this until after I deposited a check into this account. Now I can't even close it until the check clears and I can safely take out the money.

I called WAMU to file a dispute so hopefully the fee will be reversed and my money will be returned. They told me to call the company and have them reverse the charge, but after some online research, I discovered that this was happening to a crapload of WAMU and Chase customers. The charge was showing up in my account as a debit with no PIN authorization, but apparently this company was using routing and account numbers from checks. According to my findings, this insurance company was identified as a division under the AIG umbrella--another reason to hate them. I did attempt to call them, but the little recording said they had a high volume of phone calls and the wait would be longer than usual. Yeah, I think I know why they have a high volume of calls. Perhaps they should stop stealing people's money!

With all these banks merging and buying each other out to form these SuperBanks, I'm wondering more and more about their ability to secure my personal information and money.

Until this whole thing gets resolved, I've initiated every alert I can think of on that account to make sure I know exactly what's going in and coming out in the next week or two. Once I'm in the clear, I'm shutting that thing down. They're not taking more of my hard-earned money. That privilege only goes to the government--mainly because I don't really have a choice in the matter.

I'd Rather Be...

When I'm at work and 4:30 p.m. hits, I like to play a game called, "5 Places I'd Rather Be." Today's locations include:

1. On a ship (heavily medicated) in the Aegean Sea
2. Disneyland. (This happens once every few years, and I've been seeing lots of commercials lately.)
3. On the deck of a beach house looking at a sunset
4. Hanging out in CA with my sister's puppies
5. In an empty pool

The list is different every day, but #3 and #4 show up pretty often.

I'm usually wiped out by 3 p.m. After five hours of sitting behind a desk I tend to get antsy. If I could find a job that allows me to work on a laptop from anywhere, I'd take it in a heartbeat. Technically, this job could easily be that, but unfortunately, my bosses would see it more as a detriment than a benefit.

My least favorite time of the day has to be the afternoon, specifically 2-5, even on the weekends. During the week it drags and I'm prone to falling asleep. On weekends it's kind of a signal to me that the day's almost over, meaning Monday will be here before I know it. Yeah, 2-5 is a killer for me.

So what exactly is my favorite time of the day? Oddly enough, it's 2-5 a.m.--well, if I'm still awake. During those times when I'm still up, I find myself enjoying the complete silence (well, as silent as it can possibly be considering where I live). There's something about thinking that I'm the only one awake that's comforting to me. I know no one is going to bother me about deadlines or projects that need to get done. I know that no one's going to interrupt me if I have a thought that needs to be written down. I know it's just me and my thoughts, and I'm OK with that scenario.

On Friday night I stayed up until 4 a.m. reading a book. For some reason I felt compelled to finish it. It's been a while since I've done that and it felt good. There were a few moments when I stopped reading and just listened. What did I hear? Nothing. Absolutely nothing--and it was nice. It was just me and the book, and I felt...relaxed. Let me tell you, that doesn't happen very often. Yes, I get tired to the point of not being able to move or think, but that's not what one would call relaxed.

Anyway, I'd also have to say that morning, around 6-8, is another favorite--if I'm actually up at that time. I find it really odd that I like these times of the day when I'm totally not a morning person. It takes me 30 minutes just to drag myself out of bed in the morning. But I have a feeling that if I didn't have this lame 9-5 schedule to maintain, I'd be a better morning person.

Anyway...right now I'd rather be in bed. Night!

Song in My Head

Apparently I have music on the brain this weekend. Occasionally I become obsessed with finding something on the Internet, and I don't stop until I find it. A while ago I decided to look online for a clip of a show. If you must know, there was a scene in What I Like About You where one of the characters sang an old song from the 40s. I liked her version of it so much I decided I needed to find that scene online, and I did--on YouTube.

For some reason, I felt like listening to the song today, but when I went to the bookmarked link I found out the page no longer existed. Of course the video was taken down because Warner Bros. complained--whatever.

Thankfully, it didn't take me too long to find the video on Dailymotion. But then I decided I wanted the video file just in case that one got ripped down, too. I knew the only way I was ever going to hear this version of the song again was through this show. So, after a little research, I managed to capture the video from the site. I thought that was it. I thought that was enough to satisfy me. Nope. I decided that I only wanted that one scene and didn't want to fast forward through the first six minutes of the video. So again, after some research, I was able to convert the video, edit it down and make a new copy.

No, the story doesn't end there, because of course I needed to be able to listen to it on my iPod whenever I wanted. Since I don't have any fancy editing software, I couldn't isolate the audio and get rid of the extra dialogue. Without going into all the boring details, I did manage to do what I could to clean it up and can now share the final product with you. Yes, it was a long process, but well worth it for me.

So here it is..."The More I See You" performed by Allison Munn:

Grease Is the Word

I'm sitting here on the couch trying to relax and watching Grease. For the millionth time. I don't know what it is about this movie, but it's the only one that makes me want to sing. Well, this and the Sound of Music. "Summer Nights" comes on and all of a sudden I'm bopping my head and trying to hit that high note both Olivia Newton John and John Travolta do so well. You know what I'm talking about. You know you've tried to hit that high note, too. Don't deny it.

Well, tonight that wasn't the song that made me bust out like Whitney Houston on crack. As I caught up on my blog reading, I suddenly started singing "Hopelessly Devoted to You." I didn't even know I was doing it until I found myself struggling to breathe. Yeah, I never could figure out how to get the breathing right while singing. Or maybe I just have bad lungs from inhaling all the NYC bus fumes.

Anyway, point is I'm not much of a singer. If you heard me, you'd know why. My sister instantly shushes me when she hears me start to sing along with the radio. I blame my mother for my inability to carry a tune. The only difference between me and her is that she doesn't care and will sing her little heart out at church until the very end. I guess I need to give her credit for her I-don't-give-a-crap attitude.

Yes, this is my Friday night.

Up, Down & Sideways

My last post was about a day I'd classify as a good one. Staying at home and just hanging out without a care in the world is one of my favorite things. It was a day I desperately needed--which I realized even more the next day.

For some reason I was in a bad mood all week. I'm not one of those people who's obsessed with horoscopes, but there is a slot on My Yahoo! page that gives me the daily rundown. Sometimes I read it in the morning, other times I read it at the end of the day. Oddly enough, each day seemed right on and it was creeping me out. It basically kept saying I was on the brink of blowing up--that I was in a pissed off mood and everyone should just keep their distance. Every day that week I almost walked into my boss' office and said, "I quit." I really wanted to--I've been daydreaming about it all year. I was so cranky I almost got into a huge fight with a coworker I normally get along with, but luckily it didn't go further than a few frustrated comments and tense moments.

As much as I love what I do, I can't stand the environment. This seems to be a trend with me. I'm one of those people who will always get the job done, but I hate being bothered with stupid details, pointless meetings or doing someone else's job. Sadly, that seems to be what the real world is all about and I'm finding it harder and harder to deal with this reality.

So after a week of being angry me, I really wanted to just sit back, relax and enjoy a great summer day, which did happen. I went to sleep that Saturday night completely content and able to push away the stresses that have been plaguing me for a while. It only lasted a few hours.

At 7:30 Sunday morning I heard water falling in my sleep. I inwardly groaned and thought that it couldn't be raining again, not after such a beautiful Saturday. I opened my eyes and saw the sunlight coming through my curtains, but where was the rain coming from? It dawned on me that it was coming from inside my home. I jumped out of bed and checked the bathroom. Water was falling from above. I ran to the kitchen and saw a small pond forming on my floor. I grabbed my robe and ran upstairs, praying my neighbors were home. After what seemed like an eternity, I heard someone on the other side stumble to the door. The hose that connected their toilet to the wall had burst and we couldn't shut the water off. Of course neither of us knew where the main water lines were so we had to wake the neighbors up. Luckily one woke up and was able to shut off the water.

I ran back downstairs and grabbed a bunch of bowls to catch all the leaks in the kitchen. Since I had no paper towels or rags, I had to grab all my bath towels and throw them down in order to save my hardwood floors. I furiously tried to dry the floor while emptying the bowls that were rapidly filling up. When I was sure that the floor was as dry as possible, I sat in my dining area and just waited for the water to stop falling.

The water damage may not look that bad here, but you should have seen the amount of water falling from the ceiling. The light fixture was full of water and when I opened the microwave, water came falling out.

My attempt at drying the floor. See how yellow the water in the bowl is on top of the counter? No, it's not urine, but it's still gross.

Luckily, my microwave still works.

As I sat there watching the water fall from my microwave into that little bowl sitting on the stove, I felt like crying, but instead called my mom and woke her up at 4:30 a.m. PT. I really needed to vent about this, especially since this was the third time something like this has happened.

Just some of the water damage in the bathroom. Everything else was covered in water--the toilet, the sink, the entire floor and my rugs.

The water damage above my front door. Since the wood warped by the door, it gets stuck in two spots when I open it. Granted, the first spot was already there before, but the second one was caused by the leak.

I spent the rest of the day at the laundromat washing all the dirty towels and disinfecting my kitchen and bathroom. By the end of the day I was completely exhausted and sadly, all my efforts to dry the floor did not keep them from warping.

Oh, and to top off the day, when I got home from the laundromat our fire alarm decided to go off. Within minutes we had the fire department at our front door. There was no fire, but they think the flooding that morning might have messed with the system. Nice.

Now, the question is, who's responsible for fixing the water damage and replacing the warped floorboards? Apparently, the issue is very confusing and the answers are split. After talking to my insurance company they said I could try to work something out with my neighbor but if that didn't work I could file a claim with them. So of course this whole thing has had my stomach in knots all week. I talked to my neighbor and she said she'd talk to her insurance company and that we'd try to figure this out together. I'm so defeated I don't think I care either way.

I know things could have totally been worse, like both of us being out of town and my entire home being drenched in gross yellow water. I get that, but I was still really annoyed. Now that a week has gone by, I don't really care at this point. If she wants to help with the expenses fine. If not, fine. After doing some research, I think the repairs might actually cost less than my deductible anyway.

I'm sure this story was a little boring to some of you, but if you were able to hang in there, thanks for reading. I guess I still needed to vent a little more.