three good things

3/7/10

2010-03-07T08:51:00.000-08:00

-no cigarettes, 34 days
-started doing push ups and stomach exercises in anticipation of possible quitting smoking weight gain
-seem to have lost weight, not gained it

2/17/2010

2010-02-17T19:51:00.000-08:00

-found a $300 pair of Frye boots at Thrift Town for $14
-walked around the mission
-enjoyed the fucking fabulous weather we've been having lately. Why aren't you visiting right now?

2/16/2010

2010-02-16T19:56:00.000-08:00

-my nicotine patch now gives me a buzz
-I am happy to have quit smoking just in time to smell all of the wonderful flowering trees
-it was 65 and sunny today!!!!!!!

2/8/2010

2010-02-08T16:40:00.000-08:00

-sold my couch, rearranged my apartment completely
-cigarette free, 7 days (it is far from easy)
-going for a bike ride with the main objective of eating fried chicken at the end

2/4/2010

2010-02-04T20:35:00.000-08:00

-Healthy SF is covering most of the cost of my MRI
-Quit smoking (on the patch, no cigarettes) three days
-Ted made the most delicious curry, and let me eat it

1/28/2010

2010-01-29T01:08:00.000-08:00

-got rid of the e-cig, moving on to the patch
-sunshine
-feeling super inspired about jewelry

01.21.10

2010-01-22T01:00:00.000-08:00

-laying on the floor, listening to records
-cute kitties, sleeping
-thunderstorms!

1/8/2010

2010-01-08T23:21:00.000-08:00

-really into dirty projectors: bitte orca
-learning how to be okay with feeling lonely, the hard way
-made roasted Brussels sprouts with bacon, red onion and lemon juice

1/7/2010

2010-01-08T00:58:00.000-08:00

-no cigarettes for 7 days
-feels so good to be home
-happy, free

1/1/2010

2010-01-01T19:15:00.000-08:00

-quit smoking, day one
-hung out with my family and extended family
-relaxed

12/31/2009

2010-01-01T00:24:00.001-08:00

-saw my first snowfall in years
-had a really pleasant new year
-saw my grandma, it made me very sad but helped me understand
-renegotiated rent with my jewelry studio landlord, now I'm paying less than half what I was paying before

12/25

2009-12-25T01:37:00.000-08:00

-made the same amount of tips in 5 hours as I normally do in 7
-had a wonderful video chat
-am starting to learn how to stand up for myself, maybe

12/23/09

2009-12-23T23:51:00.000-08:00

-renewed my drivers license and didn't have to take any tests
-spent my $140 store credit on records at amoeba (really easy to do)
-had a nice dinner with chris

12/21/2009

2009-12-21T22:02:00.000-08:00

-felt like I'm beginning to grasp what it is to be human
-didn't get rained on
-ordered an e-cig online

12/20/2009

2009-12-21T02:18:00.001-08:00

-walked to the farmers market
-bought myself a couple of birthday presents from Anthropologie
-went to a show at cafe du nord with Michael and had a wonderful time

12/19/2009

2009-12-19T22:01:00.000-08:00

-survived my birthday party
-someone sent me a beautiful bouquet of flowers
-toulouse came and sat in my lap and purred

My current mantra:

2009-11-28T22:14:00.000-08:00

Feel lucky, be rational.

I lead a charmed life

2009-10-23T01:00:00.000-07:00

I'm putting my rough times behind me.

Life has been so grand. I cannot fully describe how thankful I am to be here, right now. I love living in this city so much.

My studio is all set up, and I have been working hard! I am now managing my little wonderful cafe, and I love it! I have never loved a job before.

I feel so so so so lucky to have gotten out of Seattle and my previous relationship. I feel so strong. I love life.

2009-09-20T12:41:00.000-07:00

Sometimes I feel like every time I get one step forward, I am pushed two steps back. It's okay, I'll keep pushing forward, but it hasn't been easy.

I got the studio I wanted, and it's perfect. I love this little place, it is so construction-chic. Work is going well, although I am making less money than expected.

What I really love about work though, is how few compromises I have to make. I feel good about everything we sell, and I love how they value quality over speed (but I can do both!).

Financially I'm stretched pretty thin. I've had a bunch of unexpected expenses lately, including a $400 towing fee, $120 for a rental car, and $800 for a new jewelers bench. My old bench shit the bed.

I decided to invest in a nicer bench, although it is by no means the nicest (those run around $2000). I'm going to the studio to put it together today.

I'm holding strong, but I haven't felt like myself for weeks. Hopefully this passes.

2009-09-03T23:52:00.000-07:00

I survived!

I am working at my new job, and I love it. I have always felt when working at past cafes that I had to try really hard to make people like me. At this job I feel like I am myself and people love me. It's great, and next week I will have a meeting with the owners about becoming a manager. Still not sure how I feel about it, I'm kind of scared!

The restaurant and the cafe are owned by the same people and have the same name, but they are two doors apart. Every day I work, I get a free meal from the restaurant part of the business. Getting a $16 pizza for free, I can hardly complain! This one had roma tomatoes, prosciutto, fresh mozzerella and spinach. Mmmmm mmm. Everything that comes out of that restaurant is so amazing. They also make our pastries. Pants with elastic waistbands, here I come!

One of my coworkers is going to help me move into my studio next week. I'm excited!

My friend from out of town came to visit, and it was lovely! Of course he dropped a U-Lock on his toe within 6 hours of being in San Francisco which put a damper on many of our bicycling plans, but we had fun anyway. The highlight was probably going to the Fisherman's Wharf farmers market, and then cooking the bounty of produce and meat we purchased there. Very memorable.

A new chapter

2009-07-20T00:05:00.000-07:00

Living by myself has been everything and more than I had hoped it would be.

There is something so nice about being able to decorate however I like, and to have my own space. I know this is fresh and new, but I don't know if I ever want to cohabitate with anyone again. My idea of the perfect "cohabitation" would be two apartments across the hall from each other, or two tiny houses in the middle of the woods with a garden and patio between them.

I am settling in nicely, and I started work last Friday. I get the feeling that if I work full time at this job for too long I'm going to get pretty burned out. Eventually I'd like to find a coffee job a few days a week and stay at the jewelry store the other few.

I'm researching jewelry studios, and renters insurance. I am in desperate need of more pillows, but aside from that I think everything has just about worked out. I have a new bed, frame, and sheets and it doesn't quite feel like mine yet, but it's getting there.

A girl could get used to this.

2009-06-30T02:26:00.000-07:00

I'm not a huge fan of horoscopes, but I have to admit I always turn to them when I feel lost. These from the Washington Post seem to be hitting the bullseye lately.

Sagittarius November 22 - December 21

For Tuesday, June 30 -As fiery as you are -- and that's pretty darned hot -- when you say you're ready to get the show on the road, as far as a work project goes, there's absolutely no doubt that it's all going to come together, and quickly, too. You're set to pull off something like that now, and there'll be no stopping you, either -- just as long as you manage your time carefully and don't waste a single moment. You can do it. You just need to believe you can do it.

haha. I love it.

Recap

2009-06-05T02:03:00.000-07:00

So I haven't been updating lately because pretty much my life got thrown into a blender.

Paris was nice until the last week, where Jason broke up with me. Shits been crazy since then. I've been surviving though. All in all I'm doing a lot better than I ever thought I would in a situation like this.

I came back to Seattle for 5 days with just enough time to finish making Michelle's ring and the was off to MSP. I had a great time there, including my first dance party in over three years, laying out at the beach and cooking duck confit for Lauren and Joe.

Next was my $9 Megabus ride from MSP to Madison. I doubt there has ever been a more pleasant Megabus ride.

Madison was wonderful. I got along with my parents for the first time ever. I got to see friends and family. I could eat like a normal person and never got too drunk. Had a hilarious bicycle accident. Spent $8 on three hours of bowling and beer (gotta love Wisconsin). Went to Michelle's wedding and it was unbelievably beautiful. Of course I cried. The rings fit them perfectly. Got to ride my favorite bike around and felt relaxed and happy.

Then back to Seattle where reality set in and I immediately lost my appetite. I can't really complain about losing weight, especially without much effort. But goddamn, I wouldn't recommend it.

Being in the apartment that we shared for so many years is the hardest part. The evening of my first day back I decided to change my plane tickets to two weeks sooner, so I can get the heck out of this town. There is nothing left for me here, and it is only doing damage to me.

I've been keeping busy selling my things on craigslist. Last week I made $1000 selling bike stuff alone. Not too shabby. I also called up my old boss in San Francisco and he's happy to have me back. I am thrilled, everything is lining up.

Now I just need to find a decent apartment that I can afford. I'm going on Tuesday to SF for some apartment hunting. I can't wait.

2009-05-31T10:20:00.001-07:00

I don't know what is going to happen. I am scared.

Suite of the Fearless Tall Dude Killer

2009-05-26T10:09:00.000-07:00

Time has been flying by. In the middle of the first week in Paris, I came down with Parisian flu. It was pretty nasty. My flu coincided with a rainy week in Paris, so we used it as an opportunity to get all of the museum exploring out of the way. We explored Musee d'Orsay, the Louvre, Grand Palais (my favorite) and Le Centre Pompidou.
Here are some pics I took at the Grand Palais

Photos in the reflection of a huge metallic beach ball

We went to Montmartre one day, and Versailles another day. Montmartre was more touristy that I was expecting, and we had our first really bad meal. I don't know if I will ever be brave enough to try moules frites again. The view was lovely though.

If you'd like to see all of my photos, click on any of them and it will take you to my Flickr page.

We also went to London and explored the National Portrait Gallery, and the National Gallery. Both very interesting, and I am officially all museum-ed out.

I really appreciate the pace of life in Paris. I know that if I lived here that I would probably not get anything done, as working too hard is frowned upon here. With so many nice parks and public areas, it is difficult not to spend all of your time lounging around in them. I find it really interesting that there is not much good modern art here (only good classic art). But it is not much of a surprise.

We got back from London yesterday. I had a nice time there, but I don't really like it that much. London feels kind of uncomfortable, and there are just way too many people there. No, that's not it exactly. It's more like the same amount of people as Paris, but 50x more chaotic--like there is no flow to it. Every street name seems to change at every block, making it very difficult to locate stores and restaurants. I am completely boggled by the system of streets/numbering.
But we did have a nice time, and we even spotted Jerry Springer walking down the street while we were at a pub. Sadly, I wasn't able to whip out my camera in time!

My head has been filling with ideas, and I am very excited to make new rings. I am enjoying my time in Paris, but I miss my kitties and creature comforts quite a bit. I look forward to returning home.

2009-05-10T12:43:00.000-07:00

Yesterday we rented bicycles. Paris has a system of bicycle stations all over the city called Velib. You can rent one for a 5€ per week. If you use it for less than 30 minutes each time, there is no extra charge! So ideally you could hop on a new bike every 30 minutes and get no extra charge. It's really easy and fun!

There are bike lanes EVERYWHERE, it is so nice.

As far as getting around and communicating, things have been pretty easy. My french is a bit rusty, but it's coming back to me so quickly. I'm still having a rough time pronouncing my r's correctly, but I'm working on it!

Here are some photos from the past couple of days:

Marche aux Puces (flea market) de Saint Ouen

These are my people

2009-05-09T06:52:00.000-07:00

How could you not love a country that makes the most simple delicious foods so affordable? Wine, cheese and baguette are so cheap! Our fridge is full of cheeses, and it smells like the feet of angels.

This is the view of sunset from the apartment window. Its kind of unreal!

These are macarons I bought at Fauchon, an amazing bakery/epicurean's heaven. They have everything you could want. Baguettes; madelines with pistachio filling; an entire wall of foie gras to choose from; picnic sets that contain a bottle of Veuve Cliquot and two wine glasses; candies chocolates coffee beans and a take away section that is drool worthy.
My favorite thing right now is to get a baguette sandwich and eat it in the park. Did I mention that they always put butter on baguette sandwiches?!!!

We are walking so much my feet are covered with blisters, and it feels good. More later, I need a nap.