Peppy's Dream Moving Adventure Blog

Yes, it’s true.  After 115 days of blogging, I forgot.  It’s not like I thought of it and put it off, or pushed it out of my mind.  It just never entered my mind!  I can’t believe it myself.  I think part of the problem was that yesterday was pretty boring (except for the cable saga) and I usually will think about the blog if I have something important to write about.  I think that’s what happened.  So, here’s the entry for yesterday – I say better late than never!

The cable guy was supposed to come between 7:30am and 11:30am, and the last guy who came (and just hooked up the DVR box in the living room) told us he would probably be there at 7:30am.  So, we had to set the alarm REALLY early (6:30am), take showers and get dressed to be presentable.  Now you know, because we were ready at 7:30am, that the guy didn’t show up until 11:50am!  It was actually AFTER the four-hour window.  Eric and I just hung around for a while.  Then Eric went back to bed (fully dressed) and I soon joined him.  When the bell rang at 11:50am we were both sleeping!

We let the guy in, told him what we needed, and he proceeded to tell us he was going to have to rip up the rug in the living room, put the cable wire underneath and run it into the bedroom.  Whoa!  I told him that the reason the box wasn’t installed in the bedroom last time was that we wanted the line run from the OUTSIDE.  He said he wasn’t allowed to do that, unless I had a letter.  I showed him the letter, which said that lines could be run anywhere needed and he said that he STILL couldn’t run it, because the letter didn’t specifically say that lines could be run anywhere OUTSIDE.

By now, I was furious (and most of you know about the Wrath of Peppy).  I was yelling at the guy, telling him that we specifically had this appointment made so a line could be run from the outside.  He kept saying he couldn’t do it without the letter. I called my landlord (who – I’ve mentioned – luckily lives about 100 feet away).  I told him the situation and he printed out another letter with the correct wording.  If Brett wasn't home for some reason, the guy wouldn't have done it and we wouldn't have gotten the cable in the bedroom.

I really believe this guy knew EXACTLY what he had to do, but he didn’t want to get the big ladder, climb up on the roof and do all the extra work, including drilling a hole through the wall.  He thought it would be a lot easier to just run the line from the living room, so that’s what he wanted to do.

Now that he had the correct letter, and the building manager was standing right there, he had no choice but to do it.  He drilled a hole through the wall and hit something.  He went outside to check it out and told us he had drilled a hole through the drain pipe.  Nice!  Now, he had to drill a SECOND hole – about 2 inches from the first one – to run the wire.

He finally finished it, but then told Eric that he didn’t have a box to hook up.  I hit the roof again.  He told us that he was sent ONLY to run the wire and that he could hook us up with cable, but the digital box would have to be installed another time.  So, I called the cable company and they’re coming tomorrow (Wednesday) between 12:30pm and 2:30pm.  Now, Eric and I are not working and are home most of the time, so it’s really no inconvenience.  But what if we were both working (like most normal people)?  I think it’s insane that it’s taking three appointments to get us connected properly.

He finally finished, and he apologized for the misunderstanding.  I apologized for yelling at him.  He said he understood our frustration and that he was just doing his job.  I guess it's not his fault, but the cable company here certainly leaves something to be desired!  I know I requested TWO digital boxes -- one with DVR and one without -- so why is it taking three appointments to get it?  Now we DO have cable in the bedroom, but not the extra channels and guide that you get with the digital box.  I really don’t care about the extra channels, but I need the DVR (so I can tape my shows).  Eric doesn’t need the DVR, but he needs the extra channels (for his basketball and other sports).  So, we are hopeful we will be set up completely and everything will be right on Wednesday.

When he left it was after 1:00pm and I wanted to go food shopping.  Eric said he’d join me, although he was in a lot of pain with a headache, neckache and backache.  He’s a mess.  It’s definitely the depression.  Everything hurts.  It’s getting harder and harder to motivate him.  He’d sleep all day if he could.  I thought getting into the apartment would be good, because it would keep him busy – and it did – for a week.  Now, he’s losing interest and I have to keep asking him for help with stuff.

We went food shopping, came back and I worked on the computer while he watched TV.  Eric and I had worked on putting together a resume for him, so he would be ready for the job hunt, and I was working on editing mine, too.  I was also job-searching online and submitting resumes through email.  I’ll see if I hear back from anyone.  My resume is a little weird, because the last five years I was a business owner, so I’ve kind of been out of the corporate world for a while.  Don’t know if that will work in my favor, or against me.

I wanted to set up my vanity.  I had put out all the accessories and the lamps were plugged in, but the three mirrors that hang in the back weren’t screwed onto the back yet.  Eric did that for me, and it looks really great.  That vanity is one of my favorite pieces, which is why I brought it from New York.  I have had it for almost 20 years and I really love it.  Now, with the mirrors hanging and the crystals on my grandmother’s lamps sparking in the light, it makes this more like home and makes me happy.  I will take a picture, as soon as the room is set up.

I made us another big salad for dinner, with all the fresh veggies I bought at KEILS.  Eric and I love the big salad.  I put some leftover chicken in his.  My favorite thing to put in a salad is cilantro.  I don’t know if I’ve ever mentioned how much I love cilantro.  It is my favorite herb.  I also love dill, but nothing beats cilantro!  Eric loves it, too.  I buy a bunch of fresh cilantro and put a lot of leaves in the salad with the baby spinach (which is healthier than just plain greens).  It’s SO delicious!  I also put some shredded cheddar cheese, and nuts – whatever’s around – or sunflower seeds.  Eric also likes croutons.  I bought “hot house” cherry tomatoes and they were delicious.  I also put in cucumber, green pepper, and avocado.

We love all vegetables, so it just depends on what looks good at the grocery.  I sometimes use fresh, sliced mushrooms, broccoli, or snap peas.  I got my salad-making technique from my mother.  She always started every meal (and still does) with a salad.  We just make the salad the whole meal!

After dinner we just watched TV and I worked on the computer.  It’s weird, because I did work on the computer a couple of times yesterday, but I never thought of the blog.  It boggles my mind.

I asked Eric to take me for a ride on the bicycle (today) and he didn’t really want to, so we’ll see what happens.  I am not dying to go riding (obviously), but I figure if that’s the only way to get him on a bicycle, I’ll do it.  I DO need the exercise (believe me), so it will be good for both of us.

By the way, I haven’t yet purchased a scale, but I have now had a chance to examine my naked body in a full-length mirror.  My body has changed a LOT.  I can’t believe what I look like.  I still have no idea how many pounds I’ve gained, but I kind of thought it was all around my middle (which is where I usually gain weight).  Now that I’ve had a chance to look at myself, I see I have gained weight EVERYWHERE – in all the wrong places.  Not a pretty picture, I can assure you.  I know I’ve been eating better since we moved in, but I still need to get going.  I have to drive over to a yoga place right nearby and get their schedule.

Eric has promised me that he will take a yoga class, but I figure I’d better go first and check it out.  If it’s all girls, it’s going to be hard to get him in there.  It’s going to be hard anyway!  I really think yoga would be fantastic for him.  It will make him feel better, get him stretching (which he never does) and I think the spiritual aspect will be good for him, too.  It was always good for me!

I woke up early today, at least earlier than usual – 8:00am.  The first thing I thought of was the fact that I forgot to blog yesterday!  It was so strange.  So, I got up, and I wrote my blog for yesterday.

Then Eric got up and we did things around the apartment.  He made his favorite breakfast – grits!  He’s always loved grits, and enjoyed a lot of the REAL stuff when we were on the road.  There’s lots of great grits to be had in the south!  He makes real grits (they’re not instant), but they’re still not as good as the stuff they serve with biscuits and gravy!  I’m not much into grits myself.  I had SPECIAL K Chocolately Delight Cereal!

Eric and I have made plans to go to South Carolina for the week between the holidays.  We’re leaving very early on Christmas Eve day and coming back very early on New Year’s Eve day.  We don’t have any family here to spend the holidays with, so why not go away?  This time, we're flying!

Eric wants to check out the mountain biking in South Carolina, so I printed out a lot of information about bike shops, trails, organizations and clubs.  He made a few phone calls and found out about a place to rent a bike while we’re there, so he can go riding.  I’m anxious to see what the weather is like in South Carolina at the end of December.  It’s supposed to be pretty mild there, so I should be okay.  I think it will be good for us go, because Eric isn’t having much fun here, and a week of riding should lift his spirits.

We’re going to COLUMBIA, which is the capitol of South Carolina.  It’s right in the middle, so it’s not close to the beaches (or the hurricanes).  It’s also milder in the middle than it is on the coasts.  It’s a pretty big city, with lots of theater, so I’m hoping to catch a show or two while Eric’s out riding!

This afternoon we went out for a bicycle ride.  Eric wasn’t too enthusiastic, but it was a gorgeous day, and we had nothing better to do!  We rode down Clairemont Drive a couple of miles and then turned around and came back.  It was pretty easy riding – no big hills – and Eric was showing me how to “spin” which means peddling really fast in an easy gear, which he says burns more calories than peddling slower in a harder gear (which makes you work harder, but can actually hurt your knees!).  All during the ride he trains me, helping me to be a better rider, and keeping me safe!  He’s the best.

When we arrived back there was a package in our door -- a big box of fruit and other treats from HARRY AND DAVID, sent by our friends, Julie and Ken.  It was such a great surprise and Eric and I immediately opened it and had a great “snack lunch.”  There were pears and apples, cheese, sausage, nuts, chocolates and "Moose Munch" popcorn.  I called Julie, to thank her, and we had a great talk.  I really miss all my girlfriends.

Then my niece, April, called.  I really miss my girls, too (all my nieces).  I am very close with them and enjoyed being with them when we lived in NY.  We’d go out to eat and they’d fill me in on what was going on in their lives.  They’re all beautiful, sweet girls.  April said she’s going to try to come for a visit in January, maybe with her sister, Jessica.  It would be so great to see them!

After my phone calls, I relaxed for a while and then did a little more unpacking.  Then, I made dinner – KRAFT Macaroni & Cheese.  I also made a turkey/Swiss wrap for Eric, to go with the macaroni.  I wasn’t that hungry, since we had snacked just 3 hours before.  We had a little light ice cream for dessert and I was ready to blog!

I typed for a while, watched some TV and then my sister, Audrey, called.  She fractured a bone in her foot and has to wear one of those boots for a few weeks.  My poor darling.  She’s very active, so this is really hard on her.  I hope she’s MUCH better REAL soon.  She’s got a trip planned to the Galapagos Islands in February, so she’s got to get that foot healed and in perfect condition, so she can hike!

After I hung up with Audrey, my friend, Geri, called.  She and her husband, Larry, were away on their “Amazonian Adventure” and just got back a few days ago.  I didn’t really have a chance to talk to her in weeks.  We were on the phone for almost an hour, talking about all that’s going on here with us, and with her and Larry in NY.  Today was definitely a day for telephone talking – Julie, April, Audrey and Geri!  Wow!

Tomorrow Cable Guy #3 is coming, and we are hoping that everything will be hooked up and ready for viewing!  It’s been great having the TV in the bedroom, but I need my DVR!!

I woke up at about 9:30am, but Eric was still sleeping, so I went into the living room and sat at the computer for a while.  Then, my phone rang.  It was my sister-in-law, Susan, calling to see how we were doing.  After I spoke to her, Eric and I had breakfast and he started working on the shelves again.  He finished sanding them all (outside), then started staining them.

While he was doing that, I used something called RESTOR-A-FINISH to clean and polish the frames on four beautiful watercolors of fruit that I brought from NY.  They were in my shop on consignment for a long time and no one bought them.  I always loved them, and didn’t understand why no one wanted them.  When the woman came to pick them up, I offered her a small amount and told her I would buy them, if she didn’t want them back.  I told her I was going to bring them to San Diego and hang them in my kitchen.  She happily sold them to me.  They’re really interesting, because they have fabric mats and are framed in old dark pine wood.  They depict pears, plums, apples and peaches.  We’re going to hang two in the kitchen and two in the dinette (which is right next to the kitchen) on the wall with the four shelves.  It should look really beautiful!  The artist, Kupur, is a watercolorist from the 1940s-50s.

Each frame had nicks, scratches and was marred by dirt and age.  The RESTOR-A-FINISH really did the trick!  It cleaned the wood, polished the frames and hid all the nicks, scratches and other flaws.  They almost look like new, but better because they’re vintage!  I considered painting them, but Eric said it would be much better to just polish them up, so they were kept in their original state.  He was right.  They look fabulous!  I can’t wait for him to hang them.

When I was done, I decided to take a ride to Pacific Beach.  I had been in a store called BUFFALO EXCHANGE, where they buy and sell used and vintage clothing.  I thought I’d bring a bunch of clothes and shoes I’m no longer wearing and see what I could get.  The clothes were mostly newer items, with some from the 1980s.  There were also designer items – Betsy Johnson, Adrienne Vittadini and Cynthia Rowley.  I brought two big bags into the store.  Another woman right in front of me had three shopping bags.  One girl took her stuff and another girl took my stuff.  They were both under 25, heavily tattooed and not very friendly.  The one girl looked through ALL my stuff, was only interested in 3 or 4 things and, after hearing what she was offering, I ended up selling ONE blouse (which I bought last year).  She said she would sell it for $9.50 and I get one-third, so I got a little over $3.00.  WOW!  My big haul!

I had brought in some fabulous vintage shoes – 1940s and 1950s, and I couldn’t believe they didn’t want them!  There was a sign that said they were looking for “unique vintage items.”  I mentioned this to the girl and she said I should try WEAR IT AGAIN SAM, which is in Hillcrest.  I told her I had been there before, and it was a fabulous shop.  I left there feeling like an idiot, mostly because of the way they treated me.  I would NEVER do that to any of my consignors.  If I didn’t like something, I would explain that it just wouldn’t sell in my shop, because it wasn’t the right era, or the condition wasn’t good enough, but I never made them feel bad.  They made me feel rejected, and I didn’t like it one bit!

I headed right to WEAR IT AGAIN SAM in HILLCREST.  I first visited them the day Eric and I arrived in San Diego in October (before we headed to Las Vegas).  It was the most gorgeous shop, filled with the most amazing vintage clothing, accessories, jewelry, purses, and shoes.  I was drooling!

I got a spot right in front of the shop, and went inside with my shoes.  A beautifully-dressed woman came out of the back.  She was wearing a white top with a black cardigan, a black skirt and had a leopard belt and matching leopard shoes.  She looked SO stylish.  She had black hair and red lipstick.  She was fabulous!

I asked her if she bought vintage items, and she said they were only looking for pre-1950s.  I showed her three pairs of shoes I had and she loved them all.  She asked if I wanted a credit or cash.  Unlike at BUFFALO EXCHANGE, I knew there would be HUNDREDS of things I’d like to buy, so I told her I would take the credit.  She said she’d give me $25 – EACH!  I got a $75 credit.  I proceeded to try on some great dresses, but I’m SO fat that nothing fit.  If this isn’t motivation to lose weight, I just don’t know what is.  They had at least 5 or 6 dresses I would DIE to have, but I can’t fit into ANY of them!  I decided to leave with my $75 credit, since she said it was good forever!

I struck up a conversation with the woman, who introduced herself as Barbara.  There was also a handsome young man working there named Travis.  We talked for a while.  I told them I had a shop in NY, but didn’t sell clothing.  I told them how much I loved their shop, how fabulous everything was, and how beautifully it was all displayed.  They definitely know how to show things so they look their best.  They also have everything organized so well – all the sterling jewelry in one case; the rhinestones in another; the colored stones in another.  The velvet coats were all on one rack; the leopard and other fake-fur coats on another.  It was a pleasure to browse.

The shop is just about as large as mine was, but they don’t sell furniture.  They DO have some things displayed in the most fabulous art deco curios.  I know a lot of my girls would just love this place and I’m glad it wasn’t in Long Island while I was there!  It would have given me stiff competition.  The only difference is – the prices!  This place is expensive, but it’s not like the stuff is over-priced; it’s just that my stuff was SO CHEAP!  I really sold things at such a reasonable price.  My prices couldn’t be beat!  All my customers knew that and that’s why I had such a loyal following!

Anyway, they were so nice and friendly and I promised to come back and bring some more stuff.  In the meantime, I’m on a strict diet, as I really want to buy some of those dresses, before they disappear!

After I left Hillcrest, I drove to Pacific Beach again, because I wanted to pick up some stain brushes at ACE HARDWARE for Eric.  I got the brushes, and headed to our apartment, but first stopped at RITE AID to get tissues.  I’m so used to buying a six or eight-pack at BJs, and I told Eric we have to join one of the clubs here, because I can’t stand buying tissues one box at a time!  I actually picked up six boxes, but it’s probably twice as much as it would be at BJs!

When I got home, all 8 shelves were outside drying.  They looked SO great.  Eric stained them with a Pecan finish and they look wonderful.  He was still working hard, cleaning and organizing his tools.

I made dinner for us.  Chicken for Eric; scallops for me.  We both had stuffed mushrooms and a side of four-cheese rice.  The mushrooms were purchased ready-made (believe me, I’m not up to stuffed mushrooms) and the rice is UNCLE BEN’S READY RICE.  I swear by this stuff.  It comes in a bag.  All you have to do is squeeze the bag, to break up the rice so it’s not lumpy, tear the top and put it in the microwave on high for 90 seconds.  It comes out steamy hot and delicious.  I’m asking you, why do more?  Eric and I agreed that the mushrooms were good, but not fantastic.  I figured I’d try them, to see how they were.

I seasoned the chicken cutlets and scallops with garlic, breadcrumbs, parmesan cheese and what Eric and I call “fake butter.”  It’s really that SMART BALANCE butter substitute that comes in a tub, but Eric and I love it and use it in place of real butter all the time.  We haven’t purchased real butter in at least a year.

I had bought a big wedge of watermelon and that’s what we were going to have for dessert.  Unfortunately, it was mealy and tasteless and we ended up throwing the whole thing out.  What a rip!  Eric made a comment about them sending all the good fruit to NY (can you tell he hates San Diego?).  I guess maybe watermelon is out of season, so I should have known better than to buy it.  Anyway, I tried!

After dinner, we kept working.  The shelves were dry enough to put on the brackets and Eric screwed them down.  They look so great!  We continued working – unpacking boxes, Eric cutting up boxes, me organizing stuff I’d unpacked.  Busy, busy, busy!  We both didn’t stop until 10:00pm.  That’s quiet time in the complex, so it’s not good to make any noise after then.  We do have neighbors below us (2 single guys) and to our left (a woman), so we don’t want to be rude.  We’re lucky, because we have a corner unit, and we’re on the second floor, so there’s no one above us, and no one on three sides of us.  We just have a neighbor to the left.

Tomorrow, I will start unpacking collectibles to put on the four shelves, and Eric will hang the fruit watercolors.  That should be fun!

The most remarkable thing happened this morning, but let me start at the beginning.

We were both up by 10:30am and I told Eric I wanted to take him out to breakfast.  I was about to jump in the shower when his sister, Ellen, called from Florida.  Eric went in the shower and Ellen and I talked for a while.  She’s really good about keeping in touch, as is another sister, Susan, and we really appreciate it!  She was happy to hear we’ll be visiting South Carolina, and would love it if we moved there, as we will be much closer to her and her family in Ft. Lauderdale!

We went to breakfast at DENNY'S, which is just down Clairemont Drive a bit.  The place was pretty busy, so we stood waiting for a table near one of those machines with the claw where you try to catch a stuffed character or animal.  A young man (maybe 14) and his mother and grandmother came by, after eating their breakfast, and he asked his mother for money for the machine.  I looked in there, saw STEWIE from FAMILY GUY (one of Eric’s favorite cartoons) and said, “Go for Stewie!  That’s what I’d pick!”

He and his mother proceeded to try a few times, but those machines are set up for failure!  Eric and I always say that the claw never really grips anything, and they’re designed so that if you DO manage to get something it will fall back before you can get it out of there!  Anyway, we’ve NEVER been successful.  Once Eric and I were at the movies and we tried a few times.  The guy right after us managed to get TWO stuffed characters, and he gave me one!  It was SO nice!

Well, I cannot believe it – but the same thing happened again today!  Eric and I were watching them try, commiserating on how hard and frustrating it was, and then we got called to our table, so we left, wishing them luck.  We were sitting in another part of the restaurant, so we couldn't see what happened next, but after we were sitting for a few minutes, the young man came over and handed me Stewie.  I told him I couldn’t take it, and I was just so happy that he managed to get it!  He told me I HAD to take it, and his mother showed me that he got another stuffed animal, too!  Some kind of dog.

Here's my little Stewie, dressed as a Christmas elf:

Anyway, I eventually accepted his gift, thanked him and his mother, too, and almost started to cry.  I thought it was the sweetest thing and know he must be such a fine young man to think of a total stranger and be so generous and thoughtful.  The people at the next table were curious as to why someone handed me a stuffed doll, so I explained it to them.  They agreed that it was very unusual and that it was a lovely gesture.  It really started our day off right!

The truth is, I love character dolls.  I brought ALF and GOSSAMER (from a Warner Brother's Bugs Bunny cartoon) with us from NY and also have POPEYE, KOKO THE CLOWN, and -- of course -- BETTY BOOP!  I used to have a LOT more, but I either sold them or gave them away.  Eric and I used to love the cartoon REN AND STIMPY and I had a lot of those dolls, along with all the SIMPSONS characters, and even BABE, the pig.

Since Alf was a puppet to begin with, the doll really looks exactly like him.  Gossamer, on the other hand, was a cartoon character!

So, back to breakfast.  We both got MOONS OVER MY HAMMY®, but I took the ham off my sandwich and gave it to Eric.  It was delicious.  Two kinds of cheese and scrambled egg on sourdough bread.  YUMMY!

After breakfast we came back to the apartment and Eric proceeded to do his second round of sanding.  I’m telling you, they were perfect, but he says he has to do one sanding with medium sandpaper, and then another with fine.  He uses an electric sander, but it’s still a hard, messy job.  He’s such a perfectionist.  It’s something I really respect, because I’m kind of lazy that way.  I’d say one sanding was just fine and start staining!

We must be driving the neighbors CRAZY, because he was sanding ALL day yesterday – with the radio on outside – and now he’s doing it again today.  And it IS the weekend.  I know they’re going to hate us, but he’s determined and he doesn’t have a backyard or garage, so there’s no place else to do it all.

I did four (yes, four) loads of laundry.  There were enough rags and drop cloths to make a load, because we’ve been doing so much work, and I’m also getting ready for company this weekend (Jimmy’s coming!), so I was washing linens and blankets, to be sure everything is perfect for our first guest.  So far, the only people who have stepped foot in here are the cable guys and our building manager.  We can’t wait for Jimmy!

I wanted to open up some boxes with artwork inside, because there’s an empty frame I packed that goes around a padded, black velvet board.  I had all my clear rhinestone pins on that board, with the silver frame around it, and it hung in the bedroom.  Eric and I made it about 20 years ago and I love it, because I got to look at all my pins all the time.  I never had a chance to find it today, but maybe tomorrow!

If you were ever in my shop, you know that I displayed my pins there the same way.  I had three frames filled with pins at one point!  It’s perfect for display, because, after all, jewelry IS artwork, and when you want to wear a pin it’s so much easier to look at all of them when they’re in front of you, instead of rummaging through a drawer.  I’d love to get a big jewelry box, or an armoire, for necklaces, bracelets and rings, but it’s just something else to pack and ship!

There was another MONK marathon on TV, so I watched a bunch of them while I did things around the apartment.  I’ve seen a lot of them, so I can just watch with one eye and one ear, while I work.  Eric worked outside for about 6 hours, first sanding and then staining all 16 shelves.  It was dark for an hour before he was finished.

When he came inside I made him dinner – leftover chicken and more of that Uncle Ben’s READY RICE. This time I tried Garden Vegetable – delicious!  I had a salad.  I’ve really been trying to watch what I eat, and since I had bread at breakfast, I had low-fat yogurt with an apple for lunch and just a salad for dinner.  I love salad, so it’s not like I’m suffering!

Eric spent the night watching football and cartoons (KING OF THE HILL and THE SIMPSONS).  He worked SO hard today I kept thinking I’d come out to the living room and find him fast asleep, but he’s still watching at 11:00pm.  I don’t know how he does it.  I’ll be glad when this project is done.  The hardest part is finished.  Now, all he has to do is hang the rest of the brackets and shelves, which is more about measuring and leveling.  It’s not very strenuous and it’s not dirty or messy.

This isn’t the last big project, because Eric wants to build legs on my desk, so I can take away the six boxes now holding the board up.  It will look the same (fully upholstered, so you can’t see what’s underneath), but I’ll be able to unpack and get rid of the boxes!

I’ll tell you one thing about Eric – there’s not a lazy bone in his body.  He is so hard-working and so diligent about doing a beautiful job.  He never cuts corners.  The only thing that drives me crazy is that sometimes he’ll do 95% of a job, and then just never finish it completely.  It has nothing to do with laziness, but is more about just losing interest.  I have to bug him to get him to finish, which is no fun at all.  Thank goodness it hasn’t happened lately!

I continued to work around the apartment and watch the MONK marathon until 8:00pm and then I watched EXTREME MAKEOVER: HOME EDITION, and then a movie that Oprah produced called FOR ONE MORE DAY.  It is based on the book by Mitch Albom, which I already have, although I have not yet read it (it’s packed in one of the many boxes of books I shipped).  He wrote TUESDAYS WITH MORRIE and THE FIVE PEOPLE YOU MEET IN HEAVEN.  The latter is one of my favorite books (and TV movies) of all time.  I knew this, too, would be a wonderful movie and I was not disappointed.  Now, I must find the book and read it (although I would have preferred to do it the other way around).

I was frustrated tonight, because I couldn’t record a new episode of MONK, which I haven’t seen yet, while I watched FOR ONE MORE DAY, because my DVR isn’t working.  I have an appointment for tomorrow, but I even tried calling tonight and having a technician walk me through rebooting, etc., but we couldn’t get it to work, so it may be the box.  I hope the guy who comes tomorrow can fix it, because I love to record my shows and watch them when I want, or watch one show while I record another (or two).  Once you’ve gone DVR (or TIVO) you can’t go back!

My allergies have been really bad for a while now.  It’s worst in the morning.  My nose is really runny and I have to blow it like 30 times.  It’s pathetic.  My poor nose!  I also have that post nasal drip that causes me to clear my throat every five minutes.  I know a lot of people have been suffering, because I’ve heard others complain, and my friends have also told me their allergies are bothering them, but I was kind of hoping for a “San Diego Miracle.”  My allergy doctor told me that sometimes when people move their symptoms will disappear, but it’s only temporary and they eventually come back.  I would have settled for temporary!

They were pretty much the same all across the country, until we got to Arizona, where they got REALLY bad.  I always thought a dry environment would be better for me, since I’m allergic to mold, but Eric says dry is more dusty, and I’m also allergic to dust!  I can’t win!

Anyway, I woke up at 5:00am sneezing and had to blow my nose and I couldn’t fall back to sleep for over an hour.  I woke up again at 8:00am and that was it – no more sleep today!

I got up and immediately started working on my typing project.  At 10:00am I woke Eric up to watch THE VIEW.  It’s kind of getting to be a habit with us, which will end as soon as I go back to work (boo hoo).  I am REALLY spoiled, because I got to spend most of every day for the last six months with my husband.  How many non-retired people get to do that?  It’s been such a luxury to be together, not working, and get to enjoy little things like watching THE VIEW.  We love HOT TOPICS in the beginning, where they argue about current events and gossip about celebrities.  It’s really fun.

I kept typing until I went to do laundry.  I did another four loads – three blankets, all the linens from our bed, and some clothes, too.  Eric walked me down with it all, since it was so heavy with all the linens and blankets.  I figure it’s not mean to use all four machines at once when it’s a Wednesday afternoon, because most people are at work.  The machines run for 37 minutes, so I go back after a half hour, so I’m sure to be there when they finish.  I put them into the four dryers and came back up.  Then, I went down to pick up three of the loads.  The only stuff that wasn’t dry were Eric’s jeans (3 pairs).  Blue jeans take a LONG time to dry, don’t they?  The blankets were all dry!

Eric left to go to ACE HARDWARE to buy some supplies to put the legs on my desk.  As I mentioned before, we had originally made it with six boxes, which we covered with fabric, but now it looks exactly the same, but there are wooden legs in each corner and I can actually unpack the six boxes that were underneath!

I went back into the city this afternoon for another interview at an employment agency.  It went very well and I think I made a good impression!  It amazes me how I can be in the heart of Downtown San Diego, amid all the hubbub and excitement, and then – just a few miles down I-5 and 10 minutes later, I’m back in the quiet suburb of Clairemont!  It’s SO cool!

I stopped at on the way home KEILS and picked up everything for a big salad, and also some turkey and Swiss for Eric.  I made him a big salad with some leftover chicken cut up into it, and added a new ingredient – black beans.  It’s supposed to be very healthy and adds protein to a vegetarian diet!  I also made my own dressing, instead of a bottled dressing, or just oil and vinegar.  I mixed my balsamic vinegar, extra virgin olive oil, a little honey mustard, a little garlic, a little mayonnaise and shook up the bottle real good.  It tasted deliciousd, if I do say so myself!

After dinner, I got to work in the master bedroom.  I had unpacked all my artwork, but there were only a few pieces I wanted to hang, most of them in the master bedroom.  I hung up the black velvet board with the silver frame that holds all my rhinestone pins.  It looks really pretty. 

I also noticed that I could hang something from each of the brackets holding up all the shelves.  I went on eBay and ordered 6” Ball Chain Key Chains with 2.4mm beads, so that I could put a purse through, hang it up and then close the clasp.  They arrived today, so I was excited to start that project.  All my larger purses are on the shelves, but the little ones, especially the mesh bags and beaded bags, either won’t stand up themselves or are too delicate to stand on the shelf, so they’re better off hanging.

One of my favorite purses, covered in rhinestones, now hangs from a shelf bracket:

A close-up of the collage Elizabeth made for me, filled with Victorian valentines, butterflies, crystals and pearls:

I also hung up a fantastic collage my dear friend, Elizabeth, created for me.  She is an amazing collage artist and I got to see many of her pieces, because she used to have them framed by the guy who had the framing store next to my shop.  That’s how she first found my shop, and we have become very good friends.  I was blessed in 2004 when she gave me one of her creations for my birthday.  It hung over our bed in Whitestone and I would have put it there again, except our bed is under a window, so it’s on a wall next to the bed.

Eric and I are so lucky, because a lot of our best friends are people I met through the shop, who the became a big part of our lives.  That is probably the most wonderful thing that I got out of the entire PEPPY’S DREAM experience.  A lot of the people I met there will be a part of my life forever!

I finally stopped hanging at 9:30pm, because I realized it was after “quiet time” and there I was, hammering away!  I came back into the living room, where Eric was watching his ULTIMATE FIGHTING, and worked on the computer until it was time to go back in the bedroom and watch KITCHEN NIGHTMARES with GORDON RAMSAY, which I had recorded so Eric and I could watch it together.  It’s a hoot!

Tomorrow – I must unpack the six boxes that were underneath the desk.  I know a lot of them are books, and have NO idea where I’m going to put them (they’re too heavy to go on the shelves), so they’ll probably just stay in the boxes for now.  We just don’t have enough room to unpack everything!

I had an epiphany last night.  After I blogged about my allergies, I thought about my pills (Allegra), which I take every single day – all year round.  My prescription is really for twice a day – every morning and night – but I never needed to take it that much, and got used to taking it just once a day.  So, last night, I suddenly thought, “Maybe I should start taking it twice a day, as it is prescribed!”  So, I took one last night, before I went to sleep.

This morning, when I first woke up, I felt better and couldn’t believe how fast it had worked.  Then, after I was up a few minutes and started walking around, my nose started to run, and run, and run.  It wasn’t any better.  I figure I’ll still take two a day for a while, to see if it helps after a few weeks.  Maybe it needs to get into your system?  I don’t know.  If it doesn’t get better in a few weeks, I’ll just go back to once a day.  One thing I do need to use more often is my nasal spray, which I’m also supposed to use once or twice a day.  My friend, Jimmy, keeps telling me to try NASONEX.  He swears by it.  The problem is, you can only spray up your nose if your breathing passage is clear, and if your nose is stuffed, it doesn’t work so, if my nose is always stuffed…

Anyway, enough about that.  Eric got up soon after me and we had breakfast – grits for him (which he makes himself almost every day) and Special K Chocolately Delight for me.

He surprised me by telling me he planned to go mountain biking today.  He was going to NOBLE CANYON, which is about an hour’s drive from here.  I was VERY excited, and happy that he was getting out and riding, but also VERY nervous, because I knew if he was disappointed in the ride it might make him more miserable than ever.

He left around 11:00am and I got to work – hanging pictures in the Master Bedroom, and the kitchen.  I also arranged my tin collection on the shelves above the closet in the Master Bedroom, and the two center shelves on each wall.  The other four shelves hold my purses, pocketbooks and handbags.  I also unpacked the 8 boxes which had made up my desk, since Eric fitted it with legs and now it is simply fabulous, with lots of room underneath for storage!  Four are still filled – because they were mostly books and I have no place to put them, but I did manage to empty four others, which I think is a great accomplishment!

This is another great piece I got from the shop, before I closed.  I call her "Cherry Girl."  Did you notice the cherries she has hanging on her ear?  How cute is she?  She looks great in our kitchen!

The area behind my desk, with storage, my ribbon board, and the end table Eric and I made:

The bedroom looks really great.  It’s very busy, with lots of stuff going on, but I like it.  I like when I’m in bed watching TV or just waking up and I can look around and see my collections of tins, purses and rhinestone pins.  I love display!

The area behind Eric's massage chair, including the perfume screen I made, and the other end table.  Do you see the wood sculpture of a head on the table?  That's a piece Eric made in wood shop in high school.  I LOVE it:

Yesterday, our new friends in San Diego -- Bonnie, Michael, and Nicole -- whom we met through my cousin, Audrey, sent me an early birthday gift – a beautiful box of chocolates.

Today, I got a wonderful birthday surprise from my cousin Ilene and her family in LA.  The doorbell rang and there was a beautiful box from http://www.goodfortunes.com/.  Inside was a giant fortune cookie dipped in dark chocolate and covered with edible birthday decorations and rainbow confetti.  It’s wrapped in cellophane and tied with a big ribbon.  I’m going to save the fortune cookie for my weekend celebration with Eric and Jimmy, and I’m saving the chocolates for next weekend, because Audrey is coming to visit from Las Vegas, and she’s coming over with Bonnie, Michael and Nicole!

I got a call from Eric around 3:30pm.  He was on his way home.  He wasn’t very happy about his ride, but didn’t say much on the phone.  When he got home, he didn’t talk about it much.  One thing he DID mention was that, instead of buy a pass that was good for a year at all the San Diego parks, (which costs $30), he bought a day pass for $5.  He said he has no interest in going to any of the parks anymore, because the riding is not good.  I feel bad, because at least he tried, and I was really praying that he would have fun.  I guess it’s not meant to be, at least not here.  I’ve been making notations in his Mountain Biking book every time he goes to a new place.  I asked him what he wanted me to write on the page for NOBLE CANYON and he said, “Same old s---.”  I guess that says it all!

After Eric got home I was still working around the apartment, and he got busy doing things, too.  I had a long piece of 6" black bullion fringe and sewed it to a piece of red fabric, which is layered on top of a piece of pink fabric, which is on top of a bunch of boxes that make up our buffet.  It really looks pretty and it only took a few minutes!

Our "buffet" with the black bullion fringe:

I made an appointment to get my hair touched up at 6:15pm at a salon in HILLCREST  called HAIRSPRAY.  Of course, since I am a big fan of the movie, the Broadway musical, and the movie musical, the name really appealed to me.  I had driven by a couple of times and their sign says something about being “snob free,” which I really liked.  A lot of salons are really snobby and I try to avoid those.  I went to a great salon in New Hyde Park, which two of my girlfriends still go to – called LE SALON.  I just heard from my friend, Susan, that they sold the salon, but the owners still work there.  I always had fun there.  Everyone was very friendly.

I got to HILLCREST early, but drove around for a while before I found a spot.  There’s a small lot in front of the salon, but there were no spots.  I went in at about 6:00pm and told the girl behind the desk that I had a 6:15pm appointment.  She asked me who the appointment was with, and I said I didn’t know – they didn’t tell me when I called.  She asked me for my name and said she didn’t have anything on the calendar for me.

She then found my name, but under tomorrow’s reservations.  I assured her that I had called this morning for an appointment tonight.  Instead of apologizing for the error, she made it seem like it was MY fault and that I was crazy.  She made it look (and there were at least 3-4 other employees standing around) like I had decided to come a day early and was lying about my appointment!  I was really mad, but really wanted to get my hair done tonight, so I refrained from walking out.

She found someone who could do my hair, but said I’d have to wait until 7:00pm.  I told the guy who was going to do my hair that I was going to STARBUCKS (which is a few blocks away) and asked him if wanted anything.  He said I could bring him a regular coffee and thanked me.

I took a walk around HILLCREST, stopping at STARBUCKS and getting him his coffee and myself an iced, sugar free, fat free, decaf Hazelnut latte.   I walked around a little and looked at stores I hadn’t noticed before.  Another bookstore – right across the street from BLUESTOCKING BOOKS and another vintage store called RAGS, which is on University.  They both looked interesting, but I didn’t want to stop with two coffees in my hands!

I went back to the shop and read magazines until he was ready for me.  While I was reading, the stylist who worked right in front of where I was sitting started to do a little dance, and I noticed it was the Charleston.  I asked her if she was learning to Charleston, and she said, “You know the Charleston?”  I said, “Yes, I know lots of ballroom dances.”

Her name is Krystina and she told me she actually teaches the Charleston, and told me about the school – CHAMPION BALLROOM ACADEMY, which is just a few blocks away.  She also teaches Swing, which is something I’m very interested in doing.  I have wanted to take ballroom classes since DANCING WITH THE STARS started two years ago.

I checked out their website and I was shocked to find that it’s the studio founded in 1990 by MARY MURPHY – the judge for some of the most reputable competitions in ballroom dance, including the U.S. National Championships and Fox TV’S “So You Think You Can Dance”.  I had heard that she taught in San Diego, but I never thought I’d end up going to that school.  Now, I’m really excited!  I think I’ll start taking Krystina’s classes, because they are at a very convenient time (7:00pm on Wednesdays and Thursdays).

At 7:00pm, my stylist was ready for me.  Turns out he’s a really nice guy, and a great colorist.  My hair looks fabulous (if I do say so myself)!  His name is JOHN STANISZ and he’s adorable.  We talked the whole time – me telling him about how we just moved here, and him telling me about all the places he’s lived, including New York, LA, San Francisco, and San Diego.

There was an adorable dog there – his name is BUGSY and he was SO sweet and friendly.  I didn’t even notice him at all (the salon is very big – with two floors), but all of a sudden he was in front of me, with his big eyes, and I couldn’t resist petting his smooth little head.  I was a little nervous about him making me sick, but I couldn’t very well leave with a head full of dye, now could I?

When I got back to Clairemont I was starving.  I called Eric, but he said he had already eaten (it was 8:30pm), so I stopped at CARL’S JR. for their taco salad.  Eric and I saw CARL’S JR. all across America and NEVER went there, because we don’t eat fast food, but it is right down the block from the apartment, and I’d seen their taco salad on TV, which looked really good, so I decided to through the drive through and get one.  I got it without meat (of course), but it had refried beans, lettuce, tomato, salsa, shredded cheese and sour cream in a tortilla bowl.  It was really good and hit the spot!

I also bought Eric a vanilla shake.  How could I come home empty handed?

Eric had been a busy boy while I was away.  He is SO cute, because he got everything looking spic and span for Jimmy.  He said, “We’re ready for company!”  The apartment looks so beautiful.  I’m really proud and Jimmy will be the first person to step foot in here, besides all the cable guys!

I hung a lot of pictures, and Eric hung a bunch more.  We worked together, moving things around a little, and then he watched basketball in the living room while I watched TV in the bedroom and opened my mail.

My friend, Marybeth, whom I have known for almost 30 years sent me a beautiful card with a crocheted pink and white dishcloth.  It is SO cute I couldn’t possibly use it.  I will just put it on the counter and maybe put a hot pot on it, since I think it would work as a trivet, too.  I thought it was so sweet of her to make it for me, and send it all the way to San Diego.

Marybeth and I worked at Price Waterhouse together, before it became PricewaterhouseCoopers.  We sat on either side of a cubicle wall for many years.  We were very close and talked across the wall all the time.  Marybeth is a computer genius, and would try out software for the firm, before it was widely distributed.  She was always there to answer questions and help me with any problems I had with projects.

You have to remember that when I started with the firm, in 1979, Marybeth already worked there and we were on electric typewriters at that time.  When they first started using “word processors” (not computers, like we have now), you actually had to go to a special room and make an appointment in advance in order to use the machine.  I remember when we each got our own word processor.  That was a big day!  No one had the internet at PW until the early 90s.  How things have changed!

Tomorrow – more sewing, organizing, hanging, and cleaning.  We want everything to be perfect for the weekend.  It’s going to be so much fun and we’re both really looking forward to it!

Eric and I both slept until almost 10:30am.  We got up, ate breakfast, and then Eric jumped in the shower, went to put gas in the car, and waxed it in the parking lot.  He had washed it yesterday, on the way home from his mountain bike ride.  There’s a place close to here where you can wash your car for $2.00.  You do it yourself.  They just supply the water and the soap!  I guess it's for all those apartment-dwellers who don't have a driveway and a hose!

He spent almost two hours waxing and detailing the car.  It sparkled!  I think it’s really relaxing for him, even though he works very hard.  He listens to the car radio and just zens out.  I think it’s kind of a “wax on, wax off” thing.

I did things around the apartment and then left to run a bunch of errands.  Eric said he was thinking about going for another ride today, just locally.  I think that’s his way of relaxing, too.  I was SO happy he was going to be riding two days in a row.  That hasn’t happened in a LONG time.

First, I went to the post office to mail a few packages.  Then, I drove into Pacific Beach and got a manicure and pedicure.  That’s MY way of relaxing!  I haven’t had one since we got to San Diego, so I just drove around until I saw a nail salon.  There was a parking space right across the street, and parking can be hard to find, so I thought I’d just go in there.  It was a very strange place.

First of all, they had four pedicure chairs, but the tub portions were covered with towels and everyone was getting pedicures sitting in regular chairs with their feet in those foot baths you can buy (that massage your feet in water after a long day).

The place was really busy, and at least three girls were getting pedicures and manicures while I was there, but I couldn’t understand why we didn’t get to sit in the pedicure chairs!

I asked if they did massage, and they said no, so I guess it’s just a basic mani/pedi/waxing place.  No frills.  One of the best things about SUNSHINE NAILS (now called CINDY'S DREAM) is that they gave you a massage – either while you are having your manicure done or after, while your nails are drying.  You could also get a massage in the massage chair, for a dollar a minute.  I used to love to get a 15 minute massage after doing the windows in my shop, because it was such hard work and my back would usually be killing me after being on my feet for 8-10 hours.

I got a cherry red on my nails and toe nails -- my favorite.  They did a really good job, so I had no complaints, but I don’t know if I’ll go back.  I’m just so spoiled by Cindy and the girls there.  They’re so nice, so helpful, so friendly, so gracious.  These girls didn’t even say goodbye when I left.  Like they couldn’t care less.  They didn’t help me with my keys and purse, so I didn’t ruin my manicure – which Cindy and the girls always did.  Oh, well.  That kind of customer service is hard to come by!

After I left there I drove back to Clairemont and went to the 99 cent store to pick up those wire holders for all your shower supplies.  I got two but, instead of hanging it on the shower head, like you’re supposed to, I hung them both on the opposite wall with suction cups.  It looks great and holds everything, so it’s not scattered all around the tub.  Now, it looks organized!

After the 99 cent store I went across the street to KEILS and did some food shopping.  I wanted to get some snacks and drinks, so there’s plenty to eat this weekend.  Jimmy is coming early tomorrow and leaving Monday morning.  Even though we’ll probably eat out most meals, I still like to be a good hostess and have something to offer!

Jimmy told me his favorite drink is PEACH FRESCA, so I bought a 12-pack and Eric and I tried one tonight.  He didn’t go for it, but I thought it was very refreshing!  I also bought some HAGEN DAZS Orchard Peach Sorbet, and I told Eric it would make a great ice cream soda, with the PEACH FRESCA and the peach sorbet.  Eric added, “and a little vodka!”  We may just have to try that this weekend!

When I got home, Eric was still out riding.  I was happy, because that meant he was really getting in a good ride.  I unpacked all the groceries and opened my mail.  This is a great time of year for me, because I LOVE mail and we’ve been getting even more than usual.  We usually get a lot of Chanukah and Christmas cards, but then I get birthday cards, too, so there are a lot.  Now, we’re also getting “New Apartment” cards, so I’m getting even more mail.  Wheeeeeeeeeeeeee!

I was watching DR. PHIL when Eric got home.  He said he had a good ride, but he also went to BICYCLE WAREHOUSE, and made plans to ride with a bunch of guys on Sunday.  I was SO happy!  He said he didn’t want to ride, because Sunday is my birthday, but they ride SO early (he has to meet them at 8:00am) and Jimmy will be here to keep me company, and I told him it would be a gift to me if he rode.  I’m VERY happy!

Eric heated up some leftover chicken for himself and I had a salad.  I didn’t eat much today, because I know I’ll be eating out and enjoying myself for the next two days!

I did some work on my typing project, and then Eric went to sleep and I watched GHOST WHISPERER.  I really like that show.  After that, I walked around the apartment and looked at everything we’ve done in the past three weeks.  In some ways it feels like we’ve been here forever, and the place looks very homey, but if you go in the back bedroom, you would see that we’ve still got a long way to go!

I’ve been behind on my blog for a couple of days now.  It was partly because we were having such a great weekend, and I just didn’t have the time, but yesterday was different.  Without going into too much detail (I don’t want to be guilty of TMI), let’s just say that I was “under the weather” yesterday from something that should NOT still be getting me down when I’m 50!

We woke up very early (6:30am) and got showered and dressed to drive Jimmy to the airport.  We had such a great weekend, and now I was feeling really yucky.  We wanted to take Jimmy out to breakfast, and figured the best plan was to drive close to the airport and find a place to eat there.  Unfortunately, there wasn’t a Denny’s, IHOP, or Diner to be found.  What kind of a place IS this?

We finally found a STARBUCKS and decided that would have to do.  We all got breakfast sandwiches and coffee or tea, and sat at a table for a few minutes.  We were in a 15-minute parking spot, so we really couldn’t relax very long, but it was long enough for us to finish our sandwiches and we took our coffee with us in the car.

We dropped Jim off at 8:45am, because his flight was at 10:15am and he figured he’d need an hour and a half to get through security.  Fortunately, his flight was on time and he had a great flight, although they DID confiscate his shampoo, because it was in a 4 oz. bottle, even though it was half full!  That does NOT make sense to me at ALL, because I thought the rule was that you couldn’t carry on more than 3 oz. of liquid, but they didn’t say it has to be in a 3 oz. bottle, do they?  I’m confused!  Anyway, I now know to be very careful about what we bring to South Carolina next week!

After we dropped Jim off, we headed right home, and I got right back into my pajamas and went to sleep.  Eric laid down with me, too, and napped for a while.  He got up in the late morning and was doing things around the apartment.  I slept until 4:00pm!!!!

Even after I got up, I wasn’t in the mood to do anything.  I felt really bad and even Advils didn’t help.  I kind of moped around the apartment, opening my mail (which made me slightly happier), and reading emails.  I didn’t even have the strength to blog!

The only thing that made me really smile was the gift that had arrived while I was sleeping.  A bouquet of giant birthday cookies, from a company called COOKIES BY DESIGN.  They were shaped like cakes, presents, balloons, candles and there was a giant cookie in the middle that says, “HAPPY 50TH BIRTHDAY!”

These buttery shortbread cookies are all iced by hand and they’re SO good.  It’s real comfort food, which was JUST what I needed!  They were sent by our friends, Susan and Andrew, so I called them up to thank them.  Susan and I talked for a while.  She told me about her Mom’s surgery, which went well.  Her mother is on the mend.  That was good news!

I am so behind on my blog and was in such a fog yesterday that I forgot to mention another fabulous gift I received for my birthday.  My friends, Geri and Larry, had shipped a box of stuff we had asked them to hold for us when we left NY.  When Eric, Jim and I got home Saturday night, the box was waiting for us outside.  I didn't open it until Sunday afternoon.

Inside were our things, plus lots of treats for us, and a special gift for me!  They sent us some CHILI SPICED MANGO, which is a healthy delicious treat we’ve enjoyed all across the country – thanks to Geri and Larry!  They always brought it to me when I worked in the shop and Eric and I have become addicted to it.  It’s just the right combination of sweet and spicy and is the perfect snack!  They also sent me a big bar of dark chocolate, which I love – and which is really healthy!

Finally, there was a beautifully wrapped box that contained a gorgeous 2008 Day Planner, which has a fabulous red and gold leather boot on the cover.  I hadn’t yet purchased a 2008 calendar, and I always need one, so it was perfect!  There was also the CUTEST little purple purse, which opened to reveal a regular mirror on one side and a magnified mirror on the other side.  Geri and I both LOVE and collect shoes and purses, and this is SO cute.  I think I’ll keep it on my vanity, so I can look at it every day!

I put all my cards out on the “buffet” Eric and I made.  It makes me so happy to know our friends and family are thinking of us and I enjoy looking at them every day, so thank you!

After a while, I started to feel a little better, and Eric was hungry, so I made us both a big salad and was actually able to eat it!  I WAS feeling better!  We watched TV, and I worked on my blog for Sunday (even though it was now Monday evening).  Finally, we went to bed, but I wasn’t really very tired, since I had slept most of the day!

I went to bed last night at 11:30pm, but was up at 3:04am, 5:35am, and 6:30am (I forgot to turn off the alarm from yesterday!).  I then woke up again at 8:30am, and woke up again at 9:15am, when my friend, Julie called.  I decided I had been in bed long enough, so I talked to her for a while.

Eric and I both had breakfast and then I started working on the computer, making phone calls, paying bills, etc.  I got a lot accomplished and then did my blog for yesterday.  I’m finally caught up!

I spoke to our friend, Jerry, who usually lives in Chicago, but is staying in Malibu for a month.  We're going up to Los Angeles on January 11th for the weekend and will see Jerry, my cousins (Ilene and Karen and their families), and also hope to see our other friends who live in L.A. -- Joe and Miguel.

This afternoon I did FIVE loads of laundry (four at once, and then one after that).  We had accumulated a lot and Eric also unpacked a few bicycles (yeah!) and found some clothes that needed to be washed before he could wear them.  He’s still wants to move away from here, but seems more enthusiastic about riding, which is REALLY great.  He geared up in the afternoon and went for a ride to Pacific Beach to ride along the water and then to BICYCLE WAREHOUSE.

I stayed in the apartment, folding five loads of clothes, linens and towels and putting them all away.  I did some sewing for Eric (his bicycle pants were ripped).  Then I watched TV and relaxed.  I am in BIG trouble when we get back from South Carolina, because the temp agency will start calling me and I’ll have to go to bed early (boo hoo!), and wake up early (yikes!) to go to work (uh oh!).  I’ve gotten VERY lazy, since I haven’t worked for 8 months and was on vacation for 3 months!

I’ll be happy to start working again, but I know the getting up early part is going to hurt – real bad!

I did a lot of work on my project – typing for about 2 hours.  Eric got back from his ride around 6:00pm.  He was out for almost four hours.  He did about 12 miles, including a stop at the bicycle shop.  He said he enjoyed himself, and he felt good about getting out there and riding.  Sounds good to me, too!

I made us dinner – a salad and some macaroni and cheese for me; leftover chicken and macaroni and cheese for Eric.  When I make chicken for Eric, there are usually 5 or 6 cutlets and, since I don’t eat chicken, there’s always a lot left over, which makes it easy for me to add it to salads, wraps, or just reheat and serve with a side dish.

We finished up the giant fortune cookie Ilene and Kyle sent (which was SO good) and ate more of the butter cookies Susan and Andrew sent.  I also had a piece of the dark chocolate from Geri and Larry.  How it melts in your mouth!  It is VERY hard to get back on my diet while all this great stuff is floating around the house.

Meanwhile, Jimmy has gotten me hooked on Peach Citrus FRESCA.  It’s SO delicious – with no caffeine and no calories!  So refreshing!

I continued typing after dinner while Eric and I watched FAMILY GUY and then DIRTY JOBS with MIKE ROWE.  I love that guy!  He’s funny, adventurous and doesn’t mind getting REALLY dirty!

I typed about 20 pages and then Eric and I retired to the bedroom to watch BOSTON LEGAL.  That’s a great show!

Tomorrow I am going to go out (for the first time in two days) to run some errands, including some food shopping, and buying some travel-sized toiletries.  I don’t want to have my things confiscated by security at the airport!

It rained all night last night, but was just drizzling when we woke up this morning.  I was anxious to get out, since I had spent pretty much the last two days in the house.  I drove to Pacific Beach and went to the SALVATION ARMY to take a look around.  I already know everyone who works there on a first name basis.  They’re all very nice.

Next, I drove to Hillcrest.  I parked in the PUBLIC PARKING lot.  I really like parking there.  Any where you can use a charge card to park is my kind of place!   My first stop in Hillcrest was WEAR IT AGAIN SAM.  I had a pair of vintage shoes with a matching purse that I wanted to sell.  The shoes weren’t in the best condition, so they said they couldn’t buy them.

I went down the block to FLASHBACKS and they bought them and gave me a credit, which I promptly spent.  I got two black skirts (good for work) and a red bandana-print sundress.  It’s a little tight but, as you know, I’m trying to lose weight.

I stopped at Starbucks on my way back to the car.  After that, I drove back to Pacific Beach to get lunch for me and Eric.  I stopped at CHIPOTLE MEXICAN GRILL and got him some chicken tacos and I got the salad with everything but meat or chicken.  YUM YUM!

I am working on my first decoupage project in months.  I have a small black wood tray, which was originally used to hold candles.  It is a bit beat up and chipped, so it’s perfect for decoupage, which will hide all the flaws.  I’m covering it with pictures of wine bottles, liquor bottles, champagne, martini glasses, wine artwork, etc.  It’s very colorful and festive.  It feels so good to be working on my crafts again.  I also want to decorate a mirror with vintage jewelry.  I am hoping to put it in a shop on consignment, or sell it directly.

Eric worked in the second bedroom all day long.  He unpacked boxes, moved some from one side of the room to another, and hung a few more shelves.  He also hung a second shelf in the closet in that room.  There was one shelf across the top with a pole for hanging clothes.  He hung another shelf above the first one, and put folded clothes up there.  For someone who wears mostly t-shirts and jeans, Eric has SO much clothes.

First of all, he has about 50 pairs of socks, 40 of which have never been worn.  I think every time he saw socks he liked in a store he would buy himself a pack.  He even said, “I can’t live long enough to wear all these socks!”

He also has about 40 t-shirts, some of which are 10-15 years old!  He likes to keep t-shirts even when they’re stained and ripped, because he wants them for when he’s cleaning, or painting, or working on his bicycles.  I can see the logic, because why get paint or grease or stain on a good t-shirt, but do you need 20 work shirts?

He also has at least 10 pairs of jeans and at least 10 sweatshirts – some with hoods; some without.  Then comes his bicycling clothes – jerseys, pants, socks, jackets, padded shorts, armor for his knees, elbow guards, gloves, and helmet.  He also has winter gear – all the same, but in a heavier fabric.  He wears special bicycle shoes, too.  His bicycle clothes alone could fill a closet.  

The room in the back is still packed with boxes, but it’s easier to walk around in there.  He unpacked three of his five bicycles, so they’re taking up a lot of room, too (plus my bicycle makes 4).  Two are still in the big cardboard boxes.  At least it’s now possible to walk around in that room!

Eric and I have plans to go to Los Angeles the weekend of the 11th.  We’re going to see our friend, Jerry, who usually lives in Illinois, but is spending a month in Los Angeles (lucky boy!).  We will also see our cousins, and my cousin, Ilene, and I are going to see WICKED.  I love that show so much and really wanted to see it again before I left New York.  I feel so lucky that I am going to have a chance to see it in Los Angeles.

I heard from my niece, April, today.  She said that she is planning to come out here with her sister, Jessica, and her cousins, Melissa and Stephanie (who are also sisters).  They’re planning to come out here the weekend of the 18th, which is a long weekend, because of Martin Luther King Day on Monday, January 21st.  Eric and I are SO excited.  We don’t know where we’re going to put all four of them, but it will be SO much fun to have them all here, so we’ll figure it out.  I miss all my girls, and having four of them here at once will be fantastic!

I never did go food shopping today, so that’s on the agenda for tomorrow, along with preparing for our company on Saturday.  My cousin, Audrey, is flying in from Las Vegas and she’s coming over on Saturday afternoon with her friends – Bonnie, her husband, Michael, and their daughter, Nicole.  We also have to start packing for our vacation on Monday.  We have a lot going on!

Having lived in a house for the last 21 years, I didn’t really have a problem with noisy neighbors.  The only time it was noisy on Leggett Place was when the kids were out of school and would sometimes play outside until after midnight, even on days when the rest of us had to get up for work the next day.  Sometimes our neighbors had parties that would get pretty loud, but it was never anything constant or too annoying.

While we were traveling in the RV, the only noise we ever heard was the occasional barking dog, or the train whistles, which I've written about several times.

Now, we’re living in a cute little apartment, and the walls (and floors) must be pretty thin, because I can hear the two guys who live downstairs as if they’re in the next room.  During the day, when we have the TV or radio on, you don’t notice anything, but every morning they get up early to go to work, and it’s pretty noisy.

I first heard what I thought was a guy throwing up, but have since figured out is a guy who must smoke going through his “early morning hacking.”  It’s pretty horrible.  Eric and I saw the two guys one afternoon and they both look like they’re about 25, so to have such a hacking cough every day is pretty unhealthy.

He also likes to sing in the shower – very badly.  So, every day at 7:00am, I’m now waking up to hacking and singing – horrible hacking and bad singing.  Most times, I can just turn over and fall back to sleep, but this morning it went on for a while, so I got up and came into the living room.  I read my emails and worked on my typing project.

At 9:00am I went back into the bedroom and watched REGIS AND KELLY while Eric slept.  I found my eyes closing, so I turned off the TV and fell back to sleep.  I didn’t get up until after 11:00am.  I don’t know what time Eric woke up, but he was already showered and dressed when I came out in my pajamas.

I finally showered at around noon.  I wanted to go to MICHAEL’S for a can of varnish for my decoupage project.  I know I have some packed away somewhere, but I can’t put my hands on it and I figured it would just be easier to go buy a new can.  Luckily, there’s a MICHAEL’S just a few miles away – down Clairemont Drive.  I swear if I had a thousand dollars to spend there, I could do it in one afternoon

They sell MARTHA STEWART craft supplies – for scrapbooking, gift-wrapping, etc.  I had to run away, because I can’t get started with all that.  It’s just too expensive a hobby and I have too many other crafts to do!  MICHAEL’S also sells every other craft supply you can imagine, plus decorative stuff, too – and their prices were really good.

I purchased some urns for our balcony, right outside our front door.  We wanted to dress it up a little.  They were on sale, so they didn’t cost much and now we just need to buy some soil and plants and we’ll be all set.  It’s nice, because they’ll live all winter long here!!!  In Whitestone, we would put out planters all spring, summer and fall, but then Eric would have to either bring them in the house or put them away in the shed for the winter, and most of the plants would die.  I told Eric I’d like to find little palm trees for the planters, but I don’t know if they really sell those!

After Michael’s, I drove into Pacific Beach and my drive-through STARBUCKS.  Then, I headed back up to Clairemont to go food shopping.   I went to KEILS, stocking up on veggies for our "big salads" and also buying some chips, grapes and cheese to put out when our guests come on Saturday afternoon.  I figure Audrey will be starving after her flight (you know they only give you that teeny bag of peanuts!) and everyone can snack a little before we go to NYPD for Italian food!

I saw one of our neighbors for the first time today.  A young man – also probably under 25 – and he was very sweet and waved to me.  The two guys who live under us didn’t even smile when they saw me and Eric.  There’s also a girl who comes out of her apartment and sits on a curb by the pool to work on her laptop.  Not only does she look uncomfortable, but she’s right in the way of your path when you walk by the front entrance. You could trip over her legs, because she's almost sitting on the ground (the curb is just about 6 inches high), but she never looks up or acknowledges you.  I think that’s so weird.  At least smile at someone!

Half the neighbors I’ve encountered smile and say hi, while the others just ignore you as if you didn’t exist.  We’ve been here almost a month and not one person has struck up a conversation, like “Oh, you’re the folks that just moved in,” or “Welcome to Pine Terrace!” (that’s the name of the building complex, since there are big pine trees outside on Clairemont Drive.)

I don’t need to have someone bring me a casserole, or a plate of home-made brownies, and welcome me to the neighborhood, but a simple “hello” would be nice!  Is that so much to ask?  I thought everyone in California was SO friendly, but I honestly think New Yorkers are more friendly and outgoing!  Eric and I have made some acquaintances – mostly in places we’ve gone to eat or shop – but I haven’t made one friend yet.  I’m hoping when I start working, and going to yoga, I’ll meet some people and make some friends.

I’m the kind of person who makes eye contact and smiles and talks to most anybody.  I get it from my mother.  She’s the same way.  When I visit her in Florida and go shopping with her, or to the doctor’s office for an appointment, or to a restaurant, every single person knows her and most of them give her a hug and kiss!  She’s so friendly and builds a relationship with everyone she comes into contact with.  I’m pretty much the same way.  I think it’s nice to be friendly, but people here obviously don’t feel the same way!

Eric went bicycling while I was out shopping.  He’s made a few acquaintances mountain biking and visiting BICYCLE WAREHOUSE.  He will also stop and talk to anyone he sees with a mountain bike.  He’s very friendly and outgoing, too.

Since I got home, I’ve been spraying my decoupaged tray every half hour with the varnish.  The more coats, the better.  Tonight I’m doing the top.  Tomorrow, when it’s good and dry, I’ll do the bottom.  I’ll photograph it and put pictures on the blog, when it’s all done.  I really think it came out great!

I bought all the ingredients to make Eric Chicken Asparagus Gorgonzola and I had Salmon Asparagus Gorgonzola.  We also enjoyed a side of Uncle Ben’s Vegetable Harvest Ready Rice!  I really don’t mind cooking when it’s a recipe I know and don’t have to think much about it.  I’m kind of lazy that way, and I’m lucky Eric is easy-going about food, because he’s just as happy with a tuna sandwich and a handful of potato chips, or a bowl of Kraft Macaroni and Cheese!  As I always say, he didn’t marry me for my cooking!

Eric and I are very excited about our trip on Monday.  I went online and found a few car service companies that can pick us up at 4:45am.  Since our flight leaves at 6:15am, I figure we need an hour and fifteen minutes to check in and get through security, and it takes about 15 minutes to get to the airport.  Yikes!  We have to get up at 3:30am!!  Maybe we won’t even go to sleep that night and we’ll sleep on the planes.

We’re flying into Houston, then changing planes to go to Columbia.  I’m anticipating delays, since it IS Christmas Eve morning, but we’re not on any schedule, so we’re ready for whatever happens!

Tonight I started another craft project.  I went through 5 big tins of jewelry that I use for crafts – most of it is broken, or missing stones, but a lot of it is clip on and screw on earrings, which no one wears anymore because they’re so uncomfortable!  I used to sell a lot of pairs in the shop, because a lot of the older women who came in never got pierced ears, and they were so happy to find nice clip-ons or screw-ons.  I have about 200 pairs and I want to use them to decorate a round mirror I brought from NY.  They’ll be easy to recognize, so they will appeal to anyone who likes costume jewelry.  I know no one will buy them to wear, so I might as well use them for crafts!

The earrings were all mixed up in all the tins so I ended up putting pairs together and it was like that game – Concentration – where you have all the singles laid out and then you have to find the match.  I told Eric it was good exercise for my brain!

I probably won’t get to the project before January, because we will be busy tomorrow running errands for our company and for our trip on Monday.  Saturday our company is coming, and Sunday is our last day before we go away!

The cookies are gone.  All those big, hand-decorated, buttery, shortbread cookies.  They’re gone!  And they didn’t even last a week!  I’m happy to report that Eric ate a lot more of them than I did, but I certainly helped.  It wasn’t like you took an entire cookie and sat down and ate it.  No, it was more just breaking off a piece from the “bouquet” every time you passed by.  They were SO good, SO tempting, SO addicting.  I never even had a piece of the biggest one – which said HAPPY 50TH BIRTHDAY.  Eric ate that one all by himself!

I’ve also been nibbling on the dark chocolate, but I kind of think of that as a “daily vitamin.”  There’s a lot of healthy stuff in dark chocolate and, as long as you’re just having a piece every day, it’s very good for you!

Yesterday, when I went to KEILS, I bought a big bag of Clementines.  They are the smallest Clementines you’ve ever seen.  They’re very tasty and refreshing, but they’re gone in no time!  The best thing about a Clementine is they have no pits, so there’s no spitting involved.  I feel a lot more ladylike eating a Clementine than I do an orange.  Being ladylike is not always of the utmost importance to me (as many of you have seen), but I do enjoy eating seedless fruit!

Speaking of being ladylike, anyone who has ever walked or driven with me while I’m chewing gum will know that my absolute worst habit is that I just spit my gum out in the street.  If I’m driving, I will roll down the window and just let it fly.  If I’m walking, I try to spit it into a garbage pail, if there’s one available, but if not…

I’ve gotten a lot of flack about that, but I just don’t like to put it into a tissue or a piece of paper and then have to worry about it floating around my purse or my car until I can dispose of it.  It’s just easier (and faster) to spit it out.  But the shocked expressions I’ve received at times have been hilarious.  People just don’t expect it – again, because I’m usually very ladylike!  I do think it’s my worst habit.  Maybe my New Year’s resolution should be to stop spitting out my gum!

This morning, I continued my game of Concentration with the clip-on and screw-on earrings, until I was positive I had no pairs left.  I kept all the pairs in one giant bag and all the singles in another.  I still have more tins to go through, so I may find them yet. 

Eric couldn’t understand why I cared about pairs vs. singles, but it’s because sometimes in projects I like to make it very symmetrical, so the pairs help me balance it out.  Other times, it’s more mixed up and “devil-may-care!”

After Eric and I both had breakfast, we went out to run a few errands.  First, we went back to MICHAEL’S, because I had purchased two urns, a wall pocket and big planter – all in a brownish antique-look metal.  I thought we’d use the two urns and either the wall pocket or the big planter in the center.  Eric said we should put the big planter in the center, with an urn on either side and put a wall pocket on either end of the balcony, so I went to buy another wall pocket. 

Then, we went to HOME DEPOT and got a bunch of plants in their nursery.  We got calla lilies for the two urns, cyclamen for the two wall pockets, and a mixture of pansies, begonias, and other flowering plants for the big planter in the center.  We also bought some soil.  When we got back, Eric did all the planting, while I put plastic bags and rocks in the bottom of each planter, since they didn’t have any drainage holes.

They look SO pretty.  I forgot to take pictures (with my cell phone).  I’ll do that tomorrow!

After that, I did three loads of laundry, so that everything will be clean for our vacation.  We’re really getting excited now!  I am waiting until Sunday to pack.  It’s very important that we take as little as possible, because we just have two small carry-ons, and Eric’s bicycling clothes and armor alone take up most of his carry-on.  I also have to take my lap-top and Betty (the GPS system).  We wouldn’t DREAM of traveling without Betty!

Eric made a frozen pizza for dinner, because I started working on jewelry mosaic project using a mirror with the clip-on and screw-on earrings.  Once I get started, I don’t want to stop.  It is a round, frameless beveled mirror I brought from NY.  The best mirrors to do my jewelry mosaics are the frameless mirrors.

I worked for a couple of hours, until my back was killing me from leaning over the table for so many hours.  I can sit while I decoupage, but I need to stand when I do the mosaics, and it’s really hard on my back!

I’m going to hang the mirror at the end of the hallway in between the master bedroom and bathroom, but I really want to sell it, so I’m going to photograph it and show it to some shops in town.

It’s been great to do my crafting again.  I’ve really missed it.  I hadn’t done anything since July and I used to do crafting almost every day, when I had the shop.  I love it!  If I could, I would just craft every day, all day long.

Sorry the picture is so blurry!  This is the plain black tray I decoupaged.

I also finished my decoupaged tray today.  I put a lot more coats of varnish on the top and bottom and think it’s finally finished.  Eric will do a final inspection tomorrow.  He’s very good with things like that and if he says it’s done, it’s done!  If not, I’ll put a few more coats on it.

The bottom of the tray before I decoupaged it.

Here's the tray after I covered it with pictures with a party theme!

I did a New Year’s Eve party theme for the tray, since Eric and I have been invited to a New Year’s Eve party in Los Angeles and we are hoping to get back from South Carolina early enough to attend.  We’ll drive up in the RV, go to the party, sleep in the RV overnight and then drive back to San Diego in the morning.

We are looking forward to seeing my cousin, Audrey, and her friends tomorrow.  It will be nice to have company again!

I woke up at 10:00am; Eric around 11:00am.  The first thing I have to say about New Year's Day was how fabulous it was to be in the warmth.  New Year’s Eve was nice and warm, too.  People at the party last night were complaining about how cold it was, but I just smiled.  It was so nice and warm in South Carolina the entire week, and when we got back to San Diego yesterday, it was even warmer.  You can’t imagine how much it means to me, how happy it makes me.  It really makes life a lot better for me.

I was feeling very lazy and there was a MONK marathon on TV today, so I knew I wouldn’t be going out, or getting much done.  I unpacked and put everything back.  Having done the laundry in SC made it a lot easier, since most of the clothes just went back in the drawers and closet.  I also had to blog for yesterday, which was a real challenge, since it was probably the longest day we’ve had in a LONG time.

Eric watched an episode of MONK with me, then went out to work on the RV and the PT.  While I watched more MONK, worked on the computer and took a nap, he washed and vacuumed the PT, started the generator and engine of the RV and flushed the tank.  You know Eric – Mr. Maintenance.  It is very important to do keep the RV in good shape, because things start to deteriorate when you’re not using it.  Since it doesn’t get cold here, he doesn’t need to winterize the RV, which means he has to periodically start everything up to keep it working well.

When I woke up from my nap it was dark outside, and Eric returned a few minutes later.  I had a pretty bad headache, which is very unusual for me.  I took a few Advils and turned on more MONK.  I love these marathons, because I can’t get enough of that show!

I forgot to mention one more thing about the fine people of Columbia, South Carolina: They love to eat out!  It was something that Eric and I noticed, because all the restaurants were really busy all the time.  The Japanese place, Yamato, was packed on Christmas Eve.  I mentioned that we had to wait to get a seat at Denny’s on Christmas Day.  The Cracker Barrel was crazy the two times we were there, and we went by once and it was so busy we just went someplace else. 
FATZ was crazy busy and CARRABBA’S was, too.  I even mentioned to a hostess at one of the restaurants that we were so surprised at the crowds.  I asked if it was always like this.  She said that it was, but it was even worse because it was a holiday week.

I don’t really remember restaurants in NY being especially crowded around the holidays, but maybe they were and I just didn’t notice.  I always thought the holidays were more about staying home with your family.  Not in Irmo and Columbia!  Eric said, “I thought everyone here stayed home and cooked that good, Southern cookin’!”  I said, “You’d think so, yet we have seen in the last week that we definitely have something in common with them.  We love to eat out, too!”

We didn’t eat out today on New Year’s Day.  We had breakfast (grits for Eric; cereal for me), and I just snacked for lunch.  I had done the food shopping yesterday, so I made a big salad for dinner.  I bought some garlic vinaigrette dressing and was very excited to try it.  It doesn’t take much to make me happy!  I used black beans with the mixed greens, which is the newest addition to my salads.  They’re healthy and add protein!  I also added shelled edamame, which is so delicious.  I had some gorgonzola cheese, so we crumbled a little in there, too.

After dinner we watched an episode of MONK co-starring his real-life wife, Brooke Adams.  This is the first episode she was in; there was another in a later season.  I thought Eric would particularly enjoy this one, because it is about Monk solving a murder while he’s on his first plane trip.  He’s REALLY nervous about flying, which Eric can relate to.  It was very funny.  Garry Marshall co-starred in it, too, as well as Tim Daly, who played himself.  Great episode!

By 9:00pm Eric was ready for bed.  I wasn't surprised as he worked hard today and didn't take a nap.  I paid some bills and organized my desk.

I’m excited and scared about the agency calling me for work.  I really want to go back to work – to be a productive member of society – but I’ve gotten into a very bad habit of waking late, being on my own schedule, and spending my days with Eric. I want to work.  I really do.  I just hope they don’t call tomorrow!

The phone rang at 8:00am this morning.  I was sure it was the temp agency.  Darn it!  I was hoping for a few more days off (lazy girl that I am).  Fortunately, it was Eric’s sister, Ellen, calling to wish us a Happy New Year.  I’m always happy to hear from Ellen, but today I was especially pleased!  I called the agency at 9:00am and told them I’m ready, willing, and able to go to work, so I do hope I’ll hear from them soon.

Eric decided to go for a ride.  He left the house with the PT at around noon and I was doing two loads of laundry.  I expected to be home most of the day, because I wouldn’t have the car, so I decided to do some organizing in the apartment.  Eric was going to LAKE POWAY and TWIN PEAKS, which is about 40 miles away.  I expected him to be back after dark, and was surprised when he returned around 3:00pm.  Unfortunately, the area was burned in the fires and all the trails are closed.  Eric was really disappointed.  He keeps trying different places in his San Diego Mountain Biking book, and they are bad for one reason or another.  This one wasn’t bad – he just wasn’t able to ride it!

Since he came back with the car, I decided to go out and run some errands and he said he’d ride out from the apartment on his bicycle.  First, I went to the post office to mail back our EZ-PASS.  They don’t have EZ-PASS in California, so we don’t need it anymore.  My next stop was right across the street in a big shopping center (this is all on Clairemont Drive, just a few miles down from the apartment).

That’s where the MICHAEL’S craft place is, along with Burlington Coat Factory, ACE Hardware, and many other stores.  I never noticed how big it was before.  It’s one shopping center, but there are 4 different parking lots, so you don’t realize how many stores there are.  There’s also a movie theater and – a STARBUCKS!  I didn’t realize there was one so close to the house.  Eureka, Wow, Hooray and all that kind of stuff!

I stopped for an iced decaf venti nonfat sugar-free mocha latte.  Yum!  I went into the Burlington Coat Factory for the first time.  Who knew they sold all kinds of bedding, towels, home accessories and furniture?  I thought it was a COAT factory!

I went into Michaels to get the batting for my rhinestone pin display frame.  I already had the brown crushed velvet, I just needed the batting and the frame.  I saw a beautiful ornate gold frame in Michaels.  It was $40.  I didn’t really like it that much, because it’s brand new, just made to look old, but I thought I would keep it in mind if I couldn’t find anything better.

Next, I drove into Pacific Beach and went to the Salvation Army where I found a gorgeous ornate gold frame for $15 and a smaller silver one for $5.  I was so happy.  They were exactly what I was looking for.  I’m going to use the big gold one for the colorful rhinestone pins, and the small silver one for earrings.  I found some black fishnet type fabric which, when stretched over some other fabric, will hold the hooks for dangling earrings.

I drove back to Clairemont and went to RITE-AID to buy a Brita filter.  Eric and I drank bottled water all across the country, but I feel guilty about it, because we use so many plastic bottles.  I was watching THE BIGGEST LOSER – COUPLES and they said they were teaming up with BRITA to get people to stop using bottled water and start using refillable pitchers.  We always used Brita pitchers in NY and our pitcher wouldn’t fit in the RV, so we got rid of it and started buying cases of bottled water.  I just think it’s wasteful, because Eric has water bottles when he rides and he can just fill them up from the Brita.

Last, I went to KEILS for a few odds and ends we needed, including pecans, which Eric wants to add to our salads.  They had them in a lot of salads we had on vacation and he always liked the taste.  I also wanted to get dried cranberries, because they had them in a salad we had in South Carolina.  Unfortunately, KEILS didn’t have any!  I also bought more IZZE soda – this time Black Raspberry – because it has no caffeine and no refined sugar.  It’s all natural and is just sparkling water sweetened with natural fruit juice!

When I got home, Eric still wasn’t back from his ride.  I unpacked the groceries, got the Brita filter started (you need to soak the filter, then fill up the pitcher two times before using), and then watched some Dr. Phil I had taped from last week.

Eric got back and I made dinner.  All I had to do was heat up some frozen MORNINGSTAR FARMS vegetarian chicken patties (hey, they taste really good) and some MORNINGSTAR FARMS veggie bites, plus some Four Cheese Uncle Ben’s Ready Rice.   Nothing fancy, yet tasty and filling!

This morning I ordered NUTRISYSTEM for me and Eric – vegetarian for me; Chicken for Eric.  We’re both into losing weight and believe portion control is part of our problem.  We’ll see how this works for us.  We should get our first meals in about a week.  I’ll keep you all informed of our progress!

We watched the news at 11:00pm and there seems to be a cold snap through the whole country.  We heard it was 17 degrees in NY, and freezing in Florida, too.  I’m so sorry for my East Coast contingent!  I thank my lucky stars that we are here in San Diego.  It’s supposed to rain for a few days, but we really need it, so I won’t be complaining.

Well, there’s a new Letterman and Leno on tonight.  I still don’t know how they managed it, because the strike is still on, but we're going to watch!  Tomorrow, Eric and I will make my colorful rhinestone display frame.  I’ll take pictures!

I woke up at 8:00am and came out to the living room to do some work on my typing project.  I'm happy to report it’s almost done.  I typed for 2 hours and then woke Eric up at 10:00am, so we could have breakfast together and watch THE VIEW.  Unfortunately, it was a repeat, so Eric made grits for us both (I don’t like it as much as he does, but I was just in the mood!) and we went into the bedroom to watch BOSTON LEGAL, which I had recorded on Tuesday.  What a great show.

After that, we watched an episode of MONK I had recorded, too.  Eric fell asleep soon after the episode was over, and I watched a DR. PHIL I had recorded and then fell back to sleep, too!  Are we lazy or WHAT?

When we woke up we went to work on my frame projects.  First we put the big gold frame together with the batting and the brown crushed velvet.  It looks SO beautiful.  Then, we did the small silver frame with the batting, a purple fabric and the fishnet fabric over it.  We hung them both up and I immediately hung all my earrings on the fishnet frame.  It looks SO cute and now I can see all my earrings at once – just like the rhinestone pins.  It looks great, and it serves a purpose – it helps me to see all my accessories and, therefore, to wear more of them.

It’s funny how Eric and I work together.  We have ALWAYS done decorating and craft projects together – since before we were married.  When I had my apartment, we had a lot of parties, and he would help me decorate.  When we got married and lived in the apartment in Flushing for 2 years, we decorated the whole place together.  When we bought the house in 1986, he helped me decorate every single room.  He’s so handy, and great with all the tools.  He will help me with anything I ask, and he’s much more exacting about measurements than I am.  We don’t always see things the same way, and sometimes we argue about how something should be done, but it’s always fun and the results are always beautiful!  We really make a great team.

After that was done, he went into the shower and geared up to go for a ride.  I went into the shower and got dressed to go for a “power walk.”  I left the house at 4:11pm and walked along Clairemont Drive to Balboa and back. 

I walked really fast on the way, and the muscles in my shins were really feeling it.  I worked up a good sweat and could tell my face was all red.  I get red-in-the-face when I exercise, which is SO attractive!

By the time I got close to the apartment, I was actually feeling lightheaded.  I have been sedentary for SO long and even my few bicycle rides weren’t as strenuous, because you can just coast a lot on the bicycle, and don’t have to pedal all the time.  I had to put one foot in front of the other all the way there and back.  I got back exactly an hour later – 5:11pm.  It was just getting dark and I was glad to be home.

As soon as I started walking I remembered why I don’t walk more.  I have arthritis in my right foot.  Every step hurts me, but I’m so used to it and it’s not excruciating, it’s just a dull ache all the time.  The problem is, when you’re walking a few miles, and every step hurts, after a while it starts to get really annoying.  By the time I got back my foot was killing me.  I had to put on this orthopedic cushion that I have from my holistic podiatrist, back in New Hyde Park.  The problem is, the flatter my shoe, the more it hurts.  Barefoot is the worst.  Sneakers are a little better, but still cause a lot of pain.

I want to walk every day.  I keep reading about how it’s the best exercise, and since I’m in a new neighborhood, everything is interesting to look at, so I won’t get as bored.  I’ll see how my foot feels tomorrow.  If it’s killing me, I’ll have to go back to bicycling, which is fine, but just a lot more trouble – the gearing up, the helmet, the gloves, the traffic.  You know what I mean!

I do want to start yoga again and that’s a definite.  I want Eric to go with me, and he’s promised he would, but we’ll just see if he follows through.  I happen to think yoga would be fabulous for Eric, because although he is in good shape due to riding, he NEVER stretches and is hamstrung.  If you ask him to touch his toes, he can bend down about 3 inches, so that his fingertips are by his knees.  Stretching is very important.  My back never felt better than when I was taking yoga.  My foot felt better, too.  It really helps a lot of things.  It’s good for you spiritually, physically, and mentally.  I highly recommend it!

So, when I got back from my walk, all red-faced and sweaty, I drank a big glass of water, cooled down, and watched today’s episode of DR. PHIL (which I had recorded) while I waited for Eric to get back from his ride.  When he did, I made us a big salad – pecans, black beans, sprouts, red cabbage, snap peas, edamame, avocado, cherry tomatoes, shredded Asiago cheese and mixed greens.  Delicious and healthy!

George's girlfriend presenting Elaine with The Big Salad:

For dessert we had mango sorbet and pineapple chunks (packed in juice, not syrup) with more pecans on top.

Eric watched the basketball game and I watched UGLY BETTY while I put all the colorful rhinestone pins on my new brown velvet and gold-framed pin board.  It’s so nice to look at all my pins and, even though I may not ever wear some of them, at least I'll look at them every day!

The pin with the big purple stone in the middle belonged to my grandmother.  It's one of my treasures!

I am going to keep my eyes peeled for more frames, because I think it’s something that lots of girls would like to have to display their pins or earrings.  Eric and I had fun making them and I’d like to make a bunch and try to sell them at the Swap Meet.  I’ve never seen anyone else with them, so at least it’s something unusual and interesting!

The light blue dangle pin with the "marbles" is the one I just purchased in South Carolina.  Isn't it unusual?

I love my crafting so much.  If I could just sit all day and do decoupage, or jewelry mosaics, or make my jewelry frames, or sponge paint, I would be as happy as a pig in you-know-what.  I got to do so much crafting for 5 years, while I had the shop.  Now, it’s something I’ll have to fit in, when I’m not working (which I hope I will be soon!).  Crafting makes me happy!

Today is the 150th day since we left Whitestone.  I told Eric since we’re going on NUTRISYSTEM next week, and will not be eating out much (like we do now), we should go out tonight and celebrate 150 days.  It’s not really our last hurrah, because we will be eating out when we go to L.A. next week, and when our nieces visit from New York the week after, but we’ll be eating VERY sensibly, so it’s our last night to “be bad.”  For me, that means Italian!  There’s a great place right up the block which we’ve only visited once, even though we had a great meal, so I figured that’s where we’d go tonight.

I might start working on Monday (I hope), so I decided today was the last day to run a bunch of errands.  I left the house around noon and saw something under the windshield wiper on the PT.  A ticket!  How lovely!  It was a $25 ticket for not having a valid registration displayed.  I was totally confused, because Eric and I noticed that no one in California has a registration sticker in their windshield. I did receive my registration in the mail, but it was just a piece of paper, which actually said it DIDN'T have to be displayed, just to keep it in the car.  

I didn’t know what to do and the only people I could think of to ask were the guys who sold me the PT at ENTERPRISE, so I drove over there.

A guy named Ron, who I never met before, told me they’d take care of the ticket, because they registered it for me and there was some kind of mistake with the registration.  I’m still not sure exactly what the problem was, because they sent me the new registration, but they didn’t send the sticker!  The only reason I got the ticket is because it’s now 2008 and the cop noticed the little sticker wasn't on the rear license plate.  Last year it was green; this year it’s orange.  Since I parked on the empty side of the street, a cop was able to get a good look at my plate and noticed the color was wrong.

Ron told me he’d take care of the ticket, but I had to take my registration to the DMV, which is a few miles away (from my apartment, and from ENTERPRISE) and they would give me the 2008 sticker.

I drove to the DMV and got on line.  I had to fill out a one-page form and they gave me a number – B144.  When I sat down, they were up to B110.  I couldn’t believe I was going to have to spend my whole day at the DMV.  Long story short – I got the sticker in about an hour, but they told me I had to get a new driver’s license.  You are supposed to get one after 30 days and we’ve already been residents for longer than that.  I couldn’t do it today, even if I wanted to, because you have to bring your original birth certificate and original marriage license (because I have a different last name than is listed on my birth certificate).

So, if I don’t work on Monday, Eric and I know where we’ll be spending the afternoon.  The thing that scared me the most is that they give you an 18-question driver’s test.  Will I know the answers?  I took my driving test 24 years ago!

I got out of there at 1:00pm and drove to Pacific Beach and went to the SALVATION ARMY.  I didn’t find any frames there today, so I drove to SPORTS ARENA BOULEVARD to hit a lot of the stores there.  First, I went to STARBUCKS and got an iced venti decaf nonfat sugar-free mocha latte.

Then, I went to GOODWILL and picked up a frame to make another pin board.

Then, I went to PIER 1 IMPORTS.  I wanted to get a coffee table for the living room.  I wasn’t happy with the one we made out of boxes, because the tablecloth on top didn’t match the rest of the room and dragged too much on the floor.

I found a gorgeous trunk and was able to use the two gift certificates I got from our friends, Brian and Elaine and Andrea and Mark.  I even had some money left over and bought some scented soaps (Eric loves them) and some beautiful cards.  The trunk is called "Vallejo" and is part wood, bamboo and rattan.  It is an orangy brown and has the kind of hinged lid that can’t slam down on your fingers.  It has brass handles on each side and a slit in the front for your hand to fit into when you open it.  It’s perfect to store the blankets, pillows and sheets for guests who sleep on our lovely sleeper sofa!  We’re so happy with it.  It looks great and is practical and useful, too!

I’m so grateful that I was able to get this lovely piece of furniture for the apartment and didn’t have to pay a penny for it.  Thanks, again, to our friends for this lovely gift!

After PIER 1 IMPORTS I jumped right next door to another SALVATION ARMY store.  I found another great frame.

Next, I drove back to Clairemont and went to MICHAELS and BURLINGTON COAT FACTORY, where I found another beautiful frame.  I’m going to be making these frames into pin and earring boards to try to sell them.

My last stop was in another store in the same shopping center as MICHAELS and BURLINGTON COAT FACTORY called HOME FABRICS.  This is a fabric store, but the kind that sells fancy, expensive fabrics for upholstery and curtains, and also sells rugs and trimmings.  They don’t sell fabric for crafts, quilting or clothing.

I bought four curtain panels (2 in light blue and 2 in chocolate brown), because I had an idea to make a “headboard” out of curtain panels covering the ugly vertical blinds.  They drive me and Eric crazy, because when we’re laying in bed they’re always hitting us in the head.  I’m going to see if I can take down the verticals and, if I can’t, I’ll just hang the panels right over them.  At least, even if we lean against them, they won’t be hitting us in the head anymore!

When I got back I showed Eric all my purchases and he told me about his ride.  Apparently, he almost got run off the road by an idiot in a pickup truck who actually backed up to yell at him and tell him to “get the ____ off the road.”  Eric said the drivers here are crazier than in New York.  I don’t understand how someone driving a car can get so mad at someone riding a bicycle, but it happened.  I’m just glad he’s okay.  He said the guy practically ran him off the road.

He went on a tour of different neighborhoods in San Diego and told me that he went to a part of La Jolla were the mansions were so huge that they put Malba to shame.  Malba was the neighborhood right next to ours in Whitestone and there were mansions there that would make your head spin.  A lot of them looked like estates, behind big iron gates, with marble columns (ya gotta have marble colums!).  I told him I want him to take me there in the car, so I can see!

We went to LA DOLCE VITA, right up the block, for dinner.  I had salad bar and eggplant parmigiana with spaghetti.  Eric had lentil soup, salad bar and penne a la vodka.  Everything was really good.  This place is so close and they have great food.  That’s dangerous!

After dinner, we decided to walk to 7-ELEVEN so Eric could play LOTTO and MEGA MILLIONS and we could get dessert (Ben & Jerry’s Chocolate Peanut Butter (what else?)).

We walked back to the apartment and Eric watched basketball and had ice cream while I blogged and had ice cream.

We’re glad we have no plans for the weekend, because it’s supposed to be raining all day Saturday and Sunday.  It’s so funny, because it’s big news that there’s a “winter storm” coming.  They have NO idea!

I’m actually looking forward to a rainy weekend, because now I have three frames to put together and Eric and I will keep busy working together all afternoon (if we’re not watching TV or taking naps!).  Sounds like heaven to me!

I woke up at 8:00am this morning.  I’ve been setting my alarm for 8:00am every morning, so that I get used to waking up a little earlier, but I didn’t set it for today and I woke up early anyway!  It was finally raining.  They’ve been threatening all week and it finally started.  No biggie.  It wasn’t even pouring, just a nice, steady rain, which you would think they’d be thrilled about here, considering we ARE in a desert!

Eric woke up soon after and went right into the shower.  I was talking to my friend, Jimmy, on the phone, when the bell rang – and it was a package for me.  Actually, it was addressed to Jimmy c/o me.  Jimmy won a BEDAZZLER in an online contest and generously gave it to me!

Here’s his bedazzling entry:
Right off the bat I'd Bedazzle a portrait of David Bowie on my favorite Levi jacket. I think his looks on 'Aladdin Sane' and/or 'Scary Monsters' would translate best in sparkle magic. Because I have very little artistic talent when it comes to rendering the likeness of a rock GOD in rhinestones, it'll probably look more like a day camp crafts project done by Corky from 'Life Goes On.' BUT I'LL know it's David. Oh yes. I'll know.

He's so funny and I'm always telling him he's a great writer, so it's no wonder he won.  He asked me if I would use it and I told him I’d love it.  So, he had them ship it to him here.  I can’t wait to try it!  I know I will be able to do something fabulous with it.  After all, I AM Sparkle Plenty!  Thanks, Jimmy!

I got the original cast recording of YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN, which I would love to see on Broadway.  Boo hoo!  I'll have to wait for the National Tour to come to San Diego (or Los Angeles!).  I also saw ROLL IN THE HAY performed on Letterman with Roger Bart and Sutton Foster.  It was great.

After Eric’s shower, he came into the living room all dressed.  I asked him why he bothered getting all dressed when it was raining out (I assumed we were spending the day inside).  All he said was “Pancakes.”  “What?” I asked.  “Pancakes,” he repeated.  Turns out, he wanted to go to IHOP.  I explained to him that I was trying to diet.  It was bad enough that I had bread AND spaghetti with dinner; bad enough that we walked to 7-Eleven last night to get ice cream.

He explained that once we start on NUTRISYSTEM the party is over, so he wanted to have pancakes for breakfast.  I told him he was sabotaging my diet, but I really have no one to blame but myself.

I put on my leopard rain slicker and my black galoshes and we went to IHOP in Pacific Beach.  It was coming down pretty hard, but not teeming or anything like that.

The place was IHOP-ping!  I guess everyone else had the same idea.  Eric got the pancakes with 2 scrambled eggs, bacon and hash browns.  I got the chocolate chip pancakes.  There really aren’t a heck of a lot good choices at IHOP, except this one dish that’s egg substitute with veggies and pancakes with low-calorie syrup.  Eric said, “Just get the chocolate chip pancakes.”  And I obeyed.  I am happy to report that I only ate half and took the rest home.  Okay, I’m not proud of myself, but at least I didn’t eat the whole thing!

When we got back we watched an episode of MONK I had recorded from the marathon the other day.  It was from the first season, which I had only seen once and Eric had never seen.  We really enjoyed it.

After that, he went into the living room to watch a marathon of his own – football.  There were two games on today and Eric watched them both – all day long!  I took a nap.  I don’t know why I was so tired, but I think some of it was due to the rainy weather.  I woke up at 3:30pm – I had slept for almost three hours!  Even for me, that’s a long nap!

Now, I was ready to get to work!  I wanted to make the two frames for pins.  I had the brown velvet, which looks so nice with the gold wood.  Eric helped me work on the two frames and then he and I made dinner.

The back of the pin boards, covered with vintage drawer liner paper.  I think it gives it a nice finishing touch!

I had a salad and he made himself chicken cutlet parmigiana and also had my leftover eggplant parmigiana from last night.

Since he was STILL watching football, I ate in the bedroom while I watched the first episode of CELEBRITY APPRENTICE, which I had recorded.  It was pretty good.  I always enjoyed the regular APPRENTICE shows, so I figured this would be entertaining, too.  It didn’t disappoint.

After dinner I finished the two frames.  They came out great.  I am hoping to sell them both.

A close-up of the two gold frames.  I think they'll be a beautiful addition to any boudoir!

Our friend, Jerry, called.  He is staying in Malibu and we are going to spend next weekend with him.  We visited him in Chicago on our RV Adventure, now we’ll be visiting him in Malibu!  I will also be going to see WICKED with my cousin, Ilene on Saturday afternoon.  It should be a great weekend.  We’re hoping the weather is better next weekend than this!

Our other friend, Geri, called.  Wow!  What are the chances?  We spoke for a while and then I came back out to the living room to hang out with Eric.  The football games were finally over and we watched some regular TV together.

Since he didn’t have a nap, Eric went to bed at 10:00pm, but I was still rarin’ to go.  I worked on the computer and watched TV.  I’m shopping for a headboard.  The vertical blinds in the bedroom are driving me CRAZY.  We need to buy a headboard that attaches to the frame, so we can pull the bed away from the wall a little and still have something to lean against.  I’d rather make one, but it would be a lot of work, and he said if I could find something I liked to just buy it instead.  I like padded and tufted headboards.  They’re comfy and elegant.  I found exactly what I was looking for and I may just order it tomorrow!

My phone rang at 7:00am.  There was no one there.  I couldn’t fall back to sleep.  That’s how my Sunday started.

I got up and called back the number that had called me.  It was my online prescription company.  I don’t know if they lost the call, or realized they were calling me at 7:00am on a Sunday and hung up.  Anyway, I was up and couldn’t fall back to sleep.

I came into the living room, sat at the computer, and finished my typing project.  Yes, it’s done.  I'm so happy.  Then, I organized my desk, paid some bills, and answered some emails.  Eric got up a little after 10:00am.  He started watching football and I went into the bedroom to watch TV.  He had my leftover chocolate chip pancakes for breakfast.  I had Special K.

I was going to do laundry, but it was raining again, and there really wasn’t that much to do, so I figured it could wait.  I really felt lazy today.  Like I didn’t have the energy to do anything.  I guess I could blame it on another rainy day.  Maybe it's because I went to bed at 1:00am and woke up at 7:00am.  I’m not sure what it is.

I found my birth certificate, Eric’s birth certificate, and our marriage license, which I need in order to get our new driver’s licenses tomorrow.  If they don’t call me for work, that will be our first order of business!  I also have to go to the post office and want to return some curtain panels I purchased.  I was going to use them behind the bed, but the colors weren’t that great, once I got them home and matched them to the bedding.  I also don’t really need them anymore, since I found a gorgeous headboard online and ordered it this morning.  Wheee!  I love shopping online.

I researched for 2 hours last night and the nicest cheapest headboard actually comes from the same company where I got our sleeper sofa!  It’s chocolate brown, heavily tufted, looks like silk shantung (but is actually a much more durable poly/cotton) and attaches to the bedframe (unlike a lot of the ones I saw, which only attach to the wall!).  I should have it in a week or two.  It will make watching TV in bed so much more comfortable.

At around 3:00pm, Eric went inside to take a nap.  I don’t know why I wasn’t feeling tired, since I’ve been up since 7:00am, and he got up at 10:00am, but I figure it’s best I don’t nap, because this way I’ll be able to go to bed at a decent time and wake up early.  I want to be showered and dressed by 8:00am.  If they call me to work, I’ll just leave the DMV with Eric and we’ll go back another day.

It is important that we get our licenses, because you’re supposed to have a California license within 30 days (we’ve already been here for 6 weeks).  Fortunately, the only way they really know is if you’re stopped by a cop and asked to show your license, but then you get a ticket, and it’s a big pain.  I’d rather play by the rules and just get it done.  IF they don’t call me for work.

I woke Eric up at 5:30pm and told him I’d make a frozen pizza for dinner.  There’s practically no food left in the house, which is good since we’re going on NUTRISYSTEM next week and will have all our food provided for us, except for fruits, vegetables and dairy.

Eric had no interest in frozen pizza.  He wanted to go to “our place” for sushi.  I said “Sure!”  We got dressed and went out.  It was dark and rainy, but at least it wasn’t cold!  We went to HAIKU and were treated like royalty.  Jin, one of the sushi chefs, asked us what rolls we wanted as soon as we walked in the door, even though the restaurant was pretty crowded.

We told him we definitely wanted our favorite (Spicy Crunchy Shrimp Roll) and would have to look at the menu to decided on the rest.  We then ordered edamame, shumai (our two classics), and ordered two other new dishes to try – a dish called COMA, which was tempura fried jalapeno peppers in a chopped salad, and we tried a new roll – Super Spicy Tuna Roll.  The first thing the waitress brought us was two bowls of Miso Soup.  We told her we hadn’t ordered it, but she said she wanted us to have it.  Delicious!

By the time we were done, we were stuffed.  We never order soup, so it was an additional dish we weren’t expecting.  I was satisfied and ready to leave, but Eric had to have the fried Green Tea ice cream.  It’s his favorite!  I had a little, but he ate most of it.  I don’t know how he’s going to stick to the NUTRISYSTEM diet, but we’ll see.  We’ll see.

DR. PHIL had a show about New Year’s resolutions last week and he said in order to keep a resolution you should tell people, because then you will be held accountable.  If you tell everyone you’re going to quit smoking, then it’s going to be awkward to explain yourself if someone sees you smoking.  It’s the same with dieting.  Well, I am going to be fully accountable, because I’m telling everyone that I’m going on NUTRISYSTEM and will be reporting in my blog every single day what I eat and if I cheat.  I am hoping that my dieting success will be inspiration for others who are frustrated by their ever-tightening waistbands!  Yes, that’s what I’m hoping!

When we got back, I immediately got back into my pjs (since my waistband is so tight), and called my friend Jimmy.  He said he doesn’t think I’ll get called to work tomorrow, and Eric doesn’t think so either, so I guess I’ll be safe at the DMV.

If we DO get that done, I’m hoping to go to the optometrist to get our eyes checked, too.  We both need to have our prescriptions updated.  Also, my glasses got very loose.  They keep falling off my face and if they weren’t around my neck on a chain (yes, I’m old – I admit it), they would fall right to the floor.

I called my Mom to see how she was doing.  My whole family was there this week.  My sister, Lenae, and her husband Rich, and two kids – Keri and Ed – went during the week to visit, and my other sister, Audrey, got there on Saturday morning.  Lenae and her crew left this morning, and Audrey’s leaving tomorrow night.  I know how exhausting it can be to have company, and having so many for so long must have been a lot of work.  My parents are doing great, but they’re no spring chickens!  My Mom said she was exhausted, but they had a lot of fun, and they missed me and Eric.

After I hung up from my Mom I wanted to finish my third project – another frame to hold earrings.  It came out great!  I now have three frames and my mirror decorated with clip-on earrings.  I am going to bring them all to the trendy shops in Hillcrest to see if anyone is interested in buying them, or taking them on consignment.  If not, I’ll try some other nice neighborhoods, and if I find there is no interest in the shops I’ll rent a booth at the Swap Meet one weekend and sell them myself.  I really think there’ll be a market for them.

If I WAS going to rent a booth, I’d have to accumulate a lot of pieces before I’d have enough to make it worthwhile to rent a whole booth.  It would take me a few months, at the very least.  I’d much rather sell them piece by piece, or put them in different shops on consignment.  I’m not used to doing my work this way, because in New York all my pieces were commissioned.  I very rarely did anything just to try to sell, or for myself.  I only did them when people would specifically request a custom piece of furniture or decorative item.

A suitcase I decoupaged for a make-up artist, so she can fashionably carry her tools to jobs!

That’s my favorite way to work, because I’m making something for someone that is like a wish fulfilled.  My clients would tell me exactly what they wanted.  I’d show them the piece I was going to decorate, or they’d bring it to me themselves.  If it was to be decoupaged, they would tell me the theme – butterflies, or art deco, or Asian, or a holiday theme.

A glass vase I decorated completely with pictures of butterflies (which I cut out of catalogs and magazines):

If it was a jewelry mosaic, they would request all rhinestones, or gold jewelry, or pearls.  Some customers would give me pieces of jewelry they wanted me to use on a mirror, or a box, or even buy pieces of jewelry in the shop.  That bothered me a little, because I always used broken pieces of jewelry, or a single earring – stuff that couldn’t really be worn anymore.  I don’t like to use wearable jewelry in my creations.  It’s all about reducing, reusing and recycling.  I call my work “decorative reincarnation” because I give things, which are considered garbage by some, a new life!  I’m just trying to save things from the landfill!

A box I decoupaged with pictures of flowers:

It all started when people would bring me jewelry to sell on consignment in the shop.  If a piece was broken, or there were stones missing, they’d say, “Oh, just throw it out.”  Of course, I never could.  I told them I’d keep it for crafts.  When I had a bunch of broken pieces I started doing my jewelry mosaics and I was hooked.  I love doing it!

An old, ugly chandelier that I covered completely with faux pearls:

Now, I use clip-on and screw-on earrings, because most girls won’t wear them anymore.  They just hurt too much.  Now, you CAN make clip-on or screw-on earrings into pierced, but it costs at least $15 per set, and most people don’t want to make the investment.  I had so many pairs of earrings and I decided to put them to good use, so I started using them in my jewelry mosaics, too.  It bothers me a little, because they ARE wearable, there’s just no market for them!

A piece I bejeweled for a shoe collector! 

Well, I need you all to wish us luck at the DMV tomorrow.  I hope we pass the written test.  I hope we pass the vision test.  I hope we don’t spend the whole day there!

My phone rang at 6:44am.  It was the prescription company again, but – again – there was no one there.  At least this time my alarm was going off at 7:00am anyway!  I finally found out that it’s an automatic message and I guess they keep calling you until you listen to the whole message.

Eric and I got up and got out early.  We got on line at the DMV (the line was already out the door) at 8:23am.  It wasn’t raining, but it looked like it might any second and it was really chilly.  We got inside, continued waiting on line and got and filled out the form for the driver’s license.  We each got a number (G137 and G138) and it moved so fast that we had just finished filling out the form when we were called.  We also registered to vote (which means they’ll probably call me for Jury Duty very soon).

Eric was on one side of the big room at one window and I was at another.  They processed our forms, checked our vision, took our pictures and photographed our thumbs (that’s new!).  Then, we had to wait on another line to take the test, which consisted of 36 questions.  You failed if you got more than 3 wrong.  Now, Eric and I had both gone through the tutorial online, to get an idea of the questions they were going to ask, and we both did pretty well, but we never took the test online and we never studied the book.

As soon as we got the tests and started taking them we each had the same thought: “Maybe we should have looked at the book first!”  Of course, we didn’t discuss this, as we were both in different “privacy stalls” taking the test, but when we conferred afterward, we laughed at the fact that we both forgot to look at the manual before getting tested!

The questions that involved common sense were pretty easy, but there were some that you just couldn’t know unless you studied the manual.  For instance: At an uncontrolled intersection where you can’t see cross traffic until you are just about to enter the intersection, the speed limit is: 15 mph, 25 mph, 20 mph.  I just figured you should go as slow as possible, so I guessed 15 mph.  I was right!

Another confusing one: Unless otherwise posted, the speed limit in a residential area is: 35 mph, 30 mph, 25 mph.  I didn’t know, so I guessed 35 mph.  I was wrong!  I also got another one wrong about a yellow sign with an arrow facing left, which I found out means “Sharp turn to the left.”  Who knew?

I got two wrong; Eric got three wrong.  We were REALLY lucky!  We got out of there at 10:00am.  Next, I had to go to the post office.  After that, I had to return some curtains I had purchased.  They just weren’t going to work.

Next, we went to PEARL VISION, because we both need new prescriptions.  Unfortunately, we didn’t have the forms we needed (we forgot we have to get them from Eric’s union), so we didn’t get anything done.

We came home and there were two big boxes waiting for us (glad it wasn’t raining!).  One was Eric’s 5-week supply of NUTRISYSTEM food.  My box of NUTRISYSTEM didn’t arrive yet.  I told Eric I thought the mailman probably had it in his truck, but didn’t feel like making THREE trips!  I hope it comes tomorrow!

The other big box was his AB LOUNGE ULTRA, a chair that makes doing crunches easier (at least that’s what Eric thinks).  He says, “It practically does them for you!”  He’s been talking about and wanting to order the Ab Lounge for a few years already and he mentioned it again while we were in South Carolina.  I figure anything that’s going to get him (and me) moving can’t be bad, so I ordered it online.

After looking through all the food in Eric’s plan, I called my friend, Susan, and got caught up with her.  I miss her and her husband, Andrew!

I got all the laundry together and walked down to the laundry room.  Unfortunately, all four machines were being used, so I came back up.  I waited a half hour and went back down.  Someone else beat me to it!  I went back up and came back again in another half hour and this time I was able to use three machines.

I came up and did stuff around the apartment until it was time to put everything in the dryer.

When I came back up, Eric had gone into the bedroom to take a nap (he was practically sleeping in the massage chair while he was watching TV).  Then, I made lunch for myself while he slept and I waited for the clothes to dry.  I had two boca burgers (vegetarian) and three veggie bites – all from MORNINGSTAR FARMS.  I enjoy their food, and it’s microwaveable, so it’s also fast and easy!

I will be eating vegetarian for a while, except when we eat out, since I had to order the Vegetarian Plan of NUTRISYSTEM, since I don’t eat meat or chicken.  They don’t have any seafood on the plan, so I’ll definitely be eating fish when we go out.

I went back down again to get the laundry.  I didn’t go for a walk today, because it looked like it was going to rain again and it was very damp and chilly out, but I certainly got a bit of exercise going up and down 2 flights of stairs and walking a few hundred feet eight times!  I hope there’s some sun tomorrow!

I came upstairs, folded all the laundry, put everything away and then decided to take down all the Chanukah, Birthday, Christmas and New Apartment cards we had received.  I looked at them all again and then I recycled most of them.  I used to save cards forever, but when we moved from Whitestone I threw away about 500 old cards.  It just didn’t make sense to ship them to San Diego!  Now, I only keep the ones that are original artwork, or that contain photos.  The regular cards are recycled!  I am such a packrat and it was a real challenge to throw things away when we moved.  I am determined to keep it to a minimum here, and I throw away, recycle, or give away anything I don’t really need.

I woke Eric up at 5:00pm.  Tonight we had the frozen pizza I had mentioned last night.  I told Eric that he can’t start his NUTRISYSTEM food until I get mine.  We have to do this together!

While the pizza heated up, Eric read the instruction manual and put the Ab Lounge Ultra together.  He’s so good at that kind of stuff!  Then we both tried it out.  You can feel it immediately.  It’s just as easy to do crunches on the floor, but it DOES have two great features: (1) Unlike crunches, it supports your body, especially your head, neck and back, throughout the exercise, so you don’t strain your neck. It effectively works your muscles in the upper and lower abdominals, and obliques (the "love handles" area); and (2) You're up off the floor, so your muscles have a total range of motion for better results.  Also, because you're up off the floor, it's much easier to watch TV!  You can just sit in it comfortably and keep doing sets.

The only trick is – you have to use it!  Now that we’re going on NUTRISYSTEM and have our new AB LOUNGE ULTRA, it seems like we can’t fail.  Doesn’t it?  Well, doesn’t it?

After dinner I went into the bedroom to watch DANCE WARS.  It was not as good as AMERICAN IDOL, but better than SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE.  Then, I watched MEDIUM, one of my favorite shows.  It was about 10 minutes from the end when, all of a sudden, the picture froze.  I couldn’t change the channel, I couldn’t rewind, I couldn’t fast forward, I couldn’t even turn the TV off.  I had to get up and pull out the plug.  Then, I had to let it reboot.  I came into the living room and watched the last 10 minutes in there.  It’s such a great show!

Then, I watched WILL & GRACE and I decided to sit in the AB Lounge Ultra and give it a whirl!  I did two sets of 30 crunches.  It’s hard.  Very hard.  But I’ll keep working on it!  Maybe tomorrow it will be nice enough outside for me to take a walk.  I’m going to go in the other direction next time – down by the water!

SORRY THIS IS SO LATE!  I thought I "published" it and didn't find out it wasn't on my blog until Jimmy let me know.  Thanks, Jimmy! 

I woke up at 8:00am, but felt really lousy and fell back to sleep until 9:00am.  Sorry if this is TMI, but it’s that “time of the month.”  I’m 50 and you’d think I would be finished with all this foolishness by now, but if family history has any bearing on it, I should be suffering for 10 more years.

Anyway, we were supposed to go get the second key made for the PT at 10:30am this morning, but the last thing I wanted to do was take a shower and get dressed, so I asked Eric if he would mind going alone.  He said he would go and left the house at 10:00am, after bringing me three Advils.  I went back to sleep.  I got up around 11:00am, feeling much better, but still not great.  I had a bowl of Special K and worked on the computer and did some stuff around the apartment.  I definitely wasn’t going out today, I knew that.  I had some errands to run, but nothing important.  I just felt totally blah and yucky.

I spoke to my friend, Katie.  She is my webmaster and is going to be revamping my website to reflect my new work and put less focus on the shop I had back in New York.  I’ve been showing my work around town and always direct people to the website, so they can see more examples of my crafts.  Katie and I both think it’s important for the website to look fresh and up-to-date.

As for “regular work” I was thinking that I should go to another temp agency to sign up, because ON CALL hasn’t gotten me any work yet.  I even spoke to Eric about it yesterday, because I saw a temp agency in the shopping center on Clairemont Drive.  Today, my friend Jimmy emailed me asking about the work situation and he asked if I was serious about working.  He really got me thinking.  Am I?  Yes. I am.

This temp agency made such a fuss about me when I signed up there, and said they were sure they could get me work.  They even called me for a few jobs right before we went to South Carolina, but I told them I didn’t want to start working until January.  I had told them that when I signed up, but they asked anyway.

I figured as soon as January rolled around, they’d be calling and I’d be working.  I wasn’t being lazy, I was being optimistic (one of my best traits!).  Now, I see that they’re not as busy as I thought, and they don’t love me as much as I hoped, so I am going to go tomorrow to sign up at the other place.

I AM anxious to go to work, but I am also scared – very scared.  I haven’t worked in an office environment for 6 years.  So, I’m a little out of practice.  Also, I don’t know all the software they’re using these days.  I don’t know how well I’ll do if they give me a job with a lot of responsibility and working for either very important people, or a big team.  I’m asking for a lot of money, so any job they find for me is going to be hard work.  I’m not afraid of the work, I’m just afraid I won’t be able to do a great job.  It’s scary.

I called the agency and left a message saying that I really wanted to start working and would accept a job with less responsibility, if that meant they could put me to work faster.  Less responsibility = less money, which isn’t so great, but at least I’ll get my feet wet and get working again!

When Eric got back we just watched TV together.  He is completely unmotivated to ride (or do anything else), and I was completely unmotivated to do anything today, so we ended up taking a nap.

When I woke up I got a lovely email from our moving company telling me that they didn’t charge us for storage for the last several months and that we owe over $1,000.  Nice.  Like I’m not feeling bad enough.  I wrote them and asked how they could come to us after TWO months and tell us we owe $1,000.  I was told in November that we were paid in full.  I’m not going to pay without a fight – I’ll tell you that much.

Eric is back to his “no riding” rule.  He says he won’t road ride, because it’s too dangerous (I don’t think that’s true, but I can’t argue with him since I’m not doing it) and there’s “no place in San Diego” to mountain bike.  He asked me not to bother him about it and not to mention it anymore.  I’m at my wits end about this, and don’t know what to do.  He’s a grown man and I can’t tell him what to do, but I’ll tell you if I could force him to ride, I would!  This makes me more upset than anything else. 

Eric was so upbeat when we were in South Carolina.  He said he wanted to start working out, and asked me to order the ABLU.  He has had a headache for the past two days, so he hasn’t gone on the ABLU at all yet.

He told me he was going to ride more when we got back from South Carolina.  He said he was going to get a job.  He was very gung-ho.  Now, it’s back to the way it was weeks ago.  He was actually getting better in December, but now I think it was because we were going to South Carolina.  Then, he was great in South Carolina, and talked about going back to San Diego.  Now, we’re here, and he’s a mess.  He has another headache today, which is a sure sign of his stress.  He has indigestion all the time and is constantly taking TUMS (more stress).  He won’t go to a doctor.  He says they can’t do anything.  Should I force him to go?

Oh, and another thing.  I called NUTRISYSTEM this afternoon to find out where my food is.  Eric’s arrived on Monday morning and mine still didn’t get here.  They said mine was shipped today and had no explanation as to why I placed both orders at the same time and his shipped 6 days before mine.  I’m hoping it arrives before we leave for L.A. on Friday.

So, let’s review my day: Eric’s not feeling well.  No work for either of us yet.  We spent almost $200 getting second key to PT.  No NUTRISYSTEM.  Eric won’t ride.  Found out the moving company wants $1,000.  I feel like crap.

I guess we all have days like this occasionally.  Let’s just hope tomorrow turns out better!

I woke up this morning at 8:00am.  Eric was fast asleep.  I know he didn’t sleep well, because he got up in the middle of the night to take an Excedrin Migraine.  My poor darling had such a bad headache that he couldn’t sleep.

I tried to be quiet, so he could sleep.  I worked on the computer, and called my contacts at both agencies.  They both said they were presenting my resumes to different companies and would call me if they were able to set up any interviews.  I’m really frustrated.  I know if I got an interview I could get the job, but if they don’t see me, how can they hire me?

This morning for breakfast I had the NUTRISYSTEM scrambled eggs.  They come in a cup and you add ¼ cup water and microwave it until it’s done.  They were a little weird, but I had them with a serving of fruit (12 cherries), and 1 oz. of low fat cheese.

Eric woke up at 10:00am.  He wasn’t feeling great.  His back has been bothering him, and he still had a bit of a headache.  I had to run some errands.  I wanted to buy new pillows for my girls, who are coming to stay with us on Friday night.  So exciting!  I found two beautiful fluffy Ralph Lauren pillows on sale at TJ MAXX.  $9.99 for both.  What a bargain!

I went to the post office (my new favorite place).  Then, I went food shopping.  I had typed up a list of what was needed and allowed on the NUTRISYSTEM diet.  You have to add dairy, protein, fruits and vegetables every day.  I bought a whole bunch of stuff and the fridge is now filled with good choices for snacks, and side dishes for meals.

When I got back, I had lunch, which consisted of another cup that you add boiling water to and let sit for 10 minutes.  It was RED BEANS & RICE.  It was good and very filling.  That’s one thing that I do notice about the meals.  I usually can’t finish them.  They’re very filling!

After lunch, I changed into bicycling clothes and Eric and I went for a ride down by the water (which is just about a mile away).  He didn't gear up.  He wore his jeans and a t-shirt.  I think it's his way of saying, "I'm not really riding.  I'm just accompanying you."  Eric said I couldn’t ride to the water, because it’s all downhill and then I’d never make it back up the hill (which is MAJOR).  I told him that I could walk up the hill, but he said, no.  He says it's very dangerous to ride in the streets.  He had no objections when we did it a few weeks ago, but since he had that bad experience he thinks every driver is out to get you.

He put my bicycle in the car and I had to drive the mile to a parking lot by Mission Bay.  It’s right on the other side of the bay from where we stayed when we were in the RV.  You can ride your bicycle all the way there, then turn around and ride all the way back.

I parked, got my bicycle out of the car and he came along a few minutes later.  We went to the left, all the way around the bay as far as we could go.  There used to be a longer path, but they put up a fence and said they were renovating the path, so we went on a dirt road.  Apparently, a car or quad had gone through there while it was muddy and there were ridges in the dirt.  Instead of going fast over it (the ridges were only a few inches deep), I slowed down, panicked and fell over.  My last words before I fell were “Uh oh.  Help!”  And then I was down.  And bleeding.  I scraped my left knee pretty bad.  It didn’t hurt my knee as much as my pride.

I told Eric I was a total spaz and I was humiliated and embarrassed.  He was so sweet.  He poured water over my scrape and kept saying how sorry he was, how he wished he could have helped me, but he never dreamed I would fall down.  I didn’t either!

My biggest concern was that I was going to have an ugly scraped knee this weekend when my girls are coming!  Eric assured me that I could put some antibiotic cream on it and it would heal very quickly, “Before you know it,” he said.  He is SO sweet.

We turned around and went all the way back and then passed the parking lot and rode all the way to the other end.  I told Eric I wished the path was a circle, instead of just a half-circle, so you could just end up back where you started.   It’s about 2 miles from end to end, so I did close to 4 miles.  It was a pretty easy ride.  There are a lot of people walking, jogging, bicycling and roller blading, and there are signs painted on the ground saying you can’t go more than 8 mph, so it’s not a real challenging ride.  But it felt great to be right along the water, looking at the ducks and seagulls, enjoying the sun and the breeze.

I wish Eric could see San Diego through my eyes.  All he sees are the negatives (which I don’t even notice).  To me it is heaven on earth.  Just being out in the middle of January with shorts and a light jacket on, riding my bicycle in the sunshine, down by the water.  It’s all I have ever dreamed of.  It’s all I ever wanted.  It makes me so sad that he doesn’t love it like I do.  It makes me so sad that I can’t enjoy it with him.

I remember on beautiful spring or fall days in New York I used to say, “This is what it’s like every single day in San Diego.”  I was right.  It’s true.  It’s all they ever said it was and more.  They’re not lying, folks.  It’s paradise!

My biggest dream was to open that shop.  I did it.  My next dream was to move here.  I did it.  Now, my next dream is that Eric will come around and accept San Diego and learn to like it here, even if he never loves it like me.  Yes, that’s my dream.

After we finished the ride, Eric put my bike back in the car and I drove home to tend to my knee.  He got home about 10 minutes after me.   We watched BOSTON LEGAL, which I had recorded last night (one of our favorite shows).  Then we both took a nap and woke up at 7:15pm.  Eric woke up with another bad headache.  He said he didn’t have one when he laid down, but he woke up with it.  I hardly ever get headaches, so I can’t imagine what that’s like.  He took another Excedrin Migraine.

I made us dinner.  We each had a NUTRISYSTEM pizza, which you make yourself.  They give you the crust, sauce and cheese.  You can microwave it, but I baked them in the oven.  I made us a salad and we ate our pizza.  We both thought it was good!  Then we each had 1/3 cup of pineapple chunks in fruit juice (no sugar added), which was our serving of fruit.

For dessert we each had a white chocolate chunk cookie.  They’re pretty big and they tasted a little funny, but they weren't bad and – hey – it’s diet food!

It’s so unfair, because the men are allowed SO much more food than the women.  Boo hoo!  Eric is allowed a “low glycemic carbohydrate serving" with every meal, which I am not.  He is also allowed to have two servings of fat with dinner, and I only get one (another boo hoo).
I don’t have a scale, and you’re supposed to mark down your weight every single day.  I guess I should go buy one.  Maybe tomorrow.

We watched AMERICAN IDOL again.  My mom had called and told me it was really funny and she was right.  These are the best shows, because it’s when they show the winners – and the losers.  I don’t feel sorry for any of them, really, because by now they certainly know how it goes on this show.  They know what they’re getting into.  It’s just that some of them are just SO convinced they have talent and I wonder if they’re just in denial, or if people have actually been encouraging them all their lives.

Eric still had a pretty bad headache, so he went into the bedroom at 10:00pm and watched the news.  I stayed outside, working on the computer and watching TV.  My friend Geri called me at 9:45pm.  It was 12:45pm in New York.  I don't know how she does it!  We talked for a while.  She and Larry are both getting over being sick.  They're such good friends and I wish they were here.  I know they'd make us both feel better!

I was hoping to have an interview lined up for tomorrow, but no such luck.  Why doesn’t anyone want me?  I have so much to offer!  Hey -- I type 99 words per minute!  I need everyone to keep their fingers crossed that I get an interview REAL SOON!

Eric and I got up around 9:30am.  He still had a headache.  I felt so bad for him.  We relaxed in bed and watched THE VIEW.  I called APPLE ONE, because they said they were going to set up an interview.  Nothing to report.  They said they'd call me as soon as something was scheduled.

I made Eric a NUTRISYSTEM breakfast.  He had the same scrambled eggs as I had yesterday, but his had veggie sausage bits in it.  I put it on a slice of bread (he’s allowed the carbs; I’m not) with a piece of low fat cheddar cheese and a glass of V8.  He liked it!  I had a cranberry muffin loaf and a slice of low-fat cheddar cheese (which was my serving of dairy).  The muffin was pretty good!

I wanted to run some errands and Eric wanted to wash the car.  Since he didn’t feel well, I said I would go first and then he could wash the car when I got back.  They’re still working on the street outside our apartment, so we haven’t been able to park on this side of Clairemont Drive for over a week.  Today they poured the cement for the new sidewalk.  It looked so nice.  They really did a great job.  They cut back all the roots, so it wouldn’t break up the sidewalk, trimmed all the giant pine trees, and then they poured the new sidewalk.  I’m pretty sure they’ll be done tomorrow.

A possum got killed crossing the street and it was right in front of my car.  I almost tripped over it when I was walking to my car, because I was so busy looking at the work they were doing.  Yuck!

I went to Citibank to get quarters for laundry (which I did this afternoon) and then went to TJ MAXX.  I had seen a comforter set I really liked, but I wanted to discuss it with Eric before making a purchase.  I thought it would go perfectly in our bedroom.    We didn’t have a bedspread or comforter to make the bed.  I was walking around the bedding department yesterday when I bought the pillows for the girls. I saw a set that was very Asian-inspired.  It was red satin with embroidered butterflies and flowers.  I loved it.  I thought it would look beautiful with the chocolate brown headboard (which we are expecting any day now).  Eric said to go for it, so I did!

After TJ MAXX I went to a place called HAPPY NAILS to get a pedicure.  It was a huge place with lots of manicure chairs (two different areas, set in a circle) and tons of manicure tables, too.  I didn’t have an appointment, but they were able to take me immediately.  They were really nice there and did a great job.  Since it’s very close to home, this will definitely be my new place to go for a manicure or pedicure.

After my pedicure I went home.  I wanted to show Eric the comforter set.  He was up and about, working on his bicycle.  He had it in pieces on the floor and was cleaning and maintaining it (Mr. Maintenance).  I thought that was a great sign.  The fact that he’s even touching his bicycles is a positive step!

I showed him the comforter and he really liked it.  The set was $80 -- $86 with tax.  I thought that was pretty cheap for a Queen comforter, bed skirt and two shams.  I opened it up.  The reverse is solid red and it had a long rip along one seam.  I was so disappointed.  I told Eric I could easily sew it, because it was on the seam, but I wasn’t going to do it unless they gave me a discount.  I packed it back up and went back out to TJ MAXX.  They were REALLY nice about it.  They gave me a full credit of the $86 and then charged me $50.  With tax it was only $53, so I saved $33.  I thought that was a bargain, considering I knew it would probably take me 10 minutes to sew it up!

I did four loads of laundry while Eric washed the car in the parking lot.  Then, he helped me put the red satin bed skirt on.  It’s so elegant, because it has those fabric frogs in each corner and in the middle on each side.  There is a thick satin rope on each corner of the comforter that is tied into a knot.  The same thick satin rope is around the shams.  Then, I remade the bed with the linens I just washed.  The bed looks so pretty.  I’m sure the girls will love it when they see it tomorrow night!

For those of you who are saying "What the heck is a fabric frog?" -- this is it!  It's used as a closure on Asian clothing and accessories. 

I made dinner for us.  Eric had a salad with CHICKEN PASTA PARMESAN.  I had a salad with VEGETABLE LASAGNA WITH BASIL TOMATO SAUCE.  They were both really good.  We agreed that eating this food is no problem at all.  We don’t feel deprived at all.  I’m thrilled, because it’s all so fast and easy.

Eric continued working on his bicycle.  He was cleaning the tires, polishing metal parts, and waxing the frame.  I am hoping with all this maintenance that he will ride it very soon.

I watched UGLY BETTY and sewed the comforter.  It really did take me just 10 minutes.  It looks SO pretty.  I love anything Asian inspired and it is just the punch of color that the room needed.  I hope the headboard comes tomorrow.  That would be perfect!

After UGLY BETTY I watched CELEBRITY APPRENTICE.  Gene Simmons got fired.  He’s a weird guy and his hair is even worse than the Donald’s!  After that I watched PRISON BREAK.  I really got caught up with my shows tonight!

Tomorrow I am going to clean, clean, clean, because my girls are coming.  It really should not take long, because the apartment is so small and we keep it so neat to begin with.  I just want everything to be perfect.  This is going to be a great weekend!

I was up by 9:00am, and Eric was up by 10:00am.  We watched THE VIEW together and then I made him breakfast – 2 eggs on 2 slices of bread with 2 pieces of swiss cheese, a nectarine cut up into wedges with a cup of chamomile tea.  I had the granola cereal with a nectarine cut up into it and low-fat chocolate soy milk.

The agency called to confirm my job and tell me I start at 9:00am on Monday – just that one day.  My usual work hours are 8:00am – 5:00pm.  I’m actually pretty excited, but I’m nervous about clothes.  I still haven’t lost enough weight to start fitting into all my skirts and dresses, so I’ll have to be VERY creative with my outfits.

I always kept a calendar of what I wore every day, so I didn’t repeat too often at work, or at the shop.  It’s amazing how many pieces you wear over and over, and other things just hang in the closet!  By keeping the calendar I made sure I never wore the same thing on the same day.  I once read that you tend to see people on the same day each week – like if you take classes, or have weekly meetings, etc.  So, by keeping a calendar you can make sure if you wore an outfit on a Tuesday, you don’t wear it again until the next Wednesday or Thursday!  It actually works!

I spoke to GILI ANNA in La Jolla and told her I finished two mirrors and would bring them by her shop tomorrow.  She seemed very excited to see my work.  I just hope she is willing to take the pieces on consignment and try to sell them for me.

Sorry it's so blurry!

Eric wanted to go to HOME DEPOT to get some wood for two projects, but he had no motivation.  I wanted to go with him, but he said he would have to put the front seat down to fit the long boards in.

I wanted Starbucks, but I didn’t want to bother Eric.  He said he wouldn’t go to HOME DEPOT unless I told him what I wanted, so I wrote it down and told him to just hand the paper to the barrister.

While he was gone I finished the round mirror I was working on.  I decoupaged pictures of jewelry all around the wide sides of the frame and it came out great!  I was finished by the time Eric got back.

He brought me my tall iced decaf skinny mocha latte (only 90 calories) and I was a happy girl!  He started working right away on the tool board he is making for himself.  He will drill holes, then plug them with pieces of dowels he bought and hang all his tools on it.  It’s a lot of work, but he enjoys it!

Tonight, all he did was sand and stain the board and then he started on his next project – a box to put on top of our TV stand, so that the TV sits higher.  It has been a pain since we got it, because when I’m watching TV Eric’s feet are in my way, and I have to sit up to see the cable box and see whether it’s taping or not, or make sure it’s turned off when I hit the power button.
He cut the boards outside and he was going to stain it, but I told him I wanted to upholster it instead.  We’ve gotten very big on upholstering furniture!

He made the box and it looked so beautiful when we covered it with a stretchy pink cotton fabric.  We put it on the TV stand and then put the TV on top.  Now we had a new place for the cable box, too, so that’s also much easier to see.  The TV is lifted 10 inches, which is just enough to make it comfortable to watch, but not so tall that it is intrusive in the room.

After it was upholstered, I had the idea to put some beaded fringe around it, so I looked through my big plaid tin of beaded fringe (doesn’t every girl have one?) and found a pretty pink, which Eric promptly stapled on.  It looks SO cute!  We really love working on projects together.  He’s so smart, and I’m very creative.  What a team!

After that was done I watched UGLY BETTY.  I just love that show.  It’s very funny, and sometimes the plots are crazy and over-the-top, but it can also be very touching and sweet.  I highly recommend it.  Besides, there are occasionally great shots of NYC!

I watched an old episode of MONK today where Monk goes to Manhattan for a case.  It was SO great, because they filmed all over the city.  They did an entire scene across the street from Radio City.  I worked across the street from Radio City for many years and stood in that exact spot a million times.  It was so cool.  They also did a scene at the Rockefeller Center skating rink, which is right around the corner.  I do miss NYC!

I had a request to see photographs of our new headboard, so I took some pictures and here it is!  It really is perfect for us and it’s SO much nicer than leaning against vertical blinds!  It’s cozy, blocks the sun in the morning, and looks beautiful!  Our headboard in NY was an ornate white metal, which was not so comfy to lean against.  This is so cushy!

Tomorrow is my last weekday off for a long time, so I must make the most of it.  I will do laundry (it’s usually empty during the day), drive to La Jolla to show Gili Anna my mirrors, and do a little shopping for more mirrors.  I’m on a roll!

I can’t take credit for today’s title.  My friend, Jimmy, texted me this morning and told me it was my last day as a slacker.  Boo hoo!  It’s been a LONG time since I’ve worked, and a MUCH longer time since I’ve worked in an office.

I left my job at PwC on January 31, 2002, so it’s been six years since I’ve been “corporate.”  I closed my shop on March 31, 2007, so it’s been 10 months since I’ve had any job, although I did consider getting our house ready for sale and selling our house a job.  It was hard work for me and Eric.  We worked our tails off getting the house in order and then cleaning and packing to prepare to move.  It was extremely stressful.  At least we did get paid – when we sold the house!

This morning Eric and I watched THE VIEW together for the last time (another boo hoo).  I made us breakfast.  He had a NUTRISYSTEM cinnamon scone with 2 slices of cheese, an apple cut up with some natural peanut butter, and a cup of chamomile tea.  I had the NUTRISYSTEM granola with low-fat chocolate soy milk, a slice of cheese, a few pieces of apple and a glass of green tea.

He left soon afterwards on his bicycle.  He told me he’s only riding for me, because he really doesn’t enjoy it, but I told him I don’t care WHY he’s riding, as long as he does!

I got dressed and left the house to drive to La Jolla to bring my two newest creations to Gili Anna at her beautiful shop GILI ANNA CUSTOM DESIGN – JEWELRY/ART/JUDAICA.  She loved the two mirrors and took them on consignment. 

Her shop is the perfect backdrop for my work.  The walls are painted a lovely turquoise and the art, Judaica and jewelry are so colorful, decorative and beautiful.  The mirrors fit right in!  I highly recommend that you click on the link above and visit her sight, so you can see all the fabulous merchandise she has for sale.  You will also see what a beautiful woman she is, and how sweet she is -- just from the things she says at her website!  I am so happy to have my work in such a positive and friendly atmosphere.  It's good kharma!  She is such a lovely person and we parted with a hug.  I just know we’re going to do beautiful business together!

I walked around the neighborhood on PROSPECT STREET.  Her shop is on a block with art galleries, NICOLE MILLER, high-end jewelry stores, and fancy restaurants.  I think it’s a fabulous block, but I haven’t seen a lot of La Jolla yet, so I have nothing to compare it to!  I went into one boutique and the woman behind the counter looked at me like I was the hooker in PRETTY WOMAN.

She immediately had a face like, “You can’t afford anything in here.”  I admit, I was wearing my leopard pants and a black top and didn’t look too fancy, but she didn’t have to make me feel bad.  The truth is, she was right.  I looked at one blouse that was really gorgeous and it was $290.  So, I just walked around for a few minutes, pretending to be searching for something to buy, and then I headed the hell out of there!

I went to a store that’s more my speed – the SALVATION ARMY THRIFT SHOP!  I bought a decorative frame for $5, to make another pin board.

Then, I headed to PEARLE VISION to pick up our new eye glasses.  They feel great and I love how they look, but they’re a little crooked.  Unfortunately, Eric doesn’t like his at all and says everything’s blurry!  So, we’re going to have to go back tomorrow.  She can straighten mine out and see what the problem is with Eric’s prescription.  Thank goodness he has about 4 pairs of reading glasses, so it's not like he won't have glasses, if they need to re-do his prescription.

After I picked up the eye glasses, I went to BIG LOTS and found a scale that gives your weight and body fat percentage.  Can’t wait to see what THAT is.  I promise to be honest and tell my weight and BMI, so you can see if I do well on this diet!  Unfortunately, Eric read the instructions and we need a 9V battery, which we don’t have, so we’ll have to buy one tomorrow.  I also bought a mirrored tray with a gold wood frame on four small wood ball feet.  It was damaged on two corners, but I knew I could cover it with decoupage or jewelry, so I purchased it for $5!

Next, I went to a 99 cent store near me to find more mirrors.  I got more of the round white plastic mirrors, because they are great to either decoupage or mosaic.  I also bought another small hand mirror, but this one is a beige plastic.

Finally, I headed home.  I was going to stop at Starbucks, but I heard on THE VIEW this morning that green tea is very good for your diet, so I decided to just go home and have a cup, instead.  It wasn’t as satisfying, especially since I didn’t sweeten it, but it was 90 less calories, and a LOT cheaper!

I made myself lunch – a NUTRISYSTEM cup of vegetarian chili with a small salad.  It was the first time I tried the chili and I really enjoyed it.

My sister-in-law, Ellen, called and we spoke for over an hour.  Then, I started two loads of laundry and Eric finally came home from his ride.  He did 30 miles today!  I am so impressed with how far he is able to ride after being off his bike for so long.  He does say that he has to walk up the hills, and I know he used to be able to ride up any hill, so I guess he still has a ways to go before he is in the shape he used to be in.

We discussed a plan to MAYBE (just MAYBE) leave San Diego in November when we go to New York for our niece Jessica’s wedding.  I told Eric if we both have jobs and can save some money, we can pack everything up, have it shipped to North Carolina and put into storage (like we did here), then drive the RV to New York, go to my sister’s for Thanksgiving, the wedding in New York, and then drive down to North Carolina.  It makes perfect sense, and then we wouldn't have to fly, which I know would make Eric VERY happy!

Our lease is up at the end of May, but they said we can pay month-to-month for six months after that, which means we would have to either sign another lease or be out of the apartment by the end of November anyway, so the timing is really kind of perfect.

You know what they say about the best laid plans, but it does make sense and I know Eric was happy when we spoke about it.

After the laundry was finished, I made us a delicious dinner.  I made a piece of salmon for myself (which will have to last me three nights, since I’m only allowed one oz. per meal), and – since Eric doesn’t like salmon – scallops for Eric.  I heated up the last of our vegetable soup, and made Eric a NUTRISYSTEM flat bread pizza, while I had a NUTRISYSTEM mushroom risotto.  I just put the ounce of salmon right on top.  It was très yummy!

Unfortunately, while Eric was eating he felt a rock or something in his food, but it turned out to be part of his filling!  This happened right before we left NY, to a different tooth, and now it happened again.  So, I have to find a dentist and make an appointment for both of us.  It’s been a little over six months, so it’s time for us to go anyway, but now Eric needs a cap or a crown or a refilling or something like that.  Poor baby!

After dinner we watched two episodes of MONK, one which I had seen but Eric hadn’t, and then tonight’s episode, which was brand new.   It is my absolute favorite show, and Eric loves it, too!

We have no plans for this weekend, which is great, because I want to get lots done before I start work on Monday.  I want to put together outfits for the whole week, so I don’t panic every morning.  I hate standing in front of my closet saying, “What am I going to wear?” at 6:30am!

I also want to go food shopping again, so that we have food for the week, and I won’t have to go at night, after work, except maybe to pick up one or two items.  I also want to do lots of crafting with the pieces I purchased today, because now I’ll only be able to do my crafting at night and on the weekends, which is kind of limiting.  But that’s life in the working world, eh?

I woke up a little after 9:00am.  I came out and immediately started looking online for a dentist.  I was hoping to get an appointment for Eric today (ever the optimist).  I made one call and left a message and then requested an appointment online with another local doctor.  I figured whomever called first would be the one we’d use.  Neither of them called!  I guess maybe they’ll call on Monday.

After that, I went back into the bedroom to see if Eric was awake.  I could tell by the way he was holding his head with one hand while he lay there that he had a headache.  He wasn’t sleeping, so I asked him and he confirmed my suspicions.  Well, at least he had a few good days without a headache!

I came back out to the living room and decided to have breakfast.  I had a slice of cheese, a NUTRISYSTEM scone (my first – and it was good!) and a glass of juice mixed with water. 

I turned on the TV and watched VH1’s TOP TWENTY COUNTDOWN.  I used to watch that every Saturday morning in NY, as I got dressed to go to the shop.   I don’t listen to the radio at all – except in the car – so it was always a great way to hear the latest songs and see the videos that go along with them!

I can’t believe Britney Spears has a video that’s number two!  It’s horrible and she doesn’t even really dance in it.  I used to love her videos, because she is such a great dancer and she just looked like she didn’t have the energy to do much in this one.  There wasn’t a great story, or great sets and she looks very worn out.  Just a bad video.  Boo hoo for poor Britney.

Since Eric didn’t feel well and it was supposed to rain today, we decided not to go to the optometrist.  Eric was actually able to straighten out my glasses and I guess he’ll go deal with his glasses while I’m working.  It’s going to be weird not to be able to take care of everything, because I’ll be at work all day, especially with a new job.  You can’t start making personal phone calls!

I felt like I should get something accomplished, so I took a big bin filled with decoupage cuttings (pictures I had already cut out to use in different projects) and decided to divide them up into categories.  I used to do that all the time, and was very organized, but over the 5 years I was in the shop I was so busy that I got very sloppy.  I had a lot of decoupage classes and would end up just throwing all the cuttings into one bin.  I sat down on the floor and started sorting: Animals and Birds, Art, Asian, Butterflies, Cartoon/Comic Book/Comic Strip, Cats and Dogs, Flowers, Holidays, Jewelry, Leopard, Maps and Travel, Perfume and Cosmetics, TV/Movies, Women and Fashion and Misc.  I did that for a few hours.  Eric had taken his Excedrin Migraine, and was feeling much better, so he started working on his peg board project.

We were both busy little bees.  We worked for hours.  Then, I got a call from Gili – she sold the small mirror!  I was so happy!  It sold in less than 24 hours!  She was very pleased and asked if I had others.  I immediately got to work on the other small mirror I had.  Eric left to put gas in the RV and PT.  Gas went down to $2.97, which is very cheap in San Diego, so he wanted to take advantage.  He put $80 in the RV (it was almost on empty) and $20 in the PT, so there went $100 in 10 minutes!

I spoke to my friend, Andrea.  She went to CINDY’S DREAM (which used to be SUNSHINE NAILS) for a manicure/pedicure.  Cindy was formerly in the nail salon next to my shop, but after I left she renovated my space and moved in there.  She combined both businesses – she takes in consignment and still does manicures/pedicures, waxing, massage, and facials.  She wants to hire Andrea, because Andrea is a licensed esthetician.  I know the customers would love Andrea, because she’s such a people person and I know she is very professional.  She’s a busy girl, so she told Cindy she has to think about it.  I think it would be a great teaming!

When Eric came back I made us lunch.  He had a wrap with turkey, swiss and avocado and I had a NUTRISYSTEM black beans and rice, a tiny fat-free cottage cheese with grape tomatoes and a glass of V8.

Then, I got back to work.  I finished the small mirror.  I wanted more mirrors, so I can get started on them, too, so I asked Eric to walk up the block to the 99 cent store and get me more, and get the 9V battery for the scale.  He got me 5 more mirrors, so I will be able to stock up on them!

My back was hurting me from working all day, so I decided to go sit in bed with my cuttings and sort in there while I watched TV.  That way, I could lean against my new headboard and support my back.  I wanted a little something sweet, so I decided to get a 50 calorie fudge pop.  They’re long and thin, but very sweet and they’re just enough to satisfy your sweet tooth.  I unwrapped it as I was walking, but kept the paper around it, so I wouldn’t drip on the bed.  I got into bed, fixed the covers on me, and then looked at my pop.  Half of it was gone!

I said, “Uh Oh!  I’m in trouble!  I lost something!”  Eric came in and said, “What did you lose?”  “I lost half my fudge pop,” I said.  We started looking through all the bedding, the sheets, the blankets, and then the floor.  Now, you have to remember, the sheets are chocolate brown, the rug is a medium brown, and the pop was light brown.  We couldn’t find it anywhere.  I was freaking out.  Then Eric suggested that maybe it was only half a pop, but I said I definitely saw a whole pop when I was unwrapping it and it must be in the bed somewhere!

We continued to search.  Eric was looking under furniture and I said, “Why don’t you look in the closet.” (even though both closet doors were closed).  “Maybe it flew in there.”  We were both so puzzled.  We couldn’t figure out where the hell it went.  We took everything off the bed and looked around.  All of a sudden, I saw a dark, wet stain on the sheets.  I thought that was it, but Eric said it was too small.  There must be more of it.  It ended up that it was under the small plastic file system I use for the cuttings.  And every time we moved it, we were staining the sheets and the blankets!

We quickly stripped the bed, poured some detergent on the spots and I went down to the Laundromat and washed two blankets and our fitted sheet.  Some dessert!  I guess that’ll teach me to eat in bed, although Eric and I are famous for it.  But how often do you lose half a fudge pop?

While the laundry was in, I decoupaged the handles on all the little mirrors, which can be used as a vanity mirror or folded to stand like a picture frame, or bent back to hang on the wall.  I used gold doilies to cover the handles.  It looks so pretty, but doilies are SO hard to work with.  They are so delicate and start to fall apart as soon as they get wet from the glue.  Then, as I’m trying to press them onto the handles, they fall apart and stick to my fingers.  It was frustrating, but I finished all five!

I finished washing and drying the two blankets and the fitted sheet and remade the bed.  It’s raining outside.  It’s been raining on and off for the past few days.  They say more bad weather is coming – lots more rain and harsh winds.  That’s about as bad as it gets in San Diego!

Here are pictures of the small mirror I finished today.  I will bring it to Gili tomorrow.  Eric said he’d go with me and then we’ll go to HOME DEPOT.  He needs more supplies for his project!

We got a LOT of rain this week.  At least a lot for San Diego.  We had the most gorgeous weather last weekend, when the girls were here.  I was so happy, because they got to enjoy the warmth and sunshine for two days.  Then, the day they left, after they boarded their plane, it started to rain and it really has been raining on and off since then.  This whole weekend was a washout.  It rained Friday, Saturday and Sunday, so I’m glad they were here last weekend and not this weekend!

We slept in, and then went out because I wanted to go to GILI ANNA and bring her my two new mirrors, and Eric wanted to go to HOME DEPOT.  I finished blogging early last night, and then ended up working on another mirror, which I actually was able to finish before I went to bed.  I didn’t go to sleep until 2:30am, which is one of the reasons why we slept so late this morning!

Eric is back to not riding.  He said he doesn’t enjoy road riding, and he hates mountain biking here, so he is resigning himself to not riding at all until we leave San Diego.  I am completely against this, and let him know.  Our discussion got heated at one point.  It was late and we had the TV on, but all of a sudden we heard banging and realized one of our neighbors (we don’t know if it was the lady next door or the guys underneath) was unhappy that we were being loud at 1:00am.  I have a big mouth as it is, and when I’m trying to make a point I can get very loud. 

We looked at each other and immediately started whispering, although the conversation continued for some time.  Nothing was resolved, obviously.  I can’t make him ride, and if he doesn’t want to ride there’s nothing I can do about it.  I just have to hope he changes his mind – again.

We drove to La Jolla, but it was SO busy that we couldn’t find a spot, so Eric dropped me off so I could give the two mirrors to Gili.  She is SO sweet and nice and very supportive and positive about my work.  She loved the two new mirrors and showed me that she had the round one hanging on the door.  It looked gorgeous!

Eric found a spot while I was talking to Gili, so he got to see the shop and meet my new friend and business partner.  He loved the shop, too, but commented on how small it was.  He said, “If she had your shop in New York she could make a fortune!”  It’s true that the more space you have the more you can sell, but she uses every available inch so economically and really has thousands of items in such a small shop.  It's also all beautifully displayed.

After we left La Jolla, we drove to HOME DEPOT and Eric got the dowels he needed for his peg board.  He wanted to grab a bite, so I took him to CAFÉ 976, where Jessica, April and I had lunch last weekend.  He loved it.  They have a great menu.  I had the same dish as last time – soup and salad.  I got the vegetarian chili and the 976 salad, which has mandarin oranges, grapes and apples, along with pine nuts, feta cheese and mixed greens.  Delish!  Eric had the tortilla soup, which was nice and spicy, and the Hawaiian chicken sandwich, which is a marinated chicken breast served with a gangy dressing, pineapple slices, swiss cheese, lettuce, onion, and tomato on whole wheat bread.  He enjoyed it all.

Then, we headed home and I dropped him off, so I could go food shopping.  I wanted to get the ingredients to make another batch of vegetable soup and a few other things for the week.  I got everything I needed and headed home.

I ended up making an “everything but the kitchen sink” soup.  I first sautéed a big onion, carrots, celery, mushrooms, broccoli, garlic and cilantro in a little olive oil.  I then added a can of corn, a can of black beans, two cans of stewed tomatoes, a box of organic vegetable broth, and a box of organic butternut squash soup.  I figured the butternut squash soup would add another vegetable to the mix, plus they had all organic spices and herbs.  I had a little salsa left in the fridge, so I threw that in.  I also had about a cup of tomato sauce left, and we won’t be using that, since we’re on the NUTRISYSTEM diet, so I threw that in.  I had about a half cup of parmesan cheese left, so I threw that in.  I made the soup in a giant six quart pot I have and it almost filled it up.

After letting it simmer for over an hour, I blended about a quart of the larger vegetables using a slotted spoon to remove the larger pieces and then poured the puree back into the soup.  There are still lots of veggies in there, but you won’t get a whole baby carrot or a big piece of broccoli in your bowl.  I used my MAGIC BULLET, which is a fabulous little machine that you can use to blend, chop, puree, mix, grind, etc.  It’s got lots of blades and lots of different containers.

You put the item (like, say, coffee beans) in a container, screw on the proper blade and then put it into the base.  There are no buttons, no adjustable speeds, no lid.  You press down for a few seconds, everything gets chopped, blended or pureed, and then you take it out, take off the lid (which includes the blade), rinse it in the sink (or put it in the dishwasher) and then either put the coffee grinds in the coffee maker, or put ANOTHER lid on (which doesn’t have a blade) and you can store it – airtight – in the fridge or on the counter.  It’s a fabulous system.  You may have seen the infomercial on TV.  It’s another of the many items Eric and I have purchased while watching TV.

I really purchased it because they said it was great for RV’ers.  But, I have to admit, I never used it in all the time we were in the RV.  I just didn’t cook.  I only reheated leftovers and made microwave food.  The fridge wasn’t dependable and I’m not much of a cook anyway, so it was all the excuse I needed to eat out!

Anyway, the soup came out GREAT and Eric and I each had a bowl.  I’m going to divide it into containers and put some in the freezer, and the rest in the fridge.  It’s a healthy, fast meal, especially for a soup lover like me!

After soup, Eric put the scale together.  We are both convinced it’s already broken, because we both weigh MUCH more than we ever dreamed, but I promised to be honest, so here it is.

I thought I weighed about 125, maybe 130.  That was high.  I’ve been VERY good about dieting for the last 13 days, so I figured I must have lost a pound or two.  I was hoping to see 125 -- no more.  According to this scale (which could be very, very wrong) I weigh 133 lbs. and my body fat is 36%.  That’s bad.  Very, very bad.

Now, let’s rationalize.  I bought the scale at BIG LOTS, which is really a crappy store.  Then, I only paid $20 for it, which means – how accurate could it really be?  I mean a good, accurate scale probably costs $100, don’t you think?  Don’t you think it’s probably at least 10 pounds off?  That’s what I think.  Yes, I think it’s probably 10 pounds off.  That’s my story and I’m sticking to it.

Now, I’m going to go cry, because I’m so fat and only 64% of my body is worth anything.

Okay, I’m back.  I didn’t really cry, but I AM filled with self-loathing.  I think I’ll register for BIGGEST LOSER.  I could probably get on the show, when I show them that I am 36% fat.  Eric doesn’t think what I wrote is funny, because he thinks it’s sad how fat we are.  I only think its funny, because I try to find the humor in everything.  I make jokes.  It helps me deal.

I picked out my outfit for tomorrow.  My “interview slacks” with a pink top and a light green cardigan on top with yellow and pink flowers.  It’s not flashy at all.  The cardigan looks vintage, but it’s not.  I need a loose-fitting top to hide my love handles.  Yes, I’m 36% fat and I have love handles.  Okay?  Are you happy now?

I watched part of THE SAG AWARDS.  I am confused.  Why is it they cancelled the GOLDEN GLOBES but were able to have the SAG AWARDS?  Didn’t they have to cross picket lines?  Isn’t it the same deal?  Someone, please explain it to me!

I am excited about work tomorrow.  It will be exciting to be back in the business world, having someplace to go everyday, and making a contribution.  It will also be great to have a regular paycheck.  I’m nervous, too, but I guess that’s to be expected.  I just have to do what I always do – take it day by day and try not to mess up!

I went to bed at 11:00pm last night.  I was so exhausted.  Eric was asleep before me.  I could have slept all day if I wanted to, but I was up by 8:00am.  I guess 9 hours is as much as I need!  I set up all my tools and materials for creating more jewelry mosaic mirrors.  I wanted to get as much done as I could today, because I am bringing more to Gili Anna tomorrow.  It should be quiet in La Jolla tomorrow, since it’s SUPERBOWL SUNDAY, but who knows?  Anyway, I know where Eric will be – in his chair watching the game!

When Eric woke up we watched last night’s episode of MONK (which was fantastic, as usual) and then I did three loads of laundry.  Eric was just lying around and all of a sudden he said, “Well, I’m going to roll down the hill and then walk the bicycle back up.”  I don’t know why, but he went out for a ride.

He didn’t gear up, he didn’t even wear a helmet.  He just put on jeans, a t-shirt and a windbreaker and left.  He came back less than 2 hours later.  I don’t know where he went or how much he rode, but at least he had his behind on the bicycle seat today.  I was amazed.  He said he wasn’t riding anymore, but he can’t resist, I guess.  Or he just knows, deep down inside, that it’s the best thing for him.

When he came back he relaxed until it was time to take a shower, get dressed and leave for GUYS AND DOLLS at the SAN DIEGO MUSICAL THEATRE in El Cajon.  We left at 6:00pm.  The theatre is 18 miles from our apartment and we were there in 15 minutes.  We found a nice Italian restaurant right across the street from the theatre called MANGIA BENE, and had a delicious dinner.

I had a bowl of seafood chowder and a fresh spinach salad with goat cheese, pine nuts, kalamata olives and tomatoes tossed in a warm pancetta dressing.  Eric had a cup of seafood chowder and the eggplant parmigiana with a side of spaghetti.  I had one piece of their delicious fresh-baked bread and Eric ate the rest.  He’s always been a big bread lover!  We each had a cup of coffee for dessert (mine was decaf).  I think Eric thought he’d need help staying awake for the show! 

That wasn’t the case at all.  The show was really well done.  Everyone had a beautiful voice, the choreography was great, the costumes lovely and the sets were good.  We had wonderful seats and since we have a subscription we’ll be sitting in the same seats for all three shows.  They were about 10 rows back and right smack in the center.  Perfect seats, as far as I’m concerned.

I’ve had this discussion with many friends and family and I consider myself an expert in this area.  I think that a show is better enjoyed from further back.  For a play the first row might not be so bad, but for a musical, it’s the worst.  You’re too close to see the “big picture” and you’re just looking at people’s knees while they’re dancing!  When you’re further back you can see the entire cast in big musical numbers and enjoy the entire set.  Besides, when you’re very close you can see all the stage make-up and it kind of takes away the fantasy.

Anyway, I had forgotten some of the musical numbers, since it’s been a long time since I’ve seen the show, but there are some I just love.  My favorite number is SIT DOWN YOU’RE ROCKING THE BOAT.  My friend, Joe, whom Eric and I just visited in L.A., did GUYS & DOLLS four times – playing one of the leads – Nicely Nicely Johnson.  I saw Joe as Nicely Nicely two times.  His character sings SIT DOWN and it’s such a great number.  The guy tonight had a beautiful voice and did a great job.  I really enjoyed it!

After the show we came home and Eric went right to sleep.  I stayed up and watched TOM BRADY (New England Patriots) host Saturday Night Live.  It was a repeat, but I had never seen it before. 
I really enjoyed a night out at the theatre.  The next musical in the series is BYE BYE BIRDIE in June.  I love that show, too!  Can’t wait!

I’ve never been a fan of football.  I like baseball (although I’d never watch a game), basketball was interesting, but football – I never got it.  I could never figure out what was going on and the only thing I ever enjoyed was looking at some of the cute tushies in the tight uniforms!

Baseball I understood.  It’s a relatively simple game.  I grew up just a stone’s throw from Shea Stadium, so I went to some games as a child – mostly with camp.  We were usually WAY up in the stands and I was doing more playing and eating than watching, but I was there.  I remember when RON SWOBODA came to camp and we all got autographs.  I saw him recently in an old episode of EVERYBODY LOVES RAYMOND where they had all the old METS players.  My friends, Susan and Andrew, are big METS fans, as is my friend, MaryBeth, so I always heard about the games.

Eric doesn’t like baseball as much as football or basketball.  I think basketball is his favorite.  He wanted to watch the big game today, so I decided to go to La Jolla to see Gili Anna and then go food shopping.

I finished a mirror for Gili this morning, then watched some TV and then got ready and left the house a little after 1:00pm.  I drove to La Jolla.  I have a bunch of new mirrors for Gili and was excited to show them to her.

I won’t be posting pictures here, because I now have another blog where I will be writing about all my crafts and my efforts to sell my pieces.  I wanted my customers to be able to read about what I do, but I didn’t want them to necessarily know my whole life story (like you all do), so now I have a NEW blog, which can be found by going to my website and clicking on BLOG, or clicking here: www.peppysdream.com/craftsblog.

I won’t be writing every day, just when I have new pieces to show, or other PEPPY’S DREAM news to report.  By the way, my website has been completely updated to reflect my current situation (I don’t have a shop anymore, but I’m still crafting away!), so feel free to check it out and let me know what you think of the new set-up!  (www.peppysdream.com).

It wasn’t raining when I left the house this afternoon, but it had been raining hard all day and it started raining again while I was driving.  When I got to La Jolla I had to drive around for a while before I found a spot.  I walked over to Gili Anna’s, but she was closed!  I spoke to the woman who has the shop next to her and she said she expected her today, but she wasn’t there.  Linda, who also has a beautiful shop selling new and estate jewelry, told me she's been there for five years.  We spoke for a while about the challenges of owning your own business, and then I left.

I walked over to Starbucks and my friend Dutch called.  I spoke to her for a while, got my Grande Decaf Skinny Mocha Latte and got back in the car.

I decided to go to the shopping center on Clairemont Drive to see if I could find a pair of shoes for work.  The arthritis I have in my right foot has really been hurting, because I’m not used to being on my foot so much, so I thought if I could find a nice pair of shoes that fit well and look good, I could wear them for work.

I went to TJ MAXX.  Unfotunately, I wasn’t able to find any good shoes, but I DID find two dresses and a black knit swing cardigan with an empire waist that really fit great.  The dresses also have an empire waist (which is very flattering when you’re fat in the belly like I am).   They’re exactly the same, but have different colors and different patterns.  I always found dresses easy, because you just throw them on and go – you don’t have to worry about coordinating slacks and a top or a skirt and a top.

When I finished shopping I went to KIELS and did a big food shopping, getting everything we’d need for the week.  Last week I made my “vat” of vegetable soup, so this week I bought more salad stuff, so we’d have salads as a change.  Next week I’ll make the soup again.  This way, eating our veggies along with the NUTRISYSTEM entrees doesn’t get too boring!

After I got home and put all the groceries away I did some things around the apartment, tried on my new dresses and modeled them for Eric and got my clothes ready for the week.  Then, I made me and Eric a BIG salad with lots of great stuff, including some leftover Ahi tuna we had on Friday night.

We watched BOSTON LEGAL, which I had recorded the other night and then Eric fell asleep.  I watched EXTREME MAKEOVER: HOME EDITION.  Tonight’s episode was about a family who was struggling because their little girl had cancer and their house was falling apart.  I fell in love with this entire family.  The 8-year-old girl was so brave and strong, her parents were so wonderful, and she had two older brothers (13 and 14) who were so devoted to her, so caring, so sweet.  It broke my heart to think that they all had to go through this.  A beautiful new house didn’t seem like enough.  At the end of the show they said that the little girl, Boey Byers, lost her fight with cancer on December 28th.  I burst into tears.  I couldn’t believe she could be gone.  It’s so unfair.

I always tell Eric that we think we have problems, but as long as you have your health, is anything else REALLY bad?  I have so many friends and family who suffer from health issues, or who have a friend or relative who is suffering from a serious disease.  It is so hard to be strong when your health is failing.  It’s hard to stay optimistic.   When you hear stories like that it makes problems at work, money issues or any other trials and tribulations you may be experiencing fall to the wayside.  They seem unimportant in light of the life-threatening illnesses people struggle with.
I pray that the Byer family, who lost this precious, beautiful child, can find happiness again.  I can only imagine what it must feel like to wake up every morning and know that your daughter, or your sister, is gone, and I guess it must feel like it will never get better.  I know it will, I pray that they find the strength to go on.  Their story is a real tragedy and it is sometimes necessary to hear a story like that to realize how lucky you are.  In that way, I am grateful to them, because tonight I feel very lucky.

I got picked up by my co-worker this morning.  It’s an easy 15-minute ride to work.  She agreed that having some company made the ride more pleasant, so it seems to be working out fine.

My boss came in today and, although he had a few meetings and conference calls, he gave me a few projects and I had some other projects from other members of the team, so I was very busy today – which is great!  I also offered to help the woman who taught me how to do the expense reports, and she gave me some typing (which is my favorite thing to do).  The day flew by!

I even got to do some shopping!  One of the guys on the team wanted me to buy 16 copies of a book on AMAZON.COM and have them sent to people all over the world – U.S., Canada, England, Switzerland.  That took me a while, so the time passed quickly, and I always love to shop!

I got dropped off home a little before 5:30pm.  When I got in the apartment Eric was vacuuming the living room wearing full bicycle gear.  The last couple of times he rode he didn’t even gear up, so I was very surprised.  I said, “Are these your new vacuuming clothes?”  He laughed and said, “I figure I should wear them to do SOMETHING!”  I didn’t press him on the subject, but obviously he went on a ride today.  He rode a little yesterday, too.  Imagine that!  And I’m not even bothering him about it.  In fact, I don’t mention riding at all and told him I couldn’t care less if he rode or not.  It was totally his decision.  I guess backing off was a good idea!

Eric finally got a call from his boss today and he said to come in on Monday, so I guess he’ll have tomorrow off and then go back to work on Monday.  We’ll see how long it lasts.  I told him I’m “cautiously optimistic!”

I had a NUTRISYSTEM pasta primavera with tofu, which was actually delicious!  Eric had NUTRISYSTEM macaroni and cheese, which doesn’t match up to KRAFT, but he said it was pretty good!

I weighed in at 128.4 this morning, so the numbers went down again, but just barely.  I really don’t think I’m losing any weight, and I know why – I haven’t been exercising.  I have to work on that!

I got a lovely letter from my friend, Kaja, who celebrated her 94th birthday on January 16th.  Can you imagine – she’s 94 and she’s hand-writing us a long letter.  Her penmanship is beautiful and she filled me in on everything going on and also did my numbers.  Kaja is psychic and does palm reading, numerology, etc.  She’s fabulous – mystical and magical.  She told me I’m in a “1” year (a “1 vibration”, as she puts it) and that there will be new ideas, and a taste of everything different.  She advised me to wear red (one of my favorite colors).  She said last year (a 9 year) was a good year to get rid of things, which we certainly did for our move to SD.

She also enclosed an article about cranes, since she knows I love Asian art, which often features these long-necked birds and – believe it or not – a page of dirty jokes.  She’s 94, but you can talk to her like she’s 20, because nothing’s off limits with Kaja!

Kaja is so special.  She lived across the street from us on Leggett Place.  She lived in that house for 65 years.  Can you imagine?  65 years.  She saw Whitestone grow from apple orchards, farms and a few houses to the suburb it is today.  We became friends soon after we moved onto the block in 1986, when Kaja was 72.  She looked like she was 50.  She was gorgeous then and she’s gorgeous now.  I have seen pictures of her when she was young and she looked like a movie star.  She’s Norwegian and has blonde hair and blue eyes – eyes so blue and striking that you can’t take your eyes off hers.

Kaja has always been popular.  Whenever there’s a party, you will see a crowd of people and you can bet that Kaja is in the middle of the crowd.  She attracts people like flies to honey.

She told me, in her latest letter, that she received 80 cards for her 94th birthday – cards from all over the world.  Kaja has traveled the entire world and made friends on every continent.  She has friends in every state, every city.  Everybody loves Kaja.

Kaja is also an unbelievable artist – she specializes in ceramics and pottery, but also paints on glass (and then bakes it in a kiln), and paints on canvas with charcoal, watercolors and oils, too.  She was a teacher for many years, traveling the world and teaching her arts.  I took marbleizing classes with Kaja – right in her driveway.  You mix water in a big tub with a substance that makes the water like gelatin.  Then, you drip paint on top.  Since it is “thick water” the paint sits on top and you use a stick to move the paint around into designs.  Then, you put a piece of paper, or a piece of silk on top and the paint immediately sticks to it.  And that’s how marbleized paper and fabric is made!  We had such fun!

Kaja also ALWAYS had visitors – always.  Since she knew people all of the world and everybody likes to visit New York, when they came they inevitably stayed with Kaja in her beautiful house, which I called "Kaja's Museum."  Her house was filled with her own art and the art of those she was friends with, or got to know through her world travels.

Eric and I got to meet such interesting people, because Kaja would always have us over for dinner when she had guests.  And what a hostess she is!  She had many sets of dishes and would set the table in all pinks and purples, or black and gold, or silver and blue, and had matching napkins, placemats, glasses, and dishes.  She is a great cook and would spend the entire day preparing a meal that we would devour in minutes.

She had a fabulous garden and tended to it so lovingly.  She always had fresh flowers everywhere in the house, which she picked from her own garden.  She would always tell me to come over and pick flowers, so we could have fresh flowers in our house, too.

Kaja moved into a nursing home a few years ago.  She enjoys it, because she loves to socialize and there are always people around, but unfortunately most of the other residents are not as sharp or as “together” as Kaja is, so she’s kind of lonely in that regard.  After all, the people who work there really don’t have much time to spend talking with her, although people from all over the building come to get their palms read.  Yes, even in the nursing home Kaja attracts people.  They all love her.

While we were traveling all over the country I knew Kaja wouldn’t be able to keep in touch through the blog, so we’d send her postcards from almost every city.  My phone would ring while we were driving the RV, or relaxing in the morning, and it was Kaja, calling to say she loved the postcards, she was so happy we were traveling, and she missed us and loved us.  She told us that she has all the postcards from all over the country on her closet doors and that they tell the story of our adventure across the States.  What a beautiful friend.  How I miss her.

The love of our friends and family have sustained us these many months and kept us going on many an occasion.  We are so grateful to you all.  We have been on some emotional and spiritual roller coasters lately, but we are hanging in there, clinging to each other (both literally and figuratively).  Knowing that you are all there, just an email or a phone call away, thinking of us, and praying for us, really keeps us going.  Thank you!

It wasn’t a hard week, but working 5 days in a row is hard until you get used to it!  I completed 2 weeks of work and got my first paycheck (which Eric picked up for me).  My pay’s not half bad!  It’s even more than I expected, because I didn’t know how much would be taken out in taxes.  There are five different taxes deducted, but I still got about 80%, which I think is great!

Nothing too thrilling to report today.  Had another pleasant day at work.  I found out that two women I work with actually lived in New York for a short period of time.  One lived in Kew Gardens at the same exact time that I did.  Talk about a small world!  I told her I thought it was really weird, because we might have been on the same train at the same time, or been in the same restaurant or shop in the neighborhood!

When I got home I discovered that our NUTRISYSTEM food for the next 5 weeks had arrived.  Eric unpacked and organized all of his and I unpacked mine (not too organized).  He has his neatly divided into breakfast, lunch and dinner.  I kind of have all of mine shoved into a cabinet.  It’s easy to identify the meals: blue is breakfast; green is lunch; red is dinner and dessert.  Eric also has snacks, which I don’t get (boo hoo, I say).

Tonight I had cheese ravioli (2 big ones) and Eric had chicken with pasta.  One thing that is a real benefit of the program is not having to think about what I’m going to have for dinner, or having to go through a lot of fuss to have it (since I don’t like cooking very much).  I just pick out a package, read the instructions and a few minutes later my dinner is piping hot and ready to eat!  I make salads, or soup to go with it, and I’m done!  Not too many dishes to wash either!

After dinner I did two loads of laundry and watched a lot of shows I had recorded: DR. PHIL, PRISON BREAK, CSI NY and GHOST WHISPERER.  You can watch a lot more TV when you fast forward through all the commercials!

Tomorrow I have to go to the post office, food shopping, and tidy up the apartment, because I’m having company on Sunday.  My friend, Bonnie, and her daughter, Nicole, are coming over for a decoupage class.  I haven’t taught a class in a long time and it will be fun to show them how much fabulous decoupage can be!

Eric is working on Monday and is hoping that the job turns out to be pretty normal hours, but I can already see it’s not going to be.  I guess we’re lucky, because it’s no big deal if he doesn’t, but I know he’ll be disappointed.  He says he needs to keep busy and since he’s not doing much riding, he needs something else.

The other day I heard someone on TV say, "If you're not givin', you're not livin'."  They were referring to volunteering.  It gave me an idea, so I spoke to Eric about volunteering, because I have always done volunteer work of one kind or another, and know how gratifying it can be.  Unfortunately, he is totally disinterested.  I told him that doing something for someone else, and not getting anything out of it for yourself, is really a gift.  You end up getting much more than you ever dreamed.

Years ago I volunteered at a place on the Upper West Side.  It was a residence for blind and mentally handicapped men and women.  I ran their “music program” which really just meant that I brought cassette tapes (yes, it was long enough ago that we used tapes and CDs were just a distant dream) and would play different music for them every week and talk to them about it.  I would bring rock one week; pop the next; or maybe a Broadway musical.  I remember how much they loved THE MOODY BLUES and TALKING HEADS.  Some would just sit and listen; others would dance; others ignored the music completely and were lost in their own world.  I tried to get them all involved and just enjoyed opening them up to new sounds.  Since they were blind, they really had acute hearing and noticed everything in the music.  It was very interesting.

Years later I volunteered with a group called HEARTS & VOICES, which entertained people with AIDS in hospitals in the city.  I also got involved through that organization with a hospital all the way uptown that took care of babies with AIDS.  That was really hard, because you’d fall in love with these babies and play with them, change their diapers and hold them and love them every week, and then one week you’d go and they’d be gone.   There was a gorgeous baby named Javier who loved to be held.  He was about a year old.  All the volunteers would practically fight over who would hold Javier – he was so loveable.  When I found out he died, it broke my heart.  Sometimes I still think of little Javier and believe he’s an angel now watching over me, along with all the others I have loved and lost.  It brings me some comfort.

My last stint as a volunteer was with the MAKE-A-WISH FOUNDATION.  I was on their Speaker’s Bureau and also their Special Events Committee.  I would go to schools or organizations that raised money for MAKE-A-WISH and make a speech and collect a check.  It was great work, because people love that organization and they were really touched by what their donations could achieve.  I also worked at their special events as a volunteer – coat check, working the silent auctions, or accepting tickets – anything they needed to make the events run smoothly.  They were always fabulous events and I love parties, so it was really fun.

I think Eric could volunteer in so many ways, because he has so much to offer, but he just doesn’t think that way.  I think when you’re helping people in need it makes you look at your own life differently, and you see what you have to be grateful for.  I’m going to work on him, and maybe even find someplace where we could go together, so he can see how great it can be to give of yourself.

Sometimes I feel sorry for myself, because things are not perfect.  Eric is so unhappy and I’m going to have to leave San Diego.  Sometimes I can’t believe how things turned out.  Then I remember that this is real life and nothing ever goes as you planned.  Yet I am the eternal optimist and I still believe something good will come out of all this.

It was 21 years ago this week that Eric had his motorcycle accident.  Those were dark days.  He was in the hospital for days before they even figured out whether or not to operate.  He was in the operating room for six hours and they said he’d never work again.  He was on crutches for six months and had to learn to walk all over again.  Things seemed bleak and the future looked dim.  But Eric refused to believe that he couldn’t work.  He refused to become disabled.  He refused to give up.  I don’t know how he did it, but he fought back and became an athlete.

His first days on the bicycle were torture, but he persisted, riding through the pain.  He grew strong, and then he found a new life – a life he never would have had if he didn’t have the accident.  I actually asked him once, if he could change the past, and never have had the accident, if he would.  He said no, because he knew that it had put him on a different path – a bicycle path – and that it made him healthier, happier and more successful than he ever could have been if he didn’t have that accident.

I think he is going through the same struggle now, and I tried to show him the parallels in this situation.  Things look grim, but you have to fight through it to find what lies ahead – your next great adventure.  But instead of fighting, he is giving up.  He is just letting the negative overcome him, instead of fighting for the positive.  If I could just make him fight again, I know he would win.  I just don’t know how to get him to fight.

We were both up by 9:00am.  I had the whole day planned – post office, La Jolla to see Gili, food shopping, home to do another mirror.  But Eric had other plans!  I was sitting at the computer and he came in and said, “So, let’s gear up and ride down by the beach.”  It wasn’t really on my agenda, but obviously I need to exercise, and the fact that HE was suggesting it – well, I was there!

We geared up and did the same thing as last time: Eric puts my bike in the car and I drive about a mile downhill to the parking lot by Mission Bay.  He rides his bicycle down the hill and then we meet up and ride from there.  We rode all along the bay, then went onto Grand Avenue and rode the sidewalks and streets for a mile or two down to the beach.

Then, we rode along the beach.  It was a gorgeous day – 73 degrees – the sun was sparkling on the water.  There were people kayaking, fishing, boating, roller blading, sunbathing, picnicking, walking, running, dog-walking, and exercising with their trainers.  I thoroughly enjoyed the weather, the scenery and the exercise.  Unfortunately, Eric kept complaining that he was “roasting” and that he doesn’t like the beach and prefers trees and mountains.

I just kept speeding up so I couldn’t hear all his complaints, but then he would yell that I was going to get a ticket for riding too fast, since the speed limit on the path is 8 miles per hour.  It was good to work up a sweat and get my blood pumping.  It was beautiful to feel the sun shining and enjoy the scenery on a gorgeous February day, but Eric did take a lot of the fun out of it.  When we got back to the car, Eric put my bike in the car and I drove back to the apartment and waited for him outside while he walked the bicycle up the hill.  The hill is so intense that I don't think anybody (okay, maybe Lance Armstrong) could ride up that hill, but Eric won't even try.

When we got back he kept complaining about how hot it was and how it was going to be over 100 degrees in the summer and he can’t wait for that.  Obviously, he’s exaggerating, as it rarely gets to 100 degrees in San Diego (although it can get pretty close in New York!).

My friend Susan and my Mom had both called when we were out riding, so I called them both back.  My phone bill was HUGE last month, so I called and changed my free minutes from 700 to 1,400.  I found it hard to believe Eric and I were on the phone for more than 700 minutes a month, but it was mostly me.  Eric is hardly ever on the phone.  Since we don’t have a home phone, it’s all the cell phone and it’s hard to wait for the weekend to call people sometimes, or wait until after 9:00pm, because it’s midnight on the East Coast!  It’s $30 more a month to double the minutes, but it will probably save me $100 a month!  I can’t wait to get my next phone bill!

I made a NUTRISYSTEM lunch for me and Eric and then I jumped in the shower (again) and got dressed to run my errands.  I was ready to leave the house when my friend Marygrace called.  It was a psychic moment, because I woke up thinking, “I HAVE to call Marygrace today!”  We hadn’t spoken in over a month and I really missed her.  We got all caught up and she told me she’s taking her husband to San Francisco for his 50th birthday!  I’m so excited, because I think Marygrace and Bill will LOVE San Francisco.  I know I do!  It’s so frustrating to think that she’ll be on the West Coast but too far for us to see.  Oh, well!

I finally got out of the house.  The post office was long closed, but I drove to La Jolla and gave Gili Anna my five Jewelry Mosaic new pieces (four small mirrors and a tiny silver frame).  She was thrilled.  She now has 6 different small mirrors, the round mirror (that’s hanging on the wall) and the tiny silver mirror.  I hope she sells more soon!

After that, I went to STARBUCKS and got a Grande Decaf Skinny Mocha Latte and then went to the 99 cent store to see if I could get more mirrors, but I didn’t find any I liked.  Then, I went to KEILS and did my food shopping.

When I got home I immediately started making another huge pot of vegetable soup.  I put so many different veggies in this time and it came out GREAT!  It was 9:00pm by the time it was ready and Eric and I had big bowls as we watched an episode of MONK.  Then we started watching WILLY WONKA with Johnny Depp, which I had never seen.  I thought it was really cute and fun and Johnny Depp was fantastic.  He’s so versatile – he can obviously do anything.  Just take Edward Scissorhands, Ed Wood, Pirates of the Caribbean and Sweeney Todd.  The boy can do it all!

After that was over, Eric was fast asleep and I just started changing channels.  I saw that GUYS & DOLLS was on (which we saw at the SAN DIEGO MUSICAL THEATRE last Saturday).  There was only a half hour left, but the last half hour of the show has some of the best numbers!

I got to see Frank Sinatra and Vivian Blaine sing “Sue Me”, Marlon Brando sing “Luck Be a Lady” and Stubby Kaye sing “Sit Down You’re Rockin’ The Boat” which is one of my favorite songs in the whole score!  It’s such a sweet, colorful, fun musical and I wish I had known it was on, so I could record it and catch the whole thing!

By the time the movie was ending my eyes were closing so I went to sleep.  I was too tired to blog, which is why this is being posted late!

Eric had to go to work this morning, but wasn’t sure he’d actually get to work.  The boss told him to come in today – and he had to be there by 6:15am, but he was just supposed to go in to see if there was any work.  Sound crazy?  It does to me, too!  Or, as my friend Susan put it, “What kind of cockamamie job is that?”

He was going to take the RV, because I had the acupuncture appointment at 6:00pm and he couldn’t be sure he would be home in time, so he left me the car (dear boy).  He came back at 5:30am to let me know that the battery on the RV was dead (don’t know if I mentioned before that there was some kind of short with the RV) and he had to take the car.

I couldn’t fall back to sleep, so I was up from 4:30am, although I did lie in bed and toss and turn until 6:00pm.  Nice!

I got a ride to work and  it was a great day today.  I was pretty busy, so the day passed pretty quickly.   I called Eric in the late morning to see what the story was and he was already home.  There was no work today, but the guy told him to come back on Wednesday, only he has to start at 5:30am, because they have to be out of the building by 1:30am.  That means he’d have to get up at 3:30am, leave at 4:30am and get to work by 5:30am.   Cockamamie, I say!

Anyway, he had the afternoon to work on the RV.  He disconnected and lugged the battery up to the apartment to recharge it.  He said he’s pretty sure the problem is with the battery, because he couldn’t get it to fully charge and it’s 5 years old, so he’s going to replace it and hope that the problem is solved.

I got a ride home and was dropped off at 5:15pm.  I didn’t have to be at the doctor until 6:00pm.  I told Eric I would just jump in the car and head right to the doctor by myself, but I had a little time, so I went up to the apartment.  Eric wasn’t there, and his bicycles were all there, so I couldn’t figure out where he could be.  I figured maybe he was in the parking lot still working on the RV, but I didn’t have time to go check.

I went to get in the car and was shocked to see Eric sitting in the driver’s seat, reading his book.  He didn’t want me to drive by myself to the doctor, so he was waiting in the car for me to come home.  Sweet boy!

He took me to Hillcrest to the office and waited outside with his book while I had my appointment.  First I had to fill out a bunch of forms (I swear, Eric and I have filled out more forms in the last 3 months than we did in the last 3 years!).  Then, I had to get undressed (except for bra and panties) and get under a sheet on a massage table.  He examined me by taking my pulse (on both wrists -- several times), feeling my foot, asking me all sorts of questions about my sleep habits, my diet – anything you could think of.

Then he started sticking the needles in me.  I knew he was doing it, but I couldn’t really feel anything.  It didn’t hurt at all.  He put one in my left leg, one in my right foot (the problem I was seeking treatment for), one in my right hand and one in my stomach!

Like I said, I couldn’t feel it at all.  He was so sweet and pleasant and talked to me and explained everything to me the whole time.  He said it may take as many as 10 treatments to see an improvement and I told him I was very patient.  I explained to him that I went to my holistic podiatrist for an entire year – 12 months – but never really had great results.  My foot has gotten worse, and he explained a lot about how the body works.  He actually thinks my problem isn’t just about my foot, but involves other parts of the body – it’s just that the symptom is in my foot.

He burned some kind of herb (that I told Eric smelled exactly like pot) and put it very close to my foot so I could feel the heat of it, but it didn’t burn.  It was really interesting and relaxing.  I felt very comfortable with him and he seemed filled with positive energy.  In all, it was a very pleasant experience and I hope it helps!  If anyone out there has had a positive response to acupuncture, I’d sure like to hear about it!\

After I was done I made another appointment for next Monday and left.  We drove home and I made us both NUTRISYSTEM thin crust pizzas and some of my ultra-delicious veggie soup (if I do say so myself).  I swear that soup is SO good!

For dessert I had a NUTRISYSTEM almond biscotti cookie and watched Dr. Phil’s 1000th show!
Tomorrow night I have a dentist appointment – I’m getting fixed up head to toes – literally!
I have a half-day on Friday, because this firm gives it’s employees a half day before every single holiday – no matter when it falls.  They’re closed on Monday for President’s Day, so I have off on Monday, too.  I don’t mind being off half a day on Friday and off on Monday, but of course I’m not getting paid for it, so I’d much rather work!

I had a fabulous surprise this morning at work.  At around 11:00am the receptionist called and asked me to come upstairs to the reception area.  I couldn’t imagine what she wanted and even thought, “What did I do?”  I thought I might be in trouble!

When I got off the elevator, there was Eric waiting for me with a dozen long-stemmed red roses!  I was SO thrilled.  I couldn’t believe he did that for me.  He didn’t work today, so he decided to bring them to me in person, and thought it would be nice for me to have them a few extra days, so I could enjoy them longer!

He came down to my desk with me and I showed him around the department.  All the girls were VERY interested to meet the guy who brought me a dozen roses, and they were all gathered around Eric.  He was shaking hands and introducing himself.  He was SO cute!  It was the “old Eric.”  He was just the way he used to be -- happy, and sweet and so considerate and thoughtful.  I can’t tell you what it meant to me.  I wasn’t even sure I would get a card this Valentine’s Day, because he’s been so down, and here he actually drove to the office just to bring me flowers!

I was floating the rest of the day.  Everyone kept coming around my desk and asking me about the roses and the “mysterious man” who delivered them.  Since they hardly know me, they were all extremely curious.  Eric was the talk of the office all afternoon!  I told my boss I was sorry I didn’t get to introduce him, because he was behind closed doors, but he said he “heard all about it.”

I got a ride home and went straight to the dentist.  I wanted to get a check-up and get a cleaning.  I have receding gums and my teeth are extremely sensitive, so I always get nitrous oxide when I get my teeth cleaned, or have anything more than an examination done.  Unfortunately, once I got in the chair they told me they don’t have nitrous oxide.  I couldn’t believe it.  How could that be?

First, when Eric went last week, he was surprised because they don’t have the little sink next to the seat where you spit.  He was getting work done and wanted to spit out blood.  They said, “Those were outlawed.  We just use the suction.”

Now, I go and they say they don’t use nitrous oxide.  What kind of a cockamamie place is this?  I told them they could take x-rays, so I’d know if I had any cavities, but I wasn’t going to get my teeth cleaned without gas.  I told them I’d find a sedation dentist and get put out.  I just can’t deal with the pain!

Fortunately, I didn’t have any cavities, so I was out of there pretty quickly.  I got home and Eric and I each had a NUTRISYSTEM entrée.  Today is the 29th day we’ve been on this diet and I have been SO good, yet I think I’ve lost about 3 pounds!  I can’t eat much less, so I have to start exercising more, but between my bad left hand and my bad right foot, I’m a mess!  I know what you’re thinking:  “Boo hoo!  Poor, little Peppy.”

Tomorrow, if he’s not working, Eric is going to take me to get a new digital camera.  I’m so excited!  Mine broke months ago and I’ve been using my cell phone ever since (and the pictures STINK!).  So, I’ll be photographing more and putting more pictures on the blog.  And won’t that be nice?

Eric didn’t feel well today and he never heard from his loser boss, so he didn’t work today, and didn’t do much else either.  He said he felt nauseous and he did feel a little warm when I got home from work tonight.  I really hope he’s not coming down with something, because I want to go out for Valentine’s Day!

I had a great day at work.  They kept me busy and the day flew by.  I’m starting to make friends and everyone is so nice.

I’ve been getting a ride to and from work every day now and the girl I ride with is great.  She said that having company makes the ride more pleasant, and we have a lot in common.  Her husband sounds a lot like Eric.  He loves to work on cars, rides a dirt bike (and occasionally a mountain bike) and is very handy.  I told her we should go out to eat sometime and we’d take them to HAIKU, since they’ve never been there.

We have a half day on Friday, because the firm has a new policy, which it just started in 2008, where you only work ½ day the day before any holiday, no matter when it falls.  So, we leave at noon on Friday, and then have Monday off.  I’d rather work, since I’m not getting paid, but – hey – vacation is vacation!  It sure will be nice to do laundry and food shopping during the week, instead of the weekends when everyone else has to do it, too.

We were going to go camera shopping tonight, but Eric wasn’t feeling well, so instead of going by myself I thought I’d wait for him and go Friday or Saturday afternoon.  I’m so excited to get my new camera.  The one I want is the CANON Powershot SD1000, which my niece Jessica has.  It’s light, small, easy to operate and not too expensive either!  It’s amazing how far digital cameras have come in just 5 or 6 years.  My OLYMPUS was over $400 and it’s big, heavy and hard to use.  This is less than half the price!

Tomorrow is Valentine’s Day.  I’m going to see if I can pull together a red outfit for work.  I have a nice vintage dress that’s red and black, but I don’t know if I’ll fit into it.  Probably not.  I weighed 129 yesterday and was back to 128.6 today, but haven’t gotten below 128.4, which is my best weight to date.

Losing at LEAST 10 pounds seems insurmountable, because I have been SO good on this diet and have now been on it for 30 days.  What’s with this cockamamie diet?

Have you noticed that I have been saying “cockamamie” a lot lately.  That’s because my friend Susan wrote it in an email and the word made me laugh and now I can’t stop using it myself!  It just says it all, don’t you think?

The dictionary defines it as meaning: ridiculous, pointless, or nonsensical: full of wild schemes and cockamamie ideas.  I think it’s a word that’s not used enough these days, and I think we should bring it back!  Justin Timberlake is bringing sexy back; I'm bringing cockamamie back!  Start using it!

Well, I’m going to close now, because I must go tend to my sick husband, and nurse him back to health (all that really means is cuddling with him in bed).  I need him to be well for Valentine's Day tomorrow!  I’m sure it’s nothing serious, so don’t fret, my dear friends.  He’s just got a little bug or something.  He’ll be just fine.

So, Eric hasn’t really worked since he started this cockamamie job.  They’d ask him to go in, and then send him home.  They’d tell him they’d call and never call.  They'd call and say they'd call back, and he'd never hear from them.  Finally, today, of all days, he went to work in the afternoon and is working all night.  He told me he’s working until 1:00am and probably won't get home until after 2:00am!

Meanwhile, I had a great day at work.  I wore a vintage red/black dress with a black kimono-style jacket over it.  I enjoyed my beautiful roses all day and kept busy with different projects.

When I called Eric in the afternoon, he told me that he was being called in to work and wouldn’t be able to take me out tonight.  It’s no big deal for me.  After 25 Valentine’s Days together, missing one is not a big deal.  I already got my flowers, and there was a lovely card waiting for me when I got home (I left Eric’s for him this morning).  So, all that was really missing was his company.  I’ll get to enjoy him all weekend!

He called me at around 7:00pm and told me the job was hell and he was supposed to work tomorrow night starting at 5:00pm, too.  He said he hated it and it was horrible.  I told him to just quit.  It’s been ridiculous anyway.  The work isn’t steady, the hours are crazy, it’s 23 miles away, and the guy he’s working for seems to be very disorganized, to say the least.  We don’t need the money THAT badly!

I don’t know what he’ll do, because he’s not the kind of guy to open his mouth and quit.  He’s not a quitter.  I just hope he gets so sick of this that he will.  I think it’s admirable that he wants to stick with it, but there are some times when you have to realize that you’re not being appreciated and the people who you are working for don’t deserve you.  I think part of it is that Eric really wanted this to work, because he didn’t want to start the job hunt again.  It’ a frustrating exercise.

So, I spent my Valentine’s Day catching up on AMERICAN IDOL.  I don’t know if any of you are interested, but they’re now down to the final 24 and there’s some really great talent in there this year.  I’m in love with some of them already.  I usually vote every week, because I am really interested in the whole process.  I feel guilty if I don’t vote and then the ones I like get voted off!

It’s a little after 10:00pm and I am going to sleep now, but I plan to get up when Eric get home – whenever that is.  I just want him to know that I am there for him and whatever he wants to do is fine with me.  I just hope that what he wants to do is quit!

Before I close, I have to tell you about the loveliest email I got tonight from a dear friend, Heath.  Like our dear friends Geri and Larry, and Sergio and Lourdes, I met Heath because of Betty Boop.  He is from Georgia.  We were pen pals for a while and then, when he was just 18, he came to NY on vacation and stayed with us.  I took Heath all over the city and showed him the sights.  We had the best time and we have kept in touch off and on since then.

Heath still lives in Georgia and is now 30 years old!  Time does fly, doesn't it?  Anyway, Heath wrote to let me know that he is one of the 10 people who reads my blog all the time.  His email was so sweet and so touching, and made me feel so good that I just wanted to write about it.  He said that I have been an inspiration to him, and that he enjoys reading the things I write because I can make the ordinary seem extraordinary.  That is a huge compliment and I really appreciate it.

It's amazing to me how people can touch your life when you haven't seen them in years, and you don't really communicate that often.  But I want Heath to know that his email made me cry and that I am grateful for his friendship.

I hope you all had a lovely Valentine's Day.  Today is really just another day to let our loved ones know what they mean to us and I want you to know that if you're reading this I thank you and I appreciate you!  Happy Valentine's Day!

I don’t know what time Eric got home last night.  I didn’t fall asleep until almost midnight, and then I woke up when he got home and we only talked a little, because he wanted me to go back to sleep.  We’re both pretty light sleepers, and I could tell neither one of us got a lot of sleep last night.  I really wanted to come home and take a nap, but I ended up staying at work later than I thought (2:00pm) and then ran a million errands with Eric.

Eric is very down in the dumps.  Everything he says is negative.  I tell him he’s a volcano of negativity, because he’s always spewing negative thoughts.  Everything he says is negative.   I really don’t know how much more of this I can take.  It’s so hard to live with someone who is always mad, always unhappy, always criticizing his environment, always putting down everything around him.  He’s not mean to me – he doesn’t pick on me or put me down, but it hurts me that the place I love is so abhorrent to him.  He complains that it’s too hot and dreads the summer, because he’ll be “roasting.”  Meanwhile, the weather here is PERFECT.  It's PARADISE.  I SWEAR to you!

I know that anyone who knows anything about depression will understand that it’s not Eric’s fault and that he needs help, but I can’t get him to seek help.  He just won’t do anything about it, because he says he just has to “deal with the situation until he can get the hell out of here.”

Today we learned about the young man who went into an Illinois university and killed 5 people, injuring many more.  They said that he was on some kind of medication, but he stopped taking it.  I have told Eric I think he needs antidepressants.  Today he said he was afraid to take them, because then if he stopped taking them he might kill somebody.

I had printed a list of the signs of depression and he pretty much shows every sign.  I am positive he’s got clinical depression, because his reaction to San Diego and the mountain biking situation is so out of proportion.  If he thought we were staying here forever, I could see him getting so down, but I have already told him – a million times – that we will leave here in November and move to North Carolina.  If he can’t put up with this place for one year, and deal with the situation, then something is really wrong.

It’s weird, because one day everything will be so great (like the day he brought the roses to me at work), and then another day he’s just about giving up (today).  I realize that the good days are just days when he forces himself to smile, to be happy, to be in a good mood, but it’s not real.

I wish I knew for sure that moving to North Carolina would make everything better, but I’m SO scared that we’ll make this huge move and have another huge upheaval and things won’t really get better.  I could be wrong and some great forests and mountains are all he needs to be happy.  It could really happen.  But should I be willing to take that chance?

I have told him several times that he should leave – go to North Carolina – live in the RV and get a job, get settled, go mountain biking.  I will stay here, keep working, save money, pack us up, ship everything to NC and join him there when I can.  He says he needs to be with me.  He can’t leave me.  I think he’s just scared of being on his own, and he relies on me for so many things. 

It really helps that I’m at work all day, kept pretty busy and surrounded by lovely people.  Being with him these days is really not much fun.  For the last 4 months I’ve been praying that he will “snap out of it,” or that he’ll adjust, or just learn to deal until we can leave.  I know now that my eternal optimism is not going to win this time.  Eric is not going to get better while we’re here, and I’m not sure how this will end.

Whenever we're together, even just sitting and watching TV, I am cringing, because I know anything negative they mention on TV will set him off.  If there's a robbery on the news, he says that the crime here is the worst in the country.  Anything he can latch on to which will help him in his case of Eric vs. California, he will say it.

On to another subject:  Today my weight was the lowest yet – 127.8.  It was great, especially since I ate more than I should have last night.  I did some emotional eating, because I was feeling sorry for myself that I was alone on Valentine’s Day.  You can imagine my surprise when I actually got below 128 this morning.  I guess maybe this diet IS working, albeit very slowly.  I wish I was the kind of person who couldn't eat when they were stressed or upset, but I think I've always eaten more.  Not a good thing when you're stressed and upset more than usual!

Eric had to pick me up at work, because my ride left at 12:30pm and I had to stay until 2:00pm.  We went to CIRCUIT CITY to check out cameras.  I knew exactly which one I wanted (the one my niece Jessica has), so it was pretty easy.  We checked out the price at CIRCUIT CITY and then went to COSTCO to see how much it was there.  We looked at the cameras, but they no longer carry the model I wanted.  We shopped a little, picking up laundry detergent, toilet paper, balsamic vinegar, sugarless gum and FUZE, a 10 calorie fruit drink I really like.  I always liked shopping at BJs in NY, because you get so much more for your money.

I had to join COSTCO before we could pay, so Eric stayed by the shopping cart and I filled out all the paperwork (as usual).  It costs $50 to join, but I think you save that in one or two trips, because shopping at KEILS and buying the tiny bottles of things like detergent or balsamic vinegar just makes you realize how great the prices are at BJs!  I got 12 packs of gum for less than $8.  If you buy a pack of gum in the store, it’s at least $1, so there’s a savings of $4 right there!  We got 300 oz. of detergent for $11, and I usually pay at least $3 or $4 for 64 oz.

After we left COSTCO we went back to CIRCUIT CITY, so I could buy the camera, since they didn’t have it at COSTCO.  Turns out, they didn’t have any left, but the guy gave me a great deal on the floor model, which looked perfect.  He gave me $50 off, and then I bought the 4-year warrantee for $50, so I’m guaranteed that the camera will work, and it didn’t cost me any extra money.  What DID cost extra was the card and the case, because they don’t come with that, so they get you coming and going!

Eric had mentioned that he wanted to listen to music while he was riding, because he thought it would make it more enjoyable.  Since neither of us knows how to use an IPOD and Eric said he didn’t think he’d like the sound quality, I bought him a portable CD player/AM/FM radio.  It’s a lot cheaper than the IPOD and I think it will be fine for him.  We just can’t seem to get into the 21st century, can we?

After that, Eric dropped me at STARBUCKS, so I could get my Iced Grande Decaf Skinny Mocha Latte.  I only get to have STARBUCKS on the weekends now, so I REALLY appreciate it!

When we got home, Eric apologized for being so crabby and said he felt bad that his being so unhappy was making me unhappy.  I really think he means it.  I think he knows what this is doing to me, but he can’t help himself.  I have thought about couples therapy, but I think I’d end up doing all the talking, because that’s how it’s always been with the two of us.  He clams up and I talk.  So, is that going to help?

I made us the last of my delicious veggie soup and we each had a NUTRISYSTEM entrée.  I know Eric is not eating well and even bragged that he hadn’t eaten anything all day.  He thinks it’s impressive that he is starving himself, and he’s getting thinner than ever, but then I’ll make him dinner and he eats the whole thing, so I don’t know what to think.  He used to take vitamins every day, but now he never takes them.  That was one of the first signs, when we were on the road, that he wasn’t doing well.  He stopped taking his vitamins and I couldn’t convince him to start again.

After dinner I went and did two loads of laundry.  Eric has a new system to hang the laundry that I don’t put in the dryer (jeans, t-shirts, my tops, stockings, etc.).  He ties a rope to the hinges on the kitchen cabinet doors and strings it all around so there are clothes hanging everywhere.  You have to go past my pjs to open the refrigerator door.  It looks pretty funny.  When I get my new camera going (tomorrow), I’ll take a picture.  That’s one positive thing – you can expect a lot more pictures in the blog!

Tomorrow I am getting a cut and color at noon.  It’s always nice to pamper myself a little, and I REALLY need the cut AND the color. Those roots are really showing!  I was thinking of getting a pedicure after that, to really pamper myself.  I figure I deserve it.  I’m a working girl now!

Tonight I got another lovely email from another darling friend.  His name is Stephen and he lives in Canada.  He is “one of the 10” who also reads my blog religiously.  I met Stephen in the city while waiting to see a show.  We exchanged emails, started corresponding, and then became theatre buddies.  Whenever he would come to town (which was 3 or 4 times a year) we’d go to dinner and see a Broadway musical.  We always had a fabulous time and he is the best company.

He came to spend a night at our house and Eric had a great time with him, too!  I also brought Stephen to Fire Island to meet my friend, Artie, and they hit it off.  Canadian Stephen, as I call him, is a sweetheart, and just like so many other friends I have.  I hardly ever see him, we don’t even email much, but he is in my heart and I am grateful for his friendship.

I’m crying now, because I’m thinking of the people who read this every day.  I know you’re worried about us.  I know you feel helpless, because you’re so many miles away and we’re here, and Eric is suffering.  I want you to know that we will be okay.  I promise you.  I will do whatever I have to do to help him, to help us.  We will get through this.

I could never write this if I thought my mother would read it, because she really doesn’t know much about this.  She knows that Eric is unhappy, and that we’re planning to leave San Diego.  She’s actually happy that I will be closer to her (in Florida) because she misses me a lot.  She just doesn’t know how serious the situation has gotten.  I don’t want her to know, because she would feel the most helpless of all and I don’t want to upset her.

Tomorrow is another day and I have a three day weekend.  I have to enjoy it, because when you’re working you live for the weekends.  Right?

Before I close, I have to share two things with you.  One is a picture of our great-niece, Rian (who will be 1 in 2 weeks), and my great-nephew, Kyle.  Aren't they gorgeous?

The other is a letter from a child to God.  Someone sent me a bunch of letters and they were all REALLY funny, but this was my favorite.  It reflects my feelings about winter perfectly and mirrors my own thoughts.  ENJOY!

My big plans for the day were to get my hair cut and colored at noon at HAIRSPRAY in Hillcrest.  I woke up at 8:00am, and turned on the TV while Eric slept.  Then, I started to feel tired again and turned off the TV at 9:00am.  Eric woke me at 10:30am and I had to drag myself out of bed to jump in the shower, so I could be sure to be on time for my noon appointment.

The bell rang and it was the mail person with a box for me.  It was one of the pairs of shoes I ordered on ebay.  I’ve been having a problem at work, because I’m not used to being on my feet all day and wearing shoes all day.  If you know me, you know that I always wore mules in the shop (and at my previous job), because I can’t stand wearing shoes all day long.  I need to be able to slip them on and off.  So, if I’m wearing shoes that buckle across or have an ankle strap, as comfy as they may be, they drive me crazy, because I can’t take them off.  Enclosed shoes or boots are the worst.  It’s an idiosyncrasy I’ve had for years.  I used to call it shoe paranoia.  I LOVE shoes.  I mean, I LOVE shoes.  I adore high heels.  I probably have 50 pairs of shoes.  But I don’t like having them on for 8 hours at a time.  If I go to a Broadway show, or a movie, I always take my shoes off.

I used to run around barefoot at work.  My bosses never cared (although other people in the department used to complain and said that I would step on a staple or something).  I just feel better when I’m barefoot!

So, although I’m not running around barefoot at work, I DO take off my shoes when I’m sitting at my desk, and then put them on when I stand up.  I have a few pairs of mules or shoes that easily slip on or off, but I figure if I’m going to be working for months I better have a few more, so I ordered 4 pairs of shoes.  They were all really cheap.  I think the most expensive pair was $40!  Most were about $15, with up to $10 shipping/handling.

The first pair was a pair of black fabric pointy-toe mules with a lace overlay, which are super comfy and really pretty.  Then, I got a pair of black leather platforms with a peep-toe and a bow.  They’re SO cute, comfy and easily come on and off.

The third pair was black suede with a buckle and an espadrille-style wedge sole.  Unfortunately, those don’t fit very well, so I’m sending them back.  I have two more pairs coming – purple suede and green suede.  Then, I should be set for every possible outfit!

I feel guilty buying more shoes when I have so many pairs already, but all the ones I have with buckles and straps are no good for work.  I needed to invest in some “work shoes” although they don’t look like work shoes at all!

I got to my hair appointment on time.  Unfortunately, he wasn’t ready for me and I waited about 20 minutes.  While I waited I read the most recent issue of VOGUE, with Eva Longoria on the cover.  They showed the inside of her closet.  OH MY GOSH, the girl has about 100 pairs of shoes, all designer and all FABULOUS, and drawers and drawers of clutch purses.  I was SO jealous when I saw her collection.  She has over 50 pairs of jeans (that I couldn’t care less about) and an amazing array of gorgeous designer dresses.  What a closet!  What a life!

I got my hair cut and colored.  The guy does a great job, but he talks, and talks, and when he tells a story, he stops working and after a while it was driving me crazy, because I told Eric we’d take a drive this afternoon, and I was NEVER going to get home at this rate.  I finally told him that I didn’t mind him talking, but could he keep working, because my husband was waiting for me!  I don’t think he was insulted and he did keep working and talking from then on.

When I got home Eric and I couldn’t decide where to go.  I really wanted to go to Ocean Beach, which is supposed to be really fun and has great antique shops, but Eric said he didn’t want to go to the beach (because, apparently, he hates the beach).  I also knew he wouldn’t want to walk around antique shops with me, so I figured I’d go there by myself sometime (maybe even tomorrow or Monday) and we’d go someplace else.

It was getting later and later.  We couldn't decide where to go.  I wanted to bring my camera, so I got it out and started reading the manual.  I had to charge the battery before using it, so I took the charger, put the battery in and then had to wait over an hour.  We discussed where to go and it seemed to be more trouble than it was worth, so we decided to just go out to dinner and forget about a drive this afternoon.  It was already after 3:00pm, so we went into the bedroom and watched BOSTON LEGAL and then took a nap.

When we woke up, I tried to put the battery in the camera and it wouldn’t fit.  Eric couldn’t get it either.  We decided to go to CIRCUIT CITY before we went to HAIKU for sushi, so they could help me.  Turns out they gave me the wrong battery!  They gave me a new battery and we went to HAIKU for dinner.

We had green tea, edamame, and two rolls: Philadelphia and Spicy Cruncy Shrimp roll (our favorite!).  The young sushi chef, David (aka Jin), asked when my nieces were coming back.  Turns out he had a big crush on April.  You see we went there on Friday night and then Saturday, when we were shopping, we ran into him on the street in Pacific Beach and he was so adorable, flirting with the girls.

He said he wants to go to New York, but he has no one to stay with.  I told him he could look up April and she’d show him around New York.  He’s adorable and he obviously was smitten with my gorgeous niece!  The next time I go, I’ll bring my camera and take pictures of the people there, because they are SO sweet and so nice and greet you like you’re family whenever we go.

After dinner Eric suggested going to Hillcrest for gelato at Gelato Vero.  I didn’t really want any, because I’ve been SO good on my diet, and weighed in at 127 this morning – a new low!  But Eric wanted some and I was so happy he wanted to go somewhere and do something (especially eat something fattening), so I said okay.  I told him I felt guilty for cheating, but I have been really good for the past 5 weeks and have not cheated at all.  He said it’s not cheating – that you’re allowed to have something fattening once in a while.  I guess he’s right and I shouldn’t beat myself up about it.

Anyway, we took the ride, but couldn’t find a spot, so he told me what he wanted and I went in alone.  Eric got a pint of Chocolate Hazelnut (so he could have some for the next few days) and I got a small scoop of dark chocolate.

The guy behind the counter asked if I was visiting and I said I was from NY but moved here 3 months ago.  The girl said she remembered me having been there before.  They were very friendly and sweet and the guy said he LOVED New York accents.  It’s so strange to me, because I really don’t think I sound so different from anybody else, but I guess I do! I mean it’s not like I’m English or French, but everybody picks up on it and comments on it.

I got back in the car and we drove home to eat our gelato and watch an episode of MONK.  I laugh out loud so much from that show.  I really appreciate the writing so much.

After that, Eric was ready for bed, so I came out to work on the computer and then watch a little bit more TV before I hit the hay, too. 

Today was a little frustrating.  Eric and I seem to be arguing a lot lately.  I think my frustration level is exceedingly low (and I always get frustrated easily), and Eric is so negative that we end up arguing.  It’s not screaming matches (although my voice is always louder than his).  It’s just heated discussions.  It could be about anything – the weather, where we’re going, my camera, anything.  He just seems to say things that make me upset and then I say something back and we get into it.

I remember days like that in the RV, when everything would bother him and that would bother me.  I try to be patient.  I try to tell myself it’s not him – it’s the depression.  I try to keep my mouth shut, but it’s really hard.  I keep telling him the old saying, “If you don’t have something nice to say, don’t say anything at all.”  But he refuses to listen.

I think he gets a perverse pleasure out of being negative.  I really do.  I think it makes him happy to say negative things.  Does that make sense to anyone?   Am I crazy?  Sometimes I think he says the things just to hurt me, because he knows how much I love it here and how happy I am with the weather, my job, etc.  I think he likes putting San Diego and everything about it down, because I enjoy it so much.  And that really hurts, too.

I guess I have to learn to put up with it and shut up and not let him bait me.  If I just ignore him, then maybe he’ll stop.  I don’t know.  I guess I’ll be dealing with this for the next 9 months.

Tomorrow he already told me he has a game on that he wants to watch (basketball, I think), and I’m going to get a pedicure.  I need one badly and it will get me out of the house for a while.  Then, I’ll come back and do some crafting.  It’s so nice that I have Monday off, too.  A long weekend is nice, but work is nice, too!

We both woke up a little late this morning, then hung around watching TV.  There was a marathon of AMERICA’S NEXT TOP MODEL on and since I haven’t seen any of this season, I was hooked!  Of course Eric had no interest in that, so he went into the living room and watched TV there.

Then, around 1:00pm, Eric decided we should go for a bicycle ride and even though it really was the last thing I wanted to do, I agreed.  After all, if he’s willing to go bicycling, how can I say no?  I mean, we all know I need the exercise, and getting out in the sunshine is good for everybody.  So, even though I had plans to go food shopping, do laundry, get a pedicure and visit CIRCUIT CITY again (to get help programming the camera), we went for a ride.

Instead of me driving the car down to the parking lot and Eric meeting me there, Eric agreed that we could walk the bikes down the hill (about ½ mile) to the bay.  It’s really dangerous to ride in the street, because it’s the entrance to I-5 and the drivers are CRAZY!  So, we walked on the sidewalk and when we got to the park we got on the bicycles and rode around.  We probably went about 2 miles.  It was a gorgeous day and the park was packed with people.  Lots of people.  Flying kites, putting boats in the water, fishing, and having picnics.  Lots of kids, too.  It made riding a little tricky and I used my bell a lot to warn people that we were coming!   After almost an hour Eric said he thought we should stop, because we still had to walk back up the hill.  I had really pushed myself when we were riding, so I felt like I got some exercise.

We started walking up the hill – when I say hill, I mean HILL.  This hill is so huge and so long and it’s ALL UP HILL!  I told Eric I’d like to try riding a little, on the sidewalk, and he agreed, so I got on the bike.  Everything was okay, but it started to get so steep and I kept pushing myself.  You always hear that you’re supposed to push your muscles to exhaustion and that’s the way to build muscle, so I figured I’d keep pushing!  The next thing you know, I was so out of breath I thought I was having an asthma attack.  I got off the bike and tried to catch my breath, but I couldn’t.  I felt sick.  I wanted to sit down, but we were on the side of the road and there really wasn’t anyplace.  The sidewalk is very narrow and there are no houses or anything.

Eric came up behind me and gave me some water.  I sat down on the ground for a minute and my breathing finally started to return to normal.  I was really scared for a minute there.  It was SO ridiculous.  I am so out of shape that one big exertion and I thought I was going to die!  The thing was, it wasn't my muscles that were giving out.  I actually could have ridden further.  It was my lungs!  I actually started thinking Eric would have to take me to the emergency room, because I was having an asthma attack!  Thank goodness I got my breath back and we continued up the hill.  He wanted to walk both bikes, but I told him that leaning on the bike and rolling it wasn’t hard, it felt like it was helping.

When we got back to the apartment we opened all the windows, because it felt like it was 100 degrees in the apartment.   Eric immediately laid down to take a nap, but I didn’t even want to lie down, because I was so sweaty.  My face was SO red (I always get red-in-the-face when I exercise – it’s VERY attractive!) and the back of my neck was soaked.  I wanted to jump in the shower, but (like the episode of Seinfeld with George), I knew it wouldn’t “take.”  So, I just sat in bed and watched more AMERICA’S NEXT TOP MODEL until I cooled down.  The cross ventilation in the apartment is really great, because after a few minutes I was actually cold!  I closed the front door.  Then I did lie down and took a nap, too.   

Eric got up at 5:30pm to watch the All-Star Basketball Game and I just stayed in bed for another half hour.  Then, I took a shower, made us both NUTRISYSTEM flat bread pizzas and a nice salad.  We had the rest of the gelato for dessert – Eric had most of it and I had a small scoop.  It’s SO SO SO good!

After dinner I finished my “clock tray.”  I had finished the front, but wanted to finish the back.  It’s done now and I just need to varnish it, which I will do tomorrow, if I have time!

Then I went back inside and watched more ANTM (I know I don’t have to spell it out AGAIN).   I really enjoy that show.  You learn so much about modeling, and seeing these girls with no makeup and then how they look on camera is so amazing.  I love the different challenges and photo shoots.  It’s all very glamorous!

After that, Eric went into the bedroom to watch TV and I stayed out here, watching THE PRINCESS DIARIES, which is such a cute movie.  I love Ann Hathaway.  She is fantastic in THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA, and she’s adorable in this one, too.

Tomorrow I’m going to try to get done all the stuff I didn’t do today: laundry, food shopping, 99 cent store (for more small mirrors), CIRCUIT CITY (for help with the camera), and a pedicure.  Think I can fit all that into one day?  We’ll see!

I did get everything I wanted to do accomplished today.  I woke up pretty early – about 8:30am, even though I stayed up watching TV until after 1:00am.  Eric got up soon after, because his boss called, asking him to work today.  Eric knew I had plans to run around all day with the car, and had a 5:00pm appointment for more acupuncture, so he told his boss he couldn’t work today.  I listened as he spoke to him for about 15 minutes.  He says all the right things.  He expressed his frustration at the hours, the lack of work, and said he was thinking of looking for another job.

Meanwhile, he has to be at work at 5:00am tomorrow, so he’s working tomorrow.  I left the house around 11:00am and my first stop was KEILS for food shopping.  I came home and Eric brought up the packages and put everything away for me, because I had a noon appointment for my pedicure.  It was 11:30am, so I went to the 99 cent store (no mirrors) then to CIRCUIT CITY and the guy showed me how to use the camera and set the date/time for me.

Next, I had my pedicure, which I find SO relaxing, and left with beautiful red toenails!  After that, I went to TJ MAXX and BIG LOTS looking for small mirrors to do a custom jewelry mosaic in all pink, which Gili requested.  She has a customer who wants all pink, so I’m on the job!

My last stop before heading home was STARBUCKS, where I treated myself to a grande mocha light Frappaccino.  They use the sugar free syrup and fat free milk, but there are still more calories than a Skinny Mocha Latte.  I just needed something special and it hit the spot!  I weighed in at 127.4 this morning, which I figure is the gelato talking!  I’m hoping tomorrow I’m back down to 127!

After I got home I kept going – I made us a NUTRISYSTEM lunch entrée and a small salad.  Then Eric and I went down to the laundry room and we started three loads.  Then, I went back to put some in the dryer and bring the rest back up for Eric to hang on his makeshift clothes line.

Then, I started sorting my jewelry, trying to find pink pieces.  I was a little disappointed, because I didn’t find as much as I had hoped.

At 4:30pm I left for the acupuncturist, which is also very relaxing.  We talked a lot and I told him the situation with Eric.  He was very sympathetic, but said he’s been in San Diego for four years (from Chicago) and has adjusted to it, but still doesn’t love it here.  He actually says that he thinks a change in seasons is better for your body (but don’t tell Eric!!!!).  He feels that people in San Diego are a little light in the head, because they get too much sun!  Isn’t that funny?

When I got home I made dinner for Eric and me and then proceeded to make my vegetable soup.  I use slightly different ingredients each time.  This time I used a red onion, mushrooms, celery, baby carrots, cilantro, a can of black beans, two cans of stewed tomatoes, a can of organic mixed vegetables, some shelled edamame, and two containers of organic vegetable broth.  After it was done I added some fat free half and half and then pureed some of the vegetables to make it even more creamy.

I had a bowl without the half and half, but Eric said he likes it a little creamier, so I added it for him.

Then, I washed all the dishes, cleaned up the kitchen, made my lunch and Eric’s lunch for tomorrow, and then sat down at the computer to blog.  I guess I really got a lot accomplished today, wouldn’t you say?

I told Eric that the new plan is to visit North Carolina together as soon as my temp job ends.  Then, I told him, if we both like it, we will start planning to move as soon as possible.  So, he says, “There’s no rush.”  I said, “What do you mean, there’s no rush?  You’re not doing very well are you?  I’m worried that you won’t last until November!”  So he said, “I’m just saying that there’s no big rush and I can wait.”

I guess I should be happy that he’s not pressuring me and that’s a positive sign.  Nevertheless, he has okay days, bad days and very bad days, so I’m not anxious to stay another six months if I can help it.

The only thing I really dread is doing everything we just did ALL OVER AGAIN.  We didn’t even get our California Driver’s Licenses yet.  I just changed our address and had our mail forwarded for the second time in 6 months.  I changed our address on all our computer accounts – credit cards, ebay, paypal, amazon.com, etc., etc., etc. 

Then there’s the packing.  Oh, the packing.  I guess it will be a lot easier this time, since we’re only living in a small 2-bedroom and we didn’t even unpack a lot of our boxes, but I did buy a lot of new stuff.  The folding table and 4 chairs, the headboard, the bed (which weighs A TON), the couch, the desk chair, the chest/coffee table, the AB LOUNGE ULTRA.  We’ve managed to buy a lot of new stuff in just 3 months and now we have to ship most, if not all of it.  I guess we could try to sell the couch and the table/chairs, since they’re nothing fabulous and the couch would definitely be expensive to ship, because it’s heavy, but the thought of putting everything I’ve unpacked back in boxes is overwhelming.

I guess I could just pay more and let the movers pack everything.  But I’m so practical and I hate to waste the money.  Anyway, I did it before and I can do it again.  I just have to think of Navy and Army families, who can move every single year.  If they can do it, I can do it!

Well, tomorrow should be nice and relaxing, compared to all I did today!  I just have to try to get to bed early and get a good night’s sleep.  My biggest fear is that I won’t be able to fall back to sleep tomorrow morning when Eric gets up at 3:30am!!!!  I hate lying in bed from 3:30am to 5:50am, when my alarm goes off.

The good thing is that this is a short week, so it’s already just four days until the weekend!  Wheeeeeeeeee!

Eric worked today, and he had to be there by 5:00am (yes, 5:00am), so he got up at 3:30am and left around 4:15am.  I fell right back to sleep, but there’s this guy who coughs really loud every morning (it really sounds like he’s throwing up).  The first time I heard it, I figured he must have had a rough nite and was paying for it the next day.  But then I heard it again, and again, and again, and again!  Either he’s a raging alcoholic who throws up every morning, or he’s a smoker who wakes up with a hacking cough.  Either way, it’s disgusting!  It’s also amazing how loud you can hear it through the floor.  It sounds like he’s in the next room.  Then, I hear him flush the toilet and go into the shower.  Nice.

My ride picked me up and I got to work a little before 8:00am.  First thing, my computer wouldn’t turn on.  I called Tech Support and this guy came and fixed it by just fiddling around with it.  As soon as he got back to his desk, I called him again, because now I couldn’t log onto MICROSOFT OUTLOOK.  He came back, checked a port in the closet and said my plug was plugged into the wrong port.  Huh?  How did THAT happen?

Then, I had to call him a THIRD time (immediately following the first two times), because it was taking 5 minutes to launch a 2-page document!  I had no idea what was going on, but he “took over my mouse” from his location (it’s weird how they can do that) and figured out that something was running in the background, which was causing the delays.

By 8:30am I had my decaf coffee, my NUTRISYSTEM cereal was ready to eat and my computer was up and running.  NOT the way I like to start my day, but at least the problems were resolved quickly!

I knew this morning was going to be crazy, because I was preparing three different packets of presentation materials my boss would be using in St. Louis on Thursday.  I had to be sure they were shipped out this afternoon, for delivery tomorrow, so he could use them on Thursday.

I worked with him on getting it all put together (he told me what should go where in each packet and I made up 3 copies of 1; 6 copies of another; and 1 copy of a third.  It was all very confusing, but I'm pretty sure I got it all done correctly.  I'm sure I'll hear about it if I didn't!

He left at 11:15am to catch a plane, and I spent the next few hours getting it all done.   I stopped for lunch – NUTRISYSTEM vegetarian chili and a small salad -- and then got it all finished by 2:30pm.

I had a few other projects from other people in the department, and then by 4:00pm I was done.  I had done everything I could possibly think of.  Nothing left to do.  Not a thing.  The last hour of the day seemed like three.  I went on YAHOO and sent a few emails and read all the news.

At 5:00pm I got a ride home.  Eric was in bed when I got home.  He worked almost 12 hours!  I didn’t want to bother him, but he did wake up long enough to say hello.  I told him to take a nap and I'd wake him for dinner.

I set about making our dinner – chicken cutlets for him; a piece of salmon for me, with asparagus and some of my soup.  We ate together while watching TWO AND A HALF MEN.  That’s a really funny show and one of Eric’s favorites.

After dinner I washed all the dishes and then got a call from one of my customers, who became a friend.  Sabrina was a regular in my shop.  She would come in once or twice a week and almost always bought something.  She has a wall in her apartment with about 15 different works of art and most of them were purchased in PEPPY’S DREAM!  She asked me about work, about Eric, and about our lives here.

Sabrina said something that really struck me.  She said it’s like we moved to another country.  She said that we should be proud of ourselves, because except for the fact that we spoke the language, we were in a completely strange and new environment and didn’t know anyone and managed to find jobs and get settled in an apartment.  She said it was a big accomplishment and that most people would be afraid to even try.  I never thought of it that way, but it made me feel good.

After I hung up the phone I continued my hunt for pink jewelry to make the commissioned piece for Gili Anna.  I’m kind of disappointed, because I can’t find as much as I had hoped.  I’m going to have to mix some creams and beiges in there with the pinks.

I watched a new reality show called GIRLICIOUS with 15 gorgeous young women competing to be in a new girl group put together by the same woman who put together THE PUSSY CAT DOLLS.  I love watching people sing and dance, so it’s interesting to me, although there’s always a bitch in the crowd!  I hate that people have to be so mean.  Can’t they all just get along?

At around 9:30am Eric went to bed.  He has to be to work a little after 5:00am tomorrow.  He was actually in a pretty good mood tonight.  He didn’t speak much about his day, but I think he’s happy that he’s working.  I think he made the boss realize that he was going to lose him if he didn’t give him more work.  We’ll see if it lasts.

Tomorrow is probably going to be REALLY slow for me at work, because my boss won’t be in (he won’t be back until Friday), and there’s just not that much to do when he’s not around!  I wish I could do my crafting, or at least read a book while I’m sitting there, but I don’t know how they’d feel about it.  Maybe I’ll just try reading, and see if I get in trouble!  What’s the worst they can do?  Tell me to put the book away?  I can handle that!  At least I’m not on the phone, or away from my desk.  I’m there if they need me – ready, willing and able!

No, I’m not describing myself, although I’d like to think that I am!  I’m talking about today’s blog, because there really isn’t much to report!

 I have to give a shout out to my girl, Geri, whose birthday is today.  Hope it was wonderful!

It's also my nephew, Brandon's birthday.  He's 33.  Wow!  He was about 7 when I met him.  I remember the first time I ever saw him.  He was in Eric's room (Eric still lived with his parents when I met him) and he was playing some computer game and wouldn't even take his eyes off the screen to say hello to me.  He was so cute.  Boy, time flies!

Work was SO slow today, but I knew that it would be.  My boss is in St. Louis and won't be back until Friday.  I had the good sense to bring a book with me – THE RED TENT – by Anita Diamant, which my sister, Lenae, gave me when we were at her house in New Paltz in August, right before we left New York.  I read over 150 pages today.

Now, I’m a fast reader, but I have to say I think I read for about 5 hours and worked for less than 3.  Besides reading I had breakfast, then lunch, went to the bathroom at least 4 times, got a drink in the coffee room, talked on the phone, read my emails and the news on YAHOO and also did a little work.  They paid me for a whole day and I mostly read my book!

The book is great.  It's beautifully written and takes you into another world.  It’s the story of Dinah, a woman in the bible who is just briefly written about.  Anita Diamant took what little the bible tells about Dinah and wrote her life story.  It’s really quite lovely.

When I got home Eric was in the shower.  He said he had a pretty good day.  We both took a nap (missing the lunar eclipse) and then I made dinner.  Eric had leftover chicken cutlets and asparagus with my soup and I had a big bowl of soup.

Then we watched AMERICAN IDOL from last night (the 12 boys sang).  We agreed on all of them.  Eric's a great judge of talent (hey, he likes me, doesn't he?).  He was spot on in his assessment of all the guys and we liked the same ones (as well as Simon!).  There are about 4 standouts; 4 are okay; and 4 will be voted off rather quickly.  Tomorrow we’ll watch the girls!

Now, Eric’s sleeping and I just finished making his lunch for tomorrow.  I always loved making his lunch for him.  I like to know he’s going to eat well during the day.

Tomorrow should be more of the same at work, unless somebody finds me something to do.  I was begging for work in the morning, but no one needed help with anything!

I have to admit, reading made it better, but the day still dragged on.  I mean how long can you sit and read in one day?  I read off and on for 8 hours today!   If tomorrow is the same, I'll probably finish the book. Yikes!

Eric worked again today – three days in a row.  I think that’s great, although he’s off tomorrow.  We’ll see what next week brings!

I had another slow day, mostly spent reading, although I did have a few projects for different people.  I’m almost done with my book and I have to bring another book to work tomorrow, because I’ll definitely finish THE RED TENT within an hour!  My boss was supposed to be in tomorrow, but he’s stuck in St. Louis, because of an ice storm!

He’ll be in LA on Monday, so now I won’t see him until Tuesday.  That means two more days of reading!

I got home around 5:30pm and Eric was watching TV in bed.  I steamed some edamame, added some sea salt and we had a delicious little snack!  We watched MILLIONAIRE together and then he took a nap while I watched DR. PHIL.

Then, I made us NUTRISYSTEM flat bread pizzas.  We watched AMERICAN IDOL from last night – girl’s night -- and then watched the AMERICAN IDOL results show tonight, where 4 contestants were voted off.  There are only a handful of them that are any good anyway – about 4 boys and 4 girls.  The rest are just fluff.

I really think when they audition all over the country they let a lot of super-talented people get away and choose some singers more because their personalities than their talent.  They just make good television.  That’s a shame, but it makes it easy for the first 12 to get eliminated.  When it gets down to the last 12, THAT’S when the real competition starts!

Tomorrow is Friday already.  There’s nothing like a 4-day work week!  We have no plans at all for the weekend, except I have to hit the post office before noon (oh, how I’ve missed it) and Eric and I are going to Citibank, because we decided Eric should open a savings account and put all of his earnings into a special account.  We called it his “escape fund.”  I told Eric that saving his money towards our move back east will make him feel like he’s really accomplishing something by working, instead of just depositing it with my check into our regular checking account.  He liked that idea!

He seems to be in a much better mood when he’s working, so I hope there’s more work for him next week.  It is somewhat aggravating for him, because some of the things he has to do at work waste time and money, and he’s so practical and so good at his trade that he gets frustrated by the inadequacies of the people he works with and for, but he just deals.  Actually, it was the same way in NY, but at least he was getting union pay with union benefits.  Here, the pay’s less and there are no benefits.

The bottom line is: Keep Eric busy.  He told me today that someone at work offered to take him by the Mexican border to do mountain biking.  He says it’s supposed to be pretty good and he really wants to go, even though he knows how dangerous it is around there.  I’m not happy about it, but I don’t think I can stop him.  I just hope he doesn’t end up crossing the border into Mexico!

It’s a good thing I brought THREE books with me to work today, because I needed all three!  But, let me start at the beginning.

It was pouring when I woke up.  The rain coming down was the first thing I heard.  Eric didn’t work today, so I got ready, quiet as a mouse, and wore my raincoat, my rain shoes, and my Barbie umbrella!

I try to drag everything out at work.  I don’t multi-task at all.  If I’m eating, I eat.  If I’m drinking, I drink.  If I’m waiting for something to print off the printer, I don’t start the next task.  I wait for it to come out of the printer.  I have to pace myself, because there’s NOTHING TO DO!

By 10:00am I had finished THE RED TENT, a beautiful, romantic tale of Dinah, the sister of Joseph (and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat!).  While I was reading it, it reminded me of MEMOIRS OF A GEISHA, because you really care about Dinah, just as I cared about Chiyo/Sayuri.  I would actually worry about the little Geisha-in-training when I wasn’t reading the book.  I couldn’t wait to get back to her, to hear more of her story.  It was the same with Dinah.  I loved her.  I wanted to meet her, to be her friend.  I was sorry when the story was done.

Next, I read a children’s book (ages 8-12) that one of my customers had given me when I closed the shop.  Grace saw this book and thought of me.  It’s called THE VAN GOGH CAFÉ, by Cynthia Rylant, and is the story of a “most unusual establishment” where wonderful, magical things happen all the time.  Grace said that she thought my shop was magical and that people always felt better as soon as they entered my doors.  The ultimate compliment!

Since the book was just 53 pages, and the print was large, I finished it in less than an hour, so I started a THIRD book: I KNOW THIS MUCH IS TRUE, by Wally Lamb, author of SHE’S COME UNDONE.  This book was one of Oprah’s Book Club selections, so you know it must be good!

It should take me more than a few days to read.  It’s 900 pages!  So far, it’s very sad.  It tells the story of identical twin brothers, born on New Year’s Eve 1949.  One arrives right before midnight, and the other arrives right after, so the twin brothers are actually born in different years!

As they grow, one brother begins to have difficulty, and it turns out he is schizophrenic and spends most of his adult life in a mental institution in Connecticut, not far from where his house-painter twin lives.  It’s not light reading, I’ll tell you that!  This is another book I got from my sister, Lenae.

The day dragged on.  I’d read for a while, then go to the bathroom, then check my YAHOO emails, then check my OUTLOOK emails.  Then, I’d read some articles on YAHOO NEWS, then read my book again, and start the whole thing all over again.  I told Eric if someone used a stop watch and timed me every time I did something for the office today, it would probably measure about 40 minutes for the entire day!  There was just nothing for me to do. 

It’s going to be more of the same on Monday, because my boss will be in L.A.  I didn’t bring the book home, because I have tons of stuff to do around the house, million of errands to run tomorrow, and lots of TV to catch up on, and when I have a book to read, I tend to not want to do anything else.

I could not wait for 5:00pm.  I thought it would never come!  Finally, it was time to go home and I went downstairs to meet my friend.  The weather had really cleared up and it was nice and sunny out.  What a difference from this morning!

I wanted to go to the 99 cent store and since it’s right up the block from the apartment, I decided to walk there before going home.  I was looking for a duffel bag for Eric, because the one he has is ripping in so many places that it’s not worth it to sew it.  It’s just an old, cheap bag and it’s falling apart.

I was walking around and passed a rack filled with clothes.  I never even noticed that they sold clothes at the 99 cent store before.  I’m always looking for mirrors, or a sponge or household item, not clothes.  As I walked down the narrow aisle with the clothes, I saw a black woman looking at the clothes.  I couldn’t pass her without bumping into her, so I apologized and excused myself as I passed behind her.  She said, “That’s alright, sweetheart.” I turned to look at her and we exchanged smiles.  Then, she said, “You are so beautiful.”  I thanked her, and said she was beautiful, too.  She had the sweetest smile and a big head of curly black hair.

When I said she was beautiful, she suddenly seemed very self-conscious.  She touched her hair and her face and all of a sudden she started to cry.  She said she was running away from a man who beat her and she lost everything she owned.  She was in the 99 cent store to buy warm clothes, because it was cold at night in San Diego.  She had no place to go.  She told me she had the phone number of someone who might be able to give her a place to stay.

My heart broke for her.  I told her I was so sorry.  I told her that everything would be okay and that she did the right thing to escape this man.  I took her hand and held it and looked into her eyes and said, “I promise you.  Things will get better.  You just have to hang in there.  Believe in yourself.  You are a strong, beautiful woman and you will be fine.”  She started to cry even harder and told me I was an angel sent by God to her.  She said she still had her bible and she was going to read it and pray and that she believed me and felt better.  She said that surely I was a sign from God that things were going to get better.  I assured her that they would.

I can tell that this woman has not had an easy life.  Her hands were so rough and leathery, like she had done hard work her whole life.  I told Eric they were rougher than his working man's hands had ever been.  He just closed his eyes and shook his head.

She told me her name was Helen, and I told her my name, which she loved.  She had a really cute laugh, which was light and happy, even though her heart was heavy.  I was about to walk away, and I bid her good luck, but before I left I reached into my wallet and gave her $3.  I didn’t have much ($6), but I figured the $3 would be of some help, especially in a 99 cent store!  She thanked me so much and again said that God had sent me and that I was an angel.  I walked around the store, looking for a duffle bag, but they didn’t have them, so I left.

When I got home, Eric was just leaving on his bicycle.  He said he was going to play LOTTO.  So, I went inside and he came back in about 15 minutes.  There’s really no food left in the house, except the nutrisystem food, so I asked Eric if he wanted to go up the block to the Italian place.  I’m going food shopping tomorrow, and will pick up more fruits and vegetables, cold cuts and cheese (for Eric’s lunch) and drinks.  Right now, the fridge is pretty bare!

We walked the 200 feet to the restaurant and there was Helen, standing right outside.  I called to her and she started laughing and was so happy to see me again.  She remembered my name, and I introduced her to Eric.  We were so happy to see each other, that Eric couldn’t believe we had just met in the 99 cent store across the street a half hour before.  

She told Eric that I was her angel, sent by God.  She looked at Eric’s face and said he was the sweetest man in the world and that he loved me more than anything.  I told her it was true.  Then, one of the cooks stepped out of the back door of the restaurant and gave her an aluminum take-out dish and a bag of bread.  I don’t know how it happened, but they were giving her a free meal.

She was so grateful, so happy.  I told her that we were going into the restaurant and that the food here was delicious and she would surely enjoy it.  She said, “See, my good luck is starting already, and it’s all because of you!”  She was so happy just to have a hot meal and we talked for another minute.  I told her to be strong, and then we went inside.

When we sat down I told Eric that I felt so bad, and I could see she broke his heart, too.  She will probably sleep on the street tonight, but at least in San Diego you won’t freeze to death.  She showed me the warm sweaters she had layered on and thanked me for the money I gave her.  I told Eric that I wished we could bring her home and give her a warm place to sleep, but you just can’t take a stranger into your home.  Not in this day and age.  In the days of Dinah they did it all the time, showing kindness to strangers wandering in the desert, but this is 2008.

I told Eric I wished she could sleep in the RV.  At least she would be out of the cold, but he said we couldn’t do that either.  It really broke my heart that I couldn’t help her more, but I hope that my few dollars and encouraging words helped a little.

I hadn’t had much to eat for lunch, so I was pretty hungry.  They have the most delicious tomato soup at this restaurant, so I just got soup and salad for $8.95.  I’m a cheap date!  I could have had the Ahi Tuna or Salmon, but I figured the soup and salad would be enough – and it was!  I had two small cups of the soup and a nice salad with lettuce, cucumbers, kidney beans, shredded carrots, radishes, hard boiled eggs (I mostly eat the whites), sunflower seeds, and my favorite – anchovies!  This salad bar has everything – at least 20 different fruits, vegetables, cottage cheese, blue cheese, shredded mozzarella, bacon bits, croutons, and nuts.  It’s one of the nicest salad bars I’ve ever seen!

Eric had a big salad, a cup of soup, and chicken cutlet parmigiana.  They also give you a basket of fresh-baked bread with a sun-dried tomato and olive oil paste to dip into.  It’s fabulous and I tasted the paste, but didn’t have any bread.  It was hard to resist, but I had to!

Over dinner we discussed our plans for going to North Carolina on vacation to check it out.  We’ll probably fly to Ashville and then drive to Charlotte and spend some time there, too.  If Ashville is good, that would be preferable to Eric, because there is much more mountain biking there, and it’s supposed to be a “Mecca for mountain bikers.”

I told Eric that I had been told today that the woman I’m sitting in for probably won’t be coming back.  The woman who trained me has become a friend and she has been very kind to me.  She asked me today if I wanted to come on staff (they want me), but I told her no.  She was very surprised, so I told her I would come up to her desk and explain it all, because I had a good reason.  She has been so kind to me since I came and has been very supportive and very enthusiastic about my work.  I know she’d like me to come on board, but I sat down with her for about a half hour and told her that we’re leaving, probably before the summer. 

I explained the whole situation and – surprisingly – she told me that she and her husband are planning to retire and move in three years – probably to ASHVILLE!  She told me she lived in Charlotte for a few years – many years ago – and she loved it.  I told her it had grown a lot over the last 20 years and it much different now, but it’s still a beautiful and very popular city. 

I told her that I was planning to go with Eric to check out North Carolina after I finished my stint at the company, because they told me I would only be there through March.  If they want me to stay on longer, I would be happy to do that, but I’d have to be gone for a week or two.  She said she was sure they wouldn’t mind, and that they’d want me to stay until I left San Diego.  I told her I’d be happy to do that, because I was very happy there and it would be good for me to keep working until I was ready to leave.

Eric was very pleased by all of this.  He is anxious to go and check it out.  He said that he knows it will be wonderful for us and that he’ll live wherever I want (a loft in the city) and chauffeur me everywhere when it’s cold outside, so I don’t have to be outside a lot.  I told him he was going to be my slave -- my love slave -- and he said he liked that idea -- a lot!  He was so sweet, so happy, so enthusiastic.  It really gave me hope!

After dinner we walked over to KEILS, because Eric wanted to buy some bathroom cleaner (my super-clean Eric) and ice cream.  I convinced him to buy frozen yogurt instead, and he was happy.  When we got home he started watching basketball and we had some Haagen-Dazs DULCE DE LECHE frozen yogurt.  There’s only 190 calories in ½ cup, so it’s about the same calories as our NUTRISYSTEM desserts and a LOT better!  It was so sweet and delicious that I felt really guilty eating it, but I did anyway.  We’ll see if I pay on the scale tomorrow morning.  Uh oh!

Tomorrow Eric is taking the RV to HARBISON ROAD to do some mountain biking.  He’s not sure how muddy or wet it may be since it rained a lot this week, but he’s willing to try.  I think that’s a VERY positive thing.  He’s mountain biking!  His whole attitude has changed since he worked this week.  I’m not saying he’s back to the “old Eric,” but this is a definite improvement over last week.

Tomorrow I will be running errands all day – the post office, food shopping, the shoe repair shop, the bank and maybe Gili Anna in La Jolla, if I finish the pink frame (which I haven’t started yet!!!).

I promise to download pictures from my new camera and put them on the blog this weekend.  I’ve just been too lazy after work to do it.  I haven’t even read my CAMERA USER GUIDE yet.  I have lots of things to learn about my new camera!  I can't wait to really start using it!

I was up at 8:00am and came in to finish the blog from yesterday and post it with photographs I had taken with my new camera.  I still have to work out the kinks, but at least I know how to take pictures and download them.  Believe me – it wasn’t easy!

Eric came in soon after and we watched some TV together while I was reading my CAMERA USER GUIDE and trying to figure it all out.  I’m not good at reading and implementing.  I’m the kind of person who needs to be shown.  Then I’m good.  But if I have to read and follow directions, I sometimes can’t get it all done.

I was hoping I’d just have to plug in the cord from the camera to the computer and the downloading would begin.  No.  Not going to happen.  So, I read about it and realized I had to install a program with a diskette that came with the camera.  I figured I could handle that.  Done!  Then, I plugged the camera in again.  Surely, now it would work.  Nope.  Not yet.  I had to read more, do more, and then it all came together and – voila! – pictures! 

Unfortunately, half of them were blurry.  I spoke to Geri tonight and she told me what I need to do.  She’s a professional photographer and taught for years.  I wish she and Larry were here.  They’d be able to show me every single thing and instruct me on what to do and when.  There are just too many options:  Portrait, night, color accent, color swap, kids and pets, indoor, foliage (foliage?), snow, beach, fireworks, aquarium, and underwater.  Wow!  I’ll have to remember that the next time I’m scuba diving!  (For those of you who don’t know me THAT well, I can hardly swim!)

Eric decided we should go out to breakfast.  I didn’t like the idea AT ALL.  This morning I weighed in at 125.6 – a new low.  I didn’t want to blow it by going out to eat – especially since he wanted to go to IHOP!  What are my choices there? 

Eric went into the shower and I kept working on the photos and watched an episode of I LOVE LUCY that I had never seen.  I’m a huge fan of the show, so it was really amazing to see an episode for the first time.  It’s called “The Amateur Hour.”  It was hysterical and from researching online I found out it was from the first season in 1952.

Lucy wants to make money to buy a dress, so she figures she’ll babysit.  Unfortunately, all the babysitting jobs pay only 50 cents an hour, which will take her forever.  Then, she sees an ad in the newspaper (did you ever know that in the 50s people advertised for babysitters in the newspaper?) for $5 per hour.  She calls to make sure it’s not a typo and makes an appointment for the woman to bring her son over.

When the kid gets there, it’s instantly apparent that he’s a brat.  He’s demanding and he kicks her in the shins.  He asks for milk and cookies and when she brings him into the kitchen, the mother opens the door of the apartment and shoves in his twin brother.  There are TWO brats! 

Well, you can just imagine the hilarity that ensues.  She doesn’t know there are two of them and they keep appearing and disappearing and it’s hilarious.  Then, she finally figures out there are two of them and they tie her up and put an apple in her mouth.

Finally, the mother calls from the hairdresser and asks her to take them to the Amateur Hour contest and she can keep the contest money if they win.  They end up singing a cowboy song in full costume (with moustaches) and it’s adorable.   Great episode!

After Eric got out of the shower I jumped in and we got out of there a little after 11:30am.  We were going to go to IHOP, but I convinced Eric to take a ride to SOUTH PARK and go back to the BIG KITCHEN CAFE restaurant, where I had taken my nieces last month.  I told him there would be a wait, but it was worth it, because the food was SO good and I could get something that would not conflict with my diet.

He agreed and we drove the 10 miles to South Park.  It was really raining hard, and a dreary day, but it was still nice to take a ride and visit another neighborhood.  When we got there we saw that they had a small tent with open sides set up outside (like you use at a barbecue).  There were a lot of people under the tent.  A lot.  I got out of the car and went over and asked if we give our names inside and they said that you put your name on the pad.  The pad was soaking wet, as were most of the lawn chairs under the tent, and everyone was huddled under there, trying to stay dry.  There were at least 10 names ahead of ours, so I put down “2 for Eric” and got back in the car.

We went and found a spot right around the corner and walked back to the tent.  They had free coffee for everyone waiting, which I thought was very sweet and Judy, the owner, kept coming out to call off more names.  Even so, we sat there for at least a half hour.  I was STARVING, because it was now 12:30pm and I hadn’t eaten anything all day!

Finally, we got inside and sat down at a cozy table.  It was warm inside and there was so much going on.  They play great 60s/70s music and there’s lots of artwork on the walls.  We were in a different room than I was in with the girls.  There are two small rooms and a big kitchen.  There’s also a big outdoor patio, but they couldn’t let anyone sit out there in the rain, so that’s why there was an extra-long wait.  They don’t take reservations at this place, so you have to just be prepared to wait.

I found out something so interesting today.  There is a dish named after Whoopi Goldberg and lots of posters, portraits and photos of her in the restaurant.  I figured she was a good customer, but today I found out that she actually worked there years ago -- washing dishes!

I ordered the same thing I had last time – Nova’s Favorite, which is an egg-white omelet with spinach and cheese, salsa and fresh fruit.  They give you a wheat tortilla with it and it’s delicious!

Eric had Damian’s Breakfast Burrito (which one of my nieces got last time) with avocado, cheese, eggs and other great veggies.  It comes with potatoes, which Eric said were really good.  He wasn’t that enthusiastic about waiting ½ hour in the rain, but I told him it would be worth the wait – and he agreed it was.  He liked everything about the place – the hominess, the artwork, Judy the Beauty (the owner, who sings along with the music as she waits tables) and especially the food!

We both couldn’t finish our breakfast and took home some to enjoy later.  After that, Eric took me on a tour of places he had ridden on his bicycle, which were very close by.  Presidio Park is a gorgeous neighborhood with tons of Mission-style houses – one of my favorite styles.  There were some that were so fabulous, but others that were very run down and needed a lot of TLC.  I figure in that nice neighborhood the gorgeous ones probably fetch $1 million. 

After that, we went through NORTH PARK, where I saw a great thrift shop called PAT’S CORNER – UNIQUE COLLECTIBLES.  It was fabulous.  The best thrift shop I’d been in since I got to San Diego!  The old lady who owns it was talking to people and she had about 15 silver bracelets on her arm and about 10 silver rings on her fingers.  Big bracelets!  Big rings!  This girl likes her silver!

I wandered around looking at the furniture, collectibles, clothing, artwork, knick-knacks.  It was all great, but totally disorganized and also very dusty and dirty.  The place was nothing like Peppy’s Dream, but there were definitely treasures to be found – lots of them!

I told Pat that I thought her shop was fabulous and she said something I had said at least 1,000 times in PEPPY’S DREAM – “We get new things in every day!”  When she said that, I wanted to just hug her, because she was so cute and she obviously had the same mentality as I.  I wish I could work there, because she obviously needs help organizing and I think I could get that place in order in no time.  She also had a desk that was so piled high with papers that it looked like it could just collapse at any moment.  She’s obviously not organized, but she still manages to run a successful business.

I found three flat wood frames with small mirrors.  They measure 10” square, but the frames are very wide, so the mirror itself is only 3” square.  Since they were pretty beat up, I figured that they wouldn’t be more than a dollar each and I was right.  Three for $3.  No receipt.  No tax.  I don’t know how she does it, but I guess she pockets the money on cheap stuff and only declares the big items, of which she had many.  It’s all hers – not consignment, so I guess she can get away with it.

I took her business card, which is very unusual.  It shows a drawing of a ferris wheel and says, “Coming here is like an amusement park!  There’s excitement!  There’s challenge…”  Then it just gives her phone number – no address, no hours, no email, no website.  I guess she does alright just the way she is, since it looks like she’s been in business forever.  You definitely don’t accumulate a collection like that in a few years!

When I got back in the car I showed Eric my purchase and then we headed home.  When we got home I immediately did two loads of laundry.  When I got back, I told Eric that I needed to find some papers in order to get our tax papers prepared for our accountant (who works in Flushing, NY).  I have my very organized list of what is contained in each of our boxes, but the boxes that were supposed to have the tax papers didn’t.  The box had already been opened, so I obviously took them out and moved them someplace else.  I ended up opening about 10 boxes.  Some had stuff I really needed – including more craft jewelry, craft supplies, and some of Eric’s work clothes, but no tax papers!

Finally, I decided to look in a wicker suitcase I had on the floor in the bedroom and there they were.  Why is it you always find stuff in the last place you look?  I hate that!

I was so exhausted from unpacking and repacking 10 boxes that I had to relax a few minutes before starting my soup extravaganza!  At about 6:00pm, after the laundry was all done and hung up I started the soup.  I am showing you a picture of the laundry hung in the kitchen, but that was from the other day, when I first got the camera.  Today we hung a line from the front door to a closet door down the hall, because I needed the kitchen clear to make the soup!

I was chopping and sautéing for about a half hour, then added the canned veggies and finally one container of vegetable broth.  After that, it’s just simmer and stir, simmer and stir, then more simmering and more stirring.

I told Eric that this is going to be my best soup yet!  There are TWO kinds of beans – black and pinto; and I added cauliflower for the first time.  There’s shelled edamame, peeled baby carrots, broccoli, mushrooms, celery, two cans of stewed tomatoes with jalapenos, and a can of corn with no salt added.  The piece de resistance is the fat free half-n-half, which makes it very creamy, but doesn’t add any fat.  I don’t add that until it’s all done cooking, right before I put it away for the night.

While I was making the soup, I also made Eric a salad for dinner and made myself a salad for lunch tomorrow.  I ALSO baked a salmon with asparagus, so I could have some for dinner and have the rest tomorrow. The oven was baking, soup was cooking, and I was chop, chop, chopping! 

Eric didn’t want any soup tonight, so I made him a NUTRISYSTEM entrée of cheese ravioli (it’s just two large ravioli in tomato sauce) with some of the asparagus I just made fresh.  I had some asparagus and salmon but neither of us ended up having any soup, so I still have some of the leftover soup.  The fresh batch will take a few hours to be ready!

I stupidly forgot to tape the Academy Awards and didn’t realize until 6:00pm (it starts VERY early here, because of the time difference).  So, I missed the first hour.  I love that it starts so early, because I ALWAYS stayed up until after midnight to hear best actor, best actress and best film.

They had a little video about the voting process, which featured the offices of PricewaterhouseCoopers in Los Angeles (I’ve been there!).  It was very exciting to see my old firm featured in such a special way at the Academy Awards.  Then, after the video, Jon Stewart came out and said, “That was amazing!”  It was hysterical.  I realized that no one except an employee (or ex-employee) of the firm would give a damn about all that anyway, but I certainly enjoyed it!

Gili Anna emailed me this afternoon to say how much she loved the pink mirror.  She said if the woman who requested it didn’t buy it, she would!  She’s so supportive of my work and so enthusiastic.  She told me she’s going to be selling at a “Gem Show” in March and that she’s bringing all my frames and hopes to sell them all!  I’m going to make sure she has even more to bring!

Here are some pictures of my newest creation – the mirrored tray.  Eric really loves it, which makes me so happy.  I can just imagine this in someone’s boudoir with lovely perfume bottles on it.  If I had a dresser I might be tempted to keep it for myself, so it’s a good thing I don’t!

I looked at 143 pictures of the Academy Awards already posted online and decided that the most gorgeous woman of the night was Katherine Heigl in a fabulous red dress with her lovely blonde hair and her beautiful face.  I think she was perfection!

There were a lot of gorgeous gowns – I also loved Kristen Chenoweth’s.  I adore her and I thought she did a great job singing one of the nominated songs. 
 
I had a fun-filled weekend.  I really feel like I got a lot accomplished, and Eric and I had a good time, too.  He was in a pretty good mood all weekend, which was really nice.  He’s been more lighthearted this week than he has in months.  I don’t know what it is, although I think it was the fact that he worked 3 days, and I’m not sure it will last, but I am certainly appreciating his good mood.  He always was such good company and it’s nice to be able to enjoy that again!

Eric had to go to work to fill out a timesheet, but he didn’t know if he’d be working today.  Since he didn’t have to be there super-early, he got up with me at 6:00am and left before 7:00am.  I left at the usual time and went to work.

Here’s my day in a nutshell: I had NUTRISYSTEM granola for breakfast, read over 100 pages of I KNOW THIS MUCH IS TRUE, had a big salad for lunch, and left at 5:00pm.  Not much in-between to speak of!

I spoke to Eric by late morning and he was already at home.  He kind of got laid off today.  The boss told him there’s just not a lot of work and that he’d call him if he got more work.  Eric told him he’d probably be looking elsewhere for work.  I figure he’s better off, because he only worked 5 days in a month, so who needs it?  It was more trouble than it was worth – for sure.  I told him not to worry.  That it was no biggie.  That we’d be fine.  That he’d find more work, if he wanted to.  He seemed okay with it, but we’ll see what the next few weeks hold.

When I got home, he had just gotten back from a ride.  I just changed my clothes and left again to go to my acupuncture appointment.  It was another pleasant experience, but he stuck so many more needles than ever before.  He asked me if I was comfortable and if it hurt.  When I said no, he said he was going to be a little more aggressive, so he started sticking pins in my hands, my legs, even the bottom of my feet.  It stings for a second when he sticks the needle in, and then you forget they’re there.

We talk the whole time.  He’s very interested in our situation and is very supportive and encouraging.  He’s very sweet and I enjoy the whole thing, relaxing on that massage table with a fluffy pillow under my head, and a nice pillow roll under my knees.  I don’t have to take my clothes off – he just rolls up my pants to my knees.  I still don’t know how much (if anything) will be covered by our insurance, but we’ll see.  Meanwhile, I’m optimistic that it will help!

When I got home I made soup for me and Eric.  He had a little leftover salad from his dinner last night and I had some leftover salmon and asparagus.  I had a new low weight this morning – 124.8.  It seems like I am losing a few ounces a day, and if it keeps going this way, I will be EXTREMELY happy!

Eric and I watched a DISCOVERY CHANNEL show about an American Loch Ness monster in Lake Champlain.  They call him Champ.  It was very interesting!

I also did another jewelry mosaic project – I covered the top of a vintage compact/purse with jewelry.  It was one of those old metal cases that holds your powder, lipstick, mirror, and a place for money and cigarettes.  The whole shebang in one little purse.  It was very beat up, but had a beautiful jeweled piece on the top.  I figured if I covered the beat-up part with jewels, it would be fabulous.  It took me a few hours, but it was worth it.  I think it’s worthy of the Academy Award Red Carpet!  When I get a chance to download and work on my photos, I’ll post it on the blog!

I recorded A RAISIN IN THE SUN, which is a fabulous play and now a wonderful movie, which got amazing reviews.  I can’t wait to watch it over the weekend, when I have a few hours to sit and watch.

Tomorrow my boss will be back in the office, so it should be MUCH busier, which I am definitely looking forward to, although I have to admit my boss makes me a little nervous.  He’s just very impatient and gets frustrated very easily.  He can be a little condescending and sharp with me, which of course I don’t like at all, but at least I have something to do!  It’s just that it’s not much fun.

He’s not entertaining at all and you all know I like to be entertained in everything I do.  I think that’s what life is about.  If it’s no fun, why bother?  He has absolutely no sense of humor.  I try to joke around with him, but he won’t have it at all.  He’s all work and no play.

I notice that people stand around and joke with each other, but he doesn’t really talk to anyone except regarding business.  I can assure you, he’s not the most popular guy in the office!  There’s a woman who works down the hall and has her own office.  She laughs CONSTANTLY – this high-pitched, hyena-type laugh, which – after a month – I find SO annoying. 

She must be the kind of person who laughs inappropriately – like a nervous laugh – because – I tell you – there just CANNOT be so much funny stuff going on in her office!  She laughs ALL the time – on the phone, with people in her office, when she’s standing at a cubicle talking to someone, walking down the hall with someone.  She’s ALWAYS laughing.  If I worked at COMEDY CENTRAL, I’d be a little more understanding, but this is an INVESTMENT firm!  Hello?

I like to laugh as much as the next guy (probably more), but you don’t catch me laughing all day long.  I’m DYING to ask someone else if her laugh annoys them as much as it does me, but of course I’m the new girl in town and can’t start backstabbing at this early stage of the game.  I’ll have to wait at LEAST another month!

Aside from Mr. Crabapple and Ms. Laugh-a-lot, everyone in the office is perfectly lovely – friendly and helpful.  I think I’m really lucky to have found this job – the first one I was offered.  It has turned out to be a really good gig and I am going to try to make it last as LONG as possible!

As the ROLLING STONES sang in 1969:

You can't always get what you want
You can't always get what you want
You can't always get what you want
But if you try sometimes, well you might find
You get what you need

I was thinking about our situation today, and I don’t know why, but those lyrics came to mind.  What I was thinking was that I was going to have to compromise when we move to North Carolina.  The weather this time of year is about 20 degrees higher than NYC, but about 20 degrees lower than San Diego!  So, it’s not as warm as I’d like, but not as cold as I hate!

I feel I won't have everything I want in North Carolina, but I will have everything I need -- mainly a happy Eric.

Today the weather in San Diego was perfection.  The sun was strong and there was just the slightest breeze.  It felt SO good.  It’s supposed to be that way all week.  I enjoy and treasure every single day here.  I feel so blessed to have spent this winter here.  To have known what it was like to be warm and comfortable in January and February!  I may only have been here for one winter, but what a winter it was!

My boss was in work today, so the day was much busier, although I still managed to read about 100 pages of my book!  At one point I had nothing to do in the morning and decided if he didn’t give me anything I was just going to read my book.  He saw me a couple of times and didn’t say anything, so I figure he doesn’t mind.  Every time he gave me something to do I did it immediately and gave it back to him right away, so he knows I’m working when there’s work to do.  I guess he figures if he has nothing for me, I can do what I want!

He was actually in a good mood today.  He joked around a little, which really amazed me, and thanked me a lot for the stuff I did.  Don’t know what that’s about, but it was nice.

When I got home I did a lot of work on my crafts blog (which you can access from my website – www.peppysdream.com.  I put up pictures of my latest creation, which I made last night.  It’s getting complicated – having two blogs, so sometimes I’m just going to put the pictures of my work on there.  I just don’t have the time or energy to do the same work in two places!

Eric rode today, but of course he complained to me how lame it was and how he didn’t really enjoy it.  I suggested to him that he start working on the RV, so that it’s all ready for when we leave here.  Remember we had toilet and refrigerator problems?  Well, they’re still there, and now there’s probably even more wrong with it, since it’s been sitting for three months!  He thought it was a good idea and he’ll start all the maintenance and repairs.  I think that’s a good job to keep him busy, and then when we get out of here, it will be better than last time.  It really wasn’t a big deal, but it would be nice to have everything working, wouldn’t it?

I made us NUTRISYSTEM entrées for dinner and some of my latest batch of soup, which came out GREAT!  I watched GIRLICIOUS (okay, it’s totally trashy, but I love it) and then Eric and I watched AMERICAN IDOL (boys’ night).

Tomorrow Eric has a dentist appointment to have a crown put in.  He’s been walking around for a few weeks with a temporary and now he’s getting the permanent.  I still have to find a dentist that will sedate me for my cleaning.  I know, I’m a baby, but it hurts!

Tomorrow, and the rest of the week, should be busy, since my boss will be in for the rest of the week.  Then, he’s off to Las Vegas and will be out next Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, so I guess that’s when I’ll finish my book.  I’ve already read over 350 pages!  It’s really good and I’m really involved now, thinking about the characters and wanting to get back to them whenever I can.  I purposely don’t bring the book home, because I’d get absolutely nothing done and would be reading all night.  I told Eric when I finish the book I want him to read it, because I think he’d really love it.

Isn’t reading the greatest gift ever?  To be able to be transported to another time, another place and get a peek into someone else’s life – and you can do it at your own pace, in your own time, wherever you are.  It’s such a great escape.  It’s better than any TV show or movie, don’t you think?  My mother gave us our great love of reading – me and my sisters.   She would take us to the library every week and we'd get out new books and devour them.  Our gifts always included books and we always loved to read.  My friend Susan told me about that new electronic book – the AMAZON Kindle.  It sounds fantastic to me.  I’ll have to get me one, one of these days!

Eric IS my king – don’t get me wrong – but I’m talking about his trip to the dentist!

I don’t know if I mentioned this when it happened, but a few weeks ago we were eating dinner and a piece of his tooth broke off.  He went to the dentist and they gave him a temporary and tonight he went to get his permanent crown.  It looks great!

But I’m getting ahead of myself!  I had a good day at work.  Nothing exciting.  Did some work, but not too busy.  I’ve now read 550 pages of my book.  My boss even asked me today if I was enjoying it – if the author was a good writer.  I told him I definitely gave it a thumbs up!

The weather the last two days has been glorious.  Just perfect.  I’d say low 70s and just a little breezy – pure San Diego Sunshine!

After work I picked up my raincoat from the dry cleaners and the two pair of shoes I had fixed at the shoe repair.  My ride dropped me off there and I walked down the block to the apartment after I ran my errands.

Five minutes after I got home Eric arrived back from the dentist.  He said he could only eat mushy food, so I made him a NUTRISYSTEM meatloaf and mashed potatoes and I had cheese ravioli.  I told Eric it was the smallest piece of meatloaf I’d ever seen.  We also had some of my soup.  Yummy!

I watched DR. PHIL and then a PRIMETIME show called “What Would You Do?”  They had actors in certain situations to see how people would react.  If you saw someone damage a car while parking and then leave, would you try to stop them?  If you saw three young teenage girls verbally abusing a fourth, would you step in?  It was very interesting!

I’m trying to get my tax papers ready for the accountant.  This is the WORST job of the year – by far.  Every year I DREAD it, and I don’t even do it myself!!!  It’s just the stress of collecting all the paperwork (especially when I had the business) and compiling all the information I needed.  I only had the shop three months last year, but I still have to do ALL the same work – it will just be a little easier than when I was open the full year.  I always feel SUCH a weight off when that’s finally done for another year.

Eric and I watched AMERICAN IDOL (girl’s night).  We really enjoy watching that together.  We also watch DANCING WITH THE STARS together when that’s on.  It surprises even me that Eric would be interested in those shows, but he’s a great judge of talent and we love discussing who’s the best, who should be voted off, are the judges right or wrong, etc.  We used to love watching HELL’S KITCHEN, too.  I LOVE reality TV and I guess Eric likes it, too!

Tomorrow morning someone is coming to inspect a picture that was damaged by the moving company.  It’s a piece that I really wanted to hang over the couch in the living room, and it’s the only thing that was damaged in transit.  I thought we were VERY lucky.  It seemed like it must have been dropped, because two sides of the frame were broken and two sides were just kind of pushed out, because of the pressure of it hitting the ground on the other side.  The glass was cracked, but only up in one corner.  I’m so grateful that the picture wasn’t damaged, because it’s a signed lithograph of Marilyn Monroe, and it’s one of my favorite pieces.

I worried SO much when our stuff was packed and left our house in Whitestone.  It went from: (1) the house to a moving van; (2) from the moving van to a warehouse in the Bronx; (3) from the warehouse to another moving van – which drove across the country to San Diego; (4) from the moving van to a warehouse in Temecula; (5) from the warehouse to another moving van; and (6) from the moving van to our apartment here in Clairemont.

Is it any wonder I worried?  There were SO many opportunities for something to get lost, stolen, or damaged.  I worried a LOT.  And the only thing that was broken was this one picture.  What are the chances we’ll have the same wonderful luck when we ship everything back to the East Coast?  I’d like to think everything will be okay – again – but, I’m not THAT optimistic!

We finally got our California State Driver’s Licenses.  I actually like my picture.  It’s a miracle!  Eric did his “I’m not smiling with teeth” photo and it always kind of looks like a mug shot (which he actually posed for in the Beverly Hills Police Department, when we visited my cousins in LA!).

Anyway, it’s good to have because everywhere you go they’re always asking to see your driver’s license (yes, they ask to see it every time you use a charge card!) and I HATED my NY picture, so this is definitely an improvement!  PLUS, you actually need a California driver’s license for some jobs – they don’t accept out-of-state licenses.  So, this was a good thing.

I have now read 750 of the 900 pages in my book.  I cannot bring it home, because I would read until it was done.  I am now obsessed with this book.  I can’t stop thinking about it.  It’s SO good.  I’m definitely going to read his other book – SHE’S COME UNDONE.  He’s such a good story teller, this Wally Lamb.  I’m actually dreading finishing it, which is often how I feel when I’m reading a great book.  I just don’t want it to be over!

So, today my boss was in, but it seemed like he went from meeting to meeting, from conference call to conference call, and he gave me a few projects to do, but then I don’t have time to discuss anything with him, or show him the fruits of my labor!  I worked on something all morning and then when I went to show it to him he says, “Just keep it on your desk.”  I thought that was a little rude, but I told myself I wasn’t going to let it bother me.

He’s only going to be in for 2 hours tomorrow and will be in Vegas on Monday for a conference.  He’s supposed to tell me what needs to be shipped (tomorrow) for his conference, but he hasn’t yet.  I emailed him earlier in the week, asking him to let me know what he needs, and how many copies.  No response.  This afternoon I emailed him and reminded him that I needed to ship out the stuff tomorrow.  I was actually worried about it – about the fact that it needs to be shipped tomorrow and he still hasn’t let me know what I need to do.

Then, in the late afternoon, I said to myself, “Peppy!  Are you crazy?  What are you stressing over?  You’re a TEMP!  You’re JUST a temp!"  I get so invested in my job that I’m actually worrying about a stupid conference in Las Vegas.  Who CARES?  Really?  I decided I wasn’t going to say another word.  He’ll probably tell me, right before he leaves tomorrow, that he needs 50 copies each of 10 different documents, and I’m sure I’ll get it done, if I have to.  I just need to stop worrying about this stuff, because it really has no impact on my life.  None at all.  I was mad at myself for caring so much!

So, I must tell you about the Tamale Man.  I don’t think it’s every week, but once in a while an email will go out from the receptionist that the “Tamale man” is in the lobby downstairs and will be there until 11:30am.  The first time I saw this, I just drooled a little and deleted the email.  The second time I was tempted, but I resisted.  Today, I didn’t bring a salad with me and actually thought about going down there to see what kind of tamales he had, but – unfortunately – by the time I read the email he was already gone.  Darn it!  I LOVE tamales and I can imagine how good they are – fresh from the Tamale Man!

I’ll never forget when I flew to LA by myself in 1998 to perform at the Betty Boop Festival in Montebello.  I stayed with my friend, Leslie Cabarga, the artist who designed my logo (and just redesigned my new business cards!).  He and his wife live in LA with their young daughter.  Well, she’s not that young anymore.  She must be about 13, because she was about 3 back then!

Anyway, he took me to an open market where they sold all sorts of fresh fruits, vegetables, crafts, clothing, and – Tamales!  Leslie told me they were the best tamales in the world.  I never tasted anything so wonderful in my life!  Any time I’ve ever had a tamale since then, I always hope it will be as good – and it never is!  I am wondering if this Tamale Man can fulfill my tamale desires!  Since I don’t eat meat or chicken, it would have to be a vegetarian tamale, so I’m going to see if he comes next week and I’ll spring for one!  It won't be THAT bad for my diet -- just a few extra carbs!

When I got home from work, I made soup and NUTRISYSTEM flat bread pizzas for me and Eric.  I added onion and cilantro to mine, but Eric just wanted his plain.  Then, I watched DR. PHIL which was all about pageant-obsessed women.  I’ve never understood that whole thing, but these women had it BAD!

For dessert I made us NUTRISYSTEM chocolate pudding.  It wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t that great either.  Their cookies are really good, and the bars are good, too.  I used to make us JELL-O sugar free/fat free cook and serve chocolate pudding and it was delicious.  This is instant, which I think has something to do with it, but you can’t ask for a faster dessert.  Just empty it into a bowl, add 4 oz. of water and stir!  What it REALLY needed was a big dollop of whipped cream!

Tomorrow’s Friday already.  I really can’t believe how fast time flies and how quickly the weekend arrives.  I feel like it was just the weekend and it’s already here again!   I have completed 5 weeks at this job.  In some ways it DOES feel like I’ve been there forever, but I AM happy that I’m not there permanently and that there is an end in sight.  It’s just that it is pretty boring and, even when I’m busy, the subject matter is nothing I am even remotely interested in (investing).  I guess I’ll get a lot of books finished in the next month or two and that’s a good thing!

We are going back to COSTCO on Friday night or Saturday afternoon, and I’m going to the SAN DIEGO NORTH PARK CRAFT MAFIA show on Sunday.  I just discovered this wonderful craft group by looking online.  Don't you love that name?  They sound tough and dangerous!  There are Craft Mafia’s all over the country, and I’m lucky that there’s one right here in San Diego!  They have craft fairs, encourage creativity and inspire each other!

This is a small show – just for their newest members to be introduced and sell their stuff.  It’s at a coffee house called THE OTHER SIDE.  I am going to go meet the people who run the shows and see about selling at a future show.  I am really interested in selling my own stuff, because Gili Anna doesn’t seem to be doing that well with my mirrors and has only sold one in a month.  She’s a wonderful person and believes in my work, but they’re just not moving.  If I can sell them myself, I’ll probably make a little more money, and have the joy of seeing people fall in love and buy them!

I can also talk more about my commissioned pieces and might get some future work, too!  I would also sell my jewelry boards and the larger pieces, which Gili Anna doesn’t have room for – my pearl lamp, the big clip-on earring mirror, and my perfume screen/room divider.  I would only sell that for a great price, because I really love it, but for the right price…

I want to make a vase that matches the clock tray.  It’s just such a pretty subject matter and I have so many cut out already, I figure I may as well use them!!!  Oh, if only I could just do my crafts all day long – day in and day out – I’d be the happiest girl in the whole U.S.A.!

Well, I finished my book today.  It took me exactly a week, and I only read it during the hours of 8:00am – 5:00pm.  Jimmy commented that I was getting paid to read.  It’s true!  900 pages in 7 days and I enjoyed every single page.  I was done by 2:00pm and still had three hours left to kill and absolutely nothing to do.

Eric drove me to work this morning, because my ride had a seminar downtown and wasn’t going to the office.  My boss was in until 11:00am and then left to go away for the weekend.  From there, he’ll go directly to Vegas for a conference on Monday and Tuesday.  He’s staying an extra day, so he won’t be back in the office until next Thursday.  I better find another book!

I started planning our trip to North Carolina today.  We’ll probably go at the end of April.  It’s going to be pretty complicated.  We’ll fly first to West Palm Beach to see my parents (by way of Atlanta).  We’ll stay there for 2 days and then head from West Palm to Atlanta and from Atlanta to Asheville.  We’ll be in North Carolina for 7 days, visiting Charlotte by car, and then leave Asheville to go back to Atlanta, and from Atlanta to San Diego.

I don’t mind flying, but I hate to change plans.  I always flew non-stop, but they just don’t have any nonstop flights from San Diego to West Palm (or Ft. Lauderdale), or West Palm to North Carolina, or North Carolina to San Diego.  It stinks, but what can you do?  Our layover from Atlanta to San Diego on the return trip is 4 hours!  I told Eric there was really nothing we could do about it.  "What are we going to do at the airport for four hours?" I asked.  "We don't have to stay at the airport," he answered.  "We'll go to the zoo!"  He's so cute.  He's willing to go along with anything just to get to North Carolina.  He's very excited about the trip.

Eric picked me up at work at 5:00pm and we came right home.  We relaxed and watched SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE, which I had recorded but hadn’t seen in its entirety.  Eric hadn’t seen it at all (he was sleeping).  I started to fall asleep, so we stopped watching and I took a nap from 6:30pm to 8:00pm.  Eric watched TV out in the living room.

He woke me at 8:00pm and I made us dinner – NUTRISYSTEM entrées and soup.  He had rotini with meatballs in tomato sauce and I had pasta fagioli. I just got an email confirmation that Eric’s next 5 weeks of NUTRISYSTEM food was shipped.  I really don’t know how long we’ll be on this diet, but we discussed it and think it’s working for us.  It’s fast, it’s easy, it’s healthy, it’s portion-controlled, and I figure we might as well keep doing it.  We even discussed how great it would be to have this food in the RV, since we have a microwave and we wouldn’t have to eat out so much (which is what got us so fat in the first place).

After dinner I watched ELI STONE, a great new show that I really like.  It’s about a lawyer who starts having visions, which end up informing and affecting his cases.  There are musical numbers, which I always love!

Then, I watched GHOST WHISPERER.  I enjoy anything that has to do with ghosts, so this show appeals to me, too.

Tomorrow I have to get all my papers together for our taxes and put together a spreadsheet for my business with all the expenses, etc.  I hate this job.  It makes me sick to my stomach.  It will be especially complicated this year, since our accountant lives in Flushing, and we’re here, plus I closed my business, we sold our house, and we moved across the country in an RV.  Can’t wait to figure all THAT out!

I want to do another project or two this weekend, but I have to make sure I get all the tax stuff done first.  It’s SO easy to procrastinate and do the “fun stuff” first, but I really need to get this done.  It’s already March 1st tomorrow!

One great thing is Eric did all the laundry this week, so that’s one less thing I have to do this weekend.  Now, if I could just get him to do the food shopping!!!

Eric and I were awoken at 9:00am by the guy who practices his drums maybe once a month.  I can’t believe the manager complained that I played my music too loud – on a Sunday afternoon – and here was this guy DRUMMING at 9:00am!!!!  I just think that’s rude and selfish.

The first thing we did was watch last night’s SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE.  The highlight was the skit with Hilary Clinton and Obama, followed by an appearance by the REAL Hilary!  She did a great job.  I hate to talk politics on my blog, but I’d really like to see her become our next president!

After watching SNL, I made us NUTRISYSTEM breakfasts and then I jumped in the shower to go to the craft show.  I was excited to meet the girls who would be selling there, and the girls who are the founding members.

I had previously emailed them and asked about selling at their next big show, and I am thrilled to report that I will be selling my jewelry mosaics and decoupage pieces at their SPRING LINE UP on Sunday, March 30th, along with 59 other vendors!  I was so lucky to get in, because it seems everyone wants to be in this craft show.  They told me there were people ahead of me on the waiting list, but because my work is so different they would put me in!  They had never seen anything like my work before and were really impressed.  That just about made my YEAR!

I have put lots and lots of pictures and a summary of the whole show on my CRAFTS BLOG, so please check it out!

After I left the craft fair, I drove immediately to La Jolla to pick up my pieces from Gili Anna.  She was SO understanding and supportive and proved just what a lovely, sweet person she is!  I was thrilled to hear that she sold 4 pieces – including the larger round mirror, two small mirrors and the pink commissioned piece (which she purchased for herself!).  I brought home 4 other small mirrors and a small silver frame, so I now have 5 pieces to add to my collection for the show on March 30th!

When I got home, Eric was just leaving to go for a ride.  I had a fast lunch and then went food shopping.  When I got home I was exhausted, so I took a nap.  When Eric came home he relaxed for a while and woke me at 7:30pm.  I made us NUTRISYSTEM entrées and soup for dinner and then worked for almost THREE HOURS on my crafts blog, downloading all the pictures, and writing about all the beautiful things I saw today.

I just have one more thing to discuss, and then I really must hit the sack!

I have read a few books recently and I’m not interested in keeping books I’ve already read and, since my sister gave them to me in the first place, I think it would be great to pass the books on to someone else who may be interested in reading them.  If anyone who’s reading this is interested in THE RED TENT, I KNOW THIS MUCH IS TRUE, or FOR ONE MORE DAY (which I bought in NY and read when we first got here), just email me and I’ll send any or all of them to you!  It will be that much less to ship when we go to NC!

So, let me tell you all about our night last night.  It turned out pretty darn great!   First, let me say that, in order to save my diet AND some money, we didn’t go out to eat before the concert.  We just ate at home, which turned out to be a good thing, because I had a chance to relax and unwind a little before our evening started.  I think BECAUSE I didn’t do anything at work yesterday, and I didn’t have a good night’s sleep (wind chimes) I was more tired than usual.  So, we left the house at 6:30pm and drove the ½ hour to the arena.

The FOO FIGHTERS did make it to the COX ARENA and the concert was great!  Long and great!  There were TWO opening acts – AGAINST ME! and SERJ TANKIAN (who used to be the lead singer for one of Eric’s favorite newer bands – SYSTEM OF A DOWN).

We got there just as the first band started.  Eric thought they were great, but they were a little too alternative rock for me.  The second band was better, and I even knew one of the songs (because it was a SYSTEM OF A DOWN song), so I enjoyed them more. 

THEN, the FOO FIGHTERS came on.  I have to tell you, DAVE GROHL is SO great.  He’s just a guy who wants to make great music, and wants the audience to have a fantastic time while he’s doing it!  He’s got no attitude, no ego, no superstar “you’re lucky I’m here” kind of way about him.  It’s all about having fun and making great music – and that they do.  They played some new hits, and some old hits.  They had a long runway that he ran up and down.  He would go all the way to the left and the left side of the house would scream.  He’d run all the way to the right and the right side would go crazy. 

Then, he’d run down that runway and the front of the house (where we were – only waaaaaaay up top) would go nuts.  The whole band is great, especially Dave and the drummer, Taylor Hawkins.  Dave Grohl, for those of you who don’t know, was the drummer for NIRVANA, and then he started FOO FIGHTERS.  They’ve been around for over ten years and they are a great rock band.  Dave’s an awesome screamer.  I mean, this guy can SCREAM.  Eric said he doesn’t understand how he doesn’t lose his voice, but the truth is, when he sings softly, he has a beautiful voice and it’s very pure and sweet.  So, he can really do it all!

Halfway through their set this circular stage started descending from the ceiling at the end of the runway.  The crowd went WILD.  There were keyboards, a piano, percussion instruments and another drum set and the whole band moved to the opposite end of the arena (where WE were) and played an acoustic set.  They were amazing.  People were just going crazy.

Then, after 5 or 6 songs they went back to the main stage and kept playing!  They played for over 2 hours!  I was exhausted and wanted to go home and go to sleep, but I was enjoying them so much and I didn’t want to leave until they were done.  They came out to do a 3-song encore and we left in the middle of the second song, because we figured we’d beat the crowds leaving the arena and at the parking lot across the street.  We were home by 11:45pm and I got to sleep around 12:30am.  I slept like a log and it REALLY hurt to get out of bed this morning.

I knew my ride would be just as tired, because she was at the concert last night, too!  Eric was sleeping soundly and I went to work.  I didn’t do much, but I’ve read over 100 pages of THE STOLEN CHILD already.  It’s a weird book, but I’m enjoying it.

I worked on some projects today and even had a meeting!  I’m working with someone to update an online library of articles that my department maintains, so we had a meeting today with a few people to figure out where to begin.

I left at 5:00pm and came right home.  I made us a snack of edamame and did some work on the computer, cleaned a little, and then watched a little TV.  Then, I made Eric chicken cutlets and asparagus and I had asparagus and NUTRISYSTEM cheese ravioli (2 big ones).  For dessert we each had a little gelato.  I know, I’m bad, and the scale is showing it.  I’m back up to 125.8.  My lowest weight so far, about a week ago, was 124.8, so I’ve already gained back a pound!  It’s SO easy to gain.  Why can’t it be that easy to lose?  I’m going to get my act together and stop cheating.  I promise.  As soon as the gelato is gone!

Tomorrow Eric is taking me to the STATE OF CALIFORNIA BOARD OF EQUALIZATION downtown, so I can get a temporary seller’s permit.  I need it in order to sell at the show on March 30th.  I filled out the form online and printed it out.  Instead of mailing it, I’m bringing it there in person, so in case there’s a problem I can get it resolved and leave with my permit tomorrow morning (I HOPE!!!).  Eric will drive me, so I won’t have to worry about parking, and then he’ll drop me off at work.  I’m so excited about the show on March 30th.  I’m really looking forward to it.  I just have a lot of work to do before then in order to have a lot of inventory to sell!

I finally feel like I earned my pay today!  I worked hard and I got a lot accomplished.  As I mentioned before, my boss has three meetings next week – one in San Francisco on Monday; two in L.A. on Tuesday.  When he has these client meetings he brings along a folder with two pockets.  There are different documents that go in each folder for each meeting, along with a spiral bound PowerPoint presentation.  I don’t type most of the documents.

I do make minor changes to the PowerPoint presentation, changing the name of the client, the date, who will be at the meeting from our firm, and sometimes other small changes.  Most of the documents are done and I just have to find them on the network, send them to Fulfillment (printing department) and give them instructions as to how many copies I need and whether or not it’s one or two sided, bound or stapled, color or black/white, etc. 

Doing the work for three meetings in one day was a lot, because it’s confusing.  Each client gets different documents or different versions of the same document.  I checked and double-checked and I hope I got it all right!  All I know is that it was all done by 4:30pm and I was exhausted.

I thought Eric was taking me out to sushi tonight, and I was really looking forward to it, but when I got home he said there were two great basketball games on TV tonight and he didn’t want to go out, so we’d go tomorrow night.  No biggie.  I got undressed and into my pajamas, watched DR. PHIL and had a snack of celery and hummus.

After that show (Eric was already watching basketball in the living room) I made a NUTRISYSTEM entrée and watched THE CELEBRITY APPRENTICE, then ELI STONE.

My friend Robyn, who lives near Temecula with her husband, Sal, called to catch up.  It’s been a long time since we’ve spoken and we filled each other in on everything that’s going on with us.  Robyn is another of my “faithful ten” – someone who religiously reads my blog every day.

Since I haven’t known her very long (she’s really my niece Melissa’s friend and we got in touch and became friends because we both moved from New York to San Diego!), I am especially flattered that she takes the time to read about us every day.  She expressed her concern for Eric and what he’s going through.  She says she knows it is hard to adjust, because she and Sal are also new here and know what it’s like.

We promised to get together for dinner soon since she works very close to where we live.  I’m looking forward to it!

I got an email today from the woman who bought our house.  She and her husband and two gorgeous daughters are really enjoying the house – finally.  They did SO much work that they weren’t able to move in until November!  Remember – we moved out August 11th!  They thought they’d move in on September 1st, but it took almost three months longer than they planned.  She sent a bunch of pictures of the renovation, a few of which I am sharing with you all today!

The living room, with the sun shining in their new door.  New floors, new closet door new banister, new ceiling fixture!

There is a good reason for the delay.  They renovated almost every square inch of the house.  The only things that are left the way they were when we lived there are:

1. The long built-in wall unit in the living room (which Eric lovingly built).  I’m SO glad they didn’t tear it down.  I was worried about that!
2. The French doors in the dining room, although they DID put up gorgeous shades.  I never covered them, because no one could really see in and I loved the sunshine all day long!
3. The shelves at the end of the hallway – between the bathroom and master bedroom.
4. The master bathroom.
5. The upstairs bathroom.
6. The dining room set.  That’s the table and chairs that I sponge painted and decoupaged, which was part of the deal for the sale of the house.  The realtor said that Cynthia fell in love with the set and wanted it to come with the house.  Since I was planning to sell it anyway, I was more than happy to give it to her (and very flattered, too!).

Samantha's room in the attic -- which used to be the leopard room!  The crib is where the bed used to be.  New walls, new floors.  The dresser/changing table is the same dresser that was there when WE moved into the house 21 years ago.  I left it for Cynthia.  She painted it and put decals on it.  Isn't it adorable?  It's 1940s and it's still going strong!

Here’s what they DID do:  ALL new floors throughout the house (except for the bathrooms), new window above the bed in the master bedroom, new bay window in the living room, complete new kitchen – and they broke down the wall between the kitchen and the dining room and put up a wall that led from the kitchen to the hallway.

The master bedroom with the new ceiling fan and fixture, the new fabulous window above the bed (we had a small window higher up on either side of the bed) with a sconce on either side.  The best thing about this picture?  Zoe and Samantha, of course!

They broke down the wall hiding the staircase to the attic and put a new banister up.  ALL new light fixtures (they even took down the ceiling fan in the master bedroom and put up ANOTHER ceiling fan!), ALL new doors – every single door, except the mirrored doors on the big closet in the master bedroom.  They raised the ceiling in the attic rooms, added “pot light” fixtures in the ceiling (we always used lamps in the rooms upstairs, because there were no ceiling fixtures or light switches), enlarged the rooms by breaking down walls where the crawl spaces were, and also took away all the radiators and put in baseboard radiators, took out all the air conditioners and put in central air, and refinished the basement adding a third bathroom, and making a bedroom out of the area Eric used as a workroom (we haven’t seen pictures of that yet).  Oh, and they painted EVERY SINGLE ROOM. 

The living room, with new wood floors and the new bay window.  I'm glad to see Eric's wall unit is still there!  And there's that cutie pie -- Samantha!

Can you believe it?  The house looks AMAZING.  The sad thing is, we painted the whole house right before we moved out and the colors were great and Eric did SUCH a beautiful job, but they changed all the colors.  Cynthia has great taste and I love what she’s done.  And that’s just the inside!  They also did new siding and will be getting all new lawn and front landscaping this spring.  It’s hard to believe it’s our house.  The thing that makes me happiest is that two beautiful little girls are living there, enjoying it and will grow up there and make wonderful memories.

Here's the bay window with the shade up.  There are sconces on either side of this window, too, which is such a nice touch!  Daniel (the husband) is an electrician, so he went all out!

The people who owned the house before us bought it when they were in their 50s, so their children were all grown already.  We never had kids, so the house never really knew the pitter patter of little feet.  Cynthia is pregnant with her third child, and it makes me so happy that there will be a sweet, beautiful family living there, raising their children and enjoying life on Leggett Place, which is as it should be.  That house was so sweet, so cozy, so lovely and we enjoyed it for 21 years.  Now, it is passed on to a beautiful family that Eric and I really fell in love with.  We couldn’t be happier for them.

Here's a picture of the dining room, taken from the kitchen.  Notice anything missing?  The big, ugly air conditioner that was in the wall!  The light fixture is new (but I think they'll miss the fan for circulating the air when you're cooking).  I love the two lights hanging over the granite counter.  What a room!  Isn't it nice to see my table again?

Tomorrow and Sunday is all about running errands and creating more pieces for the Craft Fair.  I am going to work like crazy this weekend, because I really want to get a lot done.  I want to have more than I can possibly sell in one day – and then sell it all!