dinner views...

...last night and tonight.
so this was my dinner view last night [see above]. nice, peaceful and relaxing. yes, that is the ocean in the distance. i know, kind of hard to see. BUT only three blocks from my house. amazing!!! hearing the waves crash on the shore and the nice ocean breeze. ya, pretty amazing and one says "how, the heck can you leave that setting?" i know! hard stuff. so i had my glass of white [seven daughters] blended wine, a lean cuisine spaghetti [yes, very classy stuff] and green beans while staring off into the ocean sunset. ha, pretty romantic if you like that sorta thing...
so this was my dinner view tonight [see above]. well, dessert view that is. so i was a soccer sudo mom tonight as camden had soccer with all his 4-year-old buddies. he has a super bud pal he loves so we planned a dinner date with him, his sister and his sitter [along with emily of course too. i can't leave that sweetie behind]. it was actually a really fun time. the kids were bouncing off the wallz [and no, they hadn't eaten that over flowing sundae you see above...yet] and all the peeps around us were definitely annoyed with our crazy kiddos. oh well, the kids were having fun. anywho, we ordered this overflowing/explosive sundae. it was explosive alright. brownie chunks in it, chocolate syrup overflowing, whip cream with a cherry on top. oh, ya...there was ice cream in there somewhere too. i need to get rid of this sweet tooth i have developed since being around kiddos!

hmmm, looks like these blogs are turning into more of a food diary. guess i better get back on my DIET. pronto or else these ruffles & lace pants will need some elastic ;)

out,
nb

hash house a go-go...

...leads to big time bloating!


so check out these brunch plates. ummmm, enormous. who says peeps in southern cali don't eat? with portions like this how is everyone here so skinny? OMG this brunch place was amazing. for anyone who knows me and knows how much i luv the brunch notion. i was in heaven. its weird 'cuz i'm not a huge breakfast eating fan; however, i luv brunch. weird, i know. maybe its the mimosa's or bloody mary's that i really like and since those go well with brunch makes me luv brunch. maybe its the 'hair of the dog' remedy after a hard night out with many adult beverages. who knows? buy at any rate. i didn't eat the entire plate. neither did those two lovely ladies either. they shared and could have probably still had two more people share with them. another friend [not pictured] and i nibbled [just nibbled] a bit on that colossal pancake as i didn't want to add any more ruffles & lace to my dress to cover the bootay and belly. as much as i wanted to eat it all...i didn't.

dig in,
nb

shake, rattle and roll...

...is what was happening today @ approx 11:42 a.m. PST. i had no clue of this until my mom asked if i was ok or felt the quake. i guess this strong quake shook Southern Cali. little did i know as i totally didn't feel the 5.4, 5.8, 5.9 magnitude quake nor did i hear anything on radio about it. hmmm. goes to show well in-tune i am over here in cali.

anywho, this was now my 6th quake i've "been" involved in while out here on my cali excursion and guess how many i've felt? yup, ZERO. which is a good thing, but i kind of wish i could feel one just to know the feeling. heck, when i get hailed on i sure know how that feels and definitely knows its hailing. or when i slip on a patch of ice...i totally realize its icy out ;) hehe

so, i'll keep my eyes and feet peeled for anything that may require me to hold on tight...or shake the ruffly bootay.

laters,
nb

productivity...

...was my end result today. so i was super productive today which is amazing considering i am a bit under the weather. this darn sinus ache [i think as last i checked i didn't have a phd] with stuffy nose, ears, head. i sound hott...like a man [who has smoked too many cigs] pretty much. anywho, so i had a productive day. it all started with me waking up and feeling like shit so i make a great pot of coffee. then headed back to my room to see how i should entertain myself.

and here's how it went...

1. CLOSET: you know those movies where peeps are grabbing clothes, shoes, handbags, etc. and tossing them over their shoulder. yup! that was me this a.m. i totally cleared out my closet. i could actually see the floor for once, corners, wallz ;) i purged yet again my clothes, handbags and shoes [mainly flip-flops, as i have a trillion].

2. BATHROOM: totally deep cleaned this sucker. i usually clean it weekly; however, this time i got down on my hands and knees and totally deep cleaned it. re-arranged some things and trashed unnecessary items, i.e. old make-up [i don't know why i like to keep that stuff around?].

3. BEDROOM: finally hung up and put away some folded clothes from last weekend when i did laundry. ya, i know that's sad that i left them in the laundry basket all week; however, everyone does that from time-to-time don't they?! and then totally deep cleaned as well. got down on my hands and knees and scrubbed. oh, i forgot to mention we have Spanish tile throughout the WHOLE ENTIRE HOUSE. so lots of scrubbing.

4. FILING: so, i know everyone's gotta have a little "junk" drawer or hide-away of sorts for paid bills, car insurance information, 401(k) info., etc. don't they? well i have this cupboard in my tv stand unit that houses all those goods. yup, i get a bill, car stuff, etc. pay what needs to be paid and then toss it in that cupboard. it was a mess so i finally organized it into my handy dandy filing unit. it felt great! i do luv to organize so i don't know why i don't just put the bill in the appropriate file when i'm done with it vs. just throwing it in the cupboard, but i don't. hmmm

5. PAID BILLZ: enough said. the part we all dislike and don't like to spend too much time doing.

6. LAUNDRY: yup, hence why i had to clean out my laundry basket. had to refill it with dirty clothes to haul to the laundry room then to refill it again with clean ones. which i have yet to do as they're still in the dryer.

7. GROCERIES: even made it to the grocery store to fill up the fridge's. yes, that was plural. we have two. it works great for a fam as one can be for beverages [both kid and a adult] and the other for food. i got the usual stuff. nothing too fancy or fun i found. i actually do like to get groceries. i have no clue why, but i do.

8. TO-DO's: made new list of to-do's for this next week. here's a sample; assemble my sis' wedding invites, send bday cards, figure out new housing [yup, i think i'm moving...again], find a new car [yup, if i move gotta leave the corolla kid-mobile behind]. well, that's the start of the list. i'm sure it will evolve as the week evolves.

there you have it. that was my productive day. kind of crazy for feeling like crap and a sounding like a cig man. i'm pretty impressed, except for the fact that church didn't make that productive list. that was really the only thing on my real list of "to-do's" for today and its not up there. makes me sad, but i'll make sure to wear extra ruffles & lace to church next week.

nite,
nb

man in pink...

...shirt with a bra over it. so i can't believe i totally forgot to blog about this great site i saw last weekend.



so there i was...standing in the at&t store awaiting for all my 200+ contacts to be transferred from my treo to my iphone, when i saw this man wearing a pink shirt. not any pink shirt. a pink shirt with a bra on it. it was wayyyy cool and i told him that too. i was like, "hey, man! that's a cool shirt." he blushed and said, "thx! my girlfriend designed it for the breast cancer walk last year." so that's where the bra comes in, breast cancer walk. are you still imagining a man wearing a pink shirt with a real bra over it?

anywho, it was actually a screen print of a bra image...with a little lace around it. pretty cute bra i might say ;) it was just a fun and ingenious idea. i wish i could be that awesome and actually think of something that cool. i was very proud of him being so fun to wear it. it even had the straps of the bra, along with the back. when he stood still it looked like he was really wearing a bra. funny stuff. i kind of wanted it off his back for my own t-shirt collection.

until now, u were so imagining a man wearing a pink shirt with a bra over it, weren't you ;) that if that was the case, that would have totally required me asking him if i could take a pic of his ruffles & lace pink bra shirt. heck, i should have asked (or just snapped) him anyway.

sleep on that image,
nb

welp...

...its here! i got it. finally, after 10 days i received my über [that's my german side coming out] fabulous iPhone 3g. ummm, amazing stuff. what was i doing without one to begin with?! oh, that's right, waiting for the 2nd [and better, faster, etc.] iPhone generation to come out. anywho, my life will be even more organized [don't know if that's possible ;) as i'm über organized the way it is] and it is pretty much my new BFF. it will keep me very busy for the next few nights, possibly weeks. so much to do, see, play...
farewell to the palm treo. you treated me well for the last year; however, its time to move on. thx verizon for the great service for the last eight years. sorry i had to switch carriers, but in the long run, i am saving money on my monthly bill. my bill was getting a little [ok, A LOT] outta control and i needed to change.

so, anyone who is interested in a very well kept palm treo 700p i have one for ya. with all accessories [like car charger, etc.]. i'll be posting it on craigslist or there abouts for a very reasonable price.

welp...off to go hang with my new BFF as i'll need to add some ruffles & lace touches to it.

until next time,
nb

and one and two and...

...three and...you get the idea. that was the rhythm the kiddos and i were chanting tonight.

it was too cute. they were watching their video and having a snack before bed while there i was trying to work off my 9lb bean burrito i ate tonight @ porkyland's. ya, with a name like porkyland's i should really lay off ordering anything to eat from there! anywho, so i was doing some exercises [leg lifts, sit ups, push ups...easy stuff like that in hopes the 9lb burrito was burning off!] when all the sudden the kiddos saw me and wanted to join. it was aerobics via kid-style. cam would try some of my moves then he would teach me some of his aerobic moves. pretty good stuff that kid came up with. like this side balance thingy while lifting your leg up and down. takes talent and i finally caught on ;) by now i had to have turned that 9lb burrito into @ least 8.5lbs.

after that big workout then i was special enough to receive a 4-star massage treatment...with four little feet pounding on my back. it actually felt really good and is the kiddos kind of way to give me a massage. i just think they like the idea that they can "kick" their babysitter and not get in trouble. LOL

so that was pretty much my night. somewhat low-key as we had a busy day of camp in the a.m. then a playdate and then off to soccer. seeing little 4-year olds out there kicking and chasing that soccer ball is too cute. it sure does look like those kiddos are having a blast running back and forth, back and forth with little sweat droplets.

laters peeps as its time to put the ruffles & lace to rest...6:30 a.m. will be here before we know it!

nite,
nb

wal-mart...

...visitations have been very few and far between for me. @ least a year and possibly two its been since i've stepped foot in a wal-mart. partly because i luv target, one wasn't all that close to me back in KC and when they decided to part ways as a client of BR's i kind of banned them from my biz.

i finally broke down and visited a wally-world last night. yes, i was desperate...kind of. i needed to get ribbon for my sis' wedding invites so i can get them assembled and shipped out. it was 8:24 p.m. PST and pretty much everything gets sleepy around then and where one wal-mart is open 24/7 they've gotta be like that everywhere...i assumed. so i hopped in the toyota corolla kid-mobile [yes, my car has turned into the biggest kid-mobile of all times. can't wait to get a new car!] and headed 52 east then onto 805 south, then 1st exit on right. i always saw this wal-mart when i was on my way to target :) and target doesn't have ribbon or crafty stuff...bummer! so i knew it wasn't far from home. i know, why would i choose wal-mart to get ribbon when i can go to michael's, hobby lobby [well, hobby lobby's don't exist here in SD], joann's house of fabric, etc.; however, all of those shops were totally closed [and a bit of a drive] so wally-world was the best option i had especially since i'm gonna be on kid-duty 24/7 until tomorrow afternoon. this kid-duty time will give me great opps to get them assembled...after the kiddos go to bed of course.

ok...so after my wally-world experience last night i totally forgot how darn cheap this place is. hence their tagline of "save money. live better." i got three spools of ribbon for $1.97 each. so i "saved money"...will it make me "live better"?

ribbon can be so pricey so it was worth me stepping foot in there last night and re-looking @ my wally-world experiences. heck, maybe i'll have to up my visitation time to good 'ole wally-world here in the near future, but only for a little ruffles & lace necessities.

until next time,
nb

flair...

...is everywhere! so i just spent the last hour adding the flair app to my facebook page. you know, its a pretty fun application as you can make your own flair or find ones in the flair catalog...of a zillion flair options. i made a few and found many! now i just wish all these pins were here in real life as i would luv to flair-up my denim jacket and hit the town.

anywho, if you need a mindless activity that will waste an hour of your time [@ least], check out the flair app. does wonders...

something just dawned on me...i need to find a ruffles & lace piece of flair!

nite,
nb

time-after-time...

...i promised i would make this a daily blog; however, have totally neglected that promise. last week was CRAZY and is the main excuse as to why there hasn't been any daily blogs. yes, CRAZY is in caps and bold for a reason; to put the emphasis that it was a CRAZY week.

as some of you may know i am on the job hunt. the economy sucks [or maybe i suck, hehe j/k] and in a positive way of looking @ this whole job hunt is that i am becoming a pro @ interviews [via phone and in-person]. i feel i have been in almost every interview situation one can have. i'm almost sad to admit this, but i think the number is now 14...i believe i have had 14 interviews during my four-month job hunt. this includes phone screenings [as many san diego agencies like to do that before they bring you in], phone interviews and in-person interviews in areas such as LA, San Diego, Chicago and KC. i have had more than one interview @ particular shops so i have to remind myself that is a good thing and hence why the number is in the teens.

anywho, not to bore you'all with my CRAZY job hunt experience, but it'll all work out how its supposed to and i'll just keep thinking positive thoughts and good things will happen. as many of you know my fave quote is "everything happens for a reason" [-american proverb] and that's for sizzle.

so, i promise to anyone i have been short with i will be better this week. thx mom for making it apparent that i was a bit "down" and wasn't smiling while i was chatting with you. luv ya!

"...if you're lost, you can look and you will find me, time after time. if you fall i will catch you, i will be waiting, time after time..." thx quietdrive for the inspiring song for ruffles & lace.

take care,
nb

two buck chuck...

...is a pretty darn good wine for the price. literally $1.99 (hence the "two buck" nickname it has received) @ trader joe's. i have only tried the chardonnay as i was informed that was the best one; however, i think i might just have to run my own wine tasting to see if the pinot noir or merlot or chard's [etc.] hold up to good tastings. 'cuz heck...@ only two bucks its a cheap and fun experiment.

i'll keep ya all posted on the ruffles & lace wine tasting experiment...

here's a little history on the maker... (compliments of wikipedia.com. my all-time fave website!)

Charles Shaw is a brand of "extreme value" wine. All from California vineyards, Charles Shaw wines currently include Cabernet Sauvignon, White Zinfandel, Merlot, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Shiraz, Valdigue in the style of Beaujolais nouveau, and limited quantities of Pinot Grigio. These wines are distributed predominantly by Trader Joe's grocery stores, and sell for $1.99 in California.

Charles Shaw wines are affectionately known as "Two Buck Chuck." Due to the three-tier system, in other states the price can go up to around $4. As such, the wine is often referred to as "Three Buck Chuck" or "Four Buck Chuck" relative to the price.

long time no writing...

...as it has been a crazy week for me! finally a little downtime to jot down my crazy week.

well, as some may or may not know...i am getting back into my ad-ver-tahy-zing career. yay! as i am itching to get back to the grind & complaining of those creatives ;) hehe j/k. i miss the energy, innovation & challenges of my advtg career world.

i do have challenges [i.e., getting the kiddos to listen to me! wait, that sounds like the creatives again...j/k], energy [i.e., running from one activity to the next (wait, sounds like mtg after mtg) or better yet, making sure i drink my green tea or red bull to keep MY energy going] & innovation [new ways to capture their attention & calm them down long enough so they'll stop screaming] with kiddos don't get me wrong; however, its just not the same.

so this week has consisted of coordinating even MORE interviews. i think i've had about 10 or so total to-date. they've either been in-person or via phone. phone ones can be a bit tricky, but i have grown to like them. i feel you can really tell a lot about someone & their personality by the way they can interact with you on the phone. their excitement in their voice or even their attention span by the way they comment on your response(s). anywho, you're probably thinking..."wow, you suck @ interviewing if you've had 10 and still no job offer?!" ya, may seem as though; however, a few of those i have chose to not move fwd with. either i didn't want to move to LA, San Fran or down the ladder. the goal is to move up the ladder in my book. you can't be a VP by moving down the ladder. a handful of the interviews have been with the same agency...just diff peeps within checking me out. & a couple others are still on going. wanna bring me back next week & what-not. welp, that's part of my crazy week.

the other part, kiddos! i have been on kid-duty 24/7 [read as, the kid's rents are outta town so i am a "single mom" for three whole days & nights]. just me & two kids...wow, i give HUGE props to all you single moms out there. you're THE BOMB! i do luv the kiddos though. they crack my sh*t up. are so darn smart & keep me on my toes. we pooled it yesterday, heading to a 4-year-old's bday party tonight & then maybe a little movie matinee tomorrow. so we're keeping busy! the rents are do home saturday night :)

now another part of my crazy week, finding a place to live! its pretty much a full time job. hunting down the perfect condo, apt or house in the perfect area you want with the perfect price tag... [is there such a thing as perfect though? hmmm]

its now 10 a.m. PST. the kiddos are @ camp so i besta make myself productive this a.m. while i can...before i have to go & pick them up @ nooner. maybe i'll take a shower? maybe i'll organize my e-mails or just read? we'll see, but i do know i am going to enjoy this peace & quit with a little ruffles & lace...

laters,
nb

and its monday...

...monday, monday. nothing really all that great to type-up here. watched the finale of bachelorette [yes, i am one of those sucked in and just can't get out]. i was so shocked @ her boy choice, but hey...difference strokes for different folks. and heck, now maybe i'll just have to contact the runner-up as he is pretty yum and single. hmmm

i am really tired and thinking that its time for me to hit the hay. possibly open my book for a bit and get caught up on some reading. i finally finished straight up and dirty and now i'm on to bright lights big ass. ya, i pick some classy titles...don't i? ;) good and funny reads though.

well peeps, hope you'all enjoyed your monday and this is one tuckered out ruffles & lace...

nite,
nb

4th of july holiday festivities

hope you'all had a fab 4th. i actually had a life for the holiday weekend believe it or not...hence my m.i.a. on the blog'n for the last couple days.

friday started out with a great relaxing day @...oh yes, the beach! headed to coronado island http://www.coronado.ca.us/ and beached it @ the del [see image below] with some nice "refreshing" lemonades [read "refreshing" as vodka lemonades]. got myself a nice sunburn. good stuff ;) yes, i should probably apply sunscreen in higher spf than 4...ooops. then we were off for a little bbq action with brauts and fireworks.

lets see here, saturday...what happened? oh, was on kid duty during the day. the rents were home by 9 p.m. so then it was my time to play. headed to one of the best dive bars i've been too in a long time, norma jeans in east county [la mesa to be exact]. pretty much a part of san diego i never travel. kind of like when i lived in kc and didn't go past 88th & ward pkwy...that was about as far south as i made it. so it was karaoke night and boy was it. i luv to see all those peeps get out and belt their lungs out to a little britney and poor some sugar on me. gee, good stuff. i know you're wondering...did you hop up there and belt out your "amazing" voice [read "amazing" as terrible]?!?! well, the answer is...yes. amazingly WE did. belted out a little journey with a group of girls is so perfect when you have an "amazing" voice like i do, LOL. anywho, we rocked the house with our karaoke choice...don't stop believing was a winner. everyone got up from their chairs and joined us on the dance floor. good times for sure as we closed the place down. oh and no, didn't meet the man of my dreams there ;) hehe. maybe the next dive place.

here we are, its sunday funday and that's pretty much what i had...minus the booze that usually takes place with a sunday funday. went to the aventine pool @ the hyatt. ummm, an amazing hide-away. yup, my new fave spot for the summer. pooling-it with the option of a nice pina colada or refreshing margarita ;) you'll can find me here every sunday and possibly any given weekday that i am not on kid duty...



for those of you who know how much i luv my diet coke, well listen to this random fact i just learned. the coca-cola company purchases more sugar than any other company in the world. besides being a liquid refreshment, coca-cola is commonly used to clean toilets, remove dust, baste ham, and dissolve driveway grease [credit so, now you know book]. wow! and i put the same stuff that can be used to clean toilets into my stomach. hmmm

ok, i think this might do it for this blog inquiry. nothing all that great to report. just the where-abouts and festivities of a holiday weekend with a little ruffles and lace...

cheers,
nb

  
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cupcakes...

...are what i'm craving right now. ice cream cupcakes @ that. i saw them @ costco the other day and can't get them outta my mind. i can't indulge though...i can't give in to that cavity giving food ;)

[ya, the title has nothing to do with my blog...fyi]

i promise i won't write a novel like i did last night. today was pretty low-key and nothing too novel-worthy.

went to bed super late last night and so getting up early this a.m. was hard! was on kid-duty @ 7 a.m. so, got myself up and strapped the kids in the car and headed to la jolla country day for the kids' camp festivities. after dropping the kiddos off i headed for my morning misto [grande non-fat misto with foam & two splenda's]. its crazy how one of those makes the day start off oh so well.

that was pretty much my day. so exciting ;) found out some bummer news, but was able to move on from that to get my eyebrows tamed and toe nails polished. i haven't gotten a pedicure since last aug. i know, that might be sad to say for those of you who get them weekly; however, i am weird and actually like to polish my own nails...kind of like a little home spa night weekly. it mainly started 'cuz back in my poor days [which i still kind of am] i couldn't afford to primp myself @ the spa weekly so i go used to polishing them up; however, now i can afford a little primping from time-to-time...when i become lazy.

since then i've kind of been just bumming around the house. ate some italian dinner with a little red wine. its been a week or so since i've had a nice adult refreshing beverage so i figured why-not. poor some wine for me and have been enjoying it ever since. i guess priming for a little holiday fun.

4th of july plans: definitely hitting it up either beach- or pool-side. gotta keep this cali tan going [along with that skin cancer, j/k. i shouldn't jinx myself] so actually looking forward to putting on that superb bathing suit. then we'll head out for a little dinner and watch the sky light up...

peace peeps and have a great 4th of july fun via ruffles and lace style...

nb

jim...you there?

so i know you're probably on the edge of your seat wondering if i actually made it to the gym last night or not. well i procrastinated for so long and didn't make it...hehe, ya what a good excuse, procrastination. please do take note of my oh, so nice and yummy dinner [see image below]. one of those glorious lean cuisine's you pull right outta the freezer and pop in the micro for five to six minutes on medium speed. that's also a lettuce salad with cottage cheese you see sitting there and yes, i know you're wondering if that's grape juice?! it totes is...NOT. a nice, refreshing glass of wine to keep this heart healthy ;) so, there u have it. eating a meal of only 350-400 calories and having a glass of wine for a healthy heart was kind of like going to the gym. if i would have went to the gym i would have probably came home and wanted to eat nacho's, a taco or something oh so greasy to crave my after workout hunger...which would have resulted to 1,000 calorie intake or so.

so on that procrastinated too long excuse, i actually was very productive while i was procrastinating. i FINALLY got to my heaping mounds of laundry and got that all the dirty, clean. its sad to say that i don't think i had done laundry since i got back from cabo...or maybe right before i left. that was a month ago. yes, sick and wrong...i know! reference to my "day #2" blog and now you know why i have set the challenge of NO shopping during the month of july. i obviously have plenty of clothes and undergarments to last me a month ;)

so here it july 2 [happy bday t.v.] and i did make it to the gym. woke up this a.m. and finally laced up those tenny-runners and headed off to the gym. no pit-stops, no starbucks...just the gym. it felt good to be back there. the smell of sweat and b.o. nothing says good morn'n quit like that. i punched in my code and it took a bit longer for it to register in the system to actualy let me pass GO. ya, that code has been m.i.a. for about a month, but heck...it finally said have a nice workout.

where to begin? is what i thought as all these machines looked foreign, j/k. but they did do some rearranging while i was m.i.a. the elliptical was the first cardio piece i tackled, then to the bike [where i actually got called a sweatheart from a gentlemen beside me. here's the story, as i was wiping down my sweaty mess off the bike he leaned over and said, "hey, when you're done cleaning that would you mind cleaning my car?" LOL is what i wanted to do, but instead i just gave a nice, big smile and said, "sure, no prob." then that's when he told me i was a sweatheart. oh, my heart melted as its been awhile since a man has told me that, hehe. oh, did i forget to mention he was about 80-years-old. yes, those o.b.c.'s (guess what the initials stand for) luv me.] and then off to rowing [which i luv!] and ended with weights and stretching. so there was my day @ the gym...finally. see ya tomorrow gym and my o.b.c. man ;)

the remainder of my day was pretty uneventful. got a cavity filled...yuk! headed to verizon to get my treo looked @. its just been acting up a bit [ok, A LOT], but have no fear as the new iPhone 3G is coming out july 11 [1/2 the price and double the speed. sounds like a win-win to me] and i am so hopping on-board this time to snag me one of them. my dad always tough me to never buy the first generation of something; i.e. a brand new car model. he says let the first generation come out and get all the tweaks worked out and by the second generation you can buy. so i am now taking his advice. thx dad! anywho, i have loved verizon as my carrier for the last eight years, but you know what...they've gotten expensive on me with my plan all the sudden. out with the old and in with the new. i think at&t will treat me very nice and i have to give others a chance. no need to stay in a dead-in relationship that is sucking all my money away. my bill has been outrageous 'cuz verizon seems to be the only carrier that charges extra for the internet package [an extra $44/month on top of the regular $99.99, ouch!]. i will actually be saving money with at&t so there it is. i will be one of them...one of those iPhone peeps walking around hand-in-hand with the iPhone. can't wait!

then, i got home and immediately was on kid-duty [an hour early i might add]. i hung with the kiddos for a handful of hours...well, just three 'cuz then it was bedtime! yay, that's when i pull out my book and am almost finished with the best book ever, straight up and dirty. its a great read! a pretty darn funny memoir. not to laugh @ someone's life, but its a funny read. stephanie klein is a brilliant writer...if you like that funny stuff. [http://stephanieklein.blogs.com/].

so, there's my day. realizing i just wrote a novel maybe it was more eventful than i thought, but i doubt it. the weekend is nearing and we'll be celebrating our independence with lighting up the sky. hope everyone has some fun 4th plans and stays classy in their ruffles and lace...

check ya laters,
nb

day #2...

...and we'll see how well i can stay on top of this daily blogging goal.

july 1, 2008 and it is bluetooth cali day. a day i haveNOT been counting down as today is the start of the new law of NO talking [or texting or checking your e-mail or surfing the net] on your mobile cellular while driving. sad to think that peeps were actually texting while driving [yes, i am guilty of that].

here it is, they did it to me. made a law where now i have to look like even more of a dodo while driving. yes, one of those who looks like i am talking to myself. i could pretend i was talking to the kiddos in the backseat; however, the only time i can really chat on the mobile is when they aren't in the car. i just need to remind myself that everyone will be looking like a dodo with me since it is a law and i don't need to give cali justice anymore of my money. it doesn't grow on trees for me...especially out here ;) now for the rest of SoCal, i think it does so i need to find those trees!

so, that was the beginning part of my day. screening which calls i would actually answer or who i would call with this ear piece in my ear. the second part is pretty darn cool as i saw a very sweet pic opp.

i was on my way to do a costco stock-up of all those surplus goods for the fam, when i saw this [see image to the left]. wow, is pretty much what came outta my mouth [no, i don't talk to myself ;)]. this yellow bug parked in what was at the time an empty parking lot, stacked high with goods. now this is what you call guerilla advertising at its best. it definitely made me look and obviously take a pic. ikea is having their twice yearly sale and definitely wanted us drivers to know. so for those of you who have an ikea in your neighborhood...go check 'em out, see if you get some steals and if this guerilla advertising works on you. i unfortunately wasn't able to go in to shop as i banned myself from shopping for the month of july. yes! i know i am crazy. what am i thinking? what am i gonna do in all my spare time? most importantly, what am i gonna wear?!!!!? so anywho, fun guerilla advertising right there in front of my nose.

now i am just killing time and procrastinating my gym appearance. i so need to get back on the gym wagon as i fell off a month ago with all my vacay's in june. did so good up until i left for cabo. which was an AMAZING time @ esperanza resort with my gal pal amy k. came back from cabo and had a friend in town for a couple days [the waterfront misses us man!], then i left for kc fun. which definitely leads to many adult friendly beverages and good eats with the kc peeps! came back to cali and my bro and nat came in for a visit. hit up the restaurant scene very nicely. didn't drink as many adult friendly beverages as i normally would since they were underage; however, still a week of no gym and one too many doritos. so nostalgic. side note: did you know doritos have been produced since 1966. wow! i never realized they were that old'school...oh, and they come in 16 flavors. amazing stuff.

well, i guess this does it for this day of ruffles & lace. peace and cheers...

nb