All I know is ONE

Today this space turns one. Of its first 365 days, I only paid attention to it 64 times. That’s neglect, pure and simple. But hey, I’ve updated the header and am hoping it’s indicative of more changes to come.

It has been an interesting year – and a hard year. I live at work and live for work and it has led to me recently being unrecognizable to myself. My hobbies and interests have fallen to the side of the road… and what’s left feels like a hollow shell of my former self. But knowing is half the battle, right? And I know now. I know that things have got to change. And I have a goal of more than 64 posts in year number 2. (I’m such an over-achiever, no?)

For now, I’ll wrap up this downer of a birthday party with some favorite pictures from the past year that never made it on here for reasons most likely dealing with the aforementioned neglect.

Sparklers are complex to some

Happy to be with Stacy at the company Christmas party

Family action shot

Three things I love: desert sunset, palm trees, crisp white wine

Finally getting to see my best Tuck after 4 years apart

Gavin demonstrating his expertise at fish-hooking

Embarassed by her Vana White-like antics at breakfast

Cocktails at a rooftop bonfire in downtown San Diego

La vie en rose

The weekends make it so much easier to look at life through rose-colored glasses. Even right now, as the view out my window is of an overcast day, I can't help but smile. Billie Holiday is singing the blues, there is a vase of fuschia wild flowers right next to my computer, and plans are formulating for a hot latte... maybe a trip to the Beverly Center for some shopping... maybe an afternoon movie... and there are magazines to read and a new book to dive into... It's Saturday; it's destined to be a good day, not matter what I do.

Hope you have a wonderful weekend, too. Two days full of pink light and big smiles.

After 3 hours & 45 minutes, I've lost it.

Here I was, sitting at my "home office" sending off some emails, uploading a few pictures, downloading a few songs...and as is often my habit, I was staring up and out of the window just before my gaze slowly shifted to the right. And what I saw on top of my dresser made me chuckle to myself thinking, "Pffph! This scene is just so...me."


Empty wine glass.

Today's bracelet still sitting out.

And oh yes, that plum I brought up here earlier with every intention of eating. Well, why wouldn't I set it on top of that little wooden dish so I can completely forget about it? It makes perfect sense! (which is what I tell myself - sternly, of course - even though in the back of my mind I'm really thinking, "no wonder your bedroom is a rotating disaster area!")

Le sigh.

So just maybe last night I was up working until 2 a.m. and then woke up at 5:45 so I could be at a 7:30 a.m. breakfast meeting... No reason to treat my living space like a refrigerator. Get it together, woman!

Next thing you know, I'll do something really crazy, like...

• Get my card key stuck under my armpit and partake in some kind of crazy flapping arms/flailing legs dance in an effort to dislodge it...


• Declare an acquaintance's baby bump as "totally worthless" when it is rendered useless as a soda shelf...


• Announce to a VP that Stacy and I would make excellent detectives to assist him in his ludicrous off-site 'detective project' because, "We both have lots of clothes in our trunks to use as disguises and Stacy does a fantastic French accent. Oui, oui!" (detective and spy... so close, yet so NOT the same. doh!)...


• Blabber at my boss' boss' boss, as though he's my BFF, "Hey, what's going on here?! Is this leaning back in your chair with hands over face an act of thought or exasperation?" ...

Oh wait. I did ALL those things. Today.

Apparently when the amount of sleep I've had in a 40 hour period can best be described as an extended nap, and is then combined with 3 cups of coffee, 2 shots of espresso and a diet coke - followed by the inevitable crash - well, it appears that all parts of me shut down, including use of limbs and rational thought. And the culmination of my late night googley-eyed mania is when I whip out the camera to take a picture of where I put my plum. And it currently is continuing to stay in this ridiculous spot. And OH MY GOSH it's such a beautiful color! And whoops, now I'm uploading more pictures of THE PLUM THAT IS SITTING ON MY DRESSER.

I have to get some sleep. Like, right now.
*Goodnight*

Strike a pose

I like to think that Teen is practicing her moves for a future remake of Madonna’s “Vogue” video… and yet, she’s still not as fast as Mom.

Mothers...they're hard to keep up with, aren't they? Quick little stinkers...

Europe...The Food

I adore pictures of food. The colors. The memory of laughter shared over that particular meal. The mindset that what you are about to indulge in looks so fantastic, you want to capture it in a photograph.

I wanted to take pictures of everything during my few weeks in Europe. Sometimes I forgot, just diving right in. Luckily, sometimes I remembered.

Vibrant fruits in Passau, Germany

Beers sipped on a sunny afternoon in Amsterdam

A latte with sugar cubes in Vienna

An unexpected pineapple in Nuremberg

Sitting on the sidewalk with chocolate and hazelnut gelato

Yum.