Quick Update

Sorry for the lack of updates, but for those who are not yet aware, I'm currently in Texas for the funeral of my Aunt Pam. She was a wonderful woman who was young and healthy, so her death came as a shock to all of us. She passed of a pulmonary embolism and leaves behind her husband, four children, and a new baby granddaughter. It's been a really rough week for everyone.

I'll be back in town mid-March. For those who've asked, I'm currently at the tail-end of my ninth week of pregnancy, and everything is going well. I'll see you guys soon.

Little List: New Year's Resolutions

New Year's Resolutions. People have been dogging on these lately. Come on people TRADITION it's just fun.

I have one resolution this year. You know that question "If your house was on fire and you could only save one thing, what would it be?" Assuming my spouse and kids make it out of the house fine with their own one special item, my answer has always been "my laptop." Because it contains my journal, stories, art, etc. Things that can't be replaced. But now with DropBox and my new external hard drive (Christmas present from Seve!) I can free up my one item to be a cake or my favorite dress or something.

This year, my resolution is to make those irreplaceable documents/pictures more worthwhile and relevant. So, I'm going to:

1. Get a camera. A nice camera. And take pictures. Lots of 'em.

2. Draw more. (btw, image Kelly Thompson)

3. Blog/tweet more. It really amazes me how out of touch with social networking some people are. I'd like to second Rachelle Gardner when she says people who scoff at blogging/tweeting just don't get it.

4. That being said, I'm totally Facebook retarded and should probably fix that.

5. Write more. Finish this.

K, now that that's out of the way, it's time for me to make a big announcement: my mother, who has been writing and querying for the past four years, has just gotten an agent and her book has been requested by six different publishers. 

Congratulations, Mom! You're going to be a published author!

In the bat's mouth

I love this print by Francesca Montanari. I originally wanted to get it for myself as a personal pat on the back for finishing the NaNoWriMo (especially since I listened to a lot of Bat For Lashes during the process), but now I think it will just be a Christmas present "from Seve." He already knows what I got him, haha. A tight budget where we're both privy to who bought what, where, and when kind of kills the surprise of gift giving for us. But maybe I'll manage to sneak in a nice anniversary gift that'll knock his socks off. Hmm . . .

And my name would be Bumble Boo

If I was a cartoon character, this would be the outfit I'd wear everyday:

Ever see that Doug episode where they gave you a peek into his closet? And it was just an endless sea of green vests and white tops? Imagine row after row of red Hawaiian shorts and string bow ties. Perfection.

What would your outfit be?

At the ballet

I come from a long line of ballerinas. My grandmother owned the Newgren Ballet School in San Jose, CA. My mother, aunts, and uncle all danced in it. My great grandmother was a ballerina, so was my great aunt, and so on. I grew up with photos of them in their dancing heydays all around my home and played dress up in their old costumes as a girl. Ballet is very prominent in my family and I sometimes feel guilty that it all ended with me and my sisters. I didn't have the feet for it - literally, I have extra bones in my feet that don't allow me to go on pointe (which isn't an uncommon thing, actually). That, and, well, I don't remember ever being very good at it.

And I always hated wearing a bun because my ears stick out and kids used to call me "Dumbo." On the brighter side, I'm pretty sure it's the reason for my thin frame and small stature; I'm 5'2'', size 0, and have yet to hit 100 pounds.

Anyway, all that being said, I'm totally intrigued by Black Swan. Or, as I like to call it, Were-Swan.

That sweater's really big

Oh look it's hipster Harry Potter & pals!

Who hasn't heard of the NaNoWriMo? You? K, click on that link and then come back.

I attempted my first National Novel Writing Month back in high school. I've done it few times since, but feel a strong conviction to really go for it this year. Not as in write a serious novel and submit to publishers with bleeding heart but to just write a novel for fun, see how it turns out, and share it with friends if they care. Make it cheesy on purpose or something.

Sadly, I can't remember just how many years I've participated in NaNoWriMo . . . I know it's a lot, and I've only reached the 50,000 word count once. That was for my own personal retelling of The Nutcracker . . . trust me, it was pretty awesome. Well, I had fun writing it, anyway (have you seen the trailer for that nutso steampunk little-kiddy Nutcracker? Not sure how I feel about it).

This year, I'll be writing about [drumroll] werewolves! And please take your mind off Twilight werebros, this is SERIOUS BUSINESS. You can check out my NaNoWriMo profile here, and admire the swanky new badge in my side bar. Oh, and October is officially National Outline Writing Month. What's left of October, anyway.

So who's with me? K. See you there.

Original image via.

These dreams are ours for the taking

I was previously working on a Little List of my "must-haves" for fall fashion, but decided to get a little more serious here and wax poetic about autumn-colored accessories later.

My husband and I have been discussing finances, like any married couple, and reevaluating our spending, savings, when to get a new car, etc. After reading an article about the ideal amount of money to make to achieve happiness, it all had me realize I made more than I thought.

I'm not Mrs. Money Bags by any means, but I'd like to express my gratitude for the salary I do make. I remember stressing in college over that concept: salary. Would I ever achieve it? Would I ever pass the class to get the degree to get the job to get the money to get the bread to put on the table? I'm here to tell my college-attending friends that the dream is attainable.

According to that article, I definitely have yet to achieve happiness, but after reading the comments it really put into perspective how much I make as a copywriter. Not only am I doing what I love (writing for a living) but I make a decent amount to take care of me and my own, and prepare for Seve's future doing what he loves. And for that I'm very grateful.

Time to put out a news release!

image via Liesl Pfeffer

Hammer Time

I didn't realize how internetty I was until I left it for a week. At work I'm on the internet constantly looking up stats for the company, our online presence, and generating a more prominent online presence via news releases, case studies, etc, etc, etc. My email accounts (all three; two for work, one for me) and Google Reader have stocked up to the brim and since I'm on vacation I don't really have the motivation to keep up. Instead, I've been shopping, reading, tanning, eating out, road tripping, swimming, roller coastering, and hanging out in front of the boob tube.Will add longboarding to that list soon.

Some peeps have been crashing at our place back in Idaho and keeping it from being lonely. As much fun as I'm having, I already miss Idaho. Is that weird? Being back in the place I grew up in makes me feel like a kid and I'm kind of eager to get back home and be an adult again. It's like I have to remind myself that I am a grown-up with responsibilities somewhere . . . can't remember where . . . need to stop sleeping in till noon.

In other news (and this is for my Russia peeps) I finally got some hammer pants! These babies were all the rage in Moscow. You know what I'm talkin bout:

Discuss.

This little comic has had me thinking a lot about Seve's career aspirations as a teacher and the kind of things he has to look forward to . . .

Time for a normal post

So many good things have been going on that I've failed to write about, for reasons you're now all aware of. My birthday came and went, and Seve's is just around the corner. Had some really nice visits with friends. At some point I need to write about my awesome trip to Philadelphia.

Went camping this weekend, went longboarding for the first time in 2 months last night, and I read the Twilight books while sick during my days off (who knew you could write a whole series based on sexual tension? And get NO satisfying sex scene at the end? Not that I wanted heaving bosoms or to read the word "shaft," but come on: feathers? Really?) I actually really enjoyed my time reading the books, and will accept all criticism I receive for saying that. Anyone want to see Twilight 3: Secret of the Ooze with me?

I've got so much going on at work it's hard to keep up, but I'm feeling really good. The days are beautiful and summer is finally here. My brother-in-law is in town, Seve's play is in production (comment if you've seen his hair . . . or lack thereof) and I've got a two week vacation at the end of next month to look forward to.

I'm not going to pretend that I don't still feel troubled and sullen when I'm by myself with my thoughts, but I'd just like to say that I'm doing well. Thank you for all your kind comments. You guys, those I'm close with and those I've only made the acquaintance of, have been so, well, good to me. Thank you.

Drifting

This week has felt so sleepy and dizzy. I find myself falling asleep earlier and earlier each night. I knew pregnancy often made women feel exhausted, but I didn't think I'd feel this exhausted, or sick, all the time.

I have my first business trip next week! I'll be conducting interviews and writing case studies, and hopefully feeling better since I'll be up and about rather than sitting at a computer all day. As sick as I feel, getting up and moving really helps . . . but sleeping feels really nice too. We're headed east, and as much as I'd like to get out on the town each night after work, I can easily see myself spending my nights crashing in my hotel room and trying my best to keep dinner down . . .

Got all my stars aligned

A big THANKS to everyone who wished me congratulations and kind words about my previous "oh gosh I'm pregnant" post! Now that you're all in the know, I feel I can truly state my feelings on the matter.

I'm terrified to be pregnant. This wasn't planned. Sure, Seve and I joked about trying and every once in a while I'd see baby related items and get a little spark of excitement thinking how cool it'd be to have a kid. Gosh, I even bought a baby hat and coat some many odd weeks ago because I thought they were totally cool and didn't want to pass them up. But I stowed them away in the closet thinking I'd pull them out sometime after Seve graduated, when we were originally planning on having kids. Now that this reality is suddenly upon us, I'm scared.

Luckily, the majority of my friends understand how I feel, and my family's excitement over the matter has helped to make it exciting for me. And I really don't have any reason to be scared. I have a good job with good insurance. We have family who love and support us. It's not like I'm Juno or anything.

To be honest, I don't even feel pregnant yet - I just feel sick! So, so, so sick. Nauseous and pukey and heartburn and sick. It doesn't feel like I'm carrying some future bundle of joy, just some new type of flu. Everything I eat looks, smells, and sounds disgusting. I took the last two days off work because I just couldn't function, and well, because yesterday was my birthday. Seve stayed home with me yesterday, taking the day off classes and convincing me to get out of the house. We took a nice walk around town , and it did actually help me to feel better.

He also surprised me with a new mp3 player for our car! AND guess what arrived in the mail? And guess who can't ride (well, slide) it because of new circumstances?

Boo, boo, boo. Maybe once morning sickness leaves me alone, I'll start to get excited. And maybe once I get my first ultrasound, it'll start to feel real. But for now, boo.

By the way, my due date is 1/1/11. And my cousin recently found out she's pregnant as well, and her due date is 1/11/11. I told her our stars were aligned.

Hello, Spring

So few posts lately, time to catch up: Easter was great (I made us some bunny ears and we hunted for eggs . . . actually Seve hunted for eggs while I cracked up watching) Conference was wonderful and Seve is DONE with Children of Eden, which means Seve & Jules time shall now increase tenfold. Though Children of Eden was such a great show and we're sad to see it end, that extra time means hanging out at home, date nights reinstated, goofing off abounding, and some quality time finally spent together. Just the way I like it.

That said, things that involved laughter and goofing off this weekend:

-Awesome date night on Friday.
-Our favorite 1-year-old's birthday party on Saturday (Happy Birthday Jens!)
-Jeff over at our place till practically 11:30 last night . . . we were keeping him there because, unbeknownst to him, his girlfriend Mallory (who is moving out here from Ohio so their romance may continue to bud) came out a few days early to surprise him, and rolled in pretty late. Was pretty cool to see him light up to see her.
-Absolutely horrible and hilarious movie trailer for a film called Teeth about girl with  "vagina dentata." Yeah, it means you have teeth growing down there. Like, down in there. And she uses those teeth to bite off the violating equipment of molesters. Haha, really? Who would make a film about this?

image via Andrea Shear

No party after all

Sorry, guys. I'm super sick. No grunge party this weekend. Called in to work today. Now is the time to sleep, sleep, sleep.

Two Week Dream

I'm sick. I brought some soup to work for lunch today, but forgot the can opener. Boo. I remembered, though, at a Chinese resturaunt a block from where I work, an old man once had the most delicious looking soup . . . when I asked him what it was, he said "I don't know! I call it oatmeal and when I ask for oatmeal she brings me this stuff everyday!"

"She" is one of the super sweet owners, and oatmeal turns out to be Burmese Noodle Soup . . . which saved my lunch today. So delicious . . . and so big! The serving size is enough to feed me for three lunches. No really, I was only able to handle a third of it today before I was quite full. It had just the right amount spicy kick to clear my sinuses (if only for a moment) and just the right balance on liquid/noodles/veggies so as not to make me wanna vomit.

I'm also a little on the depressed side (if my tweets haven't already tipped you off) seeing as I go home to an empty apartment each night while Seve stage manages Children of Eden. I saw it last night and it was wonderful . . . but I just can't wait to have my Seve back. Nights without him feel like lonely dreams, even when I'm out and about with friends. Two more weeks.

image via. and  . . .

We'll be daring

So many little disappointments. First, it's not Friday; second, my order for a kickin' new dress from UO (seen above) has been listed as cancelled in my order status . . . no explanation . . . and the charge lingers on my account. Time for a phone call. Third, with my mother-in-law in town I forgot all about my yoga class. Which I had invited her to attend with me, and she happily accepted. We both forgot. Fourth, didn't get to see my Russian volunteers last weekend (except for a fluke run-in with Courtney!) Fifth, I have to reschedule the grunge party (time has been changed on the invite). This one actually isn't a disappointment, as I wasn't doing much this week to prepare for it anyway, just been too busy. The extra week will give McKenzie and me time to make it spectacular . . . I swear we're the only ones who're excited about this thing. The majority of those I've brought it up to either don't get it or think grunge is too precious to satirize.

But, on the agenda so far:
- Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Veruca Salt, Hole & more
- Empire Records . . . or an episode of Pete & Pete . . . or Daria . . .
- Prize for best dressed
- Mix CDs as party favors
- 90s matte make-up tutorial (this is a thinly veiled Mary Kay party, after all . . . at least a portion of it is, anyway)
- Karaoke? Messing around on a guitar and amp with heavy distortion? Pretending to shoot up cocaine via pixie sticks? Or ring pop necklaces just because COME ON RING POPS? Still figuring it out.

Snowed In

Spring's here but I still feel snowed in. Had a blast in Utah this weekend and Mummy-in-law came to visit yesterday, but being back at work makes the trip feel long ago and far away.

Portable Purple People Eater

The name change isn’t going as well as I’d like. Given that I have a limited amount of time for lunch, my dashes to the Social Security office are fruitless against the long line pouring out of there. My calls are always greeted with a busy signal or being put on hold. I’ve been married for over a year but didn’t change my name right away due to passport vs. time issues prior to leaving for Russia. But I have hope that I’ll officially be an Isaacs soon.

I have hope for other things as well.

Don’t even think about it.

Suitcase always packed

My husband and I move around a lot. Even before we got married we moved around a lot. I grew up in the military and he just grew up with a dad who was always changing jobs. We talk about going back to Kiev or even China, but honestly, I think Las Vegas for his student teaching is in the works. I'd prefer to stay here for my copywriting job, but for the sake of his career staying in Idaho isn't exactly the best move.

Maybe we'll do Mexico next summer after Vegas. Or go to Thailand for 6 months. We know we just need to settle down and get on with our grown up lives (or the life expected of us from our beloved grown ups) but we don't really want to settle down. I'm not itching for kids or a house yet and he's not either. The opportunities we have to travel aren't going to be open forever and we'd like to explore every door of this hallway before they close on us.

Sometimes I'll go through pictures of my volunteers out and about in Moscow or of myself back in Beijing and I find myself getting jealous, then I have to remind myself that I was there already. And by the end of those trips, I was ready to go home.

Well, in the near future we'll be enjoying Targhee this weekend. Try my feet at snowboarding, maybe?