I went over budget this week. It happened yesterday in fact, just three days short of the finish of the experiment. But I am okay with it, because I was celebrating the end of a grand adventure (7 months of unemployment). And one should be able to celebrate a special occasion. Before the play, Lauren and I went to Kendall's Brasserie, a place I'd been wanting to try for years. We drank wine and feasted on delicious food and somehow managed to find our seats, three minutes before curtain.
So the experiment is over. I proved to myself that I can live on a budget. But more importantly, I was taken aback by the kindness of friends and acquaintances. It was amazing how many people offered to cover for me, simply because either they had been in a similar situation before or I had previously helped them and they wanted to do the same. For the most part, I was reminded of how great humanity can be.
And today, while hanging in the kitchen at yet another holiday party, helping the hostess put together appetizers. I was reminded of how great my group of friends are. Kim and Albert organized an amazing gathering to celebrate the holidays. Jacqui stopped by to help me with some work that I was behind on. Heidi swung by to drop off a Christmas gift. Ray, Ben, and Adam all checked in to make sure I was ready to face the new job tomorrow. I know this sounds cheesy, but I'm really lucky to have found the most amazing group of friends.
Showing posts with label Experiments in a simplified life. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Experiments in a simplified life. Show all posts
Monday, December 20, 2010
Sunday, December 19, 2010
The Simple Life - Day 27
"All I can say is that my life is pretty plain
I like watchin' the puddles gather rain"
~Blind Melon, "No Rain"
More rain and a new song stuck on brain in looping mode. Awesome. Although its awfully cold and gray, it was a great day. Natasha, one of my favorite people returned to LA from Boston for a moment and we were able to catch up over a cup of coffee and a walk on the pier. Then Lauren and I headed downtown to see "Next to Normal." An amazing play but so depressing. The best part about watching it is that you suddenly realize how sane you really are. And it's way cheaper then a therapy session. The show, combined with the weather made it impossible to energize ourselves enough to meet up with Adam out at the bars. I'm sure he had much better luck pulling cute chickadees without our interference. Instead we headed back to Lauren's place for late night wine, cheese, and 'Sunset Boulevard' (the perfect rainy day flick). Then Clint surprised us with an appearance on his way home from a party, which made for the perfect night in.
I like watchin' the puddles gather rain"
~Blind Melon, "No Rain"
More rain and a new song stuck on brain in looping mode. Awesome. Although its awfully cold and gray, it was a great day. Natasha, one of my favorite people returned to LA from Boston for a moment and we were able to catch up over a cup of coffee and a walk on the pier. Then Lauren and I headed downtown to see "Next to Normal." An amazing play but so depressing. The best part about watching it is that you suddenly realize how sane you really are. And it's way cheaper then a therapy session. The show, combined with the weather made it impossible to energize ourselves enough to meet up with Adam out at the bars. I'm sure he had much better luck pulling cute chickadees without our interference. Instead we headed back to Lauren's place for late night wine, cheese, and 'Sunset Boulevard' (the perfect rainy day flick). Then Clint surprised us with an appearance on his way home from a party, which made for the perfect night in.
Saturday, December 18, 2010
The Simple Life - Day 26
"When it's grey in L.A. I sure like it that way
Cause there's way too much sunshine round here
I don't know about you I get so sick of blue skies
Whenever they always appear"
~ Loudon Wainwright, 'Grey in LA'
I always hum that song on rainy days. The weather is so rarely miserable, but when it is, from the moment I wake up until the moment I go to bed, I can hear Loudon singing in my head. It could be worse, it could be Randy Newman.
Big news: I got a job today. I'm overwhelmed and excited about it. Had to sign an NDA so I won't go into detail, just that it looks like I have 10 months of insanity in front of me and I'm excited about the prospect of a new adventure.
Wasn't sure it was possible, but after getting news about the job, things just continued to get better. Heidi had Katie and I over for a delicious homemade tamales lunch. Finally finished Natasha's X-mas gift (see below), took some fun rainy day photos, then did bit of work for a screening of Tron 3D, after which I met up with Kevin and Todd (who showed up at my screening) for a delicious bowl of noodles ($15) on Sawtelle. Perfect grey day!
Total Spent today: $53.68 (gas + noodles)
Total Spent this Week: $63.51
Total Remaining for the week: $11.49
Elsewhere:
~ Rachel De Joode Wallpapers make me swoon. Check her out on Trendland.
~Niki, one of my most favorite Angelenos, just moved to Kabul. You can follow her adventures on The Gingerfly.
Cause there's way too much sunshine round here
I don't know about you I get so sick of blue skies
Whenever they always appear"
~ Loudon Wainwright, 'Grey in LA'
I always hum that song on rainy days. The weather is so rarely miserable, but when it is, from the moment I wake up until the moment I go to bed, I can hear Loudon singing in my head. It could be worse, it could be Randy Newman.
Big news: I got a job today. I'm overwhelmed and excited about it. Had to sign an NDA so I won't go into detail, just that it looks like I have 10 months of insanity in front of me and I'm excited about the prospect of a new adventure.
Wasn't sure it was possible, but after getting news about the job, things just continued to get better. Heidi had Katie and I over for a delicious homemade tamales lunch. Finally finished Natasha's X-mas gift (see below), took some fun rainy day photos, then did bit of work for a screening of Tron 3D, after which I met up with Kevin and Todd (who showed up at my screening) for a delicious bowl of noodles ($15) on Sawtelle. Perfect grey day!
Total Spent today: $53.68 (gas + noodles)
Total Spent this Week: $63.51
Total Remaining for the week: $11.49
Poinsettias remind me of Christmas in Thailand
Felted Wool, Pearl, and Sterling Silver Bracelet
~ Rachel De Joode Wallpapers make me swoon. Check her out on Trendland.
~Niki, one of my most favorite Angelenos, just moved to Kabul. You can follow her adventures on The Gingerfly.
Friday, December 17, 2010
The Simple Life - Day 25
I had insomnia last night. Could. Not. Sleep. Ugh! I let someone say something and really get into my head and then spent most of the night tossing and turning about whether or not a certain guy I like actually believes that I don't like him. It's so ridiculously juvenile, what are we back in middle school? I mean, I like this guy. I told him I liked him. If he doesn't believe it, why tell that to somebody else, who then relates the story back to me and tells me I need to really be better at showing him I like him? WTF? I made him ice cream. From scratch. I've told him I like him. I don't play games. What more can I possibly do to prove myself? I feel like I'm 13 all over again. This sucks.
In order to re-find balance in my life, I decided I needed to experience Autumn (this is mainly due to the fact that I'm heading to Colorado for the holidays and will immediately be thrown into Winter. And I hate skipping seasons!) Off I went on a mini road trip...barely making it back in time for work...but glad I was able to visit my secret, undisclosed LA location where one can experience the pleasures of fall.
By the end of the day I had returned. To. Calm. And realized, I can't control the universe, nor what this guy is going to think. Let it be.
Enjoy Fall!
In order to re-find balance in my life, I decided I needed to experience Autumn (this is mainly due to the fact that I'm heading to Colorado for the holidays and will immediately be thrown into Winter. And I hate skipping seasons!) Off I went on a mini road trip...barely making it back in time for work...but glad I was able to visit my secret, undisclosed LA location where one can experience the pleasures of fall.
By the end of the day I had returned. To. Calm. And realized, I can't control the universe, nor what this guy is going to think. Let it be.
Enjoy Fall!
Thursday, December 16, 2010
The simple Life - Day 24
I don't feel like blogging today. So here are the highlights from yesterday:
Total Money spent for the day: $0
Worked, ate, threw a party (sponsored by Athenos Greek Yogurt...which explains why everyone in our photo booth pictures is holding yogurt!) had a nice chat with my mortal enemy (thanks Grace for working so hard to bring people together!) learned more then I care to about half-lings and Dungeons and Dragons, drank too much and had a jolly good time. I love the holidays!
Elsewhere:
~Oh, I think I'm in love with Unpublished magazine. A whole magazine devoted to beautiful, previously unpublished photographic works.
~My thoughts on "Happy Holidays!"
~Wacky Holiday Traditions
Total Money spent for the day: $0
Worked, ate, threw a party (sponsored by Athenos Greek Yogurt...which explains why everyone in our photo booth pictures is holding yogurt!) had a nice chat with my mortal enemy (thanks Grace for working so hard to bring people together!) learned more then I care to about half-lings and Dungeons and Dragons, drank too much and had a jolly good time. I love the holidays!
Elsewhere:
~Oh, I think I'm in love with Unpublished magazine. A whole magazine devoted to beautiful, previously unpublished photographic works.
~My thoughts on "Happy Holidays!"
~Wacky Holiday Traditions
Wednesday, December 15, 2010
The Simple Life - Day 23
Today was such an easy day. Woke up, got dressed, attempted to make myself look pretty, then found a corner of the house that didn't look too messy or obnoxious and sat down for an hour Skype interview with a high school in Germany. Every once in a while I get asked to do an inspirational talk to high school students about life in Hollywood. Mostly I just talk about staying in school and tell them funny stories from my life. Its kind of cool, and I'm always amazed by how smart and interested many of the students are, often tossing out ridiculously thought provoking questions. I'm not exactly sure how I got involved with it, but I've been featured in a Japanese - English textbook (there is a whole chapter devoted to me, with pictures....I still get fan mail from students who are practicing their English) and spoken to students in countries all over the world via Skype.
Interview done. Must do some shopping for tomorrow night's Holiday Game night that I'm hosting with Joe and Grace. Since I have a ridiculous budget this month, I've had to be more creative than normal to get supplies. So today I accepted a Secret Shopping job. Essentially, I go to an assigned store, take notes, talk to a few sales associates, and have to spend X amount of money. Great! Beer, pizza, cookies, shrimp, and a few other random groceries purchased and I only went $1.83 over budget. Which means I will get re-imbursed for all my shopping except $1.83. Party shopping done!
Dinner. Thanks to secret shopping I have shrimp to use for dinner. Using what I had in my fridge, I was able to whip up a super easy Fettucini Alfredo with peas and shrimp. Delicious! And leftovers for a couple of days!
Finally had to finish up with the holiday stuff. Again, using what I had around the house: giftwrap = an Ikea curtain that I had planned to donate to Goodwill, gift tags = old postcards, and envelopes for the holiday cards were made out of Japanese fashion magazines. Creative recycling has been a lot of fun, and something I hope to continue doing throughout the year.
Total spent for the day: $1.83
Total spent for the week: $9.83
Total remaining to spend: $65.17
Interview done. Must do some shopping for tomorrow night's Holiday Game night that I'm hosting with Joe and Grace. Since I have a ridiculous budget this month, I've had to be more creative than normal to get supplies. So today I accepted a Secret Shopping job. Essentially, I go to an assigned store, take notes, talk to a few sales associates, and have to spend X amount of money. Great! Beer, pizza, cookies, shrimp, and a few other random groceries purchased and I only went $1.83 over budget. Which means I will get re-imbursed for all my shopping except $1.83. Party shopping done!
Dinner. Thanks to secret shopping I have shrimp to use for dinner. Using what I had in my fridge, I was able to whip up a super easy Fettucini Alfredo with peas and shrimp. Delicious! And leftovers for a couple of days!
Finally had to finish up with the holiday stuff. Again, using what I had around the house: giftwrap = an Ikea curtain that I had planned to donate to Goodwill, gift tags = old postcards, and envelopes for the holiday cards were made out of Japanese fashion magazines. Creative recycling has been a lot of fun, and something I hope to continue doing throughout the year.
Total spent for the day: $1.83
Total spent for the week: $9.83
Total remaining to spend: $65.17
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
The Simple Life - Day 22
I've been waiting to hear about a job for 5 days now. It's nerve-wracking. When the producer first called me about it, I was kind of meh-meh, but then went in for the meeting and realized I wanted it. So my competitive, anxiety-ridden self has been obsessing a bit, ever since. Trying very hard to act cool, but failing miserably. Lucky for me, my current boss is AMAZING, as long as I keep her in the loop about things, she is totally cool and supportive of any and all of my endeavors. Rad.
So the morning was spent working on knocking off a necklace that Jacqui and I fell in love with at Anthropologie. The locket was $35 on sale, decoupaged with a painting covering the front. I took an old Forever 21 locket that I already owned and clipped a picture out of a decrepit children's poetry book, then created my own, unique version.
The rest of the day was spent hanging out with Adam. In a grand attempt to deal with my anxiety he took me to the driving range to hit a few buckets of balls. While he did work via his mobile phone, I perfected my swing....surprisingly I woke up neither sore nor callused today. Afterwards we hit happy hour at Gyu-Kaku, so much meat, so good! (I only had to pay for the tip: $8). Then off to a holiday cocktail party at his house.....thank goodness for my little hostess gifts and the surplus of wine i picked up from WineInsiders via Groupon. Adam and his roommates throw some of the nicest parties, and this was no exception. They had a tree, grog, festive music, and free flowing wine and cheese.
On my way home, I stopped by my pal, Siaka's holiday party at Off Kilt. Dive bars are always fun, but I was so exhausted I only wanted to drink water and go home to bed. Met some very nice people though which made the evening absolutely perfect.
Total spent for the day: $8
Total spent for the week: $8
Total remaining for the week: $67
Elsewhere:
~My Polar Ice, what a great concept.
So the morning was spent working on knocking off a necklace that Jacqui and I fell in love with at Anthropologie. The locket was $35 on sale, decoupaged with a painting covering the front. I took an old Forever 21 locket that I already owned and clipped a picture out of a decrepit children's poetry book, then created my own, unique version.
The rest of the day was spent hanging out with Adam. In a grand attempt to deal with my anxiety he took me to the driving range to hit a few buckets of balls. While he did work via his mobile phone, I perfected my swing....surprisingly I woke up neither sore nor callused today. Afterwards we hit happy hour at Gyu-Kaku, so much meat, so good! (I only had to pay for the tip: $8). Then off to a holiday cocktail party at his house.....thank goodness for my little hostess gifts and the surplus of wine i picked up from WineInsiders via Groupon. Adam and his roommates throw some of the nicest parties, and this was no exception. They had a tree, grog, festive music, and free flowing wine and cheese.
On my way home, I stopped by my pal, Siaka's holiday party at Off Kilt. Dive bars are always fun, but I was so exhausted I only wanted to drink water and go home to bed. Met some very nice people though which made the evening absolutely perfect.
Total spent for the day: $8
Total spent for the week: $8
Total remaining for the week: $67
Elsewhere:
~My Polar Ice, what a great concept.
Monday, December 13, 2010
The Simple Life - Day 21
The Sunday Morning LA Times is pure decadence. I mean that, because if there is actually enough time on a Sunday Morning to get up, make coffee, then hop back in bed and read through every section (starting with the comics....my most favorite part! Followed by Travel, Style, Business, then everything else.) I feel like I actually had an opportunity to relax. It's the equivalent of a bubble bath in an extra large tub.
After breakfast I headed up to Griffith Park for a hike with Chris and the dogs. He took me to a trailhead off of Ferndell that I had never tried before. Absolutely magical. I loved how the trail wove past a creek and then over a bridge (while still being under the road) and through the woods. We wandered up to the Observatory, one of my most favorite spots in LA, then had lunch at the Trails Cafe (amazing avocado sandwiches!) Chris wanted to thank me for taking care of the dogs and I really wanted to see the girls...because I've been going thru withdrawal without them. You could tell they missed me too.
Since Jacqui and I find ourselves currently unattached, we have decided it would be best to have a relationship with each other. So instead of stressing out over whether or not we should get all the guys we are dating gifts or be concerned about whether or not we should invite them to any of our fabulous parties, we have decided to take each other as dates. And to further our commitment, we are going to exchange homemade gifts....the thought of what I plan to create for her, makes me completely giddy with excitement...oh how I hope it works out the way I've planned!!
Anyhow, my point...The two of us had a holiday girl-date tonight, where we got dinner, checked out holiday decor, then went back to her place and decorated the tree, listened to holiday music, and sat in front of the roaring fire...romantic, non? Ahh yes, Jacqui is delightful...and she has no qualms with my quirky new BFF, Blythe (see photo below!) I think we make quite the lovely threesome.
Elsewhere....
~Anna Bond's blog is fantastic eye candy.
~The Tea Ceremony Chair by Hiroki Takada just blew my mind.
~This little girl makes the cutest Pippi Longstocking ever!
~Smokey Mountain Christmas...Been in a Dolly Parton mood lately and this little made for TV Christmas movie is one of my favorite holiday guilty pleasures.
~Heidi and Rupaul introduced me to this sad, yet lovely Christmas song: "Hard Candy Christmas."
After breakfast I headed up to Griffith Park for a hike with Chris and the dogs. He took me to a trailhead off of Ferndell that I had never tried before. Absolutely magical. I loved how the trail wove past a creek and then over a bridge (while still being under the road) and through the woods. We wandered up to the Observatory, one of my most favorite spots in LA, then had lunch at the Trails Cafe (amazing avocado sandwiches!) Chris wanted to thank me for taking care of the dogs and I really wanted to see the girls...because I've been going thru withdrawal without them. You could tell they missed me too.
Since Jacqui and I find ourselves currently unattached, we have decided it would be best to have a relationship with each other. So instead of stressing out over whether or not we should get all the guys we are dating gifts or be concerned about whether or not we should invite them to any of our fabulous parties, we have decided to take each other as dates. And to further our commitment, we are going to exchange homemade gifts....the thought of what I plan to create for her, makes me completely giddy with excitement...oh how I hope it works out the way I've planned!!
Anyhow, my point...The two of us had a holiday girl-date tonight, where we got dinner, checked out holiday decor, then went back to her place and decorated the tree, listened to holiday music, and sat in front of the roaring fire...romantic, non? Ahh yes, Jacqui is delightful...and she has no qualms with my quirky new BFF, Blythe (see photo below!) I think we make quite the lovely threesome.
Elsewhere....
~Anna Bond's blog is fantastic eye candy.
~The Tea Ceremony Chair by Hiroki Takada just blew my mind.
~This little girl makes the cutest Pippi Longstocking ever!
~Smokey Mountain Christmas...Been in a Dolly Parton mood lately and this little made for TV Christmas movie is one of my favorite holiday guilty pleasures.
~Heidi and Rupaul introduced me to this sad, yet lovely Christmas song: "Hard Candy Christmas."
Sunday, December 12, 2010
The Simple Life - Day 20
There never seems to be enough coffee in the world to wake you up after a long night out. Both Lauren and I had late nights and therefore were dragging in the morning. But, we rallied enough energy to catch the metro to Chinatown and check out the renegade craft fair in the cornfield. Love that LA has a place known as "the cornfield," so quaint. After a few hours of wandering and collecting ideas for future projects, we headed to Chinatown for some takeaway dimsum (late lunch on the run!), then back on the metro and home again, home again jiggit-y jog. Met up with Ray and friends at The Village Idiot to celebrate his recently acquired MBA (Congratulations, darling!) then home for real, in bed and passed out by 9:30pm. What a day, what a day!
Total Spent for the day: $15 ($7/Dimsum and $8/Beer at The Village Idiot)
Total Spent for the week: $49.40
Total Remaining for the week: $.60
Total Spent for the day: $15 ($7/Dimsum and $8/Beer at The Village Idiot)
Total Spent for the week: $49.40
Total Remaining for the week: $.60
Food Trucks at the Cornfield
Blythe loves field trips
Pooh loves Blythe!
Blythe has a secret plan to take over the world. Go Blythe, go!
Blythe is so special, she's even tamed the ferocious crocodiles!
Christmas in Chinatown, just add snow!
Saturday, December 11, 2010
The Simple Life - Day 19
"Mercury is in retrograde!" or so Tori Spelling's twitter says, according to my friend Heidi. Which makes sense, because my phone has gone kaput! And the tech says that part of that is due to my phone being wonky and part is due to the phone's service being out of order today. So Monday, we will further examine the mess that is my phone...but in the meantime I must live sans internet/email/gps on my person at all times. How smart is a smart phone when it has zero IQ? Blah!
Moving on....today, I did managed to accomplish a ton of things...which makes up for all the other days when I was so unaccomplished. Let's see....Laundry (check!), Homemade Ginger Coconut Sorbet (check!), Homemade Sugar Cookies (check!), Afternoon Tea with Heidi at Chado H.Wood (check!), Michelle's birthday party (check!), and Heidi's Holiday party (check! check! check!).
Okay, just for a moment let's discuss our afternoon tea. One of my childhood traditions when I was 3-7 years old was to have a New Year's tea party with my bestest friends, all of which happened to be inanimate. Since I sometimes get nostalgic for simpler times, days when my friends would not talk back to me ;) I thought maybe it was time for a jaunt down memory lane, so I got Heidi to join me for afternoon tea (thank you Groupon!). Little did she know, I would be bringing along one of my newest besties. Blythe (whom I've loved since before my life in Japan) has teamed up with Littlest Pet Shop and can now be purchased at Target for $19.99....so much cheaper then the normal mini Blythe dolls.
Moving on....today, I did managed to accomplish a ton of things...which makes up for all the other days when I was so unaccomplished. Let's see....Laundry (check!), Homemade Ginger Coconut Sorbet (check!), Homemade Sugar Cookies (check!), Afternoon Tea with Heidi at Chado H.Wood (check!), Michelle's birthday party (check!), and Heidi's Holiday party (check! check! check!).
Anyhow, tea was dreamy and all my friends got along marvelously...so the afternoon was a smash hit.
After the sun set, Heidi and I headed to Tiki No to celebrate Michelle's 27th birthday (she's practically geriatric!) after a sampling of strong tropical rum drinks, we hooked up with the Hawaiian food truck, "Aloha Fridays," where I intro'd Heidi to Spam Musubi...another staple from my childhood (classy, I know!) and off we went to Les Deux for the World of Wonder holiday party. This year's theme was "Glow Job"...and it was amazing! Beautiful drag queens, boys in speedos, RuPaul Dj'ing (He was fantastic!), and free flowing cocktails with glow sticks. Every year I marvel at the crazy, fun, themed holiday parties that businesses throw for their employees. And yes, I do believe we are in a recession....but you wouldn't know it. After a crazy night out, I rolled into bed around 3am. How exhausting!!!
Total Spent for the Day: $5 ($2/parking, $3 for 2 Spam Musubi)
Total Spent for the Week: $59.40
Total Remaining for the Week: $15.60
Friday, December 10, 2010
The Simple Life - Day 18
Ugh. You know those mornings where you really, really don't want to wake up, but have no choice, because there are a billion things to do before you go into the office. But unfortunately, you stayed up 'til 2AM candying ginger and attempting to watch MAD MEN (still don't love it) and not getting your much needed beauty sleep? Yep, that was my morning. But somehow, I managed to get up and finish the lovely hostess gifts. Here is a picture of the completed project...sorry I can't actually tell you what's inside.
Then got some writing in (even manage to get another Blog pitch accepted!), made lunch (Branston Pickle and Cheddar cheese sandwiches, nut mix, and Strawberry pocky sticks....My fridge is truly a sampling of the United Nations.), and showered (which honestly feels like a triumph in and of itself somedays...oh my lord, I'm starting to sound like one of those over-exhausted sitcom moms), then hotfooted it on fumes (really needed to stop for gas, but no time!) to work by 11.30AM. My goodness! I can't believe I made it. Seven hours of holiday party set up later and I was ready to get out and be done with the day.
Abby and I met up for dinner at Wat Dong Moon Lek, one of our favorite SilverLake restaurants. I got the spicy lime and sparerib soup. She got the Tom Ka. Both of us were completely happy and satisfied by the time we were done catching up. And then I headed home to finish wrapping gifts.
I love the holidays!!!
Total spent today:$29 ($15 for gas, $14 for soup with Abby)
Total spent this week: $54.40
Total remaining this week: $20.60
Then got some writing in (even manage to get another Blog pitch accepted!), made lunch (Branston Pickle and Cheddar cheese sandwiches, nut mix, and Strawberry pocky sticks....My fridge is truly a sampling of the United Nations.), and showered (which honestly feels like a triumph in and of itself somedays...oh my lord, I'm starting to sound like one of those over-exhausted sitcom moms), then hotfooted it on fumes (really needed to stop for gas, but no time!) to work by 11.30AM. My goodness! I can't believe I made it. Seven hours of holiday party set up later and I was ready to get out and be done with the day.
Abby and I met up for dinner at Wat Dong Moon Lek, one of our favorite SilverLake restaurants. I got the spicy lime and sparerib soup. She got the Tom Ka. Both of us were completely happy and satisfied by the time we were done catching up. And then I headed home to finish wrapping gifts.
I love the holidays!!!
Total spent today:$29 ($15 for gas, $14 for soup with Abby)
Total spent this week: $54.40
Total remaining this week: $20.60
Thursday, December 9, 2010
The Simple Life - Day 17
Got a crazy call this morning from a former colleague asking if I'd be interested in a job. Since I'm letting the universe be my guide, I figured it may not be such a bad idea to meet with her about it, however it would be back in the film industry and I have a few reservations. But, hearing about a new project is never a bad thing. Plus all the folks involved are super talented, so maybe this will be an amazing opportunity. And I think the meeting went well, just have to wait until Friday, while they interview a bunch of other super talented, overqualified, former studio kids...God, I love this town.
The majority of my day was spent working on those silly holiday cards. I realized I have over 100 to send, and that barely scratches the surface of my friends, family, and colleagues. So far I've made 19. I have a lot of work ahead of me.
But the hostess gifts, well I made a serious dent in them. Candied a ton of ginger! Tomorrow I should be done with all of them and may post pictures....or maybe I will wait until the end of the season. I did have do a bit of shopping for supplies and spent a whopping total of: $14.46...of course that included an impulse buy of mint flavored yogurt drink...BLAH...I should have known, there is a cartoon cow on the label that says, "I made this one extra special for you." It tasted like a dairy-fied kombucha. BLAH!
Spent my night working at the Blu Conference about Pre-fab homes and sustainable living. There are some amazing models out there that totally make me salivate. Perhaps one day?
Total spent for the day: $14.46
Total spent this week: $25.40
Total remaining for the week: $49.60
The majority of my day was spent working on those silly holiday cards. I realized I have over 100 to send, and that barely scratches the surface of my friends, family, and colleagues. So far I've made 19. I have a lot of work ahead of me.
But the hostess gifts, well I made a serious dent in them. Candied a ton of ginger! Tomorrow I should be done with all of them and may post pictures....or maybe I will wait until the end of the season. I did have do a bit of shopping for supplies and spent a whopping total of: $14.46...of course that included an impulse buy of mint flavored yogurt drink...BLAH...I should have known, there is a cartoon cow on the label that says, "I made this one extra special for you." It tasted like a dairy-fied kombucha. BLAH!
Spent my night working at the Blu Conference about Pre-fab homes and sustainable living. There are some amazing models out there that totally make me salivate. Perhaps one day?
Total spent for the day: $14.46
Total spent this week: $25.40
Total remaining for the week: $49.60
Wednesday, December 8, 2010
The Simple Life - Day 16
With the holidays getting closer, I feel as though I'm in vacation mode. Of course I have random events that I have to work at throughout the week, but all of my personal projects...the ones I'm doing for my greater good and the future, all seem to be hanging by the wayside as I find myself procrastinating more and more each day. Today, I stayed in my PJs until 1.30pm. I only managed to take a shower because I was meeting Katie and Heidi for a hike in Fryman and didn't want to attract the attention of too many flies. Of course I managed to get in some writing (ironically I did a pitch about procrastination for a women's blog this afternoon), but I've barely made a dent in my to do list.
After the hike, I ran errands and made dinner. Then with a sudden burst of creativity, I began working on those New Year's cards I've been thinking about. Of course, in order to seriously do any work, I need to create a full on mess, and bury myself in the middle of it. Which explains why every inch of countertop and dining room table are now covered in glitter, and the floor is a mass of ribbons.
Today's Menu: All things found in the Fridge and Pantry. I wonder if I can get thru the week without buying any food?
~ Decaf Coffee (who knew I would like it so much?)
~Gingersnap cookies (breakfast of champions)
~Corn and Pepper Bisque
~Salad
~Spaghetti Squash with homemade pasta sauce and mango chicken sausage
Things that amaze me:
~Proverbial Wallets...if I had one of these, I probably wouldn't be doing my $35/wk food experiment.
~Forth Magazine is featuring my pal, Brooke Harker's paintings. She is so fabulous, I am a big fan and even own one of her paintings.
~ While catching up on my TedTalks I saw Ze Frank's speech and was struck by the "chillout song". So beautiful... just hit play below to listen:
Total spent for the day: $0
Total remaining for week: $64.06
After the hike, I ran errands and made dinner. Then with a sudden burst of creativity, I began working on those New Year's cards I've been thinking about. Of course, in order to seriously do any work, I need to create a full on mess, and bury myself in the middle of it. Which explains why every inch of countertop and dining room table are now covered in glitter, and the floor is a mass of ribbons.
Today's Menu: All things found in the Fridge and Pantry. I wonder if I can get thru the week without buying any food?
~ Decaf Coffee (who knew I would like it so much?)
~Gingersnap cookies (breakfast of champions)
~Corn and Pepper Bisque
~Salad
~Spaghetti Squash with homemade pasta sauce and mango chicken sausage
Things that amaze me:
~Proverbial Wallets...if I had one of these, I probably wouldn't be doing my $35/wk food experiment.
~Forth Magazine is featuring my pal, Brooke Harker's paintings. She is so fabulous, I am a big fan and even own one of her paintings.
~ While catching up on my TedTalks I saw Ze Frank's speech and was struck by the "chillout song". So beautiful... just hit play below to listen:
Total spent for the day: $0
Total remaining for week: $64.06
Tuesday, December 7, 2010
The Simple Life - Day 15
This week is all about getting caught up for the holidays. I'm creating holiday cards, gifts, wrapping presents and doing a whole lot of shipping. It is doubtful the budget will hold this week, but I'm going to try.
First off, I used an old groupon for Wine Insiders to order 6 bottles of wine to use for upcoming holiday parties at friends' homes. Should have my order by the end of the week. Then caught up with my buddy Joe for a hike in Fryman Canyon. I love that most of my friends are on hiatus this month and now I have so many people to hang out with during the day. Its so much fun, but it makes it harder to focus on work. Then went to Osh to pick up some Ball Canning Jars for another small project: hostess gifts. ($10.94)
That night, Jim came over for a home made dinner (I made him coffee ice cream with the coffee beans I bought the day before) and a movie (BBC's Sherlock Holmes....which I LOVE! Such a cool modern version!).
Tomorrow I really must get a better jump on my holiday stuff...cards, gifts, wrapping, shipping, o la vache!
Things that inspire me:
-Yokoo, I love, love, love this video, I want to live in her serene, little world.
-Miwa Matreyek's TedTalk. Fascinating and beautiful.
-Color Me Katie's Blog...I just know we could be BFFs!
-I feel the need to go to the Arboretum and shoot a few rolls of film after seeing this. Delightful!
Total spent this week: $10.94
Total remaining for the week: $64.06
First off, I used an old groupon for Wine Insiders to order 6 bottles of wine to use for upcoming holiday parties at friends' homes. Should have my order by the end of the week. Then caught up with my buddy Joe for a hike in Fryman Canyon. I love that most of my friends are on hiatus this month and now I have so many people to hang out with during the day. Its so much fun, but it makes it harder to focus on work. Then went to Osh to pick up some Ball Canning Jars for another small project: hostess gifts. ($10.94)
That night, Jim came over for a home made dinner (I made him coffee ice cream with the coffee beans I bought the day before) and a movie (BBC's Sherlock Holmes....which I LOVE! Such a cool modern version!).
Tomorrow I really must get a better jump on my holiday stuff...cards, gifts, wrapping, shipping, o la vache!
Things that inspire me:
-Yokoo, I love, love, love this video, I want to live in her serene, little world.
-Miwa Matreyek's TedTalk. Fascinating and beautiful.
-Color Me Katie's Blog...I just know we could be BFFs!
-I feel the need to go to the Arboretum and shoot a few rolls of film after seeing this. Delightful!
Total spent this week: $10.94
Total remaining for the week: $64.06
Monday, December 6, 2010
The Simple Life - Day 14
Ugh! I hate early mornings! And today, I had to be at USC by 9am, but since I had no idea where I was going on campus, I had to be out of the house by 8am. I was barely awake, driving there. I know that 8am isn't really that early, but it certainly felt like it.
Spent the whole day proctoring the Japanese Language Proficiency Exam at USC, which meant sitting at a desk, watching for sly examinees who felt the need to cheat. Luckily, all of my people were fairly honest and we had no problems. So I was able to read 3 magazines, cover to cover (Harper's Bazaar, Angeleno, and Angeleno Interiors) and make a serious dent in a book (Hector and the Search for Happiness). Plus as an added bonus, the Japanese Association hooked me up with breakfast (coffee and donuts...can't remember the last time I had a Krispy Kreme, I forgot how crack/cocaine-like they can be!) and lunch (Subway lunch boxes!). When the exam was finally over, and I had cleaned up my classroom and put everything back in order, I was practically jumping for joy to get outside and enjoy the remains of the day. I forgot how hard it is to work at a desk for 8 hours...I've become so wimpy.
Stopped by the grocery store, on the way home, and picked up some coffee beans and a dark chocolate bar for a random concoction I plan to make tomorrow. ($11.24)
Then had a night in, where I watched THE KIDS ARE ALL RIGHT...which is fantastic, you must see it! And started to watch the first season of MAD MEN, which is good, but not as compelling as its been touted. Perhaps my expectations were too high? Or maybe I just need to continue watching past the first 3 episodes?
Total spent for the day: $11.24
Total spent for week: $78.35
Total remaining for week: -$3.35
Oops! I went over this week. But, since I managed to have a bit of savings from the week before, I will use that as a pad to cover for this week!
Spent the whole day proctoring the Japanese Language Proficiency Exam at USC, which meant sitting at a desk, watching for sly examinees who felt the need to cheat. Luckily, all of my people were fairly honest and we had no problems. So I was able to read 3 magazines, cover to cover (Harper's Bazaar, Angeleno, and Angeleno Interiors) and make a serious dent in a book (Hector and the Search for Happiness). Plus as an added bonus, the Japanese Association hooked me up with breakfast (coffee and donuts...can't remember the last time I had a Krispy Kreme, I forgot how crack/cocaine-like they can be!) and lunch (Subway lunch boxes!). When the exam was finally over, and I had cleaned up my classroom and put everything back in order, I was practically jumping for joy to get outside and enjoy the remains of the day. I forgot how hard it is to work at a desk for 8 hours...I've become so wimpy.
Stopped by the grocery store, on the way home, and picked up some coffee beans and a dark chocolate bar for a random concoction I plan to make tomorrow. ($11.24)
Then had a night in, where I watched THE KIDS ARE ALL RIGHT...which is fantastic, you must see it! And started to watch the first season of MAD MEN, which is good, but not as compelling as its been touted. Perhaps my expectations were too high? Or maybe I just need to continue watching past the first 3 episodes?
Total spent for the day: $11.24
Total spent for week: $78.35
Total remaining for week: -$3.35
Oops! I went over this week. But, since I managed to have a bit of savings from the week before, I will use that as a pad to cover for this week!
Sunday, December 5, 2010
The Simple Life - Day 13
You ever have those days where you feel like you are getting a lot done, then realize it's almost 1pm, and you are still in your PJs? Yep, that was me today. I'm actually not sure what it is exactly that I thought I was accomplishing, but I know it felt like I was burning through things. Like, I made a big batch of homemade lasagna (one of my winter staples, I even make the sauce from scratch!), then read through a book on how to proctor an exam (just in time, since I have to do that tomorrow!), worked on some writing, responded to a bunch of emails, returned phone calls, and caught up on all the blogs I read, did dishes, put together my bed frame (thank you Heidi for your brilliant ideas!)....but somehow didn't even touch the stuff that is imperative I do right away. What can I say, except that I know how to be accomplished while procrastinating.
Heidi came by for lunch today (at 1!) which was why I shouldn't have been wearing my PJs much past noon. We caught up over prosecco and asparagus (I love day drinking!) and she helped me figure out the bed frame situation. (I've had the bed frame for almost 2 weeks, it was gifted to me from my pal Nancy, who found it buried in her closet when she moved in....little did either of us know, whether there would actually be a bed frame in the box or something more sinister...so I had been taking my time opening it....sometimes procrastination can be a blessing.)
Once the bed frame was built, Heidi took off for an adventure down at LA Live! And I went for a walk to the grocery store to pick up fruits, veggies, and a few other ingredients for the week ($9.58 total). By the time I made it back home, I had just enough time to get dressed and race to work for a screening of THE TEMPEST. (Which is a beautiful film, I absolutely loved the aesthetics! And Helen Mirren was amazing.), where I got awkwardly hit on by the composer, and since I am easily thrown off by unexpected flirtations, I believe I responded to him telling me he thought I was lovely, by saying, "I like black!"...What?! Yup. Not that it's a good excuse for my oddness, but I was starving, and it was just my luck that Jacqui was in her office and offered to hook me up with a bit of dinner, courtesy of her restaurant. So overall, I guess I managed to get quite a bit done today.
Total spent for the day: $9.58
Total spent for week: $67.11
Total remaining for week: $7.89
Heidi came by for lunch today (at 1!) which was why I shouldn't have been wearing my PJs much past noon. We caught up over prosecco and asparagus (I love day drinking!) and she helped me figure out the bed frame situation. (I've had the bed frame for almost 2 weeks, it was gifted to me from my pal Nancy, who found it buried in her closet when she moved in....little did either of us know, whether there would actually be a bed frame in the box or something more sinister...so I had been taking my time opening it....sometimes procrastination can be a blessing.)
Once the bed frame was built, Heidi took off for an adventure down at LA Live! And I went for a walk to the grocery store to pick up fruits, veggies, and a few other ingredients for the week ($9.58 total). By the time I made it back home, I had just enough time to get dressed and race to work for a screening of THE TEMPEST. (Which is a beautiful film, I absolutely loved the aesthetics! And Helen Mirren was amazing.), where I got awkwardly hit on by the composer, and since I am easily thrown off by unexpected flirtations, I believe I responded to him telling me he thought I was lovely, by saying, "I like black!"...What?! Yup. Not that it's a good excuse for my oddness, but I was starving, and it was just my luck that Jacqui was in her office and offered to hook me up with a bit of dinner, courtesy of her restaurant. So overall, I guess I managed to get quite a bit done today.
Total spent for the day: $9.58
Total spent for week: $67.11
Total remaining for week: $7.89
Saturday, December 4, 2010
The Simple Life - Day 12
Friday was such a random day, I had a lot of work to do, but accomplished very little. Spent the afternoon in a casting session for a sketch comedy show that I'm producing. Saw a lot of very funny people, but 5 hours of casting, is utterly exhausting. The casting director and I met with almost 30 different comedy actors, who were each asked to bring in a monologue then read one of 3 parts. Many of the monologues were actually very interesting, some were even so well-written, I couldn't help but laugh out loud. Personally, I find casting sessions to be awkward and painful, but a necessary evil in order to find unknown talent. Generally, I avoid it all together, but the director and other producer had way too much on their plates, so I offered to help narrow down the search.
From casting, I hotfooted it across town to work a screening of Blue Valentine. Although, I missed about 25% of the movie, because I had to deal with the talent and get them set up for the Q&A afterwards, what I did see of the film was amazing. Both Ryan Gosling and Michelle Williams performances are thought-provoking and freak-ishly believable. I found myself thinking, "Oh thank god, I've never been in a relationship with either of these people. What a mess." In real life, both actors were delightful, charming, and gracious.
As far as spending money on Friday...well, I didn't have much time to eat or think about eating, drinking, or shopping. So other then the coffee that Jim treated me to (he's becoming my gingerbread latte pusher/sugar daddy...he has no idea what kind of trouble he's getting himself into)....I only had enough time to eat cold leftover chili and rice, and snack on almonds. So once again, $0 were spent.
From casting, I hotfooted it across town to work a screening of Blue Valentine. Although, I missed about 25% of the movie, because I had to deal with the talent and get them set up for the Q&A afterwards, what I did see of the film was amazing. Both Ryan Gosling and Michelle Williams performances are thought-provoking and freak-ishly believable. I found myself thinking, "Oh thank god, I've never been in a relationship with either of these people. What a mess." In real life, both actors were delightful, charming, and gracious.
As far as spending money on Friday...well, I didn't have much time to eat or think about eating, drinking, or shopping. So other then the coffee that Jim treated me to (he's becoming my gingerbread latte pusher/sugar daddy...he has no idea what kind of trouble he's getting himself into)....I only had enough time to eat cold leftover chili and rice, and snack on almonds. So once again, $0 were spent.
Friday, December 3, 2010
The Simple Life - Day 11
Today was an excellent example of living simply. I started the morning off grabbing a quick coffee with Jim, then back to my apartment to get some writing done. I'm been terribly unfocused lately, and had to take a moment to re-examine my priorities for the next few weeks. Now that I've done that, I feel more on track with things. Although, I still have to attempt to actually focus and get things accomplished.
Spent the afternoon, doing a bit of multi-tasking. While Katie and I hiked Fryman Canyon we discussed marketing options for our Holiday Helper company. Then did a bit of door-to-door advertising, dropping off our flyers in the local neighborhoods. Crossing our fingers, we actually drum up a bit of business.
At night, Kyle and I went to a screening of Black Swan. Been dying to see it and thought it was incredibly well done. Since it was Kyle's 2nd time viewing it, he was able to better analyze some of the earlier scenes, looking for clues to the ending. I think I may want to go back and watch it again.
Total spent for the day: $0
Total spent for week: $57.53
Total remaining for week: $17.47
Elsewhere....
~Portia Munson's Installations...wow!
~Food Forward has a bunch of new picks for December. Sign up now!
~Must get ideas for Sharon's Grilled Cheese Invitational this weekend!
Ideas for charitable giving this holiday season:
~Heifer Organization: I love giving Bees and Chicks to poor people in foreign countries.
~Oxfam: I love that you can give books and art supplies to kids in need.
~Thirst Project: My new pet organization, these guys are amazing, building wells and providing clean water for people in Africa.
Spent the afternoon, doing a bit of multi-tasking. While Katie and I hiked Fryman Canyon we discussed marketing options for our Holiday Helper company. Then did a bit of door-to-door advertising, dropping off our flyers in the local neighborhoods. Crossing our fingers, we actually drum up a bit of business.
At night, Kyle and I went to a screening of Black Swan. Been dying to see it and thought it was incredibly well done. Since it was Kyle's 2nd time viewing it, he was able to better analyze some of the earlier scenes, looking for clues to the ending. I think I may want to go back and watch it again.
Total spent for the day: $0
Total spent for week: $57.53
Total remaining for week: $17.47
Elsewhere....
~Portia Munson's Installations...wow!
~Food Forward has a bunch of new picks for December. Sign up now!
~Must get ideas for Sharon's Grilled Cheese Invitational this weekend!
Ideas for charitable giving this holiday season:
~Heifer Organization: I love giving Bees and Chicks to poor people in foreign countries.
~Oxfam: I love that you can give books and art supplies to kids in need.
~Thirst Project: My new pet organization, these guys are amazing, building wells and providing clean water for people in Africa.
Thursday, December 2, 2010
The Simple Life - Day 10
Okay, so I'm really tired of talking about myself. Starting to feel extremely self-absorbed and cost conscience...not really a great combination, or at the very least not very interesting.
All you need to know about Wednesday is that I spent $0 and was treated to lunch at City Wok by my pal Ajax. Spent the afternoon hanging out with Siaka and Kegger (his adorable pitbull) at the park. Then Jim took me to dinner at the amazing Gardens of Taxco...which you really must check out if you haven't been there. They serve a delicious 5 course meal ("Mexico City Style"), have the best poblano mole I've ever tasted (for reals!) and an "early bird special" if you eat dinner before 7pm and bring in a coupon ($14.95 / 5 course meal...WOWIE!). Amazing!! After dinner, I dragged Jim to the Griffith Park Christmas Light show, only to find that they didn't do it this year...what?!? So we grabbed a drink at the Cha Cha Lounge instead. It was a good night.
Total spent for the day: $0
Total spent for the week: $57.53
Total remaining for the week: $17.47
Elsewhere...
-Article I wrote about volunteerism
-New Astrologyzone horoscopes are up
-The most amazing squirrel lamp I've ever seen!
-Rob Ryan's wooden keys (because I heart him so much!)
-For Natasha (a bit of fun that reminds me of East Coast adventures)
-For Jacqui (Love, Love, LOVE Yinka Shonibare and know you will too!!)
All you need to know about Wednesday is that I spent $0 and was treated to lunch at City Wok by my pal Ajax. Spent the afternoon hanging out with Siaka and Kegger (his adorable pitbull) at the park. Then Jim took me to dinner at the amazing Gardens of Taxco...which you really must check out if you haven't been there. They serve a delicious 5 course meal ("Mexico City Style"), have the best poblano mole I've ever tasted (for reals!) and an "early bird special" if you eat dinner before 7pm and bring in a coupon ($14.95 / 5 course meal...WOWIE!). Amazing!! After dinner, I dragged Jim to the Griffith Park Christmas Light show, only to find that they didn't do it this year...what?!? So we grabbed a drink at the Cha Cha Lounge instead. It was a good night.
Total spent for the day: $0
Total spent for the week: $57.53
Total remaining for the week: $17.47
Elsewhere...
-Article I wrote about volunteerism
-New Astrologyzone horoscopes are up
-The most amazing squirrel lamp I've ever seen!
-Rob Ryan's wooden keys (because I heart him so much!)
-For Natasha (a bit of fun that reminds me of East Coast adventures)
-For Jacqui (Love, Love, LOVE Yinka Shonibare and know you will too!!)
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
The Simple Life - Day 9
One of the things that I'm missing from my holiday shopping routine (and its only been 9 DAYS!!) is Starbucks' GingerBread Lattes (although, 2 weeks ago I discovered that I like the CoffeeBean version much better, but that's beside the point). So today, I splurged on a canister of CoffeeMate Gingerbread Latte Cream ($2.46). Honestly, it was a bad idea, because I'm allergic to high fructose corn syrup, and that stuff is loaded with it, along with all sorts junk that's bad for my body. But, its the cheapest alternative that I could think of while wandering aimlessly in a caffeine-deprived haze. So, I will just have to live with the cystic zits that are sure to erupt all over my face and body. Really? What was I thinking?
Other then the high fructose corn syrup dilemma, today was a great day. Jacqui and I went to a holiday party at the Capital Grille for people that work at the PDC. The food was good, cocktails were tasty, the ambiance lovely and all for free! Plus, as an added bonus the Capital Grille hooked each of us up with a $50 gift certificate for a future visit to the restaurant. Guess who is going back? Got to love the holiday season!
After a couple cocktails, we decided it was time to meet up with Ray to help pick out his Christmas tree. Unfortunately, we showed up 2 minutes after OSH had closed their xmas tree lot. But with a tiny bit of persuading, we were able to purchase a fine 5 foot tree that I've named "Douglas the Noble Fir". He is so perfect, I almost kept him for myself, instead of letting Ray take him home. But alas, this is supposed to be Ray's perfect holiday season, and with that in mind, getting a tree was only step one of our little plan. Of course when we went inside the store to pick out lights, a stand, and ornaments the electricity in the store cut out and they promptly directed us to the exits. I had always wondered what I would do in a situation like that, would I comply with the store personnel or would I start stuffing things in my pockets and run? Apparently, I have a moral compass of some sort, because I didn't even think about doing anything besides exiting the store. I guess that's good to know.
As a reward for our help and good behaviour, Ray took Jacqui and I out for drinks at the White Horse Inn. Gotta love a place that not only looks like your Aunt Mae's basement rec room, but also serves delicious snacks (microwave popcorn, cheezy chips, and Keebler cookies) to go with your beer. Fantastic!
Today's Menu
~Thanksgiving Dinner Soup (where I took all the leftover rotisserie chicken, sweet potatoes and green beans and mix them in pot of corn/pepper bisque from Trader Joes....not bad, actually it was delicious!)
~Faux Gingerbread Latte (Balinese coffee mixed with CoffeeMate Gingerbread latte flavored cream.)
~Stoli Pineapple Martinis (courtesy of Capital Grille)
~assortment of appetizers (cheese platter, jumbo shrimp soaked in ginger, mushroom bruschetta, lox and pita chips, and the most amazing coconut creme pie tartlets...all courtesy of the Capital Grille)
Total spent today: $2.46
Total spent this week: $57.53
Total remaining for this week: $17.47
Other then the high fructose corn syrup dilemma, today was a great day. Jacqui and I went to a holiday party at the Capital Grille for people that work at the PDC. The food was good, cocktails were tasty, the ambiance lovely and all for free! Plus, as an added bonus the Capital Grille hooked each of us up with a $50 gift certificate for a future visit to the restaurant. Guess who is going back? Got to love the holiday season!
After a couple cocktails, we decided it was time to meet up with Ray to help pick out his Christmas tree. Unfortunately, we showed up 2 minutes after OSH had closed their xmas tree lot. But with a tiny bit of persuading, we were able to purchase a fine 5 foot tree that I've named "Douglas the Noble Fir". He is so perfect, I almost kept him for myself, instead of letting Ray take him home. But alas, this is supposed to be Ray's perfect holiday season, and with that in mind, getting a tree was only step one of our little plan. Of course when we went inside the store to pick out lights, a stand, and ornaments the electricity in the store cut out and they promptly directed us to the exits. I had always wondered what I would do in a situation like that, would I comply with the store personnel or would I start stuffing things in my pockets and run? Apparently, I have a moral compass of some sort, because I didn't even think about doing anything besides exiting the store. I guess that's good to know.
As a reward for our help and good behaviour, Ray took Jacqui and I out for drinks at the White Horse Inn. Gotta love a place that not only looks like your Aunt Mae's basement rec room, but also serves delicious snacks (microwave popcorn, cheezy chips, and Keebler cookies) to go with your beer. Fantastic!
Today's Menu
~Thanksgiving Dinner Soup (where I took all the leftover rotisserie chicken, sweet potatoes and green beans and mix them in pot of corn/pepper bisque from Trader Joes....not bad, actually it was delicious!)
~Faux Gingerbread Latte (Balinese coffee mixed with CoffeeMate Gingerbread latte flavored cream.)
~Stoli Pineapple Martinis (courtesy of Capital Grille)
~assortment of appetizers (cheese platter, jumbo shrimp soaked in ginger, mushroom bruschetta, lox and pita chips, and the most amazing coconut creme pie tartlets...all courtesy of the Capital Grille)
Total spent today: $2.46
Total spent this week: $57.53
Total remaining for this week: $17.47
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