The only episode of Letterman I will watch all year

So feeling the Christmas mood this year!

Alternate Plans

You really don't expect me to sit at home alone all day during Thanksgiving Break, do you?

Nah, I didn't think so, so here's what I've been up to.

Was supposed to go to Oklahoma, but that didn't happen due to the cost of flights, then the wedding didn't happen, and well, that's about all I know. OKC is definitely in my winter break travel plans.

Monday -
After I said goodbye to my BF who was off to NY for the holidays I headed out to grab lunch and do a little shopping. I was in a funk. I was ok after a while. I went to physical therapy. Went to the gym in the evening.

Tuesday -
Went to my parent's where I did some stuff around the house, washed my car and waxed it. Decided I NEEDED to go somewhere. Got in the car and just drove. Was going to head to San Diego, but decided it was a bit far. Was thinking of WEHO, but wasn't feeling that, so I headed to Oil Can Harry's for gay country dancing. OMG. SUCH FUN. The atmosphere there was warm and friendly. I have to admit the dances they did I had never seen. Lots of couple dances. MUST GO AGAIN.



Wednesday -
Washed and waxed my mom's car. Went to lunch with Jack Off Buddy at a Mexican place. Visited the doc for new anxiety meds. I'm on Zoloft now. Feeling tired this evening and was thinking of heading out, but didn't. Celebrated our family Thanksgiving and listened to my sister's stupidity. Decided instead to watch "Prayers for Bobby."

Thursday-
Will be out tomorrow night after turkey day.

Friday-
Going hiking with a former teacher in the morning, then shopping, and then picking up my BF.

Family Drinking - Celebrating the Election

Got out of work Friday ASAP, but that meant meeting with my evaluator discussing my performance this year. I got C's on everything, which stands for adequate. We are graded on an A-F system, like our students, and C's is pretty much what everyone gets. If you have Ds or Fs you are put on an improvement plan. I was last year. The principal liked my lesson overall. I can only tell you of 2 teachers in total I know of who have ever received B or As in my school. Happy with that. 

Got to my BF's house and he'd already picked up the rental car. We were off to start our ObamaNation weekend. We had a 3 hour drive, so I told my BF about everything on my mind, made some parent phone calls, and relaxed. We arrive at his cousin's house about 6pm along the coast where we are offered a pomegranate cosmo. Sat down and talked with his cousin and aunt. Such a great time. His aunt said how much she loves me, and I am family now. She talked about what a cute couple we are, and for 82, was a real hoot. This is probably my 5th or 6th time seeing her. She was so sweet. She said we argue like a married couple. His cousin cooked up some fish tacos and we had a bottle of wine to go with it. Mike ran to get pies and we had pie and port after dinner. We talk for a while. We excuse ourselves about 11 to go to our hotel. Arrive at the hotel and fall asleep cuddling. MMMMM

Woke up to the pretty rain outside and got up at 6am. Showered and picked up his cousin. We drove in the car for about 30 minutes before she got car sick, so stopped at rest stop, dashed to bathrooms in rain, switched seats, she sat in front, and I sat in the back on my phone playing Words with Friends. 

Get to our hotel where our wine tour van is about to pick us up in Paso. Go to the first winery where we taste more than a dozen wines and toast to Obama. We have so much fun and get some great pics of us drinking the wines. We get back in the van and head to the next winery. The next winery was snooty and expensive, so they were stingy with wine, and the people were not pleasant. We didn't like the next one either. We were working up an appetite so we went to the next winery and picnicked outside where we were served some wine outside. Back on the bus it is nearly 3:30pm and we had a recommendation to go to a different winery, so we head there. The gal at the bar was sweet and very knowledgable. Got a delish dessert wine. My BF was ready to talk politics when we were toasting to Obama and made a conservative couple upset. A few things were said, and his cousin and I excused ourselves out to the buses and let my BF go at it... he came out feeling more confident than ever. We are about to head back to the hotel, but the smelly smoky cute guy and his lush gf were there with us, the girl thought Mike's cousin was her best friend, and babbling, and his cousin babbled back. We went into the winery with them for entertainment value. OMG. SO HILARIOUS. She was solving world problems and discussing fashion. Mike and I chat the british lady behind the bar. We bought some tast wine. We head to the hotel after. 

Back at the hotel we nap - I nap in front of the heater in the hotel room - like when I was a kid. We get up a bit later and head to dinner. Walk to dinner at an amazing restaurant. I HAD THE MOST DELICIOUS risotto and pork. It was divine. We had great dinner convo about family, work, politics, propositions, and education, much like when I first started dating Mike. His cousin got to see just what I was telling her about Mike. It was tooo funny!!! 

We go back to the hotel room for the night where we make love. 

We get up Sunday morning and go to a huge antique shop, his cousin bought lots, then we head to a Hearst Castle. Took the tour, walked the grounds. His cousin was enamored by the place, and we are wanting to head back again soon, preferably before XMas. Stop at a beachfront restaurant for our first meal of the day - it was 3pm ish. We have some more wine and chat about doing another trip together soon. 

I get to drive home and play some wonderful songs from XM radio. Mike's cousin and I belt out the following song: 

Get back to her digs and drop off the wine, check out her new place, and then head home. 

I wanted Coffee Bean on the way home and found the address on my phone - it was more than 30 blocks down a street in Ventura. Mike didn't believe me when I told him. He was mad I didn't "know" where it was, and told me to "learn to use my damn phone... not pay for a such expensive phone, learn to use the maps..." He was kinda mad, but it was funny, we don't really fight. LOL. We were best friends after I bought him a drink. 

Once we got home we unpacked and relaxed. Off to bed since he had to get up early today. Spent the day around the house relaxing and went to physical therapy. 

Spent the evening with the family... 

A little bit of this and a little bit of that

Blogging at midnight when I should be sleeping... a little bit of everything on my mind.

Are these not the coolest shoes? I want a pair. 


Spent the weekend going from the mountains to the desert. Chaperoned an all night field trip, then Sissy and I went to breakfast at Dennys. Oh, we did dance Gangham Style. Yum red velvet pancake pops. I was up like 26 hours. Wow.
Went to the mountains for 30 degree temps and a delicious dinner when I woke up. Found some real estate. Back home for the night where we went to Palm Springs the next day. Met some friends of Mike's and spent the night there.

Productive weekend. I washed my BF's car, vacuumed both of ours, cleaned the dash and all the important stuff. Picked up around the house, did massive amounts of laundry.

Sweater weather is here. YAY!

My new favorite song. Partial to Joan Baez, but the guitarist has the sexiest voice of all the Zac Brown Band members.




This song was in my head all week, and thanks to Joey for helping me figure it out.


Enough hickness. Here's another diddy I'm digging. Ok... it is country... but it is sexy.


This was in my head also all week, and it became a catch line at school.


Speaking of work we don't need to talk about that. Drama. Principal is leaving. Mixed feelings on that as much as I despise her some days. She isn't all bad, but she's not all good. Whoever you get can be worse.

Sister apparently wrote a thesis and had to defend it. Of course the world revolved around her and everything had to come to a standstill for that. Did you feel it? I dunno... my sister didn't seem like an expert on whatever it was she was presenting.

Oh, and speaking of my sister, sister story time. I have free Vegas nights and told my parents I'd take them as a part of their Christmas gift. I got 4 tickets to the show they really want to see.

So I haven't told them the part about the show, but I did say that I got 2 hotel rooms for the 4 of us, and we would be staying at a nice hotel. I have it all planned as far as shopping, restaurants, etc. We were in Red Robin eating, and my sister said we weren't going. She couldn't go. She had to stay home to care for the house. She had to care for the dog. She had to work. She couldn't work in a hotel room. There's tons of drunks in Vegas. There's smoking. And I wanted to say something and say she had to go because I have 4 tickets, but alas, I didn't. She broke out crying in the middle of the restaurant. UM. She's 23? 22? I forget, but WTF?

So that's what's going on in my neck of the woods as Al Roker would say. He annoys me BTW.

Out on the town

Been out partying like a rockstar recently... here's a quick rundown

Villa Blanca
The place to be seen in Beverly Hills, Real Housewife of Beverly Hills Lisa Vanderpump's restaurant. Awful food, lots of fried food, but it was fun socializing with Mike's coworkers and the people of the company he was wining and dining the other day.

Sprinkles Cupcakes
Went the night of Villa Blanca and drove up last Monday night with my coworker, Sissy, to get some.

Dinner with The Guy and his BF
Met The Guy and Rob for dinner last Friday night. Great time. We took them to our favorite steakhouse, and they were impressed as they'd driven by it, but had no idea how good the food was. 5 glasses of wine, beef sparerib, and tons of appetizers. Great time chatting about Mac products, Samsung, work, and more.

Conference for the program I teach
Highlight of my week because I LOVE these conferences - the information presented is always soooo relevant and inspiring - and I don't say that often. Sissy and I got to hang and flirt. We had the others jealous of us.

Friday Night
Mike and I went out to the fish house we like for dinner, chatted with a hilarious Asian bartender, who it turns out lives right by my parents. She was a blast. Went to 2 new microbreweries and had some good beer. A little buzzed after, which made shopping in Marshalls and Target mucho fun.

Tonight
Dinner with J&B at the steakhouse, microbrewery tour part 2 tonight.