Obsessions

It may be sunny outside, but in my head, it's all rain and fog and vampires.

After watching Twilight a few weeks ago, I decided I had to read the books, and now, 10 chapters in, let me just say, I'm obsessed - and I don't mean that lightly.

I am seriously not sure if I've ever read a more romantic book in all my 27 years of life. If you haven't read the books, go - now - read. If you have, I'm sure you know what I mean.

When I'm not daydreaming about the "devastating smiles" and "wicked grins" Meyers so perfectly describes, it's easy to laugh at how silly it is to become totally enthralled by fictional characters that never were and never will be real - but as soon as I start to laugh, I always remind myself just how rarely something comes along in life that completely encompasses you, excites you, lights you up from the inside (and in this particular case, turns you into a giggling, blushing 14-year-old), and I dive right back in.

I found this quote in the book and loved it - thought you might, too:

"If there is in this world, a well-attested account, it is that of vampires. Nothing is lacking: official reports, affidavits of well-known people, of surgeons, of priests, of magistrates; the judicial proof is most complete. And still, with all of that, who is there who believes in vampires?" - Rousseau

Chugging Along

Friday night got off to a rocky start, but all in all, it turned out to be a nice weekend. Most of the time it was just the two of us, something I really needed. Saturday was full of painting and shopping and haircuts - starting with sprinkled donuts and ending with a 1 am breakfast at Norm's. Sunday was lazy, with a trip to Joe's for crab and bloody maries and one fantastic view of the harbor.

I had been feeling a little off lately - like we'd somehow gotten a wheel off the tracks - but by Sunday, it felt like we were chugging along at just about full speed once again, which is always the best feeling.

The Happiest Place on Earth

Tuesday was Mason's 27th birthday. We celebrated with a trip to Disneyland. At first, the lines and the kids were overwhelming, but after swirling and whirling through mountains with monsters on the Matterhorn, we realized it was all worth it. The rest of the day included Indiana Jones, Pirates of the Carribbean, Splash Mountain, the Jungle Cruise, Tom Sawyer's Riverboat Tour and much more, including Space Mountain - which wasn't exactly my cup of tea.

For lunch, we sat outside at Cafe Orleans with gumbo and corn cakes, and for dinner, we feasted on pizza and beer. I got a bag of pink cotton candy and ate until my fingers were sticky. Mason got icecream. When we got home, we opened presents and slept like babies.

Anywhere But Here

In LA, June and gloom go hand in hand. A little of it is ok, but after a full week, I feel like I'm suffocating.

Yesterday I saw a family on vacation. They were standing on the sidewalk - in their kahki shorts and brand new, gleaming white sneakers - staring at the sky and quite possibly wondering if someone was playing a giant joke on them.

I felt sad that they chose to visit when they did, during a month of grey days when all I can think about is how much I'd like to be anywhere but here.

Busy Bee

It's been a busy, busy week, and I've been up to lots of things since my last post - some fun and some not so fun - but in the interest of time - mine and yours - I'll spare you the details and go with the highlights.

In the past week, I've:

-been to an LA Sparks game
-seen a celebrity (Snoop Dog!)
-grilled steaks
-experimented with eggplant
-gone to the beach
-bought tickets to Costa Rica (exciting!)
-watched Twilight (LOVED it)

-watched He's Just Not That Into You (thought it was ok)
-split a Joe's Crab Shack Steampot
-discovered a public lagoon
-seen a seal swimming in the sea (say that 3 times fast)
-been to the doctor
-worked from home
-shown up late
-left early
-been to a wine bar
-cleaned up after a crazy cat (MANY times)
-bathed the same crazy cat (a tramatizing experience for both parties)
-made a few lists (it's what I do)

I hope to not be gone as long this time, but for now, back to work...

Wednesdays Are For Rituals

Leya over at Curious Bird is one of my very favorite bloggers. So, when she suggested dedicating Wednesdays to "daily rituals," I couldn't refuse. The idea is to take a photo of something you do everyday that you normally don't even think about since it's such a part of your routine in the hopes that you'll start to notice beauty in even the most mundane daily rituals.

Want to see more pics? Check out the Daily Ritual flickr group here, and join in the fun if you'd like!

Girl Time

We decided to have a girls' day on Saturday. I got a pedicure and she got a manicure - bright blue and neon orange - and we finally made a trip to the Vanilla Bake Shop for baby cupcakes - bittersweet chocolate, spicy carrot and banana chocolate chip. Then, there was shopping and tacos for lunch, and when we got home, we made pina coladas, played MASH and met up with the boys for some dancing.

All in all, it was a great weekend, even if the June gloom was in full swing and summer suddenly seemed far, far away.