barely relevant

Summer bummer

2010-07-14T13:10:00.000-07:00

Well... Hello, July! You're here with a vengeance.

I am sitting outside, thankfully in a patch of shade, enjoying some afternoon procrastination with Daisy. She is sniffing Ben's tomatoes. I am wiping the sweat from my brow and hoping this caffeine headache goes away.

Summertime is nice and I am enjoying the weather and the sunshine and socializing with all my favorite people. What I am not enjoying so much are my classes and the indecision surrounding the next several months of my life.

Class at OSU and Ashland is tiring and generally annoying. I'm ready to be done with this.

Ben's applying for jobs. With any luck, in a couple of very short months, he won't live here anymore. Not that I want him to leave. Quite the opposite. Him leaving however, means that he has a job.

It's strange to think about the fact that I won't live here all that much longer either. Columbus has been my home pretty much all of my life, and at this point I'll only be here for another year or so, max. It's very exciting to think about living in a new place. I think I'll be happier about it when I know where that place is. Right now there are lots of candidates - New York, Chicago, Boston, Kanasas City, Houston, Toronto...the list goes on and on. Only time will tell, I suppose.

Big Brother has started up again, which is awesome. I know it's complete crap, but I love the drama.

I am planning a surprise outing for Ben this weekend. We'll see if it all works out.

Holy shnikes...

2010-01-12T11:22:00.000-08:00

It's been forever and a day...yet this blog will not be forgotten!

I'm writing from OSU campus. Yes, I did manage to graduate, but now I am continuing my schooling with more OSU classes towards the Bachelors Plus program at Ashland U. I'm going to get certified to teach 7-12 language arts and theatre. Woot woot woot.

Right now I feel so tired...there's no way possible that I could update completely right now seeing as how it's been 10 months since I last wrote in this blog. I'm sure I'll get caught up with things eventually.

Hopefully I'll be bringing my other blog to life as well - The Glitter Ninja Gazette where I will chronicle my crafting endeavors. I was the very happy recipient of a sewing machine at Christmas time, so now I am on a mission to learn how to use it. Thursday night my friend Leslie will be teaching me to make a pillow or two.

More to come...stay tuned.

2009-03-13T20:52:00.000-07:00

So yes, I've been rather negligent in my blogging lately. I honestly can't believe it's mid-march. February was a tough month, I was seriously struggling to get through school work and my obligations with the play and work and other obligation type things.

Today was my last day of classes. I have two exams next week and then...the big show. Graduation! It hasn't really set in yet...but I'm definitely starting to get excited.

Also exciting is the return of the physicist - less than a week away! We had a wonderful Valentine's Day adventure in San Francisco, which deserves its own entry, and will be headed off for a cross country tour on the 26th. Hooray! I've always wanted to experience driving across the country, and now I will have the awesome opportunity to do so.

One more performance of Issac tomorrow, lots of work and a couple exams. Then it's time for some fun!

it's almost february

2009-01-31T09:10:00.001-08:00

It is Saturday. I have so much work to do. Midterms... For the last time. (Undergrad at least)

Steve Mason had another shut out last night.

In two weeks, I will be in California. It can't come quickly enough.

Snow day!

2009-01-28T15:51:00.001-08:00

It's always nice to find out the night before that you don't have classes the next day. Columbus was under a level 2 snow emergency today, which meant quite a few people were staying put. It's days like today that leave me wishing I had a fireplace to snuggle up in front of (and maybe a physicist to snuggle up with) but either way, there's something very nice about being able to look out the window at pretty snow and know you really don't have to go anywhere. I've got good food to cook for dinner tonight (thanks to some exotic spices) and a new episode of Lost to look forward to. All and all, a nice day.

Here's a peek at the winter wonderland that is Columbus. With that crazy cold snap and now a good storm, I think it's safe to say I am ready for spring.

It wasn't all snow...we got a decent amount of ice as well. It makes the trees all pretty.

It also makes my car icy...I'm pretty sure I just put off the inevitable frustration of cleaning it off by not doing it today...Oh well. I'll worry about it tomorrow.

Here's hoping driving is better tomorrow, but for tonight, I'm ready for an evening in.

Carry the Flag!

2009-01-27T20:30:00.001-08:00

Epic Blue Jackets victory tonight. Sadly I wasn't there, but I watched excitedly from home. We conquered the evil Dead Things (also known as the Red Wings) in a 3-2 overtime victory. All three goals courtesy of Rick Nash. I so wish I could have been there to scream my head off and watch the hats rain from the sky as the cannon sounded to signify the overtime victory. These are two huge points to kick off the second half of the season. I was hoping Chimera might get a goal in his first game back after injury, but it's all good. Captain Nash took care of business. My boys need to keep playing like this. It's pretty exciting to be a Jackets fan right now.

In other icey news...the weather is horrible. Rehearsals for the play were canceled tonight, and it looks like OSU students will be the only people in the city who have classes tomorrow...unless there's some sort of miracle which would be a-maz-ing.

I was informed today I have a new manager at work...this came as a surprise. Hopefully all will still be ok.

Gotta get to bed soon...need to take a shower...but before I do...

GO BLUE JACKETS!!!

*edited to add: HOLY SHIT - OSU closed...no class tomorrow. Sweeeeeeet!

gotta get away

2009-01-26T08:51:00.000-08:00

I'm not gonna lie...the winter weather of doom had been getting me down, and when the opportunity arose to plan a weekend getaway to Detroit, I was all about it. Perhaps not your most enticing weekend getaway destination, but my friends Matt and Sandro were there with the touring company of A Chorus Line, and the physicist was able to get a ticket from warm, sunny California (yes, I'm jealous) to meet me there. So it wasn't so much the destination, as the people I would get to spend time with once there. Great success.

I believe that this picture does not require any extra explanation...business as usual really.

We were able to catch Matt and Sandro for a drink at the Fisher Building before we saw the show. Matt is always happy to pose for candid photos.

The bar itself was really pretty - I felt it deserved it's own picture.

I was very excited for Ben to meet Matt and Sandro...mostly because they are fucking awesome.

Happy happy.

Aren't they cute?

Knob creek does a body good.

The Fisher Building in Detroit was so gorgeous. Covered in mosaics and awesome art deco style. I probably could have spent an hour just taking pictures of all the wonderful sights inside. Some of these are blurry, but they give you the idea of the awesomeness.

After the show, we went to this swanky swanky steakhouse for some delicious meat. Yum!

This would be an awesome picture, were it not for the stupid renegade curl obscuring my face.

The weekend was relaxing overall. We didn't do anything super exciting, but had lots of time to chat, which was nice. Before I had to drop Ben off at the airport, we made a trip to starbucks...cause after having gone over 24 hours without, I was seriously jonesing.

Now that Ben will taunt me forever for being "bohemian" I flash a peace sign.

Pondering the flight back to California. Or perhaps some physics...

The physicist makes me happy.

And he *loves* his cappuccino.

Since it is of course totally safe to take pictures while driving, I snapped this one of the setting sun on my way back to Ohio.

There's much work to be done, and I'm sure to be a busy bee, but this weekend away really gave my soul some much needed happiness. I'm so thankful for the wonderful people in my life. They make it possible to get through all these dreary winter days.

seriously?!?

2009-01-15T20:08:00.000-08:00

It is 11:10 on Thursday evening in Columbus, Ohio. The temperature is -8 degrees...with windchill...wait for it...a delightfully face-melting -30. That's right. Negative-fucking-THIRTY. Let's just say I am not at all amused by the prospect of a full day traipsing around campus tomorrow. I have no idea if it can even reach the point where OSU closes because of cold temperatures...I am currently pondering how many layers of clothes I can wear and still be able to zip up my coat. I'm thinking at least two pairs of pants and three shirts...probably two pairs of socks. I wish I had goggles.

I also wish I had a physicist to keep me warm on a night like this. Nash and Noodle will be nice to cuddle with tonight.

Is it spring yet?

welcome to 2009

2009-01-05T18:12:00.000-08:00

woah...happy new year!

I had a great time on my Texas adventure. As usual, it was fabulous seeing Ben, and I had a blast meeting the rest of the Dundee clan and some assorted friends and others. The only part of Texas I had seen before was a small part of the Dallas airport, so it was exciting to see a new state. It was very Texas-y. Highlights included walks on the beach for shell collecting, lots of dogs to pet and snuggle, an aquarium in a pyramid, and the warmth of a fire from a lovingly constructed fire pit.

Sadly the transition back to the real world and the beginning of winter quarter has happened all too quickly. Classes started today, and although I'm taking a fun dialect class taught by a friend from Otterbein, and I will try to enjoy the challenges of French, I'm not super thrilled about the coming weeks of this winter quarter. The weather is yucky, and my geology class seems like it may be trying. Due to my excellent skills for never planning ahead, I've been without a couple of my prescriptions for a couple of weeks now. Silly, Bryanne... Yeah, so needless to say I'm feeling the effects. I'm back on everything as of this afternoon, so hopefully the situation will begin to right itself in a couple of days.

While a good portion of the population of Columbus is now enraptured by a football game, I am watching the Bachelor and eating some yogurt. Oh yes...the fascinating life I lead!

In exciting news, I've been cast in Raconteur Theatre Company's next production - Isaac, I am. It's been about a million years since I acted, and my good friend Lorelei is also a part of the cast. I'm so looking forward to this experience, and hope that it proves to be as much fun as I think it will be.

I've got big goals for 2009, and lots of changes and growth on the horizon. I really want to get back in the swing of things to be healthier, in better shape, more organzied and productive and generally happier. It's a tall order, but I want it...badly. So step by step, one day at a time will be my plan. Two easily summarized goals include figuring out the next step in my educational career, and being able to run a 5k by this summer.

A full Texas trip update will come soon...but for now...back to the Bachelor! *bwa ha ha!!!*

x-mas

2008-12-24T12:48:00.000-08:00

Above, Melissa and I react to the completely abysmal play of the Blue Jackets last night. Epic hockey fail. :-(

Christmas eve...it's raining in Columbus. Last night everything was covered in a nice slippery sheet of ice.

The end of the quarter was not quite what I wanted it to be. I should have worked harder, and will resolve to do so next quarter. I think the senioritis has set in. I just want to be done. I am starting to map out my next steps, and plan where I will go next in my career. It's exciting and scary and there are lots of questions running through my head, but I'm trying to take it one step at a time.

Not going to lie...I've been a little down the past couple of weeks. Kinda sucks. Work has been fine, haven't been doing a whole lot of socializing, and I've been *really* tired. The cats seem to be getting into slightly less trouble which is nice.

Hanukkah started on Sunday night, and we did a little family celebrating. There was a lot going on since Melissa had just gotten home and then was leaving for Missouri early the next morning, so it wasn't very elaborate...which is ok. :-) Family time is always nice.

Lighting the candles and saying the blessings

Fun with camera timer

Latke time!

Yum, yum, yum

Latkes and sour cream...not healthy in any way, but SO DELICIOUS!!!

Now I'm headed over to Mom and Dad's to have some dinner, then back home, hopefully to see Melissa and Matt.

Just wanting to feel a little holiday spirit, instead of so down and blue.

thanksgiving recap...finally...

2008-12-24T12:27:00.001-08:00

Wowza...it's been a crazy couple of weeks. I can't believe it's Christmas eve. I'm excited to go to Texas on Sunday. I am way behind on updating this thing!!

First up, I feel compelled to share some pictures from Thanksgiving, even though it's almost a month in the past. I had such a great time...

While shopping for squash casserole supplies...Dundees are everywhere!

We got to see two hockey games during the week It's the favorite way for the Bornstein family to celebrate any occasion.

Cooking for Thanksgiving is always lots of fun - Ben and Mom were joking about something here. I swear, I did more than just take pictures, I helped prepare as well!

Dad needed a break to check up with his crackberry.

My sister Melissa, Caleb her boyfriend, my best friend Melissa and her boyfriend Matt were also on hand for activities of thankfulness.

Here's a view of the table, post nom.

Two goobers at a hockey game.

ugh...

2008-12-09T18:43:00.000-08:00

So the good news is it's not so cold today...in fact not really cold at all. Granted, it has rained all day, but I will gladly take that over snow. It's been gray and gloomy overall, which doesn't do a lot for fostering a good mood.

I shouldn't be writing this blog right now. I should be studying for my exams tomorrow. I think my brain needed a little break though. I have my french exam at 9:30, and then physical anthropology at 1:30. Everything is under control. I have good grade thus far in both classes, and should be in good shape for the exams, but it stresses me out none the less. I seem to not feel comfortable going into exams unless I overprepare, so thats where I am right now. Most previous quarters have worked out nicely so I only have one exam each day, and having two tomorrow is stressing me out a bit. Just have to breathe and try to focus...which is hard. When I have a lot to do, I have a hard time just working on things bit by bit. Instead, I tend to worry about getting everything done and am less productive overall.

The blue jackets suck. It is so depressing I can't even describe it. I just don't get it.

My cats are fairly calm today...and better stay away from the new laptop charger. I have to figure out a way to get them to stop chewing on stuff.

Three weeks from today I will be in Galveston - There's something to look forward to! Two days from now I will be done with exams and beginning to enjoy a couple weeks of freedom - from school anyways.

I like the holidays. I like vacation. I like traveling and exploring new places.

I've had straight A's for 7 quarters straight...I really hope I don't jeopardize this tomorrow. I am trying to tell myself that a "B" every so often wouldn't be the end of the world...I *almost* believe it.

Ok...back to the books.

Furry monsters

2008-12-06T20:03:00.000-08:00

It snowed most of the day today, and although snow in Columbus can be a royal pain in the ass, it is also very pretty to look at. While driving around today I saw many accidents, including a car that was almost in the Olentangy river after sliding off of 315. I myself almost rear ended someone on my way down the little hill where Kenny Road hits Bethel. Luckily I was able to stop my car in time, and promptly told Ben I should probably call him later and not talk on the phone while driving in the snow. Yes, I am bad.

This snowy weather is lovely to look at when you are warm inside, although I admit it makes me wish I had a physicist to snuggle with. Poor guy, he's suffering through "winter" in California...ya know, the whole wearing shorts and riding his bike thing.

The Blue Jackets are playing tonight in LA. Hoping for good things.

The cats were being rather cute today, so I snapped a couple pictures.

Mom and I were going to go to Winterfair today, but with the snow and crazy driving, we decided to stay in. We had a nice dinner and then hung out while I did laundry. Mom did some work while I continued my crafting endeavors. I am going to have to make another trip by JoAnne's tomorrow morning to pick up some more supplies.

Here's another sneak peak at my crafty-ness.

been a long time!

2008-12-05T21:38:00.000-08:00

Yikes...I've been very negligent in my blogging. Let me just say, I am thrilled to be done with classes for the quarter. Now I just have to make it through exams, and then I can relax. Well...work a bunch hopefully, but also relax!

Thanksgiving was excellent, and I will provide some proper blog-umentation of the events at a later date. I have to be up for work in a few short hours, so I can't stay up too much later.

New job is going well. Getting used to the morning hours has been quite the challenge. I enjoy it though. I'm still going to work the occasional shift at Bravo as well for some extra income.

My cats are evil. There was very little doubt before...but now every day I become a little more sure that my cute little fluff balls are actually agents of the devil.

The following is what was waiting for me when I arrived home after class today.

I wish I could tell you this didn't seem to happen from time to time, but unfortunately that is not the case. You have to wonder...is the perpetrator of this act malicious or merely retarded? I am inclined to think it may just be a little of both. Ben may think that 400 lb chihuahuas would be the coolest thing ever, but two 10 lb cats are about all I can handle. At least I love constantly sweeping the floor...oh wait...

Here's Noodle - Looking kinda guilty.

But you can't hate him too much, because then he goes and gets all cute...like here as he snuggles up on a small pile of dirty socks. Aww...Noodle...

I think his feet are particularly cute.

Now he gives a movie star smile.

This holiday season I am attempting something I have always wanted to do but have never followed through on. I am trying my hand at crafting holiday gifts for people. I love all things crafty, but seem to have ADD when it comes to choosing one and really getting into it. I found a great community on livejournal for homemade gift ideas, and decided this would be the year I made it happen.

I've got a couple plans underway - bought some supplies today and even started crafting a bit. The first finished prototype is going to live with my mom, and i don't have any pictures of that one but here's a glimpse of the next one I am working on. I won't yet reveal just what they are...because it would ruin the surprise...but here's a sneak peak.

Ok...time for bed.

Until next time...

tuesday groove

2008-11-18T15:03:00.000-08:00

I had to clear snow off of my car this morning. It's always a rude awakening the first time you have to do that every winter. F-ing snow. I like it...but it's a royal pain, and my body hasn't adjusted to the cold yet.

So, I am obsessed with Beyonce's new song, Single Ladies. This is going to be my new morning groove and am making a new work out mix to feature it. I should have worked out today, but thats another story. I promise myself to work out tomorrow, since it also helps improve my mood. A good, energetic song never fails to help me start the day on a positive note. This one makes me just want to get up and dance, even though I don't really dance. What you may not know is that I am a dance superstar in the privacy of my own apartment. However, my moves are not for public consumption...

I started my new job at Starbucks very, very early on Monday morning. I was unable to fall asleep the night before, so going on two hours sleep from work, straight to class had me in a pretty foul and hopeless mood. I know/hope that once I can adjust to this schedule it will be easier, but I also know that I certainly have a tendency to sort of get all doom and gloom about things from time to time, especially when I am tired. Monday was one of those days. With excellent encouraging words from my parents and Ben I was feeling better by the end of the day.

Again, I had trouble sleeping last night - although 5 hours of sleep is much better than 2. I ended up getting off work a little early, and coming home for a nap, which went longer than I had originally intended. I am feeling more caught up on sleep, but am now concerned it may affect how early I get to sleep tonight. I don't know...I'm still feeling pretty tired.

Since I worked for Starbucks before (for almost two years mind you) the training is going very smoothly. I remember a lot of it, and there isn't *so* much that has changed. I got a bit ahead today so tomorrow morning I will start making drinks on the bar right away, as opposed to having to trudge through the reading (which is a good refresher, but pretty boring overall). There are some new drinks I will have to learn, but I think I remember a lot of the other stuff. Beth, my learning coach, is so nice, as are the rest of the people who work there. Andi, my manager seems really great as well - from what I can tell of them so far, I really like her management philosophy. Overall it seems like such a positive place to work. I have a lot of really happy memories from my previous stint at Starbucks - until a bad management change sent everything awry - and am looking forward to this experience. Working in the morning will be an adjustment for sure, but thats when the best parts of the job take place - Making drinks, interacting with customers, being busy. The night shifts were the ones I didn't like as much - there's so much in the store that has to be cleaned and sanitized every night - breaking down all the syrup pumps, mopping, doing load after load after load of dishes...those are the things I will not miss.

6 days till the arrival of the physicist. A little more than a week from thanksgiving. I will be working a lot, but am going to try to get ahead on homework this week so that when I am not in class or at work I can enjoy the time with my family, and my man.

My cats are crazy...but are actually being quiet right now. Amazing. Now I will run out to procure some dinner before the Jackets game starts. Sadly it's not on tv, so I will have to listen on the radio...or use my dad's special NHL video account thing (since he's at the game after all)...while I type up the final copy of my French composition. I am going to turn that bugger in early.

So there you have it...my life in a nutshell. Woot.

we now interrupt your crazy week for an evening of relaxation

2008-11-14T21:29:00.001-08:00

Friday...whew...

So week 8 of the quarter has ended and I am feeling like things with my classes *somewhat* under control. I've got quite a bit coming up in french class this week, but I think it should be do-able.

On the job front - I am transitioning yet again. Starting Monday I'm going to be a minion of the coffee monster yet again - going back to Starbucks. I'm actually really excited about it. Well, excited about everything but having to get up at ungodly hours. I'm sure it will be an adjustment.

The Blue Jackets spanked the Sabres tonight 6-1. Granted, Sabre goalie, Patrick Lalime hadn't played in a couple weeks...but the Sabres are one of the best teams in the eastern conference. We beat them in Buffalo which is an added bonus. Yay road win! 4-1-1 in our last 6 games. That's not too shabby. Hopefully we can make a strong showing tomorrow against the Wild.

One of the great benefits of dating someone with good taste in music is that you get introduced to great new artists. I'm enjoying my "weekend" this evening by becoming more familiar with the music of Joshua Radin. It's been a while since I've discovered an artist where I can really listen to every song on their album without wanting to skip any. Thank you Mr. Physicist!

It's going to be a long week for sure, but after a good workout this afternoon, a decisive Blue Jackets victory and a relaxing evening of listening to music, I think I will be up for the challenge.

keep on trucking

2008-11-10T14:57:00.000-08:00

This happy orchid will brighten up the dark, dreary impending winter of central ohio.

The end of the quarter is drawing near. This means many things - some good, some stressful. The good is that Ben will be here in two weeks. The bad is that there is lots of work to be done. I am staying reasonably on top of things. My french composition turned out better than I thought. (Apparently I set ridiculously high standards for myself there) I think I did reasonably well on my anthropology midterm today. My theatre class is a cluster fuck...but thats a whole other story.

The Blue Jackets have won three in a row and are 4-0-2 in their last six games. This is an excellent turn around from the few games before that. Steve Mason, our young stud of a goalie, is so exciting to watch! I *really* hope he lives up to his potential. We've had too many first round picks that have turned into busts.

Since I am a super fan of massive proportion, I won a years supply of hot dogs on Wednesday night. Mind you, this is the second time this has happened. Every so often they will have stations in the arena where you can make a sign before the game, and both times I have done this I have won. Great success!! Granted the hot dogs are not my favorite, so I am donating the coupons to a local food bank. Maybe one of these days I will win something more blue jacket-y...like a jersey...or my very own blue jacket.

Me with my sign...although I did get the quote wrong. There is a cannon in nationwide arena that gets fired after ever blue jackets goal.

52 coupons for packages of sugardale hotdogs. Yum...I guess...

Until next time...

I don't think you're ready for this jelly.

2008-11-09T16:58:00.000-08:00

I think it's safe to say that without a doubt, the various jellyfish on display were my favorite part of the Monterey Bay Aquarium. I haven't had much experience with jellyfish, or jellies, as they are properly called. ('cause they're not fish!) I've been lucky enough to have never been stung by one, and might have caught one or two at the various aquariums I have visited, but other than that, no real jelly time. I was filled with childlike glee when we saw an assortment of moon jellies on our whale watching adventure, but getting to see them up close and personal at the aquarium was fantastic!

First up, the purple striped jelly...

Next up, moon jelly - We saw these on the whale watching trip, but they looked much more pink than white as they floated along.

A zillion little moon jellies...so cute!

Ben was right, the sea nettles were my favorite. It was pretty mesmerizing watching them squish around in their tank.

A better close up of the tentacles...simply amazing!

Here's a (blurry) shot of the sea nettle tank - gives you a better idea of how big it was and more importantly how many of them were in there.

Hard at work, capturing the jelly madness.

I wish this wasn't so blurry...but just to prove we were really there!

Basking in the squishy jelly glow.

Doing my civic duty

2008-11-04T08:22:00.001-08:00

I voted today. It was very important to me to make sure I did so.

I went with my mom to my old elementary school, and stood in line in the cafeteria. It only took about 15 minutes which was a very pleasant surprise. It was kinda odd being back in that room - it's been many years since I was in there. I remember how big that cafeteria used to seem, and today it seemed so small. There were still names of teachers on the wall that I recognized, along with a lot of fun kid art. There was no school today, but there were some kids roaming the halls, perhaps kids of volunteers. They had all made their own "voting badges" to pass out - little pads of post-it notes that they had written messages on. "I voted. :)" (smiley face included of course) It was really cute to see how excited they were about the whole situation. I was excited too.

I'm always a little bit surprised at how patriotic I feel standing at the voting booth. I checked my ballot carefully to make sure I put everything in correctly. I took a moment to just stand there and take it all in. I may not be as informed about politics as I could be. Or should be. But I believe in the candidate I voted for. I believe that things can improve in this country. It doesn't make me any less proud to be an American, or to participate in the voting process. It's not only my right, it is my duty.

I will be watching anxiously this evening to see how things turn out...A new chapter of our collective history as a country will begin tonight. I am hopeful.

lovely, squishy things.

2008-11-03T18:43:00.000-08:00

Prepare to get schooled...

Presenting: The adventures of Ben and Bryanne at the Monterey Bay Aquarium!!

Although I didn't know it would be part of the weekend plans, ever since I had become aware of Monterey's aquarium I wanted to go there. I may not be the biggest fan of seafood, but I *love* going to aquariums. When initially discussing potential things to do when I went to visit Mr. Dundee, the aquarium was one of the first things that came up.

The Monterey Bay Aquarium certainly lived up to my expectations and exceeded them. I've been to aquariums before that deal primarily with local wildlife and it was nice to see that here. (Even though I really would have liked to see some clownfish! I will have you know I was a fan pre-finding Nemo. :) )

Ben had his new camera to use, and I was ready to take lots of pictures, so over the course of a day and a half, we took a ton of pictures. Here are some of my favorites - undoubtably this will become a series of entries. There just too much fishy goodness to cram into one.

The giant kelp forest tank was getting a nice scrub down from some friendly scuba dudes.

My favorite anemone - the cute pink strawberry variety.

Starfish - up close and personal.

I had no idea sand dollars looked like this!

Ben's favorite anemones look like something out a dr. suess book.

As does this engaging little critter.

Perch tank wonderland

Up next - Starfish bonanza! They were all members of a touch pool posse, so I gave each of them a little tickle after taking their photos. I figured it was only proper.

This little guy is called a bat star. I have no idea why. Although if he took off flying around to save gotham I certainly wouldn't complain. In fact, that would be pretty awesome.

A whole blurry pile of these blue spotty guys

The colors of this one were particularly striking

Look! They have people at the aquarium too!

Weekend is coming!

2008-10-30T16:03:00.000-07:00

The weather was surprisingly warm today! It was also nice and sunny with a lovely blue sky which never fails to help me feel more productive.

I am attempting to make some spaghetti squash for dinner tonight - I am thinking I will cook some onions and garlic to add in with a little spaghetti sauce. Of course this all hinges on the squash turning out well, so here's hoping!

My cat Nash seems to be having some issues with hairballs lately, which has meant frequently coming home to discover presents of furry cat vomit. I got him some hairball remedies today, including this great paste that vaguely smells like soy sauce. I was a bit concerned that it would be hard to get him to eat it, but sure enough he was licking that stuff right off of my fingers and wanting more. I gave some to Noodle too, in hopes that I can prevent him from having the same problems.

Blue Jackets play in Colorado tonight...I've got my fingers crossed. Sadly, it really can't get much worse for my beloved hockey boys. Here's hoping maybe it can get better!

A whale of a surprise

2008-10-29T21:04:00.001-07:00

When I headed out to California to visit Ben, I knew very little about what events would take place while I was there. I was informed before my arrival that there were "surprises" planned. Of course, I had no complaints about this whatsoever! Who doesn't love surprises?

Friday morning, we were up bright and early. Prior to the trip, Ben asked me if I got seasick (to which I confidently replied "no") and told me for this surprise I would need to bring a sweat shirt, a "woolen hat" and binoculars. I was armed and dangerous when we took off from the bed and breakfast around 8:00 and found ourselves at Fisherman's wharf - The secret was soon out. We were going whale watching! I was most pleased by this news, and excited to spend some time out on the water.

Before long we were enjoying views of swimming sea lions and the occasional floating jelly fish as we headed out into the bay towards deeper waters and potential whales. Ben provides much better description about how fast and far we went...all I know is the wind was in my hair, camera in my hand, and smile on my face.

After a while we got our first glimpse of whale mania - off in the distance we saw the plumes of water from a spouting whale. There were several pods on various side of us. Even being at this distance and capturing little glances of whales as they crested above the water was exciting. We had no idea what was coming next!

After some nice views from a distance, the whales decided to come investigate our boat, and investigate they did! The next hour was one of the most amazing I've ever experienced. The whales swam back and forth under our boat, coming up to investigate on either side, while all the happy humans on board oooh-ed and aaahh-ed and got repeated first hand exposure to the fragrance that is whale breath. (Yes - it's as bad as it sounds)

I think this next view was most striking to me - seeing that whale...looking all whale-y and such. Just like it's supposed to be!

This stunning whale sneeze hit Ben right in the face. Excellent!

The orifice responsible...

Now with all the whale excitement, which resulted in lots of rocking back and forth of the boat, I was a bit surprised when I realized I wasn't feeling so hot. Maybe it was all the whale breath in the air, or perhaps the slightly unsavory quiche I had eaten for breakfast, but before too long I abandoned my post, snapping pictures and gazing at the whales and instead found myself leaning over the back railing, puking my guts out. Not one of my proudest moments, but amusing in retrospect. Naturally I immediately felt better. (Maybe it was just the quiche...) I was a bit embarrassed, but more than anything surprised. I've been on plenty of boats before, small ones included and have never gotten sea sick before. First time for everything I guess!!

After I sat down for a whale, took a brief nap on Ben's shoulder, and drank some water I was feeling better and able to enjoy the remainder of the excursion.

Here's Ben, doing his best "Holy shit, it's a whale!" pose.

Happy (albeit slightly chilly) whale watchers.

Tune in next time for "Adventures at the Monterey Bay Aquarium"

The adventure begins

2008-10-27T15:33:00.000-07:00

Back at home after a truly wonderful weekend in Monterey. I want to make sure to give all the happenings their proper limelight in blog-land, so I'll break things up into several posts.

I flew out early, early, early, on Thursday morning to meet Ben in San Francisco. I knew he had some surprises planned for us for the weekend, but really wasn't sure what he had up his sleeve. It's been hard with him all the way off in California this past month, so I was very excited to see him none the less.

He picked me up at the airport, we grabbed some lunch, made a quick stop at the house where he is staying (where he packed a suitcase) and we were off! The weekend adventures had begun!

First stop was the Stanford Shopping Center where we visited Sprinkles Cupcakes. I am what one might call a cupcake enthusiast, and Ben knowingly thought going there might be something I would get a kick out of. He was right!

Apparently Sprinkles is so fantastic that we had to wait in line just to go inside! It was like some fancy night club masquerading as a humble cup cake bakery.

He tried the coconut, while I went for the chocolate marshmallow.
Delicious!!

Once we were armed with delicious cupcakes, we hit the road. Ben knew where we were going, but I was still totally in the dark, so I just enjoyed the ride and the company. We first enjoyed the landscapes and curvy roads of the Santa Clara mountains, but before long we were driving along the pacific coast, wind in our hair and salty air in our noses.

We pulled off for a while to do a little exploring - Ben was anxious to try to capture some wild life with his new camera. We found a group of uber lazy sea lions, an accommodating gull of some sort and some interesting sea grass.

We continued down the coast through Santa Cruz and other towns as well as lots of agricultural areas on into Monterey. I got very excited as we drove through Monterey, as Ben kept insisting he was only looking for a gas station to stop at to use the restroom. We arrived at the Centrella inn, our destination for the weekend...

It's october...

2008-10-10T13:30:00.000-07:00

Hello October! Here you are.

Blue Jackets hockey starts tonight, as does new episodes of Degrassi.

Going to see the performance of Ghosts tonight.

really want to make this a cool blogging endeavor.

going to california in two weeks. great success.