A quickie (not that kind) for SP

Dear SP,

Sometimes you prance around the apartment like a show pony and I love it so much.  Sometimes you "rush in place" and it’s a shimmy/shake like the world has never known.  Sometimes (aka every day) you make my coffee even though you don't drink any yourself or even particularly enjoy the smell.  SP you give the best hugs.  Your shoulders make the best kleenex.  You are infinitely kind to others.  If we had the financial and time resources I'm pretty sure you'd help every living soul you passed in the streets.  Your ability to eat the exact same things over and over and over again fascinates me (and makes cooking easy!)  You are unendingly optimistic and work harder than probably anybody I've ever met.  Your unfailing faith in me is undeserved but so very appreciated.

Thank you for always watching my crappy reality tv shows and allowing me to be a tv voyer.  Thank you for letting me have all my feelings whenever I need to feel them.  Thanks for always picking up the dog poop.  Seriously thanks.  Thanks for working hard at our relationship - even when it is challenging.  Thanks for trying new things with me and for mini adventures.  Thanks for kicking your own butt to try to make me the happiest girl in the world.  And thanks for always making me laugh really hard.

I love you more than a giant bowl of popcorn with seasoned salt (and you know that's a LOT!)

-Me

Oh Em Gee

Oh em gee you guys, its FALL!

I knew it was fall when the temp didn't hit 90 all last week and it was all breezy and leafy and fall-ey and beautiful.  I knew it was fall by all the beautiful, creamy leather boots that are taking over the shoe departments of the world, and by the cinnamon smell that is around every corner.  Being a southern CA girl, I've always loved some sunshine and some summer weather, but I have a confession to make - I think I'm becoming a northern CA girl.  I mean I really like fall you guys.  And I watch Giants games (blasphemy, I'm sorry Padres, you'll always be my baseball first love).  Who would have thought?  6 years ago at this time I would not have been thinking, “man I wish it would rain.”  And yes I know I will be eating these words, every last drop of them, when it’s been raining for 30 days straight and I'm shoving my head directly into the florescent light fixture.  But still, I'm so excited.  I can't wait for hot tea and blankets.  For reading books in bed while it rains outside.  I can't wait for crisp cool weather and coats and sweaters and boots.  As a rule I think I look significantly better in fall/winter clothes.  And don't even get me started on the holidays.  I'm already a self proclaimed Christmas junkie.  But I love thanksgiving so very much as well.  The food and the colors (I've always looked good in earth tones ;) and the family.  I love that my mom pulls out the Christmas stuff literally the day after thanksgiving and we torture my father by turning on the Christmas music as soon as possible.  I can't wait for apple and cinnamon and scarves.  Oh I can't wait!

To get into the fall spirit SP and I went to Apple Hill awhile ago.  We walked in nature and fed some stinky goats and took fall-ey pictures and looked at crafts.  And we ate apple crumb doughnuts.  Can we just have a moment of silence for apple crumb doughnuts?  I mean really those things will always deserve my everlasting love and worship.  If the world is going to end, I'm going out eating apple crumb doughnuts (and mac and cheese) they're THAT good.

In honor of the season change (and the fact that my hair was a rat nest) I got BANGS.  Bangs dude.  It’s been a long while since I've had some bangs.  And an even longer time since I've had front bangs (that my mother didn't cut in our front yard - word to the wise, moms should probably never cut bangs, their children's or their own - love you mom!)  I'm still getting used to them.  It’s weird to have something touching my face all the time, but overall I think I likey.  Now if I could only figure out how in the world the salon person could get my hair to curl (and STAY for 2 days).  I just don't understand, despite exact replication of what they do I cannot curl my hair.  Maybe I need a new curling iron.  Anybody have any tips on curling uncurlable hair?

Last weekend SP and I went to see my bestie at her hippie cottage in Fort Bragg, CA.  And apparently there is a crazy murderer on the lose in the woods.  (like for real)  I promise we stayed in well populated areas.  Pictoral debrief to come soon.

Happy Fall-ing people!

Is this what being eaten by zombies feels like?

I wrote this yesterday...My Prayers were Answered!

**************************************************************************************************

Dear God of slumber,

Please bless me this night with your sweet dreams.  Because if I don't sleep tonight I'm pretty sure I will cut a b*tch tomorrow.  Is this what being eaten by zombies feels like?  Please help.

Thanks,
Sarah

**************************************************************************************************

I think I'm a pretty level headed person (I can hear SP laughing in my head right now) most of the time.  Obviously I get worked up and anxious and happy and scared and and and but I would say in GENERAL i'm relatively even tempered.  But let me tell you something, when peeps don't sleep, all sh*t hittith the fanneth.  Like no joke, I'm pretty sure everything on the planet is annoying (the florescent lights at work are too florescenty, peoples emails are too emaily, my diet coke isn't diet cokey enough - Can I get an Amen?).  And my brain it just stops working.  Like today I'm pretty sure I stared at the same budget I had been working on for like 35mins trying to do the same (very basic) calculation over and over and over.  (I'll have you know I did eventually figure it out and it was a stupid mistake and that's all we're saying about that).  But really can I be blamed for my irritable disposition and my inability to do arithmetic (can I do this when well rested?! NO!) when it is due in fact to my lack of zzzzzzzzzzz's.  It's not like I'm choosing to be grumpy.  I throw my hands up in surrender, today I'm grumps mc gee.  I'm pretty sure there will be a drool puddle on my keyboard right quick here. 

In other news this insomnia is probably training me well for the wee ones of the future (Calm down SP, my ovaries are on hold - sorta)

Happy Dreaming,
Sarah

I went on vacation and all I got was...

On Vacation I got:

-to relax and swim in the beautiful ocean
-to watch SP plank at Disneyland
-to go to DISNEYLAND
-the stomach flu
-to walk on le beach
-to eat my body weight in mexican food
-a sunburn
-hugs from my momma and my daddy

Epic Plank-age & the Happiest Place on Earth!

Pancho the Disney Donkey

We make such beautiful Disney characters!

 Pretty sure this series of pictures speak for themselves:

We also went to the Aquarium:

Beautiful San Diego!

Vacation, was le lovely (with a tiny bit of terribleness).  It was not quite long enough.  Oh how I wish the parental units lived just a touch closer.  More hugs all around.  

This weekend SP and I are continuing the fun with a mini vacation to San Jose to see our fabulous friend Joshy in THIS! Which is one of my all time favorite musicals anyway but its always just a little bit better when you know somebody in it.  We're taking dog baby with us so hopefully we'll have some outside time too...

Oh cray cray doglet...

Happy labor day peeps!

Saltwater babyyyyy

Sometimes I drink, like, gallons of crystal light.  No joke i'm ingesting at least a liter a day...if not more.  Sometimes I think about what all of those crystal light chemicals are doing to my insides.  And then I think about how much broccoli I consume and I don't even worry about the chemicals.  Everybody knows that broccoli kills cancer.  Just ask George Carlin...

In other news: I SURVIVED!

All 193 students are home and alive and well and I don't care how they are because they are not my responsibility anymore.  And I haven't even received any hate mail or angry parent phone calls etc.  And there are murmurings of keeping me on for another year (and forever!!!!^googleplex).  Please pray for the CA budget so that I can keep my job which I love/hate.  Being asked to continue employment (and being assured that my boss "has absolutely no interest in hiring anyone else") was a pretty great compliment I have to say.  Apparently hard work REALLY does pay off...who knew...

On Sunday after the program ended SP took me to the beach.  It was glorious.  We let kook a dook dog run around and swim in the ocean.  She's kind of a beach/dog freak.  She's like a hyper 2 year old at the beach running around all crazy time and eating sticks and crying at/running to every dog within a 100 yard radius (people love that as you can imagine).  We ate lunch at this cute little cafe overlooking the ocean.  I inhaled burger and fries and fish tacos and mimosas and it was fabulous.  Then SP and I laid on the beach and took a deep breath.  And I remembered what it felt like to not worry about work every minute of every single day.  And it was good. 

OH THE BEACH

Lunch was oh so fresh

And in 7 days I will do it all again.  7 days until vacation in so-cal with the parentals and SP!  We are leaving babydog in the capable care of our friends.  It will be the longest we have ever left her.  I am concerned about it, no lie.  She is very quirky.  And does anybody know how to love her better than me?  I think not... But it will be good to get away from here.  And hibernate.  See some old friends.  Eat some mexican food.  Take a few walks/jogs on the beach.  Enjoy the salty air and my mom's hugs and my dad's chuckly laughter.  I can't wait to see the flowers in the backyard and the ever growing/freaky shrine to the Virgin Mary that mom is eternally working on.  I can't wait for disneyland and reading books and sleeping in (please God, PLEASE reset my internal clock!)  I want to watch movies and go to the wild animal park and do nothing.  I can't wait to turn off the email and the work anxiety and just be.  Just be me with SP.  and the sunshine. 

I'm very lucky I've realized lately.  SP and I are coming to a place in our lives where things are pretty stable.  Where we can save and grow and build our lives.  Its comforting.  It's exciting.  It's weird.  Not like either of us was ever selling our blood for money or anything, but its nice to feel like we can buy vegetables instead of top ramen...This isn't coming out right.  I'm feeling blessed.  and grateful.  That's the moral of this story.

We are in the planning stages for what we are fondly referring to as "The Party About Love"  Suggestions welcome, nothing guaranteed.  (except good food, and sparklers - SP demands sparklers!)

Also I'm pretty much obsessed with THIS song right now.  Yum.

Wishing you sunshine and salt water!

The Haps!

Sooooooo long time no talksie-poo.

I know you all have been missing my nonsensical ramblings.  So sorry to deprive you.

My kiddies are here!  HEREEEE.  And by my kiddies I do of course mean 193 of my closest and most brilliant mathematician and scientist friends aged 13-17yrs.  It is kind of amazing that (give or take) 386 parents and guardians have entrusted me with their precious snowflakes for 4 weeks.  I can’t imagine my mother ever letting me leave her sight for that long when I was that age.  I also wasn’t brilliant so that might have something to do with it…

But in all reality these students blow my mind.  They are so insanely smart and talented.  They are musicians and athletes and dazzling academics.  I will tell you something, for those who doubt the future generations – I think I can say with certainty that you are wrong.  I have great hope that we can be kinder and smarter and stronger than we are now.  That we can find inventive ways to heal our planet, the problems (health and societal) that plague humanity, and ways to better use the great gifts and talents we each have.  If these are the minds we have to work with I know that we can move forward.

If by some crazy twist of fate you haven’t seen this video yet I highly recommend it.  Intriguing and inspiring.

Lost Generation

Enough of that mushiness.

Besides the kiddies coming we have also had many many a package coming in.  24 Galileoscopes.  39 UC Davis Vet Med Lab Coats.  Albino frogs from Florida. etc etc

And these:

Smurfs?!  nope - CAKE POPS!

Creepy or Delicious?

Or Both!

What are those you ask?  Tiny bodiless people?  Oh those, my friends, are cake pop heads.  Who ever thought you should eat a tiny piece of cake in the shape of a human head was kind of a sick individual don’t you think?  Freaky and yet surprisingly sweet and delicious.  A little too sweet maybe (apparently fondant skin is a little sugary) but really not bad considering the (let's be honest) terrifying exterior. 

In other news in the past month-ish we have celebrated the following:

• One best friendsies quarter of a century horsie riding birthday
• One Mini nephew in-law’s baby blessing
• One 4^th of July patriotic event
• One UC Davis COSMOS Program Opening Day
• One “little” brother’s 22^nd birthday

Tres Horse Amigos

Pancho and the other horse who's name I can't recall..

Birthday Boy!

Phewf we are so cool and fab. 

5 (approximate) weeks until So-Cal vacation!  To that I give a big Wiggity W00t!

I also have to throw a big thumbs up to the universe for this fabulous “unseasonably” cool weather.  While it may be a sign of horrendous climate change I am currently enjoying it.  (And I promise to encourage my brilliant students to look into that climate change thing…)  Another thumbs up to God, Buddha, Guardian Angels, Amazing Co-workers, Fabulous SP’s and Friends for keeping me sane during my (almost) daily panic attacks that ensued prior to and during the first week of the smart kid program.  (and lets not lie they will probably continue until all 193 of them are home safe and sound) 

Good Juju out.  Good Juju in!

Happy Tues Friends!

Nothing says summer like Rocket Pops!

19 days and counting.

You know when a deadline is creeping up on you like a sneaky younger sibling who is coming around a corner trying to scare the ever loving sh*t out of you?  Well I’m having that moment at work today because I realized today that the students are coming in less than 4 work weeks.  Dear god of organization please you help me now.  XOXO Sarah.  Luckily things have been going relatively well at work lately and perhaps things will be somewhat ready before the kiddos show up (current taking my imaginary giant fist and knocking it against an imaginary giant piece of wood).  Good thing my coworkers are hilarious today we may or may not have measured one of their heads'…

…using blue tape and a ruler.

ANYWAY… 

Incase you forgot (if you did you fail) this past weekend was fathers day (or daddy’s day or dada’s day if you live in my world).  Sadly mi papi lives 500ish miles away and thus we celebrated via phone and will celebrate via yummy food and love when SP and I visit later (post kiddo program).  SP and I also got to eat dinner with her fabulous dada – I don’t think they call him that but he is an honorary dada in my world.  And per his request (and in what appears to be true SP family tradition) we ate meat.  Good old meaty mc meat on a plate with fatty bread and potatoes.  For someone who is clinically addicted to carbs I was like a pig in heaven – or maybe just a pig.  I may or may not have eaten an entire bread basket myself and then essentially couldn’t eat my dinner.  Oh well.  But it was nice to celebrate the daddy’s in our worlds.

This weekend SP andI  also did nothing.  Sweet wonderful nothing.  And got groceries but that’s not part of the nothing.  Seriously though I think I slept past 7am on both Saturday and Sunday – WHHHAAATT?  Good thing since this morning I woke up at 5am and never went back to sleep, oh body why you hate me so much?!

This week is le busy, but its so nice because new and old friends are coming out of the woodwork and it makes me feel so social and loved and friendy-ish.  And more baby time is coming up in my future and thus sarah = happy person.

The only thing that is not so happy.  Today’s high of 98 degrees.  Fine summer, I knew you had to come sometimes.  And there goes my life savings to Air Conditioning – but dear sweet ice cold heaven, how I love you.  (pretty sure there is an entire post dedicated to AC in my near future)

In celebration of all things fun and summery SP and I made POPSICLES.  And in true Sarah fashion we got rocket pop makers (mostly because I literally couldn’t find any others…)  That's zero calories of good-ness right there!

YUM!