Thanksgiving Week: Napa Wine Country (Part 1)

Thanksgiving has become my favorite holiday. Moving away from home, you really start to treasure every little minute with family (and not to mention, every morsel of a home cooked meal by mom). I like to keep my memories alive by putting them to words, so like last year I am going to do a Thanksgiving series of posts this week. To check out last year's click on the links below:

Back to Sac (Part 1: The Drive)

Back to Sac (Part 2: Thanksgiving)

Back to Sac (Part 3: A week of thanks)

Back to Sac (Part 4: Onto SF)

November 19, 2014. I couldn't wait to fly back home. I could hardly focus at work and I was just a bundle of nerves! I made sure Michael and I left early to the airport in case rush hour traffic got us. We ended up eating dinner at the airport since our flight was delayed and got to Sacramento around 11p.m.; the same time my sister from New York flew in. We were then picked up by my oldest sister Emily and her husband. I remember thinking in the car, Finally! Home at last!

After waking my mother from her slumber and giving her many hugs, we all got some shut-eye.

The next morning my family and I headed to Napa! Napa is a special place. It was where I celebrated my 21st Birthday. I hadn't been there since and Michael hadn't ever visited, so it was a must!

My sisters and I.

We started at V. Sattui Winery. A favorite of ours where you can picnic outside for lunch. 

The wine tasters.

Our next stop was Mondavi. The place was sprawling and beautiful. It was so fun to walk around the grounds and enjoy the sun.

Me goofing about the naked sculpture.

Tasting outdoors.

California girl. Love me some sun!

vines

 
By that point, we had quite a bit to drink, so it was just one more stop before heading home: Silver Oak Cellars. This was one Michael was looking forward to so he isn't pictured below (he was inside tasting :)).

Normally we would make 4-5 stops in Napa, but with a late start and many glasses. We were wiped. After taking a few more fun sisterly photos, we headed back to Sacramento.

ISWG: Losing Time

I guess it is only fitting to return to my blog with an ISWG post!

Pardon my hiatus from my blog. I was in warm, sunny, California, with my beautiful family. This year I only visited home twice. It is so hard being away that everytime I come home I am acutely aware of time. How much time has passed. How much time I have left with them. How much time until we are reunited.

I fear growing older, not because I don't want to be old, but because it means those around me are aging just as quickly. Time is enemy. Everytime I see my mother, she looks a little bit older, which makes me wonder how much time there is left to spend with her. What if, heaven forbid, something happened to my one of my sisters? Time with them would be snatched away in a blink of an eye.

My heart races just thinking about time, because it also relates to my writing. Work and life has kept me busy that I have fallen behind in my writing endeavors. Sometimes I find myself stopping and thinking, has two months has passed already? I could have been finished with a draft of a manuscript if I had only dedicated myself to it. Oh gosh, I need more time.

The urgency of time is always an undercurrent of my thoughts and cause of anxiety. How do you handle the race against time?

The first Wednesday of every month is officially Insecure Writer’s Support Group day. Post your thoughts on your own blog. Talk about your doubts and the fears you have conquered. Discuss your struggles and triumphs. Offer a word of encouragement for others who are struggling. Visit others in the group at Alex J. Cavanaugh's site  and connect with your fellow writers!

Big thanks to the December 3rd co-hosts: Heather Gardner, T. Drecker from Kidbits, Eva E. Solar at Lilicasplace, and Patsy Collins!

Thanksgiving in California!

November has been extremely busy! I haven't been posting much on my blog about my recent endeavors,  but it involved wine, food, and an early thanksgiving with Michael's family. All fun stuff that I wish I had chronicled on my blog! Maybe once I get new phone with a better camera quality I'll be back to my usually blogging self. But don't count on that beginning next week because I am leaving to warm California tonight to spend the holiday with my family!

So I am taking this post to write how much I appreciate YOU. Tis the season for 'thanks,' so thank you so much for reading my blog. It's been great finding friends in the blogging community and getting to know you and your blogs too.

I will resume my posts when I return in December! Til then, may there be an abundant amount of pumpkin pies in your future!

It's cold outside.

We've hit low 40s and 30s in Seattle. And man is it cold! So cold, I ended up getting a cold. Haha. Did you get it?

Poor Michael, he's had to deal with me in a crummy mood as well as being sick. Yesterday I stayed home and ate, slept, and hydrated while watching Netflix. I get cold super easy so I buried myself under my heat blanket (if you don't have one, get one! They are so warm and cozy!). Blaire loves beeing warm so he ended up cuddling and sleeping with me.

When Michael came home after work, he presented me with a space heater, but I think Blaire loves it more than I do.

How are you keeping warm this winter?

7 Deadly Literary Sins Blog Hop!

Thanks to Krystal for tagging me on this post! If you're reading this I tag you to write your answers on your blog!

Greed - What is your most inexpensive book?
 A romance book I got for free from a Kindle newsletter that I will probably never read called The Forever Year.

Wrath - Who's the author with whom you have a love/hate relationship with?
Sarah Dessen. I love a few of her books so much, but some just fall a bit too flat for me.

Gluttony - What book have you devoured over and over again with no shame?
 Flipped, Pride & Prejudice, Twilight. Please don't judge me.

Sloth - What book have you neglected reading due to laziness?
I have so many books that I've quit just because they just didn't do it for me: Panic, A Great and Terrible Beauty, The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer, Very Bad Things, Angelfall, Shadow of Night, and The Selection.

Pride - What books do you talk about most in order to sound like an intellectual reader?
Any Literary Classic. I'll name drop the author and a few fascinating facts I remember about them from my college days.

Lust - What attributes do you find attractive in a male or female character?
A female must be able to form her own opinion. She needs to be selfless, hopeful, and able to stand on her own. I like female characters who come into their own during the book. It's okay for them to be frail, afraid, or lost, but as long as they come out owning who they are, then that's when I stand and applaud them.

The male? Humble, passionate, and internally complex. Intelligent with a dash of humor. I have like a zero tolerance for arrogance unless it changes by the end. Some of my favorites are Mr. Darcy, Mr. Knightley, Ian O'Shea from The Host, and Bryce from Flipped.

Envy - What book would you like to receive most as a gift?
Since moving, I had to donate and give away a lot of my old books. I kind of miss having hard copies of the HP series, Pride & Prejudice, Emma, my old French Textbook, and a million others. However, I try to console myself by believing the gift is in the experience of reading the book and not owning it physically.

Feeling 23

Twenty-three years old. To me it's such an awkward number, and even more so, an awkward age.

In college, all I thought about was what it would be like to finally be out in the world doing something worthwhile. The possibilities seemed infinite, and the dream within reach.

The reality of it, however, seems constrained. When I start thinking about finances, medical bills, and my employability in the workforce, I stop for a moment and think, wow, is this what being an adult is about?

23 is a weird time for me. Too young to have really lived, but old enough to feel like you've been through some things. Like trying to figure out what you want to do, what you want to be, and what you want out of life, and realizing that there are no concrete answers to those questions. They change all the time, because we are changing. It's a strange limbo of becoming different versions of ourselves, yet still the same at the core.

Of course there are many things to be happy about. Friends. Family. Living and loving life, because face it, life is pretty good compared to other places.

So why is it that despite all the good things we already have, we still want more? And when will 'more' ever be enough?

ISWG: First-Timer

This is my first post for the Insecure Writer's Support Group, created by Alex J. Cavanagh. We post every Wednesday of the first month about any doubts or concerns we may have without appearing foolish or weak for the purpose of supporting and encouraging one another. Check out the group here. A big thanks to Alex and the co-hosts this month: LG Keltner, Donna Hole, Lisa Buie-Collard, and SL Hennessy.

 

 

A big insecurity for me is being vulnerable with my writing. I've finished a manuscript I'm really proud of, but I'm worried it doesn't have a place in the marketplace. I'm not sure if it's too niche or too played out. All I know is, I really just love it to pieces.

 

I keep coming back to it, even though I should be working on something new. I wonder if I should go back and tweak it, because if I don't, I fear that it means I've given up on it. When do we know when it's best to leave it alone? Will it do more harm than good to revise it again?

 

How do you know when your manuscript is 'finished'?



All Time Low

With the onslaught of rain, and the darkened days, I've felt myself drift away for awhile. In it's place I felt discontent, confusion, and a lonely longing that's hard to put into words.

On the surface, I'm seen as very bubbly, polite, and quiet, but those that know me on a more personal level has seen the other side I'm not proud of: destructive and highly emotional.

I write this, not as a confession, but a remembrance to the person I don't want to be. We all have those right? A shadow, lurking at the edge of our mind that comes out when we aren't looking. No, I'm not saying I have a split personality or something like that, but rather when things get tough it's easy to be taken over by negativity. Your mind then becomes so cloudy with negativity, so unlike you, that you don't want to feel it at all. Which leads to bad decisions.

Too put it plainly, I had too much to drink, said some hurtful things, and behaved dangerously and unladylike on Halloween. I was mortified and sickened with my behavior the next day. To feel so out of control of myself made me feel so ashamed.

Luckily, I had people who cared, took care of me, and tried to reassure me that night's like the one I had inevitably happen, but the only thing you can do is move forward. Those people in my life know who they are, and I am eternally grateful for them.

But it was an all time low for me and not one that I'll likely forget or ever repeat.

So, I write this to anyone who's feeling a little blue: the feeling will pass, but hopefully you don't need to make a mess of yourself like I did to pull yourself out of it. But if you do make a mess, remember, that we're all human. We make mistakes. And all we can do is learn from them.

Book Review: The Here and Now by Ann Brashares

I rated it 3 out of 5 stars.

Overview: An unforgettable epic romantic thriller about a girl from the future who might be able to save the world . . . if she lets go of the one thing she’s found to hold on to.

Follow the rules. Remember what happened. Never fall in love.

This is the story of seventeen-year-old Prenna James, who immigrated to New York when she was twelve. Except Prenna didn’t come from a different country. She came from a different time—a future where a mosquito-borne illness has mutated into a pandemic, killing millions and leaving the world in ruins. 

Prenna and the others who escaped to the present day must follow a strict set of rules: never reveal where they’re from, never interfere with history, and never, ever be intimate with anyone outside their community. Prenna does as she’s told, believing she can help prevent the plague that will one day ravage the earth. 

But everything changes when Prenna falls for Ethan Jarves. 

From Ann Brashares, the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants series, The Here and Now is thrilling, exhilarating, haunting, and heartbreaking—and a must-read novel of the year.

Review: So the blurb. I was enthralled by it. I was so excited to read it. Anything with high stakes and forbidden love usually has my name written all over it. The first few chapters were great, but then it started to peter out.
First was the lack of romance between the two main characters. It didn't pick up until the second half of the book, but their romance was pretty forgettable. Don't get me wrong, this book is well-written and builds up it just lacked pizazz. The whole plot kind of fell flat.

The antagonizing forces (i.e. the future society that created the social rules) were just not that scary. Instead of heightening tension, they were just annoying flies to me.

This wasn't an edge of your seat book I had expected due to the blurb, but I did finish it (albeit through many days of picking it up and setting it back down). One good thing about the book was the ending. I was afraid it was going to head into the cliche route where everything is sunshine and rainbows and everyone gets to live happily ever after, but it didn't. Which to me is more believable and ended the story at a good point.

RN74

It's restaurant week in Seattle! That means participating restaurants are offering a three course menu for $30! It's a great way to bring in new customers by reeling them in with a good deal and then showcasing what they've got to keep them coming.

For awhile Michael's been wanting to go to RN74, a contemporary french restaurant in downtown, so taking advantage of restuarant week, we decided to go yesterday night.

Right away, we loved the atmosphere. Dark leather chairs, wooden tables, and dropping lights. Bustling and busy with everyone well-dressed, you knew immediately that this was one trendy spot. It also has a master somm, which made Michael and I geek out a bit. Each glass of wine was perfect, like a little taste of heaven. I stuck with a pinot noir from Burgundy the whole night, but Michael paired his meal with a gruner veltliner, chenin blanc, and a syrah blend.

For our first course, Michael did foie grois and I did the pumpkin soup:

I never had foie grois before, so when I took a bite out of this, I really wanted to fall off my chair. It was so rich and savory but balanced well with the powdered donut and fruit compote. It tasted more like a dessert than an appetizer, but I'm definitely not complaining!

My pumpkin soup was probably the best pumpkin soup I ever had. With the rosemary crutons, creme fariche, and seeds, it was well balanced, creamy yet light, and tasted like autumn.

For the main entree, I decided to splurge. And I mean really splurge! Look at that!

The gnocchi parisienne with mushrooms. This was seriously an indulgence and I was only able to finish half because it was so rich.

Michael had the steak frites (not pictured, since it turned out horrible) and it was delicious. The steak was cooked to perfection and the frites were fried in duck fat. Let me repeat, duck fat. And though it's not healthy for my heart, I cannot deny that those fries were amazingly delicious!

And then came dessert. Beignets and sorbet (persimmon and pineapple basil)!

So good! Every last bite! Also please note that Michael and I don't normally eat such indulgenty (not a word, I know) things everyday! We aim to eat healthy too :) This was just not one of those nights!

So our conclusions on RN74?

Wine list? Awesome.
Atmosphere? Trendy.
Contemporary French or Classic French? Classic French cooking all the way. Though this meal was amazing. It was just a bit too heavy and rich for my palate. My favorite French restaurant so far continues to be Brasserie Four. Check out my experience there here.
Will Michael and I return to RN74? Probably for drinks and small plates. Happy hour would be great if we both worked downtown. But for a full course meal? Probably not. Seattle has so many choices. However, I think it would be in our top 5 for fine dining experiences.

Book Review: The Moon and More by Sarah Dessen

I rated it 3 out of 5 stars.

Overview: Luke is the perfect boyfriend: handsome, kind, fun. He and Emaline have been together all through high school in Colby, the beach town where they both grew up. But now, in the summer before college, Emaline wonders if perfect is good enough.

Enter Theo, a super-ambitious outsider, a New Yorker assisting on a documentary film about a reclusive local artist. Theo's sophisticated, exciting, and, best of all, he thinks Emaline is much too smart for Colby.

Emaline's mostly-absentee father, too, thinks Emaline should have a bigger life, and he's convinced that an Ivy League education is the only route to realizing her potential. Emaline is attracted to the bright future that Theo and her father promise. But she also clings to the deep roots of her loving mother, stepfather, and sisters. Can she ignore the pull of the happily familiar world of Colby?

Emaline wants the moon and more, but how can she balance where she comes from with where she's going?

Sarah Dessen's devoted fans will welcome this story of romance, yearning, and, finally, empowerment. It could only happen in the summer.

Review: In high school, my best friend at the time introduced me to Sarah Dessen. She lended me her books, but I soon caught fever of Dessen's stories and started buying my own copies. My favorites of hers are still Just Listen and  The Truth About Forever. Sarah Dessen is queen when it comes to writing contemporaries from the female perspective. Even though my then best friend and I lost touch, I still continue reading Dessen's books in my adult years. It reminds me a bit of my adolescence and also inspires me to write a contemporary.

So when The Moon and More came out and I heard about the less than stellar reviews, I kind of avoided reading it until I forgot about it completely. Then I heard about her latest sale that was announced about a month ago. Knowing there was another book coming out, I got my hands on this one so I could be up to date.

Although I enjoyed the story and the message of empowerment, I had to agree with the other reviewers by giving this a three. It just seemed too... predictable. And predictability is always an issue with me. The other thing was the characters. There wasn't really enough stake to make me care about the protagonist nor the other characters (besides the MC's little brother). And third, the writing was just too verbose that I found myself skipping over a lot of paragraphs (something I hardly do as I like to eat up every single word in a story, lest I miss something!).

Nevertheless, I continue to be a fan of Sarah Dessen. A great story, but just a three for me on this one. I'm still excited for the next Dessen book though, so don't let this review dissuade you from reading her other books!

"My Cares of Vain Worth"

I used to determine my worth by pounds
and only on an inverse scale.
I counted this and that and ran and ran
but only to hopelessly fail.
I should have been smarter
and dismissed outward beauty,
but all I could think was
how do they really see me?

It is vain, I know, to care
of others' thoughts--
physically nothing
in the mind they get lost.
But once they are spoken
behind open and closed doors
they unearth pain
never know, nor felt before.

If only we were nicer,
I wouldn't have to care
about my nails, clothes,
and most of all, my hair.
So we  put on different looks
hoping to find one that works,
that takes away our doubts
and the thoughts of others that lurk
behind their plastered smiles
and their forced pleasantries
if only I could wipe it off
and be comfortable in me.

Rainy and Wine Sunday Funday

The weekends just never seem long enough! I can't believe it's Monday now.

Since Michael was gone on a business trip the weekend before, we definitely made up for it this weekend! On our Friday date night we had sushi at Nishino and saw the new Dracula Untold film.

Staurday we did the pumpkin patch, had dumplings at Din Tai Fung, shopped, and ordered a pizza for dinner and rented the Chef movie. It was pretty rainy all weekend as fall settled in, so when Sunday came around we kept it low key and watched the Somm documentary on netflix then went to Bottlehouse for a flight and some delicious pound cake!

It's weekends like these that I live for, so can it please be friday already?

Pumpkin Patch and Corn Maze

Last year Michael and I went pumpkin picking and went through a corn maze. It was such good fun we decided to do it this year and make a tradition out of it.

Michael picked out a white pumpkin this year while I picked out orange ones for Blaire and I.

The weather unfortunately was very unpredictable, going from dry to pouring down rain the next. Nonetheless we stuck it out and waited for it to past.

After getting all our pumpkins we decided to treat ourselves with some kettle corn and hot spiced apple cider.

Then it was off to the corn/sunflower maze!

All in all it was fun and relaxing way to spend our Saturday. If you haven't been pumpkin picking yet, I recommend doing so before the season ends!

"Indefinitely"

Desperation siezes me
and it seems like an eternity,
as I wait and wait
for a muse.

But do not mistake me
I am not dependent on mere
                             W H I M S
I am just afraid
of the light in my head that grows
                                             d      i    m     .

Will it leave and be gone forever?
for hopes and dreams, it will sever

this darkness of cruel reality--
it laughs,
it taunts,
it picks on me.

So what is the point
when it is out of our control?
when we've slaved on words
and bared our soul.

it becomes our obsession
an imaginative affair--
an abstract depiction
of our current cares--

Yet the words keep us enamored
like a siren at sea.
It pulls us in--indefinitely.

Writing Hiatus

So I'm drawing near the time I first started writing M2. M2 was my most serious committed project. I was committed to M1, but as I drew near the last quarter of M1 I knew it just wouldn't work out. Though I loved the story, my writing capabilities lacked the skill to push that manuscript to its full potential.

Now, I'm about halfway through M3. It has been extremely slow going and difficult to write. I have a lot of ideas about where I want M3 to go, but it's hard for me to organize my thoughts clearly. M3 is loosely inspired by my time in high school in college and the friends that have come and gone and the issues we had dealt with. Thus, M3 is more of an issues/coming-of-age story which I've come to learn is harder to write than paranormal or fantasy. At least, for me it is.

Thus I am starting to miss M2 like crazy. I love this story to pieces and I want so much to go on and write the next book and the next to M2. But I know I shouldn't. If M2 ever gets picked up (and I hope it does), there would probably be major editorial changes that may change the course of the series.

So inbetween projects and wants and desires, I've found myself in a writing hiatus. Since I haven't been getting much progress on M3, I've been journaling, binge tv watching, and reading whatever I can get my hands on.

 

Despite my distractions, I feel disociated, like I've lost something. A part of me is itching to go back to M2 and tweak some more and add some scenes, but I can't decide if it would be more damaging then helpful. Alas, I will ponder on this some more and will continue to be positive about writing.

 

This will just be a small bump in the long and windy road.

Book Review: Made For You by Melissa Marr

I rated it 4 out of 5 stars.

Overview: Bestselling author of the Wicked Lovely books Melissa Marr’s first contemporary YA novel is a twisted southern gothic tale of obsession, romance, and murder. A killer is obsessed with Eva Tilling. Can she stop him, or will he claim her?

When Eva Tilling wakes up in the hospital, she’s confused—who in her sleepy little North Carolina town could have hit her with their car? And why? But before she can consider the question, she finds that she’s awoken with a strange new skill: the ability to foresee people’s deaths when they touch her. While she is recovering from the hit-and-run, Nate, an old flame, reappears, and the two must traverse their rocky past as they figure out how to use Eva’s power to keep her friends—and themselves—alive. But while Eva and Nate grow closer, the killer grows increasingly frantic in his attempt to get to Eva.

For the first time, New York Times bestselling author Melissa Marr has applied her extraordinary talent to contemporary realism. Chilling twists, unrequited obsession, and high-stakes romance drive this Gothic, racy thriller—a story of small-town oppression and salvation. Melissa’s fans, and every YA reader, will find its wild ride enthralling

Review: This review is long overdue, but better late than never. I'm a big fan of Marr's after her Wicked Lovely books. I adored them. So it was interesting to hear that she was writing a contemporary thriller. Of course I picked it up and devoured this book. Marr's writing in contemporary is just as beautiful as her writing in fantasy. Though for a contemporary, she did throw a small supernatural element in, but it added to the story and worked as a good device for building suspense and narrowing down the suspect list.

Like a good thriller, Marr kept me guessing on the stalker, but I was just able to figure it out a few chapters before the protagonist. I didn't mind it though because it took nothing away from the story. the only thing that made me rate this a four instead of a five is because I don't think the actions or sacrifices of the Stalker made sense. I wish there was more motive behind it.

Nonetheless, I would recommend it for a good leisure read.

Hello, October

I cannot believe it's been over a week since I last blogged! Nonetheless, a lot of fun stuff has been happening, but I have no pictures to show for it! Michael got the new iPhone 6 so he's been taking photos of our fun moments since his camera quality is better than mine. I still need to put in an order for mine since I am eligible for an upgrade, so I'll need to do that soon. But I'll still post a photo set of the end of my September sometime next week when Micahel returns from his business trip (I'll steal his photos muwhahaha *evil laugh*).

In the meantime, I can tell you what's been going on:

1. We celebrated Michael's mother's birthday at Spinasse in Seattle.

2. Michael and I's Friday Night Date Night was in Wallingford for some wine, ramen, and churros. (Not at the same place of course! We made three different stops.)

3. I met with my cool writer friend Lisa at this wine bar right in front of Alkai Beach. We had a fun time catching up while we caught the sunset.

4. Michael and I made the trip to Whidbey Island to visit his grandparents. They fed us, wined us, and showed us some family heirlooms. It was pretty cool.

5. I felt sick Monday and stayed home from work, afraid I was coming down with the cold. Luckily I wasn't! Turned out to be a one day fluke kind of thing. That being so, I had time to binge through Black List season 1, and read Sarah Dessen's The Moon and More.

Also, I know I still owe you that book review on Made For You, so look for that tomorrow.

Happy October everyone!

Book Review: Dream Boy by Mary Crockett & Madelyn Rosenburg

I rated it 2 out of 5 stars.

Overview: Annabelle Manning feels like she’s doing time at her high school in Chilton, Virginia. She has her friends at her lunchtime table of nobodies. What she doesn’t have are possibilities. Or a date for Homecoming. Things get more interesting at night, when she spends time with the boy of her dreams. But the blue-eyed boy with the fairytale smile is just that—a dream. Until the Friday afternoon he walks into her chemistry class.

One of friends suspects he’s an alien. Another is pretty sure it’s all one big case of deja vu. While Annabelle doesn’t know what to think, she’s willing to believe that the charming Martin Zirkle may just be her dream come true. But as Annabelle discovers the truth behind dreams—where they come from and what they mean—she is forced to face a dark reality she had not expected. More than just Martin has arrived in Chilton. As Annabelle learns, if dreams can come true, so can nightmares.

Review: Oh man, I really wanted to like this one, but I didn't. I think this is the first two-star rating I have given on my blog (one stars are reserved from books I can't even finish because I don't want to waste my time). So why a two-star? PREDICTABLE. Everything that happened was so predictable. The characters were so obvious, I mean cleary you can see who's into who. Everything is spelled out for you which takes some fun out of the reading. You would think with two writers on this book that they could have seen how predictable and obvious it all is.

Alright, I know what you're thinking, Michelle, give the book some slack, it is a young adult book for christ's sake not an American literary masterpiece. And though I do understand that this is directed for young adults, I think they should be challenged in what they read. They should think for themselves and come to their own conclusions. This was a 'fun' little plot book, but it was too obvious for my sake. I only read half and skimmed the rest. The more I buy books that I don't really end up liking, the more it makes me want to go to the library and just borrow books. However, I know buying books is a way to support the author, which is why I continue to buy them, but man, I keep getting disappointed as of late.

One book I wasn't disappointed in this week? Made For You by Melissa Marr. A review of that one will be posted sometime this week!

Random List: trips, traffic tickets, Blaire, and other randomness

This week has been so turbulent and out of control. It's just one of those weeks where you step back and think, What the hell happened? To which I have no answer. So instead of coherent blog post, today's will be a jumbled mess because that's kind of how my mind feels. Though I will make it into a list to make it seem sort of organized.

1. The last Bandol rose of the summer that Michael and I drank last weekend at his mom's. Luckily, we're heading into another 80 degree weekend which is a complete shock to me! I remembered last September was just rainstorm after rainstorm.

2. The hot and coldness of Blaire. Don't let that cute face fool you. Blaire's had a pretty turbulent week as well. Going from super affectionate, even sitting on my lap (which is a super rarity), to biting, scratching, and messing with the blinds. All I can say is, wow Blaire, like your life is so hard with the eating, sleeping, and sun bathing. *rolls eyes at his cuteness*

3. 'Junk food makes people depressed.' This was something I read in the elevator at work on a bad day. It was like someone up there knew I cheated on my diet. I'm such a stress eater. If anyone knows how to remedy this, please send thoughts my way. I'm not going to lie though, that spaghetti looks good.

4. On a healthier note, I did have a yellow watermelon for the first time! A coworker brought it into work, and as you can see I absolutely devoured it.

5. So remember that mentioned bad day I was having? Well to make matters worse I ended the day with a traffic ticket. I haven't had one since I was 16 years old. Now I don't know if I should just pay for it or fight it.

6. Da Nang, Vietnam is a GO! By the end of today Michael and I will be booking tickets to my homeland. That's right, my whole family is going back to Vietnam for the lunar new year. On a sad note, my grandparents are old and sick, which is the reason why my family has decided to go.

7. Today is Palaemon's 3rd Birthday! Congrats on another successful year in business!

*ends random list rant*

Thanks for reading!