The Ongoing Obsession

Since my car is about to reach the 100,000 mile mark, I for some strange reason have been majorly obsessing about getting a new car.

Disclaimer:
I am not getting a new car. Nothing (for the most part) is wrong with my current car and I almost have it paid off.

Anyway. It comes and goes every other month I'd say. Darin has been pretty good about it - semi-supporting my obsession but then making me see reason. He doesn't say anything to make me see reason, mind you. It's that he doesn't say anything. Which is annoying, but at least consistent. And then I realize myself it's probably not a good time to get a new car especially when you don't need one. I'm being responsible, see?

So to get on to the cars.

(1) Ford Edge

I think this is the cutest car ever. And yes, I like cars on how they look. Come on, my first car was a Saab people?! And there are a lot of them here in Florida for some reason - when I was up visiting my parents awhile ago, I tried to spot one for my Mom to see, but we never found one. I really love the eggshell color. So cute! So I see them all the time which just adds to my obsession about getting one.

(2) Ford Fusion Hybrid

Both Darin and I like this car. Could be that it was named (2010 Motor Trend Car of the Year) as best car of 2010. It's very sleek and suave. Ahh. And I think a car would be ideal for us compared to an SUV/Crossover just because of all of the driving we do. But it's such an adult car. You know?

(3) Honda Element

I know this car was made initially for men (did you know this?), but I love it anyway. I think it's because I like the strangeness of how it looks. And how very modern and simplistic it is by design. And I love the colors it comes in. This obsession is particularly bad because there is one currently for sale in front of a bank I drive by every day going/coming to work.

Make it stop.

Kidding. I have enough self control to handle this for awhile longer. Plus I really like my car - it's just not a new cute car, but a boring almost-paid-off car. There is no excitement there. Maybe I should just paint it purple?

To Celebrate

Oops. Forgot to publish the aftermath of Anu's graduation.

See below:

On Saturday night after Anu officially became a Ph.D (not sure if that was a true statement. I guess the diploma was the official part? Or was it the defense? Not sure...), we decided to celebrate at Buca di Beppo. Anu's a big fan of Italian food. And it's a great place to get together to eat!

Suz and I.

Raji and Darin

LOVE this photo. Kucku and Anu.

Buca had a family style dinner - it was actually pretty fun to decide what we all wanted to eat. Especially because we had a vegetarian in our mists (and a gluten-free eater)! We got a super tasty huge salad, spaghetti, manicotti, and a chicken dish.

But we got like the perfect amount of food. Or at least I though so. And it was all very good!

Peace from Darin.

Candid shot.
Kucku, Anu, and Dominique

Cathy, Craig, and Raji

Did I mention the two bottles of wine we also ordered? Numm. I think only 5 of us drink them. Oops.

We exchanged gifts, made Anu give a mini-speech, and just enjoyed each others' company while celebrating with Anupama.

Great idea! We all got to sign it.

My gift to her. :)

Our Group (CW):
Cathy, Craig, Raji, Darin, Suzanne, Del, Kucku, Anu, and Dominique

Once again, congrats to Anu. Your Ph.D was an amazing accomplishment!

The Obsession with Blue

I hate white walls.

I think it's because I lived in an apartment for too long and didn't have enough color stimulation.

Which is strange by the way because my room at the house I grew up in was all white (fact: I got to re-due the whole room style when I went into high school). I wanted white walls and white carpet. It was a fresh cool feeling in that room - also semi-country feeling. But never-the-less white.

Sigh.

I guess tastes change. Or maybe I was in color overload at the other house (I don't think was true but you never know). Or it could be college and graduate school housing over time just took it's toll.

Whatever the reason, I must have color. Must.

I could be as easy as a neutral beige or pretty light yellow. But for me, color was a must.

So the day we got our keys to our new place, even though I was super stressed and uber busy, I painted the walls blue. Or one wall blue. Whatever.

I have before and after pictures.

(Strange photo color, sorry.)

Blue. With spots.
(The spots weren't there when it dried completely).

But I'll have more after pictures when we get the paintings up!

And if you have a keen eye, you might realize that the blue was the same as our old family room. It was left-over from when we painted three years ago. Yikes. Man did I stir that paint! If you like a color, why not stick with it?

And I only really got paint on my hands. Woo hoo. I'm becoming a better painter.

Score.

Random Ramblings

I decided to write every Friday about the daily and weekly strangeness that happens to me every week.

Some weeks might be a little more exciting than others, but I often find myself telling people the funny stories that happen to me at work and beyond regardless.

Hope you enjoy.

***

This week.

(1)

Since we have the new apartment, we have a new area to do stuff in (which we've basically already lived in before we moved out to the house), and there is a new drive to work. For some weird reason, when I turn out of my apartment complex and go right, on Tuesday and Thursdays it's super busy. But other days it's not. I though it might be the time I was leaving, but I think now it has to do with the community college further south of us on our same road. I can't figure it out, but I LIKE routine. So it is annoying me greatly. We will see how it works out.

(2)

I listen to books in my car when I drive. I think most people know this - and if you're interested in what I have listened to in the past, I have a list of the side of the blog. Right now I'm listening to "Abraham Lincoln Vampire Hunter".

It has (so far) completely taken me by surprise - love how it's creative and historical at the same time. And now whenever I think of our 16th president, I think of vampires.

This author has another book out. Pride and Prejudice and Zombies. Can't wait to read/listen to it.

(3)

Most of my company eats together at lunchtime. We definitely have little cliques here, but overall we mostly get along. A lot of people walk to the grocery store and pick up food for the week - lunch meat and chips, etc. The other day they got cheeseburger Doritos.

Now I am not a chip person. Or a sandwich person for the matter. But these are the strangest things you have ever tasted. They taste exactly, and I mean exactly, like McDon@lds cheeseburgers. It's creepy. You should check them out (but get a little bag because they're kind of overwhelming).

***

The end.

To Be a Better Blogger

One of my favorite blogs I read (every day mind you) is The Pioneer Woman.

Ree's fantastic, don't you know.

She wrote yesterday about blogging.

And it motivated me.

(And even though I didn't blog yesterday it wasn't because I didn't try - my home computer is on the fritz - aka sick - and I haven't been able to upload photos or even turn the darn thing on. Alas, blogging from work. Don't do it that often.)

So I will try more. To write random things down - to tell you (and future me mostly because I have an awful memory) what we're up to.

Hope you don't get too sick of us. And by us, I mean me.

From Jake's Perspective

1. For a couple of weeks now, we've been packing up the house. Spending time going though stuff - creating a lot of trash. Making sure things were organized.

2. We went through his stuff - throwing away old toys, etc. He can see them in the trash can (and would often try to rescue them).

3. Boxes upon boxes were stacking up everywhere.

4. He was tied up outside while people came (though very known people) and removed all of the boxes from his house. He wanted to help, but alas was tied up and couldn't.

5. His Aunt Diana took him with his Uncle Gus for a car ride and dropped him off at a strange place where they cut his fur and trimmed his toenails. His parents abandoned him. He was a sad dog.

6. His Darin found him again at the scary place, drove in the wrong direction from his home, and placed him in a new place where all the right smells were.

7. He found his bone and bed. But still, the carpet was new. But the bed was the same. He was a little confused.

8. He realized there were so many new smells outside - his nemesis the rottweilers were nowhere to be seen. But he did see an unknown cat.

9. The next day he went back to his old house, through his dog door, and got to talk to his buddies - the golfers. But nothing was in his old house. No dog bed outside to sit on and enjoy the sunshine. No couch to lay on.

10. And then more boxes and another trip to the place with the new smells.

11. But his Mama and (most importantly) his Darin were there. So all was well.

What have we been up to?

We've been packing - because we're moving.

I guess (or assume) that most of you already know this. But we have been having a pretty hectic week (with packing/going through stuff/work/friends visiting), but we are getting very excited for this big day to happen.

And there is crap everywhere - it's amazing really how much stuff we have accumulated over the three years we've lived here (and I guess all of the other places we've lived). We decided to really try to go through everything and get rid of the "stuff". We both really don't like having all of this stuff, so I guess that's a good thing!

Jake got to join in the fun too when I found a box of his 'old' babies - I say 'old' because they are really the ones who are dead, need to be stitched-up, or thrown away. It's hard to throw away a good loved toy.

Happy Jake!

More news to follow.