Positive Changes

I went back and forth about writing this post (partly because I’m not telling either of my jobs yet) but decided that I wanted to share my excitement with whoever reads my blog or happens to stumble upon it.

I’m moving to California! YAY. I won’t actually be moving until July but the decision has been made.

For those who knew my plan was originally to move to Chicago by August I’m just going to say that a part of me is sad because I will be putting that goal on hold for now. I’m praying often that God leads my path back to the city that I love so much. Until then I’m asking for support in the direction I’m headed and if you don’t have anything nice to say then, please, don’t say anything. This decision was hard for more reasons than just putting Chicago on hold, most importantly knowing that I’m going to be so far from my immediate family, especially my nephews.

I’m excited for a new chapter in my life and to rediscover California as an adult. I tend to get ahead of myself and I’m trying to stop myself from daydreaming too much about what awesomeness is ahead. I’m imaging long runs on the beach, cooking dinner with Mr. Scottie B., reconnecting with friends from my childhood, and discovering new music while I sit in traffic (one of my biggest cons on my California list was having to keep my car but I’m trying to think positive).

The actual move is a few months away but before I know it, it will be moving day. Each day I get a little more excited especially because I won’t be seeing Mr. SB until I move (if you don't know the story or haven't caught on...Mr. SB, my boyfriend, lives in California). Along with my feeling of excitement I’ve also had a flood of other emotions (I’m nervous, sad, anxious, happy) but I’m trying to stay grounded in God and seek Him out when I’m feeling overwhelmed.

I’m sure I’ll be posting more about the move as it approaches. And for those friends in Boise I do think that my mom and I may take a detour on the drive/move and visit Idaho for a few days (I’ll keep you posted). Yay for positive changes!

PS. I know I don’t include my belief in God in a lot of my posts but I did mention it in this one. And I also know that a lot of my friends (and people for that matter) don’t have the same beliefs as me which is something I truly respect. We are a nation lucky to be able to practice and believe what we want in peace and I support that with all of my heart. Please be kind and respectful of my personal beliefs even if they are different from yours and I’ll continue to do the same.

oh, Hi!

I'm going to pretend like I haven't been ignoring my blog.

So Hi, blog. Mr. SB's visit was wonderful. Being back in Chicago felt so good. We watched the river get dyed green, saw a little bit of the parade, went to the south side of Chicago to an authentic Irish Pub, and hung out with my friend from work. We also spent a few days in Madison and that was fun.

It felt amazing to be face to face with Mr. Scottie B. and on top of that we were back in Chicago. I'm a busy lady with two jobs and trying to keep up with a gym schedule... but I'm going to try to keep blogging regularly. 

Here are tons of photos mostly from St. Patrick's Day. Enjoy.

Friday Links

Happy Friday!

The weather is gloomy here in Madison today. This kind of weather definitely calls for comfy clothes, something warm to drink, and a movie marathon. I, unfortunately, will not be spending my day doing those things. I will be working both my jobs instead.

Here are some Friday links, enjoy!

I’m absolutely smitten with this wedding.

I’ve been doing a lot of running lately and need new running shoes so badly (my poor feet hate me right now). I’m totally digging these and these. Quick note on this subject- When I do decide to shell out the over $100 for nice running shoes, I’m going to go get fitted for a proper shoe.

Have you tried Greek Yogurt? Of course you have, I’m the only one behind on this trend. Anyway, it is delicious.

I’ve had these three songs on repeat this week one, two, and three.

I can totally see myself in this dress while Mr. SB and I explore San Fran (hoping our next visit is a meet up there *crosses fingers*).

Since it’s tax season I thought this website was interesting. I wonder how accurate it is? Speaking of taxes, you should refresh your memory about how income taxes work. We are lucky to live in the United States, so maybe we should keep ourselves educated about stuff (I’m just sayin’).

If you live in or near any of the cities listed for this run you MUST do it. I’ve seriously been checking their website daily (is that a little obsessive?) to register for the Chicago run. It’s not timed and their website says it’s all about fun with friends and family… Boise friends there’s a run there, DO IT.

I hope everyone has a lovely weekend. Oh and April and Jake are going to be parents VERY soon, like in a day, so positive vibes for everything to go smoothly. I can’t wait to see pictures of the twitter baby. I’m off to get some sushi for lunch (no I didn’t just blog at work *attempts to wink but looks dumb*).

Sigh. I’m sorry people who actually read this. I know I recently said that I wanted to start posting more often to the blog but then I started my second job. So, I’ve been busy and tired. My second job is going well. My new position is as a front desk agent for a hotel in Madison. I’m still working at US Bank full time and the hotel around three nights a week. I’ve been getting my body use to less sleep and staying up late (my nights at the hotel end after 11pm and then I have to be back at the other job by 8am). I guess these are my excuses for being lazy about posting to the blog.

Anyone who sent positive vibes and/or prayers for me about the search for a second job, thank you! I’m so thankful to have found a second job. This opportunity will help move me toward my goal of moving to Chicago (by August *fingers crossed*).

As for a long distance update, Mr. Scottie B. and I are doing well. Some days are harder than others and on the hard days I just long to be near him. I’m putting our trust in each other and God and still feel strongly that where we are is right.

The first weekend after I got back from my trip to California my nephew Jaxson had his first hair cut and I also babysat that weekend. I'm so happy to be around to watch these boys grow up. They're so sweet and very smart.

I'm looking forward to a good night sleep tonight. I'm gonna finish watching the newest episode of "The Office" and then going to bed. Anyone else watch The Office? What's going on with the looks between Jim and the new girl Kathy?

California Part Three

Part three of my trip was easily my most favorite part. Where did I leave off? Ah, yes. Friday before Mr. SB had to work, we visited his school and he showed me around. The campus is beautiful and the library was so cool. Mr. Scottie B. took me to downtown/old town Ventura to hang out while he had to work. I went to Urban Outfitters and I bought a cute dress and Mindy Kaling’s new book. If you enjoy funny, confident women with ambition, I recommend the book. I ate lunch at a Thai place, which wasn’t that good (disappointing). I still had quite a few hours to kill and I wasn’t in the mood to shop. I went to a movie and saw “The Descendants”. Mr. SB thinks it’s strange that I went to a movie by myself, but I like movies and who cares. Then, surprise, I went to Starbucks to wait for Mr. SB.

We got dressed up and headed out to meet up with a few of Mr. SB’s friends. We had a few drinks and got down on the dance floor (yeah, I just said got down on the dance floor. Don’t judge me). We went to two different dance clubs/bars and had a lot of fun. It rained that night and we walked in the rain for a while before ending the night.

Saturday was Mr. SB’s and my only day with just us. A lot of my trip was spent meeting family and friends. At one point I was a little upset about all that. But looking back, I’m so very glad the way my trip went. I’m so happy that I got to meet all of Mr. SB’s family and a few of his friends. Back to Saturday, we headed down to Los Angeles and went to the Getty Center. We looked at quite a bit of art and took photos.

A Google search of LA food bloggers lead us to Umami Burger in Santa Monica... and we ate the most delicious burgers (I had the vegetarian Earth burger and Mr. SB had the Umami Burger). Mr. Scottie B. has already been back to eat there again and I can’t wait to go again. We raced (like seriously, we jogged) to the beach to watch the sun set. I put my feet in the ocean, again. For a second... maybe a minute or two, I could kind of picture myself living in California and being near the beach and all the cool spots. I don’t know what the future holds, who knows maybe someday I will be back living there.

Intelligentsia coffee in Venice was our next stop. This was, without a doubt, the best latte I’ve ever had.

 

Saturday night Mr. SB and I had a few drinks and ate a very late dinner at BJ’s Restaurant. We talked a lot that night and I made a few friends, haha. I have a habit of carrying on long conversation with strangers when I’ve had a few drinks. I told Mr. Scottie B. to next time just stop me from talking so we can leave. I would like to think this habit is charming, but I’m pretty sure it’s just obnoxious.

Sunday we made a quick trip to The Griffith Observatory. We didn't have a whole lot of time because of plans in the afternoon, but the weather was perfect. So we did walk around a little bit and took in the wonderful views of the city. After, we went to Mr. SB’s brother and sister-in-law’s house for a family birthday gathering. After this party I’ve officially met everyone in Mr. SB’s immediate family. I got to hang out with Mr. Scottie B.’s niece and nephew, talk with his sister-in-law, and watch his family interact. I had so much fun getting to know everyone and enjoyed the positive, loving atmosphere that was created.

Sunday night we went to Hollywood Blvd. to watch the end of the Giants game and just hang out. We went to Buffalo Wild Wings to watch the end of the game. Mr. SB and I spent a lot of Sunday afternoons at BWW in the Chicago area. It was a familiar feeling to be back there with him, I loved it. Then we walked along the stars and found a sushi place to eat dinner. We saw a movie that isn’t really worth mentioning (at least I don’t think so).

Monday morning was tough. It was just as hard as I thought it’d be to say goodbye. It felt like time flew by and all of a sudden my trip was over. We’ve been talking about our next visit and when that will be, I already can not wait.

 

My trip was everything I was hoping for and more. I’m hoping to post more about long distance and how Mr. SB and I have been making it work. But I’m so glad that we’ve had a visit already and we were able to be face to face. Thanks again, Mr. Scottie B. for such a lovely trip. I can’t wait to be back in your arms.

California Part Two

California Part Two

Monday Mr. Scottie B. and I drove down from Ventura County to where I grew up. We got frozen yogurt and then drove to the house I grew up in. I didn’t cry quite like I thought I would. It was such a strange feeling being in the yard where I spent most of my childhood. The yard seemed so much bigger when I was a kid. It all pretty much looked the same. The house was painted and a few neighbors cleaned up their yards, but it was all so very familiar. Mr. SB held my hand and we knocked on the door. We asked the current owners if I could walk through the house, unfortunately he said no. But that’s okay; I probably would have said the same thing to some creeper asking to walk through my house.

We went to my grandma’s work and then headed to her house. We tried to find a few embarrassing photos of me as a kid, but didn’t. My grandma treated Mr. SB and me to sushi. We tried fried oysters, they were…decent. haha. Then Mr. SB went back home and I spent the next few days with my grandma. My dad surprised my grandma on Tuesday by showing up at her house. She was not expecting him to show up, it was fun. We went to lunch at Lazy Dog Café (adorable chain restaurant, btw) and then shopping. I got some awesome new pants, a few shirts, and a hot dress.

On Wednesday my dad and I spent the day together. We grabbed some breakfast and then went to Knotts Berry Farm. We didn’t actually go into the park but we walked through the shops outside the entrance and bought salt water taffy. As kids we spent a lot of time at Knotts Berry Farm. We had season passes and my dad would pick us up from school and take us for a few hours in the afternoon. It was awesome to be back at Knotts with my dad, very nostalgic. Then dad took me down to Hunington Beach. I don’t think he really wanted to drive all the way down there. But I was so thankful that he did. We walked down the pier and saw a ton of dolphins. I walked in the sand and then we went home.

Dad took me to LA to meet Mr. SB. He drove down after a few days of work and took me to meet his sister, Susie, and her boyfriend, Daniel. They were both so friendly and treated us to a very good dinner (I can’t remember the name of the restaurant). Then we went for a drink at Father’s Office. We had great conversation with amazing company.

Thursday we said goodbye to my grandma and dad, then headed BACK up to Oxnard. We stopped and ate at ZZYZX’s Café. The food was super good.Then Mr. SB worked that night and I watched the show Chopped (great show, btw). Mr. Scottie B.  picked me up and we went to his grandparent’s ranch house. Their house was absolutely beautiful. They were the sweetest grandparents and I was so happy that they busted out old photos from when they were close to our age. So many black and white photos seen and stories told. We ate red velvet cheesecake and sang Happy Birthday to Mr. Scottie B.

There is part two of three. Looks like it will be three parts. I remember at this point in the trip realizing that very soon I would be going back to Madison. I did my best to embrace each moment

And thank you for those who kept me in mind about my second job opportunity... I got the job! I officially have a second job. I'm so excited. I'll keep ya updated when I start next week.