Happy Chinese New Year... belatedly...

As dedicated readers know I was more than happy to say "Buh-bye 2011".  The year was good in so many respects but nonetheless it needed to end.

I woke up on the 1st of this year donning rose colored glasses and filled with, what I thought was reasonable, hope for immediate change and instantaneous life satisfaction.  (Note: Being unrealistic and impatient might be a recurring theme in my life.  Working on it.  Working on it.)

On January 2nd when all of my dreams for the New Year had yet to come true impatience quietly started to creep in and by last week I was down right irritated.

I'd really like to chalk up my lack of patience, unrealistic expectations, general feelings of "stir craziness", and several instances of behaving decidedly out of character to Snowmageddon.  Whatever the reasons, by the end of last week, I was in a serious state of "what is happening in my life?!"

Reminding myself that "this too shall pass" I waited.

Good news came my way and I started to feel like there might be steps that I could take to help guide myself out of the rut.  I realized that this year will be exactly like the last if I don't decide to change patterns in my own behavior that lead to the same consequences time and time again. 

The weekend passed with some small "Go Amanda" moments and by Monday I was ready to usher in some serious change!

What did I do on the Chinese New Year?

Well I gave notice at my current job and am set to start a new one on February 6. 

Change is here and I'm ready!  I'm also ready to embrace patience and really give that a try instead of expecting things to instantly fall in to place.  (Is this a Chinese New Years resolution I smell?)

On a less reflective note:

On Saturday night I saw Fitz and the Tantrums at the Showbox at the Market.  Such a great show.  Such a fun band.  It's always nice to see performers genuinely enjoying what they're doing on stage.  The bands energy was infections.  So much so that 3 days later and I'm still dancing. 

Enjoy a little Fitz on your Tuesday!

New MONTH Resolutions...

Last year I decided to give New Years Resolutions a spin.  That was my first  time messing with those tricky little devils and I was comically unsuccessful at both "saving money" and "learning to play the banjo".  I ended the year adding those unmet goals to the "Great Failures of 2011" list I seem to have started in my head.

A big part of me would like to resolve to not resolve to do anything this year; however, I can recognize a need for increased discipline in my life... 

A few months ago, when I finally recovered from the mononucleosis that had me out of commission for months, I kept telling myself I would get back to my pre-mono running routine.  This has yet to come to fruition and my emotional and physical wellbeing have suffered as a result.  But over-arching year long goals are not the way to go for me.  I've decided to make monthly resolutions instead.  I am hoping that by doing this I can focus on promoting positive habit making and instil some order into my naturally chaotic personality.

This month I think I am appropriately ambitious without going overboard. 
Here's what I've got in mind:
1) Run at least 3 days a week
2) Days I don't run will still have exercise in them
3) Bring my own lunch to work EVERY DAY (oh how I will miss my falafel salads from across the street!)
4) Make my bed everyday. (I have a BEAUTIFUL bedscape.  It's a shame to keep it in shambles.  A shambled shame I tell you!)

If I keep up with my New Month Resolutions I will eat nutritious lunches, be excited to get into my beautifully styled bed and thus sleep more???, and be that much closer to being in marathon shape again!  Wish me luck!

{with Lizzy and Alison after finishing the SF Marathon in 2010}

{Cheryl and me after the Disney World Marathon almost a year ago - yeah I was a little tired at the finish}

NYE Photo Diary

New Years Celebrations succeeded in the "being fun" department.  The night ended with me falling asleep sitting straight up on a couch that didn't belong to me with my head propped up on my hand and my right leg crossed over my left.  I woke up 6 hours later still in this position but with feet swollen to the size of small watermelons.  This was nothing that couldn't be cured with a quick stop at Portage Bay, followed by a day of sweat pants and some serious quality time with Netflix instant watch.

Here are the pictures of the NYE that made January 1st's lethargy worth it...

Weekend Update

The weekend was great... way too short... but great. Saturday morning friends, Alexis and Mark to be exact, and I got up bright and early and headed 4.5 hours south (and a little east) to Scio, Oregon for the wedding of my very first college roommate Annie. After the festivities subsided we drove back up i5 and we crashed with one of my nearest and dearest friends Caitlin and her other half Jeff. There I watched my first episode of Community (oh how I laughed) followed by what is quite possibly the best concept for a show ever... Puppies vs. Babies. "What the what?" you ask. Well I'll tell you what is the what... it's the best viral videos of puppies up against the cutest videos of babies and a panel of "judges" decides who's the cutest! Yeah, another reason I should consider getting cable.

I had made a pretty sweet mix for the drive down to Oregon but our chauffeur did not have an auxiliary outlet in his Chevrolet Malibu (say it with me, "WHAT THE WHAT?!"). Luckily I got home with enough time yesterday to go on a walk and enjoy my craftsmanship. Here's what I listened to:

Knots - Jeremy Messersmith
Santa Fe - Beirut
Lonely Boy - The Black Keys
Silly Fathers - Rubblebucket (*my new addiction!)
Stranger - Dr. Dog
Fish Sticks - Heligoats
The Honest Truth - Typhoon
Little River - The Tallest Man On Earth

K.I.T.
Amanda

Oh an P.S. head over to a grimm tale and check out this week's photo swap! So excited to have participated!

I'm On a Plane

So I'm 30,000+ feet above ground right now. If you know me, which most of my readers do, then you know I'm not a huge fan of flying. I am, however, a huge fan of going places and so here I am hurdling through the air in a giant aluminum tube. The good news is within 40 minutes I will be touching down in San Francisco.

I am taking time out of my nail biting flight anxiety to update my readers on my quest for a colorful pout. The verdict is in. I'm pretty pleased with my finds and fairly confident in my ability to sport a stylish lip.

I marched to the drugstore after work yesterday and after 20 minutes of waging an internal war over shades I finally decided on 3. I know 3 might sound a little excessive considering my trepidation around lip color but Bartell's was having a 30% off sale on any Revlon lipstick. I really had to acquire the goods while they were so cheap! I ended up getting the Revlon Super Lustrous in "Love That Red", "Wild Orchid", and "Stormy Pink". I think "Love That Red" is my favorite in terms of how it wears but it's pretty shocking in terms of shade. "Stormy Pink" is my favorite color but it is matte finished and I think my lips are a little too dry to pull this look off.

Since starting this blog I've been trying to take more pictures of myself for the sake of posting. It appears that blogging requires one to take themselves a little more seriously than I am accustomed to. Every time I edit these pictures for posting I feel ridiculous with my stylization and "me-me-me"-ness of it all. But despite my embarrassment here is a look at some iPhone shots I took while modeling my newest beauty purchases!



Okay! There they go telling me my electronics need to be shut off! Turbulence in the landing forecast. DRATS!

Ciao! Chow!

Monday Funday

Mondays are pretty "a-okay" by me. It's not because I am a freak who prefers working to weekending. It's because on Monday I do not have to go into the office. Instead I wake up, laze about for a bit, and then head over to the West Seattle Senior Center. I hang out. Help seniors find resources. Drink coffee. Eat cookies. Catch up on some work and then head home. Of course come Tuesday when I do have to go into the office I am singing a completely different tune.

But for now it's still Monday and here is a list (a bulleted list!) of things that are making this Monday particularly "a-okay":

• I visited a friend's blog and have become inspired to make reading a much higher priority. Luckily last Thursday I popped into Queen Anne Books and had them order this gem that is set for me to pick up today! Next in my queue (and on the other end of the literary mood spectrum) is this!


• I was so inspired by aforementioned friend's blog that I sent him a text message requesting his company at a watering hole of his choice this evening. He accepted.
  


• Today's the day I finally finish organizing my closet. At least that's the plan and since it's only Monday I can always remind myself "If you don't get to it today you still have the entire week to do it!".


• Pho will be consumed in approximately 36 minutes.
  


• I'm going to see Deer Tick at the Tractor Tavern tonight. In case you're wondering, Deer Tick is a band. And don't be thrown by the name; Gentleman Friend turned me onto them and they're awesome. Super awesome!
  


• Because of Seattle's Seattle-y weather I can wear my new Hunters and go hunting for puddles!

Yeah, I know. Pretty spectacular as far as cold, rainy, early November Mondays go.

Here are a few Deer Tick tunes to properly introduce you to said awesomeness and sign off on this post with:

Make Yourself At Home

Writing the inaugural post for a blog is tough stuff. I spent at least 3 hours last night writing and re-writing, drinking wine for inspiration, and erasing and editing my initial attempt at this blog. In the end all I had to show was a confusing product with no decipherable point that made me sound like a babbling idiot. So today I deleted the whole thing. Below is my fresh start but I can't promise it's any better…

I decided to take to the internet when I realized that I have been spending an inordinate amount of time stressing over the state of my current romantic endeavor; and while romance is great (when it's not busy being confusing and stupid) I have plenty of other interests that deserve some of my head-space too. I thought that by creating a new blog where I could explore and share my many and varied interests I could take a step in the right direction of not being pathetic and boyfriend-obsessed.

Harsh. I know. I guess I shouldn’t be so hard on myself. After attending 4 weddings in the last 6 months and receiving “save the dates” by the second keeping my self-worth unassociated with my relationship status can be challenging at times. As much as I rage against registries, bridal showers, and wedding gowns a part of me knows it’s just as much a defense mechanism as it is a real criticism of heteronormative marriage rituals. Why is my life any less worthy of celebration? So if I never get married I never get to blow a crap-ton of money on an incredible dress and have a viable excuse to do so? What the what? Humph.

I have no idea how long my singleness is going to last for but why should that be a bad thing? How great is my life right now? I’ll tell you. It’s actually pretty awesome – a fact that I frequently ignore. I live in an incredible apartment that I love with a roommate that I love even more. My unattached status means that I only have to answer to myself (and occasionally my parents – I am a millennial after-all). Can I decorate with outlandish area rugs and floral pillows? Yes. Can I go to dive bars and order cheap champagne to chase down my even cheaper beer on a Wednesday night? Yes. Can I spend my Sundays painting my nails, playing super Nintendo, and watching Bridesmaids 3 times? Absolutely.

And so to make a short story long that is how My Bachelorette Pad came to be. It is a new place where I can write down my many and varied musings about my equally varied interests. These interests include (but are not limited to): wearing tights with boots, glitter nail polish, craft beer, feminist theory, wanting to play the banjo, table settings, vegetarianism, Jon Hamm, cooking, fun ways to procrastinate, and pondering "what would Liz Lemon do?". I don’t care if anyone likes it. In fact I don’t care if anyone else reads it. I’m doing it because I want to. How great is that?

It is my hope that my writing will improve... but that I can not guarantee.