Earthquake

I experienced my first earthquake today. I've lived in California since 2002 and have never felt one previously. (There have been a few but I've either been sleeping or driving.) Crazy.

It was a very interesting and also scary. The earthquake was centered in Chino Hills and was a 5.4 on the Richter scale. Not huge but definitely not a puny 'quake either. It shook both my office building and Ryan's (neither of which is anywhere near the epicenter).

Since I never went through "Earthquake Drills" in Michigan (does California even have those?), instead focusing on our "Tornado Drills", I had no idea if I should sit under my desk, stand in the doorway (of which, there wouldn't be nearly enough for all of the students, staff, and faculty), or go outside. We went outside which is apparently what you should NOT do in case of falling debris from the building.

So far, I haven't heard of any major damage or any fatalities. My thoughts go out to those impacted by the earthquake.

Weight loss never occurs fast enough

I feel like I should be losing more weight/inches than I have so far. I cut out cheese and most dairy from my diet altogether. The only meat that I still eat is fish. I drink at least 64 ounces of water per day. I go to the gym for 1/2 an hour generally three times per week (or more, depending on the week). I eat a lot more whole grains and a TON more fruits and vegetables.

So what the heck? Yeah, my normal work pants are looser but I can't fit into smaller sized pants, either. I had a dream last night about my wardrobe:

I had to call in to work because I had nothing to wear. My "fat" clothes were too big. My "thin" clothes consisted of a lot of skimpy skirts [not in my actual wardrobe of thin clothes, fyi]. There was not a decent outfit in sight. I was nearly ready to walk out of the house but then my dad [I'm not sure why he was there, either] told me that it would probably attract the wrong kind of attention. So I had to call my boss and tell her I wouldn't be in until 11am or later because of all of this. Which, oddly enough, she was cool with.

That was my dream.

I've only really felt good about the way I looked for a bring, shining moment in time (1999-2003). I was thin and really liked the way I looked. Aside from not having boobs, but I'd give them up in a heartbeat now (not that they're ginormous but comparitively...).

Anyway, I really hope that the hard work starts paying off (more). It's great that my pants are too big but now they're baggy and hanging on the ground. I've lost enough weight that they're dragging on the ground and I really need to wear a belt. That or I have osteoporosis.

I know Ryan will probably read this and roll his eyes and tell me that he can tell I've lost weight. Yes, yes...I just want to lose more. Sooner.

Up in the gym just working on my fitness

Today was a big exercise day for me. I went to the gym with Amber (yes, the Amber who just got engaged, smarty-pants) at lunch and used the exercise bike for 30 minutes. This is a pretty awesome feat for me since by about 18 minutes into the "ride" my butt was numb. But, I soldiered on. Maybe tomorrow I can crank it up past level 6. Look at me go!

When I came home, I felt like getting even more exercise. So, I turned on the Wii and got the Wii Fit all set up. Wii Fit, I've been a fool and I'm glad you've taken me back. (Seriously, though - I haven't used it in 20 days. And it tells methat so I feel even more like a lame, lazy jerk!) Anyway, I accomplished 40 minutes on the Wii Fit! It's cool because most of the exercises are short (2-4 minutes) so you don't notice how much time has really gone by. I'm sure that there are a ton of people who would have no use for the device (I'm talking to you, Mandy & Amber! Because you're tiny, not because you can't work machines.) but it's great for me.

So, all tolled, I exercised for an hour and 10 minutes today. Pretty awesome, particularly for someone like me who doesn't love exercise.

Weddings, engagements, and babies...oh my!

So much has been going on in the lives of our friends recently! Seth and Mandy had a beautiful wedding in May, and I will soon be going to my first lesbian wedding. My coworker, Laura, and her life-partner, Carla, will be getting married this coming Friday. While we won't be able to attend the ceremony itself (it's at 3:58pm on a Friday) we will definitely join in on the festivities for the reception. Should be fun!

I found out tonight that some of our other friends (Dan and Amber) just got engaged as well. Congrats to them! I work with Amber so I can't wait to get all the deets tomorrow. They're a cute couple and work well together. They should totally get their WOW characters on their wedding cake!

As for babies, they're not mine [sigh of relief]. Our friend Aaron's rat is pregnant! That means more rat babies in the not-too-distant future! I know this wouldn't be exciting for more people but I'm looking forward to getting a few more. We already have two rats (Ratsy and Squidgie) and I think two more will be a nice addition and keep R & S company.

I'm excited for all of the changes in our lives. There have been so many negative things going on in 2008 (economy, high gas prices, housing market, etc.) that it's nice to have positive things happening on a personal level.

Our updates

The past week was a busy one for both Ryan and me. Well - who am I kidding? - mainly for him. He had to work late a few nights last week (to 4am and 2am, respectively) and he worked for about six hours on Saturday. Good thing he likes his job!

On the bright side, I am a "Top Achiever's Group" winner for my employer this year. I am one of the top 21 Career Advisors at my company nationwide, which is a pretty awesome honor. It's the first year I've been eligible so it's even more of an honor to win. In addition to being perceived as all-around awesome, the honor means that I have won a four-day trip to Orlando, Florida. ("You've been named a Top Achiever...now what are you going to do?" "I'm going to Disney World!") I get to take a guest along with me and the whole thing is paid for. So, if Ryan plays his cards right I might take him with me....

Ryan got Lasik a week and a half ago. So far he's been pretty happy - his vision went from 20/200 to 20/25 so far. His eyes are still a bit blurry but they are a lot better and they keep improving for at least three months. His vision is good enough to drive and play video games so I think he'll do alright.

I think that's most of our personal updates for now. More to come!

First blog

This is my first blog on blogspot.com. I had a blog on wordpress.com but have recently left it for a few reasons. First, I felt that the premise of that blog wasn't what I wanted to write about anymore. And most of my friends who have blogs use blogspot. So, here I am.

Enjoy!