lazy sunday.

Yesterday was P.E.R.F.E.C.T.I.O.N.

It started with a whole bunch of pumpkin.

Homemade pumpkin spiced coffee.

And pumpkin cinnamon streusel pancakes.

Then it continued with a walk in Golden Gate Park to enjoy the WARM weather.

Followed by my new favorite!

Nutella yogurt dip (yes, dip is in the title, but if you're like me, you just eat it by the spoonful)

Seriously this stuff is incredible. I used the recipe link above, but I simplified/adjusted it a little. You need one small container greek yogurt (I used Fage, which is by far the most superior greek yogurt) and 2 heaping spoonfuls of nutella. Just combine the two in a bowl and grab a spoon serve with some fruit.

I love lazy days.

painting.

I like to paint. It's not something that I dedicate a lot of time to and it's more accurate to call it doodling with paint instead of painting. But, whatever it is, I enjoy it. And, given that I have a new space to decorate, I thought it appropriate to try to make something myself.

So this past weekend, while Micah was out of town reminiscing the good 'ol college days at his 5-yr reunion, I spent some time nurturing my creative process.

And this is what I came up with, it's a tree if you can't tell (which I wouldn't fault you for). I began by drawing in pencil on the canvas, allowing myself the freedom to erase when needed. Then, I painted over the sketch with black acrylic paint.



Afterwards, I realized I wanted to go a little more bold, so I painted over the whole canvas in red, progressively using lighter shades as I moved towards the center.



Then, I chose to add a few more colors to the mix, mostly different shades of gold. One of the things I love most about painting is the ability to mix paints. I love that adding just a little or a lot of one color to another creates a whole new palette. The color spectrum is truly incredible!



And now this piece has a home in my office. I like how it turned out. It adds a little bit of happy to a very beige room that is in desperate need of more decorating!

Shely's visit.

Last week went fast and before I knew it, it was over. But, before I launch into posts about my new job and the new life that comes with it, I want to write about my weekend with Shely.

Shely and I went to grad school together and we interned at the same place our second year. She is a fabulous human being! We're both introverts, but when we're together I feel like there are endless things to talk about. Having her here for the weekend was so good for my soul, almost like a calm before the storm (as I started work the day after she left). Unfortunately, Micah didn't feel well all weekend, but it did give Shely and I a chance to have lots of friend time.

This was Shely's first trip to San Francisco, or to California even, so I wanted to make sure we hit all the famous spots. The weekend she was here was Fleet Week, so there were lots of military personnel around the city and loud air shows. The first day she got in we went down to Fisherman's Wharf, a haven for all tourist. The place is filled to the brim with tacky trinket stores, but even that can't take away from the amazing views down by the bay.



One of the ships at Fisherman's Wharf



We visited the sea lions at Pier 39, one of my favorite things to do at the Wharf. Sea lions are so lazy! The one in the picture below looks like he did a belly flop on the wooden deck/pier.





And we couldn't pass up The Buena Vista's amazingly wonderful Irish Coffee.



Later, we went out for sushi, a lighter meal given that we had eaten clam chowder late in the afternoon. Then, we just came home and crashed. Shely had gotten up at 3am Denver time to catch her flight, so I know she was exhausted.

Saturday, we headed off to the Marina. We went to La Boulange for some good french breakfast. Then, being the great host that I am, I ditched Shely for my hair appointment, while she wandered around in some of Union Street's shops. We met back up after I was done and walked down to the Bay.



Where the height of Fleet Week was happening.



Unfortunately, it was super foggy, so much so that you couldn't even see the Golden Gate Bridge.



Someone kindly offered to take our picture.



After a quick glance at the water, we caught a bus up to Haight, where we met up with another friend who went to school with us, Caitlin, for lunch at Kan Zaman. Such a great idea on Caitlin's part, as we got all the food pictured below for $20! Which was more than enough for the three of us.



We also got ice cream and Caitlin and I convinced Shely to get a green polka dot dress that looks so cute on her.



Shely and I then headed back to my apartment to devise a plan for dinner and to check in on Micah.

I love the view from my apartment!



We decided to go out to Mandalay for Burmese food. I didn't get a picture of everything we ordered. But this is the Tea Leaf Salad, which was phenomenal.



Sunday was my last chance to show Shely some sights, so Micah and I reserved a car for a few hours to drive around the city. I wanted her to see the Golden Gate Bridge, so we went there first, but drove through a couple neighborhoods of really nice houses to get there.





Oh, Beautiful Bridge!



Best photo of the trip.



Then we drove past the Palace of the Legion of Honor and headed down to the pacific ocean, so Shely could see it for the first time.



Of course that meant that we had to run out to the water, so she could stick her toes in!



Sadly, then it was time to take her to the airport, but my fingers are crossed that she'll come back! :)

great friends are hard to come by

But thankfully they do exist.

A real post of this past weekend soon to come, but for now I'm going to go freak out about the fact that tomorrow is my first day of work.

the dreaded DMV.

Warning: Lots of complaining ahead.

Ok, so my years of escaping the complete misery of the DMV have caught up with me. It's not as though I've had good experiences at DMVs, but they've never consisted of almost four hours of mean people, torturous waiting times, and unhappy customers. This experience is exactly why I had dreaded going and why I had put off going the entire summer.

Perhaps my first mistake was that I did not make an online appointment. In my defense, I tried to make one on Monday, but there wasn't a single opening for the rest of the week. And, given that I am starting a job next week, this one was my last opportunity to make a CA driver's license happen. My plan was to get up early and arrive when it first opened. But, then the weather decided to be uncooperative and pour. And, I didn't really want to arrive to my death at the DMV sopping wet. So, I waited until the rain let up and then went.

I stepped into the non-appointment line and immediately heard the lady manning the desk barking orders at people. And, yes, I do mean barking. I was terrified and I wasn't even near her yet. She was yelling at people for not filling out forms correctly, not moving fast enough, standing too close to her desk, etc., etc. But, let's pause for moment, why is it that at the DMV employers are allowed to wear whatever t-shirt and sweatpants they want to work? That sounds really condescending (and it probably is), but they are government employees and I can't think of other government offices that are allowed to dress so casual to work. I mean, how do you even take your job seriously when you're wearing a t-shirt with an ironed on wolf howling at the moon? When did I transport myself to Gatlinburg? Ok, back to the story, when it's finally my turn to approach scary lady at the desk, I'm trembling. I'm here to get a California license. PASSPORT! Um, Yes, I have it, here it is. FILL THIS OUT, DON'T SKIP ANY. Ok.

G126. It's my number. I filled out the form, extra careful that I didn't skip any questions. Unfortunately, I unwisely chose where to sit down to wait, because there were two teenage boys sitting next to me playing games on their cellphones. Ever heard of silent mode? Fast forward an hour, and I'm still listening to the beeps and high pitch noises of who know's what game. G126. Finally, my number is called.

I got through that phase quickly and pain free, and moved to the picture line. Dead halt.

Another almost hour of my life down the drain and all I have to show for it is a terrible picture where I'm half smiling.

{Getting bored yet, get up and stretch.}

I moved to the written exam area. I thought things were starting to look up. I finished my test, and guess what, got in another line to have it checked. Tick tock, tick tock. Oh, that's just another hour of your life. I approached the desk, I'm in the clear. The guy checks my test. 100%! No wrong answers, take that! He prints out my temporary license and hands it to me to sign. I glance it over and my last name is not hyphenated, it's one word. Hold up! I ask him about it, to which he replies that there is nothing he can do. I'll just have to come back when I get my license in the mail for them to fix it.  What?!?! You, at the last minute, mess up my name and you're not going to fix it? My name was printed correctly on all the other paperwork!

Recap: I didn't have an appointment, their was a crazy mean lady manning the intake desk, waited an hour to get called to the first desk, waited 45+ minutes to get my picture taken, took my written test, waited an hour to have my test reviewed, and then had my last name misspelled just when I thought I would finally be freed from the life-sucking, windowless hole that is the DMV.

The guy forces me to sign the piece of paper that has my incorrect last name, so I stop holding up the line. By this point, I almost felt like giving up. But, the thought of having to return to this hell hole gives me the strength to keep fighting.

After waiting, then having someone tell me she can't help me because she's going on break, then some more waiting, then talking to a manager, then some more waiting, and then finally talking to probably the nicest person that works at the DMV, I got the problem solved. I had to take another picture (thankfully I escaped having to wait in the line again). Oh, and I'm going to be receiving not one, but two licenses from the DMV, one with my name spelled correctly and one with it not. How that works I'm not sure. It's a hyphen people, it's not that hard to figure out!

Four hours later and I felt like I was running from that place, I could not get away fast enough!

Some good news. My friend Shely flies in tomorrow! So excited to see her!

making good on a promise to myself.

I told myself that when I got a job I could buy my first pair of toms.



And today I did.

Portland and some good news.

Well, I've been gone awhile. I guess that whole "blog 2-3 times a week thing" did not pan out so well for me. I'm back though, and it's fall, and I have some good news to share.

I was in Portland last week. Micah had a business trip and decided to spend some extra time up there with family, so I tagged along. I actually got to enjoy 3 of the 10 days per year that Portland has good weather (I kid, but seriously, I'm not sure I could handle all that drizzly rain). I really did luck out though. While Micah was busy in meetings talking bank strategies, I wandered around the city. It was the perfect weather, sunny and warm, but not too hot.

Micah's younger sister gifted me a late graduation present of a manicure and getting my hair styled. It was fun, and I felt super glamorous when I left the salon. I mean, my hair never looks like this!


I also can't imagine ever spending time to achieve this look on my own, not to mention that I don't own a hair dryer or one of those big round brushes or any styling talent to be able to make this happen again. It was fun while it lasted though.

While I was walking around Portland, I passed by the Timbers Stadium (the city's soccer team). See those pictures they have up? That was a contest that fans participated in.


One of Micah's friends tried out. I think he should have won, he looks very portland-ish (meaning he has some type of crazy facial hair). Don't you think?


Anyway, most of my trip was spent shopping, shopping for clothes to be precise. Or to be even more exact, shopping for work clothes. Because, this girl is FINALLY employed! (hint: this is the good news!) I found out about the job offer while I was in Portland, which made it that much of a better trip. Although I don't feel comfortable splashing all the details of my new employment for the internet to see, I am so excited about this new opportunity. The position is a clinical case manager, which basically boils down to being part case manager and part therapist. I'll be working with adults, which is also a huge positive for me. And, I start in little less than a week.

So, a big thank you goes out to everyone that has commented or emailed or called sending their encouragement about job searching, as well as those that sent their best wishes that I would find a job soon. I really do appreciate it! And, as my days of unemployment will soon come to an end, I'm trying to soak up these last few days of "freedom," while also running tons of errands to get myself ready.

Our last morning in downtown, we went to Voodoo Doughnut, a Portland legend and rightfully so.

The inside decor is pretty awesome.


They have TONS of doughnuts, of all flavors.

Micah got the Maple Bacon Bar. I'm not a huge fan of maple bars, but I had a bite of this one and it was pretty tasty, the sweet and salty combination balanced well.


And I got the Oreo Peanut Butter Doughnut (breakfast of champions, folks).

This thing was huge and extremely rich. Delicious, but too much to finish in one sitting.

After Voodoo, Micah and I headed out to the suburbs to hang out with family, including a cousin's wedding that we went to on Saturday. The whole trip was a ton of fun. I loved getting to see more of Portland and spend some time with family outside of the usual craziness of the holidays. Oh, and I got a job! I could not be happier!!