Tuesday, January 18, 2011

Terrorized...

Ok, its no secret.  I am scared shitless of raccoons.  Most people think they're the cutest little things.  Adorable.  How could anyone be scared of them?


Well, when you come face-to-face with one the size of a small german shepherd, with fangs ready to bite, hissing at you (which I have), then you'd understand my fear. Also, I've read too many stories of vicious raccoon attacks to know they are NOT nice creatures. 


It just so happens that they are ALL over the place in Berkeley.  I have yet to actually SEE one, but evidence is everywhere that they've been in my yard, on my roof, and I suspect, living under my house.  

The other night I heard a cat screech a blood-curdling sound, clearly being attacked.  
I hear footsteps all around my house and they sound HEAVY (not a rat, not a cat, not even a dog).  
I blocked a hole between my front steps and my crawlspace with a very large concrete block.  The next morning, that block was pushed to the side. 

I'm scared every night I come home from work that I'll run into one waiting for me.
I'm scared every night when I go to bed that one will find its way into my home.
I'm scared every night that they're under my house gnawing away at my electrical wires.

When I first starting hearing the sounds, I used to be afraid that it was a burglar, an attacker, or even a ghost.  But now that I know its a raccoon, I have to say, nothing compares to the fear of the mutha-f'ing raccoon.  

Seriously...how do raccoon-proof my home?  Any ideas?


Friday, January 7, 2011

My current obsessions...

  • House Hunters International
  • Quora
  • Spending $200 at a time (I have no explanation...)
  • Planning snowboarding trips 
  • The Hawaiian Dreams collection on airbnb
  • Mascara application
  • Kicking ass at my new job
  • Not looking back at the insane asylum that is my old job
  • OWN - the Oprah Winfrey Network (don't judge)
  • Scrabble app on my ipad
  • Redfin.com
  • Finding the perfect aqua paint color for my home office walls
  • The mac app store
  • My right knee & the weird ball rolling around under the skin of my kneecap
  • Coconut water
  • Tying my scarf in a "Nordstrom knot"
  • Acme pan de san francisco bread

That's all.

Thursday, January 6, 2011

Me in 2011...

Ok, so I'm a bit late to the game with 2011. I wasn't ready for it to come so quickly and though I typically have a handful of specific goals I set for myself each year, I haven't had any time to even really think about what I want to accomplish in 2011.  Moreso than any specific milestone, there are some attitude adjustments I'd love to focus on this year:

Stop spending money on frivilous things.
But rather...
Spend money unapologetically on things that bring me pleasure.

Stop spending time on relationships w/ no return on investment.
But rather...
Invest in more relationships.

Stop wasting time.
But rather...
Enjoy the "doing nothing" moments.

Take better care of myself.
Feed my creative side.
Be present more (yes, I did get that from Oprah...but it struck a chord w/ me)
Stand up for myself.
Minimize my "mean girl" moments.
Move forward.
Talk slower. (ha! Lame...but its true)

Yup...that about sums it up.