My Current Obsessions...

1. Getting to sleep by 10pm in order to wake up by 5am for bootcamp (I'm only successful about 3 times a week...)
2. Deciding which pair of Christian Louboutin shoes I will invest (waste?) $700 on just to have had the experience of buying a pair ONCE in my life. (I keep going back to the "safe" black platform peeptoe pumps)
3. Yelp'ing
4. American Idol...though I am ashamed to admit it, I'm trying not to care as much, and I'm more than a little pissed that Michael Johns is gone.
5. Building up my LinkedIn connections
6. HuffingtonPost.com (which is the one-stop shop for all info about politics today.***)
7. Trying to break the rut of always buying the waistless, formless dress and force myself to buy some more fitted stuff.
8. What the final standing of the NBA's Western Conference will end up looking like for playoff matchups (Please let Golden State make it and have the Spurs play them first round!  Then I can go and see a couple games.  Please do not let the Spurs draw the Suns the first round.  Please let the Lakers draw the Rockets the first round and get their butts kicked.  Please let Chris Paul get MVP and not Kobe.)
9. Keeping my tiny little apartment clean.
10. Deciding whether to drive or ride the bus each day.
11. Saving money without compromising my lifestyle.
12. Finding at least ONE way to style my new haircut that I'm happy with.
13. iTunes
14. Finding a cute, comfortable pair of can't-live-without flats.  Impossible.
15. Sauvignon Blanc

***I'll end this post with a political rant, which I normally NEVER do in public.  But, I'm angry and annoyed.  I've never liked Hilary Clinton.  I am, indeed, an Obama backer.  So many things in the recent headlines have reminded me exactly what I don't like and don't trust about Hilary.  She's a bad person.  Period.  I hate to sound immature.  I hate to sound so naive.  But, seriously.  She is a bad person.  She lied time and time again about the "sniper-fire" ridden Bosnia trip.  And when caught, she said she "mispoke" and her husband blew it off as a late-night slip of the tongue due to exhaustion.  (I won't even go into how Bill Clinton is making a fool of himself in this election).  I am so angry that she has ridden Obama for saying that small town people in PA are "bitter" and trying to tag him as "elitist".  I'm sorry, but the Clinton's made over $100 MILLION dollars in the last 8 years.  That is ASTOUNDING and some of which is under question.  I think she better think long and hard before using the "out of touch" argument against Obama.  Lastly (for now), Gov. Bill Richardson said that he got so much pressure to back Hilary Clinton because of his relationship with Bill Clinton.  I'm sorry, but WHO'S running for President here?  Ugh...I can't get into this anymore.  It raises my blood pressure.  However, I'll say this:  even if I weren't backing Obama, you could not pay me to vote for Hilary Clinton.  Period.

My Spring Fashion Wish List...

...from my favorite designers:  Robert Rodriguez, Phillip Lim 3.1, Marc by Marc Jacobs, L.A.M.B., and of course, Christian Louboutin.

Idol Gives Back...

Here are some of my favorite quotes from various websites regarding “Idol Gives Back” last night:

“Before the commercial, Kobe Bryant gives a pitch. Hey, Kobe, remember when you bought your wife a multi-million dollar piece of jewelry after you cheated on her with that girl in Colorado? Maybe that money could have gone to charity. (I'm sorry, maybe Kobe does give money to charity, but I don't like him.)” I hate Kobe too. Good point blogger. PS: what was up with that bandaid on his face?

“One other burning question, spawned from watching the angel-white clad “Idols” close the show with “Shout to the Lord”: Do you have to be Christian to be on “American Idol”? Is there a place for other faiths - even agnostics or atheists? Secular humanists? Do you have to fake it? Points to ponder…” I was wondering about this last number. I grew up singing this song in church. It’s a ballsy move for such a huge event. I wasn't really cool with it, to be honest. I wonder, if an Idol contestant isn’t a Christian, are they forced to sing?

“We returned to Bono and Annie Lennox in Africa and this time I whip out my credit card and head over to the Web site (www.americanidol.com) to donate to this really good cause once again. Just breaks your heart what’s happening in places other than where you live.” The Annie Lennox piece really moved me. It was exactly the point when I got out my cc and donated as well.

“There's something odd about having a string of millionaires ask you for money. it would help if we, the lowly American workers of the world, knew that the wealthy celebrities gave their part as well. Only one person tonight said the words "join me in donating." That was David Beckham. Good for him. But the American Idol producers are appealing to a wide demographic - some of whom are at poverty level themselves. And if they are moved to scrape up a donation, it would be a nice reassurance that those who are pandering are putting their money where their mouths are.” I was thinking the same thing! I wondered, “Did all these stars donate as well?”.

• One final thought: Seriously, can someone explain to me what the big deal about Mylie Cyrus is? I just don’t get it. Of course, I’m not a 12 year old girl, either. But, seriously.
• Ok, one LAST thought: I think the Idol contestants' performances last year were so much more moving and heart-felt than the ones this year. It just all felt so forced.
• One last, FINAL thing: It was good seeing the dancers from SYTYCD.

Simple, Social Confrontations...

...make me feel uncomfortable.

• Asking someone to stop talking on their cell phone while on the bus...(SF'ers get this)...I can't do.
• Trying to get a bartender's or a server's attention when I've been waiting too long to order...no, I can't.
• Letting a cashier know that I'm in a hurry as he chats away with a coworker or the customer he just finished with...can't do.
• Heck, I can't even tell someone they have something stuck in their teeth!

I let things eat me up inside until they become boiling irritations just because I can't say something simply...politely. I let it get to be so bad that sometimes I dream about what I'd say, the tyrade I would go off on, if I had the guts to be a mean person. In fact, however, I don't even have the guts to say something in a nice way. So now I'm stuck.

My neighbor upstairs walks like an elephant with heels on. And she/he walks back and forth across the apartment constantly. No rugs on the wood floors. Heavy walkers are one thing (heck, I'm one). But, with shoes on? C'mon! Have some respect. At 11:30pm on a Sunday night? Are you serious? The lack of consideration towards me, the neighbor downstairs, makes me think he/she does it on purpose. Dancing around their apartment, on the hardwood, reveling in the thought of my frustration downstairs. My sister says I should simply go and knock on their door and tell them how loud they're being. Me? I'd rather stew over and dream of how I'd pound on my ceiling with a broom at 2am on a Monday or write a nasty letter and leave it in their mailbox.

But at the end of the day, realistically, I'll end up doing nothing. I'll one day run into them at the front door and I'll smile politely all the while spewing venom towards them on the inside. I'm going to give myself a heartattack. I'm so lame.

Cowardice. That's what it is. Yuck. That's an ugly word in every sense.

No More Chicken 'N Waffles. No More Chocolate Bread Pudding.

I know that a lot of girls are hyper-critical of their bodies and their weight. Honestly, I have a pretty good sense of when I'm looking and feeling healthy and where I should be. Currently I am NOT there. I am SHOCKED to see how much weight I've gained in the 2 months since being in SF. My clothes do not fit. My boobs are OUT OF CONTROL huge right now. And my arms, belly, neck, face, thighs, and ass have ballooned. I don't want you to mistake me for "that girl"...the one who points out all her flaws - the ones she doesn't have. It is clear to me, my mother (she made a comment), and the world, that I've been gaining weight...turns out it's about 7 lbs in 2 months (and on a 5'0 frame, that's a LOT).

So, I've joined a bootcamp. VyAyr. It got great reviews on Yelp. It's a 4 week program and my hope is that I can start getting back into shape and feel good and healthy. I'm 4 sessions in and I'm less sore than I was after day 1, feeling better with more energy, and looking forward to a noticeable difference when putting on my clothes.

I've also decided to go on a spending fast. I've never done it before. But, I've been out of control in spending money up here as well. It's time to stop. So, I've stocked up my fridge, bought my bus pass, and filled my gas tank. There should be no need for me to spend even a dime in the next 15 days. I've made 1 exception: my sister's 40th bday is coming up and I may need to purchase invitations to her party and a gift before the 15th. But, other than that, no going out, not even to meet friends (the 1 or 2 that I actually have up here). I'm kind of excited. The longest 15 days of my life. ha!

2 1/2 weeks left of bootcamp, 2 weeks of spending-free living...I'll let you know how I feel when I'm done!

Obamatown...

San Francisco is crazy for Obama. You should see the cubicles in my agency just decorated with Obama '08 stuff. Look at the bumper sticker I saw yesterday on the street. "Gardners for Obama". Ha! Hysterical.

I've never been one to talk openly about politics. I've made it a rule in life to avoid the conversation and keep my choices to myself. However, I feel differently this time around. Maybe because I'm actually very passionate about a candidate for once. I actually believe in and stand behind someone for once. It's really invigorating.

I will say that I'm very disappointed in Hilary, again. Her tactics, her smears, her lies (about her trip to Bosnia)...all smell of desperation. I wish she'd stop. I wish she'd step back and do what was right...best. I wish she'd stay on higher ground. Ugh.

Reality Roundup...shoot me now for doing this...

Look, I’ll admit it. I’m a reality show junkie. I hate it about myself. I hate that saying so puts me into a class of people that so many look down upon. Heck, I look down on myself. Ha! But, it’s true, I am. I can blame the writers’ strike (except that I’ve been watching reality shows since the 1st season of the Real World and Survivor). So today, I use the excuse that I’m new to the city and don’t have any friends and I need something to pass the time. (That’s the excuse I use for everything these days).

Here’s my roundup of last week:

· Dancing with the Stars Week 1. In a nutshell, Jason Taylor shocked me. Christian and Mario bug me. Adam Corolla is adorable. Monica Seles is embarrassing. And Kristi Yamaguchi is unbeatable.
· American Idol. How Kristi Lee Cook manages to stick around is beyond me. She’s terrible. I’d punch Ramiele if I could. David Cook is still my boyfriend.
· Real Housewives of NY. (Lord, help me) This thing with Ramona and Jill has got to stop. As despicable as Ramona is (and she is), it’s making Jill behave badly and I don’t like seeing that. The Countess is a nice one to have on your side, though.
· Making the Band 4. I’m glad Diddy called out the girls and their look. They were the epitome of “new money”…just tacky…especially Aubrey. He needed to step in. And I agree, Aundrea looks a little chubby. Still, I like their sound and I feel attached to them, so even though his plugging annoyed me profusely, I did go and buy their album. I missed the season finale list night. Tivo for later this week.
· Real World/Road Rules Gauntlet. The fact that the Rooks STILL couldn’t win it after the Vets had to wait for Eric to be carted away on an ambulance is BEYOND me! Is there ANYONE likeable on these shows anymore? WHY, Susan, WHY do you still watch?
· Top Chef. It’s episode 2 and I’ve grouped all the contestants into psychos and duds. I’m still pulling for Eric even though his place is in the Marina. He’s funny.
· America’s Next Top Model. There are just too many ugly girls this year. And the fact that they’re all like 19 and act it is annoying. Claire is the only bearable one so I’m rooting for her.
· The Big Give. Missed it yesterday. Gotta catch up on tivo. But, I want to comment that I’m still disgusted with last week’s episode. The lady in the wheelchair should have stayed and the annoying singer lady needed to GO!
· Make me a Supermodel. I was shocked to see how chubby Holly’s gotten. She was NOT like that in the beginning. She looked terrible in the lingerie and in the final dress! Wow. Still, she’s my favorite. I like Ronnie too, but I’m suspicious that Holly dislikes him so much. If anything, Perry and Ben seem WAY more annoying.
· America’s Best Dance Crew. My favorite. Argh. HOW did Status Quo make it to the finals? It was all set up for it to be a Kaba Modern / Jabbawockeez finale! And that’s clearly how it should have been. I’m bummed KM didn’t make it. I like them. I’m amazed they’re some part Korean. Koreans can dance? In any case, Jabba is OBVIOUSLY the most talented (they are CRAAAAZY) and if they don’t win, I’ll hate myself for watching reality trash even more.


I’ve got the Joan Jett song in my head “I hate myself for loving you…”….more like “I hate myself for watching you…”

GET A LIFE, SUSAN!