The "Great House Hunt '09" has begun!...

I've been scouring the internet just looking through listings of potential homes to buy. I know most of these won't be available come July when I'm ready to buy, but I still want to see what's out there and how much I should expect to get for what I'm prepared to pay. So, if you wouldn't mind...

House #1: Cute cottage in desirable Lafayette. 1br/1ba. Walking distance to downtown Lafayette and BART. About $100k out of my comfort zone, but it's Lafayette...you're lucky to find anything under $1M. Needs some work.

GREAT curb appeal. Love the little cottage feel. But the driveway looks beat down.

Kitchen needs upgrading. But it's HUGE!

Love the brick fireplace. But the living space seems a little long and narrow to me.

Ok, so it's not my dream house. But its a start. I'll keep looking...

Q109 Plan of Action...

Sound serious? That's because I am! I have a plan for the first 3 months of the year and I'm gonna stick with it. No, its not a workout plan. Not a nutrition plan. (God no!) Not a savings plan. Its more like a things-to-do list, but a lot more fun!

1. See "Wicked". I have been DYING to see this. I'm the biggest fan of this musical...but have NEVER seen it! I recommend it to everyone...but have NEVER seen it! I have the soundtrack and know all the songs...but have NEVER seen it! Ha! I. WILL. SEE. WICKED...before the end of Q109...I will pay top dollar if I have to (but I hope not to! :) ) "...I hope you're happy in the end~~~~~I hope you're happy.......my friend~~~~"

2. See the SF Ballet again. I was so mesmerized by the Nutcracker. And with a stellar recommendation from my friend Jeannie (who got to see the SF ballet perform in Washington DC...huh?), I have set my sights on Program 6 which includes a "West Side Story" suite (fun!) and the one that Jeannie saw, "Within the Golden Hour". This particular performance is not until the beginning of April, but I'm buying my tickets Q109!

3. See the YSL exhibit at the DeYoung Museum. I MUST! How can I say that I'm obsessed with fashion and all things couture and NOT see this? I am salivating just thinking of it. No brainer. I may even do it this weekend. GQ has class all weekend, so I might just head over there on my own and savor every minute...drinking in the lovliness. And if I don't, it shows until April 5th, so I have ALL of Q109 to find time to see it!

4. Check out candidates for "my future neighborhood". I'm buying a home. July '09 is my target date. But since my explorations of Northern California have been limited to Russian Hill, SoMa, and Montclair, I have to expand my options. In Q109, I commit to visiting and spending some quality coffee drinking/eating/shopping time in Cole Valley, Bernal Heights, Duboce Triangle, North Berkeley, Albany, and Walnut Creek. It may be unlikely that I'll even find potential homes in any of those areas, but that's where I'm gonna start my search. Wish me luck!

It's gonna be a FUN Q109, my friends! Come along for the ride if you'd like. Would love some company! :)

Thanks crazy lady...

Suze Orman scares me a bit. The over the top jackets. The bulging eyeballs. The syncopated speech. And not to mention the fact I truly do NOT believe that's how her name is really spelled. But, in any case, I listen to her. She makes sense. And on Oprah today, she encouraged me to do something I have been scared to do for a long time.

When I was in college, I got myself into a crapload of credit card dept. I mean...a crapload. Like, tens of thousands of dollars and then some. It took me over 15 years to pay it all off. And this past year, I finally did it! YAY! So now...I'm set to buy a house. All eyes on a cute little bungalow with period details but updated renovations hopefully in a safe and adorable neighborhood. In order to do so, well, I've got to try and get a loan. And in order to get a loan, well, I've got to check my FICO score. 

I've imagined my score to be low...maybe in the 500's? I just expect to pay high interest rates. But, man, I've worked HARD to get my credit back into good standing and I did HOPE that it would be better. Well, I faced my fears, thanks to Suz-E! I went onto myfico.com and within minutes, my score appeared! FREE! And...WAY BETTER than expected...in fact, in the high "good" range...and close, very close to "great"! I AM SO EXCITED!

Everything's falling into place...I'm gonna be in my OWN home in 2009. I'm SURE of it! :)

Thoughts of Spring in the middle of Winter...

While bundled up in my pj's with my "house socks" and heater on, I saw on the weather report that we're expecting 70 degree weather this weekend. WHAT? 70 degrees in San Francisco in the dead of winter? NOOOO! I'm not ready for Spring yet. I love the Winter. And I still need a few more months to save up to DO Spring properly...meaning adorable dresses and THESE:

...glorious Christian Louboutin petal sandals for Spring. Totally impractical. Totally to-die-for. $995. No problem. Who needs a home? Who needs food? Who needs anything other than these sandals?

When did LOVE become a bad word?...

I use the word "love" all the time. I love the San Diego Chargers. I love pineapple gelato. I love San Francisco. I love beer. I love fashion. I love my family. I love my friends. I love "Gossip Girl". love, love, love...

I don't use it flippantly...I really do have strong feelings towards these things...some more than others...but enough to want to stress an importance-level...enough to want to signify that there is a place in my heart for all of it...

I accidently said the "L" word to GQ...twice. Once, after our phenomenal holiday weekend together (Nutcracker, homemade Christmas dinner, presents) I was rushing to catch the BART and when I was getting out of his car, I kissed him and said "love ya". It hit me like a ton of bricks as soon as it happened. I ran off to catch the train and was scared to death of his reaction. (note: "love ya" and "I love you" are DIFFERENT...but to guys in new relationships, they're the same terrifying thing).

Saturday night, after 3 beers and an elated Chargers victory, GQ and I were chatting on the phone when an interview with Philip Rivers (Chargers' QB) comes on the tv. I rush to get off the phone and say "Gotta go. I love you. Bye". (note: "I love you. Bye" and "I love you" are also DIFFERENT...but to guys in new relationships, they're the same terrifying thing).

I freaked myself out with both incidents. But I chose not to bring it up with GQ. I didn't want to make a big deal of it. I say it when I get off the phone with my parents, my friends...why not my boyfriend...(uhhh...how about because its only been 3 months, crazy-Asian girl!?!). I can tell he has since been wigged out about it a bit too. I don't want to talk about it. I don't want to set myself up to hear that he's "not ready yet" to say those words, etc. etc...

Ack. Grrrr. Ugh. Stooopid.

...get over it, Susan...

Almost makes me not want to watch tv...

I hate commercials. Not so much because they're wasted time and space...which they are. But, mostly because so many of them are so stupid, lame, annoying. Working in advertising makes it worse since I know how much companies pay these agencies to come up with the ideas. Argh.

Two that I particularly hate right now...to the point of making the effort to either mute the tv or change the channel entirely...are the J'adore perfume commercial with Charlize Theron and the "I stink" Geico commercial with the smelly guy doing yoga. I hate them, hate them, hate them. The J'adore ad, they way Charlize says that word...just makes me laugh, and then get really annoyed. The "I stink" guy just GROSSES me out altogether and then makes me pissed. I'm curious as to which agencies produced this trash, but that would just make me more angry.



Thank goodness for DVR...though I hear the lowlifes in the ad world are trying somehow to make it so you can't fast forward through the commercials...DO NOT PISS ME OFF!

Welcome back...

Ha! I feel like I've been out of commission for a LONG time! I took 2 1/2 weeks off from work. Man, that felt good. But, it's hard coming back. New year means every employee wants to talk to HR about what's in store for them. My response to them all: Be hopeful. I think this will be a great year for my office.

2008 was quite possibly the best year of my life. That's a bold statement, but I feel so good about what happened this past year. I've had some really phenomenal years in the past...but '08, it just felt like everything fell into place...I should've played the lottery! New city, new job, new life, new man...NEW = GREAT...and when you can interchange those two words, then life is pretty much sweet...happy!

I'm hopeful for 2009. I really am. And though I'm not one to make resolutions, I definitely want to set some goals for myself:

• Buy my 1st home!!!
• Get involved in some business networks and charitable organizations.
• Run a 10k...maybe...ok, yes, a 10k...at some point...by the end of the year.
• Host a LAC meeting (yes, Emily, I really, really do want to do this! :) )
• Wear more form fitting clothes...ha! Funny goal, but I need to transform my wardrobe. Stacy and Clinton from "What Not to Wear" swear by this for curvier women. I must try!
• Go on a REAL vacation...Hawaii, maybe?
• Add $xx,000 to my savings account.

I think this is all doable...except for maybe running the 10k! ha! But, I'm motivated, excited, and HOPEFUL!

Happy 2009 everyone!