Chennai To Delhi

I will be traveling to India and will be updating a different blog while I am there: chennaitodelhi.blogspot.com

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My best friend

My life is much fuller with this little chicken in it. I have realized recently that she has been with me for my entire 20s and now we will both continue to age gracefully as I move into my third decade, with her faithfully by my side. She loves me truly unconditionally (although I did challenge that by bringing Buddy into the picture). She is cross eyed, she has almost no teeth, her breath is horrible, she carries toys and slippers all over the house, she drools when she is overwhelmed with joy, she loves sleeping between our pillows, she does things she knows she is not supposed to do, she throws up when she gets lonely, she can't imagine sitting anywhere but your lap when you are working on a laptop...in other words she is perfect in every way.

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Returning from whence I came

I realize it has been a while so I decided to take a quick moment to check in. So much has happened, as a friend said to me recently, I was a rockstar in March. As most of you know I have completed my Masters thesis and I have gotten a job doing research with the Veteran's Administration. I am slightly lost without the ability to hide behind my status as a student, but freedom from the thesis makes it all worth it. Hopefully I will feel inspired to update again soon with something more substantial.

Thesis Recruitment

I have finally gotten IRB approval to recruit subjects that are not only in the intro to Psychology course at Long Beach State. If you would like to participate or if you know anyone that would be interested in participating please contact me. More specific information is on the flyer below. I still need quite a few participants so any help would be greatly appreciated!

Waiting for Tami

As i sit here waiting for my dinner date to arrive I thought I would take a break from writing and look through some more furnishing ideas. First of all, we have found the couch we love and so far that is the only thing that is set:



Everything else seems to change daily. It is slightly overwhelming, albeit a blessing, to try to furnish and decorate a 3 bedroom home in a cohesive and attractive way. I am pretty sure we are leaning towards a simple table that is sturdy and well made so it will last a while and if we want to change styles down the road changing the chairs or the colors around the table will be effective. I was looking through craigslist and it seems like everyone has decided to get rid of their dining room tables from the 80s. Not only does it make craigslist not an option I thought it would be a good idea to try to go with something more timeless than a glass top with peach legs a la 80s art deco hipness. So far this is what I have found:


The flooring that is currently in the dining room is a lightish color beige? tile. I want to take it out and put wood down and leave the tile only in the kitchen. It looks like we are going to have a full month to get the house clean and painted and ready to move in but this new flooring idea may be a little ambitious and perhaps too expensive. The wall color we have agreed on so far is gray. I know it seems like it wouldn't be such a great choice but it is such a classic serene color without having to stick with a neutral like beige or get too crazy with color. It will make it easy to find accent pieces and change the mood of the room more often as the paint will compliment so many things. Of course, once gray was decided on we had no idea exactly how many shades there were. Once we get the keys we are taking the advice of our more color savvy friends and painting a few samples in different areas of the house to see how the light looks on it.

As a side note, I am typing away about color and furniture and I am happy that these are my biggest problems. The entire process has taken so long that I had to shut down the part of me that was excited about home ownership until things were more certain. Finally, things are certain and it is taking a bit for my giddiness to return. I am really looking forward to starting my little family and getting all nested in a home, not just a house. If you gave this post to a younger Beth she would have laughed at you...no way was it written by the same person! In other words, I am shocked that I would be so happy being so settled.

I cannot resist posting this

I have been following Allie over at Hyperbole and a Half for a while now, and recently she posted a blog that relates to mid-twenties adolescence in such a perfectly hilarious way, I wanted to make sure it was enjoyed by all. I am not sure if everyone can relate, but I know that I have had the same thoughts (probably verbatim) and I wish I could tell her that turning 29 will make things easier, or at least you would feel like an adult, but really nothing changes and being responsible is just as exhausting as ever.

Enjoy: This is Why I'll Never be an Adult

Houzz.com

I found a new site where I can collect some decorating ideas for the new place. I am working on picking some wall colors as well as searching for some unique dining room light ideas. So far I really like what I have been able to do on the site. Check out the collection of photos I have put into my "ideabook":

Color and Lighting ideas

Houzz- Kitchen Design, Bathroom Design and More»

Home Designs and Pictures:

Kitchen Remodeling · Bathroom Remodeling · Living Room Remodeling · Bedroom Remodeling · Dining Room Remodeling · Patio Remodeling · Landscaping Remodeling ·

Growing up

So I think I may need to change the name of this blog, I think I may officially be leaving behind my adolescence. And it only took 28 years. Matt and I decided to start looking for houses. We went through the process of getting pre-approved for a loan, found an agent, found a house, and tomorrow we will be signing the papers for the offer on the house. Throughout this process we have had new noisy neighbors move in above us and the apartment next door managed to catch on fire, I feel as though the universe is in agreement with our decision to move. Our idea of a perfect place to move was a bit idealistic. We wanted a 2 car garage, a dishwasher, a place for laundry, a kitchen with counter space, a location closer to LA and Hollywood, affordable, a fireplace, and a private outdoor area. We feel like we found it! It is located in a stigmatized area of Pasadena, but after my Dad drove around today he confirmed that the stigma no longer holds true. I am probably too excited but I wanted to share, luckily it is not a foreclosure or short sale so we don't foresee too many obstacles in the process, but things can always happen. Here are a few pictures:

Front of the house:


Back of the house:


Front patio:


Front room:


Dining Room:


Kitchen:


Master bedroom:


The fireplace in the Master:

Confusion

I am happy. I really am. I have taken steps in my life to ensure that happiness. I have cut back on the hours at my dead end job. I have made the completion of my thesis a priority. I have the support of an amazing husband. I love every single one of my friends, they all support me and I know they are there for me when I need them. I am lucky enough to have an amazing, understanding family who I love so deeply it sometimes hurts. Also, my pets are fun and comforting in their own special ways.

Why then am I unable to motivate myself? Why do I have difficulty getting out of bed in the morning? Why do I avoid talking on the phone when a friend calls? Why is it so hard to stick to the plans I have made for myself? I woke up this morning and planned to have breakfast then walk into the office to do some work, followed by some gym time and a walk home. Then my evening and night was going to be filled with thesis work. Not an overwhelming or intricate plan so why is it 5pm and none of it has been completed?

I am not writing this blog to whine, but perhaps to vent and see it writing and put it in public will force me to see how ridiculous I am being.

Heroes usually don't like being called heroes but that is part of what makes them heroes...

First of all, I want to thank Matt for his service even though I am glad this strike team is over:


Next I wanted to share how we could help the families of the two fallen firefighters from LA County:

Donations are being accepted in their memory at:

F&A Federal Credit Union - "Memorial Fund"
P.O.Box 30831
Los Angeles 90030-9972

There have been three accounts opened to benefit the families of Captain Tedmund "Ted" Hall and Fire Fighter Specialist Arnaldo "Arnie" Quinones. Their untimely death on August 30, 2009 has been a shock for everyone. Following are the accounts:

Tedmund "Ted" Hall:
Account/Member Number 617171

Arnaldo "Arnie" Quinones:
Account/Member Number 617172

Combined Pool Contribution:
Account/Member Number 617170

Responsibly Made

ok I know I owe a Coachella post but I keep seeing things saying they are responsibly made and I needed to rant a bit.

For a while now I have been making an effort to live my life in a more socially and environmentally conscious way. For example, I have started buying more Bamboo textiles instead of cotton, using sigg bottles instead of multiple plastic bottles, buying more products with natural ingredients, and trying to buy things that are made locally.

It seems like it is still very difficult, if not impossible, to be 100% 'good'. The bamboo requires chemicals to turn into cloth but it grows quickly and heartily, the sigg bottle is made of aluminum, the natural ingredient made products often come in wasteful packaging,and buying essential items locally is difficult when everything is made in China.

I have no problem supporting the global economy but I do find a sort of irony in the fact that shipping things from china to my local store is extremely ungreen seeing as how large barges and the trucks to move the product are a huge pollution problem. I am also intrigued when companies state that their product is responsibly made in China so they could bring it to you cheaper. Well, to be honest I would rather pay more for my products in order to provide someone with a real living wage and real benefits. I understand that if one company did in fact pay workers at a factory here in the US a truly living wage they would lose the competitive pricing edge, but it would have so many other positive effects: The money paid to them would go back into our sore economy, we would increase moral by creating more jobs available to the low skilled labor force, and we would cut down on transport pollution as well as production pollution since the US has more stringent regulations. I guess American Apparel created a more socially conscious business model, but not all of their products are made using organic cotton or bamboo.

I don't have any solutions, I am struggling with how to mitigate all of my concerns and I have yet to come up with anything solid. Once I figure out why all reusable grocery bags are made in China and how I can find some that are not, I think I will feel a lot better.

Who's got two thumbs and is headed to Coachella tonight?

This girl:


As I was packing last night I realized I actually have dresses that are pretty much just for Coachella. I am also taking this parasol again so this is exact picture could potentially be taken this year.

I am so excited it's ridiculous. I thought it would make it difficult to focus on work today but actually I have been über efficient and have come to a lull as I wait for the day to catch up with my speed, so I blog.

I am sure you have all seen the awesomeness that is the lineup, but just in case:


I could list all the bands I am most excited about seeing, but that is slightly cliche and I usually find that I am pleasantly surprised by bands I had no intention of seeing...so the highlights of the weekend are difficult to predict.

EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE...have I mentioned how excited I am?

Put some honesty back in hip hop

Skillz presents... Hip-Hop Confessions from Visually Inklined on Vimeo.

Fear of an Arab Planet

Since I have not been able to sleep well, I have been exploring the On Demand feature of my cable company and discovered the Sundance Channel. I came across an interesting documentary called Slingshot Hip Hop. I think the movie describes itself best:

"Slingshot Hip Hop braids together the stories of young Palestinians living in the West Bank, Gaza and inside Israel as they discover Hip Hop and employ it as a tool to surmount divisions imposed by occupation and poverty. From internal checkpoints and Separation Walls to gender norms and generational differences, this is the story of young people crossing the borders that separate them."

This movie moved me like nothing I have seen recently. I was able to view the conflict from the perspective of people living it daily, not from the well thought out words of politicians and corporate media. Even though the Palestinian rap may not be for everyone - even if it is for me - their story and struggle will tug at you if you are able to put aside your existing bias and truly listen.

I felt so extremely helpless after watching it. The only thing I could think of doing was supporting them by purchasing a t-shirt and the CD made from all of the artists that are featured in the film. I wanted them to know I heard them, I really heard them, and I will do my best to make sure a few other people hear them as well.

I hope you all can take a couple of hours to sit down and consider another side. Watch the trailer: HERE

Here is the shirt I bought also to spread the word just a little more:

Sleep is the cousin of death

It is 4:24 in the morning, I am sick, I can't sleep and I really really want to. My mind is empty while moving 1,000 miles an hour at the same time. It is now 4:39, interesting how little I wrote in that period of time. I guess I should try again...

A neat way to do an instructional video

also I dig this woman's style...and the song is pretty awesome too:

Nostalgia

I love Google's street view! It is a lot of fun seeing where I lived in London. I miss it a lot!

This is the street view of Metrogate which was basically a dorm/hostel like facility, but it was a really nice area and a great location. Close to Hyde Park and easy access to the tube. The only thing that proved difficult was grocery shopping. We would fill our back packs and tromp back to the house in the pouring rain. Something would inevitably be smashed when we made it back. Anyway, I was so excited to see it I wanted to share with everyone:


View Larger Map

I can haz bail out?

Eye Update

So I went to the optometrist yesterday to get a new prescription for my contacts and glasses. Apparently my eye is not ready for contacts and she would actually like to put me on some steroid type drops next week when I get back from vacation. I am kinda sad because now I HAVE to wear glasses always. I was hoping that 2 months was plenty of healing time for the ulcer :(

To make lemonade out of lemons I went ahead and upgraded the glasses I had (which were really only meant to be back up for contacts). The new glasses are Burberry which is great because now they will match my perfume. I also got a pair of prescription sunglasses because really, you can't go to Jamaica without sunglasses!

I have another appointment on Sunday when I get back at which point I will get the drops that have to be administered 3 times a day for 5 days. My dad says I probably won't get to go back to contacts until December which is unfortunate but like he said it really is not that easy to get a corneal transplate so its better to err on the side of caution (I suppose).

Well here are some pics of my new fancy glasses: