April 2008 Archives

The key to homophobia?

Interesting concept, no?

Okay, so I got a little inebriated this past weekend. (FYI -- after a detox, alcohol consumption must be gradual.) Anyway, guess what? I lost my darn cell phone. I guess it all worked out in the end, especially since getting a new phone was on my to-do list.

So, as he always does, Cell Boy hooked me up with a free phone. I had been planning to switch carriers, but with 8 months to go before my contract ended, I had to go ahead and extend... again. Ugh, I know. I'm on lockdown. Anyway, I opted for the T-Mobile Wing. I'd considered this phone the last time I was searching, but I went in another direction. This time around, I thought I'd try it out -- mainly because I was able to get it for free. I really wanted the new BlackBerry 8820, but I still would have had to pay close to $300. Uhh, NO THANKS.

So far, the phone seems cool. I've really grown accustomed to Windows Mobile because of my last phone, so it's definitely a plus that the Wing is also powered by Windows Mobile. It just makes life a little easier for me. I've been able to start my blogs via my phone. Hopefully that means I'll be posting more often. Ha! We'll see.

054 | X | get a new phone

So, has anyone received their Tax Rebates yet? Any interesting ways you will be spending yours? Well, I'm scheduled to get my stimulus check by May 9th. (To figure out when you're going to get yours, click here!) At this point, I'm still planning on paying off a chunk of one of my credit cards. Is that completely responsible (yet soooooo boring) of me? Who knows -- maybe I'll sneak in those boots I've been itching for. Maybe I'll even get a massage. Hmmm...

Articles Worth Reading:
Tax rebates finally arrive - early
Smart moves for your stimulus check
Tax rebates: A clue to co-workers' salaries
5 great tax-rebate getaways

...and caring is love.

Summer (left) and Kayla (right) sharing a hot chocolate.

(This post is dedicated to my nephew, Joseph. Haha!)

HELP -- I'm running out of Lip Shine!! Okay, I'll admit... there is a small chance I overuse my lip shine, but I love it. I've always been a fan of Bath and Body Works' C.O. Bigelow™ Mentha Lip Shine (product). SO GOOD. It doubles as a minty breath freshener, too. No joke. Bath and Body Works (site) also features a lip BALM from the same brand... good for those guys out there who are not comfortable purchasing something called "lip shine"... JOSEPH. Ha!

Another brand that I've just recently became a fan of is eyes lips face (e.l.f.) (site). All their products are only $1. Granted, for brushes and other accessories, you'd probably want better quality than the ones they offer. My friends swear by their eyeshadows, but I can't really justify that since I haven't tried any of them yet. (I'm a Bare Escentuals (site) girl, myself.) But I love their e.l.f. Super Glossy Lip Shine(product). It doesn't have that same minty freshness as the one from Bath and Body Works, but it's also $6 cheaper. Can't really complain, right??

On another note, while I was on my detox, I was compiling a list of "Things to Eat" during the 9-day duration. It was sort of an effort to minimize cravings. Anyway, I ended up with only about 5 items on my list.

One of them was this Steak Alfredo that was being advertised at the Olive Garden (site). We went there on Thursday and it was a major disappointment. Our waiter told me that they don't serve it anymore. Well, their dinner menu says otherwise. I mean, sure, we went there for lunch, but there is a difference between "We don't serve that anymore" and "We only serve that for dinner". Am I right? I mean, if they don't serve it anymore (as our stupid waiter indicated), they should take it off the menu, don't you think?

Losers. Okay, I'm being a little dramatic. I know. Now I'm hungry... guess it's time for breakfast. Later!

As you know, I've been paying off my debt. I closed a credit card last month which was really exciting. YES, despite what is advised when trying to fix your credit score (article), I closed an old credit card. But hey, they also discourage opening a bunch of credit card accounts that you don't need, so I'm trying to get rid of these random ones I have.

My credit score is not currently messed up. In fact, I have really good credit right now. I mean, it's really not that hard to screw up if you can commit to being responsible and a wise spender. BUT, I did manage to screw it up at one point in my life... big time! Without doing a lot of research, I turned to a credit counseling service to help me out. While it was probably one of the best decisions I'd ever made to get back on the right track, I really had no idea what I was getting into. I was really young, so it helped in the sense that they really guided me through the process. It was totally easy. It did, however, affect my credit score and in the long run, it cost me more to go through them than to pay off my credit on my own.

I didn't know the art of the "transfer balance". My friends are all into that, but the opening and closing of several accounts is really not a good idea in the long run. It can be beneficial for the quick fixes, though. I think, in the future, should I ever be in a similar situation (knock on wood), I'd consider a personal loan... probably.

I took out a bank loan a few years ago to pay off an ex. He was still my boyfriend at the time, but I already knew we weren't in it for the long haul, so I wanted to handle that debt ASAP. Bank loans, man... AWFUL. The interest rate was ridiculously high and it came with all those unpleasant sales calls. NO THANKS.

Personal loans (article), as far as I've heard so far, can really help you out of a bind. We're not talking Gary Coleman's cheesy "Check into Cash" kinds of personal loans. These are legit loans that typically have lower interest rates, making it easier for you to pay them off sooner. They're also great to look into when you don't have really good credit. Banks will assign you interest rates based on your credit scores, so beware.

Never jump into these things without doing your own research (article)!!! That's what really screwed me up before. The internet has numerous resources, so use them to find yourself a Secure Loan (site) or a Personal Loan Unsecured (site).

We're all adults now. Time to approach these things as such. Woo-hoo, Mommy, look at me!

Articles Worth Reading:
6 ways to be a grown-up about debt
What to do (and NOT to do) When Trying to Fix Your Credit Score
How to raise financially savvy kids
What a good financial adviser can do for you

I don't know about YOU, but I work like I have four monitors at MY desk. Haha.

--------------------[edited]

So our tax rebates (article) are supposed to start coming in on Monday. I CANNOT WAIT!! I've been looking forward to this rebate... considering those boots I've had my eye on, the Roomba I swear I need, the DVR that would encourage my laziness, the juicer I want, etc. I think I've come to a decision, though.

My tax rebate is going to that second credit card I'm planning on paying off (and closing) this year. I've been really focused lately on where I stand financially. Thanks to a friend -- and personal financial advisor thanks to her previous employment at WaMu (site) -- I am now getting a better interest rate with my savings account. I swear, folks, I'm in it to win it. Ha!

The more I think about it, my attitude of "convenience is key" is really getting the best of me. The reason I was getting a crap interest rate to begin with is because I'd "rather not" deal with anyone at the bank. I like everything to be automatic. I don't like calling Customer Service. In fact, I like the branch near my house because it has a drive-thru ATM. Anyway, in the end, I'm really only hurting myself. Apparently, you can call or go in to these banks and negotiate rates, get free advice, find out all the new (and better) services they're offering... YES I'm sounding so naive right now, but I know I'm not alone.

Have a great day!

Articles Worth Reading:
Here's stimulus: What you need to know
What to do when your kids' college fund is tanking
Cut commuting costs

So I mentioned that the site will be changing slowly, but surely. Depending on how keen your eye is, you'll notice that I now have some advertisements floating around. While my goal is definitely to promote the site in order to gain traffic and visitors, I have no intention of making my site less personal... do not fear. Ha!

I'd heard a lot of buzz about PayPerPost through other bloggers. I think what I initially found unattractive about the idea was really ultimately tied to the blogs I'd seen the links posted on. The posts were seriously like "Heyyyyy guys, check it out. I get paid to post this! LOL." I would just roll my eyes and keep clicking, assuming it was bogus.

So the Virgo in me decided to do a little research on my end and, well, I caved. YES, the initial post (this one for me) will earn $20.00, but the idea behind PayPerPost is that you write on behalf of advertisers, not PayPerPost specifically. These advertisers are typically looking for posts on the subject of everything from a product review, website feedback, or just a shameless plug. No big deal. Web enthusiasts - sounds better than geeks - must support other web enthusiasts.

Among other things, you will see PayPerPost posts. Again, I am not expecting this to take over my site by any means. Consider this an effort to support other internet-based initiatives. Naturally, if you're interested, click the link at the end of this post!

I'm ultimately very excited to generate some income from the site. I'll confess, there has been a part of me that has been wanting to quit my job to go to school full-time in order to finish. I've only got about a year left, so it wouldn't be a really long time, but that'd still be a full year without a steady income... ugh. It would be an answered prayer if the site could help out with that, but we'll see. I've got lots of work ahead of me before the site is where I want it to be. Anyway, the part of me leaning towards this random idea is still a small part, but it's a part nonetheless. It also doesn't help that I currently love my job. Ack.

As always, updates will follow.

At my best.

For the record, this was the day before I started my detox.
I was savoring every bite... and yes, I indulged!!

I got a random email from Friendster... I know, who the hell still uses Friendster?! Well, apparently, a lot has changed on the site. Nothing that made me interested, but still. So amongst all my "NEW Messages", "NEW App Invitations", "NEW Birthdays", etc... there was one called "NEW Horoscope", so I clicked.

If you know that someone is talking trash today,
call them on their bluff! Be bold.

Great. Go ahead, I dare you.

Yohana exercising her rights.

Hope you all got your taxes done in time.

Man, I've been semi-offline this past week in that I haven't been following my subscriptions at all. I logged in today and had 977 updates in my Google Reader. Sheesh. So my apologies if I've been MIA and haven't hit you up. I've got many posts and entries saved!

Well, I'm happy to announce that I successfully completed my first detox since I started the 101 in 1001 challenge.

031 | + | detox four times (1/4)
    1: 9-day Isagenix Cleanse (April 11-19, 2008)

Today was the first day I got to eat as normal. My first meal after 9 days of barely eating? A croissant. YUMMY. Yes, folks. Still love my carbs.

I've been on a bit of a health and well-being kick these days. After hitting a point where I just felt my life was being clouded with one too many "negative" things, I've decided I need to take control as best I can. The detox was a good way to kick this off. My body feels and looks better. I've been energized. My regular workouts will start again tomorrow. I've been craving mainly healthy foods, too. So watch out -- it's on like Donkey Kong. Ha!

As I said, I'm focusing both on health and well-being. I came across an article that describes something called the Joy Diet. Now, it's not a diet in the sense that you might think. In fact, the only rules this "diet" has about eating are:

1. You must eat only what you really enjoy.
2. You must really enjoy everything you eat.

Now THAT, I can do. Haha. Anyway, the article discusses different ways to feast on the little things in life that bring us joy... beauty, love, etc. I thought it was a great article without getting too hippyish. Read it if you're interested.

So I've decided to focus more on my site. Now that I've sort of laid down some groundwork, it's time I build up. You can expect to see changes in the next few months... nothing drastic, but I have a goal and need to get there slowly but surely. This means that my design may change again (but only slightly)... my writing will change... y'know, I'll put my rhythm in place. I'm excited and hopefully it won't be a setback for any readers!

Okay, that's all for me today. Iron Chef is on. Ha! Later.

A duet courtesy of Kayla and Summer.

Precious moment indeed.

Today was not one of those days, thank God. Plus, I've got great feet.

034 | X | get a pedicure

Dope.

Free karaoke lesson from me.

...cuz anything less just isn't karaoke.

Okay, maybe a little cheesy for some of you, but I finally created my favicon and I'm totally stoked.

075 | X | create a favicon for GEMMERZZ.com

Sure, it's not a big deal, but I'll embrace this feeling of accomplishment as long as I can.

My 4-year-old niece, Summer, called me to share the great news.

I'm sort of glad I missed her initial call because she left me this voicemail message. Now I have proof!

In case you didn't catch it, her wedding is in June and she's sending me the invitation in the mail.

Kids, man. Gotta love 'em.

Almost forgot about this! This is the nephew of one of my best friends who is an aspiring singer/songwriter?? He's just short of two years... so cute!

I argue that he actually says "Me love you mommy" in the beginning. Am I the only one who hears that? Well, hey... I've got several years of Kidspeak under my belt.

Liz, Lori, and Me.

Where are our "I survived the Guzzler" t-shirts?

Coca-Cola, that is. Sorry to disappoint. The life I lead is not that interesting by any means!

The company treated us to the Giants game on Thursday night. I wasn't going to go initially because of prior plans to party it up at AsiaSF to celebrate Lisa's daughter's 18th birthday. I was a little bummed that our plans fell through, but was stoked to have a backup plan! (BTW, if you haven't been to AsiaSF, you must go! "They" put on a great show! Bet you're curious now, huh?)

Apparently a handful of the people I was with didn't know that the Coke bottle is actually a slide! (Well, there area a few slides inside it, but it's hard to explain.) For the first time in my life, I convinced a few people to conquer the slide with me. My thoughts? People of all ages should go down the "Guzzler" at least once in their lives. Too often we feel like we're too old for that sort of stuff. Too old for what? For fun?! C'mon folks... it was GOOD TIMES!

The slide was directly across the ballpark from our suite. We had called someone who was still in the box asking if they could see us. They could! So we were waving our hands in the air all excited when all of a sudden, these three guys are waving alongside us. We pause and kind of give them a weird look. One guy asks, "Are we on TV?" Haha. "NO." So funny.

It was ALMOST a blowout. The Cardinals managed to squeeze one run in the 8th inning, but that was it. Final score: 1-5. Go Giants!

Yesterday was Day #1 of my 9-day Isagenix cleanse. So far, so good. In other words, I'm not starving nor am I feeling sick. (The last cleanse I did, I passed out on day 10 and was rushed to the Emergency Room. I'm not doing that cleanse anymore.) Anyhow, I had a bit of a headache yesterday, but I really think that was due to the weather change. It's been a rather cold couple of months and the sun has decided to make an appearance this weekend.

Okay, a few random things now... you HAVE to see this clip from The Ellen DeGeneres Show! He's a 6-year-old breakdancer and he blew me away. I need to get Summer and Alyssa into some breakdancing classes. Cha-ching! Ha!

Random Tidbit: In the 8th grade, I was part of LBC (Lady Breaker Crew). I was the master of "the crab".

Finally, I stole this little activity from PDX Fashionista. Hey, it's 8am on a Saturday... cut me some slack for scrounging up things to keep me busy!

Soundtrack of My Life:
1. Open up your digital music library, Media Player, MP3 Player, etc.
2. Set the play mode to shuffle
3. Press Play
4. Each song that plays goes with the "scene" listed below.
5. Go in order; first song goes with first scene, second song goes with next scene, etc.
6. No pressing advance or rearranging the songs in order to find a "cooler" song for that scene. It's supposed to be random, as are most events in life.
7. No repeat artists, so in this case, you can advance to the next song

Opening Credits: Under the Sun (Sugar Ray)
"Now this is somethin' from back in the day..."
Off to a good start, I guess.

First Day of School: What I've Been Looking For (High School Musical Soundtrack)
Friendly reminder that I have 9 nieces and nephews. That's my excuse for even having this song on my iPod.

Falling in Love: Torn (Natalie Imbruglia)
"He showed me what it was to cry..."
Eh, it applies.

Breaking Up: Rainy Days and Mondays (Carpenters)
"No need to talk it out, we know what it's all about..."
Okay, so far it all seems to be going in a sensible direction.

Prom: Nobody (Keith Sweat ft Athena Cage)
"Who can sex your body like me baby? Nobody."
Well, there that ends. This was not the case. Ha!

Sex Scene: Dip It Low (Christina Milian)
"It's late at night, he's coming home, meet him at the door with nothing on..."
Yeah baby!

Life's Ok: If Only You Knew (Soul 4 Real)
This one doesn't really scream "Life's Ok"... it's more like "Life Sucks". Great.

Mental Breakdown: American Idiot (Greenday)
The lyrics don't really apply, but still. Great music to have a breakdown to, no?

Driving: Gimme More (Britney Spears)
I'm just embarrassed to have y'all know I have this song on my iPod... but I won't cheat!

Flashback: Maria Maria (Santana)
She does remind me of a West Side Story...

Getting Back Together: Break Up To Make Up (Stylistics)
"First you love me then you hate me, that's a game for fools..."
Story of my life!!

Birth of a Child: Feeling on Your Booty (R Kelly)
Uhh, three words for me: Child Protective Services. How sad!

Wedding Scene: Gangsta and Pimps (Lil Wayne)
"This one goes out to that little kid that got fried Spam for lunch..."
Romantic, huh?

Final Battle: Fool of Me (Meshell Ndegeocello)
I always imagined my final battle would be with this snatch who has been stalking me, so this definitely wasn't the song I had in mind!

Death Scene: Sunglasses at Night (Corey Hart)
"I wear my sunglasses at night so I can, so I can see the light that's right before my eyes..." Don't follow the light!!!
It's a stretch, but I can make it work.

Funeral Scene: Tyrone (Erykah Badu)
Umm... I got nothing.

End Credits: Crazy (Aerosmith)
"You're packin' up your stuff and talkin' like it's tough and tryin' to tell me that it's time to go, but I know you ain't wearin' nothin' underneath that overcoat and it's all a show..."

Last night was also Chris & Jarred's mom and step-dad's 20th wedding anniversary. Their "first" dance was absolutely perfect. And when I say that, I mean that THEY were perfect. I sang Journey's Faithfully with Jarred on guitar and Chris on keyboard. The performance part went really well, but all eyes were on the couple as it should have been! It was beautiful and I would not have asked for the moment to be any different. Love's a hard thing to come by.

I'll be staying in this weekend, I think. Don't be surprised if I post again. Have a great weekend all!

AJ and cousin Dylan sharing a moment..

AJ officially became an big sister in November
and I'm sure she'll be a great one! She's had practice.

This guy.

So, I got an email from a certain guy who, in an effort to protect the stupid, will remain nameless. Apparently, he was confident that the "you" in my Six Word Story was him. Sorry, dear. You couldn't be further from the truth. Seriously. You're light-years away from the truth. Man. Way off.

Don't get me wrong -- the "you" was a guy. He was the first and only guy I swore I loved right off the bat. Sigh. He was the first guy to take me on an official "date". He came to my house, met my parents, took me to dinner, and then to a make-out spot. True story! Anyway. The sight of him, the mention of his name, the sound of his voice (which is actually very annoying) gave me butterflies!! Before then and well, since then, I'd been a very guarded person. (And when I say "guarded", I don't mean it lightly. It took me almost 4 years to tell my last boyfriend that I loved him. Then we broke up. Ha!) So yeah, among other things, I always called him my Kryptonite. He had the capability of breaking me and frankly, he did break me.

So yeah, "Romeo"... not you. Sorry.

I'm getting ready for my detox. I had to push it back a week and a half because of a few prior commitments I'd forgot about. Friday, April 11th is the new date and I'm very excited! Every time I cleanse or detox, I also try to follow it with a change in diet and general health. I came across two articles this week related to health and well-being and I thought they were worth sharing!

This article suggests 10 ways to boost your energy. Some of them would work better for me than others, but we're all different, no? I'm highlighting the ones I am going to try and make habit. Feel free to read it in its entirety here.

1. See the light
Go outside as often as you can during the day (especially right before you need to be extra-alert), says Scott Campbell, Ph.D., director of the Human Chronobiology Laboratory at New York--Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center in Westchester, New York.

2. Get pumped with protein
Eat plant- and animal-based protein throughout the day -- an egg or high-protein cereal for breakfast, 10 almonds midmorning, a cup of low-sugar yogurt in the afternoon -- and your stamina should stabilize.

3. Lend a hand
"When you make someone happy, you feel filled up again," Orloff says. You can find volunteer opportunities that suit you at www.idealist.org.

4. Breathe hard -- more often

5. Bag a new brew
Boost your energy with white tea, which has a delicate flavor that requires little sweetening. "Of all the teas, white tea goes through the least processing," says Iman Hakim, M.D., Ph.D., a professor at the Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health at the University of Arizona in Tucson and a leading researcher on the benefits of tea.

6. Tackle the blahs in bursts

7. Get hands-on help

8. Take a tech-free break
Give yourself at least an hour a day when you completely unplug from electronic devices. That chance to check in and connect with yourself will re-energize you, she says.

9. Meditate for a minute
Find a quiet place (even if it's the bathroom) and mentally focus on an image that brings you pleasure: the ocean, a flower, the sun, your cat; continue to keep the image in your mind's eye as you breathe deeply (roughly 10 seconds for each inhale and exhale). With a little practice, Orloff says, you'll become more skilled at maintaining focus and can add more short meditations to your day, whenever you need revitalizing.

10. Clean up your sleep
The buzzword in sleep science these days is "sleep hygiene," and it's about more than clean sheets -- it helps you create an atmosphere that's restful, so you'll sleep well and wake up energized without the need for sleeping pills, Campbell says.

Copyright 2007 HEALTH Magazine. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

The second article offers some interesting ideas to cut fat from your everyday cooking. Please keep in mind that I haven't tried any of these suggestions yet!! Again, I'll offer the ones I find most appealing, but for the full list, click here.

1. Substitute the vegetable oil in any baking recipe with mashed bananas (or similar fruits) and it will add moisture while cutting the fat and calories.
"If people have never done any kind of substitutions like oil and applesauce, I tell them to do it half and half. Do half the amount of oil and half the amount of applesauce."

2. When using nuts, use half the amount.
"I take the amount of nuts that are called for in a recipe, cut it in half and I toast those nuts," Doyle explained. "Toasting brings out a lot of flavor and a lot of crunch."

3. Substitute evaporated milk for cream in sauces and soups.

4. Choose meat cuts with the words "loin" or "round" on the package.

5. Cook chicken or turkey with the skin on to keep it moist, but always pull the skin off before eating to reduce the fat.

I'm really curious about the mashed bananas. I must say, thanks to this article, I think brownies may just be one of the first things I cook after my detox. Ha!

Okay, I think this is it for today. I need to practice! I'm singing Journey's "Faithfully" at Jarred's mom and step-dad's 30th wedding anniversary on Friday. I'm sooooo nervous! I haven't done this since just after high school!!

Note to self: Take 2 shots of Jager just before you hit the stage.

Kayla literally shopped herself senseless..

A Sleeping Beauty in her own right.

I was tagged for a meme by Justine!

Legend has it that Hemingway was once challenged to write a story in only six words. His response? "For sale: baby shoes, never worn." Last year, SMITH Magazine re-ignited the challenge by asking readers for their own six-word memoirs. They sent in short life stories in droves, from the bittersweet ("Cursed with cancer, blessed with friends") and poignant ("I still make coffee for two") to the inspirational ("Business school? Bah! Pop music? Hurrah") and hilarious ("I like big butts, can't lie").

This is my Six Word Story:

Here are the rules:
1) Write your own six word story.
2) Post it on your blog [and include a visual illustration if you'd like].
3) Link to the person that tagged you in your post [me!], and to the original post if possible [so we can track it as it travels].
4) Tag at least five others with links.
5) Don't forget to leave a comment on the tagged blogs with an invitation to play.
6) Have fun!

Now, the fun part... I tag: Eric, Lorefel, PDX Fashionista, Iris, Holden, and Marjie

Summer getting rid of some old bread..

Being that we were on Market Street in San Francisco,
the birds were competing with homeless bums for "free food".

I still can't believe that Rock Steady Crew's Frosty Freeze is dead!!! Man... I used to love watching these guys battle out. I'm so bummed. He passed away at the age of 44 after apparently dealing with a longtime illness. The illness itself has been kept private. So sad!

I was with the girls for a few hours last night and we were watching Oprah's interview with the pregnant man. Boy, it was tough. Alyssa had all these questions about how men can get pregnant and then BAM!! -- they mention that he used to be a woman. Ugh. "How does that happen, Auntie Gemma?" We were able to get off the subject. Thank God.

After a quick run to the gym this morning, I pretty much stayed home and did some cleaning here at the house. Since I'm always running around, it's nice to be reminded how good it feels to just be home sometimes!

I managed to get a box of "stuff" together for the Salvation Army. I attacked my dresser first. I figure I need to save the closet for another day. Some thrift shoppers will be quite happy to come across some girly items in really good condition -- trust me, I'm too conscious to donate items that I'd be embarrassed about! Some of them were even brand new with tags on! I'm happy to announce I have outgrown my bras. Haha!! Of course I won't admit that this is the same reason tons of undies were donated or thrown away. SIGH...

007 | + | donate five boxes of "stuff" to the salvation army (1/5)
    1: Box of girly items (April 5th, 2008)

On a side note, I'm jumping on the FeedBurner bandwagon. I'll be honest -- I'm not entirely sure what benefits this will have for me, but I've heard good things, so why not?

For RSS Users:

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Okay -- I've been watching Top Chef all afternoon and just got a sneak craving for raspberries. Totally random, but off I go into the kitchen to find something to quench this craving. Hasta.

Christine being silly at Lori's Diner..

Taken the same night as those blasted raccoons... remember them?.

Howdy folks. It is officially almost the weekend! Anyway, I'm super stoked -- I closed a credit card today! Woo-hooooooooo!

037 | + | pay off and close two credit cards (1/2)
    1: HSBC MasterCard closed April 3, 2008

I was honestly expecting a lot more pressure from the representative on the phone to keep me from canceling my account. I seriously practiced what I was going to say before I called! Nerdy, I know. But the last time I closed a credit card, the customer service representative had asked me like fifteen times if I was sure I didn't want to reconsider and I was REALLY mean to him. Ha! So this time around, I wanted to make sure I tried my best to keep it cool. Thankfully, it was unnecessary.

Okay. So I finally have some time to blog about the book, some funny things I've taken away from it, and how it applies to my current situation(s).

For the record, I'm already a "bitch". I mean, the more I read this book, the more I feel better about these habits of mine that I typically consider shortcomings or that I normally blame my "singleness" on. My goal is to reinvent the bitch in me.

The first chapter covered what the author referred to as "Attraction Principles".

Attraction Principle #1: Anything a person chases in life runs away.
The author adds, "With one caveat: If you chase him in a black nightie, first he'll have sex with you... and then he'll run.

Doubt there's much need to embellish on that one -- we've all been on one side of that road, if not both. While it's easier to be on the side being chased, I've come to learn that this game often results in a bit of tug-o-war, am I right? When they stop chasing, you start. When you stop, they start. It's sad. Haha. I'm currently battling with this issue when it comes to "Baja Man". There was already an "us", but it was a long time ago. Boy, was he in love me. But as the saying goes, I didn't know what I had until it was gone and well, now -- yeeeeeears later -- he's got this magnetic force over me that's making me yearn for his attention. I hate it!!

Attraction Principle #2: The women who have the men climbing up the walls for them aren't aways exceptional. Often, they are the ones who don't appear to care much.
"When a woman drives to see a man in the middle of the night, the only thing missing is a neon sign on the roof of her car that reads WE DELIVER."

I actually know a girl who should have that neon sign on her car. So sad! Anyway, this is sooo true. I am definitely not an exceptional girl... at least not at first. But you know what obstacles I run into because I don't seem to care? Guys decide to pursue me as a CHALLENGE. They think they're going to be the one to break me. Psh. It's so annoying. It usually comes in the form of something like "Try not to get attached cuz I'll make you fall in love". And, of course, it never happens this way. In fact, it's almost always the opposite. "A.P." is currently being proven wrong on this subject. Sorry, bud!

Attraction Principle #3: A woman is perceived as offering a mental challenge to the degree that a man doesn't feel he has a 100 percent hold on her.

I hate being a man's challenge. I can't stress that enough.

Attraction Principle #4: Sometimes a man deliberately won't call, just to see how you'll respond.

I respond like this -- actually, I don't respond at all.

Attraction Principle #5: If you start out dependent, it turns him off. But if it is something he can't have, it becomes more of a challenge for him to get it.

Who starts out dependent on a guy? No, really???

Attraction Principle #6: It is your attitude about yourself that a man will adopt.
"The first date is about looks. When he falls in love, it's about your attitude. It's about whether you can hold your own."

Mm-hmm... if a guy leaves you for a seadonkey, she probably has a better attitude than you.

Attraction Principle #7: Act like a prize and you'll turn him into a believer.

Translation: Act like a plaything and he'll play with you.

Attraction Principle #8: The biggest variable between a bitch and a woman who is "too nice" is fear. The bitch shows that she's not afraid to be without him.

"Lou" could not handle this AT ALL. He always said he knew he could never walk away from our relationship because I wouldn't run after him. Well, hello....

Attraction Principle #9: If the choice is between her dignity and having a relationship, the bitch will prioritize her dignity above all else.

Everyone repeat after me, "NO ONE IS WORTH MY DIGNITY."

That was it -- I know, I was looking for a #10, but it wasn't there. The next chapter wasn't as cheesy... well, not entirely, but it shifts gears a little. I'll keep you guys posted. Hopefully it gets better.

Alyssa's "pre-birthday birthday cake"..

Okay, I'll admit. I missed the real "blow", so this is a fake one..

Yes, it's true -- another death for 2008. Jason De La Cruz's life was taken from him at the age of 31. Read this article for the full story. Jason leaves behind his wife, Mary, and 3 kids -- two of his own and one of Mary's from a previous relationship.

I went to high school with Jason, his brother Jeremy, and their sister, Janelle. Ironically, I had just seen Jeremy at BJ's the Thursday before Jason was shot. Even though I can't say I was really close to them, the news was still hard to swallow. It was Saturday morning and I was sitting at the Elephant Bar with my family for Alyssa's 8th birthday when I got the text. It was a friend of mine who happens to be a cop: "Jason De La Cruz was murdered this morning." Unbelievable. I sat there in disbelief for quite a while. I'm actually sitting here still shaking my head -- it's that crazy to me.

An arrest was finally made yesterday. A 19-year-old!! Can you imagine?! This kid is probably fresh out of high school and is now in jail... with a $20 million warrent. $20 million would buy a lot of pizza. (If you didn't read either of the articles above, you wouldn't get that line.)

Despite the bad news, I had a super busy Saturday planned out, so I couldn't let it bring me down. We had lunch for Alyssa's birthday, did a little shopping and got her a pink Nintendo DS. After those festivities, I had to run to Rhoda's birthday party. I was so bummed that I couldn't feast on the egg rolls, but I had just eaten and knew I'd probably vomit if I even made the attempt. But dude, her mom makes DOPE egg rolls! Not too long after we got to Rhoda's, I headed out with Marie, Henry, and Baby Ayanna to Mervyn's birthday dinner. Yes, more food. Ugh. But there was an upside... and it was called JAGERMEISTER. Ha! It's always good times when we all get together -- I'll have to post the link to the Picasa Album soon. I'm just waiting for everyone else's photos. Unfortunately, I didn't take many. But maybe that was a good thing... less evidence!

I got home at almost 4 or 5AM on Sunday and still managed to make it to church. The man upstairs must be very proud! Paid a visit to my friend who has finally recovered from surgery which was cool. Then headed back to my brother's to celebrate Alyssa's "real" birthday with a "fake" cake made with brownie mix. Don't look at me -- it wasn't my idea! It was good, though.

I AM EXHAUSTED. Wednesday already, but still recovering. Haven't read the book in a while, but I am expecting to have a fairly quiet weekend. Hopefully this means I can curl up and read in peace. I'm crossing my fingers.