Look Who's 40

Today I am 40 years old!  Somehow I thought I would feel a lot older when I arrived at this mythical age.  My mind is still young, but I do admit that things are happening to my body that are either out of my control or caused by things I did for years and years.  I can't say I would want to go back to my early twenties but late twenties or early thirties would be nice.  I am still learning things with age so I am curious to see what the next ten years bring! 

My Diet Pepsi Addiction

It all started with Hurricane Sandy...

I am addicted to caffeine.  I admit it.  I have previously kicked the habit, but started using it again because I get chronic headaches from a car accident.  Caffeine is known to help headaches...just look at the ingredients on a bottle of Excedrin migraine.  I gave up soda a long time ago and the only type of caffeinated beverage I would drink is unsweetened iced tea with Sweet & Low...just one with lunch each day.  I used to looooove Diet Pepsi years ago and would crave it as soon as I woke up in the morning.  I have not had diet sodas in years, except for on occasion if a restaurant did not have iced tea, which was very rare.

Then recently during Hurricane Sandy my company shut down for a few days and I worked from home.  The conditions were not good to go out in so I did not really leave the house for those days...but I needed caffeine, which I normally do not stock on the in the house except for making iced tea from tea bags.  I do love fresh iced tea, but was jut not in the mood for it so I bought the little 7.5 ounce cans of Diet Pepsi and drank them with a straw.  This was the beginning of my new addiction. 

Now I think about Diet Pepsi...a lot!  My company gives free soda so all day long I can go fill up a cup.  Not a good situation.  I think I am up to 2 or 3 a day.  Not nearly as bad as I used to be, but I am drinking it starting at about 10am.

I don't know what it is about this delicious sweet fizzy drink.  I now use it when I want something sweet to eat as well so that I do not eat something with calories.  Diet Coke never did this to me, but there is something in Diet Pepsi that my body just looooves.

Anatomy of a Cat Lady

I have 7 out of 10...does that make me a cat lady or just 70% cat lady???

I Wish I Could...

1. Speak fluent French
2. Play the guitar
3. Sing
4. Live by the beach
5. Have season tickets to the Dodgers
6. Find a fulfilling volunteer job
7. Be funny
8. Eat anything I want and not gain weight
9. Find a passion

Although I wish for a lot, I am pretty lucky.  I guess I could work on most of these things, but I just don't. 

Who Says You Can't Go Home

Jon Bon Jovi got it right when he sang Who Says You Can't Go Home.  My husband and I left California seven years ago for a lower cost of living.  True, we now have a nice house, good jobs and an easy commute, but we've come to learn that those aren't the things that really matter in life.  We are thinking about quitting our jobs, selling the house we love and heading back to the Golden State.  For him, it's to be closer to his parents.  For me, it's just home and where I feel like I belong.  In California we'll have a horrible commute, a smaller more expensive house and who knows what kinds of jobs (if any) given the state of the California economy, but it's what we want. 

I don't think we are alone in this thinking either.  Right now two of my acquaintances are driving across the country with all their belongings and dogs in a truck to go back home.  One couple is going from California back to Tennessee and another couple is going from Minnesota to California.  Both just want to be home.  This just goes to show that no state is better than another, it's home that matters.

Travel Bucket List

Continuing on my posts about bucket lists...since my passion in life is travel, here are places I want to go.  I work my #$%^ off these days at work so most involve a lot of relaxation.

1. Lizard Island, Australia
2. Over water bungalow in Bora Bora
3. Champagne region of France
4. Cook Islands
5. Jalousie Plantation, St. Lucia
6. Peter Island, BVI
7. Palm Island, St. Vincent & The Grendadines
8. Grace Bay, Turks & Caicos
9. Costa Rica
10. Spend an extended period of time in Paris
11. Take a helicopter tour over the Grand Canyon and then go river rafting on the Colorado river

Should I ever become fabulously wealthy and want more adventure, here are some more places.

1. Pyramids of  Giza
2. Safari in Africa
3. Machu Picchu
4. Hike the Appalachian Trail
5. Drive across the country

Here are some the more interesting things I've already done.

1. Mardi Gras in New Orleans
2. Snorkel the Great Barrier Reef
3. Saw an opera at the Sydney Opera House
4. Climbed the harbor bridge in Sydney
5. Hiked the Na'Pali coast in Kauai
6. Climbed Uluru (walking around it was better!)
7. Watched the sunrise and sunset over Uluru
8. Went to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
9. Went to the top of the Empire State building
10. Had a drink at the top of the World Trade Center in New York
11. Took a bus tour thru Europe
12. Mountain biked thru the Alps
13. White water rafted thru the Alps
14. Swam under a waterfall in Hawaii
15. Visited the beach bars of the BVI, including the Soggy Dollar Bar
16. Had a picnic in the French country side
17. Christmas in New York

What's on your list?  What have been some of your favorite place you have visited?

Passion

My last post got some interesting feedback.  One person actually reminded me of something that absolutely belongs on my bucket list...owning my own business.   This has always interested me, even when I was a kid.   I not only wanted to be a chef...I wanted to be a chef in my own restaurant.  In college I took a class on entrepreneurship and interned at a non-profit that helped women start their own businesses.  In grad school I took another class on entrepreneurship and interned at an incubator that helped international companies get a presence in the US.  I have the passion, but am too risk averse.  I scrapped the idea of the dog bakery because I just didn't stick with it.  I didn't have a passion for it and I had to admit that to myself.  Also, many of the online dog bakeries I was tracking went out of business. 

I have something else in the works right now that I do have a passion for, but there is very little money in it.  Since my day job pays the bills, I'm going to give it a go in a side business that I do have a passion for, even though it won't pay the bills, but could make me happy. 

Any guesses???

No Bucket No List

My husband and I were talking about bucket lists the other night and things he'd put on his if he knew the world was about to end. These aren't things he'd actually do (because most are illegal) unless he knew the entire world was about to get hit by a meteor or something equally catastrophic. It got me thinking and I couldn't think of one thing I would do. Does that mean I've led a full life or that I don't aspire to much?  Of course there are places I want to travel to, but I don't think those really count as I've been to the places in the world that I always wanted to see. 

Today I read about a teenage girl dying from cancer who started a blog with her bucket list.  She is going to write about it as she ticks things off, although she's not well enough to complete them all now. 

I still can't think of anything I would do and this bothers me.

What's on your bucket list?

Things I Will NEVER Do

What is exhilarating to one person is frightening to another.  I don't find being scared as something I enjoy doing.  I don't like scary movies or roller coasters.  I only do these things because someone else wants to.  I also get motion sickness very easily so a roller coaster can ruin a day for me.

Here are a few things I will never do, no matter who asks.

Hot air balloon
No way. Never.  The idea of floating around in something that a person cannot really control is so frightening to me that I will never do it and it would not be fun.  Not to mention that there is fire involved.  I made it clear to my husband long ago to never surprise me with a hot air balloon ride (since some think it's romantic) because I will not go.  He likes to joke with me about doing this saying it's something he's always wanted to do (which is a lie) and every time I see a news story about a balloon ride gone wrong, I make sure he knows about it.

Bungee jumping
Motion sickness and fear in one?  No thanks.  I really don't understand why anyone would do this.  Those bungees do break...

Sky diving
Yea right.  How many movies have we all seen where the chute won't open?  Plus my brother did this and said some people in his group felt sick for days.  Apparently after it was over the operator told him that about 80% of people get sick.

Ferris Wheels
Ok, I have been on a few ferris wheels, but I never liked it.  I have visions of the basket tipping too much and falling out or the entire wheel coming off and rolling away.  There was just a report today of an 11 year of girl falling out to her death.

Have you done any of these?  What things WON'T you do???

Kate's Royal Fruit Cake

Kate and William's wedding cake is going to be a fruit cake.  Instead of finding this odd, I find it redeeming. I too had a fruit cake for my wedding cake.  Apparently it is a British tradition.  True, I am not British, but I did get married in Australia so maybe it is a tradition there too. 

I thought my wedding was perfect...except for the cake.  Every year as our anniversary comes up I think about going to a bakery and getting my dream wedding cake made.  I planned my wedding over the internet and when the wedding planner told me the standard cake that came with the package was fruit cake, for some reason in my mind I thought this meant a white cake with fruit filling...which would have been delicious.  Not only was it fruit cake, it was covered in royal icing which is impossible to cut through because it sets rock hard.  We eventually hacked our way through it, but the cutting of the cake was not the highlight of wedding.  I don't like fruit cake, but I did eat a piece since I was starving because I did not eat or drink anything before the wedding. 

P's Purse

What do the contents of a woman's purse say about her?  Let's check out what's in mine and see...

1. iPhone
2. iPhone charger
3. Blackberry
4. Blackberry charger
5. Wallet
6. Ibuprofen
7. Tylenol
8. Badge for work
9. Umbrella
10. Lots of random folded up pieces of paper
11. Ear planes
12. Nose spray
13. Migraine medicine
14. Gum
15. iPod
16. Altoids
17. Kleenex
18. Gas-X
19. Travel sickness medicine
20. DayQuil
21. Pen
22. Photocopy of my passport
23. Sudafed

Hmmm...I'm afraid to say that this portrays me as a gadget junkie and pharmacist.  Reality is that I haven't cleaned out my purse since my trip to Jamaica last month.  I'm even still using the straw bag that doubled as my beach bag.  What does that say about me???

Anything interesting in your purse or pockets???

Sunday Stealing: The Oh My! Meme, Part One

This is from the Sunday Stealing meme a week or two ago.  I shortened it because the original was way too long.

1. The phone rings; who don't you want it to be?
Anyone with bad news about any of my family members.  I'm still worried about someone.

2. When shopping at the grocery store, do you return your cart?
The county I live in doesn't actually let you bring carts into the lot, you have to bring your car up...so I usually shop in the next county over or carry everything to the car.  But given the chance...yes, I return the cart.

3. What was the last compliment that someone gave you?
The immigration lady at the airport told me my passport picture was good.

4. Do you play the lottery?
Only when it gets up over $200M.

5. If abandoned alone in the wilderness, who would you want with you?
MacGyver

6. When was the last time that you lied?
I can't remember (or just now...)

7. Name a song that could make you cry?
Amazing Grace.  It was the song played at my mom's funeral.

8. Are you pleased with your education?
Yep.  I'm glad I went to college before it got so competitive and expensive.  California has excellent public universities.

9. If your house was on fire, what thing would be the first thing you grabbed?
Husband, cats, photo albums

10. Do you think more about the past, present or future?
Future for sure.  I have big plans.  Not likely I will execute on any of them though.

11. What was the last adult magazine that you have read?
Adult magazine?  Does Caribbean Travel & Life count?

12. Where is your dream house located?
On the beach in Monarch Bay, Dana Point, CA or my more realistic goal is Laguna Niguel, CA

13. Have you tried bourbon? If yes, what type?
Yes, my parents used to give me sips when I was a kid if I couldn't sleep or had a cough (mom made cough syrup out of honey and bourbon).  These were the good old days.

14. Have you ever seen a male or female stripper?
Both in one place actually for a friend's bachelorette party in Vegas.

15. When was the last time you were at TGI Fridays?
Only once years ago...everything in the place was sticky and I haven't been back.

16. What was your favorite job?
Selling beer on top of the hill during concerts at the Santa Barbara Bowl while I was in college.

All About P

I saw this on Straight, No Chaser and decided to fill it out as well.

What is your salad dressing of choice?
My favorite is thousand island, but I usually choose light italian

What is your favorite sit-down restaurant?
I can't think of one lately

What food could you eat every day for two weeks and not get sick of?
Mexican, I may have already done this

What are your pizza toppings of choice?
I’m not a huge fan of pizza, but when I do it has Canadian bacon, mushroom and bell peppers

What do you like to put on your toast?
Peanut butter and honey

How many televisions are in your house?
3…but the 58 incher in the family room is the only one I watch

What color is your cell phone?
Black

Are you right-handed or left-handed?
Right

Have you ever had anything removed from your body?
Only a couple wisdom teeth

What is the last heavy item you lifted?
Don’t remember…I avoid heavy lifting lately

Have you ever been knocked unconscious?
No

If it were possible, would you want to know the day you were going to die?
No way

If you could change your name, what would you change it to?
I used to hate my name because it was different, but now I like it.

Would you drink an entire bottle of hot sauce for $1000?
No, thank you

How many pairs of flip flops do you own?
I think only 1 right now

Last time you had a run-in with the cops?
I can’t even remember

Last person you talked to?
Chris

Last person you hugged?
Either Chris or my dad

Season?
Spring

Holiday?
Christmas…and the Ides of March

Favorite day of the week?
Saturday

Month?
May, it’s usually when I go on vacation

Missing someone?
Yes, I could really use my mom right now

Mood?
Sad

What are you listening to?
Music blaring from the basement (Stayin Alive) where Chris is working out and my cat howling to be let outside

Watching?
Nothing

First place you went this morning?
Physical therapy

What's the last movie you saw?
Perfect Getaway

Do you smile often?
I don’t think so

Sleeping Alone Tonight?
Not planning on it

Do you always answer your phone?
Nope, if I don’t know who it is, I don’t answer

If you could change your eye color what would it be?
Green

What flavor do you add to your drink at Sonic?
Never been there

Do you own a digital camera?
Yes

Have you ever had a pet fish?
Yes, but I’m an awful fish owner, they never live long

Favorite Christmas song(s):
Big Red Sleigh by The Killers

What's on your wish list for your birthday?
I just used my birthday money and got a blue topaz ring and a mini netbook

Does the future make you more nervous or excited?
Neither

Do you have any saved texts?
No, I just cleared them all out a couple hours ago

Ever been in a car wreck?
Yes, but I’d rather not think about them

Do you have an accent?
No, but some people think I’m from Texas

What is the last song to make you cry?
I can’t remember

Plans tonight?
Yoga

Have you ever felt like you hit rock bottom?
Yep

Name 3 things you bought yesterday.
I had quite the shopping spree, Dooney & Bourke bag, a white bag for summer, 2 pairs sunglasses and a bunch of vacation clothes

Have you ever been given roses?
Yes

Current hate right now?
Hate is a strong word that I avoid. I don’t “hate” anyone

Met someone who changed your life?
My husband

How did you bring in the New Year?
I don’t remember

What song represents you?
I can’t think of anything, so how about Copacabana

Would you go back in time if you were given the chance?
Only if I could know then what I know now

Have you ever dated someone longer than a year
Yes

Do you have any tattoos/piercings?
Piercing yes, tattoo no

Will you be in a relationship 4 months from now?
I sure hope so

Does anyone love you?
Yes

Ever had someone sing to you?
Yes, an ex-boyfriend. It was awful but I couldn’t tell him

When did you last cry?
Today has been a tear free day, but I’ve cried every day for the last nine days

Do you like to cuddle?
Yes, very much

Have you held hands with anyone today?
No

Are most of the friends in your life new or old?
Some of both, mostly new

Do you like pulpy orange juice?
No, I only drink orange juice with champagne so no pulp

What is something your friends make fun of you for?
Hmm…I’m not sure….maybe you all can answer this one for me

Questions?

Do you have questions? I have answers! If you have any questions about me or things I never followed up on that I mentioned in a post that you want to know, leave a comment and I will do a Q&A post.

Urban Dictionary: Patrice

Here is what the Urban Dictionary says about Patrice:

1. A very nice and caring girl who is very hot. And who is also very funny and great to be around.
Girl #1 "aw look at her she is so nice!"
Girl#2 " Yeah, shes such a Patrice!"

2. The cutest girlfriend in the entire world. Looks better than you and anyone you know. A patrice is a perfect person.
Man 1-Damn who the hell is that?
Man 2-I don't know but she sho' is Patrice.

3. Verb: to patrice
The act of being passionate about life and certain aspects of it, such as film, art and people; can act intensely, rashly, be a bit ridiculous; very lovable
Man, that film director will patrice forever, she really is enthusiastic about life!

4. The act of being the life of the party, or being the MVP in a championship game, completing a monster project early, messing up the curve for all the losers by getting hundred percents, you get the picture
"Did you see me on the court? I patriced that shit"

5. something nasty I don't want to repeat

The Career I Should Have Had

I think it is a shame that people have to make choices so early in life regarding education and careers paths. When I was a kid I wanted to be a cook in my own restaurant or an astronomer. I had no idea what I wanted to do with my life when I was in college. I was good in math and with numbers in general so I started out as a math major. I took calculus in high school so when I got into college my first math class was the third calculus class that only math and engineering majors took. I could do the problems, but didn't really get it. I got a B- which was probably the worst grade I ever received in a math class. After that I knew I wasn't cut out for it and I also didn't know what kind of job I could get with it. Looking back, it probably would have been a good choice of majors. Then I decided I would probably do something in the business world. I had no idea what, but it sounded good at the time. My school had more theoretical majors rather than things like business administration or accounting, so I became a business economics major...which was economics with some accounting thrown in for fun. I still had no idea what I was going to do with it though. When my senior year of college came around and I had to decide what I was going to do with myself, I did the only thing I could think of...keep going to school. So I took the GMAT and applied to business schools to get a MBA. Even after my first year of MBA classes, I still did not know what I was going to do. The summer between the two years I started looking for internships and fell into corporate finance, and here I have been for 12 years. I like the work I do, but it's really the same thing month after month, quarter after quarter, year after year. I often think of what else I could do, but at this point in my life I don't want to take a pay cut to start a new career.

I should have been a meteorologist. I find weather fascinating. I love watching the weather channel and tracking storms. I don't want to be on TV, but would like being the weather expert behind the scenes who runs the models. This time of year is especially exciting (and tragic) since it is hurricane season. Since moving to Virginia I have learned more about weather since not much exciting happens in California. Terms like nor'easters and clippers are regulars around here in the winter. I will never be a meteorologist, but I am the resident weather expert in my house!

The Omnivore’s Hundred

Here is something I saw on another blog that originated at Very Good Taste. It's a list of 100 foods every good omnivore should try at least once in their life. They are not all necessarily good, but should be tried. Items that I've tried are in bold and those I would not consider eating are crossed out.

1. Venison (I took one bite and hid the rest in the trash can when I was a kid)
2. Nettle tea
3. Huevos ranchero
4. Steak tartare
5. Crocodile (my husband did though and it was surprising that it was flaky like fish and served with tartar sauce)
6. Black pudding
7. Cheese fondue
8. Carp
9. Borscht
10. Baba ghanoush
11. Calamari
12. Pho
13. PB&J sandwich
14. Aloo gobi
15. Hot dog from a street cart
16. Epoisses
17. Black truffle
18. Fruit wine made from something other than fruit
19. Steamed pork buns
20. Pistachio ice cream
21. Heirloom tomatoes
22. Fresh wild berries
23. Foie gras
24. Rice and beans
25. Brawn, or head cheese
26. Raw Scotch Bonnet pepper
27. Dulce le leche
28. Oysters
29. Baklava
30. Bagna cauda
31. Wasabi peas
32. Clam chowder in a sourdough bowl
33. Salted lassi
34. Sauerkraut
35. Rootbeer float
36. Cognac with a fat cigar
37. Clotted cream tea
38. Vodka jelly/Jell-O
39. Gumbo
40. Oxtail
41. Curried goat
42. Whole insects (not intentionally, only when exercising with my mouth open, does that count?)
43. Phaal
44. Goat's milk
45. Malt whiskey from a bottle worth $120 or more
46. Fugu
47. Chicken tikka masala
48. Eel
49. Krispy Kreme original glazed doughnut (completely different when they are fresh and hot!)
50. Sea urchin
51. Prickley pear
52. Umeboshi
53. Abalone
54. Paneer
55. McDonald's Big Mac Meal (I know...my husband says I'm un-American)
56. Spaetzle
57. Dirty gin martini
58. Beer above 8% ABV
59. Poutine
60. Carob chips
61. S'mores
62. Sweetbreads
63. Kaolin
64. Currywurst
65. Durian
66. Frogs legs
67. Beignets, churros, elephant ears or funnel cake
68. Haggis
69. Fried plantain
70. Chitterlings, or andouillette
71. Gazpacho
72. Caviar and blini
73. Louche absinthe
74. Gjetost, or brunost
75. Roadkill (I just couldn't do it)
76. Baijiu
77. Hostess Fruit Pie
78. Snail
79. Lapsang souchong
80. Bellini
81. Tom yum
82. Eggs Benedict
83. Pocky
84. Tasting menu at a three star Michelin restaurant
85. Kobe beef
86. Hare
87. Goulash
88. Flowers
89. Horse
90. Criollo chocolate
91. Spam
92. Soft shell crab
93. Rose harissa
94. Catfish
95. Mole poblano
96. Bagel and lox (separately, but not together)
97. Lobster Thermidor
98. Polenta
99. Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee
100. Snake