Phil the Pill

Me: "It's a great blog, she writes something pretty witty every day."

Phil: "Well that will be a nice change from your blog"

Falling in Love

No one understands me quite like you do
Through all of the shadowy corners of me
I've seen the paths that your eyes wander down, I want to come too
If I didn't know you, I'd rather not know
If I couldn't have you, I'd rather be alone

excerpt from Landon Piggs, "Falling in Love at a Coffee Shop"

Red, Swollen, and BUMPY!

I had a horrible experience at the dermatologist this morning. I made an appointment over a month ago because I had a rash on my cheek. Well, since then, the rash went away because I changed some of my lotions and face wash. But, I decided to keep the appointment since it was so hard to get and I figured I could just get a general consult on my skin and what types of products would be good for it. 

The doctor walks in and the first thing that comes out of his mouth is, "Woah, you're all red, swollen, and bumpy!!!" with this look of complete disgust, as if I was the ugliest thing to ever walk into his office. I was caught off guard a little by his reaction to my face (I wasn't wearing any make-up, but come on, I didn't think I looked that bad). So I told him that originally, yes, I was very bumpy because I HAD a rash, but now its gone and I just wanted to discuss other issues with him such as SLIGHT redness, and occasional breakouts, etc. But immediately he started blabbering about how I most definitely have Rosacea, oh boy do I ever!! And how I should take 30 days of this special pill and apply a gel to my entire face every night and how I should come back in a month to check on the progress...meanwhile handing me all of these samples and pamphlets.

The medical assistant came in and the doctor says, "This girl has ROSAAAACEA at such a tender age!!!!" Then he asks if I have a boyfriend. I said, "no, but I do have a husband." And he says, "well I hope your husband still loves you even though you have all that redness!!" WTF?! So I said, "actually my husband prefers my pink cheeks!" And he laughed and said, "well, I'm sure he doesn't like all those bumps!!!" Oh my gosh what a dick!!!!! 

Anyway, long story short, I think this guy just really enjoys making other people feel ugly because he is insecure - he was MY height and BALD. But he really made me feel bad about myself and all I could think about was how I need to rush into the bathroom to put on makeup before anyone else sees me like this!! I told Steve immediately and he was so mad and said that my skin is just fine and that the doctor is insane. My mom told me that I probably don't have rosacea at all but he just wants me to come back to give him more business. I'm pretty sure she is right. My face is pink sometimes, but I think there are ways to control it besides pills!!! ARRGH!

Isn't that a sad, sad story?!

Happy Birthday to You!

Steve's birthday was Saturday and we spent the entire day celebrating! We went on a lovely drive exploring back country roads and found a whole new world in the hills of the central valley. We enjoyed a yummy lunch at our new favorite spot Roastin' Rooster in AG and soaked in some sun! I spent the afternoon baking Steve a cake and snapped some shots of the birthday boy opening his gifts. Then we settled into a cheesy movie and hoped and prayed that the day would never end! Happy 37th birthday to my true love!! 

I can do anything good!

My friend Heather posted this video on her blog, but I keep seeing it pop up everywhere and after watching it again and again, I HAD to post it here too. If you're having a bad day, this will cheer you up! I think we could all learn something from this little one! I like my house...I like my job...I like my hair!!

We LOVED the Construction Workers

Music: "Lovers in Japan" by Coldplay followed by real sounds of Tokyo!

Enjoy!

Lost Footage

This will be my second to last entry about our honeymoon in Japan. I hope you all enjoyed reading about our experiences and fun. We had such a memorable trip and would definitely go back in a heartbeat. I think we were most impressed with how polite, quiet, and respectful everyone was. No one was hassling you for a tip, no one was yelling or making a scene on the subway, no one was running down the sidewalk, no one got in your way. I think Americans need to learn a thing or two about politeness from the Japanese. I feel like Americans are so full of entitlement. They believe they DESERVE a pat on the back without hard work, or that they DESERVE a tip for throwing your suitcase in the back of their van. Well, Japanese people just do what they have to do without complaining! The waiters and bartenders smile and welcome you in without that look of "oh great, these people decide to come in 10 minutes before we close! Maybe if I act like a Biatch they will leave". Or if an old lady gets on the bus, a younger person will give up their seat. Common sense to me! At the airport, the employees who load luggage and take tickets, will BOW to the bus driver when they arrive and when they leave. Everytime! And when we went down to breakfast at our hotel, the cook would bow to us as we walked in. How nice!! Even the landscapers were respectful! They used quiet machinery, and bagged all of the green waste up so carefully and thoughtfully. They even wore khakis and a polo shirt while they worked so that they looked nice amongst the gardens. Who does that here?! No one! The construction company across from our hotel (you'll see it in the video), cleaned off the tires of the trucks as they exited the construction site onto the main road so that mud wouldn't get tracked onto the road! Clean, kind, considerate! The Japanese take pride in their work, no matter if its bartending, landscaping, cooking, cleaning gutters, or picking up the trash (although we did see a garbage man peeing IN the gutter next to his garbage truck in mid-daylight). Japanese people take pride in their appearance, and Japanese people take pride in how the treat each other! Anyway, enought ranting!!

 I'd like to share some tid bits that I haven't mentioned yet, then later I will post my video montage where you will get to see what we saw as we saw it.

Our cozy little room.

Roppongi Crossing at night

rice fields on the way to Kyoto

Ginza shopping district on Sunday

what every corner in Tokyo looks like..

Shinjuku - lots of lottery, casinos, and arcades

Biggest billboard in Tokyo - of course Sex and the City!!

 With Cola-Shock in hand, we made our way to the Tokyo Tower on our last night in Japan. Michael Jackson was blasting through the speakers as we rode the elevator all the way up to the top to see a 360 degree view of Tokyo. It was stunning and most of all - romantic.

That Home

So far this season of So You Think You Can Dance has been INCREDIBLE! But last night, Robert and Lauren performed a beautiful contemporary routine that gave me chills. There has to be the perfect combination of artistry, great music, and a touching story. I I hold my breath and I can feel the music move into my own bones while I watch the dancers intertwine, extend, reach, and breathe. I re-wind to watch over and over again and I just can't get enough. I love how the movement flows with the music so precisely, and the fluidity is calming and angelic. I felt like the dance portrays how I feel about my marriage to Steve and its a story of me and him together in our very own home. That home is us.

@ Yahoo! Video

Where the doors are moaning all day long,
Where the stairs are leaning dusk 'till dawn,
Where the windows are breathing in the light,
Where the rooms are a collection of our lives,
This is a place where I don't feel alone
This is a place that I call my home...

Tsukiji Fish Market

The only thing that I would change about our trip to Japan is my choice of footwear during our tour of the Tsukiji Fish Market. I needed big, tall, rubber wellies to protect my feet from the splashes and sprays of bloody water and fish guts! Since I didn't have any wellies, I cautiously tip-toed down each aisle.

Tsukiji fish market is the biggest wholesale fish and seafood market in the world. It is located in central Tokyo and there are 400 different types of seafood, with over 700,000 tons handled every year, totaling $5.5 billion U.S. dollars.There are 65,000 employees from auctioneers, accountants, distributors, and more. This place is GIGANTIC.

We sort of got lost on the way to the fish market and found ourselves in a somewhat empty warehouse full of fruit, veggies, and men on forklifts. We scampered through the warehouse not knowing where to go and felt COMPLETELY out of place. This was supposed to be the most popular place for tourists, but we were the ONLY tourists around. Plus, it was called the FISH market, and we didn't see any fish! We MUST be lost. No one said anything to us or told us to get out of there, so we just kept walking through trying not to get in the way of the workers.

And then our noses perked up, and we could finally smell fish!! So we followed the smell until it was repulsively close. So incredibly fishy that we were nearly knocked over by the stench! And the first thing we happened upon was this:

Alright! We officially found the fish market!!

The market was layed out like a grid with rows and rows and rows and rooooows of narrow aisles with tiny "shops" selling various fish. The vendors were mostly done selling when we arrived because it was about 9:30am, and the busiest selling time is between 5:30 and 8:00am. Wholesalers and restaurant agents are the most common types of buyers, but it is also a major attraction for tourists. However, I didn't see more than a few other tourists when we were there.

  

 

There were so many different varieties of fish and seafood. Lots of squid, octopus, giant tuna, crab, shrimp, eel, lots of sea creatures I've never even seen before! I think the most impressive thing about the market was the scale!! The fish were HUGE, the warehouse was HUGE, and the cutlery was GIANT!

After my last Japan post, I will post a video compilation I made of all of my Japan clips including some from the Tsukiji fish market with live table-saw action! Stay tuned!

Mama Surfs

Heather has started a mama blog called MamaSurfs and its my new favorite blog because even though I am across the Pacific, I feel like I am right there with her through the ups and downs of pregnancy! She amazes and inspires me and I think her story is an exciting testament to the challenges and joys of her new  chapter in life! 

Heather, I can't wait to meet the little one! Baby is lucky to have YOU as a mama! 

I also put the link over there ---->