Twas the night before...

Hope everyone is having a super and extremely happy xmas eve...and hoping it all rolls into tomorrow and the new year.  Having a great time with Mr., the fam, and my boxer kids.  Sipping a French Press after my morning walk along the creek and just enjoying the peace of it all.  

If any of the guys below came down my chimney...lets just say he'd get more than cookies and milk. :-) 

Happy Christmas! - Rin 

Stop on Red

 Tis the season.  Mr and I did dinner last evening...and then proceeded to run last minute shopping errands.  Wrapping paper, gift bags, tissue, oh my.  Exhausting, but had tons of fun making the best of it.  Woke up this morning and snuck of bed to walk the boys and let Mr. get some more sleep.  Made a dark French Press and just enjoying the view from my couch.  It's too warm to be Christmas for sure.  But I'm pretending  it's cold enough for a fuzzy blanket and doggie cuddles with my coffee.  I know I love warm weather, but when you live somewhere where it is supposed to be cold at Christmas, it just feels weird.  Of course I'd take the beach walk on Christmas Day that I used to do with my dogs too...and add in Mr to make it perfect.

He's stirring, so I must go figure out what we're doing for breakfast...I know a Bikram class was in the plans, but sleeping in and that doesn't always go hand in hand.

I hope ya'll got your gifts all lined up cuz it's the final countdown now.  Lot's of shopping luck and plenty of cookies for all - Rin

Ho Ho Ho-down!

So excited.  Just home, walked the dogs, and now Xmas break can finally begin.  Sure, it's only 3 days for me...but still...it's a break!  Mr. just walked in with a palm tree the size of the Washington Monument...for our condo.  I'm going to have to do some creative arranging to find room for this sucker.  It's almost brushing the ceiling...and they're 10' tall.  Anywho...i'll do my best to find it a happy place to live and try and keep it alive.  My other plants are doing well so far...and my orchid is actually sprouting new leaves and hopefully will shoot  another stem for buds out soon.

So, it'll be a whirlwind weekend between trying to relax and trying to bounce from family function to family function, but I'm still super excited.  Headed out to do a bit of shopping tonight...mostly parental gifts and wrapping paper.  I love wrapping presents!  Bring out the ribbons, bows, and shiny shit.

This week has been a crazy one fo sho and I'm so glad I survived without imploding from people's bullshit at work.  You'd think the clients would cause the most drama, but not this week.  And it was even harder to deal with since I'm sitting on some good news that I am taking the weekend to make a final call on...butt let's just say it's leaning towards a new path and a new beginning...with a huge amount of growth potential.  It's just always scary thinking about starting fresh...even when the current situation is so unbearably ridiculous at times.
Anywho...must feed the pups and figure out what is in store for this evenings adventures.

Happy last minute prep to all - Rin

Tattoo Tuesday

Right to Bear Arms

Countdown to Christmas!  Loving the holiday season this year, which is a bit odd for me.  But I'm just going to roll with it.  Today I'm not going to make any major self induced pressured plans...so I'm just going with the flow.  Hoping Mr. gets off early enough to make it to a show we've been wanting to see tonight.  We were bummed not to make it last night, but I just found out it's playing tonight too.  Fingers crossed.

Anywho, up for another cup of coffee and then onto something else I'm sure.  I can't find my good set of art pencils and pencil sharpener and it's driving me nuts.  I can see it in my hands the last time I used it, and i've looked at all the usual and unusual places I put things and still it's nowhere to be found.  I wonder if the underpants gnomes took it.  Damn them!  I have to find the sharpener so I can get one of my little art projects farther along.  I'm going to get more caffeine in me to fuel my hunt.  Things may get kray kray up in here.

Mkay...happy weekend - Rin

Friday Fave Five

I am still in talks with the new potential company.  Really clicking with the person who would be my future  boss.  She's great and I love the fact that the path I'd see myself going down with the company is one that she's walked and adored.  She'll be a great resource and support to find the resources I need to get to where I wanna go.  If I get in.  Once I'm in...it's up to me to get myself there for sure.  

I just love the potential of something new and the rush of adrenaline you get when you start somewhere as the new person.  Proving yourself, and making new connections with people.  Every door that opens is a new journey and potentially new friends for life.  It's crazy to think of all the times I've started at a new place, and how some of the greatest people I've met in my life and some of my closest friends today were there on day one of that journey...a complete stranger.  y That one choice to start new or take on a new challenge was all it took.  And today I couldn't imagine my life without these friends...as if I never really existed as the same person before they were in my life.  People are definitely very much like pieces of the puzzle that makes up our beings as individuals.  There are parts I wouldn't know about myself without some of the people that have come into my life.  Without them, I wouldn't be me.  Intensely amazing gifts they've given me just by being my friend or sharing their life with me.  I can never repay, just hope that I have in some way done the same for them. 

So, that's what I think about when I begin to consider myself in a new position...with a new company...and with a new network of coworkers.  Where will these seemingly strangers be woven into my life in two or three years.  What debts will I obviously owe to them or in what ways can I support their journey in life.  Crazy how simple choices can end up having such crazy big influences on our life.  

Well, that's my deep thought for the moment.  I'm going to stew on it a bit more.  Meanwhile...I thought I'd start a Friday Fave Five.  I'll be picking 5 guys that have some characteristic that makes them particularly favorable.  If you'd like to share a guy for the Fave Five...please send it my way!  

Love & Laughs - Rin 

Partly Sunny with a Chance of Showers

Been a bit busy and unable to sit down and collect my thoughts enough to get them down here.  I am so ready for a new start and just waking up each day makes me more aware of it.  Like senior year of high school after your university acceptance letters have arrived...you know it's over, but you still have to show up until it's officially the end.  Being in love more and more everyday is certainly easing the stress of work.  I can never exactly express with the right words, but I couldn't imagine my life now without Mr. in it.  I've never experienced anything like it!  

My boxer boys are doing and things outside of work couldn't be better.  Love sharing my home, mornings, and evenings with all my boys, Mr. included.  The tree is lit and I'm always in the baking mood during the winter.  I whipped up a pumpkin bread with cranberries last weekend and am planning a few batches of cookies this weekend for a cookie swap a few coworkers and I are doing next week.  Hoping to make a few batches of  bath salts and bath bombs this weekend too.  I usually tend to try and make stuff for people for the holidays as much as possible...besides Mr. of course.  Can't wait for him to open his!  

I'll have to share some pics of and recipes of the salts and bath bombs if they come out well.  Crossing my fingers it's not a complete bust of an idea.  :-)

Well, after fishing for these pics below, I'm going to go take a nice hot shower and get dinner going.  Sweet Potato and Pepper Soup with Smoked Gouda grilled cheese.  Mmmm.  - Rin 

Hump Day