Make Up

DH and I made up and consequently also had the make up sex, which by the way was amazing!!! ;)

My takeaway from our disagreement the other day is I need to work on my communication. Which is true and I know it.

It is a constant struggle for me to verbalize how I feel. I'm much better with the written word or expressing my feelings on paper.

When I'm upset, my thoughts are jumbled up in my head and emotions run high that when you try to talk to me, I end up crying... which I hate. I do not like for anyone to see me cry, even DH. That's why when I'm upset, it's better to let me cool off first rather than talking to me at that heated moment.

I need to be better in relating my feelings. Why is that so hard, even if it's to DH? Why am I so scared of feeling vulnerable and stripped down??? What am I afraid of???

Question of the day: Why is "make up sex" so goood?

Sorry

All is well today.

DH and I made up. He apologized and I apologized.

Just a quickie... will blog more soon.

Question of the day: What do you think is your best personality trait?

Hot and Cold

I feel like crap this morning. I went to bed last night angry at DH.

I made a boo boo yesterday and DH called me on it. That’s fine. If I make a mistake, I’d like to know it so I can correct it and not do it again. It was the way he said it to me, which ticked me off. He didn’t call me any names, nothing like that. The way he said it (to me) felt belittling and condescending.

I shut down after that.

When I’m mad, I’m quiet. I’m distant. I'll give you the cold shoulder. I’m usually pretty laid back and happy go lucky. It takes a lot to get me mad and when I’m mad, I stew. I keep it inside.

It’s my passive aggressiveness rearing its ugly head. You need to leave me alone until I cool off because when I’m mad, I don’t want to talk to you or look at you.

When the incident happened last night, I didn’t talk to him for the rest of the evening, even when he tried to snuggle. I just watched my portable DVD in bed. I didn’t talk much this morning, just kissed him goodbye, when I went off to work.

I realize I’m like a switch. off/on or hot/cold. When you piss me off, I can turn off just like that and be cold and distant. I’m not proud of it. It's very immature and not a good way to handle conflict.

I wish I could be more vocal when something is bothering me, voice it out and get it over with right away. Instead my passive aggressiveness takes over.

It’s not something I like about myself and need to work on.

Sigh, even though I'm still ticked off at DH, I feel horrible for giving him the cold shoulder last night.

Question of the day: Do you have a trait that you are not proud of?

"The One".... that wasn't

DCVita and Ella recently both blogged about the intriguing concept of recognizing "the one".

I wish life gave us the cheat sheet to this question to make our lives/dating a whole lot easier. Where as I do not have the answer to this age old question, I have created list from my past relationships and experiences why I thought he was "the one.... that wasn't".

When my ex-fiance, Jock, and I were engaged, it was a shock to me. A euphoric shock. We have been dating for 7 months exclusively before he popped the question on my birthday. I wanted to be with him long term, possibly for life, but we have not talked about marriage or the possibility of marriage or mapping our future together. Yet, when he popped the question, I said yes. Of course, I was in love. We were both 28, it felt right... and felt we were ready.

In reality, Jock and I should have discussed earlier in our relationship what we both wanted and how we saw our future together. We talked about us being serious with each other. We talked about marriage in passing ... more like, yes I want to get married in the future. We haven't seriously talked about getting married, to each other, if we want kids, how many kids, where we would live, when we planned on getting married... you know the important life questions that help you gauge if and your partner are on the same page.

So during the first month of our engagement, Jock and I quickly discovered that our answers to those questions were not similar, nor were our timelines on the same page. It went quickly downhill and we both realized our irreconcilable differences. We broke up 3 months after the engagement. I was heartbroken and it was a very low point in my life back then. However, it was also the best thing that ever happened to me. I am now almost 3 yrs happily married to a wonderful man.

It's a mistake I did not want to make again. Before DH and I were engaged we had discussed most of the topics above so when he proposed, we were both ready for marriage- emotionally, mentally and financially.

Looking back, I should have seen the signs why MY exes or past dates were not "the one" for me:

• Ex BF2: avoids committment
• Ex-F: relied too much on mom for most decisions (mine was a mama's boy in a very dependent way)
• Ex F: has a hard time coping with any change in life (good and/or bad)
• Ex F: unrealistic view of life or your future together
• Ex F: different expectations on marriage
• Ex F: different views on having or raising children
• Ex F: has a "perfect" image of me (how can this be bad? if you have tbe slightest flaw in your perfect image in anyway, he will see you as tainted and will have a hard time coping).
• Ex BF1: co-dependent
• Ex BF1: told me "why didn't you coddle me after we broke up?" (WTF -- we broke up!)
• Ex BF1: emotionally fragile (see previous item)

Luckily, none of the men I've ever gone out with cheated on me or were alcoholics, addicts or abusive.

There were many more signs or deal breakers which I am not listing as it will be too long. I'm not saying people who exhibit the above traits would not make a good spouse ... they just were not what I was looking for in mine.

Question of the day: What is a dealbreaker in a relationship for you?

Adventures in Babysitting

DH & I spent our St. Patrick's evening babysitting his 7 yr old nephew, Scott.

My sister & brother in law, Jan and Grant went out for dinner and watch a musical. We reported for duty at their house at 6p as requested. After filling us in on some intructions, the pair left for their evening out.

DH & I have both baby sat Scott previously so this was nothing new to us.

When the parents left, we fed Scott his usual dinner: white rice, chicken nuggets and corn. That's all he eats. Everyday for dinner. White rice, chicken nuggets and corn. Everyday. Scott doesn't eat anything else for dinner. In the past 4.5 years I've known him, I've have not seen him eat anything else for a dinner meal. We spend time with the family alot so we know what the pattern is. DH & I think it's strange that it is what he eats only and no new foods are introduced to him or encouraged to try. We know kids go through phases in foods, but after almost 5 years, is that still a phase?

Scott seems pretty healthy for a 7yr old so maybe his food pattern is not something to be concerned about. He does eat a lot of fruits but aside from waffles for breakfast, PB&J for lunch and the rice/nuggets/corn for dinner and milk, that is his daily food intake for the last 3 years. He is not allergic to any foods.

DH & I prepare Scott his dinner and asked him to eat at the dinner table without watching his cartoons as what he is accustomed to daily during dinner. We let him eat his dinner by himself without spoon feeding him. Dinner went along smoothly and after some prompting and encouragement, he finished his dinner with not much trouble.

With dinner finished, he was free to play.

It was too cold to go out for ice cream so DH & I took Scott out for a drive as Scott voted to go out for a drive. After getting a smoothie, we ended up at Target, probably our mistake to take him there.

We walked around and he was behaving well. Even as we passed by the toy dept. He was just looking at toys. As we called him to leave, he was stalling. He said he wanted a toy. (Scott has TONS of toys at home, we see him with a new toy almost every week). We playfully kidded with Scott and asked him if his parents gave him any money to buy a toy tonight. He said no. OK, we're sorry we can't buy a toy. He didn't like what he heard.

He insisted that he wanted a toy. We explained to Scott that we're not here to buy a toy tonite sweetie. Since his birthday is coming up in a month, why don't you write down what you liked and put it on your birthday list. We tried to explain in the way a 7yr old would understand it. Scott is pretty much used to getting his way with his parents all the time so he was testing his limits with us.

Unfortunately for him, DH & I don't fall for his tricks. We held our ground and explained to him that we're not here to buy a toy. "But I want that toy". We calmly told him: Honey, I'm sorry, we know you want it right now but we can't always get what we want. This went on for about 5 minutes.

Scott was pouting but luckily for us was not screaming or throwing a loud tantrum at the store. We managed to finally leave Target but not before Scott announced to DH: You're not my favorite uncle anymore! It was hard to hear that, especially for DH. His parents may give in to him, but DH & I are not quick to give in to his demands. His parents can buy him that toy for him tomorrow if they want to. We said we wanted to buy things at target too but didn't. Of course try to reason with a 7 yr old who gets his way all the time. We can't undo what has been done.

DH & I are very generous with Scott, so it's not like we were being grinches to him. We both felt that asking for a toy (which he has an abundance of) and expecting to get it right away was not the lesson we wanted him to learn, at least not on our watch. It was honestly very hard to say no to Scott and it was hard to hear he didn't love us and wanted us to go home. However, DH & I both felt that caving in to his tantrum was a lesson we did not want him to learn from us. He may hate us but at least he will respect us.

Scott pouted and shed a tear in the car. At home, he watched his dvd, still kinda mad. He calmed down after an hour and by bedtime, he was somewhat friendly again. He went to bed around 9.45p, after DH & I tucked him in and read him his favorite bedtime story. When he went to sleep, DH & I watched some dvds until the parents came home at 11.30.

When they came home, we told him of the evening's activities including his mini trantrum at the store. They didn't seem surprised as I'm sure all parents go through the same scenario frequently. They said we handled him well.

Admittedly, DH & I are judgemental sometimes of Scott's upbringing. Is it fair of us to judge their parental skills? No, it isn't, parenting is a difficult job. I love my inlaws, they are good, kind, generous people and mean well. Scott is an overall good kid. But it is concerning at times to see Scott be in so much control of his parents. I know it's especially hard for DH to see it. Yes, we know we don't have kids and "we'll see when we have kids of our own", as we often hear. Scott is not our child so of course we can't tell the parents how to raise him. That is their business.

Seeing how Scott acts up reinforces how DH & I want to raise our own kids someday, among them:

• Our kids will learn to eat what we prepare and what's on the table, not just what he likes. He will not like or eat everything, that's OK, at least he would be encouraged to try different foods.
• He will learn to be eat by himself at an early age
• No playing with toys or watching TV while eating
• They will be brought up to be well balanced and NOT spoiled
• Discipline, bounderies and respect will be enforced at an early age, not starting at 5 yrs old

It's easier said than done and I'm sure parents everywhere have the same credo. DH & I plan to practice what we preach someday and hopefully succeed in raising an unspoilt child.

As much as we love the little rugrat, he is spoiled. Sat's instance was just one example, there are many more.

After the adventure in babysitting, I was surprised the inlaws accepted our invitation to have dinner at our house last night. I would expect they didn't want to see us until next week... :)

Question of the day: How do you raise a child that is NOT spoiled, in today's society?

I did it too

OK so I finally did it since it is taking the blogosphere by storm. I stole this blog from everyone. :)

I found it interesting that what it said about me was fairly accurate.

Question of the day: Is your Visual DNA an accurate picture of your personality?

Read my VisualDNA™ Get your own VisualDNA™

I just want to be friends, DH

4 years ago, this week, DH proposed to me in a winery at Napa Valley, Ca.

It's funny how life takes you to unexpected places. If you told me back in 2001 that I would be married to DH, I wouldn't believe it:

1. He's not "my type"
2. He was an acquaintance of my ex-fiance as they sometimes played softball together
3. I said "not so nice" things about him to his friends
4. I gave him the "I just want to be friends" speech. Which to guys, according to DH is "the kiss of death".

DH & I went out on a few dates in 2001, about 5 months after my dis-engagement with Jock. I think it was 3.5 dates (the .5 date was dessert), and a weekend camping trip with friends. The first 3 dates were good, he was very funny and easy to be with. We had the same sarcastic sense of humor so we got along really well and had things in common. It was after the weekend camping trip where it went downhill (that's another long post).

A week after the camping trip, I told DH "I just want to be friends".

It wasn't until our paths cross again, 6 months later, at a weekend ski trip in Lake Tahoe with friends. Leading up to the ski trip, we started to chat to break the ice. It turned out to be a fun weekend trip despite a snow storm which delayed our trip home.

After that trip, DH and I started to IM and chat more. I got to know him in a different light and on a deeper level. When we dated the first time around the previous year, I was interested and pining over a guy, Mr Executive. I was not open to any other relationships at that time as I was infatuated with Mr Exec. I think I was also too quick to judge him and put him in the friends box. This time, the timing was right and I (my heart) was more open to getting to know him.

We talked everyday via IM and the phone. The more we talked, the more I was growing to like him .... I was developing a full blown crush on him but was having a hard time acknowledging it.

One night on the phone with AS, she said, you keep talking about DH... do you LIKE him? Her question caught me by surprise. I paused and was speechless for a bit. She said, you do.. you do like him. I was thinking, how can I admit to AS I liked DH when I could not even admit it to MYSELF?? Her question forced me to confront what I was starting to feel for him.

DH invited me to go skiing one weekend, a day trip, just the two of us. I was excited in spending a day with him. The trip was fun and we had a great time. We got along great and enjoyed each other's company, it was a good sign we just spent 18 hours straight together, and I liked him more.

After that day ski trip alone with DH was when I knew I was falling for him. We talked daily and went out together. He was more cautious than I, being that I had "dumped" him previously. Later I told him that when he invited me on that day ski trip alone with him, I had thought of it as a date whereas he didn't, it was just 2 friends hanging out. I confided that I wanted to kiss him when he dropped me off that night. He said he didn't think of kissing me as we were "just friends". He gave me a hug instead that night and I was too chicken to kiss him, much to my own dissapointment.

We spent more time with each other and our relationship blossomed from there. I found him to be an introspective, kind, generous, caring, loving and funny man. A man that I admired, loved, respected and cared for. He made me laugh. He taught me to love again and to open my heart to new feelings. He was someone whom I wanted to be with and grow old with.

We dated exclusively for the next 10 months before he proposed to me one beautiful Saturday afternoon. On the anniversary when our paths intersected and life led us to an unexpected road and wonderful journey called love.

Happy (Engagement) Anniversary, DH. :)

Question of the day: How do you feel about the one knee proposal? Romantic, unimaginative, traditional or boring, etc?

Free Starbucks

The work day just started and I already need coffee. I'm not a big coffee drinker, drinking it only occassionally or when the urge hits me.

This week, I've been needing it.

I woke up late (again) today. It has been like that all week. its darker now when i wake up so I keep thinking its only 5a but it's really 7a! Way past my wake up time at 6.30a.

I will shamelessly plug Starbucks on today's post as they are giving away a free 12oz cup, Thurs, March 15th, 10a-12p. I got it straight from their website. Check your local Starbucks to see if they are offering it in your area.

Question of the day: Do you have a daily drink vice?

Springing Forward

Our office party last Saturday was a lot of fun!

The weather was so nice to begin with all day so the evening was very mild. I wore a long black sleeveless dress with a little sparkle, DH wore a dark suit. He looked handsome.

We arrived at the party a little past 7p. There were about 15 people at the party. DH & I ventured to the bar and each got a glass of red cab. We had about 6 wines to chosse from as this is a wine tasting themed party.

We did our rounds and mingled. I said hello to my colleages and introduced DH. I met the spouses and dates of my coworkers. It is something to see your coworkers in a social setting. They are very likable... hahaha.... I guess that's what these parties are for... to get to know your peers better.

The food was absolutely delicious. We had a buffet of small plated food and hors d'oervres... prime rib and turkey carving station, tuna tartar, crostinis, crab cakes, anti pasto, cornucopia, grilled veggies. The food was catered by one of SF's most popular restaurant: Scott's Seafood. They did an amazing job as everyone liked the food.

Our party also offered 3 Wine 101 sessions where a wine expert gave us the basics on wine tasting. Everyone enjoyed that part. DH didn't drink a lot as he was the designated driver.

We mingled some more and said hello to the CEO and CFO. They had nice and complimentary words about me to DH, which I was very flattered.

We also had a DJ towards the latter part of the evening but our group did not dance much. About 60 people were at the party.

All in all it was a fun evening. We ended up leaving at 11p as we were enjoying conversation with our table and time just flew.

I don't why I was so worried that we weren't going to have a good time at the party. :)

I've just been feeling tired the past 2 days... must be from the 1 hour loss of sleep from DST. On a good note, I do like the extended daylight hours.

Question of the day: If you could take back the one hour from Daylight Savings, what would you do during that hour?

Prom Night

I was telling DH that's what tonight (my Office Party) feels like... prom night!

Our office is very casual. Most of us wear jeans at work on a daily basis. Tonight's affair is "semi formal", so I'm going to see my coworkers all dolled up for the first time. I've only been with this company for almost 2 years and this is will be my first office party with them.

Last year's party was a dinner cruise - I didn't go because at the last cruise we went on, I got seasick and felt nauseous all day long, even on land. It was not a nice feeling.

I'm looking forward to tonight's food and wine. Since I was on the planning committe, I have the advantage of knowing what will be served. The food will be delicious. The wine bar will be flowing all night too so it should be a fun night amid the rubbing elbows with the higher ups.

At least year's party, there was a VP who was making out high school style with his date. I'm not kidding. He is 45-ish, she was 25-ish. They were seen heavily making out openly, in front of everyone. What a scene that must have been! 1 month later, management announced that he left the company... a coincidence... hmmm? I wonder if there will be a similar spectacle at this year's party....

Hope you're all having a nice weekend!

Question of the day: At what time do you think we will leave the party? The party will run from 7-11p.

Holiday Party

This may turn out to be a rant so please bear with me....

So this Saturday, our office will hold its "Holiday Party".

Holiday party in March you say? My thoughts exactly. Our company was planning to hold it in late January but due to venue and timing constraints it was pushed back to this month.

The VP of Human Resources had "volunteered" me to be in the holiday committee last October. Note that I did not volunteer to be in the committe, I was thrown into it. I love planning events, but for my own friends/ personal life, I do not enjoy planning an office party for 200 people. I occassionally plan lunches, showers, farewell celebrations during the course of the year already for the office so planning an office party is just something I'd rather someone else take on.

The VP had sent out an email to the company asking for volunteers for the party planning (after naming me) in Oct and Nov of last year. No response. So come December, I had sent out an email to the staff on my own recruiting some volunteers, I was not going to plan this on my own. Luckily, I was able to recruit 4 people and my coworker took on the role as chairman of the committee.

The planning process went well, we chose a venue in downtown SF. It's a gallery associated with a local winery. It's an event space that looks like an art gallery but is used for corporate eventsand such. Our party will be an evening of wine tasting event with music and small plates food.

The party will be held on a Saturday evening. I already see them 40 hrs/week. Do I really want to spend 4 hours of my Saturday night with them too? I guess I would have to since I'm part of the committee. I like my coworkers, but the ones I usually talk or hang out with, will not be in attendance.

The party headcount currently stands at 75 people, including guests (out of possible 180 total). My boss just received an email from the BIG Boss:

"I wanted you guys to see the list of attendees to the party. I am a little disappointed. There are only 41 employees attending, including 6 VPs. This is a lot of work and expense for less than half of our employees in the Bay Area. Anything you can do to encourage greater attendance amongst the troops."

Our group is very diversified from Indians, Russians, Europeans to Asians. As we were planning the party, we put into consideration the location, theme and food (we have a lot of vegetarians). The big boss seemed to like the wine tasting idea so we went with that.

My boss says he's not surprised at the low turnout. Not all will be wine drinkers, it's a Saturday night, a lot of them have small kids, some live about 50 miles away.

DH will be attending with me, of course. It will be a semi formal type affair. We plan to go to the party and spend about 2 hours and then make an exit.

The party is well planned. I know the party will be a success and we'll all have a good time. DH & I just don't want to stay around until 11p or it ends.

Question of the Day: How do we exit the party gracefully? What should we say when we say our farewells?

Mega Millionaire

DH had a dream over the weekend that he won a million or so dollars at a jackpot.

Feeling lucky, he gambled a little bit in Lake Tahoe when we were at a casino over the weekend. He did not win the jackpot but won $30.

When we heard last Tuesday's MegaMillions jackpot was $370M, DH & I bought 25 tickets hoping to possess those 6 lucky numbers.

We looked at the results yesterday morning and was very dissapointed we were not going to be millionaires, despite DH's dream. Oh well. He hit 3 numbers out of the 90 numbers he bought. I got 7 numbers out of the 60 numbers I had overall.

It was fun to dream .... we were playing around and listing the things we'd like to do with the cool cash:

(Not in any particular order)

• Remodel kitchen
• Paint the house
• Remodel the bathroom
• Add a few bedrooms to the house
• Buy Plasma TV
• Reinvest
• Save
• Invest in another home
• Quit (work part time)
• Travel everywhere
• Buy a Hybrid car
• Take care of my family
• Donate to Cancer charities/research (DH's parents both succumbed to cancer)

If we ever hit the jackpot, I don't think we would be one of those millionaires and spend it all or go bankrupt. We would probably invest most of it and live off the interest.

UPDATE: The other half of the $370M pot remains unclaimed. If you bought your ticket in New Jersey... check your ticket... you could be the missing millionaire.

Question of the day: What would you do if you won the lottery/jackpot?

Snow Bound

DH and I had a wonderful time up in Lake Tahoe, a four hour drive from San Francisco. The weather was warm, in the low 50s with partly cloudy skies. It rained last week so the mountains were sprinkled with much needed snow.

We stayed at the Montbleu Resort Casino & Spa. We had a nice room with a King bed and a round Roman Tub, which we of course took advantage of. We ate buffet for dinner, just because that's what you're supposed to do when you're up in Lake Tahoe -- all the casino hotels offer buffet and you're on vacation right, so you're supposed to indulge. So, indulge we did!

The dinner was $15/person, a really good price for a dinner buffet. We feasted on prime ribs, ham, crab legs, pastas, italian food, chinese food, salad, fruits and of course the best part was dessert. Numerous pastries, pies and cakes -- choose one or choose all! I was beyond stuffed at this point so I only opted for an ice cream sundae and a cream puff, which by the way, are my weaknesses!

We loitered in the casino after dinner. I ventured to the crap tables and tried a few rounds. I wasn't very lucky and lost $40. I quit as I was not feeling the vibe and did not want to lose more. DH was luckier as he won $30 at the slots. We were both pretty tired from the drive so we went back to our room to relax and make use of the Roman Tub. ;)

The next morning, Monday, we got up at 8am. We packed and checked out of the hotel at 9a. We went to McD to fill ourselves up with breakfast fuel. We arrived at the Sierra at Tahoe Resort at 9.30a.

We were on the lifts at 10am. We started in the easy green runs as I have not skied since last winter -- very rusty. I am always worried that I would forget how to ski during that first run of the season.

After the warm up run, we ventured to a more advanced blue run. It was great! The snow was soft and the trails were nicely groomed. The best part was that there was no crowd since it is a Monday. We went down effortlessly down the mountain enjoying the crisp air and scenery.

The next run was a little harder -- we ended up in the mogul part of the trail. I really do not like the moguls (see picture) -- I tend to forget everything about skiing and get stuck. The trail on this side was narrow too and as I skied down, I fell hard on my side, as I did not make the hard turn. I had such difficulty on this run.

DH says it was because I was scared. Yes, it was steep and the moguls really throw me off when I'm supposed to turn. DH was great though as even though I fell hard a couple of times, he gave me encouragement and good tips. He told me to follow his trail down. Ski a few feet, and turn then slide. Then do it over a few feet at the time. Break down the mountain and you will get down. It was really hard and I was scared but eventually I made it down after a few falls.

That was the least favorite trail of mine. I was proud of myself though for making it down the mountain. I don't think I had proper form skiing dwon that trail but all I wanted to do was to make it down.

DH & I enjoyed the rest of the day skiing in the advanced runs. I did better in each run, feeling more confident and assured. We skied until 3p and drove back home to San Francisco where we stopped again at the outlets. DH bought me running shoes at the Addidas store and I bought myself a wallet at the Coach store. A little retail therapy to salve my bruised body. :)

I love skiing with DH as he's very encouraging. He also pushes and challenges me. If it were up to me, I would stay in my comfort zone, the easy green runs, all day long.

With him, he pushes me to a more difficult run in order for me to learn and improve. I trust him and I know that he wouldn't take me to a trail where it would be unsafe and we cannot handle.

I've improved a lot since skiing with him the past few seasons. I've managed to ski down steep trails, trails I wouldn't have thought I could do. I am glad that DH & I share and enjoy this sport together.

All in all, we had a great time... and I have 2 big bruises on both knees to prove it!

Question of the day: What is something that has challenged you, where you had to go outside your comfort zone?

Checklist

DH & I are headed up to the mountains this morning for a mini ski trip. We are going to Lake Tahoe and stay the night and ski tomorrow, Monday. We both took the day off.

On the way there, we're gonna pass by the outlet stores first to browse. :)

I think I'm all packed, got my checklist:

• Skis - check
• Ski poles - check
• Ski pants - check
• Jacket - check
• Fleece - check
• Ski Boots - check
• Ski leash - check (a lifesaver! ties your skies together so you can carry with ease from car to lift)
• Clothes - check
• Toiletries - check
• ipod - check

We can't wait... it's our first snow trip of the winter season... Mother Nature just was very nice last week and dumped inches and inches of fresh powder. :)

Question of the day: What is your winter sport/ activity?

Earthquake!

OMG!! We just felt an earthquake here in the bay area... 4.2!! It struck at 8.40pm PST.

That's the strongest we've felt in awhile and I can tell you IT IS UNNERVING!!

No matter how many times I feel an earthquake, weak or strong it doesn't matter... it freaks me out as I do not know if this is the BIG ONE or if it will stop.

DH & I were in the living room eating dinner and watching "Survivor" when the house creaked, and we felt a slow rolling motion, sort of like a ripple, then as it started to get stronger DH said "is that an earthquake?".

I immediatley jumped off the couch and ran under the doorway, pizza in hand, my heart beating a hundred miles a minute. I was sooo scared thinking "what if this won't stop and this IS it?".

Thankfully, after about 5-7 loooong seconds, the rolling ceased and the house (and my heart) stood still and quiet.

We checked on the internet and learned the earthquake measured 4.2 and was centered in Lafayette, about 25 miles NE from San Francisco. My parents live near Lafayette so they felt it more. My mom said it was very strong and the house was shaking. They are ok and no damage was done.

Last Friday, an earthquake struck near Berkeley (about 10 miles East of SF), measured 3.2. I was at work and felt a sharp jolt, you could hear the building creak. We are located on the 6th floor of an 8 story building. When the earthquake struck, everyone stood up and you could see heads popping up from the cubicles. We all wondered the same thing, "Did you feel it? Was that an earthquake?".

It really is unnerving to feel the ground shake from underneath you and there's not a damn thing you can do but to take cover and hope it will stop.

Question of the day: Which is worse: earthquake or tornado?

Adrenaline Junkie

I ran after work today. Gosh, it was tough. I've been trying to get more cardio in to get in shape. I'm not trying to lose weight but I'd like to have increased stamina and a toned body.

About 2-3x a week after work, I jog/run for about 20 minutes around the neighborhood. It's painful for me as jogging is so high impact but the effects and high I feel afterwards make up for the said pain during running. My body seems somewhat detoxified and "clean". The natural high I feel from the adrenaline is addicting.

DH is starting to jog more regularly too but he claims he does not feel the "high" afterwards. I said "are you kidding me? How can you NOT feel it?". DH: "I just don't... maybe I'm missing that gene???". I feel more energized after running, he feels more wiped out during the day.

He has asked me 2x this week if I wanted to run with him. I said sweetly that I'd rather run by myself for a few reasons:

1. I'd feel that I am holding him back - I run slow
2. He'd talk to me during the run - I can't jog, talk and breathe at the same time! I can multi task in other areas but not running.
   
3. I rather enjoy the solidarity when I run by myself and listen to my ipod playlists
   

DH seemed to take it in stride and didn't feel too bad when I "rejected" his offer to run with him. Whew....

Question of the day: Do you feel a natural high when you exercise?