Saturday, December 3, 2011

Oh honey, don't even start with me, PT 2

To follow up with my post from yesterday, last night I got on that dating site to show my friend Dick's message and my response. Well, what do you know? He replied, despite the fact that I told him not to:

"Honestly, I don't remember you. I saw a new profile and thought to strike up a conversation with a girl who claimed to be a Christian. I can see that I was mistaken on both points. In the future, stop claiming to be something you have no desire to be."

Yes, he obviously has the ability to judge my soul. Oh wait, that's God.

As my readers know, I am not one to take such things lightly. So what was my response this time?

Silence. Oh, and reporting him to the site. He has since been removed.

All's well that ends well, friends!

~K

Friday, December 2, 2011

Oh honey, don't even start with me

So I recently signed up on a couple online dating sites. I've been weeding out the creepos and trying to stay positive, but my goodness, it's hard with some of these guys!

One guy messaged me, who we will call Dick. I recognized him as a guy that I had actually gone out with once a few years ago. That date was horrible. We didn't have a conversation, he gave a monologue...about things that you don't really discuss on a first date. He went off on a political rant, then talked about how messed up the Christian church has become. I basically smiled and nodded until I could safely leave.

So when Dick messaged me, I deleted the message. Evidently, that ruffled his feathers, as he sent me the following message:

"I know it can be tempting to simply ignore people; but as Christians, we owe one another better than that.
Whether it leads to conversation or not is an entirely different matter; however, our first obligation is to treat one another with the love of Christ.
I don't claim to have written the most engaging first message. Regardless, it was genuine and it was an appropriate place to open a conversation."

So he's using my faith to guilt-trip me into talking to him, when my desire was to be polite enough to keep my silence. Well, if he's gonna push me to talk, I'm gonna talk. This was my response:

"Evidently it can also be tempting to push people who would rather be left alone. I didn't ignore you; I deleted your message as I had no desire to talk to you. It was a conscious choice based on a previous meeting with you.


Rather than tell you that I found you to be rude and obnoxious, I felt that as a Christian, I owed you better than that. However, as it would seem that you neither agree nor consider the fact that girls may just decide to skip past you, fine. I'll talk.


I don't appreciate your attempt to guilt-trip me into a conversation. That is not what I have experienced from other Christians, and trying to make me out to be a bad person for not talking to you is completely immature.


Let me be very blunt: I do not owe you anything. I am seeking someone who is compatible with me. You are not. Thus, I deleted your message. Being a Christian on a dating site does not require me to respond to every single message that a Christian guy may send me.


To be perfectly honest, you have said that we ought to treat each other with the love of Christ. I agree, and wish that you had done this. You have not been respectful of my boundaries, and harassing me is not acceptable.


I would strongly suggest that you reassess your approach to women, as what you are doing now is obviously not working.


I have said my piece, and I hope that you are satisfied that you have received a response. Now I expect you to leave me be. If you persist in harassing me, I will report you.


Good day."

Tired of the BS,

~K

Sunday, November 27, 2011

Dreaming of Vegas

The lights. The fountain. The vices. The glitz and glamor. Yes, we're talking about Vegas.



The weekend before Christmas will find yours truly (left) and the lovely Liz (right) flying out to the city of sin. We intend to take in all the color and energy and utter awesomeness that we can possibly soak up.

This past Friday, rather than shoving through crowds of crazies, Liz and I met up to plan. We're getting in early Friday morning, and will be leaving late on Sunday. That gives us three FULL days in Vegas. We have decided that we will be using fake names. She keeps going back and forth on hers (maybe Lydia), but I will be known as Vanessa.

I have found the passes that I had ordered off eBay right before my last trip to Vegas, so we will be able to get into several different clubs. However, XS is still a bit elusive. I've contacted the guy in charge of the guestlist, but have not yet heard back. Wish me luck!

We will be purchasing Power Passes for Friday, which offer admission to a ton of exciting attractions, such as Madame Tussaud's Wax Museum, Las Vegas Mob Experience, Stratosphere Observation Deck and rides, and Flightlinez. Saturday will be a day we wander around the strip and check out Fremont Street. Sunday will be the day for checking out anything we missed earlier.

One thing that is a bit disappointing is that the Jabbawockeez show is already booked solid. Oh well. I guess I'll just have to introduce my own moves.

Dancing on her own,

~K

Wednesday, November 23, 2011

An Early End to Budget Week #4

This morning, I hadn't spent a penny of my $30 for the week, and had a little left over from last week. Then I went to Starbucks, and watched $4 float away. Ok, it's only $4, right?

After work I went grocery shopping. $31 and some change later, I am officially over budget.

The final result? $30/week is hard and NOT fun. If you have any random stuff come up, you'll go over. If I had been including gas, car stuff, prescriptions, etc., then I would never make it.

However, this was a good experience and I look forward to working toward my next goal: $5000 saved by the end of 2012. Hopefully that goal will go better than this one!

Peppermint mocha-ed out,

~K

Sunday, November 20, 2011

End of Budget Week #3

As budget week #3 came to a close, I started realizing that I had finally done the unthinkable; I had come in under budget!

Woo hoo for me! Ok, it was less than $2 under budget, but I'm still pretty happy with myself. The lesson learned so far is that you really can't plan every little thing that may come up, and $30/week will not cover every necessity much less the random things you may want.

When it comes to budgeting, I'm really not that great. However, this experience has changed how I view even simple food purchases. I went with spinach and cheese tortellini over the prosciutto and cheese borsetti because the former was $1 less. Guess what? It was delicious!

This is now the last week of my $30/week budget. Wish me luck!

Happy but not hungry,

~K

Wednesday, November 16, 2011

The joys of being a CSR: part 2

So if you read my previous post on the topic, you know that one of my recent experiences with a certain customer was quite interesting. Well, I responded by letting him know UPS hadn't updated the information, and asked if he would like a reshipment or refund. This was his response.

"My Dear K,


What's up G?! Thanks for writing me back and thanks for doing it with such enthusiasm! I know you did not particularly ask for this assignment and for that I must apologize. However, now is a big opportunity for you to step up and make a difference not only in my life but the millions and millions of people affected by this situation. I know, it's a lot to take in... I'll give you a second to take a deep breath and let the gravity of the situation set in....


Good. Now that we are both on the same page it is time to discuss this issue of whether I ask for a refund or for a reshipment of my order. You can understand the position this puts me in. Part of me would like to receive a refund and spend my money elsewhere but there is still a desire for me to actually have the products I ordered. This reminds me of a childhood memory where I was faced with a very similar situation. You see K, when I was the ripe old age of 6 maybe 7, I was quite the backyard Wiffle Ball star of my neighborhood. I believe on this particular day it was Game 5 of our neighborhood World Series and I was glad to be in my backyard and have home field advantage. It was just before the 7th inning stretch and things were really starting to heat up, not only on the field but also in my Incredible Hulk underwear. What I didn't tell you was that I had a terrible addiction to chocolate milk back then and nothing got my poop reactor working overtime like drinking a tall glass of the hard stuff and then hustling around the bases in the warm August sun.


I remember it clearly. I was on deck with one out and it was at this time that I had to make a critical decision. I could either A, run over to the hedges by the back door, pop a squat and make it back just in time to hit the go ahead double into the gap OR I could go with option B and try to hold back the flood gates until the next inning but I would risk destroying my underwear and self esteem on a hard slide into 2nd base... After carefully weighing the pros and cons I went with option A. To this day I think I made the right call but what I failed to realize at the time was that my father had been standing in the kitchen window and witnessed the entire horrifying deuce dropping. He was not pleased. He laid into me so bad with his belt that not only was I unable to finish out the wiffle ball game but I was forever cursed with a fear of belts which now explains my elastic dress pants.


I guess what I'm trying to say K is that I'm afraid to make the wrong decision here. I think the best thing to do in this case would be for me to go with option A and B. I would like you to go ahead a process a reshipment of my order but I would also like a refund. And... if you would be a little lamb and throw in one of those alligator skin covers for my iPad I would be forever grateful. I'm glad we were able to work this out K, you're not only a good person.... you are now my friend.


Respectfully,

Stupid Customer"

Dude. Seriously? If he wanted to write a novel, send it to a publisher, not customer service. And no, we did not give him all his heart desired. He received a refund.

The best part of all this? His email address is the same one he uses on Facebook, meaning I could see what he looked like, know his wife's name, and now know where he works. Besides having his home phone number and address.

Wanna go psycho on me? Two can play that game! ...but I won't.

Just a girl doing her job,

~K

Monday, November 14, 2011

End of Budget Week #2

So week #2 of my $30/week budget is now over. Whew! So how did I do this time around? I went over. Again.

Saturday really got to me again. The Starbucks I could handle, as it only got me up to $33.40 (a dollar less than week #1 total. However, getting ready to go out dancing threw me for a loop. Oh, Kandee Johnson, why did you have to make such a fabulous pin-up makeup tutorial?



Where did the $10 go that brought me up to $43.40? L'Oreal Infallible Lip Color in Beyonce. Well, perhaps I should see it as an investment. I love having red lips, and this stuff does NOT come off. I seriously had to scrub my lips raw with my toothbrush before it would give way.

Back to the budget. I was over by $13.40, and that rolled over into this week. After grocery shopping at Trader Joe's, I am up to $13.58. WHAT?? Yes, that's right. I only spent $0.18 on groceries today. Fabulous couponing? Tons of freebies? Nope. My sister had given me a $20 gift card for part of my birthday present. I didn't realize how much was on it, so it was a pretty pleasant surprise when I only had to dig out a quarter to hand over before receiving my change. So thanks go to my sister for helping me get through this week. I now have yummy food in my fridge, including a block of Italian truffle cheese. Heck yeah, Trader Joe's!

Living it up,

~K

Sunday, November 13, 2011

The Rom-Com Lie

Oh, those romantic comedies! They get you every time, don't they? I've noticed a trend in a lot of them. A fabulous girl has to make a choice between two guys. They're both sweet and care about her, but here are the major differences.

Alpha guy - Usually the guy she meets second in the storyline, he has a lot going for him. He's usually well-off financially, mature, handsome as can be, and over all a great catch.

Beta guy - Typically the first guy the girl meets. Beta will have some other-level connection with the heroine, such as neither can stand kalamata olives on their pizza or they both speak fluent Icelandic. This guy, however, doesn't really have as much going for him but he actually plays up this fact. "Do you really need a nice home with a white picket fence when you have my undying love? So what if I play WoW all night every night and live with my parents? Is that what love is truly about??"



For some reason, the girl always goes for Beta. In real life, the Beta is not the better guy. In real life, Alphas usually can offer just as much of a connection, but they can also keep up their own side of the bargain.

Another way to describe the differences: men vs. boys. All men start out as boys, but some boys grow up to become men. Others just stay overgrown boys their whole lives. And it's ok. Romantic comedies say so.

Waiting for an Alpha,

~K

Thursday, November 10, 2011

What if?

Have you ever read a book and wished that you were the heroine? Or perhaps you wish that life were like the soap operas where you have amnesia and wake up with a glamorous life and 5 different men fighting for you? Perhaps you've found yourself paging through celebrity magazines, fixated on the fabulous lives of the beautiful people.

There are so many "what ifs" in life. What if...you woke up one day and realized that you were a queen? What would you do? Well, we all know what Lene Nystrøm would do.



What if you won a lottery and (after taxes) took home $5 million? What would be the first thing you would do?

What if you simply were not you? What if you were that other girl over there? The one who always looks pulled together with perfect makeup, perfect hair, and let's face it - the perfect body. What if you were her? Does she have a boyfriend or does she play the field? Does she have a foreign accent, or is she a midwest girl?

But what if you lived in another country? What if everything you knew about the world and people were different? What if your very existence ran completely opposite to how it is now? Would you notice?

No, because you would be different.

While I may wish to be so many things that I'm not, and sometimes wish to be more beautiful or smarter, or maybe wealthier, I am who I am. That will have to do, since it's all that I am. But I make my storyline. I am the heroine of this novel. I am the leading lady who entrances with a glance and dazzles with a smile. Or if not, I can be that. I just need to find out how...

Ever the same,

~K

Wednesday, November 9, 2011

The joys of being a CSR

Going through some emails recently, I came across this gem:

"I swear to f***ing god you losers need to cancel my order and refund my money. You are absof***inglutely pathetic. I have contacted UPS several times and they say they have not received your package that your "supposedly shipped" on 10/21.

You do realize what you are doing is stealing money. I know it is only a $40 order but I am willing to spend $440 on a plane ticket to come physically assault you for being such a sh***y company."


Lovely, yes? The issue was that UPS had not updated the tracking information for this order. Thus, he assumed that the package had never been sent and decided to go on a rant and threaten bodily harm.

Besides being a rude and disgruntled customer, this man also makes a Sex & the City reference. Hmm.

Killing with kindness,

~K

Sunday, November 6, 2011

Beautiful moments

"These moments, as beautiful as they are, are evil when they're gone." ~Ultraviolet

There were two moments that stick in my mind, these beautiful painful moments that remind me of what once was. I knew even in those moments that they were fleeting, and wished with my whole heart that they could last forever.

Once was on the pier looking out over the Seattle waterfront. We had just finished dinner at a local seafood restaurant, and we wanted to walk along the water. The last of the sun's rays fell behind the horizon, and I shivered a bit in the cool of the evening. In the dusk, he wrapped his arms around me, and we gazed out at the water and the colors the sun had left behind. It was magical and over far too soon.



The second time was again on the waterfront, but this time it was the Edmonds waterfront. He wanted to show me how beautiful it was watching the sunset where he lived, so we walked down to the beach. After he took a family picture for some tourists, he leaned against a large rock, pulled me against him, and we took in the breathtaking view. Somehow, despite the beauty all around, I closed my eyes and tried to concentrate on what I was feeling, encased safely in his arms. I wanted to make this moment into a memory that would last for some time. I didn't know when I would ever feel this at peace, this content, this happy, or this perfect again.

Dreaming of moments to come,

~K

End of Budget Week #1

Yesterday was the end of my first week on the $30/week budget. How did I do? Not so well. I spent $34.76. I had spent only $13.76 up until Saturday night, but I figured I could spring for Taco Time for my mom, little brother, and I. Yes, it went over, but sometimes that happens.



So what happens this week? I could give up as a complete failure. I could shrug it off and just start over. Or I can do what I am already choosing to do...roll over the amount I spent over my budget to this week's expenses. Today is only Sunday, but between that and a Starbucks run (caffeine was necessary today), I'm up to $11.93 for this week. I think I'll be able to manage. I have food in the fridge as well as some $0.79 pot pies for lunches I bought on Friday.

It's good to know that I can manage well enough, even if I did go a few dollars over. In the scheme of things, it really isn't that much and I'm learning where my money goes.

Saving-challenged in Seattle,

~K

Wednesday, November 2, 2011

The Budget Begins

I am on day two of the $30/week budget. So far so good, but I haven't really felt like shopping today or yesterday. I think that as the month moves on, it may become more difficult.

My co-workers and I got together so that Kat could teach Mariko and I how to crochet. Kat suggested grabbing pizza, but as we were all on a budget, I started thinking of cheap options. Then it hit me like a thunderbolt! Little Caesar's has hot $5 pizzas available all day everyday. Split 3 ways with tax, it was only about $2 each. Very nice. Pair that with the soda I already had stocked up on when it went on sale for $0.69/2 liter, and we were set.

My hope is that I will stumble across the secret to truly saving money. It isn't just about cutting back here and there, it's about making changes. It's about giving up on things that really don't matter than much anyway. I don't need new dress shoes, but look at where that $40 could go - toward a trip somewhere exotic! Or perhaps toward an evening out with friends. Either way, if I can go without, I need to do so for right now. This may be a bit trying, but I plan to make it through the month and maybe have a few dollars tucked away.

Saving in Seattle,

~K

Tuesday, November 1, 2011

Shut up and pass the lard, please

Evidently, QFC thinks I have a problem. A problem of the eating variety. Today I met my co-worker at the nearby QFC to purchase some goodies for one of our associate's birthday. She bought a box of donuts, I grabbed a box of cupcakes.


As I was checking out, the checker handed me a store coupon that had automatically printed due to my cupcake purchase. What treats would it offer me for a nice low price? Healthy Choice frozen meals. Evidently, QFC thinks my cupcake purchase was a bad decision.

Your favorite oinker,

~K

Monday, October 31, 2011

Halloween weekend

Well, despite still being a wee bit sick, I managed to make it out two nights in a row this past Halloween weekend.



Party #1 was Disco Superhero theme at See Sound Lounge in Belltown. My friend Liz dressed up as Jem, and I was Stiletto Girl, a superhero of my own making. As Stiletto Girl, I have the power to kick through brick walls and charm men into doing my bidding with a single glance. The costumes were great, but Liz found out on the drive over that Jem was not really a superhero, though in the 80's cartoon show she could create holograms out of her star earrings.

Upon arrival, the girl signing us in immediately told us that while it was a bit slow at the moment, it would pick up in time. No worries, we understood that the night was still young! We sat down at the bar and got a round of tasty beverages. While drinking away the sound of horrible techno music, a Carey Hart wannabe sat down next to Liz and began flirting away. Unfortunately for him, she was unimpressed by the fact that he was currently on ecstasy or that he was on parole for assaulting his girlfriend. Oh well, better luck next time! As our area was filling up with people standing around awkwardly, we decided to move over to the other room where dancing was supposed to take place. It was pretty much empty...besides the fish tanks. Well, after a bit of this, we realized that we could probably just make it home, change clothes, grab guest passes, and save the night by going to our tried and true dance club, Trinity. We rushed home, changed, I grabbed my passes, and we turned around to head back to Seattle when we realized we wouldn't make it by 12 (when the passes expire). Liz emailed the manager from her phone. As we drove, we kept checking and rechecking her email until voila! We were on the all-night list. Yay!! It would have truly saved the night, except that there was absolutely no parking in the area once we arrived. After 20 minutes of driving around we headed home to sleep.

Party #2 was a masquerade at the Experience Music Project. I spent an hour curling my hair (I have a LOT of hair), then used bright blue eyeliner on my eyes, extending the line almost to my brow line. I added silver shadow to my lids and topped them with silver glitter. Above my brows, I used my blue liner to make little dots. In the middle of each dot, I stuck a body jewel. The effect was perfect, but did not show up in photos very well. Oh well, I was pleased. Liz and I arrived a bit early, so we showed off our beauty at the nearby McDonald's. The scene kids were, as usual, unimpressed. After finishing off our tasty fast food, we headed across the street to the EMP. The line was a bit long, it was quite cold, but at least it moved pretty fast.

Upon arrival, we checked in and let them know that we had a volunteer shift from 10-12 (which is how we received free admission). We had enough time to walk around, get some pictures taken, grab a drink, and check out the facilities before heading back downstairs for our shift. Liz and I were put in charge of checking people in, which was pretty easy work. It went quickly, we got to check out everyone's costumes as they entered, and it was all pretty nice. Until the Drunk Caveman arrived. Evidently, this guy had purchased VIP admission, but had checked in at the general admission door. He had proceeded to get intoxicated, went up to the VIP section, and they wouldn't let him in. Well, Drunk Caveman won't stand for that! He marched himself down to our table and asked why he wasn't being allowed in, and what the heck we were going to do about it. Well, the girl in charge had just gone MIA, so we were clueless and panicking for about 15 minutes until she came and sorted things out. Once our shift ended, Liz and I went upstairs to the main dance floor. It was a lot of fun, but people were getting a bit shovy, which I did not appreciate. After a while, we decided to move things to the third floor. The music was techno-y, but there was plenty of room to move. Definitely enjoyed that! After a while, we went downstairs again for the top-40 music.

All in all, not too bad. However, the real magic is tonight. You see, my dears, tonight is Halloween itself and Liz and I will be heading out to one last party. I will not say that I will be the prettiest girl there, but dagnabbit, I will be the cutest Pokémon in the club!

Pika pika,

~K

Friday, October 28, 2011

How to get non-sick

What happens when you have a week off, but on the weekend you will be going out several nights in a row and you just happen to get sick mid-week?

Do you: A. Roll over die?
B. Cancel all plans and order pizza from Dominos to have a night watching b-movies from Hulu?
or C. Stuff yourself full of vitamins, drink OJ by the gallon, and stay in bed pretty much all day?

Yes, I answered C. I am doing everything in my power to get better by tonight. I am currently working on a berry blast Naked juice while eating a slice of birthday cake.

I cannot be too sick..not for Halloween weekend! I'm going to three different parties, I'll be wearing three different costumes, and I intend to be fabulous at every single one.

I'll give you details after each party.

Sick but with cake,

~K

Tuesday, October 25, 2011

My So-called Vacation

I blame the boy. What boy? The one that invited me a while back to spend this very week with him at a resort with him and his parents. Alas, things ended and now I have a week off from work and no ideas of what to do with it.

On top of that, I'm starting to come down with a cold. I need to be better by this weekend, though, since I'm going to three different Halloween parties.

Ugh. Next vacation I'm going somewhere amazing. Somewhere that has umbrellas in their drinks.

Your sniffly friend,

~K

Sunday, October 23, 2011

Saving: Feast before the famine

In a culture that thrives on immediate gratification, how is a girl living in a material world supposed to forgo that dress that would be so perfect for the girls' night out next weekend or pass up a great deal for a weekend in Vegas?

This is the plight of so many. While we have compassion for those without, it is hard to give up on the endless pleasures and sparkly doo-dads available for us right this minute. Yet give them up I must. Like I said in an earlier post, saving time is going to begin shortly. I will be trying a $30/week challenge in November (excluding Christmas gifts, rent, gas, car insurance, phone bill, and utilities). This will mean any and all meals as well as anything I simply want will have to be taken out of that $30 per week.

In 2012, I will be saving up to have $5000 put aside by the end of the year. Don't ask me how this will take place. Perhaps I'm mad to even think I'd be capable of it, but I have very little in savings (under $1000), and I am growing older. I want to have a retirement, and I want to be able to take care of any emergencies that may come up.



For the rest of this month, though, I am without rules. Today I found a pair of black boots at DSW for around $100 that I absolutely needed to have. The fact is, a huge portion of my wardrobe requires black boots. I'm not sure how it got this way, but I've been unable to wear quite a few pieces for a while. I made use of my $5 DSW voucher, but as I am writing this, it pains me to admit that I had forgotten that I still had a little money left on a gift card that I didn't use. Fooey.

I do not intend to use up the rest of this paycheck and a bit of the next one before November begins, but I am realizing that there are quite a few things that I need and want that cannot be covered by a mere $30/week.

This is going to be an agonizing journey to building up a savings. Please bear with me through my upcoming whininess, my rants, and perhaps my incomprehensible ramblings that I'm sure will occur due to lack of Starbucks.

Your material girl,

~K

Saturday, October 22, 2011

Oh honey, you messed with the wrong girl

"Go shawty, it's your birthday
We gonna party like it's your birthday
We gon' sip Bacardi like it's your birthday
And you know we don't give a f***, it's not your birthday"

Yes, dear readers, this is one of my birthday weekends. One I say, because my birthday falls during the week. Therefore, I feel entitled to considering next weekend my birthday weekend as well.



To celebrate my impending aging, I went out a local dance club with a couple girlfriends. It was a blast, and they refused to let me pay for any beverage.

However, while we were at the bar getting another round, Drunk Skeezball came up behind me and groped my butt.Well, I was having none of that. I immediately turned around, which startled D.S. Imagine his shock when this little 5'2" girl decided to give him a piece of her mind!

"Excuse me!" I began, quite heated. "Did your mama not teach you better manners than that??" Oh, dearest, beloved readers, the look on his face was priceless. He mumbled out an apology. My reply? "I REALLY DON'T CARE!"

Unfortunately, D.S. is not exactly a rarity. There are many more of his kind. On one of our previous outings, I was seated toward the end of a couch talking with my friends. Ugly Grossguy decides to sit down on the couch at my end, which does not have enough space for another person. UG therefore is not merely sitting next to me. No no no, he is partially on top of my thigh. Well, I was not about to let this slide.

I turned to UG and let out my tried-and-true jab, "What the HECK do you think you're doing on top of me?? Did your mother not teach you how to treat women? Get away from me NOW!"

Well, that did the trick. He bolted within seconds.

I think guys need to be reminded every once in a while that we are not just potential lays. We're girls grown into women, just like their mom.

Feisty but tired,

~K

Thursday, October 20, 2011

Fabulous freebies 2

So it has become a bit of a hobby for me to find lots of awesome freebies, as my readers already know. Well, it's been a while, and I've accumulated some pretty sweet deals. Take a ponder below.


 What your eyes are beholding is the stuff dreams and cozy nights in are made of! Free large Papa John's 3-topping pizza, vanilla bean Open Nature ice cream, and redbox rental.

And what do we have here? Two sample packs of Spenda essentials, Honey Nut Cheerios, Dial moisturizer, Clinique gift with purchase from Macy's, Head & Shoulders shampoo sample, and Kleenex Cool Touch tissues.

I take pride in my freebies, and the free diner and movie night was a total score. In the upcoming months and year ahead, I will be working diligently to bringing down my overall spending. Does that mean that I can't have fun and enjoy myself? Heck to the no, ladies and gents! I'll just have to work harder to stretch my dollars and save those pennies.

By the end of 2012, it is my goal to have put away $5000. And you, dear readers, will be along for the journey.

Frugally yours,

~K




Wednesday, October 12, 2011

Ode to 00's Music: Club Music

I love dancing. A lot. I love listening to the music, and swaying my body in time. Yeah, you get a bit sweaty and your feet may hurt at the end of the night, but oh my word. It is something that I would hate to give up.

Unfortunately, the current music selection is not what it once was. I feel like music of the previous decade (2000-2010) was so far superior to what is currently on rotation with the DJs. Seriously, how can you compare "Party Rock Anthem" by LMFAO with "Maneater" by Nelly Furtado?



If I were a DJ, the following songs would be on my playlist:

1. "Give It To Me" - Timbaland ft. Justin Timberlake & Nelly Furtado
2. "Whine Up" - Kat DeLuna
3. "This is Why I'm Hot" - MIMS
4. "Lolli Lolli" - Three 6 Mafia
5. "Bananza" - Akon
6. "Hips Don't Lie" - Shakira
7. "Lean Back" - Terror Squad
8. "Bossy" - Kelis
9. "Don't Cha" - Pussycat Dolls
10. "Fergalicious" - Fergie
11. "Get it Started" - Black Eyed Peas
12. "Party Like a Rockstar" - Shop Boyz
13. "Pon de Replay" - Rihanna
14. "Sexyback" - Justin Timberlake
15. "Gimme More" - Britney Spears

And soooo many more! Sigh...if only I were a DJ!

Musically yours,

~K

Wednesday, October 5, 2011

Screw you, XOXO!

In a rather silly and premature attempt to get back into the dating world, I signed up a couple days ago on a dating website. Yesterday I received the following message from one of the male users:

"So its Fall already and a movie night with someone cute over cuddle is so on the cards! You are cute but how good are at cuddles?


Keeping its simpple if you fancy me how about a cooking experiment over a bottle of wine followed by a movie night on my 42 inches cuddled up on my couch."

Please excuse the poor grammar and bad spelling; I quoted.

So to make this more interesting, this guy had actually dated one of my close friends. He is a jerk and treated her like crap.

I immediately messaged said friend and gave her the details. Obviously, the best option would be to ignore him as he is not worthy of a response.

We didn't go with the best option. We went with the "you're a jerk and everyone knows it" option. This was my response:


"Hello,


Hmm, you certainly do seem to like cuddling. Perhaps you weren't held enough as a child? I hear that can cause development issues as children grow older.


That sounds like a lot of fun. Just one problem: after hearing how you treated a close friend of mine, I think you're a jackass and I would rather be impaled through my eyes than meet up with you.


XOXO!"

If I were a bit more southern, I suppose I would have thrown in a "bless your heart" somewhere, but it is what it is and I'm pretty darn proud.

XOXO,

~K

Friday, September 30, 2011

Today's news

Yes, this is what I'm doing on a Friday night. Don't judge me.

With scientific, technological, and medical breakthroughs, you get such heart-warming stories as this one. A 29-year old deaf woman is finally given the opportunity to hear the sounds that you and I take for granted with the help of a cochlear implant.

Unfortunately, for every warm-fuzzy story, there are 15 not-so-great news stories out there. If you were infertile or just wanting another baby, how would it make you feel to know that only 60 babies were adopted in England last year? As far as I know, I don't fall into either of those groups but this tears me to pieces. So many precious children growing a year older without the love parents can offer.

In techie news, Apple may be pulling its iconic iPod classic device as well as the iPod shuffle. Considering that the iPod classic currently boasts the largest amount of storage space amongst Apple's iPod lineup, this seems like a shot in the foot.

There you have it, folks.

You stay classy, World.

~K

Fabulous freebies

So I've been on a freebies kick. No, I don't take whatever crap people are getting rid of. I spend 20-30 minutes each day going through freebie sites to see what companies are offering and requesting the best samples and goodies available.

Here are some of my recent scores:


Clockwise from top left: makeup bag from Bellevue Collection, panty from VS, sample of Taylor Swift's perfume, coupon for free skittles, and free redbox rental.

See? You don't need to spend a lot to enjoy the better things in life!


Frugally yours,

~K

Wednesday, September 28, 2011

My kitchen smells of truffley mush

Dear readers, I know that you are all sad puppies when I am away, wondering when you will be reunited with your love. Well here I am!

Today I attempted to make truffle fries for the second time ever. They came out kinda mushy.

Not bad mushy, but not-fries mushy. Oh well, you live and you learn.

Do you remember that post a while back about the boy I dated and ended things with? Well, we got back together and ended things again. Sigh....

 I will be on a bit more I hope, so more stuff to come!

Wednesday, June 15, 2011

Roundabouts are not rocket science

This is a bit of a rant, so please bear with me.

When I was 16, I took a standard driving course that taught me how to drive. This is typical, and most teenagers take these courses before obtaining their licenses.

Yet somehow my fellow drivers seem to have banded together and collectively decided to ignore the rules of the roundabout.



This is not difficult stuff, really. Any cars coming up to the roundabout are required to yield to the traffic inside the roundabout.

The drivers in my area do not understand this rule. Perhaps they are all driving without having obtained licenses? I doubt it.

Frustrated again,

~K

Saturday, June 11, 2011

Response songs

We all know about wars between rappers and hip hop artists; how they use their lyrics to bash someone else in the industry. However, there are response-type songs that are a bit nicer than these.

One such example is "Then He Kissed Me" by the Crystals:



Perhaps not a direct response, the Beach Boys came up with their own spin on this story with "Then I Kissed Her":




Sweet, no? Wait, it gets even better! Taylor Swift wrote her song "Enchanted" aimed at Adam Young of Owl City Fame.



While Taylor left the song relatively vague, Adam's response/cover was pretty straightforward. In fact, he even wrote out a whole note to Taylor explaining how smitten he was by her.




Sigh. I want someone to write me a song!

~K

Tuesday, June 7, 2011

Oh, Canada!

This past weekend my mom finally took me to Victoria, B.C. I say finally due to the fact that she has been talking about taking my sister and I since we were little girls. Well, 30 years after her honeymoon there, she returned with me and my brother. My older sister still doesn't have a passport, so she can go pout in a corner.

We took the Victoria Clipper, which is a quick boat ride from Seattle. Due to an unexpected delay, it was announced that all alcoholic drinks would only be $2.50. Well, this pleased me greatly, so I ordered a mimosa. I received a bottle of orange juice and an individual bottle of champagne with a cup to mix it myself. While the champagne was not that great, $2.50 for a refillable mimosa was a very nice start to the trip.

The real reason for going was Butchart Gardens. It did not disappoint, my friends! Row after row of bright blossoms sprouting up in all directions. Pops of color mingled with more subdued shades filled every inch of ground.

There truly is no proper way of describing this place. Ultimately, you just have to go. It will definitely be worth it.

Your flower girl,

~K

Tuesday, May 31, 2011

16 Guys Amended to 17: Guy #2

The time has come to tell the tale of Guy #2. He was my first kiss, my first boyfriend, and my first love.

D had been in my dorm's brother dorm the year before by sophomore year, so he knew most of the guys who came back. I met him in the cafeteria (yes, just like Cody) during lunch. My friend Megan and I sat down with one of our brother dormer Jeff. D was friends with Jeff, so he came and sat down as well. My first impression of D was that he was an obnoxious jerk. He found ways to make fun of me, but I felt that I countered well enough.

Upon leaving the cafeteria and parting from D, Megan told me that she thought that I would date D. I told her she was dumb.

After that day, D began eating lunch with our little group on a regular basis and began joining Megan, Jeff, and I in our biology class. D was not enrolled in this class, but he sat in anyway.

After a while it became somewhat apparent that he was sitting through a class he had already taken not because he enjoyed biology, but rather due to the fact that he liked passing notes with me. In case you were curious, my grade in this class was horrible.

The turning point was when D realized that there was competition for my affection, as Cody was not hiding his attraction. After going out with Cody and being utterly confused, I told both boys that I just wanted to be friends. D asked if he could speak to me in person concerning this decision. Against my better judgement, I agreed.

D picked me up, and we drove to an abandoned parking lot. With 3 Doors Down playing (as it always was in his car), D told me that while he would do his best to pretend to not have feelings for me, they would still be there. For some reason, I began crying. He kept lifting up my head to meet his eyes, and I kept pulling away. Finally, I let him lead my head up and held his gaze. He held my salty tear-strewn face and leaned in to kiss me.

That's where it began. I didn't understand what to do with my feelings, and I told him time and time again that we should be friends only to somehow find myself walking hand-in-hand or making out with him. We finally decided that we should be together, which thrilled me to no end.

Now there is so much more to tell in this story, but it has been told before. There are lies, betrayal, a xanga war, etc. The fact is that while I was broken at the time by everything that was done, it is in the distant past. My hope was and will always be that D becomes the type of man I knew he was capable of being.

XOXO,

~K

Monday, May 30, 2011

GNO in Portlandia

As they say, "The dream of the 90s is alive in Portland."




Saturday morning found 3 tired Washingtonian girls making their way to Bedlam Coffee in Belltown to grab some much-needed caffeine to fuel the road trip ahead. Koko, Liz and I were making our way south to the foodie paradise of Portland, Oregon.

The car ride was tiring, but it went by quickly and we soon found our way to the lovely (if a bit dated) Mark Spencer Hotel. I'd gotten a groupon a while back, so we had an executive suite at a very affordable price. After unloading our luggage, we wandered up the street to Powell's Books, which is a must for any visit to this fair city. I lost my friends more times than I found them, but we all came out with at least one literary snack.

Unfortunately, our physical hunger now needed abatement, so we trekked up a couple streets to Andina, a lovely Peruvian restaurant.

Mariko soon had to part ways to meet up with her friend, but Liz and I explored Chinatown before attending the hotel's wine hour. It seems Portland hotels all know that this is expected of them, as the Monaco also provides this to its clients.

Following our complimentary libations, Liz and I went up to our room to get ready for what would be an amazing girls' night out. I discovered that night how fabulous well-connected friends can be. My friend Emily, who lives 15 minutes outside Portland, had arranged for us to hand out fliers for a limo service in exchange for use of the limo. Thus we received complimentary luxury transportation, free cover for three different clubs, and some very expensive champagne.

Despite having cover for three clubs, we ended up staying at just one. It was a bit packed, and it would have been a complete wash if we hadn't kept receiving free drinks and then being given free admission to the VIP area. Thankfully, the VIP area provided us with room to breathe as well as seats to rest. Once there, we were again given champagne (evidently people know us girls like our bubbly!).

By the end of the night, we were quite ready for bed and the limo came around to take us back to the hotel.

All in all, the entire trip was a blast. The only truly unfortunate event was the next day when Liz and I made our way to Voodoo Donuts. These donuts are sought out by locals and tourists alike, and there is always a line out the door with at least a 30 minute wait. We showed up, noticed that there wasn't a line (hooray!), and quickly walked up to the door. That is when we began crying like babies...or at least we wanted to. The sign posted on the door stated that Voodoo was currently closed for construction until June. Sigh.

And so I remain donutless in Seattle.

~K

Thursday, May 5, 2011

MIA again

Hello, beloved readers. Please believe me when I say that it has been difficult being away from here for so long. Unfortunately, my computer decided to go to an early grave and I cannot post properly from my new smart phone. It may be a while before I can properly update y'all on my life, but I hope it will be sooner rather than later.

To give a very brief overview that I hope to expand upon:

  • I took a two week vacation, one week in Mexico
  • I dated a wonderful boy, but as of yesterday "we" are no more
  • I decided to leave the stone age, and swapped my flip phone for a Droid Pro
There you have it. Details will come, but I cannot promise a timeframe.

Take care and lots of love!

~K

Thursday, March 10, 2011

Mardi Gras in Seattle

2011 marked the return of Mardi Gras to Seattle. Back in 2001, everything got out of hand with violence, cars being turned over, and at least one death. The city put a moratorium on the celebration, which ended with this year's celebrations. My mom, being a mother and all, warned me that there may be riots.

There wasn't. In fact, the streets seemed pretty tame. Of course, Mardis Gras has the misfortune of falling on a Tuesday, so the majority of the city was in bed.

My friend Liz and I were not in bed that night. We attended the Seattle Erotic Ball, which was a masquerade. My mom had helped me in putting together my corset, which I paired with a full white skirt for more of an angelic look. I kinda stood out from the girls passing pasties off as tops and the guys walking around in thongs.



Despite this, we had a lot of fun dancing the night away and watching the burlesque acts. Our friend Kirk gave us passes into a neighboring club where we enjoyed some delicious libations. While there, we were given several sets of beads, including one that had a flashing Jager bottle.

We then returned to the Ball, where we danced some more, received more beads (for being awesome, not showing anything!), and had our pictures taken over and over. We did, in fact, end up as the second picture featured in The Stranger.

10 years after the violence, Seattle has redeemed itself.

~K

Saturday, February 26, 2011

16 Guys: Date #1

Thursday night my roomie and I went out to karaoke in Bellevue. It was an ok night with several really good singers. However, as often happens, I grew a bit tired and decided to make a note. I wrote down all of the guys I've ever gone out with, including just single dates. If I am correct (which I'm pretty sure I am since I racked my brain all evening), I have gone out with exactly 16 guys in my life. Yes, this is a tiny number, but keep in mind that I didn't date until college. So I've decided that I will (briefly) chronicle these guys for my adoring readers. They may occasionally be out of order, but I'm sure you'll be ok.

You're welcome!

My very first date was with a boy named Cody first semester of my sophomore year at college. He was in my dorm's brother dorm, and I remember the first day I met him. It was orientation week for freshmen and I was in hall leadership so I was there as well. There was a long line in the cafeteria for the soda machine, so when I reached the cups, I grabbed an extra one and passed it to the person behind me. Cody was surprised, smiled, and said thank you. I then went to sit down with a bowl of Honey Nut Cheerios, and had barely managed a spoonful before I was approached by said brother dormer. Grinning sheepishly, he came up to me and asked where I had found cereal. I pointed him in the right direction and went back to my Cheerios.

We saw each other often due to brother/sister dorm stuff, and at one point he asked me out. I was a bit perplexed since I really only saw him as a friend, and let him down gently.

A month or so went by and he kept up his attention to me, as did another boy (we'll get to him later). It was weird for me to have two different guys into me at the same time, so I got a bit flustered. However, Cody was a nice guy and he was kinda cute. So when he finally got up the nerve to ask me out again, I said yes.

He gave me a couple different options, but we ended up going out to eat and seeing a movie. It was a wonderful first date, and he was a complete gentleman. But my initial feeling for him held up; he was definitely the sort of guy that is better as a friend.

To wrap this up, Cody is now married to a lovely girl and is a youth pastor in Virginia.

I know I don't have a lot of dating experience, but every day is a new one and I have hope that I will find love somewhere and sometime in this world.

Goodnight!

~K

Monday, February 21, 2011

Baby-sitting a sloppy drunk

There are mainly three kinds of drunks; the mean drunks, the fun drunks, and the sloppy drunks. Sometimes the fun drunks become the sloppy drunks.

Have you ever had to baby-sit one of these people? I have. This past weekend.

How was it, you ask sweetly? Oh, honey...

I suppose that it would be unfair to omit the fact that the sloppy drunk in question was assisted to this state by yours truly. She only noticed me refilling her drink once. The other times I totally got away with it. But it was her birthday, I reason to myself. Despite it being her birthday, and despite the fact that she was truly hilarious, I should have done something.

That is my story. There are others. Sloppy drunks are kinda like zombies. You don't know what they are until it's too late. Oh yeah, they may look like you and me, but deep down their liver tells a different story...

Goodnight!

~K

Wednesday, February 16, 2011

When Troubleshooting Goes Wrong

I recently came across an email thread that one of my co-workers had been following up on in regards to an issue with one of our products. It amazes me how simple troubleshooting can be so...wrong.

Customer: The small connector (male piece) seems to have been not molded large enough to hold the case closed when produced at the factory. This is a great example of when size matters, because without a large enough male piece, this does not provide me satisfaction I so truly deserve and desire.

Co-worker: I'm sorry to hear you are having problems with the size of your male piece. I will be glad to assist you in making an exchange for a fully functioning unit.

Customer: Thanks for your understanding about my too-small non-functioning male piece. Take my word for it, this has never happened before.

Co-worker: I hope this male unit is big enough to satisfy and to be fully functional.

Sigh. I love my job!

~K

Tuesday, February 1, 2011

My dating life

Happy February, dear ones! It has been quite chilly lately, though I've heard it's worse on the other side of the country. If you are over there and reading this, you certainly have my sympathy.

Once again (or still), I am completely single. B and I were never in a relationship, so I can't say that I was ever taken, but once we started dating I was less on the market. Today Koko and I were discussing ways to meet guys and discussing whether online dating is now necessary or if one can still meet a good guy through friends.

Well, meeting guys through friends isn't always that easy. My social circle has decreased since moving back to Washington, and of those that I see on a regular basis, male friends hardly make an appearance.

There's also the fact that I have tried dating friends of friends. Neither time worked out, though it had nothing to do with my friends. The Double J's were both looking for other things; one wanted me as a rebound and the other was wanting to get physical faster than was comfortable.

To the people who want me to just live up being single, I say this to you: I have been single for 25 years (minus 5 months). I've enjoyed it, certainly. It's been just swell and peachy but I do want to be with someone. And I want that to happen soon.



To all my dear readers, I say this: I will seek out love, not in desperation or envy. If it gets to that, I will stop looking. I will seek love purely because I want to love and be loved. Wish me luck!

With love,

~K

Monday, January 31, 2011

Here We Go Again

So I've told you all about B, the most recent guy. Well, this is the message that I received from him today on Facebook:

Hey, so I've been thinking lately about you and I. To be honest I'm not really feeling a strong connection between us. It sucks because you are an amazing girl and a LOT of fun to hang out with. I know any guy would be very lucky to have you. I just think its fair to tell you this so I'm not wasting your time at all. If you still want to be friends then that would be awesome, but if not I completely understand. Also, sorry I sent this to you on facebook, I didn't really know how to say it in person. Let me know what you think whenever you get a chance, talk to you later.

Sigh. The old "it's not you, it's me" line, brought to you by Facebook!



Oh well. If the feeling isn't there, I'm not gonna push it. I did tell him I intend to get my Freaks & Geeks collection.

Alone again,

~K

Thursday, January 13, 2011

It isn't all relative

So, as Stacia pointed out in her comment, I am still seeing B...or "Pond Cracker" as Koko calls him. What changed? I have no idea. I just know that I no longer see him in the same light as I do my relative.

We've gone out a few more times, and I'm really liking this one. Tomorrow I will be meeting some of his friends, so wish me luck!

In other news, I have once again noticed this strange dating phenomenon; whenever one guy is pursuing you, suddenly more come out of the woodwork. Last night I got a random text from a guy I had briefly dated in 2008 asking if I wanted to get together for drinks. Seriously? What the heck??

Confused once again,

~K