Victory

All I am going to say is this: last night I had the first victory playing a game that I've had in three years. We were playing gin. And that's all I am going to say. :P



Leaving for Spokane tonight. Fun.



All of a sudden I just fell into a crappy mood. No it's not hormones either! :P

Nikki on 10.28.04 @ 04:57 PM PST [link]

41

I keep saying that I don't want to be one of those chicks that talks about her weight all the time, but somehow I manage to. I try not to post every little weight loss on the blog. But today I feel very accomplished, so I am going to bend the self-imposed rule. Today I got another star for losing 41 pounds. Not too bad! Somehow I managed to lose nearly 2.5 pounds just since Saturday. Bizarre. Anyway. That's all I am going to say about it. I just needed to share.



Last night I walked by the house on the other block, the one that is lit up for Halloween. Wow. They must spend a lot of money on electricity! It's pretty cool, though.



My hands still smell like garlic from making the mediocre sauce for the pasta last night. It wasn't thick enough, which means it didn't have cheese in it. That'll teach me to be healthy. The apple crisp was pretty good, though. :)



Mom sent me some pictures of my cousin Taylor yesterday. She's getting cuter. She does look a lot like me when I was that age. Hopefully she isn't doomed. :) I was a damn cute kid, though! It's kind of nice to look like someone. I don't really resemble my family. Mom has said on more than one occassion that if Marie didn't look like her mom and the other girl that was born at the same time as we were didn't look just like her mother, she would wonder if there was some kind of baby swap that went on. I've always coveted that phrase, "You and your [insert family member] look just alike!" I know, it's dumb. People have said that my mom and I look similar, but we don't believe them. And she claims that I don't really look like my father's side of the family either. My cousins, Jeremy and Derek-we don't all look similar either. The most we have in common is blonde hair and blue eyes. Oh, and that shortness thing. :) So anyway. It's kinda nice to have a mini-me. :)

Nikki on 10.27.04 @ 12:24 PM PST [link]

Another Cute Day

I just love it when I think I look cute. It's really quite rare. But today I am wearing a skirt that I bought yesterday: it's brown corderoy and kinda looks like a cheerleader skirt, with tights and a brown and cream colored sweater. The skirt is kinda short...but I guess that's okay.



Old Navy is turning into an evil store, too, along with Bath and Body Works. I went there yesterday, really only to browse and left with a pair of velour pants (which I bought not only because they're cute and comfortable but because they're sized small), the brown skirt, a Halloween tank top, and two pairs of tights. Evil, I say. I barely recognized Bath and Body Works when I went in. It's been completely overhauled for Christmas. It was crazy. But, I managed to go in there and get only what I intended to buy, which wasn't even stuff for me, but for someone else that I needed to mail. I did keep the ecalyptus massage oil, though, because it smells so nice.



I bought some hair color...the temporary kind because I am squeamish about applying the permanent kind myself. But the kind that washes out in a month is not so intimidating. I've used it plenty of times. I bought "champagne blonde" thinking that was close to my hair color. The hair swatch sample looked like it. It's actually a little darker than I'd intended. Judy thinks it's redder, although I don't see it. It's growing on me. I have kinda toyed with the idea of coloring it darker this winter, so this was a nice test run. We'll see. I've been blond all my life, so I'm not sure how the dark brown hair would look, if anyone would like it.



I managed to get my kitchen cleaned this weekend, but not really the rest of the house. As I have company coming tomorrow night for dinner, I must clean. That means tonight, which means after dance class. Sigh.



Here's a mistake I made. I was bored on Saturday but needed to clean. Wasn't really in the mood to listen to music because my f%#@#$iung stereo is tempermental and won't play cds right. So I thought I would put in a Felicity DVD and clean to that. Oh no. It seems I can't listen to Felicity episodes and do other things. I must be reclined on the sofa, covered up in a blanket, eating some kind of junk food. Sigh. And I can't watch just one episode either. I watched like 5 in a row. 5! Every time a new one came on, I'd think, "Oh this is such a good one!" They're all good, idiot! But Noel was just too cute to be denied my undivided attention. Sigh. Note to self: Do not watch Felicity when you have 500 things to do that are more edifying and productive.



I will end this by reminding everyone that fruit flies are evil. Evil. EVIL!

Nikki on 10.25.04 @ 12:15 PM PST [link]

Slow But Sure

So I realize that it's been a long time since I posted a new section of the novel. Don't worry, gently reader; I have been working on it. I am at a whopping 129 pages. NaNoWriMo is next month...maybe I can use it to help me...gasp...finish? One thousand words a day isn't that much-less than four pages a day. Technically, you're supposed to start a new novel for NaNoWriMo...but I think I have my hands full with this one.



So, today's section deals with Aubry and Spense seeing each other for the first time in months, since they broke up. Well, technically, he doesn't see her. I don't want to spoil it, though. :) A lot of what's in the scene actually happened, although, of course, not quite like this. Different things happened with different people at different times and I was ingenius enough to compile it into one scene. It's great being a writer sometimes! :) So only three months has elapsed between break up and this scene and I am not sure if it's enough time. I might need to stretch it out longer, although that will bust up my delicate time line that I toiled over the creation of. This section is fairly short; it's only four pages.



Oh, and remember, this is a VERY ROUGH DRAFT!!!!



Reunion

Nikki on 10.21.04 @ 02:17 PM PST [link]

New Song

Well, I have a new song that I am obsessed with. It's Let Go by Frou Frou. It's on the Garden State soundtrack.



Just thought you'd all want to know. :)

Nikki on 10.20.04 @ 01:50 PM PST [link]

Compliments

So lately, my mind has been on compliments. All facets: how does one accept them, is it wrong to want them, etc.



I don't take compliments well, I don't think. I tend to downplay them. For instance, a guy, a stranger, while I was waiting in line a couple weeks ago said something about how "nice and trim" I was. While I forced myself to say, "thank you," I then followed it up with "oh I have a lot more to lose," or something like that. I can't just let it be; I have to make it not a big deal, when in fact, what I've accomplished so far is sorta a big deal. See? I couldn't even type that it was a big deal, I had to insert "sorta." But it's not just about my physical appearance, it's everything. At work when people commend me for my efficency or whatnot, I shrug it off and say something like, "Not a big deal. I clicked some buttons." Or about my writing. I've had friends go on and on about how good a writer I am and I refuse to accept that praise. (I honestly don't think I am that great a writer...I have to work too hard at it.) So I am working on just simply accepting compliments these days and leaving it at that. It's so hard, though.



And then there's the problem with wanting compliments. I think that this stems from just liking attention and also having this insatiable urge to please people. I mean, who wants to feel invisible? Sometimes I'll purposely do things or buy clothing or whatever that I think might draw a compliment. Sometimes this backfires, though. :) The thing is, you can't ask for a compliment, then it's perfunctory and ceases to be a compliment. The best ones are those you don't see coming, right? But it's uber disappointing to go to all this work, thinking you're sure to get a compliment, and then you don't.



But maybe it's just me. :) I don't know what this entry is all about. I'm being way too contemplative. This is what comes of writing a novel. :) Oh yeah, I've always been like this...



Went to the pumpkin patch yesterday (and Sunday). Oddly enough, there was a rainbow on both days that I went. Surely that means that God is happy with those that frquent pumpkin patches! Later I will post pictures of my jack o' lanterns. I have one more pumpkin that will be carved next week. The two I have no might be rotten by the time Halloween actually comes.

Nikki on 10.20.04 @ 12:12 PM PST [link]

Stop Your Complaining!

Multiple people have given me grief in the past 24 hours that I need to update the blog, so here I go.



This week I'm starting a new dance class. Hopefully it'll be more cardiovascular than the other one. It was a good price, not too far from home, at a good time. Couldn't pass it up. The Experimental College actually has a ton of cool, inexpensive classes. A friend of mine still suggests the exotic dancing or strippercize one that Discovery U offers. She really liked it. Sounds interesting...but I am pretty self conscious...



This week a recruiter actually found my resume, I assume through a google search or something. I am pretty sure that's the first time someone has contacted me from finding my resume on here. It was unfortunate that it's so freaking out of date and the job he recruited for was only a cbrief contract job. He then came back and read a bit of the blog and e-mailed me again to tell me that I was "interesting"...I'm taking that in a positive light. :)



Judy and I went to Joel's last night and watched a couple movies. He made his famous salsa that I've been asking about all summer. He'd changed the recipe a bit from last summer but it was still good. A little spicier this time, but okay. We watched Big Fish, which was really good. And then we watched Trapped in Paradise, which I thought was kinda dumb.



Oh yeah, my car overheated yesterday. It had been doing weird things throughout the end of the week, and then yesterday it just went nuts. Luckily, I wasn't in traffic at all (a friend's driveway) and he was able to "fix" it. Thank goodness, because I hate going to a mechanic.



Last night as we watched movies, I got an idea for a poem. The idea came not at all from the movie, but I give you the fact as a time reference. If I write it, it'll be the most personal and explicit poem to date. That means, none of you will ever see it. lol

(Someone also complained this week that there aren't any pictures of me on the site [there are actually, but there in archived pages in the blog]. That's for two reasons. There aren't any good pics of me, especially recently. The most recent pic I have of my self is from August. I scrutinize too hard, I know. If anyone could ever get a decent pic of me...oh I would be so happy.)

Pumpkin patch this week...WAHOO!

Nikki on 10.17.04 @ 10:47 AM PST [link]

Little Black Dress, Part 2

So, as many of you know, I have this "little black dress" that I bought a little over a year ago. It was a birthday present to myself, as well as an "I want to feel good about myself after this break up" purchase. :) I bought it at Espirit at Bellevue Square, before the store went out of business. Anyway. I like the dress...and as it turns out, so do others. It's a pretty simple dress. I haven't tried it on lately, but I have a suspition that it might be too big now. So, I have upgraded to a new black dress, which I purchased on the Ave this afternoon. It's a tad fancier; the old ress I could get away wearing to work by wearing a cardigan over the top of it. Not sure if that's going to be enough to sex down this dress. I might try it, though, since I don't know where I will wear this dress. Don't ask me what possessed me to purchase it. It looked cute on the mannequin and decent on me. It was a splurge. Plus, it felt kinda Halloweeny to me. Not that that should have influenced me; Halloween is one day out of the year. :) Anyway, here it is. I don't think that this picture (from their Web site) does it justice. It kinda looks like a blob here...but use your imagination. :)





Nikki on 10.09.04 @ 03:34 PM PST [link]

Mmmm...soda

So I've had three cans of Mountain Dew today. I don't know what's come over me. Argh.

Nikki on 10.07.04 @ 03:58 PM PST [link]

Dance

So last night I went to a hip hop class. I wanted to do something different for a workout. Well, it wasn't that much of a workout really, but it was fun enough I guess. I guess the instructor was a substitute, so maybe next week will be better. I might just have to workout afterwards...



This morning I was a plumber. I dropped my earring down the sink. I could see it-just caught there in all the sink pipe yuckiness. I thought first about getting a magnet. Then I thought about just letting it go. But instead, I braved the pipes, and fished it out. It wasn't too difficult, but man is it kinda gross in there. I have two words for you: long hair. So after I rescued it, I cleaned it off and, yes, dropped it down again. Gives special meaning to the phrase, "Rinse, repeat."



Bath and Bodyworks is an evil, evil store. I tell the cashiers this everytime that I buy something. The thing is, I can't go in and buy just one thing normally. I am okay if I go in and walk out without a purchase. I can handle that. But once I buy something, it's all over. I walked out with a facial scrub, face wash, and the cocoa soap to match my body scrub and lotion that I got as a bday present from Judy. They didn't have the soap before, so I was happy to buy it. And ultimately, my face is happy to have the other stuff. Man, I've been buying a lot of stuff lately!



It seems that Mika's new time to wake me up, weekday or weekend day, is 9 am. If I am not awake, she meows in my face. During the week I guess it's good becuase I should have been up already by then. But, it's still annoying. She demands that I pet her and if I hide under the blanket, she paws at me. This morning she wanted fed, but that's not the case every morning.



My nails are very long. I haven't bitten them, or had the desire really, since the manicure in August. That has got to be a record for me. Well, the right pinky broke all on its own, but that wasn't my fault. But, I keep scratching people accidentally and I hate that. Really. I am not trying. :)



My swirly ring now is too big for my ring finger. I have to wear it on my middle finger.



Today's entry is boring. Sigh...Sorry.

Nikki on 10.06.04 @ 02:09 PM PST [link]

Pink Pants

Yes, I am wearing pink corderoy jeans today. What's it to you??



So this weekend was quite pleasant. Friday night I just vegged all night at home because I had one of those days where I can't carry on conversations. It's the stupid medicine. It happens about twice a year. It's always annoying. Saturday I engaged in some retail therapy, but more importantly, I went to a wine tasting. I've never been to one before and it wouldn't have occurred to me to go to one really, but a friend had an extra ticket so she invited me along. It was held at the Palisades restaurant in Magnolia, which was so beautiful. It was a warm, sunny day so we sat out on the deck. We tasted six white and six red wines. It's not like we got a whole glass of each kind...it was about two drinks worth. The instructor was very clever and full of knowledge. (And cute besides.) I know that I didn't have very much wine, because I wasn't drunk at all by the end. So, I am sure that I had less than a glass, because usually by one glass I am buzzed. But since I don't like red wine, I tended to take a sip and pour the rest out. The last red that we tried was some fancy estate wine that is on the Wine Taster (or whatever that magazine is called) top 100. So, I made sure to drink all of that fancy wine. :)



Saturday night was Girls Night with Judy and Melissa. We met up at Crossroads. While I was standing in line for food, I struck up a conversation with this guy who is also a writer. He's looking for an editor. So we exchanged information and I may so some editing for him. (I've just given you the very abbreviated version of this story.) So that was pretty cool.



On Sunday, I thought I was in the mood to jog around Greenlake, but alas, I wasn't. It was a beautiful day, and I ended up jogging half and walking the rest. Not so bad I guess. I'd hoped to run twice like the last time. Maybe this week.



Last night a "friend" and I went to another friend's house where a bunch of us gathered to play Cranium Turbo. It was fun. Drank some beer. Ate some snacks. Laughed. Good times.



Such a busy weekend that I didn't get to work on the novel, but that's okay.

Nikki on 10.04.04 @ 03:48 PM PST [link]