Fat Bottomed Girls You Make the Rockin World Go Round

Lil D has not been feeling so little lately so it's back on the Hydroxycut for me and this time I've got to take it consistently like I was when I was back in California. It's got a ton of caffeine in it and I forgot and drank a bunch of tea and some coffee yesterday and when I went to bed at 11:30 my mind was racing and I probably didn't fall asleep for nearly an hour. Through the day I don't feel like I've got that much more energy, but it must be there if it's keeping me up like that. Hopefully I get used to it, but from taking it last time I should expect that it'll probably leave me cracked out at night for awhile.

To coincide with restarting the diet, I came across so much diet related stuff just randomly yesterday. First off, last night was the season finale of The Biggest Loser here in Australia. The winner was a guy in his 60s and he lost 68 kilos...that's nearly 150 pounds (just .4 shy of it) and the show takes place over about 5 months. There is NO way in HELL that that can be healthy. The stress on his heart from being fat and then getting super skinny has got to be pretty bad-worse than being super heavy to begin with? I dunno. I've read that these contestants don't get any counseling before or after the show to deal with the issues that made them fat in the first place and after 5 intensive months of training they are thrown out in the world and expected to maintain on their own. I've heard a lot of people end up gaining a bunch of weight back after a while. Back to this Biggest Loser, that kind of up and down yo-yoing with your weight, if he puts it back on, will for sure do some kind of damage to him. I think food is an addiction. I know I'm addicted to it. The high you get from running or a cigaretter or whatever, I get from eating something I'm really craving. Just like any other addict people addicted to food have got to fight the cravings in order to get over the addiction. And like someone addicted to anything else, most people will relapse at some time or another and have to choose to fight the good fight all over again.

Yesterday I also came across a website called "Hungry Girl." I think I had heard it mentioned somewhere before but I checked out the site and she's got some books she is selling and there are also nearly 300 recipes on there. It's cool because it's all about swapping out foods..."eat this, not that" She takes also this really yummy stuff, for example a Starbucks Chocolate Chip Frappucino, and shows you how to make it at home with way less fat and calories and without sacrificing much of the flavor. She's got recipes for egg nog, pie, mexican food, scones, shakes, egg rolls, and chicken fingers. If only we had Fiber One cereal and CoolWhip here, I'd be in heaven! Haha! She claims to have lost 20 pounds using these swaps so maybe it works? I don't think you could exclusively eat the foods on there and expect to lose a bunch of weight but maybe on the occasions where you were craving a frappucino you could now make it at home and a)save yourself some money and b)save yourself a lot of calories and fat.

Lastly, I've been following Shanna Moakler on Twitter. Mainly cause she brings the dramz and the lolz by fighting with Travis on it sometimes. Yesterday she posted that her new Bikinibook challenge was about to begin on Facebook so I went on to check it out. Basically you join a team and your team works all week to follow the rules Shanna has posted, for everything you do everyday you give yourself 1 point and if you do more of the suggested thing you give yourself an extra .5 points, so if you eat another serving of fruits or veggies you get an extra point, 2 extra serves you get 1 point, etc and then at the end of the week you give your team leader your total points for the week and send it off to Shanna and the trainer and I think the team with the most points at the end of each week wins something. If you're interested there are probably still spots on teams left as the challenge only started today. If not and you just want to follow along and maybe reward yourself for every 50 or whatever points you get, here are the rules:

* drink at least 4 bottles of water a day = 1 point
* having a food journal ( you eat it, you write it down) = 1 point
* taking a daily vitamin = 1 point
* staying TRUE to YOUR diet plan ( zone, atkins, 6 meals, whatever it will be etc) = 1 point
* doing 1 daily personal goal ( this can be taking the stairs instead of the elevator etc ) = 1 point
* 2 servings of fruits and or veggies = 1 point
* not having any JUNK food = 1 point
* at least 30 min of exercise = 1 point! for every 15min you do over the 30 min you will get half a point .5 ( so if you do and 1 hour of exercise you would have 2 points!

Doesn't sound super hardcore does it? When taking Hydroxycut you've got to drink 10 glasses of water a day anyway so I've got the first one covered. I found the last time I really lost weight a food journal helped a lot, I was embarassed if I ate something bad and had to write it down-not that anyone else saw it, it just shamed myself in to thinking "Did I really need that?". I should start taking a daily anyway. I don't get hungry very often on this pill so sticking to my diet each day, if I just think about it one day at a time, should be alright. I'm not big on the fruits or veggies but all that fiber is good for losing weight so I guess I'd better up my intake. Even on hydroxycut I allow myself one sweet a day, I just go nuts otherwise. I figure it's better to indulge the craving a little bit then deny myself and then I go nuts and eat a full cake or something. I need to get back in to exercising so I guess what better time than now. Plus I noticed it really helped when I was on the Hydroxycut before and like I said earlier, maybe it would help with me sleeping at night?

That's all from me for now. School starts today and tomorrow around here so I will be calling around to see if anyone needs teachers' aides or after school care workers. Work went well on Friday and I will be trying it solo this Thursday as the Runner's Mom is giving herself a day off. It should be fun to do it on my own. I wish they could have me on more days as I really don't mind the work and it would pay for my rent and bills and groceries and more. Oh well, baby steps. For now I am just really grateful to have some money coming in at all :) Fingers crossed for me that some other type of work comes up for me here soon!

Update: I think I'll put up my food journal at the end of this week, maybe just posted in the comments of this blog. I'll be even more shamed in to eating well if I know other people can see it all on here! :)

Hey Good Lookin, Watcha Got Cookin

Really not a whole lot going on around here over the past two days. My work day for this week got switched to tomorrow (Friday here) and I'm nervous to be going back for my first official day. I've got to pick out a work appropriate outfit this afternoon and make sure it's not too wrinkled. I think I need to invest in a new work shirt and pair of work pants this weekend. Boyfriend is on a 4 day workweek right now and we normally have Fridays together, but we'll both be working this Friday. Instead, he came over last night so I went on a cooking bender before he got here so he'd have yummy stuff to eat and take to work. First I baked some cupcakes but I think something was off in the mix because they kindof tasted like soap. Next, I made bread dough and kneaded it by hand twice and let it rise for an hour between kneading-the little bread rolls I made from it turned out soooo good and soooo tastey! I made my own pasta sauce as Boyfriend felt like chicken parmigiana for dinner and that takes a couple hours to simmer down and it also turned out sooooo good. Then I hand breaded some chicken breasts and the rest of my chicken was about to go off so I made chicken curry to freeze for some day I don't feel like cooking and butter chicken to take for lunch or something tomorrow. Boyfriend loved dinner and took 5 mini breadrolls, about a pound of chicken parm, and two cupcakes with him for lunch and snacks today at work.

This weekend is ANZAC Day in Australia and New Zealand. ANZAC stands for Australia and New Zealand Army Corps. This weekend is basically like Memorial Day weekend in the States, but here they actually celebrate the returned and active service members. There is a huge parade for everyone in Sydney and all the capital cities and it is so moving to see all these really old guys marching with their old army buddies. Boyfriend and Bob are going down with their Grandpa on Saturday to march in the parade. Family also get to march with the soldiers. Lots of people get up early to attend dawn services to remember all the lives lost and then everyone goes out drinking. It is a really special and important day here. I opted just to stay home this year so that Boyfriend and his brother could have a special day on their own with their Grandpa....we call him Pop and he is an awesome awesome man!

Friday after work we're going to a bbq at Croc and the Teacher's place. Saturday Boyfriend will be away and Sunday will be grocery shopping and work clothes shopping. Next Friday I'm baking 2 dozen pink frosted cupcakes for LC's baby shower and the shower is all afternoon Saturday. The weekend after that Boyfriend will be gone for the weekend to Queensland for his cousin's wedding. She is super sweet and I got an invite, but I just couldn't afford it right now. Boyfriend should have a good time as it is him, Bob, his Dad, and all his uncles going up together! It seems like all of our weekends go by so quickly and we get to Sunday nights and feel like we need a break still!

Oprah just had young, self made millionaires on her show. They all said find a way to make money doing what you love. I wish I could make millions or at least hundreds (haha) off the blog because I have a lot of fun writing it, but I guess I'd have to have readers to make any money off the thing....maybe someday! I'd also love to open a 50's style diner here in Australia, kindof like Ruby's in California because I really feel like it would be popular here and it is something that is needed around here, but a)I haven't been to culinary school b)I don't have a business background and c)I don't have any money to start it up. Maybe I will cross paths with someone who has money to throw around and wants to back me and I could import a chef from CA who knows the style or get a chef from here who could go to CA with me and eat at Ruby's for a week and then reproduce it here. You just never know where life's going to take you.

Sorry about the randomness and the rambling today. Like I said, not much is really happening right now. I'll fill you in on the BBQ and how the first day of work went, probably when I'm on my own all day Saturday. Hope you're having a great day, wherever you are and whatever you're doing!

New Workout Plan

Last week I went and put in more resumes at different spots at the local shops. On Thursday the Runner came to pick me up and take me to the big mall so we could grab some coffee and I could pass out more resumes. The Runner probably thought I was so fussy because there were so many places I didn't want to work at. I just can't see myself selling jewelry and stuff like that. Her parents own their own business and when her mom called her she asked if there was any filing or anything I could do and surprisingly her mom said I could come in for a day for a trial run at filing stuff for them. I was so stoked and was/am so grateful to the Runner for asking for me. We spent awhile at the shops and then we had to go back to her house because her parents were having new flooring delivered. It was supposed to be like a 20 minute stop over, but two and a half hours later we were still waiting. The Runner's parent's place is pretty cool-lots of property, feels like a real family home, and they own lots of animals-a dog, cats, and some cows! The Runner had a running date with the Smooth Talker's sister and she came over with her dogs right before the flooring guy got there. Smooth Talker's sister (I'll have to figure out a name for her, I really like her!, this was my first time meeting her but I've heard nice things about her over the years) said that I should go running with them. I laughed and jokingly said "oh well, you know, I would, but I'm wearing jeans and stuff so they aren't really good to run in" The Runner says "no worries, I'll find you something to wear" I said "Bitch, Im not going to fit in to any of your stuff" and she said "Oh yeah you will" So I ended up looking like 5 pounds of sugar stuffed in to a 3 pound bag, but she was right, I fit in to her old stuff kind of. The Runner and Smooth Talker's Sister ran most of the trail, I ran the downhill bits and power walked the rest. I felt like the people on their first day being at the Biggest Loser Fat Camp! Haha! But I didn't give up and I didn't stop once and the trail that we ran on was so pretty. I felt like I was dying while it was happening but I loved it, too. It was so cool to be out in the country just walking and running with the dogs and not having to have them on leashes. It's probably corny but I think stuff like that is the life. I'd love to have a dog or dogs that could just hike along with me and not have to worry about them running away or whatever.

Saturday we had a Tequila Party at the Smooth Talker's house. It was so fun! I made margaritas, but only drank one since I was driving us home. It was the Smooth Talker, the Smooth Talker's Sister, the Runner, the Miner, LC, Bob Marley, Me, and Boyfriend. We played Pictionary and I typically HATE board games but this was fun and we had exactly the right amount of people to play. Me and Boyfriend were so close to winning, but in the end the Miner and Smooth Talker's Sister beat us.

Boyfriend had a VERY VERY big night! He doesn't go that big ever so it was good for him to just let loose. It was fun just talking to Smooth Talker about his job and his place up in the country and stuff like that and to talk and joke with and get to know his sister better. She just seems like a cool down to earth and mellow chick so I hope I get to hang out and work out with her again. Boyfriend ended the night creating a potent mix of tequila, countreau, vodka, and kool-aid aka cordial. The Runner had been making the last batch of margaritas for them and when she left the blender for a minute, Boyfriend pulled in even more of all the alcohol. Even being a bit drunk, the Runner said the mix Boyfriend ended up creating was pretty toxic. I think that is what put him over the edge. Although he did have to chug a few times during a rowdy game of Uno, too, so who knows....like I said it was a very big night for him!

I drove home- it was only about a 15 minute drive but it was the longest I have done yet. We saw a fox, well I saw a fox since Boyfriend doesn't remember it, at the end of the Smooth Talker's road. I had to drive through round-abouts and those freak me out. Luckily it was like 1am and no one was on the road so I could just cruise through them. When we got home Boyfriend started getting sick. He was sick til about 430am and I got so worried that I called my Mom to ask if this was normal and what I could do to help him. He was pretty much on the verge of having to go to the hospital, that's how hardcore it was.

Today I went in to the office with the Runner and got shown the ropes by her mom. I have to answer phones, take money, write receipts, file stuff, open mail and send mail out-receptionist type stuff. I enjoyed it. I like learning new things, I was nervous, but it was good once I got the hang of it. Her parents probably don't really need the help but have offered me a day of work a week. I soooooo appreciate it because the money I make there will at least cover my groceries for two weeks and bus fare and stuff. Isn't it awesome to have good friends who look out for you? :)

Oh, we heard over the weekend that our one friend, Croc Dundee, got beaten up by random people while he was out camping at the same spot he had had his Buck's weekend while there for someone else's Buck's party. I will try and write more after I see him this next weekend, but the details so far are that his nose was broken, his brother got a bottle of Jim Beam smashed over his head, and the Soccer Player's car got smashed up and these were by guys who had earlier in the day asked Croc and the boys back up to their campsite to have a beer, but Croc says before they even got out of the car these guys were throwing bottles at the car! Gross, right?

Show Me the Money

Hey all, I know you want to buy my broke ass something sweet! "What to get the girl who has everything??" I'm sure you are asking yourself. Well now you don't have to guess because I've put up a handy little link to my Amazon wish list, feel free to buy me anything and everything on there. Thanks!

Shed a Little Light

More cryptic messages from Lil D today. Things are things and for now they are worked out. If you guessed it had something to do with the Boyfriend, then you guessed correctly. I can't or won't go in to details just now and maybe never will. I will say that I have an AMAZING sister who was willing to drop everything to come out here and rescue me and take me home if I needed it. That kind of love blows me away. To know she would do that made me feel better when I was feeling so low. My family have been great this weekend and it's their love and support through the good and the bad that make me miss them that much more. Boyfriend and I haven't been having awful arguments, we aren't mad at each other, we are super in love and are each other's best friends but when you are from different countries sometimes even all of that doesn't feel like enough to ensure that you will end up with the happily ever after you know you want and you know you deserve.

I'll Explain Later

I.O.U. One Galaxy

stars are out tonight
and you're the brightest one shining in my sky.
it's like every wish I ever made came true.
the day I woke up lying next to you.

will you be my best friend
if I offer you my heart?
'cause it's already yours.
we could hang out every night
and watch the sun go down.
as long as we could watch it rise again.

gave me a valentine.
it's these little things that stand the test of time.
I've saved the tickets from the shows that we've been to.
and a thousand other memories of you.

will you be my best friend
if I offer you my heart?
'cause it's already yours.

gave you this i.o.u. today.
it said good for one galaxy.
once I build my rocket to the stars.
we'll fly away just you and me.

You still owe me

In All Rwanda's Glory

Coincidentally, yesterday began the 15 year anniversary of the genocide in Rwanda. The war lasted 100 days and I think approximately 800,000 people were killed while the world did nothing. I fear the world is making the same mistake now in Darfur. We said after the Holocaust "Never Again" and yet we allow these atrocities to happen. Check out http://savedarfur.org/content?splash=yes to see how you can help. Check out Hotel Rwanda or Shooting Dogs, both movies that address what happened in Rwanda. Let us never forget what happened there and let us not turn a blind eye on what is happening presently. Here is my own experience with that great continent, Africa:

Have I mentioned how lucky my life has been on here yet? If not, let me take this moment to say my life has been incredibly lucky and incredibly blessed so far. I have a great boyfriend, an awesome sister, wonderful and loving parents, and I have had amazing experiences because I have had several opportunities to travel abroad.

Right after I graduated from high school the travel group took a trip to Kenya. There was some nervousness on everyone’s part because we were going right after September 11 and the whole world seemed a bit screwy. It was an adventure the whole 5 days we were there, starting with the plane ride. Nae and I sat next to this older Kenyan woman and when Nae didn’t finish everything from her dinner the lady kindly asked if she could have it. I would never ask a stranger for their half-eaten meal but she must have been stoked on the airplane food. She then started asking us about what we were doing in Kenya and invited us to come to her family’s house. It was near where all the flamingos are, Lake Nakuru. Unfortunately, we weren’t headed in that direction so we had to decline. On landing, Glen was taken away by airport security with all of our passports. We were a little sketched out, but turns out they just processed them all at once for us rather than do one at a time to save us time. Our driver picked us up and said we could either go to a hotel and rest or go to see this orphaned animal facility. It is one of my biggest regrets that the group voted to get some rest. They reasoned we would see plenty of animals on the safari, which was totally true, but when I go back to Kenya, I will be going to the facility. After a rest it was time for lunch. We were driven to the Carnivore restaurant (http://www.africansafariair.com/carnivorerestaurant.html).Here we got to sample hartabeast, zebra, and alligator along with other types of animals we would be seeing shortly on the Masai Mara. Servers brought out each type of meat on a huge skewer, announced what it was, and then cut you a few pieces of if you were down to try it. There were a couple of monkeys jumping around the patio roof as we ate, too.

After lunch we drove to the smaller airport in Nairobi. Each person and their bags had to be weighed. It was pretty disconcerting to look out on the air field and see the bodies of more than a few burnt out planes scattered around. I think we were all secretly freaking out that our flight could end up like these ones on the ground we were seeing. We got up in the air not very long later and hit some big clouds and had a pretty bumpy ride. I remember keeping a death grip on A’s hand. As we got close to the landing strip, I started to see what I thought were big boulders on the ground. As we came in though I could see what they really were: elephants!

A couple of cars came to pick us up and we immediately went for a drive. My Godfather, Mom, A, and I ended up in a car together and off we went. We saw ostriches and zebra and gazelles of every different sort and then we came upon a pride of lions just relaxing in the afternoon heat. I remember being a little nervous about how close we were able to get to them. That day we also checked out the elephants, again very very closely, and they had some babies in the herd with them. As we went to check out three giraffes, a storm came over. The sky turned this incredible dark blue color and the grass was so golden. The giraffes looked beautiful up against those two colors and it’s a moment I don’t think I’ll ever forget.

We then headed over to our camp. We were let out of the cars and then down in to a little row boat that was pulled across the Mara River. A guide walked us in to the camp and it was then that it started raining. A and I shared a tent and it was like no tent I had ever seen before. It had 2 regular beds in it, a wood floor, and a separate room that had a flush toilet, sink, and shower. At night if you wanted to go to dinner or head over to the bar you simply stuck your lantern outside the door and then waited for a guide to come get you. Our guides were not guys to mess around with, either; they were real Masaii warriors and they stood guard outside all night long with nothing more than a stick!

In the morning someone would come to your tent and you’d be awoke with “Jambo, good morning ladies” and then you’d get a tray of coffee, tea or hot chocolate and some cookies to get you warmed up for your morning drive. Nae said she had heard noises in the middle of the night (and so had we, lion calls can be heard for miles away) and when she looked out of her tent there was a herd of elephants headed down to the pond in front of our tents and one had stopped and looked like it was leaning against our tent! After quickly drinking the tea and throwing on some clothes, we’d get in to the cars when it was still a bit dark out and get going. Most mornings we saw lions eating something. One morning we came across a pride out in the open and they had a bunch of babies in the group. We watched them play for ages and it was the cutest thing ever. When a male came in to the group, the babies jumped on him and tried to play with him. Another morning we came across two independent (i.e. were probably juveniles who hadn't taken over a pride over their own yet)lions who were on an old hippo kill. The smell was nauseating but it was awesome to see them eating and their faces all covered in blood.

We saw all of the big five animals (lion, elephant, buffalo, rhino, and leopard). The only animal I didn’t see was the cheetah, which was disappointing, but while the rest of the group saw it me, Mom, Nae, Glen and his 3 kids took a hot air balloon trip over the Mara. It was an incredible feeling to be up there floating quietly. We saw lots of alligators and hippos along the water and it was funny to see a giraffe watch us coming and not process its fear and go running until we were nearly passed it. We landed where ever our bottle of gas ran out, which happened to be very close to the Tanzanian border and also very close to one of the only remaining Wide (not White, that’s a misconception/mispronunciation) Rhinos in that part of the park. We had a great breakfast outdoors and then drove back to camp.

After the morning drive on most days, everyone then went back to camp to have a proper breakfast. The breakfasts were held outside and the chefs there must have had some French pastry training. They had the best chocolate filled croissants in the world. Often we’d be joined by a warthog who would wonder between the tables looking for food. The warthog fell in love with Glen and would be by him as much as possible. After breakfast was another drive for a few hours, before another outdoor lunch, and then a few hours off through the heat of the day to sleep and relax while most of the animals were doing the same. One of the days we forfeited our afternoon drive so that we could leave right after lunch and go to the local Masaii village. We were greeted by all the little kids singing a song for us. When we entered the village, all of the women were dressed up and singing, as well. Then the young Masaii warriors came out and showed us their prowess by having a jumping competition. My Dad got in their with them and it looked like he got 6 inches off the ground compared to them being able to jump four feet just straight up with out a running start or anything. We were then showed in to someone’s house to see what they were like. It was a tiny, dung hut with two rooms and a fire going so it was very smokey inside, too. Everyone had all of their crafts set up and we bought heaps of figurines and bracelets and arrows and these really ornate necklaces. I wish I could’ve bought it all. The craftsmanship is amazing. Every person’s bracelets were different because they used beads to symbolize their age, family, and marital status, I believe.

After the afternoon drive it was time to go back and shower and get ready for dinner. Dinners were amazing, too. The food was so rich and they made the best soups in the world there. After that, there was a huge bonfire you could sit out at. Sometimes it was quiet and some nights the warriors would come around for a song. Then it was off to bed early to get up at 5 the next morning to do it all over again.

It was an incredible trip and I feel like I have Africa in my blood now. All I want to do is go back and I think about it all the time. Any movie or documentary or book I can get on Africa I jump at. It is a place like nowhere else in the world. I hope it stays as wild and as full of wildlife as it is today for along time so that I can take my children there someday. I have already convinced Boyfriend that that is where we need to go for our honeymoon if we get married. I told our travel group that and they said, “Just get married there, we want to come, too!” and at New Year’s when everyone went around the group to say where their favorite trip ever had been to, at least 75% of the group said Kenya, it is just that great of a place.

I.O.U. One Galaxy continued

I had to add before the night was over...I made Mexican rice and it turned out sooooo well! Boyfriend isn't even here with our burritos yet and I'm already full from eating my rice. I've never been able to get my rice right before, but I'd say this is about as close as I'm ever going to get to my Mexican nanny's recipe! I have a huge pot of rice and Boyfriend is bringing me a pack of tortillas from the restaurant....Can you guess what I will be eating exclusively for at least the next 24 hours?? :) Now all I have to do is buy some beans and cook them up in my crock pot and I'll have my own cheap and delicious Mexican meal.

I.O.U. One Galaxy

The posts are slowing down. There are some things going on right now that I'm not sure I should write about, it's been an ongoing thing for the past couple of weeks and it will be going on for a while longer (could be months before an outcome is reached). I am not sure whether I will post the blog I wrote about it or not. My life is a waiting game....awaiting the answer to this decision, awaiting a job or at least an interview. It's kind of a blah time right now. It's still an adventure though because I just don't know how it is all going to end up. Ugh. Whoa is me, I know, how boring to read. You (who you are, if anyone, I don't know) come here to read about love and adventure and all that good stuff I promise in the heading and instead end up with this pity party. Oh well, everyone has them sometimes.

In happier news, Boyfriend is supposed to be coming over tonight with a delivery from that Mexican food place I wrote a review of in the last post! CAN NOT WAIT! Also, my parents sent an Easter package that includes those much needed bras, aforementioned in the great birthday bra debacle post from earlier, and candy! It might even get here today so that Boyfriend can bring it over when he comes tonight. That would be so much win for one day! It is also sunny out today and I was finally able to do laundry again after a week and a half of humid, overcast, or rainy days (man, I hate not having a drier)- hooray for clean underwear! Haha! So I guess they aren't big exciting things that are making me happy today, but they are really awesome little things that make the day brighter when I reflect on them and not on "the deciding" Anyway, tomorrow or later tonight I'll post about my trip to Africa and that'll put us back on track to what this blog is all about.

Make It Last

Last night Boyfriend (that’s what I’m calling him now instead of S) and I met up with his friend Turk (cause he looks like the guy from Scrubs, Donald Faison, except white) and his wife Stylez (cause she’s got amazing style, that looks so effortless and so wow on her, she also makes handbags-I might ask her if I can put a link up to her stuff on here: http://rejenerate.blogspot.com/). They just moved in to the coolest house. It is three levels and the top level is Stylez’s work studio and from the windows there you can see all of Sydney and the Harbour Bridge. The view is breath taking. We caught up with them about their recent wedding, that unfortunately Boyfriend had to miss in order to come to California for Christmas and about what’s been going on since the last time we had seen them. Stylez is awesome because she’s not afraid to say, “Food, I need it now, and lots of it,” I obviously appreciate a girl that doesn’t just sit there eating celery while everyone else has a real meal. We decided on Mexican because I’m always down for it and Stylez and I were both in the mood for margaritas. Turk called around to all the Mexican food places we could find online, but they were all booked out. We were pretty disappointed until Boyfriend said he knew a little place we could go to. We ended up in King’s Cross at Guzman y Gomez, which was near where the show we were going to was anyway. Here’s a link to it (http://www.guzmanygomez.com/)(the picture is an example of their burritos, but the rice is something I made) because if you are ever in Sydney and in need of cheapish, fast Mexican food, this is the place I’d recommend! The place had real Mexican people working (I’ve never seen a Mexican in Australia before!) and it tasted like legit Mexican food, and although they didn’t have authentic Mexican style red rice, it was still good. We got margaritas even and you could tell there was alcohol in them; I think they’ve just gotten their liquor license so they are fairly liberal with their shots. Also, the guacamole was spot on, spicy with chunks of avocado and cilantro and tomato in it. Really good food, other than the minor rice gripe I have, the only thing I was like “What the funk?” about was that they use corn tortillas for their quesadillas. You can also get flan and those fruit juice drinks in a can by Goya. I think they also did rice bowls. The guy at the corner was super nice and really talkative. The Aussies had trouble understanding him, but it was nice to hear that accent again. I’m going to get Boyfriend to start either bringing me burritos for dinner on Friday nights from there or just bring me a few of their tortillas, because they taste authentic, not like the too thick, cardboardy things that are available here. Probably too much information, but on the drive home way later that night I was burping a lot and it all still tasted like awesome Mexican! Haha! So once again, if you are in Sydney and craving decent Mexican food, go to Guzman y Gomez. They also have locations at Bondi Junction, the CBD at the Australia Square food court on George St, and Newtown so look them up!
From there we walked over to the venue, it wasn’t very far, but the night was muggy so I was sweating away and felt so gross. We had a little hill to hike up, and it didn’t make me huff and puff or anything, but it did make me sweat a bit more and then we were at the venue. So I get in and I’m already sweaty and there’s no air conditioning and a million other people standing around so I kept sweating. I put my hair up and that helped, but then my bangs were falling apart from the humidity, and I thought I had started the night looking half-cute and by that time I felt like a gross beasty. We missed the first opening band, but came in just in time for the second. They were from Sydney and the lead singer was this chubby, obnoxious guy. Boyfriend said he looked like Meatloaf. His voice was all right: nice but generic, and he was all about posturing- constantly trying to clap to the beat of his own songs, doing all these “cool guy” moves with his hands and it really took away from his music. I think he’s been watching Saosin or Anthony Green videos too often and was just trying to copy them. Also, his cut off jean shorts were about 2 sizes too small so he had a full on muffin top and his gut hanging over- I thought that was something only girls did. Not in Sydney, not when you’re a cool guy! Stylez started not to feel well and went out and got some air. I desperately had to pee, but the venue had a lame design, where there was only a double door space between the stage and the bar to get through to the bathroom and it was packed at that end of the bar and people wanted to be next to that part of the stage so it was nearly impossible to get through everyone. Frustrating! Kris Roe (do you think his parents spelled his name that way? He was born in Indiana and they aren’t known to be really happening there. I bet he changed it from Chris so he could be “different”) the lead singer of the Ataris came out looking like Ben Folds. He played a lot of really old songs and it was just him and his guitar and that was pretty awesome. He then decided to “rock out” and got the Sydney band to come up and play some songs with him. The Meatloaf look-a-like was yelling over Kris’ singing in some spots and it kindof ruined it. We then walked in to the city and caught a cab back to Turk’s and Stylez’ place. From there, Boyfriend and I drove home (yay for no trains for once!) and we blasted the music the whole ride home and I sang and danced in my seat to keep Boyfriend awake and entertained while he drove. It was a really fun night!

Life Motto

This is the quote I want to live my life by and the quote I hope S wants to live his life by. I found it on this African blog I read. Anyway, I really, really like it.

If you have the chance to live an extraordinary life, you have to take it, whatever the cost. The alternative, which is to choose the mundane, is not life, in the real sense of the word... If you’ve got the chance, you’ve got to take it.