All in a year

About a year ago we experienced the Watermelon Fiasco of 2012. It boggles the mind that that was a year ago. Since then I sort of fell off the face of the blogger universe.

Recently, I thought to myself that it would be a good time to start up again, make some good use of what is left of my maternity leave.  Now that I've got the feeding/pumping/sleeping/cuddling/ocassional shower aspect down of my life down, what else can I do during the wee hours of the night :-)

So a year is a long enough time that some catch-up is neccesary. What have I been up to since the watermelon fiasco of 2012? Let's see. I flew cross-country with a wee kiddo while pregnant solo for a long weekend on the east coast. I finally passed my big big state geo test (Whoo!). I actually had kiddo #2. We planned and executed a fabu party for kiddo #1's birthday. And most importantly, I slept six hours in a row last night :-) ! It's the little things that make my day bright.

Great! Now that we are all caught up, I can take another catnap with the wee-est one and catch you all soon!

Good Lord, Woman, have you been living under a rock?

To which I answer, "why, yes, I have"... sort of. I had been studying for my State Geology Exam so, that sort of counts, right?  I finally took the exam (yay!) but don't find out the results for a few months (boo!) and now I have rejoined the land of the living.

I'm trying to get my book situation back in order.  I'm trying to get back on my P90X. I'm trying to keep up at work.  Basically, I'm back to the usual.  I'm perfecting my crazy headless chicken dance which I love so very much.

I just got back from the library so I'll be updating my 30 Books by 30 list.  Yes, yes, I'm past that 30 mark but I haven't found a good 40 by 40 list yet so I'm sticking to the 30s.  I'll probably move it into it's own page so that I can update it.

OK, kiddo is up from his nap.  Mommaness calls!

Now what.... Ha!

From: L.A. Kings Facebook Page 

So after hours of watching and yelling at our TV and washing my Kings's shirts so that they could be worn during the playoff games, we got to jump up and down and up and down last night as we saw our Kings win the Stanley Cup.  OH YEAH! To think that we weren't even sure if we were going to get to see them in the playoffs at all.  But they won and we are super super happy!

But now there is the feeling of "Now what?"  There is no more hockey to watch this season (this happens to me right after the Super Bowl as well).  I'm not really into professional basketball.  I still have a few months before college basketball and college football start.  I didn't really realize how much hockey I was watching now that it's not on any more.  I guess I could switch to baseball.  There is a void in my sports schedule right now.  It'll be a few months before hockey starts up again.  Maybe I should just give the TV a break, that is until college football starts ... OH YEAH!

Until then GO! KINGS! GO!

Finding the "Me" time

I didn't get married and start my family until I was in my early thirties (when do the mid-thirties start anyway? I'm 33, that's still early thirties, right? HA!).  As a result of this "later" start to the whole family thing, I spent my early adulthood, being my own boss.  I decided what I did, where I went, with whom I hung out.  I still have that freedom but I now need to consider these two other folks that are in my life.  I like to think that I'm not TERRIBLY selfish but I do enjoy my "me" time be it hitting snooze an extra few times in the morning or my workout time with buddies.  It's part of this massive juggling act that is called being a working momma.  So I can go out with the girls for massive Umami burgers (I took the wiggly one to give Steve his night off).  I can also hit the gym on my nights off but I also like to be home to cook dinner for my guys.  So on I go... juggle juggle juggle... It's okay to be a bit selfish every once in a while :-) I think I'm getting the hang of it... sort of :-)

The Big 3-3

Threadless T-Shirt

So just after 9pm  PST on the night before my birthday, I got a message from my friend Akel.  He's on the east coast so technically it was already my birthday over there.  In essence Akel said in his message "Haha, you're old." I thought that this was a great way to start the Big 3-3! Those who know me well, know that birthdays are a big deal for me.  It is the one day of the year when you are celebrated by family, friends, and all the folks you haven't spoken to in forever but are your Facebook friends.  I have marked my past birthdays with funny hats (most recently a tiara) and funny shirts (ala my Threadless T-shirt "So Far, This is the Oldest I've Ever Been" which, of course, is now only available in the kids size).

This year, I decided to take it easy.  I stayed in my PJs, parked on the couch as long as I could.  I took my calls from my folks, sister's family (with lots of fun singing), and godparents.  I did eventually move off of my spot on the couch when Steve took me to Osteria Mozza for my birthday dinner.  I did leave the tiara at home, mostly because I couldn't find it.  The food was DIVINE! It was an amazing treat for my birthday.  I would definitely recommend it for those times when you want to indulge yourself.  All in all, it was a good birthday and I have a year to find that tiara in time for next year!  :)

Coming out of the hole I was hanging out in :)

Yes, I have been living under a rock :)  Yes, I have come out from under said rock long enough to explain my hibernation.

As many of you know, I was studying for my California Geology exam (which I took- YEAH - but still don't have the results for - BOO).  Once that was done, Steve and I went down to Colombia to give him a crash course on my huge family.  I was very impressed that he was able to keep the aunts and cousins apart.  By the end of the trip he was even able to tell who belonged to whom.  He got a taste of the country and we very much enjoyed the trip. Photos from the trip can be found here.  Now we just have to figure out when we are going back :)

And once we got back from Colombia, we started letting everyone know our fabulous news.  YEAH!  Steve and I have going to have a wee one :) We don't know if it is a boy or a girl.  We've actually decided to wait until the baby makes its first appearance to find out.  Hey, why not?  Of course, there was the confusion when my mom accidentally referred to the baby as a "her" to my godmother who called me immediately for the scoop.  I let her know that if I don't what it is, my mom definitely doesn't know what it is. No scoop to be had.  I think my godmother was a bit bummed sans what she thought was her scoop.  :)

So I'm about 4.5 months along :)  Yeah, and, depending on who you ask the baby is currently either the size of a sweet potato or a pepper.   I'm still trying to figure out the whole fruit/veggie scale.  The farmers at the market are definitely are amused since I keep starting at that week's fruit or veggie in a whole new light.

So the experience has been interesting:

• Morning sickness - done (thank goodness - whoever thought that one up deserves a good poke to the nose).  
• Growing out of my clothes - not too bad since I hadn't gotten around to getting rid of my pre-P90X clothes yet... they are coming in handy. 
• The odd food cravings - except for the constant want of spicy chicken wings, nothing too weird yet.  I'll keep you posted. 
• Random folks touching me - very odd.  I'm not really showing too much yet (thanks to pre-P90X clothing) but as soon as someone finds out you are pregger they just jump on the belly.  Why is that?  Not sure how that's going to work out as I do start to show more.  
• Removal of the word "HUGE" from Steve's vocabulary - To be fair, he has never actually called me Huge... just refers to the fact that I will be getting Huge.  We are working on nipping that one in the bud right now :) 

Day 5 of Operation Dry Condo

So we're on our 5th day (6th if you count Xmas Eve) of trying to dry out our condo post-mean-upstairs-lady-clothes-washer-snafu (and she said that we were over-reacting over a "little bit of water" HA!).  I'm taking a turn with the contractors.  Steve has been meeting with them every day so I am doing my part so he can relax at home.  Good news:  our ceilings have no asbestos.  Bad news:  our ceilings now have two big holes in them to help expedite the drying process. Well, technically, they are still working on the second hole but you know what I mean.  Good news:  having big holes will mean we get to come home earlier.  Bad news:  the big holes must be fixed before we can come home.  We're getting there.  Slowly, surely, we will get back home :) 

So I am now just waiting until they finish up so that I can head on "home" (ala hotel) and maybe get some rest before my last day of work of the year... WHOO HOO! 

Stay dry, everyone! 

A case of too much Birthday

The other day I was reading a Bearenstain Bears book to Sophia about too much birthday.  Basically the little girl bear has a little too much birthday= mini bear meltdown.  Although I had awesome birthday weekend :)  I did overdo it when it came to my food this weekend, ala the office Holiday potluck on Friday and then feasting at the Melting Pot on Saturday and the TGIF's lunch on Sunday with the girls.  Needless to say the scale told a sad sad story.  But that is okay,  I am back on my healthy wagon and am working on my Shakeology Cleanse (I'm on day 2 of a 3-day program- whoo hoo!) and I've been doing my Turbo Fire. At least I did yesterday and this morning.  I'll be headed over to Allan's tonight for some more Fire of the Turbo variety.  Whoo hoo!  YEAH BIRTHDAY WEEKENDS! (and the week after when you have to make up for the decadence of said birthday weekend :)  heehee)

Fallen Off and Back onto BeachBody Wagon

WTHeck!  Paola, where did you go for a week?

I did go MIA for about a week (back in gear today) I had the perfect storm with regards to my life getting in the way of my life.  Starting with working myself too hard (yes, working your body too hard actually is worse for you in the long run) I gave myself a wicked Migraine for two days.  If you have never had a migraine, trust me when I say you are one of the luckiest person I ever met.  Of course with the end of the year slam we are having at work, there is no time for me to take off time.  It's not like I am contagious so there really wasn't much grounds for taking off of work.  So overworked body + migraines (a wee one is still hanging out)+ super late nights at work to finish up my reports (I only have 2 left for this week- whoo hoo) = me not sleeping much, eating much, or even seeing Steve much in his awake mode which = not much working out.  Sooooooooooooooo, knowing that I wasn't getting much exercise, I tried to at least keep my food intake in check.  I think I did okay with that.  I'll have to up the food intake again now that I'll be working out again.

Yeah, back on the BeachBody Wagon... hoping not to go flying off of it again anytime soon :)

Geologist... so am I?

Now that the studying frenzy for my State exams is over (hence the lack of postings lately), I get to wait 2 and a half months before I get my results.  JOY!

In the meantime, a friend sent me this page with a less formal (no $250 application fee or $250 exam fee) to see whether or not I can TRULY call myself a Geo :).. Soooooooo for your amusement and mine:

Top Ten Signs You Might Be a Geologist © 1999, Sarah Noble

10. You have ever had to respond "yes" to the question, "What have you got in here, rocks?"

Seriously, of course.  The other day my father-in-law was wondering why there were rocks in the door handle of the front passenger side of the car.  What? folks don't drive around with rocks in the car?

9. You have ever taken a 15-passenger van over "roads" that were really intended only for cattle.

Oh yeah, Duke was the first one to let me drive one of the Suburbans on a windy road at dusk.  Oh yeah, did I mention it was raining?

8. You have ever found yourself trying to explain to airport security that a rock hammer isn't really a weapon.

Rock hammer, groundwater samples in VOAs, Carbonate standards in vials, a PID.  Security does NOT like me.

7. Your rock garden is located inside your house

Well there's the one in the condo, in the office, and the one in the car :)

6. You have ever hung a picture using a Brunton as a level

I must admit, I have never used my Brunton as a level.  To reflect sunlight down into a boring, yes.  You do know, though, that I'm definitely going to start using it as a level.  It's GENIUS!

5. Your collection of beer cans and/or bottles rivals the size of your rock collection

Alas, it's so ungeoligist of me.  I'm not a big fan of a beer.  I'm a beer snob; I'll admit it :)

4. You consider a "recent event" to be anything that has happened in the last hundred thousand years

I wouldn't go that far.  I think that we should keep "recent" in the Holocene; I'd say 11,000 years.

3. Your photos include people only for scale and you have more pictures of your rock hammer and lens cap than of your family

It's not my fault that folks look so small in my pictures.  At least I try to get their whole bodies in there.

2. You have ever been on a field trip that included scheduled stops at a gravel pit and/or a liquor store

How else are you supposed to start a road trip? DUH!

And the #1 sign you might be a geologist:

1. You have ever uttered the phrase "have you tried licking it" with no sexual connotations involved.

My sister once told me (when my nephew was on a rock kick) that he used to use a wet rag on them (he was 4 or 5 at the time).  I've been very good and did not suggest to him to just lick the rocks.  I think I would end up being in more trouble than him for that one :)

The 1 Year Mark

So Steve and I made it to our first anniversary!  yeah! We decided to head up to Big Sur for a long weekend (yes, I know, my voicemail said Big Bear but we were in Big Sur). Of course, we took HUNDREDS of pictures on the drive up, while hiking around, while gorging ourselves on anniversary cake, and all the rest.  I was good and picked just my top 108 photos :)  and posted them on our Shutterfly Page.

We started off the weekend by driving up the 1 to the Big Sur Riverside Campground & Cabins.  We treated ourselves to a cabin for our trip.  We had a great time and I would definitely recommend it. There are amazing drives and gorgeous hikes throughout the area.  We even stopped by Monterrey to go to the Aquarium.  The jellies and the sea otters were my absolute favorites!  They were hard to photograph but we tried our best.

I would definitely recommend the trip up to Big Sur if you need to recharge with some greenery and quiet.  We treated ourselves to a great weekend and a pretty big cake!

Adventures in the "Funny" Shoes

I have pretty much worn my "funny" shoes (as folks seem to call them) every day for over a week.  Obviously, five finger shoes are not OSHA approved for job sites, so I did wear my steel toe boots during working hours for 2 days.  I'm definitely getting better and faster at getting them on in the mornings, which is  a good thing.  I'm also getting used to the various comments and questions about the shoes.

I went shopping with my mom- and sister-in-law over the weekend.  Lots of little kids would point and giggle.  It makes sense, they are small and are a lot closer to my feet than anyone else.  A couple of salefolk asked questions about whether or not they were comfortable.  One saleslady went so far as to show me her feet and ask if I thought she should wear them.  First of all, I am not a podiatrist.  Second, she should probably go see a podiatrist.  Lastly, seriously? You are going to ask a stranger for foot advice?  Well she did and I let her know that although I enjoy them, they aren't for everyone.

My favorite had to be my two-year old nephew who likes to crouch in front of my feet and put his fingers in between the toes of the shoes before playing "piano" on the toes.  Granted, I let him do this because he's my nephew and, come on, he's two.  Lord knows what would happen if some stranger kid went for my feet.

So yes, I'm enjoying them.  Yes, folks think they are odd.  Yes, I'm quite comfortable with folks thinking I am odd.  I'm pretty much used to it by now.

My barefoot journey

As those of you who have known me since college may have noticed, I was never a fan of the whole socks and shoes thing.  I mean, why would grass be so springy if we weren't meant to walk on it barefoot :)  (that grass in front of the chapel--- divine! :) haha) So after reading Born to Run: A Hidden Tribe, Superathletes, and the Greatest Race the World Has Never Seen by Christoper McDougall as seen on The Daily Show, I thought to myself, "people run barefoot? that is AWESOME!"  So having read up on barefooted running, I realized I'm not quite at the barefoot point but have settled on a great alternative... Five Finger Shoes.  I went to REI and took advantage of my Membership coupon (REI Membership = one of the best $15 I spent 10 years ago!) as well as a Birthday gift card from my sister's family (Yes, my birthday is in December but I wanted to get something SUPER COOL--- which I did :) haha).  It took a while for the ones I wanted to get here in the right size but last Thursday they arrived at REI.  I went to the store to pick them up, resisting the tent area that was being set up and the camping area that was calling my name.  And voila... I got funny shoes on my feet.

The oddest part was getting my pinky toes into the shoes.  Apparently there is some separation anxiety when it comes to my pinky toes being on their own but I think they are starting to enjoy their new found freedom.  Women's shoes are pretty much designed to tuck the pinky toe beneath the fourth toe which made wearing the five finger shoe odd to wear the first day.  But that's all it took, one day.  They are super comfortable.  I've worn them to work (upping my do-gooder/hippie/earth ladiness, at least according to my co-workers) and to the lavendar festival and even a free outside concert.  I only put on "normal" shoes, my Converse, once all weekend long and it was an odd experience.  My feet felt like they were resisting being next to each other.  They had enjoyed being on their own too much.  I'm getting better at getting them on each day and the whole walking around "barefoot" has been interesting.  I decided to start my C25k over again to see if running with these is something I want to do.

Wish me luck!

So what is all this running about??? Other than the infamous B-O-B? On a completely odd and inspired whim (of course if a whim takes about 3 weeks of thoughts and wondering)...

THE WARRIOR DASH!!!

Yes, I saw and ad for the warrior dash... heard some folks talks about the warrior dask and thought to myself... Yeah, I want to run through mud... I like mud... I AM a geologist... we like to get muddy...

The SoCal Course looks super cool! Sadly, it is sold out :( but I'll be there :) yeah to all my fellow warriors!

So, in April, I will run 3.08 miles and try to get a dirty as I possibly can before wearing my viking helmet and drinking some beer :)  YEAH!

The 6-month mark

[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="200" caption="A most happy day!"][/caption]

So 6 months ago, on a most beautiful (and super hot) summer day, I married my best friend and have been happy ever since.  We've made it and although we're still working on unpacking the "other" bedroom we're getting it done :) we are getting our life together-together.    So although SOMEONE likes to burrito himself in the comforter, I'm still happy that I chose him to be mine.  I love you, Steve!

Resistant to Resolutions

Every year folks ask me about my New Year's resolutions.  I'm always very frank about my resitance to making resolutions.  Goals made at this time of year should be no different to goals made at any other time of year.  A few years ago, my mom said that she had PLENTY of suggestions if I couldn't come up with any on my own.  Lots of folks seem to have a ready list of suggestions when I tell them that I'm not a New Year's Resolutions kind of gal.  I'll just attribute that to people trying to be "helpful".  I do have some goals that I would like to work on, changes that I can make in my life.  So this year, no resolutions, just some notes and thoughts in my notepad that I'll refer to at the end of the year to see how I've done.

35 Questions . . .

Because I'm Old (but I'm really not!) ..... 35 questions for the people who are a little older than the High School kids who usually make up these surveys ...Tag me and a bunch of people when you finish. Copy the questions here; paste and start a new note, putting your answers over mine. Then tag your friends to see what we all have in common.

1. What bill do you hate paying the most?

I technically don't pay my bills... my bill pay does :) heehee

2. Where was the last place you had a romantic dinner?

At the fondue place in town in the fun quarter circle booth.

3. What do you really want to be doing right now?

At the beach reading or swimming.

4. How many colleges did you attend?

Three.  College-Duke.  Field School-Columbia. Grad School-USC

5. Why did you choose the shirt that you have on right now?

It had just come out of the laundry and smelled the most like fabric softener.

6. What are your thoughts on gas prices?

Craziness, trying to incorporate that in our search for a 2nd family car.  Happy that Steve can take the bus so easily to work.

7. First thought when the alarm went off this morning?

SNOOZE! then I couldn't remember if I had already snoozed.

8. Last thought before going to sleep last night?

I was trying to remember if we had set the coffee timer for this morning.

9. Do you miss being a child?

Only when I'm in the office too many days in a row.

10. What errand/chore do you despise?

Bathroom cleaning

11. Get up early or sleep in?

Sleep i, oh yeah!

12. Have you found real love yet?

Yuppers

13. Favorite lunch meat?

Ham

14. What do you get every time you go into Wal-Mart?

One Hershey bar.

15. Beach or lake?

Beach!

16. Do you think marriage is an outdated ritual?

Nope

17. Sopranos or Desperate Housewives?

Sopranos. I can't watch DH for more than a minute before I NEED to change the channel.

18.What famous person would you like to have dinner with?

Juanes :)

19. Have you ever crashed your vehicle?

Yeppers

20. Ever use a fire extinguisher for it's intended purpose?

Sort of.  The fire department set a fire in a box so that I could learn to use the extinguisher.  It was RA training.  I did put out a fire with it, that counts, right? It was just a fire in a box started by a fire guy :)

21. Ring tone?

Depends. Steve's is Lucky by Jason Mraz :)

22. Strangest place you have ever brushed your teeth?

In the shower.  Sometimes I have to b/c I hit snooze too much.

23. Somewhere in California you've never been and would like to go?

Big Sur

23. Do you go to church?

Ocassionally

24. At this point in your life would you rather start a new career or a new relationship?

I'm liking my career right now and always like to meet new people :)

25. How old are you?

30

26. Do you have a go to person?

Not really one person but different people for different things.

27. Are you where you want to be in life?

Absolutely

28. Growing up, what were your favorite cartoons?

G.I. Joe, Transformers, Smurfs, Bugs Bunny, Animaniacs (still have their lunch box)

29. What about you do you think has changed the most?

I still pretty much look the same :-P

30. Looking back at high school were they the best years of your life?

oh sure, nerdy, geeky, and clumsy.  Not much has changed since high school... HAHA!

31. Are there times you still feel like a kid?

HELLO, I get paid to play in the dirt. ComeOn!

32. Did you ever own troll dolls?

NO

33. Did you have a pager?

I did in college.

34. Where was the hang out spot when you were a teenager?

The piled up mats in the gym hahaha and the Plaza (I was a mall rat) and the movie theater on Route 4 by the Fuddruckers

35. Were you the type of kid you would want your children to hang out with?

Oh Yeah

Correlations

The most random things are correlated in my mind.  The other day I was listening to my ipod and the song "Hallelujah" by Jeff Buckley came on.  I didn't hear this song for the first time until I was here in California but my mind flashed back to high school.  I had the mental image of the music room on the boy's side of P.C. (yes, this is back in the day when there was a boy's side and a girl's side, I'm thinking sophomore or junior year).  We were practicing with the P.C. Singers (Paramus Catholic, not necessarily politically correct. ha) for the Christmas Concert that Fall.  We were singing something with the Hallelujah in it because I remember looking down at the song sheet and seeing "Hallelujah (Repeat 14x)" on it.  Just at that moment, Brother James was laughing at us because he was wondering why we were all so intently looking at our song sheets especially since we were repeating the same word over and over again.  We all laughed at that point. And then, I was back on the freeway driving home after work.  I just think it's interesting, first off, what sticks in your head after 15-16 years.  I also think it's interesting what brings those memories back to the forefront.  Just some randomness for you today!

have a great one!

ABC's of Me

You've been tagged, you are supposed to write a note with the ABC's of YOU. At the end, choose 26 people to be tagged. You have to tag me so really you just need 25 more people. If I tagged you, it's because I want to know more about you - but not in a creepy stalker kind of way. (To do this, go to “notes” under tabs on your profile page, paste these instructions in the body of the note, type your ABC's of Me, tag 26 people (in the right hand corner of the app) then click publish.)

A - Age: 30

B - Bed size: Queen

C - Chore you hate: Cleaning the Bathroom

D - Dogs' names: No pup pups.

E - Essential start your day item:  SNOOZE

F - Favorite color: Royal Blue (ala Duke Blue)

G - Gold or Silver:  White Gold :)

H - Height: 5' 6"

I - Instruments you play: tamborine :)

J - Job title: Project Geologist

K - Kids:  No kiddies, either (YET)

L - Living arrangements: Chateau Gomez/Birenbaum (ala condo I just bought with the hubhub-to-be Steve)

M - Mom's name: Luz Marina

N - Nicknames: Gomes, P, Pao, Pan Pago, Lola, Butt (what? Cathy still calls me that :) haha)

O - Overnight hospital stay other than birth: tonsils, mysterious fever freshman year of college

P - Pet Peeve: time wasters

Q - Quote from a movie:

Bluto: Over? Did you say "over"? Nothing is over until we decide it is! Was it over when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor? Hell no!
Otter: Germans?
Boon: Forget it, he's rolling.
Bluto: And it ain't over now. 'Cause when the goin' gets tough...
[thinks hard]
Bluto: the tough get goin'! Who's with me? Let's go!

ANIMAL HOUSE! OH YEAH! http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0077975/quotes

R - Right or left handed: Right

S - Siblings: Cathy

T - Time you wake up: when the Jazzman starts singing on the clock

U - Underwear: Yes

V - Vegetable you dislike: brussel sprouts

W - Ways you run late: if I hit the snooze bar two times too many

X - X-rays you've had: mouth, chest, right shoulder, right foot, right ankle, left hand, left thumb

Y - Yummy food you make: ZITI!

Z - Zoo favorite: Dolphin

100 Truths

~ last beverage: diet coke


~ last phone call: a site contact I was going to visit in the field


~ last text message: Anouk

~ last song you listened to: i'm yours by Jason Mraz


~ last time you cried: this weekend :-P


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

HAVE YOU EVER:

~ dated someone twice: no

~ been cheated on: yes

~ kissed someone and regretted it: yes

~ lost someone special: thankfully no

~ been depressed: yes

~ been drunk: that would be a yeah

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

LIST 3 FAVORITE COLORS:

~ Royal Blue (ala Duke Blue)

~ Red (ala crayon red)


~ Green (ala "new" green, that green when a plant is just peeking out of the dirt)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

THIS YEAR HAVE YOU: 2009:

~ made new friends: yes, as in move friends from the acquaintance category to friend.

~ fallen out of love: no

~ laughed until you cried: absolutely

~ found out who your tru friends are:  yes, in both the good and bad way

~ met someone who changed you: not yet but the year is still young

~ found out someone was talking about you: yeppers

~ kissed anyone on your friends list: no

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

~ how many kids do you want to have:  2

~ do you have any pets: no

~ do you want to change your name:  will be doing so in just a few months

~ what did you do for your last birthday: had a BBQ in the park with my friends and soon to be family

~ what time did you wake up today: 6:00 am

~ what were you doing at midnite last nite: sleeping?  not sure... i don't look at the clock too much at night

~ name something you cannot wait for:  the closing of escrow for my condo

~ last time you saw your father: January 2009

~ what is one thing you wish you can change about your life:  I'm actually pretty good right now

~ what are you listening to right now:  the keys on the keyboard as I'm typing

~ what's getting on your nerves right now:  the mortage loan process :) but it's getting better

~ what's your real name: Paola Gómez ... soon to be Paola Gómez-Birenbaum :-P

~ relationship status: engaged... to be married in 110 days :)

~ zodiac sign: Sagittarius

~ male or female: female

~ elementary school: St. Brendan's

~ high school: Paramus Catholic Regional High School

~ hair color: brown

~ long or short: long, growing it out for the wedding

~ height: 5'6"

~ do you have a crush on someone:  does Clive Owen count?  hahahahhaha

~ what do you like about yourself:  my drive

~ piercings: 2 (one in each ear)

~ tattoos: 0

~ left handed or right handed: right handed

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FIRSTS:

~ surgery: tonsils at age 4 or 5


~ piercings: I was a couple of months old.

~ tattoo: N/A

~ best friend: Melissa Flores

~ sport you joined: Cheerleading (it IS a sport :-P )

~ pet: a dog

~ vacation: Colombia

~ concert: New Kids on the Block, oh yeah, baby :-P

~ crush: Chris in the second grade... he liked to yank on my pigtails :)

~ alcohol drink: aguardiente

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RIGHT NOW:

~ eating: muffaletta panini from Paninis

~ drinking: diet coke

~ i'm about to: get back to work after my lunch hour

~ listening to:  he keys on the keyboard

~ waiting for: 5pm so we can go check out a restaurant for a potential rehearsal dinner location.

~ want kids: yeppers

~ want to get married:  just about to

~ careers in mind: Queen of Environmental Geology :-)  I think they still have an opening for that....

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HAVE YOU EVER:

~ kissed a stranger: no

~ drank hard liquor: yes

~ lost glasses/contacts: Broken--plenty, lost--no

~ sex on the first date:  I plead the 5th :)

~ had your heart broken: yes

~ been arrested: no

~ turned someone down: yes

~ cried when someone died: yes

~ liked a friend that's a girl:  as more than a friend, no.

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WHICH IS BETTER WITH THE OPPOSITE SEX:

~ first thing you notice: how they walk around all of the time without shirts on :-P


~ hugs or kisses: both

~ shorter or taller: taller

~ older or younger: younger ... hey my guy is younger :)

~ romantic or spontaneous: both

~ nice smile or nice eyes: both

~ tattoos or piercings: neither

~ sensitive or loud: sensitive

~ hook--up or relationship: relationship

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DO YOU BELIEVE IN:

~ yourself: yes

~ miracles: yes

~ love at first sight: yes

~ heaven: yes

~ santa: back in the day

~ kissing on the first date: yes

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ANSWER TRUTHFULLY:

~ is there one person you want to be with right now: no

~ had more than one boyfriend/girlfriend at onetime: no

~ do you believe it's possible to remain faithful forever: yes

~ what's the one thing you cannot live without: Air :-P


~ what song describes your life: at any given moment it's  a different song... but for this moment I would say Superwoman by Alicia Keys.