Hurray for birthdays!

I had a lovely and perfect birthday celebration with my parents and puppies and returned home to wonderful phone calls, e-mails and e-cards from my fabulous friends. I think that 24 is going to be a GREAT year :)

Let me tell you a little bit about our Thanksgiving - it was magical.

I never realized before how European Carmel is (although the food is a bit pricier). Well after dark each night, we would all stroll down the main street (Ocean Ave) and look in the little shops. One shop was open later than the others, and we got to peruse these really neat looking music boxes and look at the Vetriano prints on canvas (they looked like real paintings). I found some marvelous Christmas presents for some people, and I hope they like them - they're different and special and struck me as just perfect for those folks.

The weather was parfait - the sun shone until the last morning, which made it easier to leave. The beach was crowded which made us feel safe, rather than claustrophobic. J.J. ran up and down the beach and into the water, but she didn't go too far - the tide was a bit rough, and I didn't want her to get caught in an undertow. Bailey just looked at her like she was nuts and tried to keep his paws dry.

As we walked along the crooked little streets and saw a mixture of quaint and gigantic houses, I realized that if I ever want to live in Carmel, I can. Sure, I'll have to work for it, but I am responsible for my own happiness, and if I want to make it a goal of mine to live in Carmel, then I can. There's nothing stopping me at this point.

I hope that everyone had a beautiful and peaceful Thanksgiving.

Thank you to Mama and Daddy for a simply marvelleux three days :). I love you!

Yeaaahhh for Rice Krispee Treats! I love you, Mommy! You totally rock!!

It's amazing, for the first year, EVER, I'll be away on my birthday. We're taking the dogs and going to one of my favorite places in all the world :)

The dogs will have a fantastic time (as long as JJ doesn't get too tuckered out), we'll continue our now traditional boycott of Thanksgiving, and this will be a birthday to remember and treasure.

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!

May you have lots of good food and peaceful family conversations :)

Thank you for the wonderful journal and book of quotes - when I got home, I read through them again with my mom, read a few aloud to my dad (he particularly liked the one from Janis Joplin). I feel all warm and fuzzy inside. Thank you.

I think that this year will be the best so far. I just have a good feeling.


Here are my birthday wishes:

1) That all my friends who are feeling blue will realize that the world has meaning and that they are an integral part of that meaning.

2) That those with wedding plans are only beginning down a long and joyful path.

3) That my parents can find peace in the coming year.

4) And the usual wish that I always have that everyone already knows :)

As promised:

Thank you for contacting Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc.
We sincerely apologize if you were offended by the 2005 Tacoma commercial. It was certainly not our intention to do so. Keeping in line with Toyota quality built vehicles and state of the art manufacturing, we try to present our vehicles in a positive manner to our customers.

Your email has been documented at our National Headquarters under file #200411151345. If we can be of further assistance, please feel free to contact us.

Toyota Customer Experience

I still won't buy a Toyota!

What I sent to Toyota - I cannot BELIEVE these people. Please do not buy a Toyota, a Lexus, or anything else Toyota-related. This company is tasteless and disgusting. I will post any response I receive.

E-mail:


I remember several years ago, Toyota had the extremely distasteful adrenaline deficiency adds for its trucks. I called the company and was told that no one seemed to realize that Adrenal Insufficiency is a REAL ILLNESS. Now, your company is running ads of this nature, yet again. Do you realize how disgusting it is to use a REAL ILLNESS to sell your trucks?

I am in the market for a car, as will be several of my friends in the near future, and I will be certain to tell everyone I know that Toyota is an insensitive company that continues to make fun of, yes, I'm saying it again, A REAL ILLNESS. Disgusting!!

Adrenal insufficiency is a serious illness that can leave those affected fatigued and weary after a regular day and utterly exhausted after anything unusual. Some people, like my mom, had BRAIN TUMORS that led to this illness - your commericials are offending people who have had brain tumors, did you know that? Purchasing a Toyota truck will not solve this problem.

Please STOP making and running this disgusting ads. It is irresponsible and extremely offensive.

I'm slowly but surely learning that while I might have to change some things (like my inexplicable need to be in charge of the remote control at all times during a tv or movie watching session) in order to have a successful romantic relationship, other aspects of my personality are just part of me. There's no reason to change things that fundamentally make me who I am.

To talk a bit about my e-harmony experience - I've had some matches and am in "communication" with someone right now, but I what I really appreciate about this site is that I can put up a profile of what I will "accept" as a match without the other person ever seeing it.

I don't have to write in my profile that I am looking for a guy who is a Roman Catholic college graduate non-smoker in my age range. The site takes care of that for me. Also, unless we are matched, no one can see my profile or pictures. I appreciate that there is no random browsing by forty year olds. Yech!

I've even done my research and read some advice books on online dating. Yes, I've done this sort of thing before but never with any real preparation and always with a bit of embarassment. This is nothing to be ashamed of - in fact, it's actually a lot easier than flirting with someone at a party or in a store or a class - at least with e-harmony, I know that the guys I talk to are actually looking for someone. It saves a lot of trouble.

One communication ended after the answer to my "Are you pro-life or pro-choice?" question was the wrong one for me. It's wonderful not to get involved with someone only to find out that our values conflict in every way possible. No one got hurt, and I didn't expend much energy getting interested in the guy.

What else have I learned about myself? Well, I've learned that a little research goes a long way.

I'll start school in January - 9 graduate units and 40 hours a week of work. It's going to be rather difficult, at least for this first semester. My research, though, has taught me that I can do some of the work ahead of time as the professors are supposed to post their websites up a few weeks before classes actually start. I've also learned that should I ever need to quit my job, my $10 a semester paid for the Student Health Plan covers me at other campuses as well. If worse came to worse, at least I would still have medical coverage.

Yes, I am now a woman who does her research. Let us all now breathe a sigh of relief that there will not be another "Boston."

GAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

I'm a bit frustrated with government employment and HMO's at the moment.

Thank you for listening...

Soooo...check out the link to my mom's tupperware page (I think she's really getting into this whole Tupperware Lady thing, and I like it!).

In other news, I'm now giving e-harmony a whirl. I'll keep a running review as "things" progress.

Happy Monday!

Tales of the voting polls.

Aside from the amazing number of first time and otherwise newly registered voters who came in throughout the day yesterday, I have one story to share about the voting polls, just because it touched my heart.

A mother (about age 70) and her daughter (about age 50) came in to vote. The daughter pushed the mother in a wheelchair. After a series of back and forths including one "Is she talking to us?" in response to my chit-chat about the church where our precinct was located, the mother finally had her ballot. As she perused the new style (optical scan), she looked at her daughter with questions in her eyes. As I explained, the daughter leaned over, closed her eyes, and kissed her mother on the back of the head. A few seconds later, they rolled off to vote. That simple gesture of love was so touching - mothers and daughters at any age can be affectionate.

It's amazing where we can see and feel love.

So, thank you to those two women whom I will probably never see again. It was a lovely moment of the truest kind of love.

Congratulations Hayley and Ryan !