Travel Fridays

Welcome to another installment of Travel Fridays! Remember if you have any ideas, send them on over to seriouslywonderful (at) gmail (dot) com!

While M and I were on a hike a few weeks ago, it dawned on me that I've never been camping, even though I was in girl scouts at one point and I did stay in a log cabin and use an outhouse. By the end of our hike, M had me convinced that we should go camping--you know, complete with a tent, sleeping bag, and food necessities. I imagined gathering sticks for a fire, roasting marshmallows, and seeing shining stars at night.

A week ago, over beers, M and I got to talking about camping again. Only this time she shared with me what not to do. Years ago, she went camping for the first time with her sister and dad on a whim near some sand dunes. It was in the middle of summer, and ridiculously hot during the day, so they didn't plan the drastic drop in temperature, like you could just about see your breath freezing, when the sun set. Not to mention, they had sand coating every surface of their bodies and quite a bit in their ears. They had hot dogs and granola bars. They couldn't make a fire though, so they huddled under one blanket and shivered 'till they fell asleep. Needless to say, it was a couple years before they tried camping again.

Lessons learned: Bring extra, warm clothes to wear at night, plan on eating more than a granola bar, and don't camp by any sand dunes. Now all I have to do is find out where I put my sleeping bag.

Have you been camping? Any advice to share?

Don't be a fake friend

Remember when I blogged about my "friend" and former coworker? You all pretty much agreed with me that she's not really putting our friendship first. Well, she's back again. I randomly got an IM from her on Facebook yesterday asking if I was at work. I didn't respond. Then she texted me asking me the same thing. Again, I didn't respond. And then she sent this email...to which I didn't respond to.

What U been up to? Its been a while since we talked. I was thinking about going to Boulder sometime this week to try and have lunch with DJ and I thought it would be cool to go to the mall, maybe hang out on your break or something? Have you's moved to a new office yet?

Anyway....I was wondering if you could do me a favor? I found this PERFECT opportunity for me in Boulder. The ____ is looking for a Production Manager. I saw their ad here on Craigslist and emailed the editor my resume and cover letter on the day they posted it (4/12) but I haven't heard anything yet (its on their website here too...they are looking for Freelance Designers too!) . This would be sooo perfect...their office is literally right across the street from where DJ works! And I know I can do it...I was the production manager at the American Classifieds/Thrifty Nickel in Denver before I started working with ___.

I don't have you down as a reference but I would like you to be seeing as though the references I am using now, only 1 is really reachable seems....anyway....I was wondering if you can maybe call (if you thinks its a good idea) and see if they are still accepting applications for the position because you have a friend and former colleague that you think would fit this position perfectly (as if you dont know I have applied for it already)....you know its been 3 weeks since posting it and would like to professionally recommend me for the position? Perhaps...I dont know if its a good I idea but I do know that its REALLY competitive out there and maybe a pro recommendation might increase my odd? I really want this job. The say the Pay is negotiable but I dont know what their lowest is...i hope I can get at LEAST what I was making at ___....but I would love this job......the number to the paper is 303-494-5511. The editor's extension is #162.

Think its a good idea? Could it hurt? I dont know...All i know is this is the most PERFECT opportunity that I have been able to find and if I can at least get an interview....i'd be happy.....sort of....lol....

Working at home is really hard with a little one...who is not so little anymore? Auggie will be walking soon....another reason I want to meet up with you, cuz you havent seen him since Keri's Baby Shower. He is teething really bad this week...top 4 teeth are coming out...its been rough! Anyway.....let me know what u think. K... miss ya!

Sincerely,

Fake Friend

Clearly, she only will talk to me when she wants something--in this case it appears to be a reference. And second of all, who does that? I mean who asks someone to call a potential employer and basically name drop? Um, not me! My mom of course thought I was being rash, but I take my friendships seriously, and in the past I've gotten taken advantage of because I'm too nice. In this case, I feel justified for not responding to her.

What do you think? What would you do?

Travel Fridays

*Welcome to Travel Fridays! If you have an idea for Travel Fridays, email me at seriouslywonderful (at) gmail (dot) com!*

I am so happy it's Friday! This week has seemed ridiculously long for me, between office politics, lack of sleep, and overall drama--which is why I wish I was on vacation.
 
In my free time, I have my own radio show where I read about travel for a local organization. About a month ago during one of my recording sessions I came across this article from Sunset magazine describing 10 unique vacation rentals. 

Let me just say, I loved all of their ideas, but the one that really intrigued me was the first one on their list: a treehouse. How freakin' cool would that be to sleep in one?? Not to mention, I've love to set up a hammock and curl up with a great book, or journal. I've always wanted a tree house, and this would be like the best of both worlds for me. First, I'd be outside in the middle of nowhere so it'd be quiet and peaceful. Secondly, treehouses remind me of being a kid, and as we all know, I love doing anything that makes me feel like one. And lastly, I can only imagine how breathtaking the stars would look like in the nighttime sky.

Which one was your favorite on their list?

Meet my imaginary bff: Hello Kitty

Even though I maybe considered an "adult" by societal standards, I still feel like a kid sometimes. Case in point: my obsession fascination with Hello Kitty. All of my close friends know about this. In my old apartment I used my old Hello Kitty calendar for decorations in my bathroom. A former boy crush bought me this for my birthday, and I actually brought it to work for awhile. M started a trend when she got me a Hello Kitty planner for my birthday two years ago. Since then, I've been finding them on my own. In my opinion, this year's isn't as pretty as last year's was, but I still need it. It's Hello Kitty. Duh!

I liked this one!

This one was cute too!

This year's is ok...

So I have Hello Kitty planners...no big deal, right? Well, I've had this on my wish list. And while I never saw this house when I was in China, I did see glimpses of HK and I got to go to an entire portrait studio, where you could have pictures taken with Hello Kitty dolls, on HK couches, and themed rooms. It was really intense, but I'm glad I got some Hello Kitty time in during my time there. I should visit Japan next--they have tons of HK stuff.

HK at McDonalds in China

Hello Kitty Studio

Hello Kitty greets you at the door! 

I was in heaven....

Now I have an even better excuse to further my obsession love with HK--they are coming out with a line of wines! Like alcohol! Now I can justify being an adult and acting like a kid. Apparently the wines aren't available till May 1st, according to the official website.

But not only are the wines cute and stylish, some even come with HK charms! (I'm not much of a charm person, but it's a cute touch).

Would you buy Hello Kitty wine? Or is that going too far? 

Oh, and I had to link to this site too--it's for all the HK haters out there. I even visit it sometimes because it's funny to see how ridiculous people can be.

Travel Fridays

***Welcome to Travel Fridays, a weekly series finding cool deals, getaways, and a place to share your own travel experiences. Remember if you have any ideas, email me at seriouslywonderful (at) gmail (dot) com!***

Rocky Mountain State Park

Sometimes I find myself on Fridays without any plans for the weekend. If this happens to be you this week, I have a great idea for you. Starting tomorrow, and continuing all week, you can get into all national parks for free! If you're like me and love free things or great deals, this should be right up your alley.

In fact, I'm planning on going for a hike tomorrow. I'm lucky enough to live in Colorado, so I'm not far from some of the best national parks in the state. So grab a friend, hit the trails, and enjoy the fresh air!

Five Things: Easy Ways to Help the Planet

Nobody's asking you to turn into a full-on hippie and renounce all your worldly possessions.  But there's usually a better way to do the things you every day so that we can all have a less negative impact on the environment.

1.) Small Changes Add Up.
Making a few changes that you can sustain everyday will have a bigger impact than trying to make HUGE lifestyle changes only to drop them when everyday life steps in a makes things stressful.  Don't think of it as "being green" or "saving the planet" so much as just doing what makes sense. 

2.) It's called "Reduce, Reuse, Recycle" for a reason.
If you try to make changes in that order, you'll have a higher impact than just recycling.  Reducing the number of goods you use, or the packaging on those goods, or the distance those goods need to travel to get to you eliminates waste beyond the scope of just that one package.

3.) Plastic Bags never die!
Those little plastic bags we all get at the grocery store, the drug store, the convenience store, the department store... They're fairly ubiquitous with modern life, and millions of years from now when people are studying our society, those bags will still be there.  One easy way to combat this is the take re-usable bags to the store with you, but as a dude-on-the-go, I really never do this unless my GF is with me and has one in her purse.  But what I do always do is make sure I reuse those bags I have to accept.  Stash your used plastic bags and reuse them when you need them.  Even if you only use them one extra time (like for taking out the trash), that's one less other bag you'd need, and in the end, buying less bags leads to producing less bags.

4.) Eat Local
When you buy produce at the grocery store, you're getting food that's come from halfway around the world, and was picked well before it ever ripened. When you eat food that has been produced within 100 miles of your home, you are eating food that is picked at it's peak, and doesn't need paints, dyes or chemicals to keep it fresh-looking.  You also help the planet because that means less trucks on the road having to drive food from Venezuela or Chile or Madagascar to reach your plate.

5.) Support Local Businesses
Shopping local restaurants and businesses keeps your local economy strong, and reduces the number of chain stores & restaurants that open up nearby.  Yes, we all love shopping at Target and eating at Applebee's (well, cheap drinks at Applebee's at least), but putting your dollars towards locally owned business who themselves deal with local suppliers makes sure your money stays in your community.  And in the long run, having vibrant local businesses cuts down on the number of times you have to drive to big-box retailers, eliminating that extra pollution from the air.  Doing that just once a week and remove tons of carbon-dioxide annually.

Ryan usually writes for originalname.wordpress.com, check it out if you're a fan of random chatter wrapped in good intentions.

Travel Fridays

*Welcome to Travel Fridays! If you have an idea for Travel Fridays, email me at seriouslywonderful (at) gmail (dot) com!*

Today's question is:

"If you could go anywhere next month, if money and time were not obstacles, where would you go and why?"

I think with this burst of warm weather, I'd want to go somewhere with a beach. Like Fiji. Actually, I have no idea where Fiji even is. But I'd go somewhere warm, where I could get a tan and read and get massages on the beach. I would swim and maybe snorkel. So maybe the Caribbean? I've never been on a cruise, so I don't know how I would get there. But it'd be better than being in my cold office right now.

Where would you go?

TMI Thursday: Blame it on the dog

***Alright, folks, you know the rules. Join us all in humiliating the crap out of yourself every Thursday by sharing some completely tasteless, wholly unclassy, “how many readers can I estrange THIS week??” TMI story about your life. Or hell, about someone else’s!***

This happened about a year or two ago to my bff. She was dating a boy named Jeffrey, who worshiped his dog named Jack like none other. Seriously, she'd go over to his place, and before they could get it on, he'd have to play fetch with Jack. She would usually sit on the couch and look around the room or daydream about what she could be doing or think about how freakin' bored she was.

Well, this particular time, was different because it was her birthday. They met at a park downtown and had a lovely picnic, eating Subway sandwiches, laying out in the sun, and watching Jack go crazy barking at squirrels. He even surprised her with chocolate cupcakes for dessert.

The entire day was going well. After their picnic, he asked if she wanted to come over.

"Do you have wine?" she jokingly asked. She was a huge wine fiend back in the day, especially with whites.

"No, but there's a liquor store down the street. I'll buy you whatever you want."

Now, how's a girl to pass that up? It was her birthday celebration. She loves wine. And she wouldn't have to pay for it. WIN.

She followed him to the liquor store where she picked out her favorite wine at the time, Barefoot's Chardonnay. She was looking for the smallest bottle, but Jeffery insisted that he wanted to buy her the big bottle. You know, the one that isn't made for one person to drink alone? Yeah. She assured him that was too much, but that he could have some for later.

They got to his place, and instead of chilling the wine, he brought her a frozen beer mug and filled it up all the way to the top with wine. Classy. She figured she would just take her time drinking it, and they'd watch a movie or play with Jack. Only, Jeffrey was impatient. "Drink faster!" he said. She didn't want to.

But then he challenged her to a chugging contest. Now, she didn't normally chug anything, because her stomach usually hates that, but for some reason, she thought that was a good idea. But here's an important detail you must know--Jeffrey didn't drink. He would keep alcohol around for when he had friends over. So his glass was filled with water--hers was filled with wine. She chugged almost half of her mug.

She also learned that she's a lightweight. It didn't take long for her to start feeling really buzzed and horny. And she moved things from the living room to the bedroom. At one point she started feeling pressure down there to pee, but she ignored it because she was in the moment--he was fingering her and it felt so good. She figured she would just go later after they were finished. Meanwhile, Jeffrey kept saying "you're really wet...like really, really, wet." Which she took as a compliment, because often times she couldn't get wet with him. And he seemed to be enjoying it.

But then she felt herself pee...all over his bed. "I have to go..." she said, as she started to get off the bed. "But, why? We were having a good time," he said. She asked to use his bathroom, where she tried her best to wipe up all the pee. He was in the bathroom when she got back, and she saw the pee spot on his comforter, so she did the only thing she could think of: she flipped the comforter down to where the sheets were to cover up the spot, and got dressed as fast as she could.

He walked her to her car, where he asked her when she could see him again. She lied and said next week. Weeks later they hooked up again, but he never said a word about it. He just thought she was "wet."

Happy TMIT!

The things I do for family...

Since my office for work is moving, I've been working from home this week. Which is great, unless your dad works from home and is constantly tying up the phone line, or unless your little brother is home as well, which is what the case was on Monday. Apparently he had no school due to "Easter break." Um, what? No fair.

He can only watch so much tv. I let him watch Spy Kids 3, while I worked and got alot of stuff done. After that, he begged me to put in the password (my mom locks everything around this house, including the tv) and I told him no. I thought he didn't need to watch anymore tv for the day. "Go outside, or draw or something," I said. But if course he didn't want to do that. And I couldn't do any of those things with him, because I actually had work to get done.

So naturally, a fight ensued. He ran upstairs to my parents bedroom to watch tv (which doesn't have any locks on it). I kicked him out of their room, but not without him pushing me into their dresser and me tackling him on their bed. I finally threw him into his room, where I maturely shut the door and held it so he couldn't get out. All this took place while he was throwing things at the closed door and at one point he threatened to jump out the window, to which I replied "Don't break any bones."

The above scene was in motion when my dad got home. After he lectured him, he let him watch tv. Which basically ruined all the hard work I had just done. But after work, and after he apologized to me for being a jerk, I decided we should spend some quality time together. I played basketball with him, we chased after the dog in the backyard, and played Go Fish and Crazy 8's.

Then we decided to color. We drew pictures to send my brother with the wrong school mascot colors and even signed them by people he dislikes--i.e. his ex-girlfriend. We're classy like that. And then I decided we should each draw a picture to give to our dog.

His picture:

This is of a baseball diamond, and the gray part is a tornado coming. My brother is terrified of tornadoes. And clearly the yellow part that is labeled Hailey is an accurate depiction of our dog.

My picture:

So, a long time ago when I was laying down with my brother to get him to sleep, I told him a story about our dog and during the story, he decided she needed to have a boyfriend. So he named her boyfriend Prancer (inspired by one of Santa's reindeers. Obviously). That's who's shown in this picture. He's woofing at Hailey (our dog) because Hailey is escaping in a hot air balloon because she has just found out that Prancer has a new girlfriend. The inside of the basket is full of doggie bones for her journey. The volcano is about to erupt, and there's a tornado (courtesy of my brother) chasing the new girlfriend.

Bon Voyage!

No Reservations

Today's spotlight for my Travel Fridays series is Anthony Bourdain's show No Reservations.

I have found memories of watching this show with M on our comfy green couch. While we could never quite keep up with all the episodes on our dvr, we did make a healthy dent in them. But it doesn't matter that we didn't finish watching all of them because each episode takes you on a different adventure. And for me, that's what draws me in. I'm all for adventure, and travel while watching Anthony swear, eat massive amounts of food, while boozing it up, doesn't hurt at all.

If you haven't watched this show before, I strongly encourage you to do so. After every episode I watch, I find myself getting pinched by the travel bug and day dreaming about my next adventure.

Here's a snippet of an episode where Anthony went to DC to eat some fish n chips. Enjoy!

The Importance of Locks

***Alright, folks, you know the rules. Join us all in humiliating the crap out of yourself every Thursday by sharing some completely tasteless, wholly unclassy, “how many readers can I estrange THIS week??” TMI story about your life. Or hell, about someone else’s!***

So this just happened. But let me give you a bit of background info first.

My office is very unique. Yes, that word means crappy. We're stuck on the "garden" level (aka the basement) of a three-story-building. On our said level, our offices have tons of windows including the door. So basically I work inside a fishbowl. Thankfully, my desk faces the wall/garden level windows, so I don't have to deal with people staring at me.

But my particular office is in the back corner, surrounded on either side by offices from the company we share this space with. But mine is directly across from the bathrooms. And the bathrooms are just as unique. They are single stall ones, but not the corporate type. They are like artisty type ones. One is all steel and metal and the other is all homey with wall scones. But there's only two. Two for the entire office. And it should be noted that the doors to the bathrooms also have windows but they are covered up with tapestries.

Fast forward to approximately five minutes ago.


Me: Man I have to pee.

So I start walking to the nice homey bathroom. I don't hear the fan on, which is usually how I know if anyone is in there. I don't even pay attention, and don't see all the lights on, and turn the knob of the door and....

...and there's a boy! In the bathroom! Going pee!

I see him, my mouth drops open, I mumble something about saying sorry, all while he turns his neck around to see me, and grabs the door shut. BUT HE DOESN'T LOCK IT. So how I am supposed to know no one is in there, when there's barely any lights on, no fan going, and it's not locked???

That might friends is why locks were invented. To keep people out and maintain privacy.

Thankfully, I just sat at my desk and faced the wall and pretended to be really fascinated with my computer. And it's a good thing this guy doesn't work in this office. I think he's a client of the other company's.

After that, just in case there might be someone else using said bathroom, I used the handicap bathroom with a raised toilet seat. No, I'm not proud of that, but I really had to pee. And no, I'm not telling my coworker I used her special seat. That would be TMI.