17 things I've learned since turning 27

*Redheads make awesome roommates.

*Expensive shampoo and high-quality hair products are TOTALLY worth it.

*Name-brand drugs are not.

*Paying off your credit cards early is essential.

*Skinny jeans don't look good on everyone.

*Shapeless dresses don't look on anyone.

*Funky earrings are where it's at.

*The comfort of a good pair of shoes greatly outweighs how cute you look in those killer heels.

*Don't underestimate the value of cheap rent. Living with more than one person, away from the center of everything, can save you a TON of money.

*Cooking is fun!

*Being negative gets you nowhere. Smile often and don't take things so seriously.

*Scarves make awesome, cheap accessories.

*Sex gets better as you get older.

*Internet withdrawal takes about two days. If you can make it that far, you can make it two months.

*Counter space really is as important as HGTV makes it out to be.

*Living together can wait. The longer you wait, the stronger your relationship will be.

*Respect yourself. If you don't, who will?

Random Friday Rumminations

Happy Friday!! Hope your week was better than bad. Here are some random things I've compiled from the Interwebs recently. Hope you enjoy =)

• Friday Night Lights comes back on May 7th, y'all!! Anyone out there who has been following this blog since last year knows ALL about my obsession with that show. Now that it's back, I won't feel so bad about staying in on the occasional Friday evening.

• Have you guys been to CuteOverload.com yet? Because if you haven't, you really should. That link gives you all the information you need regarding the contents of that site. Nuf said.

• I know I can be a literally nerd sometimes, but this really made me laugh.

• Some friends and I recently played a game called "What celebrity would you be?" wherein you choose a celebrity you'd most like to look like. I chose Rashida Jones because... c'mon, do I really have to explain it?! But after seeing these recent photos of Christina Hendricks in Esquire, I'm starting to rethink my choice. SIZZLE!!!

• Speaking of Esquire magazine, I found this survey really interesting. Mostly because I fall within the majority in my answer to A LOT of these questions. (Except for the one about facial hair. Case in point.) Check it out ladies, and see if you agree!

The weekend is upon us. Rejoice!

Why my relationship works

Scene: Rad Boyfriend and I are discussing plans for tonight via the gChat.

RB: I have to help a friend with some computer stuff after work today. So maybe 8pm?
Me, grumbling silently to myself: That's way too late to eat dinner, I'll be starving by 6. No way we'll make it through the whole movie.
Me, to RB: Baby, I would wait forever for you. But if you can make it any earlier than 8, I would greatly appreciate it.

How to annoy me/Things I don't understand

ATTENTION LANDLORDS/PROPERTY MANAGERS:

When you post an ad on craigslist for the apartment you're trying to rent without photos, it leads me to two conclusions: a) you're a lazy landlord who doesn't want to waste your time taking and posting pictures; and b) you suck, the apartment sucks, and I shouldn't waste my time going to look at it.

Renting out an apartment is like selling a product. You have to market it, promote its best qualities, and highlight the features. Car companies don't advertise their vehicles by producing ads that say "2010 Honda Civic, $16,000, dealer on Mission Avenue." Likewise, landlords shouldn't advertise their rental units in 20 words or less. When I see a posting that looks like that, I have ZERO desire to contact the landlord, let alone go see the apartment. It makes me think the apartment is so dumpy and awful that posting even one picture would turn renters off. It also gives me a negative first impression of the person I'm writing my rent check to every month. If they can't take the time to put together a proper listing, what happens if I have a gas leak?

Red and I recently had to do the legwork of finding a renter for our house. Here's the ad we posted:

$1595 / 2br - Craftsman House w/ Hardwood Floors and Backyard (North Park ) (map)

---

Date: 2010-04-08, 2:21PM PDT
Reply to: hous-pc5ys-1682872021@craigslist.org ^{[Errors when replying to ads?]}

---

Charming 2-bedroom Craftsman home available for rent June 5th. Enjoy privacy in your own house and fenced-in backyard! Centrally located in North Park and within walking distance of University Avenue, Hillcrest Farmer's Market, Henry's, Albertson's, and plenty of shops and restaurants. Close to Hillcrest, University Heights, Balboa Park, and minutes from Downtown. Nearby freeways: 163, 8, and 805. Cats welcome!

* 2 bedrooms, both with walk-in closets
* 1 bonus room with closet, perfect for an office or den
* 1 large bathroom
* washer and dryer hookups
* kitchen with gas stove and fridge
* huge pantry
* hardwood floors
* built-in bookcases in living room
* built-in buffet in dining room
* tons of storage space
* large front porch
* fenced-in backyard
* INCLUDED: landscaping, water, and trash pick-up

If you're interested, please call Danielle @ XXX.XXX.XXXX

OR.....

OPEN HOUSE: We've had so much interest in the house that we've decided to have an open house. SATURDAY, APRIL 10, 1-3pm. XXXX Lincoln Avenue

Property managed by Heritage Property Consulting.

• cats are OK - purrr
• Location: North Park
• it's NOT ok to contact this poster with services or other commercial interests

PostingID: 1682872021




We posted this ad last Thursday and had a lease signed by Monday. The ad below has been up since April 7th.

$1400 / 3br - House in Great Central Location (City Heights/North Park)

---

Date: 2010-04-07, 12:01PM PDT
Reply to: see below

---

Nice & updated private 3 bedroom house
Borders North Park, 1 bath, flexible lease, washer/dryer hookups, refrig, stove, fenced yard
$1200 security deposit
Available now
Call 858-547-9188


Just sayin'.

My bearded man

I've mentioned the Rad Boyfriend in passing several times on this here weblog, but I've never gotten into how we met or came to be Rad Boyfriend and Awesome Girlfriend. And I probably won't, not for a while. I am, however, dedicating this post to one of the many reasons why Rad Boyfriend is so Rad.

Several weeks ago, I hurt my back. It's unclear how exactly I hurt it, but I did. And I ignored my body for those several weeks and continued lifting heavy laundry baskets and boxes, and continued to get down on my hands and knees to scrub the kitchen floor. My body didn't like this so much, because I woke up on Sunday morning and literally couldn't move. Every motion of my body, no matter how slight, made me hyperventilate with pain. It hurt to breathe, it hurt to blink, it hurt to lay still. I somehow made it out of bed to use the bathroom, and promptly burst into tears after I laid back down in bed. This was NOT good.

I happened to be house-sitting at the time, and the owner of the house happens to be a helicopter EMT who just happens to have some pretty sweet prescription drugs in the guest bathroom. Quick lesson in whatever sort of back injury I have: PAIN KILLERS DO NOT HELP THE PAIN. Neither prescription-strength ibuprofen nor Vicodin did a thing to help ease my agony. I gimped around all day like a gimpy gimp and it was miserable.

Miserable except for one thing: Rad Boyfriend. I'd been complaining about my back for several days by that point, and he realized the magnitude of my pain when I came back to bed that morning in tears. He immediately took over, and for the next two days, he did EVERYTHING for me. He helped me get dressed, he unloaded the dishwasher, he brought me drinks and snacks, he fed the dog that he's allergic to, he went to the store for me, EVERYTHING. He even went to the airport to pick up a friend for me! If he saw me lean towards the coffee table, he asked what I wanted and got it for me. When I dropped my phone (or glasses or remote control) he picked it up for me. He even spent an extra night with me knowing he'd have to wake up early the next morning to go home and get ready before work. And at the end of that day? He came back with my favorite snacks. He loaded the dishwasher and did the dishes and fed the dog. He had dinner with me, we watched a movie together, and when it was time for him to go home, he checked all the windows, locked the doors, tucked me into bed, and told me to call him in the morning if I needed anything.

Ladies and gentlemen, I give you Reason Number 970,687 why Rad Boyfriend is so Rad.

It was organic and crunchy

Scene: I'm house-sitting for some friends of the Rad Boyfriend and...me? Myself? Whatever, I'm house-sitting for people we both know. Rad Boyfriend opens up their fridge and pulls out a plastic deli container.

RB: This is the most hippie-looking peanut butter I've ever seen.

Coming to terms with my unwealth

I went to law school and spent a ton of money on tuition and living expenses. I didn't think about the cost of all that stuff because HEY! I'm gonna be a LAWYER! I'm gonna make a BUTTLOAD of money after all is said and done!

Yeah, not so much.

Fast-forward to almost 2 years after graduation and I think I've finally decided (for sure) that I don't want to practice law. I'd been toying with the idea of taking the California bar exam, but ultimately decided against it. It's expensive, time-consuming, and I don't have any guarantee of passing it, or more importantly, finding a position as an attorney afterward. And California has this funny thing about licensed attorneys working as paralegals--they don't like it. So not only do I not have any prospects of finding a job as a lawyer, but I could never go back to being a paralegal. I think I'll stick with my current job, thank you very much.

But here's the problem with spending all that money on an education that doesn't doesn't lead to a fancy, 6-figure salary: it sucks your wallet dry. Do you have any idea how much my student loan payments are each month? A LOT. Add to that the cost of moving across the country with no savings and into an expensive house because I just HAD to live in a Craftsman, and BAM. Instant wallet-drainer. Not good times.

So what have I done to fix this money problem? Well, several things. First I stopped eating out so much. When Rad Boyfriend and I first started dating, we went out ALL THE TIME. That promptly ended when my car got towed and my car insurance was due and I was in a bad state. After that, I started bargain hunting when it came to groceries and shopping. (Three words: Trader Joe's and Target. That's all I'm saying.) Then I started looking for a second job. I dreaded the idea of having to work retail, but I sucked it up and applied to a bunch of different jobs, both retail and non-retail. I don't want to jinx anything, but let's just say I've had some luck in the non-retail department. (More on that later.)

And finally, the thing that will save me the most amount of money every month, I decided to move out of my very awesome, very expensive house, and into a 3-bedroom apartment with 2 friends. It's going to be quite a change living with 2 people and sharing a bathroom with a boy. But you know what? It's worth it. Not only do I love these 2 friends dearly, but we're adults now. We know how to respect each other's space and keep things clean. We all have jobs, we all have schedules, and most importantly, we all want to save some money.

So goodbye awesome Craftsman house. Goodbye kitties whom I've grown to love like my own. Goodbye Red, one of the best roommates I have EVER had. Goodbye font porch and walk-in closet and hardwood floors.

AND HELLO SAVINGS ACCOUNT!!

It feels good to be an adult and have my priorities straight =)

Earthquake!

I experienced my first actual SoCal earthquake yesterday--7.2!! And here's how I reacted:

Rad Boyfriend and I were sitting on his parents' couch, about 60 miles north of San Diego. I'd been drinking a bit and thought I felt something strange, but attributed it to the alcohol. I looked over at RB and saw him rocking back and forth on the couch like it was a glider. "Are you moving the couch?" I asked him. "No!" he responded, "it's an earthquake!"

D'oh!

How I know my family still loves me even though I moved 3,000 away from them

My mom called me this morning to tell me that I will be receiving a package in the mail. The contents of said package?

"Well, you know your grandmother. Once she gets an idea into her head, there's no stopping her. She wanted to send you an Easter package. She made sweet bread, so she sent you some of that. And a smoked sausage from that deli you like. And two hard-boiled eggs that you may or may not want to throw out by the time you get the package. It's all wrapped in a frilly apron that she bought for you. And when I say frilly, I mean it's frilly. Also, be careful when you throw the box away because she also put $20 at the bottom for you."

You guys, how cute are they?!

So how will y'all be spending your Easter? Church or no church? Dressed up or casual? Are you going to your family's house, or are you hosting? I myself will be going to church in my Sunday best, which will be followed by some day-drinking and dinner at the Rad Boyfriend's family's house. And when your Rad Boyfriend has three teenage step-siblings, one brother and sister-in-law, one 3-year-old half sister, and a bevvy of entertaining relatives that regularly throw each other into the pool fully clothed, your Easter Sunday is sure to be fun =)