No Case of the Moondays Today

Christmas break, as I know it, is over and I'm already back to work. I feel like I've been away forever; it seriously feels foreign to be sitting at a desk, typing frantically and taking phone calls. However, I can say with confidence that I feel energized. Despite a 7-hour-long drive from Los Altos to Los Alamitos, the time away seems to have done some good. I feel wide awake and am glad to be back. (what?!)

I think I will attribute this to a few things.

One, as much as I grumble about work, I like to feel productive. Work makes me feel productive- most of the time.

Two, the sun is shining outside and it's not quite as bitter cold as it was up north. A long-sleeved shirt and light jacket will do ya.

Three, I got to see both sides of my family and it was wonderful. I finally got some face time (and squeeze time!) with my darling niece, Elyse and yes, she really is this cute in person.

Four, and notably the most exciting news of all, my dear friends Lindsay and Raan are engaged as of yesterday.( I think!..Haven't heard the nitty gritty details just yet) Needless to say, I am giddy with excitement for them and nearly drove off the road when Linds called me yesterday with the announcement.

I can still remember their very first date...

I had just returned from studying abroad in Europe and was visiting some of my most favorite people, in one of my most favorite places- Summerland! Upon arrival, I learned about this boy named Raan who was driving up from San Diego to take Linds out on a date. 'He's crazy', I thought initially and then quickly turned my thoughts to, 'he must really like Linds!' As the weeks went on, it became apparent that Linds was also quite smitten with this Santa Barbara surfer boy. And I suppose the rest is history!

Congratulations you crazy kids! Love you and let the wedding-planning fun begin! :)

reasons to smile

this morning i awoke to the sound of rain. there is nothing better than waking up in a warm bed on a cold and rainy day.

except on days when you have to go to work....

....like today. eh.

"me no wanna get up", i grumbled childishly to my also-cozy-in-bed husband. "just think", he said, "we get to sleep in all we want tomorrow!"

those words sounded like a warm shower on a cold morning. speaking of warm showers, i'd better go take one. the sooner this day gets started, the sooner the night comes when we get to hit the road to vishellyah.

merry christmas everyone! love you and see you real soon. i'm especially excited to see this little munchkin... ridiculous, right? hope she's not scared of her auntie c!

Snow No!

I think I might have cursed myself.



Just weeks ago I was bellyaching about my drawers full of unused leggings, scaves and sweaters. Because I live in Southern California, these drawers usually remain untouched for 360 days out of the year. But recently, the cold has hit. It's been in the 40s and 50s.

Yay!

Right?

I know it seems I finally got my wish and it really is starting to feel a lot like Christmas, but there is something that trumps scarf-wearing and apple cider-drinking; something I wouldn't trade for all the cold weather in the world.

I am speaking of my family.

Christmas doesn't feel quite like Christmas without family and loved ones, and this very necessity is suddenly starting to feel out of reach. You see, this cold weather I wished for has arrived and tagging along for the ride is a fun little thing called snow. A snowy California Christmas sounds fantastic, right? Well... not when it looks like this:

...and not when it looks like this on your way to visit family.

I am hearing the I-5 is closed; the very pathway that will take Curtis and me to his hometown, Visalia. The alternate route? Follow the coastline and add 4 hours of travel time.

I should have saved up some bellyaching energy for this.

Me = Bear

I suppose I need to address the title of this blog. Of course it immediately brings to mind that wonderfully whimsical song from the Jungle Book; the 60s version of The Lion King's 'Hakuna Matata' known as 'The Bare Necessities'. A great song from an even greater movie that stirs up warm nostalgic feelings most everyone can relate to. So, that's a good start, right?


Those that pride themselves on being observant, or perhaps spelling buffs, may notice that I used 'bear' instead of 'bare'. See, my dollface husband affectionately calls me 'Bear'. I know I know, it's a rather masculine sounding pet name for a lady (no pun intended...not that bears are pets), but it stemmed from the idea that bears hibernate and are therefore cuddly. Probably not an accurate assumption, but it's fun to pretend!


So there you have it, People. I give you: Bear Necessities.

in the beginning...

cassie created a blog! finally.