in case you missed the facebook updates

lately,

i've been putting my sewing  machine to work.

i had to make a tough choice and resist temptation.

 

i was reminded of how awesome my friends are, 

and they love me even though i'm border-line midget.

i found myself being a passenger more than i would have liked.

i can't help but feel like i'm waiting for something that is never going to happen.

 i think they are just taking the easy way out-- and i don't know how to stop judging.

i can't fool myself anymore-- my education now feels like a giant waste of time.

 i think taylor swift would be an awesome friend.

and i watch/listen to her videos on my new app before bedtime.

watching my friends grow up and get married and procreate and move on with their lives is both exciting and unsettling. i wish they would accept that these choices work for them-- and not me. although, i just have to say, that if i DID decide to breed, my little "it" would be so frickin cute-- and cool.

i'm helping a friend out by taking care of her kitties. they follow me everywhere, 
which is sort of sweet.

the valentines' day frenzy confuses my brain because i'm like "OMG pink! everywhere pink! 
shiny things! so pretty!" but i'm also like "crap."

i just can't catch a break.

even though i've used up my hug allotment for the year, 

i would really enjoy just one more.

AFHV, you got me.

do you ever feel like your life is one consecutive punchline after another?  seriously, if this is candid camera, you can stop taping now. over. waving white flag. done.

some recent tidbits of conversation, for your amusement always.

the "andrea actually IS a banana-- yellow on the outside, white on the inside" confirmation:
customer: are you japanese?
me: no....
customer: what is your background?
me: [struggles] korean.
customer: my daughter-in-law is japanese. but she's full-blown japanese. raised there and everything.
me:oh, that is very cool! [smiles through pain]
customer: you were raised here. i can tell. [winks]
me: [resists temptation to gag]
customer: you are the best possible combination.
me: oh. have a nice day!


the "let's force andrea into an identity crisis" moment, as if finding out i'm no longer a virgo wasn't bad enough:
customer: [looks at my name tag] YOU ARE NOT ANDREA.
me: ummm.... my name is andrea.
customer: I KNOW WHO ANDREA IS AND YOU ARE NOT ANDREA.
me: ummm... my name is andrea too. there is another andrea who works here, but my name is andrea too.
customer: oooooh. ok.


the "ohmigosh, you're right!" lightbulb moment:
my brother: you need to get a boyfriend so you can boss him around and make him drive you everywhere.


the "this is why i should use self-checkout... screw coupons" realization:
me: [proffers employee rewards card to checker]
checker: do you work for [insert company name here]?
me: i do.
checker: what do you do?
me: i'm a pharmacy tech.
checker: that's so amazing! that's so awesome! wow!
me: it's really not that glamorous. really.
checker: oh, but you do such important work.
me: [feeling very uncomfortable with the unsolicited patronizing of selling drugs] it's really not...
checker: i'm so happy for you! that is just so great. you have a great job.
me: [smiles and goes home to cry in shower]


the "hell yes, my job IS great" moment:
me: has he used this medication before? [gestures to mother's small child]
mom: no, he hasn't taken many drugs.
kid: i don't take drugs.
mom: well, yes, this is a drug. it's not illegal though.
kid: I DON'T TAKE DRUGS.
mom: yes, yes, this is a drug.
kid: what.... no.... [facial expression of horror/disappointment/shock ensues]


the "seriously, how does your skull not just give way to the massive empty space where your brain should be?" moment:
me: just print your name and phone number here. [hands over receipt for refund]
customer: anywhere?
me: on the lines here [points with pen to clearly marked lines "customer name" and "phone number"]
customer: just print my name?
me: yes. and phone number.
customer: and phone number?
me: yes.
customer: what do i do?
me: it's ok... just print your name and phone number.
customer: sign my name? where do i sign?
me: PRINT your name, please.
customer: i'll just sign.
me: ok.
customer: and my phone number?
me: [finds happy place]




hoping your days are filled with endless amusement, although perhaps in the form of actual amusement-- like disneyland, wonder-filled biking adventures, or good ol' fashioned TV.

laughable

last night after work, I grabbed a bottle of "black cherry" hair dye.

I'm getting tired of dealing with this mane.








so I put on my game shirt...








mixed up all the stuff, snapped on the rubber gloves, and started parting and squirting.








waiting 25 minutes was the hard part after watching "ghost rider" failed to hold my attention (ok, add that one to the top 5 worst comic-book-turned-movie list)...









after rinsing my hair, it looked like "Dexter" was filmed in my bathtub.









had some fun with my conditioning creme top knot...









learned why apartmens ask for a security deposit and decided to kiss mine goodbye...









saw some signs of color...









but this morning revealed no big change afterall.









s'alright. there are worse ways to spend a Friday night.

not the worst year

2010, you're over!

here are 10 things I love about you:

1. becoming comfortable with who I am. I'm kind of strange, but I hope someday that someone will find these qualities endearing instead of neurotic-- or perhaps a healthy combination of the two terms. I mean, who could possibly pass up a girl wearing these fleecy gems?








2. not expanding my playlist artists. some things are just not worth changing.









3. losing 3.5 years' weight in less than 6 months. how did I do it, you ask? eat right and exercise. according to the numbers, I lost 17% of my body weight and averaged over 200 calories per day burned offby exercise. Jillian Michaels would be so proud. goodbye, size 4! I hope to never see you again.









4. Rosie, my iPhone, became my technology bff. I love her truly-- I accept her flaws, show off her goods, and sleep next to her every night.









5. blogging. public oversharing has never felt so cathartic, productive, and egotistical. thank you, readers.

6. expanding my sushi palate. eel is still my favorite.























7. overuse of my go-to mirror shot. I have a cell phone camera and am not afraid to flaunt my narcissism!























8. after almost a year as a part-time floating pharmacy technician, I landed a steady gig at another store so I could give up the vagrant lifestyle. splitting my week between two pharmacies that are vastly different from each other has been a true blessing. I was feeling pretty down about my job mid-year, but a few pep talks and a change in scenery has helped my attitude immensely.









9. riding my pedal bike, jogging around a track field, and remembering sweating publically is not as bad as I think it is. well. sort of. at least I got some good pictures out of my embarassing encounters with the world.









10. creating memories with others and trying to return the favor.









... and the beat goes on.

spoiled

too often, I am bogged down with the miseries of life. this holiday season has been a much needed reminder that life goes on-- and so will I.

- the ugly sweater holiday party with ornament exchange, sweets, crab rangoons, games, and conversation.






- little indulgences like egg salad sandwiches.






- Christy and Ryan's cookie decorating party. I made a starfish with bullet holes and an evil Ginger girl.










- company holiday party with booze, treats, weiner dogs, and "festive" wear.

- amazingly generous gifts from friends and coworkers that nearly made me cry.






- Christmas eve and morning with my family.






- playing with my new toys, including 3 new outfits (2 vests, 3 shirts, sweater, 2 leggings, scarf, and socks-- all coordinated!), comforter bed set, misc items, and a sewing machine! I tested my skills and made a crappy tiny pillow case for hello kitty ornament...






- remembering the real reason for the season.

merry Christmas to you, reader. warmest wishes always.

fleeting

right now, I am enjoying my Christmas tree.






right now, I know my career must involve creativity and using my hands. last night's Christmas card-making gusto gave me the biggest sense of accomplishment in a great while.






right now, the scale says I weigh the same yet I feel like a gooey chub ball. so please excuse my self-portrait of just my face... self-esteem is low these days.






right now, I should focus on this message:






right now, I appreciate my dry and corny sense of humor because I will never be bored.






right now, my insides feel kind of like this:






right now, I love tumblr. it's the last thing I look at before bed, one of the first things I see when I wake up, and I find myself sitting on the pot long for longer than usual just scrolling and tapping and saving images.














right now, I am thankful my apartment's landlord keeps our stairs and parking lot relatively ice free. you know one of my greatest fears is falling backwards down a flight of stairs, right?






right now, I think broccoli would be more popular if it would just taste like bacon.






right now, I can't stop listening to Taylor Swift's "speak now" album. it's like the booze-free, more fiddle-ish version of pink!'s "funhouse" album. you should YouTube tay's acoustic version of "haunted."






right now, I'm still depressed after finishing season 2 of joss whedon's "dollhouse" tv series. so amazing. so many "WHAT THE EFF JUST HAPPENED?!!!" moments. I suppose watching all 12 episodes in a row only contributed to the feeling of being sucked into yet another canceled tv show's world. sigh.







right now, I don't know how to separate complicated from simple, realizable from abstraction, motivation from desperation.

but, like always, I'll ride it out. thanks for reading.