Operation Marriage 2011?

In January, I had a conversation with a friend at church who told me that in 2011, it was going to be her goal to meet someone and get married, if if was God's will, of course.

So it got me thinking, is this something that you can mentally embark on and will it to happen?

I had a coversation with my BFF earlier today and she mentioned that she heard of a girl who booked a venue, put down a deposit on a specific date and bought a dress, however she wasn't even dating anyone. She did all of that because she was confident that she would find her happily ever after by her due date. I don't know if she ever did.

I think there is some societal pressure to get married. If you're not coupled up by a certain age, people think something is wrong with you. Do people really have an expiration date for when they can find love?

Apparently, my BFF's mom thinks so. She even created a fake profile on a dating site "just to see if there were any guys out there" for her. While her heart was in the right place, I understand why my BFF was upset. IMHO, I think she wants grandchildren and wants to do everything she can to get them, including a little deception. :)

So at the end of the day, I'm not out to "get married" by the end of year, but I do think that getting out there and meeting people, telling people to set me up is a good start.

I've made a pact with my BFF that in April, we both have to do something that forces us to make strides to meet new people. My April task is to FINALLY take golf lessons. I have a set of clubs, golf balls and golf shoes. I just have to overcome my fear and just do it. I just need Mr. Sunshine to cooperate.

Silence Your Inner Critic

I had a really interesting conversation with a dear friend and colleague earlier this week when we were chatting about eating healthier and exercising.

I shared that I wasn't drinking at the happy hour happening that evening because I had too much bubbly over the weekend and felt bloated and fat, to which she admonished me and said I look gorgeous. It made me question why I always put myself down and call myself fat. I would never dream about calling a friend the "f-word" so why is it okay to call myself that?

In short, it's not ok to constantly put myself down. I need to silence my inner critic and tell myself that I'm beautiful, intelligent, talented, charming and honest. ;) If I don't believe it, no one else will.

New Year, New Post!

Happy New Year 2011!

A new year means a new start, but I don't believe that you can look forward without one last glance in the rearview mirror.

So as a final goodbye, I wanted to take a look back at the best of 2010 from my rearview mirror.

January 1 - The year kicked off in Vietman in Nha Trang with a horrible sunburn after laying out the entire day before. I was with my BFF "St. Louis" and we were on the second leg of our annual international vacation. Unfortunately, I has "srimps" from the NYE dinner and I came down with a horrible food posioning, which required me to take antibiotics after a serious scare on a river boat. I was never so thankful for modern medicine until that point. While a bit unusual, our vacation to Cambodia and Vietnam was one that left me in awe (Angkor Wat and  Halong Bay) and sadness (poverty and genocide in Cambodia) but made me so much more aware of the world around me.

March 19 - "IT'S A GIRL!" My beautiful niece, Sarah Elizabeth was born. I didn't get the call from my mom until after she was born. My mom called my cell and when I didn't answer, she called my landline. Through my earplugged sleepy haze, I hear my mom on my machine telling me to wake up and get to the hospital to  meet the new addition to our family. She is just the happiest baby and her laugh and smile makes my heart sing! It's been such a joy this last year to watch her grow. Thankfully she loves to be held and I never get tired of her falling asleep in my arms. I recently had a conversation with my BFF about how you can love someone else's child so much that it hurts your heart and how we can't imagine having our own children to feel that love 100 fold.

May - Family vacay to Disneyland and San Diego. Disneyland is so much more fun through the eyes of a child. While family vacations are never easy, there is never a shortage of laughs and memories.

August 29 - Eek, I turned 32, but I'm still in my "early 30's" and I've actually accepted and now celebrate all of my birthdays. I think that each year brings a flood of memories and experiences with your friends and sometimes by yourself. After overimbibing with my designated "fun friend Michelle" I spent the day after reflecting at a spa, pampering with a facial and a massage. Ahh, bliss!

October 16 - Our family again grew and I gained a sister-in-law. My baby brother got married and the wedding was a blast. Weddings are such a happy occasion to see friends and family that you never get to see.

Nov. 1 - I witnessed history. I was in the stands at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington for Game 5 of the World Series as the San Francisco Giants won their first World Series since moving to SF. I was there because of the generosity of a friend/client. It was an amazing experience to be there, knowing that all of my friends were so happy that I could be there.

Mid-November - I vacationed in Oahu and it was stunning. It was a much needed respite to relax, master snorkeling, spend time with my BFF, finally ride a scooter, and experience Leonard's malsadas.

On this second day of the new year, this blog post just reminds me of how blessed I am and praise and thank
Him for this fabulous life.

Cheers to you and your family this coming year. I resolve that 2011 will have more than 12 blog posts for the entire year!

Optimism Contagious?

"I've got this friend, who is lonely. She's afraid she'll never find her one and only, " sang Faith Hill.

This last weekend, I spoke to two of my dearest friends and they both shared that they were struggling with being single. I then shared that for once, I was feeling really optimistic about being single.

A week ago, I watched my brother (who is seven years younger than me) get married to his lovely fiancee. I couldn't be happier for them! I have a new sister, whom I love. I thought back to a time when I was really struggling. She and I were on the phone chatting about my (then) current guy situation and she simply asked, "Can I pray for you?" I said yes and as she prayed with me, I broke down in tears.

Looking back, I think that was the start of my new positive outlook.

This weekend, I was asked how I could maintain my optimism, despite being single. I just replied that I believe that God has a plan for me and my life; I just need to be patient. I shared this with both of my girls over the weekend and I hope it made a diffence in their lives.

In any case, I hope that my optimism is contagious. Life's too short to worry about where you should be or who you should be with. Enjoy each moment that you've been given.

Love you dolls!

Birthday Reflections

As another candle was added to the cake, there was no melancholy for once. As I was enjoying my facial and massage today, I couldn't help but think about my life and how truly blessed I am.

Last night I had the privilege of celebrating with family and friends. I had an amazing time and it was very cool that because of Facebook, friends from Asia, Australia and Europe were sending birthday love last night. Throughout the day, my phone was blowing up from all of the texts and notifications of Facebook wall postings.

A high school friend recently passed and it was another reminder to me that life is so precious and you can't tell someone too many times how much they mean to you.

Thank you to all of my family and friends who wished me a very happy birthday. You have no idea how much I appreciate all that you are and all that you do. Thank you for supporting and loving me. This is my ode to you!

Must Love Camping?!?!

I recently jumped back into the online dating world and the one common denominator of all of the men who post is their love of CAMPING!

If you know me, you KNOW that camping is not really my thing. My idea of camping involves a hot shower and flushing toilets. If I have those things, I can probably camp for a few days. However, I can't say that MY idea of camping is probably what most people think about camping.

My family really didn't do much camping when I was younger, but there are a few photos that exist but show us in tents in Yosemite with cots. Not exactly roughing it...

My sister, brother in law and their children are all about camping and visit Yosemite at least once a year.

What's most ironic is that I have all the gear to go camping: a sleeping bag, a really nice sleeping pad, tent, camp chair and a latern.

Instead of camping, I'd rather be in a plush hotel room in a fluffy robe, a glass of bubbly in my hands, and a spa appointment for a massage.

Perhaps Mr. Right can change my mind about camping? I'll guess we'll have to see ...

10 Pounds!!!

10 pounds! That's the milestone I hit earlier this week.

It's been nagging me that I've neglected you, my trusty blog, but I wasn't very inspired to write anything until this morning. I woke up a half hour before my alarm rang and just knew.

Two posts earlier, I was down in the dumps about shopping and how nothing fit. Yesterday morning, I put on a pair of khakis that hadn't fit in over a year and I couldn't believe my eyes! I was so happy that I told everyone at work! But the 10 pounds hasn't been without hard work. I tried a boot camp class and seriously injuired my back, which sidelined me from working out for a week.

I never realized how many of my social activiities involved food, until I embarked on this weight loss journey. It's so easy to say, "let's meet over drinks or dinner," but since I don't eat "regular" food anymore, that isn't an option. Instead, I've had to meet my friends over coffee, go to a movie, or workout with them. It's just as fulfilling, but not filling.

I can see the weight loss in my face. I don't worry about taking photos at a specific angle, as to not get the dreaded double chin. And with the recent weight loss, I've discovered that I have dimples ... or that they've become a little more prominient.

I still have about 20 more pounds to go, which will put me at the lowest weight in my adult life, but I can't wait to accomplish my goal.

I want to give a shout out to all of my friends who have been so patient with me and those who encourage me. Please know how much I appreciate you asking how I'm doing and complementing me. It's what makes this so much easier, so thank you!