As you may have been able to tell, I went and got myself a new boyfriend. This one is pretty great; in just the two weeks we’ve been dating we’ve already done so much. We’ve been on tons of dates, we’ve already gone away together for a weekend of fun in Santa Cruz. He’s ambitious like me and loves to get out and do things. We were talking about where we’d like to go next on a trip and he mentioned Las Vegas. With the suffering economy, there just aren’t a lot of places we can afford to go. Fortunately las vegas hotels still remain inexpensive and flights are pretty cheap too when you plan it right. I’ve been to Las Vegas three times but every time was with family, and only once when I was old enough to gamble. I’m not a huge fan, but with the right person it might be fun. With Dyl Pickle I could have a blast, I’m sure of it. We have fun doing the most basic things, like grocery shopping or playing scrabble while watching a movie. I think a weekend in Vegas could just be a big winner.

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The fires here in California are slowly killing me. It has put a huge snag in my workouts too. As some of you know, I’m training for my marathon with team in training and running has become a big problem. They’ve even canceled some of our training sessions and have told us all to stay indoors. And let me tell you, staying inside all day and all night is making me crazy. I’m not an inside person and it’s summer! I should be out using my pool floats and sunbathing instead of holing up inside trying to take in clean air. I want to go hiking and play outside on the beach. When I look outside it looks like the sky is overcast but it’s a thick layer of smoke. I don’t know how people live in polluted cities but I’m guessing its similar to this. Thank god the boy and I are going on a road trip to Oregon soon. Nothing like going home for some clean sea breeze to get the lungs right. Hopefully this smoke will clear out or Mom and Pops just might have a couple of temporary residents for the summer!

I am on a mission to pay off my debt as fast as possible. This mission of course requires money, which I have little of. I’m also trying to save up for a house, another little venture that requires a sizable amount of dough.
I’m always looking for ways to make a little extra cash here and there. Blogging to me is a great hobby, and has become even better because now I can make money and I have a writing outlet at the same time. There are all kinds of so called pay you to post sites out there. SocialSpark is a relatively new pay to blog site that is full of money making opportunities. I like them because not only do they give you opportunities to make a few bucks, but there is a whole community as well. I also like that they have a code of ethics:

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Unlike some blog sites, you don’t have to wait long for an opportunity, just because of the sheer number they have. There are all kinds of things to blog about, so you’re sure to find something relevant to you. And with the large community, you’ll gain a lot of traffic to your site. If you love to blog and you want to share some opinions about products out there, why not give
SocialSpark a shot? You have nothing to lose, and a lot to gain.

I just got home from a weekend camping out with my beau. We had a great time, and it was definitely a different kind of camping. It was different than traditional camping since we were camping out basically in a friend’s backyard and not out in an actual campsite. After the first night under the stars lying on a painfully hard deck, we opted for the tent on the much softer ground. It was fun, but it was nice to be back and under metal roofing again. I am definitely down to go camping again, but maybe this time to a real campsite where we can roast s’mores. Something about half camping where you still have to be around civilization makes things awkward. I became much more aware of the dirt under my fingernails when we ventured into town for the day. That and the way I smelled. Two things I wouldn’t care so much about on a camping trip. Also I think I minded because I was with the new beau and I’m still in that stage where I want to look my best. Kind of hard to do when you have dirt on your legs and you smell like sunscreen and sweat. Now doesn’t that paints a lovely picture?

I’m not sure what happened this month, but I have a feeling gas prices have something to do with my empty wallet. I am normally pretty comfortable, and can afford to go out to eat every once in awhile, and I am confident my bills are paid. I watch how much I spend, but I’ve been fortunate enough to have a little cushion. Well the cushion ran out this month, and payday could not get here faster. I think the fact that it costs twice as much as it used to to fill my gas tank could be a big part of it. I can’t believe the prices! Here in California it’s up to $4.51 and that’s the “cheap” gas. Grrr…with these prices I feel like my car has become a money pit. The idea of paying for an oil change or heaven forbid new car parts is out of the question. If I lived closer to work I would definitely bike, and give my car a much needed rest. I really hope things change soon as far as these prices go, because I’m gonna have to start eating ramen again, yikes!

Sometimes I think it would have been nice to be born in another era. I know times were hard and people were oppressed, but I’d love to live just a little ways back. When men wore gold cufflinks and women dressed in fancy dresses. People went on romantic dates as the norms, and gentlemen put their coats down on puddles for ladies. I don’t know why but that just paints a great picture in my mind.

Nowadays most men think it’s a romantic date if they take a girl out to a chain restaurant and pay. They show up in tee shirts and holey jeans and scruffy hair. Or there are the guys who don’t “believe” in dates, and prefer to just come over to a girl’s house and watch a movie. Whatever happened to romance? Come on guys, at least wear a button up shirt! When I have a son I’m going to teach him how to date a woman. I’m fortunate enough to have a few men in my life who know how to treat a lady, but they are a dying breed. I think it also doesn’t help that women don’t demand it. We just accept that this is the way life is now. I say NAY! Bring back the cufflinks!

So they say right now it’s a buyer’s market for houses. I’ve been looking at houses like a 12 year old boy looks at his first playboy. I scan through the listings hungrily, and I daydream about what my first house is going to be like. I think what excites me the most is the chance to fix it up. I’ve always wanted to go on one of those home improvement shows they have on the Discovery Channel. Have you seen those crazy new sinks they have? They have farmhouse sinks and vessel sinks that look pretty snazzy. I don’t know if I’d be able to afford those kinds of improvements right away, but even being able to paint would be nice. I can’t wait to get out of apartment living and into something I can call my own!

Yesterday I couldn’t leave work fast enough. Researching dell memory and doing other such tedious tasks felt like it was taking forever. You know when you have something to look forward to the time goes that much slower? Funny how that is. I was so excited because after work it was Ladies Night! I went out with my favorite ladies, EB and KJ to happy hour filled with margaritas and laughs, followed by the much anticipated watching of the Sex and the City movie! It was just as good as I had hoped it would be, and perfect for Ladies Night. We laughed, we cried, we awwwed, we sighed with wistfulness. It was nice to spend an evening out with my girls. We definitely need more of those!

Finally the primaries are done and the democratic party has a candidate. I was jumping around my living room for joy when I heard the news. GO OBAMA!!! I am so so so ready for a change. I am not going to preach, all I am going to say is I can’t wait for change. I can feel it in the air. “It is our time to offer a new direction for this country that we love. This was the moment, this was the time that we came together to remake this great nation so that it may always reflect our very best selves and our highest ideals.” Whenever he speaks I get goosebumps, I get PUMPED. I just hope that America is ready for change because I know I am.

I think I’ve managed to conquer some of the junk food cravings I was having which is a relief. I got up early on Saturday morning and managed to run six miles with Team in Training. That’s the longest I’ve run at one time in my whole life. Needless to say I’m incredibly sore, but it was worth it. Now that I’m getting back in shape I’m actually craving healthier and lighter foods so that’s good.
I’m hoping to be bikini ready soon so that I can take a much needed vacation. I’ve been looking up cheap flights to Hawaii, New York, maybe even San Diego. I don’t know where I want to go, but I just want to get out of town. I’ve never been to Hawaii or New York and they are two places I badly want to go. San Diego would be fun for just a cheap weekend trip. Now if I can just come up with some extra cash to spend while I’m on vacation…