Gouda gouda gouda

Made grilled cheese with gouda, roasted mushrooms, and onions. So good. I'm in love with gouda cheese. 
It's my favorite cheese now actually. Mmm. 

Fig jam and Portola

Spent a nice weekend strolling around with my sister, cousin, and nieces. I had the Apple and Brie Cheese 

Panini with Fig Jam at Boudin and it was delicious. They got rid of their Spinach and Mushroom Pizza...

that pizza was so good. Afterwards, we stopped by Portola. I never knew this kind of place existed. 

By "this kind," I mean a place with an interior design reminiscent of what I've seen in Korea, but in Costa 

Mesa. Brought back warm, fond memories I can't describe in words but just feel. I'll try explaining. 

You know that feeling when you smell a scent and you immediately flash back to a distant memory in a specific 

time and place and frames of movement whiz by like you've just experienced it all over again within a span of 

one second? It's fast, but what you feel from that one second is so vivid, your senses awake. Then it's over. 

Comes and goes, everything is back to normal. It is strange and a treat when I experience these. It's okay if 

you don't understand. I sound like a total looney, but that was just an attempt to describe the awesome, 

once every couple of months feeling I encounter. 

My stomach is growling. I'm tucked in my bed so maybe I should just fall asleep. Goodnight world. 

Subconscious guilt

Lately, I've been thinking about Basil more than usual. I realize it must be my subconscious guilt 

with the upcoming trip to Korea. As exciting as going to Korea is, there's a string tugging at the 

thought of leaving Basil behind for two weeks. Two weeks is an eternity for a dog without his family. 

I hope he does not feel abandoned. Being from a shelter, abandonment is something I wish he 

will never feel again, a feeling he is all too familiar with. I am horrible for leaving him. I pray he will be 

distracted and happy with his friend Ringo. But really, every hour at work I'm thinking about Basil 

and wanting to rush to the apartment to be with him. As the trip nears, I am becoming a wee 

bit more anxious. I'm so sorry Basil. I will shower you with love, kisses and treats when I return. I still 

have a month until I leave; yes, I am overreacting a tad, but because I love him so much, this 

is how and what I feel. 

Je suis

I am learning French via Duolingo. It's fun. Today I learned the very basics. 

Je suis une femme. (I am a woman)

La chat est noir. (The cat is black)

Nous sont riche. (We are rich)

La robe et la pomme sont rouge. (The dress and the apple is red)

La - the (feminine)

Une - a (feminine)

Le - the (masculine)

Un - a (masculine)

L'homme - the man

Garçon - boy

Femme - woman

Fille - girl

La lettre - the letter

Le livre - the book

Rouge - red

Riche - rich

Manges - eat

Chat - cat

Noir - black/dark

Il - it/he

Et - and

Tu - you

Je - i

J'aime - i like/love

Suis - am

Sont/sommes - are

Pomme - apple

Robe - dress

Enfante - child

Calme - calm/quiet

These are just some of what I learned from the top of my head. Repetition will be my best friend 

if I want to remember. I feel good learning. 

Night light effect

Glass of water, meet night light. I was drinking my glass of cold water next to my night light right 

before going to bed. I looked down at my cup which I happened to hold at an angle above the night light 

and noticed a neat effect. I'm sure the cold water causing the glass to fog enhanced the texture 

of it all, though. I just had to take a photograph. Kind of looks like I'm holding a wad of space or a giant, 

glowing, translucent, marbleized ball. 

Eggcellent

I love eggs. Over easy, poached, scrambled, hard boiled - I love them. They're great with rice, 

bagels, pizza, sandwiches, meat, burgers, ramen, and by itself. I'm so thankful for them. 

If this was real

This is pause worthy. I can look at this photo multiple times and feel enchanted like the 

first time; however, I hear this is photoshopped. Ugh...photoshop. It's disappointing 

when I see a picture so beautiful, only to find out it's not real. Yes, photoshop is magical and 

imaginative, but it's also dismaying, misleading, and for me, anticlimactic. Unable to believe 

or differentiate truth from fabrication is unnerving. As cool as an image may look, if it's been 

altered to portray or tell a false story, it goes straight into my mental junk neuron.  My automatic 

response to any gasp activating photograph today is, "is this real?". Having to question 

a photo's authenticity is indeed pitiful, but I would be a fool to believe everything I see online. 

Let's not be fools. Man, I love this photo and I hate it. 

Overall, if something is clearly meant to be creative and experimental with the use of photoshop, 

I'm all for it. When photoshop is used with the intention to pass something off as authentic or real 

when it's not, I turn sour. My rant about this aspect of abuse in today's digital age is now over. 

Love him to pieces. 

Chimichurri on sliced, toasted baguette is the bomb.

I have Morton's toe and so does the Statue of Liberty. Cool.

Shhh

Ever go through an occasional anti-social mode? Well, I'm currently in that mode. 

Truth be told, I love being alone. There was a time my mom and sister were genuinely worried I had 

no friends. It took a while for them to believe I do in fact have friends and am not a complete 

weirdo, and that I just enjoy spending time alone. Perhaps because I'm constantly surrounded by people, 

moving vehicles, co-workers from Monday through Friday, my weekends are often spent alone 

running errands or doing what my heart desires. It's my time to breathe and wind down. 

If you're thinking what an introvert, I couldn't agree more. Fortunately, I like who I am. 

I like that I enjoy little, simple leisures in life, and that I can enjoy it with the company of myself. 

Mr. Cumberbatch

Thoroughly enjoyed Star Trek. Currently restraining myself from beginning the Star Trek series 

to avoid an anti-social streak of chip binging and poor hygiene.  

I really like Benedict Cumberbatch. How I did not know of him sooner is saddening. He can act, and if 

you've seen him as Sherlock Holmes in the BBC series, you will swoon over his intellect, wit, 

brutally honest and perceptive character, which in turn positively fabricates Cumberbatch's image 

as Cumberbatch, not Holmes. I have no problems with that.

Homeless loses temper

I'm not sure what to make of this, but I've been seeing several homeless people 
lose their cool. 


Case 1–Homeless man throws whatever he was given to the floor in a flamboyant gesture, then proceeds 

to kick the trunk of the car, only to miss it by a few inches. 

Case 2–Homeless man yells at a driver in topless mini cooper, "MOVE MOTHER(beeper)" who was 
holding up traffic. Driver proceeded to give the homeless man the finger with a following hand gesture 
I am not familiar with but will assume is offensive. 

Case 3–Homeless man dumps out water from water bottle he was given in plain sight. 


Yes, I'll just leave it at that. 

The graphic design graduate in me is itching to fix the rags, line length, consistency, 

font size, etc. Downside to making posts via mobile...can't optimally edit posts.

Fall is here

Fall is here, fall is here. I've already busted out my knits regardless of the still warm temperatures.

The autumnal equinox confirms fall has begun, and my mind says so. My favorite seasons of the year

has to be fall and winter. There's something about breathing the cold, crisp air, face exposed, 

body bundled up in cozy goodness. Not to mention my always unusually hot body temp would 

naturally appreciate the cool temp keeping me from overheating, which is always an unfortunate 

peeve come summer. Then a cold–yes, cold–seasonal drink in hand would be the topper to the perfect 

winter day. I'm telling you, a couple sips of a hot beverage will shoot my body temperature up 

10 degrees, resulting in sweat and an unfinished drink. Same goes for soup and stew. 

Currently all over the pumpkin spiced latte, iced, decaf, with whip. It's got to be decaf and it's 

got to have whip. I hear it's a love or hate kind of thing with this drink. I love it. 

I got the blogger app on my phone. Makes it easier to update often since I haven't been going on my 

laptop at all after work unless it's to pay the monthly bills. I thought I'd start updating on a 

weekly basis...about my thoughts and current activity. It's always fun to go back and see what I've 

been up to...kind of. 

It is the summer's great last heat, it is the fall's 

first chill: they meet. 

- Sarah Morgan Bryan Piatt

Simplicity

Minimalism is not a style, it is an attitude, a way of being. 

It's a fundamental reaction against noise, visual noise, disorder, vulgarity. Minimalism is the pursuit of the essence of things, not the appearance.

–Massimo Vingelli

Couldn't have said it better. I've made attempts at dressing less "boring" or "simple" many times. 

Though it can be different and fun, I find myself resorting back to my timeless, understated pieces. 

I feel most confident and comfortable, a win-win in my book, when I'm dressed in solid 

colored knits and sweaters. If you know me, I don't like to stand out. No thank you, I'll be just 

fine going about my business, quietly. Wallflower much? Absolutely. This doesn't mean 

I don't appreciate prints and noise, I'll have my rare moments when I'm feeling unusual, but I just love 

a clean, raw, solid, classic, understated outfit. Easily overlooked, but appreciated when noticed. 

Eyeing these two watches by Uniform Wares. I've yet to invest in a good watch, because 

I haven't had any luck finding the one, until now. Beautiful aren't they? First one is $600 something. 

Second one is $300 something. Love the first one, but my wallet says no. Like the second one, 

really do–it's more affordable–but I feel like I'm just settling. I'm going to give it more thought, even though 

I already know I would not spend above $600 for a watch. So really, there is not much thought to give...

Boy was I wrong walking into pottery class thinking it was going to be easy peasy. 

But nonetheless, so much fun! Practice will definitely make improvement–far from perfect but improvement. 

Bought one of my creations for $5 and chose a "teardust" finish. I'm so excited to see the result.

Afterwards, I scored 2 beautiful vinyls amidst a stroll around the block. 
I am so happy I found The Doors best of record!!!! 
It's like rushing to my long expired parking meter and finding no ticket on my windshield. Yes!

It's summer, and it's hot. 

Have you tried Peet's iced vanilla latte (with whole milk, it's gotta be whole milk)? 

I think it is the best drink in town–yep, better than Starbucks. Starbucks is overrated, I tell you. 

It's too bad the only Peet's near me follows funky store hours and closes every Sunday and ironically, 

I always want one on Sunday. I'm craving one right now, as you might tell. 

There's never a day where I don't think about how my life is going. Is this the path 

I envisioned as a youngster? No. Am I happy? For the time being. Is this how I see my life in 

the next 5 years? No. Then what do I see myself doing in the next 5 years? 

Positively traveling the world.  

I've always been about happiness. Do what makes you happy. 

You don't like your current job? Quit. Pursue other options–trust, there's plenty. You can get paid to do 

something you actually enjoy, so channel your energy into what makes you happy. 

The requirements: knowing what you want, pursuing what you want with all hope and faith, 

having an open mind, loving what you want, and staying positive. 

Yeah...a little easier said than done. 

I would just like to travel, right now.