Well hello there 2012

Last year I had an unofficial resolution to get myself to a better place, one where I wasn't feeling so bogged down by the people around me or the living situation I was in. As controversial as my choices seemed to some along the way, they proved to be the right ones. I managed to cut out all the drama and negativity from my life and landed a dream job in my favorite city. I live alone, which for me is ideal, and maintain a small pool of friends and family who I trust and respect. That last bit might sound simple enough, but I have learned the hard way that good people are hard to come by, and all too often the ones who should be a sure thing are the ones who hurt you the most.

I hadn't planned on making any clearly outlined resolutions for 2012, I never really do list them out. My resolutions tend to be ever evolving. This year I do have a list, and here's why. 

A childhood friend, who got engaged over the holidays, asked me to be a bridesmaid in her destination wedding this August... Of course my first thought was OMG OMG OMG or something ridiculous like that, because I'm absolutely elated that these two have finally decided to get hitched and thrilled that they want me to be a part of it. However, sheer terror followed as the realization hit me that I'm going to be in Jamaica wanting to run around in a bikini but will feel too pale and chubby to do it! Well, unless there's a considerable amount of rum involved, and surely there will be, but let's try not to hate myself when I see the photographic evidence later on, eh? I'm honestly not that far away from my college weight and it's entirely reasonable to run it off in the next few months without having to take any extreme measures.

 

Last Lunches

With the new year quickly approaching and fitness plans in the works, my coworkers and I decided to celebrate our last week of 2011 by gorging ourselves with all of our favorite lunches before they become forbidden. Here's our hit list, in case you're not starting a diet and want to check these spots out for yourself. Oh, and, make sure you order an Anchor Steam with your food at any of these places!

MONDAY - The brewery was closed, but I'm sure we all ate a ton of leftover Christmas goodies

TUESDAY - Goat Hill Pizza in Potrero Hill, half Meat Lover's and half Hilda's Favorite

WEDNESDAY - Jerry's Crispy Tacos at Dos Pinas in Potrero Hill

THURSDAY - Pupusas at a Salvadorian joint in the Mission called Balompie

FRIDAY - Umami Burger on Union, I'm leaning toward the shiitake one but we'll see! 

 Happy eating!

Christmas Weekend

I hope you all had a delicious, sparkly, cozy holiday weekend! Besides having my worst allergy attack of the year, mine was quite delightful. I spent time with family and friends, attended the Christmas program at church, and did a bit of shopping. I'm back at work today, but it hardly feels like a normal workday since the roads were nearly empty on my way in, there was no line at Starbucks, and my office is a ghost town. This evening I'll take down my Christmas decorations, and if I can get a friend to help, I'll take the tree out. I'm less sentimental about my Christmas tree now that I'm sure it is the culprit of this latest wave of awful allergies. How can such a pretty thing bring so much joy and so much ickiness at the same time? It is a mystery, a mystery that requires a lot of tea and inhalers.

 The hometown holiday bar hop is something my friends and I look forward to every Thanksgiving and Christmas. It started in college when all the kids we grew up with would flock home for break and congregate at local dive bars to catch up. Even though we're all in our late 20's/ early 30's now, the tradition has carried on. For those of us who don't spend much time in our hometown anymore, it's still the easiest way to track down old classmates and friends and find out what everyone's been up to the last year (off of Facebook, that is).

Bucket List: Learn to Shoot

I noticed that I hadn't checked anything off of my bucket list in a while, so I took a friend up on an offer to teach me how to shoot handguns at a range in South San Francisco. To be honest, firing a gun for the first time was absolutely terrifying! Everything about it was different than I expected. The gun was heavier than I thought it would be, and it was difficult to keep the gun from kicking up after each shot. The flash, the smell, the shell bouncing off the wall to my right, it caught me off guard with every shot. I feel like I did pretty well though, I mean, at least I hit the target every time! It's definitely something I want to try again.