A lazy day in the city and making new friends

The Fiance is off work today so we were able to enjoy a lazy day around town (well, ok, I am on sabbatical so technically I could do this any day but I would not be able to do it with him). 

I started off pretty well...cooked a pretty healthy lunch of eggs and a slice of avocado...yum.

For lunch we decided to head to a small mexican spot that we had not been to in a few years.  I had forgotten how weird the set up was.  It is a mexican restaurant and a hotel (now before you think, that is not weird, hotels always have restaurants in their lobby...no.  This is a restaurant with a hotel in the lobby).  Sooooo right next to the tables, past the salsa bar,  is a really contemporary hotel check in desk.  With a concierge.  And next door is DSW. (Shoes.  Salsa.  Sleep.  Sweet!)


We have decided that wandering around Nordstrom (which we did today) was a fun way to spend our time during holiday shopping but with our one income family and my penchant for spending money (Burberry was half off today!) this is a perfect time to discover the city not only for the purposes of my blog but for the purpose of getting me out of the mall (but when I get my new job I will need some new suits).  So on the schedule for the holiday is massages for both of us (but not in the same room, we tried that once...so NOT relaxing)  a chocolate tasting at a local chocolate shop and a day trip to Sonoma (chocolate + wine = one.great.weekend).

I am still working on a plan to find some new gal pals.  I am hoping to make some new friends at the gym but that always seems so awkward.  My gym has a great set up in the locker rooms - hot tub, steam room, sauna - The Fiance calls it our favorite work out, "the tri-bathalon."  There was a woman in the hot tub today who looked like a pretty cool girl who I wanted to chat with but um, this is not a hot tub situation with swim suits and I don't want to be the creepy girl in the hot tub trying to make new friends while butt naked.  And also,  I noticed that in the hot tub no one speaks.  Never.  Everyone is quiet and no one looks at each other.  I bought a cute tennis outfit so maybe I will learn to play tennis and meet some new friends that way.

Ok. Side note.  So my whole "cooking from an actual cookbook" has not quite started.  I did purchase two cooking magazines though and that really should count for something.  I did cook the eggs this morning and yesterday my lunch that I cooked for the two of us consisted of rotisserie chicken mixed with Amy's Organic MacNCheese (seriously though, it is low sodium organic and very yummy and currently on sale at Whole Foods).   The Fiance said he loved it.  Anyway....to my point.  So The Fiance tonight wanted to whip up a quick dinner for me (despite the fact that his back hurt...so nice) and it involved marinated chicken breasts, french green beans and a mixed greens salad (from our bi-weekly delivery from the local organic farm!) with no, not a salad dressing from the fridge but a homemade dressing involving a pomegranate emulsion.  (An Emulsion!)  I googled it to see what it was.  The Fiance is the best.  (Side note too, blog spot keeps underlining Fiance making me think I spelled it wrong.  So I just yelled to the kitchen "how do you spell fiance, the computer keeps telling me it is wrong!" (me) "Beyonce?"(him) "No! Fiance"(me) "Beyonce?"(him) "No! Fiance.  The male version."(me) This went on for a few more minutes.

Good night. 

A new zipcode....

Trolley Chick.  I am a newbie to the west coast... a midwestern girl who after half a decade of long distance dating is finally living in the same time zone as The Fiance.  I am starting a new career (well...will soon be...I am currently "on sabbatical") and a new life as a California girl.

Even though job hunting while watching Toddlers and Tiaras is exciting (Have you watched this show? This conversation is really a blog entry in itself) I really want to explore  the city and explore my new life.  California and San Francisco are known for a lot...the food, the sights, and oh...the wine!

In between starting my new career, finding new friends and oh, planning a wedding (September 10, 2011 in case you were wondering 9-10-11...clever right?) I am going to learn how to cook (and eat of course) real food, discover the sights of San Francisco and learn how to describe wine I like as something more detailed than "fruit forward."  

Now I am certainly not trying to be Julie & Julia...really I have very little desire to attempt to cook something that complicated every day...but I am going to at least try to 1) NOT go out to eat every day 2) stop only eating things that are a certain number of WW points  and 3) learn how to whip up a quick meal that does not involve me heating up two Lean Cuisine meals (you know, one for him, one for me).  The Fiance has this crazy idea that if I start eating real foods and obsessing about fat free faux "food" then I may be healthier and happier (and hopefully I can shred this 10ish extra pounds that I have gained that I blame wine country for, ok or Chicago pizza).  Oh, and I am going to decrease the amount of diet pepsi I drink a day by at least a gallon (kidding).  A liter.  Maybe.

The Fiance also has the crazy idea that if I started paying full price for things then I would actually spend less money.  This may have been triggered by the cold sweats I had describing the 40% off the sale prices promotion at Club Monaco yesterday but that is also another conversation.  Baby steps people!

Luckily I have a great soundtrack for my new adventures because despite the concrete walls in our cool loft I can hear the music/tv/movies that our (also apparently on sabbatical) neighbor plays.  All. Day. Long.

Welcome to my new adventures...