Gina’s Blog

Wow it’s been seriously a very long time since I updated my blog.  Since the last update, I’ve hiked up to Machu Picchu and went to Oahu for our yearly vacation.  I graduated school (whoo hoo) but the fun still hasn’t ended.  I’m currently studying to pass the LEED (Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design).  I must be having anxiety of this test as my dreams have gone from nothing to pretty darn vivid.  Even last night I dreamt that I missed some Chemistry Lab classes for two weeks, didn’t know how to do math equations, and finally realized I didn’t know any test questions during a class review.  WTH!  My test is on the 29th so I will be FREE by next month.  Yes, hopefully this is that last of my studying (well of course that’s what I thought when I was walking down the aisle for graduation at UCI too…that was AGES ago).

What I’m looking forward to after all this is done.  I’m looking forward to finding my career job, traveling with my hubby more, and honestly being able to do normal things with family and friends.  I think after I met my class buddy, Kathleen, I’ve become a little more “balanced” in my life concerning school and time away from studying.  Still, it’s not the same.

Next month will be packed with fun things.  I can’t wait!  I’ll be heading to Vegas, which I haven’t gone to for about 2 years, going to NYC (my favorite city in the States) to shop and eat my way through the city, and finally visiting Cindy & her new baby in Scottsdale.

So due to the economy, my paycheck being cut in half, and my need to save money I have moved over to Maybelline Great Lash Mascara.  Okay, Jet Blue gave away free mascaras last time I flew.  Whoever said drug store products are the same in quality….heck no!!!  The #1 faved mascara that everyone swears “really” works for like a fraction of the cost sucks!  I’m moving on back to Christian Dior Blackout. 

Can’t answer that question honestly.  I started working at HBA today up in Santa Monica.  Left the house at 6:45am arrived at 8:55am.  Parking sucks by the time I arrived so I had to park like 1/4 mile away (seriously thinking I should’ve brought my bike to work as I barely found that spot and if I hadn’t it would’ve been like at least 1/2 mile hike to work).  Maily I helped organize textile and helped assist with the swatch materials for a Wynn Resort project in Macau.  Worked 9-6pm and had a 1 hour lunch (really not much lunch as I snacked on some Wheat Thins & PB&J).  Then left at 6pm and barely made it past LAX after 45 mintues  WTH??!!  I wouldv’e hung out somewhere out there but I have a project due on Thursday that I really needed to work on as I only had Sunday off and I mostly wasn’t home.  Anyways, I almost lost my brain somewhere as my head was getting dizzy and I’d been up since 5am without much food.  Hubby made me…no he really didn’t but you KNOW I’m desperate when I hit a McDonalds.  I haven’t been there for ages!  I actually didn’t know how to order a hamburger it’s been soo long (I asked for no mayo..well she kindly informed me their hamburgers don’t have mayo..go figure).  So I’m inhaling my 1000+ calorie $5 dinner and I’m driving home.  It took me 2 hours to get home.  There was a three car pile up on the fast lane, which probably delayed me a good 20 minutes.  So total commute time today=4 hours!!  HOLY MOLY!!!  Yes, I have the right to complain about the darn commuting now & my full gas tank yesterday is now at 1/2 tank..damn!

Woke up and didn’t hit the gym as I had slept late plus I walked around the city for about 7 hours the day before.  Hey that’s enough exercise if you ask me!  Hubby departed to work and I had breakfast at Pax Cafe.  I really like their whole wheat bagel with veggie cream cheese.  They chop up real veggies..nice treat then those dehydrated or frozen stuff others use.  So after my bagel & coffee, I headed up to the MET. After my Art History class I really have started appreciated art more.  So I wandered through the entire museum and really enjoyed the Egyptian collection, European Sculptures, paintings, etc.  You have to go to the rooftop lounge!  During my visit they featured Jeff Koons’ sculptures.  2 hours later, I headed to hubby’s work to have lunch with him.  Their work cafeteria is very nice and it’s well priced too, esp. for being organic. So I had a sashimi salad and then headed out to The Cloisters. First of all, it takes approximately 20 min on subway north of Central Park area.  Then you walk out of the station through the park and come across a medevil building which is The Cloisters Museum.  Entrance for the Met allows you to go to The Cloisters as long as it’s the same day.  Walking from the station to the building itself is beautiful.  I’ve only hung out in Manhattan so it was so amazing to see all the greenery and the Hudson River.  I would definitely go back and next time take hubby.  The museum was very nice too.  It’s much smaller than the other museums, but very initmate and enchanting.

After spending a few hours at the museum I headed down to the meat packing district to find a shoe store.  I walked through that area and throughout Chelsea, East Village, Soho, etc.  I was famished and I stopped by East Village Pizzeria. Only reason was because it was next to another shoe shop I’d gone to the month prior.  The pizza was soo yummy for sliced pizza.  Next time I’ll have to go back.

By the time hubby was done with work, I was in Soho.  He met me and we headed to Little Italy for dinner at Lombardi’s Pizza.  More pizza (I’ve been in the pizza mood lately so I didn’t mind at all) and a few drinks later, we headed to San Gennaro Festival, on the streets of Little Italy. However, on the way there, we ran into Rice To Riches, a rice pudding shop.  Decor looked like another frozen yogurt shop like Pinkberry, but they only do rice pudding.  We tried the rum pudding and yes it was fattening and pretty good.  I loved the slogans inside the shop like “You’re already fat…who cares!”.

San Gennaro Festival is held every year for a few weeks in Sept.  I typically come out to NYC in Sept., so I’m very familiar with the foods and sights of the festival.  Big thing to do is eat and eat at one of the restaurants that feature outdoor seating and typically a special pre-fixe menu or dinner special.  They basically block off the streets inside Little Italy, so definitely just take the subway if you plan on going.

Went to the gym with hubby and worked out.  Then went to NYU area, had a bagel & coffee at Au Bon Pain for breakfast.  Then I walked all through Soho, Nolita, and Noho neighborhood.  I love walking through the neighborhoods of NYC and really it’s my favorite part of the city and one main reason I want to move there!  So I walked and hit all the shops along the way.  A little past 2:45pm I was dying of hunger.  I walked myself  to Greenwich Village and hit Mamoun’s Falafel for a schwarma pita sandwich.  Oooh soo soo good!!  Totally late lunch as I had to meet up with hubby at 5:30pm for happy hour.  So off I went back to the hotel after walking around Greenwich after lunch.  We met and headed off to Valhalla for happy hour with hubby’s company.  All you can drink & appetizers.  Can’t beat that, right? So we hung around for about 2 hours and chatted with some of his co-workers.  They were celebrating a launch for a new website.  Yes I’m sure they were all surprised to see me again 2 months in a row!

After happy hour, I staggered to the FAMOUS Halal Food Cart, located nearby at 53rd & 6th.  You know this place is the bomb when over 200 people on Yelp gave it 4.5 stars plus when the food cart has its own website.  We waited in line & it was early as we picked food around 8pm.  Their hours are 7:30pm-4:00am.  The guy in front of us was in NY for business &  was from Newport Beach…yep, good food news gets around.  So we picked up 1 combo plate and headed back to the hotel & indulged.  Seriously indulged!!  I’m drooling as I write about it.

Okay so honestly…no excuses..but I am going to make them.  I just finished my detox diet, eating way less, and was starving all day until I finally ate 1/2 of my schwarma pita.  I was pretty much tossed from happy hour and passed out after my truck food dinner.  I seriously took a “nap” for 3 hours and then screwed myself over because I couldn’t go to sleep until the wee morning.