Anyone else super, totally dig this?


Or is it just me? And the fact I'm not Buddhist?

This one goes out to Sam.


Sigh. I wish I'd just bitten the bullet and bought this back when they still sold them. Of course, they were only sold way back before designer purses were all the rage, and I thought it was stupid to pay $100 for something like that. Although, at the time, I gave in and bought a wool pea coat, because those were a Chicago style staple as well as Ms. Spade's bags. Little did I know, the perfect purse is totally worth that much, at least . I know, I know, I have the exact same bag in pink. But I'm afraid to carry it, because the straps are getting dirty (and nearly impossible to clean), and now that I'm almost finished with the degree, I feel somehow ... undermined ... by my affinity for the color.

I've even trolled eBay for one. You wouldn't believe how much they're going for! Sigh ...

Guess what I saw pulling out of the school parking lot a few nights ago?


You just can't make this stuff up. Again, proving that USC students have too much money on their hands.

There's so much going on, I'm just totally overwhelmed.

• Mother's day and my dad's birthday are very close this year. They're usually close, but this year just a few days apart. I missed out on all of the free/expedited shipping specials, but turns out I'm still a little early for my delivery dates. Which kind of sucks, since that means I have to wait a few more days to check them off my list!
  
• I renewed my driver's license. Can I just say again: hooray for online renewal!
  
• Another repeated hooray for economic stimulus packages. I did direct deposit so I don't have anything to complain about, but I'm still going to be toward the end. Oh well - that day I'll be refreshing my bank account allllll day.
  
• Hm, what do you send as a wedding gift when their wedding is only a week and a half away ... ? I'm so, so excited we're going to my college roommate's wedding. Even if it is in Chicago and two days before my last final exam. I'm anxious to get my life back! Oh ... I need to rearrange my work hours for my flight! And figure out what to wear! And how to pack it in a duffel bag!
  
• I really, really need to plan a visit to my parents. I haven't seen them in a long time. I haven't talked to them in a long time. And I have a big bag of gifts that I don't want to ship. And wedding plans that need to be discussed.
• My final project for my international trip was a mess, but at least it's over. Saturday was really hot, so it almost wasn't too awful to spend the day in class presentations. Now, I'm a week and a half in to my month-long finals marathon, with an exam this Thursday and my last final exam in a couple of Tuesdays. Then, two weeks off (which I'll be spending part of making up time at work), and back to class Mondays & Tuesdays, 6-10 pm.
  
• Work is really, really busy. I like what I'm doing now, getting the hang of things, and feel like I'm helping people. But there's virtually no down time! A friend of ours started working in the same building as me, one floor down, and I just got to go by and say hello today - none of my software was working!
  
• Andy is out of town this weekend, so I'm considering a trip to the bridal shop. Just a low key, no pressure perusal of the options. Also, especially if it's going to be 1,000 degrees this weekend, I'll spend some time at Cerritos mall. I have a couple Victoria's Secret coupons burning a hole in my purse, and the recent heat wave pointed out I need some basics for warmer weather.
  
• It's about time I start talking to photographers. Mainly, the one that I want.
  
• Before you know it, I'll be 26. Another milestone toward being graduated and married!
  
• Someone at my mom's work lent my parents the movie Superbad. I understand it was quite an eye-opener for them.
  
• Hooray for a new X Files movie! I used to love that show. I'm sure I wouldn't like it as much now, but I'd go see it for nostalgia's sake.
• We still haven't used our free Sunday brunch coupon. I'm thinking: penultimate semester celebratory brunch.
  
• I wanted to order business cards through school. A lot of people have said they're cheap, and they look quite nice. When I went to fill out the form, however ... it asked for my name. I can't use up 500 business cards (for only $15!) by next April ... what name do I put on them?? As Andy says, "Everything about you is in flux!"

I could go on and on. This is just the to-do list for the next month!

Hooray for money!

And for all my economically-knowlegable friends ... don't judge me for getting excited about free money. I know it won't help the economy. I know it won't even make a real difference in my economy. But in my mind, I've already bought a posh-er dress, paid off my car insurance, reserved classier flowers, bought plane tickets to St. Louis, a Thanksgiving trip to Mexico, and spent this check a hundred more ways.

And God bless America for direct deposit!

Licensed

The other day I got a letter from the DMV. This year my little Civic friend and I have a date with the smog test, but that letter doesn't usually come until the late summer or fall. So, I was a little afraid that the DMV was trying to tell me "girl, your car is so old that you had better start getting it smog-proved now."

But, it's just too early in the year for that. And, it was in a different envelope.

Nope, it's time to renew my driver's license.

What???? The validity of your driver's license just isn't one of those things that you think about on a day to day basis. More like, "Is my credit card valid?" or "Do I need gas?"

Sure, it's no big deal. I've even lived in one spot long enough to renew online (that's awesome, by the way). But that means I've been here for a whopping four years. Since my old license expired right around the time I moved, as I was a cool kid who got their license on their 16th birthday, I just didn't renew it and instead took the California test (which I studied and got 100% on, yet still wasn't allowed to smile for the picture). But this means I've been a California resident for quite a while. Not only that, a relatively stable resident.

Thank goodness they sent a letter. I would have never given that a thought. Sadly, they don't realize I'll be there next year for a new one anyway.