Day 179 - June 28, 2012 - Sparkly pink mani/pedi

Yesterday I went to Diva Nails after work. It's my favorite nail place, most of the time I go to them on lunch breaks for an eyebrow wax. Occasionally I get a mani and a pedi done, either as a treat or because an occasion is coming up. Most of the time it's because an occasion is coming up. This weekend is my 30th birthday and although it's already been celebrated for the most part a gal only turns 30 once so I wanted to bring in a new decade of my life with a mani and a pedi. The place by my job has a special it's $20 for both a mani and a pedi every Monday through Wednesday. So I took advantage of the special on the last day possible to be prepared for the weekend. I chose a sparkly pink nail color because in my world if it's not related to phantom, if it's not coffee, but if it's sparkly and pink well it's great in my book.

Day 178 - June 27, 2012 - My first batch of home roasted beans

This was one of the rare photos I took with my cell phone camera because I forgot to whip out my real camera at some point in the day for a photo. Chris and Randi gave me three bags of green coffee beans and a wok so I can do stove top roasting at home. I also got a book about home roasting which I'm in the process of reading. I was anxious to experiment with the roasting though and the book doesn't cover the stovetop roasting with a wok so after a brief online search and some youtube viewing I attempted to roast my own beans with the wok. As Chris predicted I messed up this batch, the coffee was alright tasting but not wonderful. Over time I'll get to roast better but practice will make it perfect.

Day 177 - June 26, 2012 - Sometimes Shawn must feel like he lives with a 3 year old not a 30 year old

I have multiple tiaras lying around now. I actually got one as a gift during my party, I had one I bought awhile ago at Alice's in the city which has been my birthday crown for two years now, and I have a chintzy tiara that they gave me when I walked into the bean for my party. I saw all three tiaras today and I thought poor Shawn sometimes he must think he's sharing space with a 3 year old.

Day 176 - June 25, 2012 - More sadness :(

We found out Chevy had cancer. The vet said they could put her on pregnazone but she wasn't really going to get any better, the meds would just numb the pain of her cancer. They recommended we put her to sleep, so 10 days later we put a second cat down. We took one last photo of her while we were visiting before they put her down. VMCLI is pretty amazing, it sucks to put your animal to sleep but they have a room where you can spend time with your animal before letting them go if it's possible. When Grizz passed away Terry went into the room with her, I couldn't do it. Shawn and I were with Chevy while they gave her the sedative but we couldn't stay for the final shot. I'll miss this cat pretty much as much as I'm going to miss Grizz. She loved my car because she loved cars so I'm going to hold onto Michael for as long as I can in her memory.

Day 175 - June 24, 2012 - SURPRISE! For me?!?

Shawn threw me a surprise party a week early for my 30th birthday. Our friend actually made the phantom cake topper, with 30 in pink glitter. He actually rented out the Babylon Bean for a few hours, which was the best I could ever ask for when it comes to a surprise party. Unfortunately he had to take Chevy to the vet earlier she's been sick and we were trying to figure out what was wrong. His mom suggested we go to the bean, so I changed my clothes and hopped in the car with her. When we got there I noticed my mom's car and his aunt's car. I actually thought it was my bridal shower but turned out to be a surprise birthday party instead lol.

Day 174 - June 23, 2012 - The first of many

Shawn suggested we do a star trek marathon when we have time. I actually feel really bad because I've been conking out during the movies. While we were watchign this one, in between nodding off I realized I didn't take a photo yet so I took my camera and took a photo of the TV while the movie was playing. We are halfway through the second movie I was falling asleep during that one too because the night before I only had like 3 1/2 hours of sleep.

Day 173 - June 22, 2012 - Taking down the espresso

Treasa got us these really awesome espresso cups for a bridal shower present. My bridal shower is coming up very soon, I can tell because some gifts are being bought off the registry and well Treasa sent us some presents because she can't make the shower. I used the pink one tonight to take down almost a whole pot of espresso. I was gearing up for a physical the first one I had in a long time. I had to fast for blood work which meant nothing but water. No coffee for 12 hours. So I was taking down what I could before midnight hit and I had to stop drinking the coffee until after my appointment the next day.

Day 172 - June 21, 2012 - Major score in my favorite store

Even though this store is in the center of zombie crow activity, Loehmann's is still my favorite store. I have a very bad habit of stopping in there on a weekly basis and getting a few things if I see stuff I like. I thought this would stop when I started driving to work, nope! Didn't stop, I still go on lunch breaks. Today I got a great deal though. Sometimes I spend too much money and want to kick myself, other times I grab a great bargain. They were running a sale 50% off all swimsuits. I got a red bathing suit, a notebook and a dress in a size small (the dress ran really big because I am in no way a size small) for $27.27. I was glad I got the red bathing suit I've been looking for one to take on the honeymoon.

Day 171 - June 20, 2012 - Walking around the block

So I've been trying...with some very limited success to take a walk around the block before I start work and after I leave work. I'd like to do this every single day that I go to work, but of course I don't leave the house early enough, or I have to go to my car right after work to leave, little things that make not being able to walk around the black a reality. Today was a day I managed to take a walk before going to my car. I'm hoping every single day to walk at least 4 miles, I installed a pedometer application on my cell phone, every day I work I usually end up getting 2 to 3 miles in but never 4. I figured out when I was taking buses and trains to work I walked a total of 4 miles in a day.

Day 170 - June 19, 2012 - ALways tired

This is the second sleepy self portrait I've taken this year. I took one while I was on the train ride home in the winter. I find I'm very tired lately and I long for energy, despite the fact that I down maybe a gallon of coffee daily. Since taking this picture I went to the doctor for a physical the first one in a million years and apparently I'm healthy, just getting old...and I'm only almost 30.

Day 169 - June 18, 2012 - A few shades of grey

Okay the clothes I wore to work, they aren't as exciting as the fifty shades of grey trilogy, but I still found it amusing that my pants, shirt, shoes and sweater were all various shades of grey so I took a photo of my outfit before leaving work in the staff bathroom.

Day 168 - June 17, 2012 - He is my silly everything!

We didn't spend much time with my dad on Father's day. I'm on the verge of finally making up with my little sister....I think, but since I wasn't speaking to her we've been avoiding the family gatherings if she was around. So we woke up early and bought bagels to my parent's house like we did for Mother's day. Then we went back home, then went to dinner and met Ricky and Fiona for bowling. I asked Shawn if I could take a photo of him as my daily shot he did a usual silly pose as he often does in photos. I appreciate him so much, appreciate all he does for me, appreciate how he's there for me, appreciate him being him, he's my partner in life, my best friend for the almost two years we've been together, my lover, the person I tell everything to.

Day 167 - June 16, 2012 - Running!

Okay so I didn't really run! I was pissed off and tired, very upset without Grizz. I had a minor tiff with Shawn, we don't fight a lot but we aren't perfect and even though we have a good relationship, we are like any other couple and we have our arguments. I was so mad I went out shortly after I got home and stalked off to the bean. Grabbed a cup of coffee, and a pound of coffee for my dad for father's day and then went to the lake and sat down for awhile with my coffee. Came home, made up with Shawn, cried my eyes out because I still missed Grizz and felt better.

Day 166 - June 15, 2012 - After 2 1/2 years you're gone!

This entry is going to be really painful, that's why I'm handling it now instead of later. I think I cried enough to fill up a lake today. I woke up to feed Grizz and phantom, I couldn't find Grizz. Then I heard her from somewhere in the laundry room, I heard this painful deep meow. I found her hiding in the corner, and I immediately knew she was in trouble, when animals hide on you it's a very bad thing. Shawn's mom heard me and came downstairs, she saw Grizz and said, "She's in respiratory distress."

I got dressed, forgot about anything else, grabbed my purse, we got Grizz in the carrier and rushed off to the vet. While Terry was parking I walked in with the carrier.

"You have to help my cat, she can't breathe," I said at the counter. The doctor bought her in the room and put her on oxygen. He gave her some meds to clear her airways and said we had to take her to the emergency vet in West Islip for X-Rays.

We got her there, she made it for the 10 minute ride without the oxygen, they put her on oxygen and did some x-rays. They found a malignant tumor in her throat. They said if they performed surgery the tumor would just grow back, that she'd have a lot of trouble breathing anyway. Their advice and Terry's advice was to put her down. I just wanted her to be okay, I didn't expect this, no one did, we didn't know she had a tumor. I spent a few minutes crying my eyes out in shock and decided to put her down, I didn't want her to suffer, I just wanted her to be okay though, I'd give anything if she was just okay.

They bought her into me wrapped up in a towel, I held her cried some more, told her I loved her so much, hugged her, kissed her, then I let them take her away again because she was having really bad breathing issues. I couldn't be there while they put her to sleep, so Terry held her while they did the procedure. She's going to be cremated so in about a week I'm going to have her ashes. They gave me the option of taking her home but I couldn't, I couldn't take her back once she was dead it would have been even more traumatic then it already is.

They gave me a piece of clay with her paw prints and a poem, I have her collar which I'm going to hold onto. This is going to take such a long time to get over, I can't believe my cat is gone. I can't believe she had such a short time with me I thought I'd have her for awhile. I rescued her from my parent's house in late November of 2009. I had just broken things off with my ex and he took the cat Lily that we were sharing back. I was devastated because I loved Lily and I was worried about the kind of care she'd be receiving in his hands only since I was more into caring for her then he was. My sister suggested that I take Grizz she was in my parent's backyard and I had seen her and pet her a couple of times. I said I'd take her if she was in the backyard. We went to my parent's house and she was there, so I took her in and she became my companion, my friend, my little diva. She was with me through many up times, many down times. She stayed by me when I was sick for two days in bed and could barely move. Now suddenly she's gone and I'll just have my memories of our time together, plus ten million tears to shed. I miss her so much!

Day 165 - June 14, 2012 - My favorite...besides coffee

I might have blogged about this before, peanut butter and chocolate is my ultimate flavor love! The best is if I can get a peanut butter chocolate coffee drink. In my office at work I currently have some reese's peanut butter cups to munch on. Well me...and whoever passes my desk and wants to take a few. Usually Danielle ends up enjoying my chocolate with me the most, it's funny because until I get married our initials are both DB and we're definitely the junkaholics in the work place.

Day 163 - June 14, 2012 - Deceptive emptiness

I was in a bad mood all day, I think I was tired, the rainy weather didn't help, I was also late to work and had to stay later. I met my friend Janell, her sister in law and her nephew for dinner, then I took Janell to the cup. Normally I have a great time at the cup but this particular night it was a down hill visit. My cousin was supposed to meet us and she didn't show up, I was in a pissed off mood because of various random things, so I opted for the coffee I couldn't even eat my standard dessert of peanut chunk pie because when I'm upset it's really hard for me to get food down. So I didn't even order it I just took coffee. I took a photo of the phantom peanut butter chunk pie that I wasn't to enjoy that evening along with the drained coffee cup. The cup serves their coffee in clear glasses, after I took the photo I pointed out to Janell that it looks like a bar with an empty beer glass, despite the fact that we were in a coffee house. Then we started talking about how photos have the ability to deceive sometimes depending on the angle and frame, plus the lighting that the photographer is working with.

Day 163 - June 12, 2012 - A mess phase

Sometimes my bags get to be so messy, especially because they are big and I carry a lot of stuff. Also sometimes I am running from one place to the next so fast I barely feel I have time to breathe let alone organize my bag.

Day 162 - June 11, 2012 - Ice cream creations part deux

After dinner Shawn whipped up a kick ass ice cream creation. We had some black forest cake that was a week old, he wanted to figure out what to do with it. He mixed the bits of cake with chocolate syrup, caramel machiatto ice cream, whipped cream, sprinkles and a cherry. It was awesome, I couldn't finish mine because I was very full from dinner but it was major noms.

Day 161 - June 10, 2012 - Peanut Butter Sand Castle

Shawn and I went to Friendly's for our 23rd monthiversary. We were both super stressed because we had just finished work on the wedding guest list plus we had gone through a pre-cana introduction. So we went to town. I noticed the sand castle being offered so I had to have my peanut butter cup sundae served in it. I ended up picking up an extra sand castle for Vincent, because I'm a 29 year old baby and wasn't going to give up my sand castle for the 1 year old lol.

Day 160 - June 9, 2012 - The best beauty

When I first started dating Shawn he inspired a love for the beauty nature provides. Mainly I started copying his idea of taking photographs of the sky. This is a sky photograph that I took while we were driving in the convertible.

Day 159 - June 8, 2012 - Impromptu PHaniversary Festivities!

It's my 18th phaniversary today! 18 years ago at this time (I'm writing this post at 5:32 PM) I was either getting off the bus from my school's field trip, or I was riding the bus back to my elementary school enamored by what I had just seen. On June 8, 1994 the start of all this phantom madness for me, I took a trip with my elementary school to see Phantom of the Opera on Broadway. I don't know if Meadow Elementary School still does this but they used to take the graduating elementary school class on a field trip to see a Broadway Show. The powers that be at the time (the wonderful powers that they were) decided my graduating class was going to see phantom. Debbie Anderson from my mom's church actually lent me her phantom of the opera tapes (this was back when cassettes were still predominantly used). After being hooked on the title song I listened to her cassettes over and over and over and over again. So when the field trip day finally arrived I had known all the music already except the pieces that weren't featured on the OLC. 18 years later I'm still obsessed!

Today was kind of sad, I knew my phaniversary was coming up but I made no official plans to have any sort of celebration. I kept thinking I've got to something small, and it crept up on me. Today when I got to work and noticed the calendar I was like "Oh crap! It's my Phaniversary it slipped my mind". Last year and the year before I still had to go work on that day but I at least wore my phantom of the opera earrings to work (even though it isn't quite professional). This year I don't even have the earrings on.

I did end up doing little phantomy things for the day anyway. I had to pick a sexy phantom for the month so I named Jeff Keller (the first phantom I saw). I read a little bit of the latest phan phiction I've been reading on my kindle (Jennifer Linforth's latest in the ablendied series), and when I go home tonight I'm playing one of my phantom of the opera soundtracks while I'm driving home. This might be it for the festivities though we'll see what happens. I'm very tired so I think I'm going to hit the bed for an hour or two when I get home, once I wake up and take the edge off from little sleep I'm going to give myself a pedicure. Maybe I'll watch one of my phantom of the opera dvds, or hit the supermarket and create black and white phantom brownies with my brownie bar pan, or finish this novel on my kindle or pick up one of the hard copy phan phiction books I have at home and read it. We'll see, here's to an impromptu extremely mellow phaniversary. I'll make it smashing because I'm definitely going to throw a party for my 25th phaniversary in a few years. So I'll make up for the mellowed out phaniversaries I've been having.

Day 158 - June 7, 2012 - Glorious light!

It's that time of the year I love so much. When the weather is warmer (although we've been having predominately rainy and cold weather mixed in with a couple of warm days) and the sun sets later. It actually wasn't this light outside when I took the photo, it was darker but my camera is on an over exposure setting and I've been too lazy on investigating what to do in order to bring things back to normal exposure. I took this photo from my car right before leaving work.

Day 157 - June 6, 2012 - I've been eagerly awaiting this!

I made a big purchase at Claire's. It actually only cost me $48 and I got a fuck ton of kitcschy cute accessories. I bought an earring holder to hold all of my post earrings and to my pleasant surprise I can also hold the few pairs of dangly earrings I own on it too. I bought many pairs of poor quality earrings to wear once in awhile in accordance with whatever outfit I'm wearing, and if I'm off from work and can wear it. I bought a couple of Justin Bieber items for my cousin in DE who loves him and I also ended up with two items I can give to her little sister. But before I send those items off I have to get something for their brother too. I also got these artificial flowers with a rhinestone on them. I picked two thinking that Janell and Joanna could possibly wear them in their hair the day of the wedding. The color is kind of off though so if I do give them to Janell and Joanna they cold save them for another day unless it somehow works with the maid of honor dresses....we'll see.

Day 156 - June 5, 2012 - This has been mine for almost 2 years, I pilfered it!

The first time I slept over Shawn's was the night we officially became a couple. I didn't plan on sleeping over but of course we were being very gushy and in love with each other, and it got to be very late. I didn't drive yet so I had to depend on Shawn to take me home or wait at the Babylon train station until around 5 AM because during a certain time of the night the trains stop running. Honestly I wanted to stay the night and cuddle up with him anyway. So he gave me this t-shirt to sleep in and I've been using it for PJs every since. Luckily I didn't really steal it because I think he outgrew it. I used to sleep in this shirt a lot when we slept apart because I'd miss him.

Day 155 - June 4, 2012 - Shawn makes all my dreams come true!

Last year around my birthday Shawn purchased this full length mirror for us. I was convinced there really wasn't room for it but he was convinced otherwise. I always wanted to have a full length mirror because of it's relation to the phantom of the opera story. You might notice when I took this weird messy shot, I purposely made sure you could see the reflection of my franklin mint phantom of the opera dolls in the mirror.

Day 154 - June 3, 2012 - It keeps on dropping!

To the shock and happiness of myself and many other drivers it seems the gas prices are dropping! I really hope they either stay at the price they are at or continue to drop. I usually fill up at this Hess Gas Station in Bellmore, I think I've recently seen this hess go down to $3.67 and another Hess is Massapequa was down to $3.65.

Day 153 - June 2, 2012 - Greek Coffee!

We went to a Greek Festival in Babylon tonight. I have much better photos then this one to show for it, but this photo wins for the day because it features coffee. They had a stand offering Greek Coffee I couldn't wait to get my hands on some it's been a very long time since I've indulged in this almost espresso like Mediterranean coffee goodness of my partial heritage.

Day 152 - June 1, 2012 - The heady scent of Irish Mocha Mint

I bought back some coffee beans from Delaware. I used to only care about taking photographs when I went away but now starting with my trip to WildWood, NJ I need to bring coffee back from my destination if possible. I didn't think I'd get to take home coffee from DE, the coffee shop by my cousin's house was closed for the weekend, but I found another coffee shop by the beach she took us to. This particular coffee is Irish Mocha Mint flavor and I could stick my nose in the bag and smell this wonderful coffee all day if I was able to.

Day 151 - May 31, 2012 - Late Break!

We aren't supposed to take breaks this late at work but sometimes it works out that way and there's really nothing that can be done. Even though the library closes at 9 I didn't get into the office for my break until after 8 PM. The only reason I even got to take a break at this time was because I told Martine I was going for a break  because it was getting late or I wouldn't have even gotten to take one at all.

Day 150 May 30, 2012 - Pieces of the puzzle!

I don't think Shawn knows I do this in the morning, if he did he'd probably think I was utterly crazy...maybe he already does. I usually don't do it in front of him, only on a Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday when I'm getting ready to leave for work while he (lucky guy that he is) is still sleeping because he works so close to home. Don't ask me why but I call this private morning routine pieces of the puzzle. I usually throw everything on the kitchen table that I need to have out to get ready for work. My vitamins, bread for my quick morning toast and to usually construct a sandwich for lunch time, milk to put into my coffee, water to fill my water cup, clothes to wear for the day, jewelry, make up bag, my hair brush, deodorant and perfume. When I finish using one item I put it away and when the table is clear I'm good to load up the car and drive to work.

Day 149 - May 29, 2012 - My Own Books!

We'll see how long this lasts but I'm going to go on a quasi hiatus of checking out books from the library for awhile. I have a pile of my own books to read through while I'm at home. I have books on the shelf, books piled on the bottom of the shelf and I'd like to get through them and pass the books on after I'm done reading them, the only books I will actually keep in my collection are my POTO books. The other books I will pass along to someone else who might like them or to good will.