THE GOOD, THE BAD, AND THE UGLY

Today I got to go with Betsy and Julia to see Wicked the Musical. This was not the bad or the ugly this was the good. Definitely, the good. I had read the book but not ever seen the play. The play was as good as the book--I would recommend both.

The bad came at dinner. We decided to go to CHEEBURGER, CHEEBURGER. I had gone to this restaurant twice when it first opened and had been disappointed, but I thought, it will be OK now they have been opened to quite a while.

We were seated at 6:10, it took 15 minutes for someone to take an order. Henry said, we are not in a hurry, no problem. We played Scrabble, we played Trvial Pursuit. Keeping in mind that we ordered 1 hamburger, and a chicken sandwich, which had not arrived at 7 pm. This is when Henry decided he was not that patient aymore. The food arrived at 1 hour and was inedible. Keep in mind that if you hit the link to the website they have been voted best burger in 28 cities....trust me not this one.


Then it got ugly...we did not pay for our food, which we also did not eat. Quite simply...avoid this place!!!

I'M A RETURNING MACHINE!!!

Frugal Cathi struck today--I went on a returning binge. Yes, indeedy, that does mean that I had previously been fairly bad. Henry was not working so off we went together.

Henry had a return at Home Depot for (tum-tum-de-dum)

• $2.12

On to Nordstrom Rack where I had to return the cute pair of earrings I bought because they were missing a stone. Did I need them to begin with--No, but they were sooooo cute.

• Return $7.05.

Then to Marshall's where I returned an adorable shirt that I had just purchased with Andrea...but do I need it...no. I also returned 13 packages of the cutest Thank you/How are you/Nice to see you notes. Don't think me too good--I kept five of them, as well as two mousepads. These were purchased back on July 2....but still.

• That return was $31.92
• Shirt return $21.74

Next stop Kohl's to return the cute pair of pants that I did not try, but that it did not matter because they were Navy not BLACK! EEK!

• Return $21.99

On to Verizon--for the longest wait--to return a phone charger for a phone pre iPhone for Henry.

• Return $24.55

Then to Ross Dress for Less to return the only thing that I have ever purchased there. A wonderful cheetah top and a scarf.

• Return $31.81

All in all a good day! Now if I can only figure out a way to let Henry put this amout of money on my Bloomingdale's bill it would be great!!

KNOW YOUR INGREDIENTS

I went to the nutritionist last week because...let's face it I am FAT (see above picture folks--I am not pregnant...unless I am giving birth to a food baby). Interestingly enough, I weigh 27 pounds more today than I weighed when I quit going to him 5 years ago. So with my tail tucked between my legs (lower, nothing could wedge between the upper legs), I went back to see Dr. Oliver.

While in the waiting room with Andrea (yes I dragged her with me), I picked up a book called "Nourishing Traditions". This is subtitled "The Cookbook that Challenges Politically Correct Nutrition and the Diet Dictocrats". I opened it and found that they had sections dispersed throughout the book called Know Your Ingredients.

I read to Andrea the following:

Strawberry filling (corn syrup, dextrose, strawberries, crackermeal, apples, wheat starch, partially hydrogenated soybean oil, citric acid, xanthan gum, red #40), enriched wheat flour, partially hydrogenated soybean oil, corn syrup, sugar, whey, dextrose, salt, baking powder, bakins soda. Vitamins and minerals, niacinamide, iron, vitamin A (palmitate) vitamin B6 (pyridoxine hydrochloride), vitamin B2 (riboflavin), vitamine B1 (thiamin hydrochloride), and folic acid.

Immediately, Andrea and I looked at each other and said POPTARTS! I checked in the back and we were right.....



I need a nutrition intervention. The fact that I know what that is and could still sit down and eat a six pack of POPTARTS is frightening.

STOP AND LOOK AROUND

Well, today is Andrea's last day here in San Diego and every once in a while it takes a visitor to make you appreciate what you have. She very kindly pointed out that maybe I should actually go and look at the beach. So here is just a tribute to our beautiful area.

BUCKLE YOUR WHAT??

In the words of one of my favorite all time lushes, Lucille Bluth on Arrested Developent:

You are supposed to buckle your belt...not your chair!

Maybe that is why I buy shoes and not belts....the picture has spurred me into submission....and I found a belt I would like to buy, but, at this point there is not a shot in %#@& that it would fit. So wish me luck!! I am at it again.....it is not a diet it is a "weigh" of life....blah blah blah!!!

THE WHIRLWIND FRIEND TOUR

Well, Saturday the infamous BFF Andrea arrived. I am so excited!!! I am sure she will not like this picture either but sh has traded in no eyebrows for bangs and floral for leopard. This picture was at the Padre game on Sunday!!! We had a great time!
Monday we headed up to Los Angeles for sightseeing. On the way up we began telling the stories of strange pets the kids have had...gerbil tales and gerbil tails.

I then began telling Andrea the story of my baby chick that I had when I was a little girl. This little chick followed me everywhere...she was so cute. My mother had a few issues with the little trails left by the chick...chickdoodle, so to speak. I had a Madame Alexander Genie doll (a little baby, so cute in a sunsuit) that happened to be the same size as the chick. The next day, the little chick was running around after me wearing her little sunsuit. Every night my mother would take the chick, remove the jumpsuit, wash it out and hang it over the kitchen sink. This process occurred ove and over until the little chick tried to follow me to the bedroom by zipping behind my mom's rocking chair...you can imagine the rest!!


I hopped off the highway and attempted to find the house that we lived in at that time...the neighborhood is haing a sort of a revival (at least the house is no longer orange). But, oh, my gosh, it is sooooo small. My sister came home from the hospital with Lauri to this house, lot's of memories. If you look really hard you can see the ghost of the hanging sunsuit in the right hand window.


This house across the street was lived in by a woman that I never saw, but she had about 28 cats...no exaggeration! Now it looks like Hansel and Gretel may be headed home.
This is my elementary school, La Ballona. The strangest thing to me is that all of these things are still in tact much as they were over 50 years ago!!!

We headed up to Pasadena and wandered about...I will share some pictures

I love this picture of Andrea, but I know that she will hate it!


It does not take two pair of glasses to see that "tomorrow we diet" is not an understatement. OMG maybe I do need to color my hair--it really does not look "blonde". Seriously....when did my stomach get this large...food baby coming out!

We headed to the hotel and threw our new matching luggage on the bed (courtesy of a trip to HomeGoods).

We settled in and prepared ourself for the "star" of the tour....that's right!!
Then off to the Getty Villa in Malibu....keep in mind for future visits that it is closed on Tuesday and Wednesday...but still we got to Malibu!!

All in all a great trip!!!