Can't sleep. Damn jetlag.

The new airline security rules really suck for long flights. Specifically: the restriction of all liquids and gels from being carried onboard. Admitting that I welcome the new measures in the name of security, I feel that the airlines should compensate for the inadequacies. They distribute toothbrushes and toothpaste. The bathroom is stocked with lotion and shaving utensils. But no lip balm. How am I supposed to survive for over 24 hours without some sort of lip moisurizer? Especially considering how drying airline cabin air can be. (Perhaps I should have bought a stick form of balm, because I think that they would have allowed that, but unfortunately all of the lip balm that I had was of a gel-like consistency.) Needless to say, my lips were extremely chapped and my eyes were so dry that they hurt to open and close. In extreme desperation, I discreetly spread some of the margarine from one of the meals on my lips in hopes of relieving the parched skin...which proved to be somewhat satisfying, although predominately greasy.

Incredible !ndia

I returned home yesterday and I'm so happy to be back in the states. India was fun. For me, India is experienced best in small doses.

Things that I don't understand about India
1. The stench. Men urinate everywhere! It's like they have constant UTIs or something, because whenever that urge comes over them, they simply unzip and go.
2. People throw trash everywhere. I hate that people litter without any concern for the environment. In defense of India: I suppose in a country with a population of over 1 billion people there are more pressing concerns.
3. The damn bugs! Mosquitos, cockroaches (huge fear factor types), ants....
4. It is over 100 degrees outside, I do not want tea.
5. The bathrooms.
6. The extremely high pressure sales people, hustlers, and beggars.

Things that I love about India
1. The food! (Although the manner in which it is prepared in restaurants is better left unresearched in order to preserve one's appetite.)
2. Everything is sooo cheap by American standards.
3. The beauty. The beauty of the people and the landscape (sans the trash).
4. Family :)

Kick Booty

Completed the Danskin Women's Triathalon this morning. Oddly enough, I'm not feeling elated as I would have expected. Instead, I am feeling rather sad. Can't explain why exactly, although I suspect that it may have something to do with the fact that I am sitting on the floor of my nearly empty apartment. Which reminds me of lonely times last summer when some of my consorts went astray. Only 2 more days and I'm off to India. Praying for safety and slightly cooler weather.

Replay!

Why do some people possess the unique ability to run into that one person the are not quite hoping to see?

seems like everywhere I go
I see you, from your eyes, your smile
it's like I breathe you, helplessly I reminisce

Cali Iz Active

Los Angelos
Manhattan Beach








Hollywood Park Casino
(Note: Do not ever go there, it is sooo terrible!! I can't even elaborate, because you had to be there to believe it. Just trust me.)







Happy 50th Birthday Yolanda!



Sippin' on that Andre.


San Francisco






China Town






Pebble Beach









Circle of life in action.



Please don't feed the animals!








Monterey






Palo Alto
The absolute best burritos (and hot sauce) I've ever had!



Acknowledgements: Thank you to Jade and Jameel for your undying hospitality! An extra thanks for dealing with my indecisiveness and my propensity for listening to anyone who approached us on the street.

Everyday I'm Hustling

Yesterday was my last day of work at AmeriPath. I had been looking foward to that day for months, but as I was cleaning up my work station I found myself becoming sad. I get sentimental when things come to an end.

Lyrics that make me feel dirty for liking them:
And I get more ass than a toilet seat. ~Nate Dogg
Santa Claus, I leave her with a white chin. ~ Lil Wayne

Round Midnight

Hypothetically of course
Are there some things better left unsaid
Or would you wanna know instead
Hypothetically of course
Are there some wars not worth fighting
Hypothetically of course

Feeling blessed and incredibly thankful today.

Hooray for me!

Okay, so I had my wisdom teeth extracted last week Tuesday. I do not remember any of the procedure and much of the rest of the day is a blur. I remember the nurse inserting the IV into my hand while casually discussing a current malpractice suit with the dental assistant (Note:This is definitely not the most appropriate and/or comforting topic of discussion during patient care). Then I recall being escorted to the car. Phil was kind enough to be my designated driver and we headed over to Rite Aid to fill my prescription for the vicodin. I was not functioning at my highest level at this point, so Phil is dragging me by the hand into Rite Aid. My whole mouth looks bloody. I look completely confused. People are looking probably wondering if he had beaten me up or something. 'Oh my. Should we do something?' The pharmacist is probably wondering if he should fill this prescription for vicodin for me. 'Poor girl. What ever happened to DARE? Just say no.' I am just trying to sit in the massaging chair in the pharmacy waiting room. Eventually I arrived home where I slept...
The following days are filled with soft foods of rice pudding, chocolate pudding, cream of wheat, grits, mashed potatoes, and I can't forget smoothies, intermixed with pain killers and the constant taste of blood. Now my body is going into starvation mode. But my whole mouth feels so terrible and my jaw aches, I can't eat much of anything. Oh no, I'm almost out of vicodin. Ibprofen just isn't cutting it. Everyone keeps telling me that it shouldn't be hurting anymore. Well it hurts soooo much, something must be wrong. I followed all of the aftercare instructions. Do I have an infection? Oh great.
So yesterday I had to return to the dentist to have the sutures removed. What a relief! Turns out that the sutures were too tight and that was the main source of my pain. Now I am feeling 100% better.
I am eating regular food.
I'm smiling pain-free.

Mood for the day: Man, I really miss boys.

Last night was out of control.
Phrases from last night/this morning not in context.

Anyone want a vagina burger?
Shooting for 30.
Umm, I don't know those people dancing in my living room.
I want the blue one.
What fashion magazine did you step out of?
Je parle un peu.
Oh, by the way, did Aliea tell you, I kind of have a girlfriend.
Do you have a moral hangover?
Blessings.

Bolder Boulder - Memorial Day 2006

Before
My dad and I at the start of the Bolder Boulder 10 km run, looking eager and excited. There was the longest line to use the port-o-potties and I was tempted to hold it, but I'm glad that I just waited in the line to pee.

After

During the race, the security/motivators along the couse would say things like "You're almost there, just a little further" or "Looking good, keep running" and even "There's beer at the end." (But they should've said "There are popsicles at the end, because those breyer's fruit popsicles that they had at the end are my favorites, and nobody really likes michelob ultra anyways.)

Then there was a memorial day celebration. Yeah, USA.

Officially deactivated my facebook account today. Reason for deactivation (required): Facebook is the devil.

Just my imagination

Ok wow. It has been a really long time. But I had to take a break, because my blogging was really starting to sound like I had missed one too many AA meetings...
In the meantime, things have been going along well. I have such a weakness for basketball shorts. Gorgeous calf muscles glistening from under those garments, oh... At 24 Hour Finess, there is the most beautiful (actually I'm not quite sure what his face looks like) boy. I love the days that he lifts legs. It is amazing how seeing him in those shorts can make my whole day. (From raging alcoholic to psycotic stalker...way to go, Leela)

After gradually losing close to all of my dignity at Club Beyond over the past few months, I am elated to say that I regained most of it there this past Saturday.

This past weekend I watched the movie Amores Perros and one of the lines that really stuck with me was when Susana said "When you want to make God laugh, tell him your plans." Sometimes I have a tendency to try to plan everything out perfectly and then I end up really anxious when things go differently. And I liked that line because it reminds me that sometimes I need to just calm down and breathe.

So glad to be having a calm, boring weekend. In direct contrast with last weekend where I learned for myself that "what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas" because basically I can't remember it.

I'm Hung Up

It doesn't matter what happened last weekend or even how I may feel about it. Whether or not I drank way too much or said the stupidest things in front of people that I would not even be able to recognize now that I'm sober doesn't matter one bit. Because as the weekend approaches, my mind and body are yearning to do it all over again. And then, come this Sunday/Monday (the same as countless previous ones), I will look in the mirror and say to myself, 'Leela, you cannot behave like this. You cannot live like this.' Accompained by a vow, that I will replace my "out on the town" nights with calmer activities. But it never fails that by Saturday night you will find me out downtown on somekind of dance floor and/or hoovering near the bar/bartender (and if it is much later into the night, eating at late night restaurants or leaning over the toilet/out of the car door or sleeping stark naked on the floor of my apartment, depending on earlier alcoholic consumption levels, you see).

You know that you might be an alcoholic if you look at the juice in your fridge in the morning, but refuse to drink it because you bought that juice to mix with your vodka.