Shockingly, all those people? REPEAT OFFENDERS. They are the same people complaining that 2010 was The! Worst! Year! EVER!!1!

I even said how much 2009 sucked because parts of it were really hard. And painful. But it ended on a high note and I vowed to make 2010 what I wanted it to be. I surrounded myself with wonderful people that I love. My best friends, the best a girl can ask for. Amazing, supportive family. And the most wonderful man that I’m pretty sure I don’t deserve but he loves me, and he wakes up every morning thinking of me and really, what could be better than that?

I wanted to do my yearly photo post but this year was so full, there were just too many photos to chose from. (See for yourself) We didn’t do anything out of the ordinary, we just lived. We laughed. We cried a little. We smiled a hell of a lot. We came together and we made amazing memories and started families and traditions and do you want to know what the best part of it all is?

I have no regrets.

This year wasn’t what you might call perfect, but it was damn near close. I can gage that because the year is over and I’m still here, still smiling and happy as I’ve ever been.

Even better? 2011 is going to be awesome. So many things coming, so many things are going to change. I’m incredibly excited to continue on this path.

Happy

From our family to yours, Happy New Year.

Dodgers took back 1st place again after Tuesday’s win against the Cardinals, and with some help from the Mets for beating the Padres.

Lakers lead the finals against the Celtics 2-1.

I love L.A.

The mom’s went out to a sushi dinner (ewwwww. I had the garlic Kobe beef which was AWESOME) and got tipsy on fancy drinks from Maui once we got back to the house. Which was not IN Maui, duh. Megan just brought the recipe home with her.

The next day came around, the jolly jump got delivered for Big T’s 4th birthday and let me tell you, those boys were ready to PARTY.

The highlights included a LOT of jumping and sliding, a mutilated Scooby Doo head that candy flew out of, ONE use of the ice pack after a wayward high five landed the birthday boy flat on his back, an awesome veggie plate, some nun-chucks, and Nugget who slept through all of it only to wake up at the very end.

Oh and this:

That’s a jolly jump burn for those not in the know. It might not look like much, but that fucker burns. I have a smaller matching one on the opposite elbow. When a 5 year old peer pressures you to do somersaults down the jolly jump slide, you do it. Like I really wanted to get called out by a kid with a mohawk. I don’t *think* so dude. I did the somersault, I rolled down it, and I went backwards too.

2 elbow burns and a little hip pain was worth it. Respect EARNED bitches.

Oh and? It wiped out my son. He fell asleep in the car and slept all the way through the night. 13 hours. It was AWESOME.

Yeah. She tagged me. That’s like sending a chain email these days right? I’m just kidding! She’s actually helping since he forced asked us to do NaBloPoMo with him this month and its only the first week and wow, everyone is struggling. I don’t know why she asked me, our lists are going to be so similar because we share a brain.

So here are Ten Things That Make Me Happy:

10: Good food. No, I don’t eat my feelings. I just love good food. Cheese, soft bread, a good steak, chicken, Pop chips, all the candy Nic and her boyfriend bring me from England, Chicago mix popcorn… I could go on and on.

9. Big beautiful clouds. That might sound weird but it’s true. I like to have the window seat on airplanes because I can watch the clouds for hours. I can also take a ton of pictures of them that no one ever cares to see because they are just clouds to them. People even twitpic beautiful skies for me.

8. My computer and my phone. Both of these things have the internet on them. And you ought to know by now that I need it to communicate with my boyfriend in NY. And of course all the awesome people I love so dearly.

7. My Nikon. It’s with me pretty much ALWAYS. I have a huge purse so it’s always on hand. I’ve taken on the 365 project (again) since the beginning of the year and I haven’t given it up yet. I love my camera and the pictures I take with it. They aren’t perfect or professional but they are mine.

6. My son having his own room. He’s 9 so that might be weird to some but he just got it in March. We cleared out a spare room and made it his, which means that he is no longer sleeping in my bed. Which is just awesome.

5. My Old Navy skirts. I have one in black, navy blue, purple, and grey. I love them. They are the perfect length, incredibly comfortable and easy to wash. I pair them with t-shirts or tanks or even nice tops. They are easy to travel with too, which came in handy in Chicago last July and will come in handy in August when I go to New York.  The reviews on Old Navy’s website say the material is too thin on them but mine are fine. I’d suggest going into Old Navy and checking them out versus buying them online. I love skirts in general but these are by far my favorite.

4. Living in California. Hearing about weather on twitter, and from my boyfriend and how terrible it is outside of California makes me grateful to live here. 90% humidity? What the fuckity fuck? Just no. Huge thunderstorms and blizzards? Passsss. I’m sure I’ll be kicking myself once I eventually move out of California but for now, I’m going to embrace what we think is crazy weather (which totally is NOT).

3.  Baseball. Specifically:

It’s just a way of life around here. I’m very excited because my son has just started getting more and more into the team and the game.

2. Him. What can I say? I’m in love. I fell for his accent the first time we spoke on the phone and I’ve just fallen harder and harder every day since. I can be myself with him, we make each other happy. I mean come on, miss out on this?

I don’t think so.

1.

I’m not sure what else to say. He is a character and even when I’m mad at him, he can still make me laugh and smile. I love that he’s taken on learning so much about baseball, especially more about the players and their positions and STATS. Brings a tear to my eye. He pretty much rocks as a son.

So there it is. Ten Things That Make Me Happy. I’m not tagging anyone but this was a fun post to write! Let me know if you decide to do it too!

Now I just try and get it where I can.

In comes Mary Poppins.

This production is playing at the Ahmanson in downtown LA until February and if you get the chance to go, I highly recommend it. It is so visual and alive. The singing is fantastic and the sets are simple yet they help convey the story very well. If you enjoy musical theater, you will love this production.

They do an entire song with tap shoes on. COME ON PEOPLE. Tap shoes. How can you pass that up? You can’t. So go see this.

I need to get to the theater more often. Lucky for me I found someone who loves it just as much and is conveniently located in the heart of the theater scene. I can’t wait to visit Broadway (WICKED!! One day…) and to share my passion with someone I love.

Tonight I got to share it with my mom. If you follow me on Twitter, you know that she was recently in the hospital. She’s doing much, MUCH better and I’m so happy that we got to go see Mary Poppins together. I can’t thank those of you who sent prayers and positive thoughts our way this past weekend. It means so much.

This is the child who’s laughter and smile could bring me to tears with the pure beauty and joy it would bring.

One of our most favorite ways to fill the day was with Disney movies. He was obsessed. Every single Pixar movie, he would have them on rotation. The minute it would end, I would have to start it over again. He wasn’t even watching half the time, he needed it for background noise. He would be playing and pause for just a second or two to watch his favorite parts, point and laugh at Woody, or Mike Wazowski (maybe because they shared a name? He always favored him.)

I miss those days, fiercely.

Right from the beginning of our Disney movie days, I always pushed the music. Whenever a song would start, I would pick him up and dance around the house. Once you’ve seen a movie 5 times in 4 hours, you learn the words pretty quickly. After awhile, it would be him seeking me out to dance when his songs came on.

The opening scene to Lilo & Stitch would always excite him. He loved this movie so much that he wore it out. I had to go buy another one. He loved the opening song to this movie so much that he would make me replay it over and over again. He got the soundtrack for Christmas that year but it wasn’t quite the same. I just recently added this song to my iPod and every time I hear it, I can’t help but remember his little chubby legs bouncing up and down as he swayed to the music. I can almost hear his ringing laughter as we twirled around the living room, his head thrown back with joy.

Sigh. My baby isn’t a baby anymore but it sure is wonderful to remember those days.

You are beauty defined.

I truely believe that it was nothing short of fate that made our paths cross. We were both at a crossroads, both dealing with relationship problems, and trying to figure out if maybe we were sisters somehow because our parents ended up on the same cruise. (I am STILL convinced they were on the same boat.)

We went from talking every day (wait, we still do that), to meeting up for Mexican food and margaritas, to coffee at Barnes and Noble, to you welcoming me into your home, even if I was there to steal all your money. You introduced me to the best cheeburgers I’ve ever had and split more bottles of wine with me than I’d care to admit to. Your parents treat me and my son like we are family and I love them as much as I love my own parents. Your daughter is one of my favorite kids in the world and her smile can cheer me up in a heartbeat.

I love you for so many reasons. You’ve always been there for me. I’ve never once, not for a second, doubted our friendship or how long it would last. You’ve talked me thru so many problems and you’ve been my biggest cheerleader because you always want to see me be my best. You recognized the best parts of me that I didn’t even realize existed. You’ve taught me so much about how to be a better person and I can only hope to one day show as much grace and humility as you are able to. You are beauty, inside and out and those of us lucky enough to know you, know just how lucky we are.

I love that we met with similar problems, hurting because of the men boys in our lives. I love even more so that we are both in SUCH better places, that we both are on the path to getting that “happily ever after”. You’ve shown me that I deserve that and you know how much you deserve it too. Thank you for swooning when I first used “we”. Thank you for always asking after him, and making sure that we are doing well. Thank you for being excited about my upcoming trip and for helping me get past my fears and insecurities.

I can’t wait until we are neighbors and then I wont have to travel 2 hours to split a bottle of wine with you. Not that I mind, I’d drive 10 times as far to spend time with you, my friend.

Happy Birthday love. I hope that you enjoy this wonderful day and embrace it.

Thank you for loving me so much.

ErinPalooza 2009.

Rumor has it that Erin just wanted to have a little get together. She says that she wanted to BBQ and invite a few people over. But as most things do, anything Erin does, she does all the way. So a Facebook event was made. She announced it to her 15,000+ followers on twitter. And… as they say… “If you build it, they will come.”

Or, in this case, if you offer up sandwiches, a pool, and a keg, they will come:

Drink cups will be made by the only one of us talented enough to be creative:

So much Patron will be drank, that another trip to BevMo becomes necessary:

People will come from far and wide, from San Diego, the San Gabriel Valley, coastal towns, and even as far as Canada, just to experience ErinPalooza.

Food will be brought and shared amongst friends:

You know the night was a good one when all the party people are pool side, feet in the water, some pushed in, some thrown in, and some… naked.

Now that I have no photos of. Sorry. If you want to see naked ass, I guess you better come to next years ErinPalooza.

There’s going to be a next year right Erin? Please say yes.

This party was a blast. I got to meet new fun bloggers, and see good friends again, too many to list. The whole Flickr set is here if you are interested. And you know you are.

I’m sitting here, memories blurring one into the next, thinking of all the things I could tell you about going to Chicago. It’s hard to find a starting place.

I’ll start with this: I have not had such an emotional, powerful, and uplifting weekend in a long time. I’ve never walked away from something feeling truly lucky to be as loved and to love as much as I did this weekend.

The best part of the past weekend to me was something simple. At any given time, I could pick up the phone, or knock on a door, and one of my best friends was behind it. I could walk through the lobby, or into a room, and run into someone who’s blog I’ve been reading for years. I could reach out and hug people that I loved, because they were real, because they were right there for me to touch. The barrier of keyboards and screens that kept us apart had disappeared. It may sound corny, but it was such a blessing. Instead of an @ reply, or a comment on a blog, I was breathing the same air as they were and living that blog post, or that twitter update in real life.

I learned so much. I learned about my ability to deal with situations as they presented themselves. I learned that some people go places and they have priorities that do not include me, that some people have agendas that they embarrass themselves over in order to complete. I learned that some people are truly sincere, and how it feels to have someone get incredibly excited just because they are standing next to you. (The feeling? Was so mutual. Even if she is a classy bitch.) I learned that some people who annoy you online are incredibly awesome in person. And vice versa. OMG VICE VERSA.

Yes, there was drama. I don’t really want to discuss it because it didn’t really concern me. I’d rather tell you about walking around the streets of Chicago and laughing at Wacker Street with my friends. I’d rather tell you about the free whiskey I got to drink. I’d rather share the story of the dress that caused all my girls to keep a vigilant nipple watch. They did such a good job. But a little nipple never hurt anyone right? (haaahahaha)(very possibly my new tagline, FYI) I’d rather tell you how beautiful and romantic that city was, and how I fiercely ached for the guy who I was closer than ever to, yet still so far away from. Who, I should mention, rocked my very world by sharing some ideas of his future with me.

By the end of the weekend I was exhausted. I laughed too hard. So hard my cheeks hurt. My arms ached from hugging so much. My heart was spent from swelling with love, and then breaking into a million pieces as we drove away from the curb on Sunday morning. My eyes still fill with tears when I think of having to say goodbye.

My favorite city in the world is San Francisco, but there’s no doubt that I left my heart in Chicago.

This is what I want everyday. Lunching with my ladies like its the most natural thing in the world. You all have a piece of my heart.

See you bitches in New York.

The city itself is beautiful. Sure its crowded. Yea, its dirty. But you are looking at it wrong if that’s all you see. I got the chance to drive down the strip early in the morning on Saturday. I saw people jogging, girls walking back to their hotels in last nights clothes, couple’s walking to breakfast. The light is the best in the city at that time of day.

This trip I just took meant me meeting a friend that I’ve known for 7 years but never met face to face. She was in town for a wedding and I was not going to pass on the opportunity to meet her for the first time. We had a great time. We ate good food, went shopping (I did not buy it but damn I wish I could have), went to the pool, gambled (I lost. Fuck.) and hit up a strip club.

Being that my first experience’s with strip clubs have been in the last two trips to Vegas I have taken, the women’s clubs are much better. Maybe that’s just me but the male club was more comical. They both are, but watching men dance around in thongs just made me giggle. It was borderline cheesy. There was only one guy that I thought was acceptable, but it was only for his tattoos. Male strippers are so friendly. I found out he was from Orange County, had been a Chippendale’s dancer for 7 years, and that this was his second day at that particular club. The girls are chatty, but the one I met told me to watch my purse because the bitches there steal. Her words, not mine. Being at the men’s club just confirmed that I am a arms/shoulders kinda girl. Of all the places right?

Going to Vegas means you are gonna have a good time. But I really believe that it depends on the company you keep there. I’ve been many times. Mostly with my ex. These last two times have been with people who are my friends. The first trip, unforgettable. The city will never be the same to me. This trip, a good fucking time. I really know what Vegas is about now. Freedom. Fun. Unlimited amounts of alcohol. How can that be a bad thing?

Anyone wanna meet me in Vegas? I can be there in 3 hours.