And now it's August
Fernando's birthday present arrived today--a couple days earlier than expected! I can't wait to give it to him--I know he's going to like it and use it a lot. Just two more days until my sweet husband ripens to age twenty-seven!
So--August--it has been and will be semi-eventful. First off, I cut my hair two weekends ago. I was already tired of the layers I had in my cut from February, plus, the bangs were out of control and too long. I asked for a more "tailored" look and I was really pleased with what the stylist delivered. I don't really have a stylist that I prefer, but I think I will go back to this girl in a few weeks for a trim. I gave her a big tip for this cut and she offered me 20% off the next time I come in. What do you think?
Jennifer Kim and I finally got together that same night after months of trying to get together. We went to Wine 661, a wine bar I've been meaning to try for quite some time. I think the service was really great and the wine tasting isn't too pricey. It was $9 for three flights. Jennifer and I also shared an appetizer of warm brie with chipotle apricot salsa, which was also really tasty. A couple of wine glasses (and a couple more glasses of water) later, we were ready to call it a night, but I would love to go back there with a larger group of friends in the near future.
Just this past weekend, I was up in San Jose to celebrate Alma's "Last Fling Before The Ring." Kenia and I had been planning the event for the past couple of months (mostly from our work computers!), taking advantage of Gchat to talk over decor, favors, activities, etc. I can honestly say that I have spent 30+ hours planning/executing and several hundred dollars of my own money to put the party together, but I have no regrets for how the event turned out. Since going on a private wine tour proved to be too expensive for many of the guests who were invited, Kenia and I hosted our own wine tasting party. We picked out six different bottles and presented them one at a time to the girls. After each taste, we talked about the characteristics of the varietals, the wine growing regions, and "how-to" taste. I painstakingly created several hand-outs with tons of information for the girls to take home with them, and after working through six bottles, I think everyone learned a little bit and had a lot of fun explaining the flavors.
After the wine tasting portion (which actually followed the lunch that was served upon arrival--no wine tasting on empty stomachs), I hosted the games portion. We played wedding charades and the girls got really competative. I was scared that the girls would think the games were cheesy, but everyone had a good time and loved their prizes. The next game was just for Alma--I had interviewed Gus in advance and asked him a bunch of questions about his likes/dislikes, their courtship, and their plans for the future. I think some of the questions were pretty hard, but Alma did alright with most of the answers. Finally, we played the toilet paper wedding dress game. The girls had a lot of fun with that one and I was pretty impressed with their craftsmanship. We finished that portion of the party by showering Alma with some gifts--lots of lingerie!
After that part of the party, there was a break in the day for all the girls to go home and relax, shower, and change for the rest of the festivities that night. Most people were back in time for taking pictures and some pre-drinking before heading out to downtown San Jose. Kenia got us all on the guestlist and snagged VIP bracelets for Club Vivid. It was a race to get everyone in the door by 11pm, but we made it. The club was alright. The DJ was kinda "eh." He would play little snippets of songs and we would get all excited to dance to that song, but it would be over before it started. Also, his transitions were just ugly. In the end, however, I think most people had a good time. Some were more inebriated than others (I was not one of the drunk ones), but there were enough sober drivers to get everyone home safely and we all knocked out that night.
The next morning, a few of us went to a really good Mexican restuarant called Plaza Garibaldi for breakfast/lunch. I had a really good caldo de res. Alma got a whole grilled tilapia, which she actually really enjoys for breakfast because she's a paisa at heart. It was all yummy. What a great way to cap off the weekend of fun! Here's a picture we took of the group before heading to the club, just to give you a sense of the number of girls (all sorority sisters) who went to support Alma:
So after two eventful August weekends, I have three more in store for me. Of course, this weekend is Fernando's birthday weekend. His actual birthday is on Friday, so I'll be presenting him with his gift and taking him out for a private dinner. Fernado claims that he will be taking Saturday off from work, so I hope we can get together with some of his friends during the day for something casual. Finally, we're having a BBQ at my parents' house on Sunday afternoon for family.
Next weekend is Neda's birthday weekend--she hasn't made any formal plans yet, so I think I will have to hijack her and take her out to lunch or dinner sometime during the weekend. Finally, the last weekend in August, we're attending Caro's 30th birthday cocktail party in Ventura. That should be a good time--it's always wonderful to get together with my older sorority sisters. They tell the craziest stories.
Along with all these plans, August is still busy during the week. We're currently in Olympic fever--not only did Fernando and I buy a new LCD television this weekend, which makes viewing the games much nicer, but we're staying up until all hours of the night to catch all the action.
My tutoring agency decided to close down, which is actually good news. I'm still tutoring Elizabeth and Chelsea this school year, and since I'm no longer doing business through the agency, my hourly wage is now $30/hour (versus the $15/hour I was making through the agency). It's pretty awesome to know that the families I tutor for feel my services are worth $30 an hour. I have Chelsea scheduled for 1 1/2 hours per night, Monday through Thursday (and sometimes on weekends!), and Elizabeth for 1 hour per night, Monday through Thursday. For those of you keeping track at home, that's $300 per week in extra tutoring money I will now be making. Since my tutoring money will be non-taxed, I've actually increased my earning by quite a bit. Extra money is good for increasing my savings and I think Fernando and I are going to upgrade our cable to include a DVR. The kids go back to school starting TOMORROW, so this is my last free afternoon. I plan on getting an oil change/car wash and stopping by the drugstore to print out the pictures from the bachelorette party. Then I'll be home in time to catch the Olympics and Project Runway.
~LOVE~