Into the wild blue.

Who bites at posting consistently? I do, I do! Oh well. :)

Some fun tidbits to share!

• Finally made it to the doctor and got some antibiotics for the Sickness O' Phlegm and am back to good to go.
  
• Spent a couple of days at home with my parents last week, which was all sorts of relaxing and nice. On Valentine's Day, we went to dinner at Vallarta's (MMM, thanks, Dad!) then watched Survivor and Lost (it was Thursday after all). I found it delightful that, during every commercial break during Lost, my aunt called Mom to ooo and ah about what had just happened. Friday, I lazed about the house while the parents worked to make a living. Giada started acting weird; Grammie came to visit; we had hamburgers for dinner and watched Cast Away (my favorite movie) with surround sound.
  
• Giada has been acting funny since last week. Friday morning, she was fine. A couple of hours later, she started tearing around the house, stopping only to lick her coat every once in a while. I thought she might have accidentally gotten outside and rolled in something or chewed on a plant then had a bad reaction. Grammie suggested I rub her down to clean her coat, which seemed to help for a while but the behavior has continued intermittently. Now she's biting at one of her hind feet so I'm going to take her to the vet on Friday. She won't let me look at her foot long enough to see if anything is wrong, and we need to get her fixed up.
• Have you seen the Dunkin' Doughnuts Lattes commercial with the people singing about confusing coffee names? I find it mildly hilarious that announcer tells you to by lattes from Dunkin' Doughnuts, where you "order in English." Don't be fooled -- no matter where you say it, "latte" is an Italian word, people!
• The weather has been amazing lately, eh? Skies almost as blue and expansive as skies in Ohio. Big, fluffy white clouds that don't move as fast as Ohio clouds but are just as pretty. Driving to Exeter on Thursday, I was literally moved to tears by the beauty and majesty of the Sierra Nevadas that greeted me as I made my way east on 198. (Usually, I turn onto Anderson Rd to head home, but that day I drove down to 65 to take the longer way through town, just to see the view for a little while longer.) Mountains remind me of my place in the world -- I am so small and insignificant in the grand scheme of things, yet God feels it of utmost importance to romance me with the most beautiful sight in my eyes, for no more reason than just to show He loves me intimately.
• Tomorrow is a Super Starbucks Big Whig tour (That's my own name, by the way.) . Traci, my regional director, and Cos, my area vice president (I think, I'm not totally sure of his job title; suffice it to say, he's way up there -- my boss's boss's boss's boss) are touring five stores, including mine, tomorrow. I just found out on Tuesday so I'm a little bit (okay, totally) freaked out. Buuut, my goal is to see this as an exciting opportunity to show off my store -- it's a visit, not a check-up or a test or an obstacle. Traci is great, and it's always good to have face time with important people. Wish me luck!
• For the next two or three weeks, I have Friday and Saturday off, and I'm looking forward to it. No big plans this weekend (take care of Giada, go home to get a table and my computer chair, vacuum) but maybe next weekend. I'd like to make a little trip somewhere, maybe Pismo or Hearst Castle or Monterey Bay Aquarium. And seriously, if anyone around Fresno feels like going with me, please let me know!
• Heads up for Starbucks fans -- next Tuesday, every retail store in North America will close at 530p. At 6p, every store will hold a special training sessions for all of its partners (employees). Starbucks is going through a radical period of adjustment and refocusing, and the training will zone in on making perfect beverages and creating amazing connections with customers. I'm super excited to have this time with my team, and I know that it will be the beginning of better experiences for our customers -- including you!

Well, it's almost time for the season premiere of America's Next Top Model so time to wrap up. After ANTM and some reading, it will be bedtime -- definitely need a good night's sleep tonight! Hope everyone is well; love you all.