Song of the day

It should really be no surprise to anyone who knows me well that it's Rihanna. (I used the alternative video, as the official one would take my blog from a G rating to R/possibly NC-17.)

Week 14: Kowtow to the IRS

Well, my goal for week 14 was no fun at all, but it had to be done. What was it, you ask? I needed to do my taxes. I'm normally a send-them-off-in-January kinda gal, but I just didn't get around to it earlier this year. This was probably partially because of the move and the new job, but mostly because I knew I wasn't going to be getting much money back. In fact, I made so little money last year that I actually qualified for the EIC for the first time ever! (I'm not sure I should be excited about this, but apparently I am.) I felt a little guilty even making this one of my blog goals, because I did it... in about 15 minutes. Ha! Amen for TurboTax Freedom Edition. I had anticipated this taking me the better part of Saturday morning, but I was finished before I had even organized all of my paperwork.

Since I had so much free time on my hands afterwards, my two wonderful housemates and I laid out by our pool. It was gorgeous here this weekend, so we spent about 2 hours baking in the sun (SPF 45 dutifully applied) and catching up on our lives. I also got around to reading a great nutrition article that has been sitting on my shelf for weeks. After sunning ourselves, my housemate S and I decided to run a few errands and ended up, conveniently, at Yogurtland, where we treated ourselves to some fro-yo. Then, feeling fat, we rode our bikes up and down the Greenbelt for about an hour and a half before settling in to watch Beasts of the Southern Wild. All in all, a great day. Thanks, S!

Greenbelt - photo via

PS: Today would have been my beloved animal's 7th birthday. Happy birthday to you, sweet boy, and thank you for sharing your too-short life with me.

Apologies for my absence!

Hi friends,

I'm sorry I've been such a bad blogger lately. Things have been busy around here! In week 11, my dear friend L was in Phoenix with her family for spring break. We enjoyed dinner at one of my favorite spots, True Food Kitchen, on Tuesday night. On Saturday, we lounged by the pool at their resort:

(both photos courtesy of L's family)

It was SO great to see a good friend in my new town! Thank you, L and family, for coming to visit and for adopting me for the day! I am enjoying my new sun hat while I sit by my own pool. :)

In week 12, Dad and D came to visit! We had tons of adventures. We visited the art galleries in Old Town Scottsdale, ate at Sol Mexican Cocina, watched the San Tan Criterium, checked out Frank Lloyd Wright's Taliesin West, and had another great dinner on the patio at El Chorro, watching the sun set against Camelback Mountain. On Sunday, we took a day trip to Sedona:

I absolutely LOVE the red rocks out here. They're so beautiful. And look at that sky!

Dad and D left town on Monday of week 13, and Tuesday was a very sad day for me. My beloved dog, who I have had since 2006, unexpectedly passed away. Here's a very old favorite shot of us together:

I have no words for the grief of being without this guy. He was the best thing in the whole world.

Thankfully, the visits weren't over yet! On Wednesday, a.k.a. the best timing ever, my other friend L came to Phoenix! We had a fun-filled weekend, complete with a day trip to Las Vegas and celebrating my housemate's birthday with a party here in town. L was just what I needed as I tried to deal with the reality of losing my dog. On Thursday night, we had a lazy evening of takeout from Green and watching Hotel Transylvania, which was absolutely adorable.

Friday evening took us to Las Vegas, where we met up with D and J to see Mystère. This show was amazing! It didn't hurt that we had phenomenal seats, courtesy of D and J's friend M, who stars in the show. Afterwards, L and I got a backstage tour! Here we are:

Photo by D

And here's one of us and D, on the Mystère stage:

After the show, we got drinks at Mix Lounge at Mandalay Bay. This place has an incredible patio with a view of Las Vegas that is not to be missed. We returned to Mandalay Bay the next day for a delicious, all-you-can-eat tapas brunch at Border Grill, where L's friend A works - but not before riding the roller coaster at New York New York. I'd say that ride was well worth the $14 admission fee! So, so fun. I will be eternally grateful to L for being there for me in my tough time, and just for being her. She's one hell of a gal.

Now that life has pretty much returned to normal, besides the obvious gaping void of doglessness, I'll be back and ready with some goals in the upcoming weeks. Stay tuned!