Ever since Mike and I moved in together (November 2008), I’ve been wanting a small dog, since we live in an apartment. At the beginning of this year we actively started looking for a dog to bring into our home. Mike was being scheduled more night shifts and he didn’t want me to get too lonely while he was working.

We both knew that we wanted to adopt a dog from a shelter or rescue, for two reasons. One, because dogs in pet stores tend to be incredibly expensive and two, the dogs sold in pet stores typically come from puppy mills, cruel facilities that breed dogs in inhumane conditions. Not only did we not want to support any organization that mistreats animals for their own profit, but the puppies that come out of those establishments often have multiple health problems due to rampant inbreeding.

We visited a few rescues and shelters, and finally one rainy Saturday morning we drove out to the Orange County Animal Shelter to look at their dogs. The shelter is not a no-kill shelter, which was one reason we wanted to go there. We wanted to try and give a dog a home before it was slaughtered. Once we got there, I was overwhelmed by all of the faces of the dogs looking back at me. Since it had been raining, they were all wet and pathetic looking, many of them were shivering and bedraggled looking. Jetty was one of them.

Jetty is a one year old “Cairn Terrier.” I put that in quotations because that’s what the shelter’s information said, but if you Google “Cairn Terrier” he doesn’t really look like those dogs. He’s about 7 lbs, has blonde, wiry fur, floppy ears. I think he looks more like a Norfolk Terrier mix, myself.

Mike noticed him because he was one of the only dogs that wasn’t barking. He seemed to be friendly when approached, so we asked if we could meet him. The shelter employee brought him into an enclosure for us to meet him and he was really friendly right off the bat. He was playful and affectionate, everything we wanted in a dog. We found our boy!

We filled out the paperwork and paid the fee to take him home. The shelter won’t let the animals off the premises until they have their vaccinations, are spayed or neutered, and have a microchip put in, so unfortunately we couldn’t take him home with us that day. We weren’t able to pick him up and bring him home for another ten days, but we were so happy to get him home once we did, and he was happy to be with us!

Jetty was the name that he had at the shelter, Mike and I both thought it was cute enough (and we didn’t want to try and think of a new name!) so we kept it. He wasn’t house broken like we thought, given his age, but he’s a very quick learner, we had him potty trained in less than a week.

I’m so glad that we adopted our little boy. If you or someone you know is considering getting a pet, please adopt! There are so many, many animals in shelters across this country that need homes.

Help my friends find homes!

For more information about adopting a pet:

The same thing happened with Twilight, I didn’t start reading the series until the last book, Breaking Dawn came out. I saw the huge display inside a Borders store the day it came out, got curious and bought the first book. 5 days later I had the entire series read. I tend to get into things at the tail end of them :)

Since Twilight, I’ve been reading more YA novels at the recommendations of friends. First was Suzanne Collins’ The Hunger Games series, which I absolutely LOVED. Once I finished Catching Fire, I was disappointed to learn that the last book wouldn’t be published until August 24th of this year.

Next up was the Percy Jackson & the Olympians series, starting with The Lightening Thief, since the movie was due in theatres pretty soon. I was actually reading the books over my Anniversary vacation. I thought they were alright, but very Harry Potter-esque. I didn’t like them as much as I liked The Hunger Games & Catching Fire. And The Lightening Thief movie? Incredibly disappointing! Not faithful to the book at all (what is all this business about Persephone’s pearls?), tons of elements of the movie were completely made up when they didn’t need to be, the book was fine as it was.

Now I’m on to the His Dark Materials series, about 100 pages into The Golden Compass (or Northern Lights as it sometimes called). I never saw the movie, and apparently it wasn’t faithful to the book at all so I’m not planning on it. So far I’m really liking the book. It has a parallel universe to our own, much like The Hunger Games, and I’ve found that I enjoy those novels more.

Feel free to comment if you also enjoy YA novels and have some to recommend to me! :)

We went to The Getty Villa in Pacific Palisades, CA. The Villa itself is incredible, it was built in the same style as the art it houses (mostly ancient Greek and Roman pieces).

lol, Are we old enough to be married? We still act like children!

Us in front of the fountain in the gardens.

That afternoon, we drove over to the Ritz-Carlton, Marina del Rey and checked in. The staff there was really friendly and excellent. They saw our note that we were celebrating our first anniversary, so gave us complimentary champagne:

and strawberries:

View from our room:

After we dropped our stuff off in our room, we rented bikes from the concierge and took a ride along Venice Beach:

The next day we went to The Grove and The Farmer’s Market:

tee hee

Afterwards, we tried to get in to see The Tonight Show with Conan O’Brien but we didn’t get in. It’s really unfortunate that we didn’t, now that he’s off the show. Instead, we went to LA Live to look at the new Ritz-Carlton, Los Angeles (it wasn’t open yet, so we couldn’t go inside) and saw Avatar and went to a really nice dinner at Sur using a coupon from Groupon:

The next day we went to the Griffith Observatory:

You may remember it from movies and tv.

Awesome Periodic Table exhibit:

Went to the plane-arium and saw a show:

Oh hey, Hollywood sign!

The next day we drove to Marana, AZ and checked into our hotel:

They upgraded us to Club Level (!! a room with unlimited free drinks and food) and more champagne and strawberries were waiting in our hotel room:

View from our balcony:

The next day we went down to the pools. Mike went down the water slide:

It was kinda cool outside so I didn’t go in the pool.

Mike used to work with the guy that is now head chef of the restaurant CORE, he made us a really nice meal that night (that he didn’t comp :( it ended up being like $100, thanks for nothing, man! Oh well, it was still really nice of him, and tasty):

The next day we had to drive home :( :

It was an incredibly long drive:

The next day was our actual anniversary, we stayed in and celebrated :) All in all, a great way to end the first year!

I’ll post more about my vacation once I get caught up at home!

My interest in anime has waned over the years. When I first started watching (about ten or so years ago), my favorite titles were Bishoujo Senshi Sailormoon, Fushigi Yuugi, and other shoujo and bishounen titles. Back then, acquiring anime wasn’t so easy as it is now, and it seemed like I loved every title I came across. I remember driving forty minutes to see Mononoke Hime, and begging my mom to take my friend and I to see Escaflowne: The Movie.

Then I started getting into the classics; all of Hayao Miyazaki’s movies, Cowboy Bebop, and Neon Genesis Evangelion. I’ve watched quite a few titles, but it seems like it is harder for me to like new anime that I come across these days. I loved Azumanga Daioh!, Fruits Basket started good but the manga was better, same for Kareshi Kanojo no Jijou. Berserk freaked me out, Trigun made me laugh, so did Full Metal Panic! and its sequels, and Fullmetal Alchemist made me cry (I still haven’t gotten around to watching the remake). InuYasha dragged, as did its predecessor Ranma 1/2 (both based on manga from the same author).

Samurai Champloo revived my interest in the genre. It was a great series, but I wouldn’t have expected anything less from the creators of Cowboy Bebop. I started watching Naruto, but it keeps dragging on and on. One of the things I originally liked about anime was that the creators had a storyline in mind, they animated it, then ended it. It wasn’t like the American TV shows I was used to, that seemed to go on and on until the powers that be decided they were no longer profitable and ended the series unsatisfactorily. Naruto reminds me of that kind of mentality, so I’ve kind of given up on it.

If I watch anime these days, it tends to be movies, probably because they require less time to be invested in. Unlike when i was a teenager and in college, I don’t have hours and hours of free time anymore to watch anime in. I loved The Girl Who Leapt Through Time and Gake no Ue no Ponyo. I’ve seen all of Miyazaki’s films and most of Studio Ghibli’s as well, I wish there were more for me to watch. It seems like those are the only ones I like any more.

Any suggestions for a jaded anime fan?

I used to love having ice cream at night while I watched my favorite TV shows after dinner. I thought I would have to give that up on my new diet, but Weight Watchers has a line of ice creams that are REALLY good, and really low in points value! The Giant Chocolate Fudge Bars are a favorite at one point each, as well as the Cookies and Cream bars, two points each. They’re a bit pricey (usually about $5 for 6 bars), but being able to eat ice cream is worth it to me.

Points value for the day: 16-23

As you can see, I’m by no means starving myself. What I’m not doing is eating fast food everyday, which was what was hurting me before. If I absolutely must eat out for meals, I try to find options that are very close to what I would normally be eating; such as a Pollo Bowl (rice, pinto beans and chicken) from El Pollo Loco (fast food chain in Southern California). I used to have this attitude of, “I’m eating out already, might as well splurge!” If I eat out every day or every other day, these “little splurges” really add up.

Another thing you might have noticed is that I rarely shop at Big Chain Supermarket Stores. It’s not that they don’t have many of the items I’m looking for, they have EVERYTHING I’m trying to avoid. I have really big weaknesses for Cheetoes, Cheez-Its, Apple Jacks, etc. Trader Joe’s just doesn’t sell these items, so I don’t have to test my will every time I go grocery shopping. I’m really not good at resisting temptation, so the less I have to do it, the better. The only items I consume on a regular basis that Trader Joe’s doesn’t sell are the diet sodas and Weight Watchers desserts, which I have to go to a regular grocery store to get. But since there are only two items, I can go straight to them and get out; I don’t have to go into the cereal aisle and risk the tempting sugary cereals to get my oatmeal, or browse other aisles to get my other items.

Isn’t consuming so many fresh vegetables expensive, you may ask? Yeah, it can be. Eating fast food is definitely cheaper and easier, which is why a lot of Americans are overweight, in my opinion. Going through the drive-thru at Taco Bell for dinner is cheaper and more convenient than going to the market and getting some vegetables and frozen chicken. But I’ve decided to make weight loss my biggest priority, so if I have to cut out some luxuries so I have enough money to go to the market twice a week to stock up on veggies, that’s what I’m going to do.

Another thing that’s been hard is going out with friends. We usually like to hit up the local bar on Tuesdays for Taco Tuesday. Between drink specials on margaritas, unlimited chips and salsa and tasty tacos, it’s hard for me to resist eating to my heart’s content. I’ve started cutting back, only going twice a month instead of every week, and limiting my alcohol consumption. It’s easier to pay attention to what I’m eating when I’m not wasted. Not as fun, but neither is being fat.

I hope you enjoyed my series!! I’d love to hear your tips or questions! :)

Evenings are a bit tough for me too, if I didn’t pack my snack veggies that day for work I’ll usually come home ravenous and want to eat whatever is quickest. If I need a snack before dinner, I’ll have chips and salsa (15 chips, two points) or even better, celery and salsa. No points!

Another thing that’s been rough for me is avoiding cocktails. I used to come home every night and pour myself a glass of red wine (still good! Only two points!) and finish half a bottle by the end of the night (not so good, six to eight points), make myself a margarita (usually about four points), or some other cocktail. Now if I really want some alcohol I’ll stick to a glass of red wine.

Dinners are usually close to my lunches, indeed my lunches are many times left overs from my previous night’s dinner. I like to buy the packaged frozen dinners that Trader Joe’s sells. When shopping for the packaged frozen dinners, be sure to check the Nutritional Facts for the fat and caloric content. I try to stick to no more than 200 calories and about 5 grams of fat per serving, but sometimes I’ll go up to 400 calories and up to 7 grams of fat per serving. One of my favorites is the Garlic Chicken Pasta Stir Fry, four points a serving. The frozen dinners that include shrimp are also good bets, usually three to four points.

I also like to buy the Marsala Sauce from Trader Joe’s (one point a serving) and sautee it with half a chicken breast. Add brown rice, it’s eight points and very tasty. If I’m still hungry, I’ll eat some salad.

Points so far: 15-21

Check back tomorrow for the final installment of my series!

For lunch I have a couple of options. Normally I’ll have a rice-beans-chicken bowl, which consists of brown rice (1 cup, four points), black beans (1/2 cup, one point), and a serving of chicken (3 oz, three points), a grand total of eight points. Trader Joe’s sells this really good, pre-cooked, pre-seasoned, pre-sliced frozen chicken, called Just Grilled Marinated Chicken Strips. It’s a lot tastier than plain chicken. Sometimes I substitute pork carnitas instead of chicken, which are the same points value. It’s a simple meal, but it’s really good.

Another lunch option is a sandwich, during the week I’ll normally get it at Subway. A six-inch turkey sandwich on wheat bread, with yellow mustard, no cheese and any vegetables will run you about five or six points. Stay away from the special dressings, cheeses and avocado; they will increase the points value of your sandwich to burger status. If you want chips, the Baked Lays (any flavor) are a good bet, those are two points. Add any diet soda for a drink, which are zero points, and you’ve got lunch for seven or eight points. I usually also eat a baby greens salad with lunch, with an awesome balsamic vinaigrette dressing that I found at Trader Joe’s, a zero points value.

A note about Balsamic vinaigrettes: They are not all created equal! I used to think that I hated them, I thought they tasted horrible. I took a chance on the Trader Joe’s Fat Free Balsamic Vinaigrette because I wanted to make my salad a zero points option and loved it. So if you think that you hate them, give a few different brands a try. Salads (especially baby greens) is a great way to supplement any meal for zero points, as long as you stay away from the creamy dressings such as Ranch or Blue Cheese. If you really cannot find a vinaigrette you like, salsa is a great dressing substitute, also zero points!

Points so far: 9-11 points

The afternoons are a tricky time for me, I normally get bored at work and then really want to start munching. I keep vegetables handy, and since they’re zero points I can eat as many as I want. I try to stay away from fruits because they are usually about two points a-piece. My morning banana is usually the only fruit I’ll eat, but in the evenings I’ll sometimes snack on an apple, two points. Carrots, broccoli, grape tomatoes, cucumbers, mushrooms, all raw, are delicious and all zero points. If you love cheese, most light brands of string cheese are only 1 point a stick, so those are a good snack that I love as well.

Points so far: 9-12 points

Check back tomorrow for part three in the series!

For breakfast, I normally have a banana (two points) and black coffee (zero points). I recently discovered this fat-free half and half that I buy at Trader Joe’s that is only twenty calories per serving, so I can add a whole bunch of that and only rack up a point. If I don’t have black coffee or the half and half, I’ll drink black tea with some kind of artificial sweetener, zero points. My brain may turn to formaldehyde, but at least I’ll be thin! :)

If I want to have a bit more of a substantial breakfast, I’ll eat hot oatmeal (two points). Be sure it is PLAIN oatmeal, the flavored ones add all kinds of points. If you can’t eat straight oatmeal, you can add the fat free half and half and the artificial sweetener, which only racks up a point.

Points so far: 2-3

Check back tomorrow for Part 2 in my series on eating on Weight Watchers!