Mid-20s

It's been more than a few weeks since my birthday, but I wanted to blog about turning 25.

There's this friends episode where Rachel is lamenting her situation as she turns 30 and Tag makes this comment: "I totally know how you feel, Rachel. I'm so freaked out about turning 25."

Rachel retorts with, "ok, get out."

I just thought that was pretty relevant because I just turned 25 and was thinking a lot about aging and birthdays.

Last year, I promised myself that this would be the best year ever and it actually turned out true. My 24th was the best year of my life I can say with a lot of confidence. Why? I think it was because it followed a couple miserable years and the contrast made this year so much sweeter. My relationship with my parents, my friends and above all, with God has changed. My default mood has been joyful and it just kind of feeds on itself.

I can now rent a car.

But the prospect of ever deteriorating fertility is this cloud looming over my head. Of course I dream of getting married and having kids, but I have to realize that it's all in God's timing. To be honest, I think about the perfect engagement, the perfect wedding cake and the perfect invitation for the least amount of money. I suppose girls think about that stuff, but I've learned that all of that is overshadowed by living in the present and enjoying the company and relationship I have now.

I can't worry about tomorrow for today has enough worries for itself. Today's worries include how and when I'm going to exercise, how I'm going to cook my Alfredo and egg noodles for lunch and what time I need to take the CalTrain. I gotta say, those aren't even worries at all. And i'm so thankful for the fact that God has been so good to me this past year.

Restaurant Reviews

Bistro Aix

We came here for my birthday (thanks guys!). I found this while browsing on yelp and I wanted to try a new restaurant with good food somewhere outside of the sunset district. The people in our party ordered braised pork pasta, ahi tuna, lamb chop steaks, and thin crust pizza. It was pretty good, but I was a little disappointed because I wanted to try the fixed price menu that they have for parties under 8 people. We all tried each others dishes and ooohed and aaahhhed at what everyone ordered. We ordered a bottle of wine from France. It went really well with my braised pork dish. One goal before I die is to know the basics of wine. To be able to tell the difference between a good wine and a bad wine and to know basic pairings of food/dessert with a specific wine. Right now, all I know is similar things flock together. White wine with white meat, red wine with red meat and sweet wines with dessert/chocolates.

Fresca

This place is HOPPIN'. This is a watering hole for young attractive young professionals to congregate, break bread and perhaps score a little. :P The restaurant specializes in Peruvian food from ceviches to paella. We had the paella and the pulled chicken stew with potatoes and egg. In one word each, paella: awesome, stew: mediocre. The paella had clams, mussels, scallops, fish, chicken, corn, peas, rice. It was SOOOOOO full of flavor. Yeah, pretty darn good dude. I want to learn how to make paella, but I probably won't be able to make it as well as this place, or Peru/Spain or any spanish speaking country. I'd go again to try the ceviches. The ambiance is pretty nice, although it's pretty crowded and you can't hold a conversation without raising your voice...so not a place where you want to talk. There were a lot of well-dressed people there. I was wearing jeans and a track jacket and felt a little underdressed, but oh well. It was a satisfying dinner nevertheless.

Briefs and Shorts

1) Turning 25 was surreal. more later...

2) I just spent 2 hours working on 2 pages of my scrapbook.

3) I've started a 40-hour lifestyle. And the kicker is, I'm paying tuition to work at Safeway

4) My orchid is blooming again and it makes me happy. :)

5) Home was awesome. Steve's, Guppy House, Sand Castle, Prince Caspian

6) No Country for Old Men is a FREAKY movie. Javier Bordem freaking earned his Oscar. shoot.