My name is Tierra…

I’m getting really bad about updating this thing. I used to have time to casually bitch on my blog but between work and school, I am quite the busy gal! Let me bitch about SOTU speech made last night.

I mainly want to bitch about that “tax cut” we all got that “helped us”. Obama’s tax cut gave me $4 more on my paycheck. Multiplied by 26 payments and that’s a whole $96 more a year. I mean, really? I’m almost tempted to write the Govt a check for $96 with the following note attached: “No, thanks. Please apply this towards the deficit that my grandkids are going to be paying off.”

What else?

OH! The GOP is up 1 seat in the Senate! Woohoo! Realistically, I think we will gain maybe 5 or 6 seats in the Senate. We won’t take back the House, maybe gain 20 -30 seats. But those are my estimates.

I need to get back to work (KERIN). So there’s my update. I’ll try to be more regular. lol

Back to the daily grind. I left sunny southern California for a very cold DC. I went from 65 degree weather to 8 degree weather.

Why do people live where it’s cold? I mean, seriously? How do you cope with seasons? This would be a good thesis topic for psych grad students. Money aside, why do people live where it is MISERABLE 4-6 months out of the year? Clearly there are warmer parts of the country with similar economic demographics so what drives them to tolerating cold weather? Comments are welcomed.

I would just like to take a moment and reflect…rather maybe even rant just a little bit. Having lived in several places not only in the United States but also overseas, I consider myself a fairly traveled person. With this type of lifestyle, I have observed two things that I feel are worth sharing.

There is nothing like the United States.

- I feel like people often take advantage of the country we live in. We truly are lucky to have the technology that we do that makes our lives so efficient. I lived in Italy for a few months and while it is no longer a backward country, it is still 30 years behind the U.S. Even our neighbors to the South don’t even come close to rivaling anything we do. We have access to the greatest medicines and are able to detect and cure simple diseases that are problems in other parts of the world. The American people are philanthropists at heart. Our nonprofit section is one of a kind. Nonprofits don’t exist around the world. We are so lucky to live in the truly the greatest country in the world. The American dream is not something to take lightly. Millions of people want the same thing we take for granted.

There is nothing like California.

- Let me tell you friends who live in California, you live in PARADISE. There is NOTHING that compares to California. You have awesome weather year round, awesome people, and overall an awesome state. While it has it’s draw backs with unemployment and a state deficit, what can you expect from the world’s 7th largest economy? Having been on the East Coast for two years, where there are SEASONS, and overall grouchy people, I wish every day to be back in California. Not to mention, the food here is just so much better. Be thankful that you can call California home. Especially southern California.

Side note: I’m not sure if Californians have seen this commercial because it wouldn’t really make sense to show it in your own state unless you’re promoting intrastate commerce or something, but there is a California tourism commercial that I love. It’s not the best quality video but you get the point. Watch here. It’s only 30 seconds.

While my analysis may not be scientific or consist of any true substance, it doesn’t have to because this is my blog. I do recommend an awesome Time Magazine article written a couple of months ago. This person could not have summed it up best. Since ready this article, I long to be home in California everyday. Read here.

I don’t even know where to begin…

Landed last night and can’t wait to see everyone! I go home Jan. 1st so holla if you want to hang out!

So over the Thanksgiving holiday I was in Mexico City for a wedding. The wedding was really pretty inside this HUGE catholic church. The reception was also a lot of fun. I’m glad to be back in the States though where I understand most everything people are saying. I’ll get some pictures posted later this week or next. I have finals for school coming up in two weeks along with a 15 page paper due next week. =/

While I am not back from Mexico yet, I had to get this picture uploaded. By far, the best one yet. I had the option for 20 pesos ($1.50) to get this put on two keychains. I should have sent them to my parents. I totally regret it now.

Happy Thanksgiving to all my readers! While I’m sure most of you enjoyed some sort of overeating get together with family, I was in Mexico eating street tacos and sitting in awkward silence while Luis and his family rattled off their Spanish.

The trip so far has been fun. Tomorrow is his cousin’s wedding and Saturday we are going to explore the Aztec pyramids. (At least I think they belonged to the Aztecs. I could be completely wrong.)

I haven’t taken too many pics out of fear of being mugged but will post some when I get back. Hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving!

Let me tell you about my Monday. I woke up feeling refreshed after getting 9 full hours of uninhibited sleep (with the aid of Tylenol PM) with the intentions of having a GREAT Monday. I put some music on as I get ready and head out the door by 9:15. I get 1 block away from the metro and realize that I forgot to drop off my dry cleaning at the front desk. So I go back. I also made a wardrobe error by bringing a jacket when it was 59 degrees outside. 9:30 rolls around and I’m not only late, but also looking like a hot mess.

I also remembered when I got home to grab my new jeans to drop them off to alter the length. (Please refrain from making short jokes. I’ve heard them all.) I get to work and drop the jeans off. The chinawoman tells me they will take a week and after hassling her for a few minutes, she agrees to have them done Wednesday afternoon at the bargain price of $20. I leave to go to Orlando on Thursday and wanted to sport my new jeans so they needed to be done ASAP.

Get to work, nothing exciting. I leave for school and my professor ends up being 25 mins late, which is cool because I didn’t have anything else to do but wait. I come home and cook my steak, which tasted funny, so I’m hoping I don’t regret it later. Luis is playing video games and I need to shower.

That was my Monday.

Tomorrow I must deal with the incompetent hair dressers of DC and get my base lightened. My roots are showing and to avoid the skunk look, I must overpay some under trained “stylist” to perform subpar highlighting. :theresnoplacelikehome:theresnoplacelikehome:

Luis wants a shout out. Here is your shout out.

1. Why does metro feel the need to move the trains 3 feet every 3 seconds? All it does is make passengers irritated and nauceous.

2. If you’re going to show up to class an hour late, don’t even bother coming!

3. When there are 10 million open seats, why do you feel the need to sit next to me?!

4. Fun fact: Annandale, VA is home to apparently all the Koreans in Northern VA. It’s like the Mira Mesa of the DC Beltway.

5. Also, this relates back to complaint numbers 2 and 3, don’t show up to class late, decide to sit next to me, and then type of your blackberry the remainder of class. I’m not the only one who can hear your rudeness.

6. DC smokers: you are not out of the metro station when you hit the escalator. Please refine from lighting your nasty cancer stick until you get out of the station. And if you can’t, well then I hope you die.

7. Federal holidays in the middle of the week are stupid.

8. Happy Execution Day to John Malvo! You deserve to die and I hope Satan has your seat warmed.

9. I love my mac but sometimes their programs try too hard to be “simple”. For example, if I want to insert a picture, it says “choose”. At first glance, why would anyone think choose means insert a picture?

10. I bought Luis a new video game. I only have myself to blame.