So there's a Bay Area Travel show at the Santa Clara Convention Center in a couple of weeks. I'm not really planning on going anywhere soon, but Rick Steves is giving multiple talks at the event, so guess who's going. Glad I put off buying the tickets too because it was the Living Social deal today. Now I need to get a non-ebook copy of Travel as a Political Act so that he can sign it.

I would say that it's been a while since I've been this excited about seeing someone talk, but I just saw Neil Gaiman at WonderCon last year. And then Justice Scalia before that.

Anyway, I'm super excited.

Oh yeah and I got tickets to the Phantom Planet reunion, but it's a midweek show so I have no idea whether I am going to be able to make it to that. I hope I can.

The rain was crazy intense last night. I couldn't even walk a block in SF without getting soaked.

I know I write about this a lot, but whatever. You're still reading this for some reason or another. Anyway, I hit 115 miles in the Eowyn Challenge thing. Not that exciting of a jump considering the last time I posted at it was like a month ago, but the holidays and being sick got in the way, so whatever. If you correspond it with the book, I'm at one of those boring scenes where Frodo sings. So that's what's going on, world.

yay happy birthday to me. I finally was able to drag Chris to the speakeasy style bar in downtown SJ that I've been meaning to go to for a long time. Success!

I've also managed to post to Music & Jjigae two days in a row. Success.

Speaking of success, let's finally roll out those New Years resolutions. Hopefully, I will be successful with these this year:

1. Write more. It can be Yelp. It can be blogging. It needs to be something. I like writing. Of course, I do. I've entered a field where writing is a necessity. I need to do more of it. It's fun and it's a great way for me to let out steam.

2. Find a job. This probably should be number one. It's going to be really sad if I end 2012 without a job, so I'm just going to take succeeding at this one as a given.

3. Lose weight. I was looking at pictures from Italy in 2006. They made me sad, but maybe that's enough to give me the kick in the butt I need.

4. Read 50 books. Yeah, I know. I think this makes my list every year. Whatever. I've gotten the last two books of the Hunger Games Trilogy under my belt so far, so I guess that makes for a good start.

5. Finish the Song of Ice and Fire series. Or at least what Martin's written of the series. Completing both this resolution and #4 might be difficult because it takes me forever to get through these books. We'll see.

6. Save More Money. Seems pretty self-explanatory. Have loans to contend with now, so no more silly expenditures.

7. Play more soccer. Playing soccer with Chris was one of my favorite study breaks this summer. I tried to do some of Chris's pick up games with him, but it was awkward being the only girl playing and being essentially ignored. It's great exercise, though, so I imagine that accomplishing this can help me in accomplishing #3. You see, these are all tied together somehow.

8. Brush up on Italian and Korean. My Korean hasn't diminished over the years, but my Italian sure has. This last trip with Nonny and Nonno was almost embarrassing.

9. Spend more time outside. I was told by my doctor last year that I have crazy low levels of Vitamin D. Of late, I've taken to more walks and jogs and than gym trips, but I still think I'm due for more fresh air in my life. I'm going to try to take my dad hiking once a week (or two weeks depending on his England/Japan schedules).

10. Do more trivia nights. I'm such a trivia geek. I need to unleash that more often and maybe win sometime. I want some of those wine gift bags they give out at the Brit!

First post of the new year. I'm ringing in the new year with a wicked cold. I caught it from Gianni I think. The trip was fun, albeit there was some tension and stress at different times. I guess you have to expect as much when you're gathering 22 people on a cruise ship for a week. All in all, though, it was fun. And now I am sick. I was fine until Halmony called out of the blue while we were road tripping through Texas to ask how I was feeling. I wasn't even sick then, but pretty much everyone else was. Bleh. Oh well. Ate a lot of good food. Southern food is so good and, for that reason, I'm glad I don't live in the south. Job search is still going, but hopefully I'll find something soon.

My birthday is coming up. Can't believe I'm almost 27. I feel so old.