TWiP: December 2011, Part 2

Yeah, I’m late! Whee! Here’s part 2. Things I’ve run into during the second half of December. Coming soon – January. Promise. All photos taken either with my HTC EVO or Canon point & shoot.

When I was a kid, I had a sea monkey zoo. Then they died. I found these at Big Lots and was oh so tempted to keep another tank at work. If they’re really brine shrimp, how can they “survive” as dry eggs for months before someone comes by and begins the cycle? I’m confused.

Sea Monkeys! at Big Lots

Mini chicken salt & pepper shakers

I was walking up the street from the office for some grub and ran into this old time gas station! I wonder if anyone’s already scouted it for tv shoots or commercials. It’d be neat to have a still-working station here.

Old time gas station - Monrovia, CA

Christmas was coming around and I was hoping to pick up some really cheap earphones for work. I mean, like $5 cheap. Instead, I saw these! Un/fortunately, I already have a bluetooth earpiece for my phone, so I skipped it.

Hello Kitty bluetooth headpiece - Best Buy, Los Angeles

Holy Triinity at my desk - coffee, water, lotion

We had a department holiday party at the fancy bowling alley nearby. What struck me as comical was the continuous loop of holiday music videos this place managed to run. I don’t remember who was on the monitor in this picture, but I know I found it amusing…

Holiday Bowling Party at Work

The good wife took me to Baskin-Robbins one night after dinner and treated me to some ice cream. 20 years ago, I remember being introduced to Jamoca Almond Fudge. TWENTY years ago!

Baskin-Robbins Jamoca & Jamoca Crunch ice cream

These are some of the best tacos I’ve ever had. Hands down. On Tuesdays, it’s their fish taco day. On Thursdays, I believe their tacos are 99-cents apiece. BARGAIN LUNCH. You have to try these at Tacos Enseneda.

Amazing tacos at Tacos Ensenada - Duarte, CA

You gotta see this in person to appreciate it. Friends decorated Joanne’s door for Christmas. Awwwwwwesome. I have a better picture somewhere, but the best part was when our other friend’s BF filmed her unwrapping her door. Nerd orgasm? Yes. I’d like my future front door of my future house to be just like this. Not sure if the wife would go for it, but it would be so awesome!!

My friend Joanne's awesome Doctor Who bedroom door

One of my best friends’ kid was turning four and I walked into the Disney Store to see if there was something I could get for said kid. I texted my friend a picture of these and asked if Kid would like them. Hah! Friend said “No, she’s not into Princesses, she likes Dora and Nick Jr.” Sweet. But check these out – they’re giant sized dolls. They look more normal than the usual Barbies that I’d be ok with buying one of these for some kid.

Big Disney Princess dolls - Disney Store

The wife covers his face whenever I try to get a picture of him with my phone. So I got this one instead. We were at a game on New Year’s Eve, and they gave out New Year’s crowns.

Happy New Year's Eve from the Wife - Staples Center

Well there you go. I have a few more pics I want to share for December but will have to post them separately. On to January!

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WIRI: Personal Finance Blogs

I’ve been reading a lot more pf (personal finance) bloggers since the start of the new year. Some of the bloggers have a great writing style and their posts are easy to digest. Others are a bit on the dry side and some read more like a general textbook. Some are right in the middle, depending on the topic(s).

Of course, take their advice with a grain of salt, or as stories to inspire and to encourage your saving/budgeting world. While the principles are the same, the cost of a 3-bedroom house in Los Angeles and the mortgage payments are not the same as a place in a little town in Idaho or South Carolina. From what I can tell, the ones I’m reading are not from big cities where cost of living is super high. I’d really like to see are more pf bloggers in big metro cities… ie. LA, Miami, New York, San Francsico…

PF bloggers have inspired me to be a little more aware of where I’m spending my money. They’ve got nifty worksheets to track spending, which is great when it comes to tax time. They’ve got checklists for taxes – yeah! They’ve listed out exactly how they saved or spent – details are great, none of this “a little here, a little there” nonsense.

Some of my favorite posts I’ve read are “how I made it” stories that some bloggers guest-write. I don’t know much about blog paid advertising, but this woman was able to make it her full-time job, helping others manage blog advertising and her own. I don’t know where she lives and how much her mortgage and expenses are, but it’s inspiring. $100K! I think it’s also wonderful motivation for those who may think they are stuck at a dead-end job or at a job they have no passion for. (I know plenty of these people IRL…)

Got any favorite pf blogs I should read or follow on my RSS feed? Please lmk!

source: http://pinterest.com/pin/179158891395812798/

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Update 1.22.12: Happy Lunar New Year’s Eve!

Happy Lunar New Year’s Eve! It’s about to get all Dragon in your faces tomorrow.

source: http://blogging.la/tag/gtd/page/2/

Updates on what’s been going on:

  • I’ve been battling this cold/cough thing from last week. Now it’s just coughing. Phlegmy. Sexy.
  • I’ve finished my third book of the year and moved on to the next.
  • I’m contemplating a change in my Reading Goal from 25 to 40.
  • The Wife and I went to the Kings game last night against Colorado. They lost.
  • Since we’re married, we gave out red envelopes to my cousins on my mom’s side. I feel old. I mean really old when this time comes around every year.

How’s your neck of the woods?

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Golden Globes 2012 Thoughts

Jen and I worked (very quickly) to bring you our so-not-scientific thoughts on this year’s Golden Globes nominees. We pick our favorites… and people we just want to see win.

Click here and read on at our pop blog!

Why not post a picture of shirtless Ryan Gosling?

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PSA: Cover Your Mouth!

Dang, people. Cover your damn mouths when you cough. Thanks to a stranger last weekend who coughed and sneezed into my face, I’m sick.

Yes I can blame that woman because no one else I’d been around has been sick nor has anyone else coughed in my face.

What the F? Why can’t people just turn their head and cough into their sleeve or elbow? (I guess that’s the new thing – coughing into your elbow.)

Sheesh.

source: http://www.cdc.gov

source: http://www.cdc.gov

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