I Think My Identity Was Stolen By A Mariner's Fan

About five minutes ago, I signed into my hotmail (aka my spam depository) and saw an email with this subject line:

"The Stars Are Aligned: The Red Sox, GIants, and Angels are Coming to Safeco Field" and it was from Mariners.com.

So, I've definitely gotten weird email before but this was a NEWSLETTER. So, I said to hubby, "I don't even know a single guy on the Mariner's team." To which he said, "You know Ken Griffey Jr." And I said, "Oh yeah, and I know that other guy." He said, "That other guy? You mean Ichiro? The guy who's just about the best player in baseball? That guy?"

SO- I'm just saying that the Seattle Mariners should be embarrassed that I, of all people, am on a list of supposed "Mariners fans". They should be paying people to keep clueless people like me OFF of their list.

On a final note- if I stole someone's identity, I'm not sure that the first thing I'd do would be to sign up for an MLB newsletter. But that's just me...

Getting Shredded!

I....have...not...blogged...since...September!!! You've got to be kidding me. Well, I'm back, and better than ever!

First, the woman who attacked my friend and I downtown SF is in a mental hospital. The Good: She's getting help if she needs it. The Bad: I've never had an opportunity to tell a judge what happened to me. The Ugly: I had to call the District Attorney several times before I learned that she was moved to a hospital. So much for victim's rights!!

Second- I'm training for, not one, but TWO marathons. It's honestly been crazy fun! I joined a training group and we do long runs every Saturday together. Last Saturday, we ran ELEVEN miles! The Good: I RAN ELEVEN MILES. The Bad: I still have 15 miles to go. The Ugly: I STILL HAVE FIFTEEN MILES TO RUN!! Yikes! What's really cool is that I will run one marathon in July, while I'm still 30, and the second marathon in October, when I've turned 31. So, I can say I've run a marathon every year in my 30s! Yay!

I've also decided to try my own version of Jillian Michael's 30 Day Shred Challenge. I don't think it's realistic for me to do this DVD every day for 30 days due to the marathon training schedule. What I will try to do is do this DVD three times per week. There you have it- today is officially Day 1. Let's go!

Kayla's Workout Plan

In honor of my idol, Jillian Michaels from "The Biggest Loser", I put hubby and my nephew through a circuit training workout. Everyone kicked bootie and worked off the Christmas Eve dinner!

I have been looking into programs to get certified as a personal trainer. While expensive, I think I would make an awesome trainer. I would have a lot of fun helping people meet their fitness goals. We'll see what happens in the new year.

I've stayed on track with Weight Watchers so far this vacation. I've learned a lot about planning and making better choices. For example, we cooked two frozen pies last night. I could have had a piece for 7 points but instead took one bite of someone elses. Guess what- it wasn't that spectacular.

B&B wise, I have not made it to any after Christmas sales yet. Hopefully tomorrow!!

Taking My Life Back

One week ago today, my friend and I were attacked and robbed by a woman with a handgun. We were in the middle of downtown San Francisco in the middle of the day on a Saturday. There were many people around and we were in front of the GAP of all places. The woman was either very bold or very crazy, or both. In the end, she was captured and my purse was returned to me.

Since then, I've been a prisoner in my apartment. I'm extremely scared to go outside because I'm afraid of strangers! I've never been afraid to live in this city until now. I've gone to therapy, to the doctor, and on a trip to Target (in the car) but other than that, I can't bring myself to go anywhere that requires walking.

The other problem is that when I'm nervous, bored, scared, or stressed, I eat!! So, this week, I've put so much junk food down my throat that it's resulted in a three pound gain. Ugh- I've been battling a ten pound gain that has resulted from my 30th birthday celebrations- both in Vegas and here in the city.

So, today I begin again. I've rededicated myself to tracking my Weight Watchers points and to drinking my water. I also had started Jillian Michaels' 30 Day Shred workout program prior to the incident last week. Today I'll begin that program again. Also, I plan to take my dog on a short walk- we'll see how that goes.

I feel really strong today and I can only hope to get stronger. Keep your fingers crossed!

No Tomorrow

For a few weeks, I've been meaning to blog about new beginnings. I've moved into a new apartment and have taken a new position in the University. I wanted to talk about how sometimes we intend to do so many positive things when given the chance to "start over" but how, really, when it comes down to it, we slip into old habits really swiftly. For example, when I moved into a new apartment several years ago, I made a vow that my space would be simple and clean...a place to relax and unwind. What soon happened was I filled the space with stuff and it became as crowded and as overwhelming as all of the other spaces I'd lived in before.

This time is different. Three days after moving into my new place, my partner and I went on vacation. Three days into our vacation, I received a phone call that my perfect and beautiful 20 year old niece had been killed by a drunk driver. I was in shock. How could this be? She was so young...and she had the desire and the ability to change the world for the better. She was a social justice advocate and really aspired to "bring down the man".

Without going into a long diatribe replete with cliches, I've realized that there is no tomorrow. There is right now, and there is eternity. I can intend to keep my new apartment orderly and peaceful but intentions are nothing. It only counts if you DO IT.

I will return to dance classes this week. I will pick up my clothes tonight, I will tell my husband and my family that I love them right now because the opportunity to do so later may escape me.

Me niece is amazing in that, even in her absence, I've learned more from her than she could have ever learned from me.

In short- right now, I love all of you. I love all of you forever but we might not have another opportunity to say it...so, say it...do it...live it...right now.

Pseudo-Celebrity

Long time, no blog!!

Over the last few weeks, I've been intending to blog- however, work has gotten the best of me and, frankly, I've had nothing interesting to blog about. How sad!

Recently, my BFF, Kelly, came to the City by the Bay for a conference on money making. Or money laundering. Or something like that. (Aside- the only things I know about Kelly's job is that "If the market is open, I work." and that she moves cash around for high roller types. In the end, she's kind of a big deal).

Moving on...We wanted to take BFF to a cool restaurant so I resorted to one of my favorite websites, www.yelp.com. I read reviews and discovered that the head chef at Circa was none other than Erik Hopfinger from Top Chef Chicago. Hoorary! A real live reality TV star! Excellent Smithers!

Hubby and I meet BFF at the restaurant and it's kind of swanky. It looks a little like the inside of the Planet Hollywood Hotel in Vegas- minus the girls in bootie shorts serving cocktails and the perpetual c loud of cigarette smoke. We are seated and BFF promptly orders a bottle of wine. I knew there were reasons why I really liked her, besides the fact that she is a rockstar.

As far as food goes, we got mini sliders with truffles, lobster mac and cheese, fried chicken, lobster corn dogs,and calamari. I, unfortunately, had to send the calamari back because, one, the sauces it came with it were terrible and, two, we found a hair on the plate. AH!!! Otherwise, our food was awesome. Our favorite dish was the lobster corn dog and, ironically, Chef Erik was voted off of Top Chef because he made corn dogs that were soggy! Bogus! I think he was framed.

In the end, I had a full tummy and a great wine-induced idea. I wanted to meet the Psuedo-Celebrity chef and take a picture. So, I said to our waitr ess, "We are big nerds and watch a lot of reality tv so we were hoping to meet the chef and take a picture." She kind of laughed and said, "No problem!" Chef Hopfinger came out and asked us how our meal was. I managed to censor myself because I'm pretty sure I wanted to say something about the hair in the calamari. We took the picture and then I blurted out, "You got robbed on Top Chef! Soggy corn dogs?? Yeah right! You were our favorite!." Chef Hopfinger laughed and thanked us.

So, in the end, I had my first encounter with someone from reality tv. What makes reality tv stars different from the rest of us? They've already had their 15 minutes of fame...oh, and some of them can make a damn good lobster corn dog!

Sad Mac=Enraged Kayla

Flash back to last Tuesday. I call hubby at home and ask him what's up. He tells me that his MacBook (his brand NEW MacBook) has just died. I ask him to kindly repeat what he said and he does- loud and clear. The computer has made a loud noise and subsequently shut down. Hubby is sad. Kayla is pissed- first at hubby. I said "How did this happen hubby??? What have you been doing??" Hubby defends himself and I'm convinced that the computer has died of natural causes.

On to last Thursday. Hubby and I make an appointment with the so-called Apple Geniuses at a local mall. We arrive and many smiling Apple employees jump to help us. I remark, "Hubby, they are so helpful!! What great customer service."

So all is well until we meet with our "Genius". It goes a little like this...

Us: "Hi friendly Genius. Our MacBook that was recently puchased is sad. Please help!"
Genius: "Ok let me take a look." (at this point he removes some screws). "Oh yeah, I see the problem- there is liquid damage to the computer. Not our fault- it's really bad too. Gonna cost you 900 big ones. What do you say?"
Us: "Oh no Genius, that's impossible. This computer has never even been close to liquid."
Genius: "Too bad, so sad. Warranty voided. Take it or leave it."

So we leave...well, I leave. Actually I storm out because I'm pissed and I'm a big baby. Hubby follows. We stress out about the computer for a few days. Very intelligent coworkers, friends, and family members encourage us to go to a different Apple store and talk to a different Apple Moron, I mean Genius. So, we do.

Flash to Saturday. We enter the downtown Apple store just as a man in handcuffs is being escorted out by police. I think he's probably made a scene after being told that his new MacBook has imaginary liquid damage.

We are called the the Genius bar and are met by a nice young man, Dan. I begin to explain to Dan that the computer died, we went to another Apple store, liquid damage blah blah blah, impossibility, please help us...and then I start to cry. Poor Dan!! He looks terrified of me. He says he will look at the sick MacBook.

Dan is gone for a mighty long time. I'm talking thirty minutes or more. When he walks back out, he has the MacBook and it is...ON!!!! He fixed it. What a Genius!

Then Dan tells us the bad news- there WAS liquid damage. Not only that but the inside of the computer smells like vanilla candles. WHAT?? He asks us if we ever spray air freshener around the computer. Why yes, Dan the Genius, we do. Well, my friends, that is enough liquid to literally fry your computer's logic board.

What Dan didn't do was tell us what he did or make us pay any money. My thought- Dan did the $900 repair for free but couldn't tell us so he didn't get in trouble. My other thoughts...Dan you are the MAN! If Dan doesn't have huge blessings coming to him, I'd be shocked.

So, the morals of this story are:
1. Continue to press the issue if you aren't getting the service you want.
2. Sometimes it pays to show how frustrated you are. (i.e. Crying in the Apple store).
3. You can get the help you need if you can find a helpful person.
4. And finally- no matter how much you or your hubby stink, NEVER EVER EVER spray air freshener around a $1200 piece of machinary.