Dear Starbucks

Dear Starbucks,
Please stop correcting me when I come in to order a drink and don't use the "proper Starbucks lingo". Starbucks is not true Italian coffee, and therefor the use of such words as "grande" and "venti" just sounds plain ridiculous. Having worked in coffee for quite a few years myself, I fully understand what the word "skinny" means. However, refusing to conform to the Starbucks corporate moguls' attempt to re-program my coffee-ordering habits, I prefer to say "nonfat milk" and "sugar-free syrup". As long as the barista can translate my drink order into Starbucks-ese (which was no doubt drilled into her head during her tedious training at Starbucks College), please do not patronize me by "correcting" my order. Thank you kindly.
~A True Coffee Lover

Rain again???

I recognize that we are spoiled here in California (where the sun always shines). When it does rain, people here tend to get, well, whiny. I used to make fun of those people, being that I come from the land of 4 seasons and frigid, bone-chilling winters. Now, I have become one of them. It has been raining since last Thursday, with only about a day and a half of nice weather between the storms. And this is not just a light drizzle. This is a drenching, streets-getting-flooded, puddles-past-your-ankles, pounding, blowing rain. I guess this is winter in California.

Changes, they are a comin'

After almost a full year of waiting, it is with great excitement that I announce that I officially have a job with Placer County Office of Education!!!! I am starting a position as a Foster Youth Services Tutor in early March, and I will have a caseload of 12-13 students who I will spend about an hour per week with. The best part of this job (wait for it)........ a full summer off (2 whole months)--PAID!!!!

On another note, Patrick and I found out yesterday that we will be moving this weekend. It's quite a long, dramatic story (of which the details are not important), but we will be moving to a newer, nicer, larger apartment this weekend. We are so excited to be moving to this area (albeit earlier than we had planned), but overall, we're ready for an upgrade. It has been complete chaos around here, with boxes in every corner and our home in shambles. Coupled with my interview today, and the good news I received about getting the job, I have absolutely nothing to complain about. Life is pretty dang good around the Groff house!!!!

Well, off to dinner to celebrate all of the wonderful things happening in our lives right now. In parting, I would like to say one thing:

YYYYYYYYYYYYYEEEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY!!!!!!!

The end.

Lethargic.

Ok, so picture this:
I sit down today to work on our new computer (ok, so only the screen is new, but it all feels new to me since I haven't been able to use it for months due to the fact that our monitor was on the fritz). Let me tell you, the resolution and picture qualityon this brand-new screen are nothing short of incredible!! So I start looking through old pictures and run across some pictures from college. As I see photo after photo of my "old" self with beautiful golden blonde locks, I start to feel this longing from deep down in my heart. It's the softest, slightest murmur from within. And do know what it says??

It says, "What exactly are you running from???? You are a natural blonde."

[Yeah, I know what you're thinking. I probably don't even know my real hair color after so many years of highlighting, lowlighting, and dying. But I still believe that I'm a "natural" blonde and you can't tell me otherwise!]

Anyways, it goes on to continue, "Stop running from your roots, go back to blonde!"

[No pun intended. Ok, maybe actually just a twinge of pun...]

Just goes to show that if there were such a thing as Hair ADD, I wouldn't even have to see a specialist to know that I have fallen victim to this sad disease.

Time to step away from the hair dye.