Sobe is Secretly Stalking Me...

Every morning I start my day with a Sobe Lean Energy. I can not get going without it. For years I was a Sugar Free Red Bull girl. That all came to an abrupt end when I wound up in the ER with heart palpitations. So Sobe it is.

But beyond my pure enjoyment of their drinks, I have a giant rational feeling that Sobe is secretly stalking me.

It all started with my tattoo. I got my first tattoo in 1996. The design was simple. I wanted lizards. My name is Liz. People call me Lizard. Obviously the first thing I would have permanently tattooed onto my skin should be lizards. I showed up at the tattoo parlor and told the artist what I was thinking of. He took a week to design my tat. It came out better than I could have imagined. Two lizards... in a yin yang. Fitting for me as I am always in search of balance.
Here is the finished product.



It was original, one of kind. That is until Sobe decided to release their lovely new drink.



What?????
I have spent years swearing to people that I did not have the Sobe logo tattooed on myself.
The conversation usually goes something like this...
Some stranger - "Hey, what's your tattoo?"
Me - "It's two lizards in a yin yang."
Stranger - "Isn't it the Sobe logo?"
Me - "No. Why the &*#$ would I tattoo a drink logo on my back?"
Stranger - "I don't know but it's definitely the Sobe logo!"
Me - "Oh go $&%# yourself."

Okay... I'm probably not quoting myself completely accurately but I promise that's what's going through my head.

Okay... back on track. Sobe Lean Energy (along with all Sobe bottles) have funny little sayings on the inside of the cap. I think that Sobe is secretly planting certain bottle caps in my fridge for certain days.

For instance:


Smarter not Harder.
This one was opened by me at the end of a 15 hour day at work. Oh really Sobe? You couldn't have mentioned that at hour 8?


Bring on the Catwalk.
I opened this one after a morning of Wii Fit.


Kev Bounce.
Well... I still haven't translated this one but my husband's name happens to start with Kev. (Hoping that Sobe's not inferring that he should "bounce".)


Not My Scene.
I opened this at Michael's school dropping him off the other morning. That was as all the Mom's who don't have to rush off to work were planning to hit the Coffee Bean and "catch up". "Sorry you can't come Liz" they told me. I wouldn't have called it the most sincere. I looked down at my Sobe lid... and remembered... Not My Scene.


Respek the Lizard.
Clearly the mother of all Sobe lids. No explaining necessary.

Respek the Lizard.
Words to live by.
(Now if I could just get that through to my son...)

Random Hawaii Post

On March 21st, 2009, I married my best friend. This wedding was 16 years in the making as we met and began our relationship (not sure if that's what it should be referred to, but it'll do) in high school.

I was adamant that if we were going to spend money on any one thing, a great photographer was at the top of my list. My now husband disagreed. "Everyone there will have camera's. We'll have plenty of pictures." Needless to say... I won that debate and found Julia Sieber.

Julia is originally from Switzerland and traveled the world. Eventually she landed in Hawaii and has been there ever since. She super amazing because she got some incredible candids while waiting for the priest to show (he was an hour and a half late!) She also stayed way past what we had paid her for to make sure she got shots of everything due to the priest being "stuck in traffic." (Are you kidding me? It's the North Shore of Hawaii! There is no such thing as traffic!) She is gifted as a photographer with an eye for incredible details. This means alot to me since I can't seem to get a good shot of anything. Seriously, I go to the most beautiful places in the world and get average pictures. Have you ever seen an average picture of the Grand Canyon? Really? Well here you go...



But Julia... ahhhh Julia. This woman now has a place in my heart. First, she gave me the most beautiful photos of my wedding. She has created memories that I will enjoy for the rest of my life. But secondly (and quite possibly more importantly), she made me look amazing! I mean I just don't look that good in real life. She's a photography god and if you're ever in Hawaii and find the need for a photo shoot overcoming you, look no further!















Julia... I ♥ you!

Back to School - Part 2

I have a full time job that consumes me. I have a son who demands more attention that an average newborn. I am a newlywed whose husband just got promoted and is now working 16 hour days. I have a dog. I have grubs in my garden. I have 10 pounds to lose. Let's face it... I'm busy.

So I figured now would be the perfect time to head back to school!

I spent my formative college years at West Virginia University.
Ahhh... the Mountaineers.



They were wonderful times filled with learning... about things like friendship, Grateful Dead lyrics, and political opinions. I became an uber feminist at this time. I wore more tye dye than any one human should ever wear. I experienced the true greatness of nickel beers at a place called The Dungeon.
Things I didn't spend a large amount of time on (confirmed by my recently received transcript) were classes, studying and my education.

It's been on my list of regrets for 13 years now. It's frustrating as hell to pay off a rather large sum of money for a school loan that did not earn me a degree.



It's not as though I haven't found success without it... it just sucks to leave something unfinished. I don't feel the need to get my degree to boost my career exactly. I just feel the need to learn. To set an example for my son. To finish something left undone. To make my father proud. To experience college in a completely different way.

So I'm done making excuses.
No more...
-I don't have time.
-I don't have the money.
-It will take too long to finish.
-I can't.

And starting Friday... you will find me two days a week at fabulous UNLV!



I'm starting with an executive business course offered to me by the fantastic company I work for! Then... I'm going to take a quick summer session class in June. I'm figuring on 2 classes a semester.

Current goal - Bachelors in Hotel Administration by the ripe, young age of 35!
(Let's just hope I don't gain the Freshman 15 this time!)

Attack of the Alien Organisms in My Garden!

I've been very proud of my garden up to now. I've paid attention to it, talked to it, loved it. I'll admit, I've probably moved a few plants a few too many times. But it's all out of love!
Last week, I had several lovely herbs that needed to be planted. My typical Las Vegas backyard is small, and frankly, I'm running out of space quickly. I decided to move a few of the really overgrown flowers to the back of the flower garden and plant the herbs at the front. It was a hot Vegas afternoon and I went to work. As I unearthed the first plant, I found three of the most disgusting, organisms I've ever seen. I would call them a cross between an alien and a maggot in a horror movie. I'm serious. I almost threw up on my garden!
Here is one of them... (the photo's not great, mainly because I was too scared to get any where near this thing should it decide to hatch, suddenly fly, move... so it's superzoomed)


At this point, I decided that gardening clearly wasn't for me and moved on. I went to bed that night, picturing the aliens growing in my backyard. I pictured them coming out of the ground zombie style and taking over the world. (This is not an exaggeration... I really imagined this.)

I began asking everyone I know what it might be. I got tons of suggestions. I searched them all online, none seemed to match the alien in my garden. I was beginning to worry about my plants though. So yesterday, I went straight to the experts. Star Nursery. While I was getting up the nerve to actually tell one of these fine garden people about the aliens in my yard, I picked up some carnations, an elephant garlic, an artichoke (can those even be grown in the desert?), and another bag of soil. I walked up and down the pesticide aisle at least 50 times. For the record, I totally avoid chemical pesticides when at all possible. This was not one of those occasions. I was desperate. Juan must have felt sorry for me, he approached me and asked me if I needed help or did I just really like this aisle.

Slowly, I explained my problem.
Aliens.


Growing in my garden.


Help.

Juan smiled. Listened intently. Waited for me to finish.
"You've got grubs."


And then Juan proceeded to tell me everything I ever could have wanted or needed to know about grubs.
Here's what I learned...
1. They are eating my plants roots. This will eventually kill them.
2. They will hatch (alien style) and become June bug beetles.
3. They hatch in Vegas around the first week of May.
4. They are currently infiltrating the desert.
5. The beetles are actually worse than the worms. (Is that possible?)
6. There is a wonderful pesticide especially for them.

So home I went, with my pesticide ready to go to war.
Here I am with my game face on.

And I went to work.

Thankfully all my veggies are potted. Juan swears I can cook any grubs out of the pots by simply placing a laundry bag over the pot for the afternoon. The soil will get so hot that the grubs can't take it and will surface. Then simply pluck them out. Right Juan. Pluck them out. I think I'll need my husbands help with that...