OMG, where have I been? Can I really not have updated my blog since [checks...gasps...] January? What the hell have I been doing?!

Let me tell you!

I turned 25, and received a cake worthy of recognition on Cake Wrecks, although I haven’t sent it to them. (In case you can’t read it, it says “Happy Birthday Christina Welcome to Your Quarter Life Crisis.”)

Even a teal-lover knows when to stop.

My husb got me tickets to the Penguins, and I saw this amazing car when we parked near the arena.

A kindred soul.

Then, the Penguins won the Stanley Cup and I collapsed in a huge heap of sobbing/laughing/screaming/hyperventilating mess on my living room floor. Less than twelve hours later, I was holding the Cup with Coach Bylsma.

GAHHHHH!!!!

(I’ll give you a second to recover from the sheer awesomeness of that picture. I needed a week to recover.)

I went to Houston for a friend’s wedding and SOMEHOW BECAME PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES.

"Look, I'm the President, and if I want to change the national anthem to "Take A Chance On Me," I WILL."

I also met this feisty little guy, painted on the ceiling of where the wedding reception was.

Yee-haw.

I’ve been doing a whole lot of writing and editing, and actually gave my manuscript to some people to read, which was hella terrifying. So far, no one has handed it back to me and then proceeded to laugh in my face for ten minutes, so that’s good.

I started another blog (Hi, my name is Christina, and I’m a blogaholic who doesn’t follow through), where I’ve been thinking through some writing stuff. Follow me there…if you dare. Of if, you know, you’re interested in me blabbing about writing. I also occasionally contribute to the very amazing Only in Pittsburgh blog, for which my spouse is the main contributor. If you have a picture that belongs there, what are you waiting for? Send it to us!

KTHXBAI

I know that this is probably really mean, especially for all you poor souls in Pittsburgh, where, according to weather.com, the temperature is currently 3 degrees and the wind chill is a bitter -12. But would you like to see where I am right now?

(Picture from Allan Ferguson.)

Encinitas, California.

Okay, I’m not really on the beach right now. But I was there for a few hours this morning/early afternoon. Right now I’m hanging out at a coffeehouse and stealing WiFi. Don’t worry, I’m going back for the sunset tonight.

(evil grin)

Hey folks — sorry, I didn’t keep up on my end of the bargain with the 90s vids. I have recently experienced the most violent illness I’ve ever experienced in my life. It was so bad my husb was considering taking me to the hospital in the wee hours of Saturday night/Sunday morning. 90s vids will be back in full force tomorrow.

In the meantime, husb and I are thinking of taking a weekend trip some weekend in November. Ideally, we’d like to be able to leave after work on a Friday, get there and check into a hotel so we can spend all day Sunday and most of Sunday in the destination. But we don’t know where to go! DC is out of the question – hello, we just spent two years living there – as are places we’ve been like New York or Philly or places I was raised to loathe like Cleveland. We’re looking for something under the radar, a place people wouldn’t normally think to visit.

Maybe Detroit? Or Toronto? Any ideas or suggestions, faithful readers?

All the billboards along the freeway are for Rodeo Drive Plastic Surgery (”We treat everyone like a celebrity.”), breast augmentation (only $2999!), AdultCon (the world’s largest Adult Convention), or Disneyland.

With love in her eyes and flowers in her hair.

Boyf and I are heading to California for a few days to get extremely intoxicated while celebrating the marriage of a very dear aunt. Posting will probably be sporadic, but I’ll try to do my best.

Have fun, kids!