One is silver and the other gold.

Last week, one of my roommates from my sophomore year in college emailed me saying that she was going to be in San Francisco the next day and wanted to meet for lunch. Um - twist my arm! Casey, the roommate, has such adorable kids. Her daughter thinks my name is Emma and of course Casey does nothing to discourage that - in fact, she does quite the opposite. Not sure where her daughter got Emma from, but if she likes me as Emma, I'll take it!

And then today, my best friend since preschool, Jason, sent me a text asking me to meet up with him after work for a quick dinner. I've known him my entire life and even though he lives less than an hour away, we've only seen each other three times in the four and a half years that I've lived here. Pretty pathetic. So great to see him and catch up. I have to say that there are few things in life that are more comforting to me than a hug from Jason.

And of course when I was in Utah last weekend I saw a few friends that are pretty important to me. Life is pretty good when your nephews and niece are your friends. Pretty good looking kids, aren't they?

And speaking of friends, my cute cousin Erica had a baby a few weeks ago and on Sunday, I went to the baby blessing with my parents. So happy for Erica & Brandon. Their baby is so cute!

There are more good times with friends to come this week that I will talk about later.
How did I get so lucky?

Where I went this weekend.

I was in Utah this weekend. Don't be offended if you live there and I didn't tell you - I spent most of my time hanging with my new best friend, Hannah. She just might be 2 years old and also be my niece. This is the beginning of a beautiful relationship.

More to come.

utah...

at dinner with my parents. i <3 el azteca.

Celebrate!

Last night my roommates threw a little party for me to celebrate the fact that I passed my big test for work. Pretty nice, huh? Parties being thrown in your honor aren't a bad gig - people you love come to hang out with you. This is pretty much heaven for me.

My favorite part of this picture is Brant's face behind me. Nice one. Yeah - go ahead and zoom.

No comment. Yes, Joey's hand is on my thigh.

This was before they put pudding and brownie all over their mouth. And I'm in a good mood today. If you'd like a copy of that, I might be persuaded via email.

Thanks for the good times, friends. You're the best.

My taste in movies - not so hip - and I like it.

Way back in the day when I lived in Provo, I was dating a guy who really liked to go see movies on $.50 night at the dollar movie theater. We went almost every week and one day he called me while I was at work and told me that we were going to go see a movie later that night. Since we went to the theater so often, I knew what movies were playing; we had already talked about them. The options were: Tuck Everlasting and The Ring.

When we started dating, we had talked about the fact that I hate scary movies. For the most part, I think that guys think that I mean to say "I don't like scary movies but if your big strong arms are around me, I will love it." They would also be wrong. I don't use the word "hate" lightly when talking about scary movies.

We get to the theater that evening and I'm thinking that "Oh he's so sweet that he's taking me to see Tuck Everlasting" - Obviously he knows I don't like scary movies and would never take me to see The Ring. That is where I was wrong. He dragged me past the theater where Tuck Everlasting was playing and plopped me right down in front of the screen where The Ring was about to start. And maybe this is where our relationship started to sour, but I told him that I'd give him his 50 cents back, but that I wasn't going to watch. And did I leave the theater? No - I just folded my arms and closed my eyes - which is where I stayed for the next two hours. So ok - maybe I opened my eyes once and a while if I knew that it wasn't scary time, but for about 75% of the movie, all I saw was the back of my eyelids.

I can't lie - just putting this picture on my blog gives me goosebumps. Ugh!

Why am I telling you this story? Why am I freaking myself out? I just wanted to report that I watched Tuck Everlasting tonight. Finally. Almost exactly 6 years later. What's not to love about Alexis Bleidel? And Jonathan Jackson?

And I absolutely loved it. Surprise, surprise. I'm so glad that I'm at a place in life where I always pick the movies - and they are never scary.

It's OK

Last week Kirsten and I went to another basketball game to support our church boys. They were playing the Samoan ward, and this baby was close by, so I asked if I could hold him(or her?). I love this picture. That kid had some amazing hair. I am going home this weekend - it will be good for me to be around some kids for a few days.

Here's who I'm listening to these days:

The Old Adage Is True - Blondes Do Have More Fun

This weekend was full of...well, stuff. I was feeling sick most of last week so I stayed home on Friday and nursed myself back to health. It seemed to work, so I'm happy that I took the day off. By Friday night I was out with some girlfriends at the Brett Dennen concert at the Fillmore. The entertainment for the night was wacky and weird and mostly fun, so a good time was had by all. I always love going to shows at the Fillmore too - so much history there.

On Saturday I helped with a service project at church - we are making small dolls for the UCSF Children's hospital so that they can be used to teach children about the procedures that will be done to them. Really great project and we've been doing it for a few years. The night ended quite late with me being at the saddle rack getting a taste of my own medicine. (more on that later)

The last time I went dancing there, I decided that I needed to be blonde to go again. All the girls I went with were blonde and they were all asked to dance several times throughout the night and I was never asked. I don't write that to gripe and complain - it isn't like I wanted to dance with the creepy old men anyway; however, it is nice to be asked just the same. So - I've been blonde for a few months though and do you think it made a difference?

I had two men fighting over me all night. You tell me.

I'm just sayin.

as if i needed another reason to be excited about my trip.

today, kristine made it official. we are vacationing together again - european style - at the end of may. this is a picture of the town my parents live in where we are meeting up.

i can't wait to vacation with kristine again in a place that look more like this -

than this -

well, you know - minus all the freaky naked people and all that.

Kiss Me I'm 1% Irish

How did you celebrate St. Patrick's Day?

At the Castro theater, they were playing "Dary O'Gill and the Little People."
Not these Little People; these Little People!

If you want to see why we are posing like we are, check out this scene.

Then we came home and ate this:
(Not my Jack Daniels in the background - not my picture, either)

And now this song is in my head. Do you recognize the actor? Pretty rare that such a good looking young man is such a good looking old man. oy! I have to say that we had such a good time, that this might become an annual tradition.

So now you tell me - what did you do?

something la mama would be proud of.

Here are some pictures for you from Sunday's pasta making adventure. Kirsten and I were having problems with our pasta rolling out properly for a little while. We were getting a little annoyed.

But hey - we were finally able to get it to roll out right.

So happy! I actually really love this picture of me and Kirsten.

Once we got the pasta to roll out correctly, we ran it through the slicer and wa-la!! Fettucini! The noodles were so long that we had to put it on a hanger and put it fairly high off the ground.

And just a side note - looking at these pictures, I just thought "oh yeah - I'm blonde!" Even I seem to forget sometimes.

Good Times Never Seemed So Good

Oh, the adventures that are to be had on the weekend. I went to a "Get Lucky" party on Friday night to celebrate St. Patrick's day and boy did I get lucky. Well, lucky in that my crush paid a lot of attention to me. {...still thinking about that....} There was dancing, good people, odd people, and a trampoline. Yep - just like you had when you were ten. We played "Crack the egg" and took pictures of each other soaring above one another's heads. And then we danced some more. Yes - good times.

My running mileage is officially getting up there. 7 miles is only a little more than half of a half marathon, which as you math wiz's out there are calculating, is only a little more than a fourth of an entire marathon. Wowza - I've got a ways to go before then, but 7 miles actually felt good on Saturday. I ran with some friends (some of the way) in Golden Gate Park and it was a beautiful day. I was tired by the time I got back to the car, but not too sore. I'll live to run another half marathon next month, I do believe. The rest of the day was spent watching movies and spending money at the Sports Basement.

I've been kind of in a funk lately - still not checking my voicemails - and just feeling emotionally blah-ish. I'm fine, but just, you know, in a funk. Today I had dinner with some people that I needed to hang out with. I was myself again and it felt good (and the food was exceptional, I might add). Then I headed to Palo Alto. How can you not like it when you walk into a room and everyone is happy to see you and gives you hugs like you haven't seen them in a year? I had enough laughs to cure the most horrible disease. If only that kind of stuff could be bottled up. I would save it for rainy days, for sure. From whatever was ailing me, I am cured.

To my real friends, thank you. thankyouthankyouthankyou.

Please leave a message after the tone.

I have a problem. I'm trying to be better, but somehow, I just can't shake the bad habit. I am horrible at checking my voicemail messages. There; I said it. Maybe now I will be better. About once a week, I notice that I have about 8 or 9 outstanding messages when I really need to listen to the most recent message.

For the most part, I call people back way before ever listening to their voicemail since I notice on my caller ID that they called. I'm starting to wonder what the point is to even have people leave messages. To be honest, I hardly ever listen to the messages anyway - don't hate me! I just figure that if we are going to talk, you will tell me anything important. Right?

In doing some research, I found some funny outgoing voicemail messages from the past. Aren't you glad that voicemail messages aren't like this anymore? And while we're on the subject of voicemails, has anyone ever used this one before? I can't ever remember them - so I typically give out ex-boyfriend's phone numbers in a jam. Any personal experiences that anyone would like to share? I shared a story here about the time I left someone one classy message.

Moral of the story - if my phone goes straight to voicemail, leave me a message or text me. If you need to tell me something important, texting is the way to go. Tell me to call you. I will. Ironic that all of this technology just makes us so busy that we can't use them all efficiently.

In Which I Am Feeling Emotional Over Kelly Clarkson

Watching the results show tonight on American Idol just reconfirmed my undying love for Ryan Seacrest. Did you see how cute he was with Jasmine when she found out she was voted off? I'm also following him on twitter. Stop judging me. I love him.

Also, my love for the show is as strong as ever; in case you were wondering. Is it weird that I almost cried watching Kelly tonight? Emotional maybe? Let me answer for you. Yes. The answer is yes.

The last 10 days or so I've been working out pretty hard core. My biggest challenge right now is finding a course with minimal hills. Any ideas? Don't even suggest a treadmill. I'm also craving things like cheeseburgers. Obviously, working out and eating cheeseburgers don't go together so well. Oh, the troubles that beset me.

Truth Be Told, I'm Lying!

If someone ever told you that I don't hold a grudge, they might have been lying. Well at least with certain people. This song pretty much sums it up. I wish this song would have been around when I was in high school - it might be the anthem for my life from here on out.

Well, at least until my attitude improves. ha!



I'd like to dedicate this song to all the boys I've loved before. Yes, you heard me.

A new era...

This weekend I refueled. On Friday, I went to Ocean Beach and watched some dried up Christmas trees burn into a pile of ash. I hope you can see in this picture exactly how big the fire was - that is one large tree! There was a homeless man who started talking to me about the government - and who knows what else. I wasn't sure what to do, so I pulled my phone out of my pocket and without the guy seeing, I sent a text to my friend Scott, who was standing next to me, to call me. He laughed and ran down towards the water to give me a call and get me away from the guy. Seriously - I AM a genius! haha

On Saturday I worked out for a few hours - part of which included doing Kenpo video which greatly reminded me of my old Tae-Bo days from Ricks College. I loved those videos - oh, good times. I also ran a few miles with Andrea and enjoyed the nice weather.

I ended my evening in Vallejo with my Grandma. At 95, she never ceases to amaze me. Apparently, I needed to get away for a night - I fell asleep at around 9:30pm and woke up at 10:30am. My grandma told me that she didn't want to go to church and share me with anyone else while I was there to visit her...so she didn't wake me up in time for church. Leave it to her, right?

Oh - and before I forget, Friday was kind of a big day for me. I found out that I earned my Certified Meeting Professional designation. I studied for a long time for that test and I took it way back in January, so I was glad to finally find out and be able to add those three letters to my name. Stephanie Zundel, CMP. No, it doesn't mean that I'm getting a raise, or a promotion, but it does mean that I will be more prepared in the future. Gotta love that.

Friday Links

Links to lighten up your Friday:

• New way to pray - just leave God a voice mail!
• Apparently, single women my age shouldn't be dating German men if they are looking for a great relationship.
• I'm signing up for this again. Are you??
• Pink is the new dolphin.
• I wish I could say I saw this when I was in Morocco last year.
• I might not full-heartedly agree with all of these 25 things, but if you are on facebook, you will think it is funny.
• Too bad they didn't have this when I was in high school.
• Awesome mashup of music.
• Need a mural?
• Happy Red Pants Friday. Or Red Outfit Friday - you pick.
• My favorite blog post of the week. Thanks, Mom Kane!
  

Where Have I Been?

Is it Friday yet? It should be.

I've thought long and hard about whether I should post this or not. And not for the reasons you are thinking. Dad, this one is for you. I collect magnets from places I travel; however, that doesn't mean that I need anyone to send me magnets from places that they go. I've mentioned in years past that my Dad collects things, like spoons. I think I'm just about to reach my limit. I mean - my coworkers already knock magnets off every time they come over to talk to me and mistakenly lean against the cabinet.

The places represented above are:

The California Redwoods
San Diego
Cabo San Lucas
Charlotte, North Carolina
New Orleans (2)
My two half marathons - yes, I even got magnets of me running to remind myself that I can do it.
Alaska
Spain
Portugal
Paris
Alsace
Switzerland
Hawaii
Chicago
Dallas
Utah
Martha's Vineyard
Costa Rica
Outer Banks, North Carolina
Williamsburg, Virginia
Las Vegas
Washington, DC
Lake Tahoe
Utah
Atlanta
New York City
Montreal

Pretty much - this is the one souvenir that I buy for myself when I travel. They are all full of memories - like - the magnet that Uzi bought me that says "I love not camping" sums up a lot about me. So does the magnet that says "I don't really believe in things like ADD - oh look! A chicken!" I went to Cabo and Alaska before I had this blog - so this collection has been accruing for years now, obviously. I just figured that for a lot of you out there, sweet memories would be brought to mind when you saw some of these. Every day I'm reminded of the awesome trip I had to Alaska in 2005 - or the crazy adventure I had in Hawaii in 2006.

And most of all - memories of you.

xoxo

Weekend Recap

This past weekend was fairly relaxed and was spent just hanging out with some good friends - as follows:

Our ward played the Stanford Saints in a Powder Puff football game down in Palo Alto. We might not have technically won the game, but we pretty much won the unofficial dance-off as you can see below.

After the football game, I went up to Deb & Blair's Nor Cal wedding reception. So there you have it - a picture of the happily married couple.

Me and Marshall -

Me and Matt

And here are my favorite links from last week:

• Awesome kid singing.
• Why kids - and you - shouldn't do drugs, but if you do, have a video camera handy
  
• Here are some exercises for you to do.