RIP Simba.

It's been a difficult weekend at my house. On Wednesday, our family dog, Simba, passed away in my arms. She had been sick for a while, but after antibiotics and IV's, she was finally doing better. Things took a turn for the worst though.

All I can say is that I'm so happy she was surrounded by her entire family. My mom, brother, and I were all home with her. I held her, told her how much I loved her, and then she passed. We're all doing okay, but the house just has a totally different feel to it. 

Rest in Peace, Simba Sue. 

VEGAS, BABY.

Las Vegas sure knows how to wear a girl out. We left last Thursday and came home on Sunday and this is my first chance to write about it. After getting home, I had to get back into the grind of things -- big changes at work, tons of laundry to catch up on, errands, and laying around procrastinating all of that by watching Star Trek: TNG. 

When I go to Vegas, I love staying Downtown -- on Fremont Street. And, I made my boyfriend and our friend stay at The D this time. It's the newly remodeled Fitzgeralds. When it comes to hotels downtown, Golden Nugget is at the top of my list, but unfortunately, it was way too costly this time around, so we settled for The D.

Feeling babely.

One of the biggest downsides to staying downtown was that there were absolutely no places for Mike to eat. So, we had to make the trek over to the Strip to find some gluten-free places.

Dinner at Mon Ami Gabi, across from the Bellagio.

We hit up one of my favorite spots -- Old Chicago Brewery in the Four Queens so I could enjoy some garlic knots and the beer sampler.

Feeling like a giant.

Our luck wasn't too great and we ended up getting rear ended after having some amazing pizza and lobster mac n cheese for me. And, we saw our lives flash before our eyes in a cab ride back from the strip one night.

All dressed up.

Happy and drunk.

This picture does not accurately show just how big my hair was that night.

I loved dressing up and hanging out down on Fremont. I even went on some tables down there and lost my money. But, I had such a great time. 

BROWN BAGGING // Hummus and Turkey.

I started counting calories and taking my lunch is such an easy way to keep tabs on what I'm eating. I'm trying to find more things to eat so that I can have a variety and still be full.

INGREDIENTS:
- A "pocket" - you can use pita pockets or tortilla pockets.
- Two slices of sliced turkey
- Hummus
- A side of veggies -- in my case, a red bell pepper with some cherry tomatoes.

Honestly, all I did was take a tablespoon of hummus and put it inside of the pocket before stuffing it with some turkey.

Super easy. Very customizable. And easy to take to work. 

NERDING OUT // STAR TREK: THE NEXT GENERATION

I'm going to be perfectly honest right now -- I felt a little down on my nerd-prowess after going to Phoenix Comicon. So, I started watching Star Trek: The Next Generation to improve my standing.

So yeah, my intentions were totally selfish. How can I make myself more nerdy when I'm starting to feel like a total bro? And I was fully expecting the show to be super dry and boring and I wouldn't even make it past an episode. But guys, it's not.

Here's why I'm loving TNG and why you should too:

1) It's episodic. You don't have to watch the episodes in order (even though I totally am to get the whole experience). Each episode stands on its own. There are a few two-parters, but I think we can all handle that. You don't have to watch every episode to get the next episode -- which is totally helpful if you're just starting down this road of nerdom.

2) Positivity! The show is a happy-go-lucky, feel-good, late-80's show. So, it just makes you feel good while you watch it.

3) Data. Data is an android on the show and by far, the best character.

4) It's a little ridiculous. It's from the late 1980's, so obviously, it gets a little silly at times. But, that's fun to watch. The last line of the show can either be mildly serious or insanely goofy. And, the holodeck episodes are just shitshows.

If you're not ready to make this kind of commitment, or fully cement yourself further into geek culture, I totally get it. But, if you've been following me on Twitter and wondering what the hell I'm talking about -- this is it.

What have you been nerding out over lately? Let me know in the comments!

CURRENTLY.

LOVING // My new color scheme and header on the blog. Yeah, it took me the entire episode of Mad Men, but I'm really feeling what I've got going on here. If you're reading this through Feedly or Bloglovin' - make sure to check out what I'm talking about at my blog.

READING // I'm still stuck on Maphead by Ken Jennings. It's such a good read, but I'm having trouble finding time to read. Between work, going to the gym, and spending time with my boyfriend -- and trying to be a real adult -- reading has taken a huge backseat. Whoops! Here's hoping I finish it before my next "Currently" post.

WATCHING // Star Trek: The Next Generation. I actually have a whole blog post about why I love this show so much scheduled for next week.

EATING // Healthy! I started counting calories almost two weeks ago and I've been doing a really great job. It's definitely hard, but it's incredibly striking to see how much I was eating versus how much I should be eating. Right now, my main goal is to just eat less than I have been. I used to sit down and be able to eat an entire bag of chips. I don't want to cut out all the good things because that would be boring, but I definitely want to make sure I'm eating appropriate amounts of those good things.

DRINKING // A ton of water with lemon in it. Delicious and healthy.

THINKING // How overwhelmed I get and how quickly I let things get out of hand. I really need to keep working on maintaining a balance of all the things in my life instead of just letting a few things get out of control while I focus on others. I want to be able to do all the things and it's really hard because once I start a new project, old ones fall by the wayside.

For instance, I got so into this blog when I was battling my depression and the minute my life picked back up and I wanted to be involved with my life, I started to ignore this project. That's not what I want. I love being able to use this to express myself and talk about things that are important to me. And, it helps me stay out of that funk of depression. I just want to work on creating a balance between living my life and having an outlet. And, to be able to add in all the other awesome things that I want to do.

RIGHT NOW // As you read this, probably, I'm on my way to Las Vegas with my boyfriend and a bunch of my friends. Be sure to follow me on Instagram.

FIRMOO NEW ARRIVALS.

I finally got my new prescription and now, it's time to buy a ton of glasses online. I've been looking at a lot of different sites, but Firmoo has the best selection -- seriously. And, they just added a bunch of new glasses for the month of June. The best part is -- First Pair FREE for New Customers. I'm so excited I waited to get my glasses so I can get some of these new pairs they've added.

GEEK? They have us covered!

CHIC? They have you covered!

NOT SURE? Check out these simple rectangular frames!

And, check out how amazing all these ladies look in their Firmoo glasses:

The above model photos are all derived from Firmoo+. 

If you've never got glasses from Firmoo, now is the perfect time with all the awesome new arrivals. And, if you're a returning customer, how can you not be tempted to get some more glasses?

DISCLAIMER: This is a sponsored post, but all opinions are my own.

JUST A REMINDER.

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WEEKEND: The One Where I Slept Most Of It.

This whole relationship thing is weird. All of a sudden, all my free time is immediately filled by another person. And, I actually really like it. I really haven't done anything -- I have an incredibly long to-do list that hasn't been touched even though I was off all weekend. The only thing I managed to get done was some grocery shopping Sunday evening.

Basically, our weekend consisted of watching Star Trek, eating salads, drinking ciders, and napping.

So yeah, I've been pretty MIA lately and I'm totally okay with it. Especially because this weekend is going to be crazy hectic in Vegas.

What did you do this weekend? Let me know in the comments!

TV REVIEW / Season 4 of Arrested Development.

If you haven't watched the newest season of Arrested Development, then WHAT ARE YOU DOING ON THE INTERNET? Go watch it and then come back.

Alright. Glad you're back and now you're ready to read one of the most self-gratifying rants I think I can possibly write.

Maybe I wasn't in the right state of mind when I first started watching. Maybe I was a little too drunk on Sunday, immediately after midnight. Maybe my expectations were too high. Maybe. Or maybe, those first two episodes sucked.

Let's get perfectly honest here - it's okay that the first episode wasn't up to par with the previous seasons. Chalk it up to getting back into the groove of the show. In my eyes, that can be forgiven.

What can't be forgiven, as easily, is the drastic change in characters. Michael is the straight man of the show. The entire premise of the show is here is this guy with a crazy family and he has his own quirks ("Family first" while he has a strained relationship with his own son), but he manages to keep it together. In this new season, Michael isn't keeping it together. He's falling apart just as rapidly as everyone else. He's suddenly become similar to his mother in regards to her overbearing relationship with Buster when he jumps into the shower with George Michael. That is something that original series Michael would never do.

A lot of these characters do things completely outside of themselves - Tobias, Lindsay, George Sr., etc. and it just feels wrong. Other characters, particularly Maeby, grow and change, but in a way that makes sense to the development of the character.

And maybe the reason why the original Arrested Development was so good was because it wasn't about character development. It wasn't even really plot driven. There were arcs and an overarching theme of the show (the Iraq war and the light treason charges), but a lot of it was episodic, ensemble-based comedy. With the new format, we lose that. We lost the ensemble and were left with one-dimensional characters being the lead of each episode.

The reason we all think Tobias is funny is because a) he is clueless and b) he comes in short bursts. In the original series, he delivers the best one-liners of the show. Ex: I just blue myself. In this new season, I am unable to think of a single one-liner because the writing was so concentrated on this complex and elaborate plot.

The new Arrested Development was brought back to please the fans and to make money. But, there's an underlying theme that they wanted to change how we watch television. Mitch Hurwtiz wanted to create an entire season of television that could be watched in any order while still telling a story. It's a lofty goal. And one that quite frankly fell short.

There were some funny jokes and moments. But overall, this season felt off -- as if it was trying too hard to jump right back where it left off. Maybe it's just better to let good things die peacefully. I'm looking at you, How I Met Your Mother.

What did you think? Let me know in the comments.
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SAN DIEGO VACATION // PART TWO.

TUESDAY: We left our one hotel and had a while before we could check in at the Bahia Resort (Which, was the reason we went to San Diego. We found a GroupOn deal to stay there for $100/night and could not pass it up). We ended up grabbing lunch at Local Habit. I had the braised pork shoulder po'boy and it was phenomenal. 

After lunch, we went to the hotel to see if we could check in early and they were super accommodating  The view from our room was obscene. We had a Bayview room and it was gorgeous.  The Bahia has a private beach on Mission Bay so we went and laid out for a while and then we rented a peddleboat - which maybe wasn't the best decision.

For dinner, we went to Bernini's Bistro in La Jolla. And I pigged out. I had a pasta dish with salmon and red sauce - something I had never seen before. But, it was delicious and the fish was fresh. For dessert, I had some tiramisu cake. And I didn't have to share since Mike can't eat it. Sorry, man, but I'm not sorry.

WEDNESDAY: Beach Day! We had breakfast at the hotel and then we went down to Mission Beach. Mike flew a kite while I laid and read my book. The weather was gorgeous and it was so relaxing. We grabbed a few drinks at a nearby bar and then walked back to the hotel - because it was within walking distance. 

We went to the hotel pool and drank and just relaxed -- which is exactly what I've been needing lately.

Then, we started to get ready for our nice dinner at Local Prime. We knew they had a Gluten-Free menu, but they also offered a 5-course Tasting with wine pairings. Mike called and asked if there was anyway they would do it GF and they were more than happy to.

The food was amazing. It was 5 courses with "special surprises" - which included a bacon wrapped date stuffed with goat cheese. The wines paired perfectly with the foods. And the restaurant sat on the harbor with a beautiful view of the water. We were there for three hours and every dish that came out, we could not believe how delicious it was. 

Unfortunately, I kept wiggling around in my seat because I got a sunburn. On my butt. Only me. 

THURSDAY: I was miserable from my sunburn and neither of us wanted to leave. Mike kept asking if I wanted to stay another day to heal, but mostly so he could hang out on the beach and leave me alone in the hotel room. It was a great trip, but I was ready to go home.

I could not have asked for a better trip and I'm so glad I got to share it all with Mike. WARNING - MUSHY STUFF AHEAD. Honestly, everyday I am so thankful I have him in my life and I get to share these experiences with him.

And, now, I'm just excited to head to Vegas next month.