On this day one year ago, I married my best friend. I have many memories of the day, but most of all, I remember being overwhelmingly happy and filled with joy.
Not much has changed since that day. Everyday with him is like a dream.
I look forward to many more years of walking through life with him by my side.
1) Traffic/Driving
Okay, so you’ve all heard of the “California roll” and the unbearable traffic, but driving around here is something I am STILL not used to yet. They have the strangest traffic laws here, but whenever I see a fellow car driver doing something stupid (talking on the phone, texting, cutting into lanes, not letting people merge when the merge lane is ending, etc.), there’s never a cop nearby. Yep, those are my California tax dollars at work, people. While there are several things that bug me about driving here, these are my top three annoyances:
- Merge lane traffic lights
Yes, here in California, there are almost always (at least where I commute and usually drive) merge lane traffic lights. To me, making each vehicle stop before merging kind of defeats the purpose of merging, but I guess California legislators feel differently. It. Drives. Me. Crazy!! I hate having to stop and then speed up immediately so I can merge into the traffic. I don’t see the purpose.
- Left turn arrows
Normal left turn arrow California left turn arrow
On practically all intersections (again, at least where I usually drive), there is a left turn arrow. And sure, these are usually helpful when you are trying to turn left and there is a constant steam of cars coming the other way. HOWEVER, here in California, the light is ALWAYS green, yellow, or red (nope, no green & yellow only left turn arrows, left side image above). Still sounds like a good idea? Okay, what about when you are sitting in the left turn lane, the left turn arrow is red, and there’s NO ONE coming the other way? Here the “Left turn yield on green” would be a nice alternative. But instead, I just waste lots of time sitting starting at the red arrow in left turn lanes when NO ONE is coming.
- No right turn on red
Now this sign is not a very frequent occurrence in my area, but I see it just enough that it peeves me. I really don’t see the purpose of these signs. No right turn on red? Again, if no one is coming and I can reasonably assume it’s okay to go ahead and turn, why can I not turn? Basically, I think California legislators have no trust in California drivers to use their own judgment in driving decisions (When can I turn left? When can I turn right?).
Interesting random fact: I finally got my CA license, title, and registration. Guess what – my new CA drivers license expires BEFORE my old Georgia drivers license would have! Really?!
2) Politics
Let me first state that Orange County (where we live) is actually a pretty conservative area. Most of my friends and co-workers here are conservative, and it generally goes Republican in elections. However, the state overall, is a different story.
Let me share some fun (but mostly shocking and disappointing) California state facts:
- Did you know that you are charged CRV (California Redemption Value) when you buy beverage cans, bottles, etc., and you only get that money back if you return the bottle to a recycling center?! Granted, it’s only 5 or 10 cents per container, but if you drink lots of soda, that can add up. And it’s still money they are TAKING from me for no reason except to incentivize me to recycle. The people we are living with do recycle, so I keep my cans for them, but if it were just me, I would not do it.
- Did you hear about the babysitting regulation they wanted to pass? It’s true, they wanted to require parents to provide worker’s comp, meal and rest breaks, and overtime pay (which would require meticulous tracking of hours worked with a time card of course) FOR BABYSITTERS. I’m pretty sure the bill got stopped (at least, it hasn’t been passed yet), but just the fact that it was proposed is pretty telling in and of itself.
Make sure you clock your child care hours!
- High speed rail! They wanted to build this fancy high speed rail to relieve California traffic and the voters AGREED to contribute $10 billion to the project. However, it’s all up in the air now because it’s going to cost about 10x as much as the originally anticipated, and the type of rail they want to build doesn’t qualify based on what the voters agreed to. And it won’t alleviate the daily commuter traffic because the rail routes are between cities that are hours away from each other, not cities that people travel to and from everyday to get to work. Hopefully this whole idea will go away.
- Californians pay the highest taxes in the nation, and what’s on the November ballot? Two more tax increase initiatives!! One includes a quarter percent sales tax increase and an income tax increase on those making over $250k, and the other proposes to raise income taxes on ALL Californians. Can’t wait til I can cast my vote for those proposals!
Note: This is a small sample of the lovely political actions that I have to live with here in California.
3) Weather
Let’s end on a happy note – you CANNOT beat the weather here! After living in Utah for 5.5 years, living in Southern California is like living in heaven. It never snows, it hardly rains, and it’s generally always sunny and warm outside. We love taking walks and getting outside just to enjoy the beautiful weather we have here!
Now this post has been mostly negative, but don’t get me wrong. While there are aspects of living here that really bug me, I really have enjoyed living here so far. What’s the best part?
Living near (and working at and frequently visiting) Disneyland, of course! :)
FINANCIAL (I’ll do the boring ones first)
1) Keep up with Mint to continually track income/expenses and modify budgets accordingly
I’ve always done this every week, so it’s a fairly simple goal, but it’s very important, so I intend to keep going throughout this year.
2) Save enough to buy a home by the end of the year
This doesn’t mean we have to buy a home by the end of the year, it just means I want enough saved that we could.
3) Start working with Kenny to get a business started
Kenny has about 10,000 business ideas, and it’s about time we get started on one of them. I’d like to have at least one business plan written by the end of the year (ideally, we will be much farther along in the process by then, but we don’t want to rush into anything either).
CAREER
4) Create a timeline for MBA and/or CPA preparation and completion
For about a year, I’ve been debating about whether to go for the CPA or get an MBA. Both interest me, but I’m afraid both is a bit too ambitious. This year, I really need to decide which path I want to take and come up with a plan for getting it done. Granted, this goal is kind of a cop out (I couldn’t say “Begin CPA preparation” or “Begin MBA preparation” because I don’t know which one I want to do yet!)
5) Become a Senior Analyst by the end of the year
This is quite a lofty goal. Most senior positions require 3-4 years experience, and by the end of the year, I’ll only have two (technically only 1.5 according to Disney because my internship doesn’t count!), but it’s still a possibility! And definitely something I can reach for.
PERSONAL/HOME
6) Blog at least once a month.
I did pretty poorly with keeping up with the ol’ blog last year, so hopefully this year I will be more diligent about posting updates more frequently. Once a month isn’t very often, but considering last year’s postings…..it’s a good start for me :)
7) Try a new recipe once a month
Again, a fairly simple goal, but I do need to get better about cooking more often. I tend to blame work for coming home tired and never wanting to cook anything, but cooking is the best way to eat healthier and it saves money, both of which would be I’d like to do this year.
8) Play the piano once a week
My parents sent me my old electronic keyboard, plus our new place has a piano, so I no longer have an excuse to not tickle the keys once in a while. I played a little right at the end of last year, and I realized how much I miss it! I’ll just have to find some sheet music somewhere…
9) Read at least one new book each month
Last year, I did very poorly in the reading department. I spent way too much time watching TV, movies, and going to Disneyland instead. So this year, I plan to read a book each month (reading Harry Potter for the 10th time does not count!). I’m a little behind already (I’m not quite done with January’s book yet, almost!), but February’s book has already been chosen, so I’m planning on catching up!
And that’s it! They seem like fairly simple goals, but also achievable, which is very important in goal setting (at least for me).
I realize it’s now February, so it’s a bit late to be posting this, but I’m still doing it because I want this to be public information so I’m more inclined to work on these goals. Wish me luck!
(picture stolen from Facebook)
Yes, it’s true, the last of the Browns has gotten married!
Kenny & I were fortunate enough to travel down to Georgia for a few days at the beginning of January (Dec. 30-Jan. 3) to celebrate with my family for this very special occasion. We arrived on New Year’s Eve and celebrated my birthday (just a couple days late) with an outing to Nagoya (yum!!) and a VERY delicious Cold Stone cake! Thanks, Mom & Dad!! Afterwards, we all played games and then watched the Peach Drop to 2012.
The next few days were full of wedding preparation and ensuring everything was ready to go for the big day. And finally, Tuesday arrived! Other than just a couple minor setbacks (dress forgotten, etc.), everything seemed to go very smoothly. And the newlyweds could not have looked happier!
After the sealing, we went back to my parents’ house for lunch and a little break before the reception which was held at the very beautiful (and very close to my house) Vines Botanical Gardens. It was FREEZING outside (27 degrees!), so I was happy they chose to have the reception inside. There were big windows that basically took up an entire wall in several rooms, so you could still see the beautiful greenery outside while still enjoying the warmth inside :) They had a short ring ceremony during which the bridesmaids and groomsmen gave beautiful toasts that brought tears to my eyes. I was touched to see my kind brother so very happy and now married to his sweetheart.
The rest of the reception consisted of visiting with friends and family I hadn’t seen since my own reception, eating tons of Lana Cersey’s amazing food, watching the couple enjoy their first dance together, and bidding them farewell with sparklers as they left for their honeymoon. It was a beautiful night, and I was so happy we could make the trip and enjoy the time with my family.
Unfortunately, we had to leave the very next morning to get back to California (and back to work), so it was a pretty short trip, but we made the most of it. Can’t wait until we get a chance to go back!
As my sister-in-law, Katie, told me over the Thanksgiving break, I used to have a blog. And after six months of neglect, it’s time to update!
To be honest, the reason I didn’t update was because nothing much was going on. Our lives are pretty boring right now, working our 9-5 jobs and spending time with friends and family on weekends. However, I’ll try to share a few of the best stories from the last few months.
JUNE
The last time I updated was for the wedding. It was absolutely beautiful!! I was so thrilled that we were able to share our day with my entire family, despite the fact that most of them live across the country in Georgia.
And if that wasn’t enough, we traveled to Georgia a couple weeks later for our Georgia reception. My parents and family worked so hard to make the pool/backyard absolutely gorgeous, see for yourself!
Does this look familiar?? (Tangled?!) The decorations were breathtaking, the food was delicious, and it was such a treat to see all my friends from Georgia. A big thank you to everyone who was able to make it, it really meant a lot to me to see everyone (and show off my new hubby of course!).
JULY
July was fairly uneventful, just adjusting to married life and learning my new role with Disney. I used to work in the Credit Card Management office as an intern, but now in my full-time role, I support Financial Reporting, which is much more accounting-based (my intern role was more finance-based), so it fits my background much more appropriately. I made a lot of mistakes and learned a lot :)
AUGUST
Another fairly uneventful month. I think the best thing about August was the realization that I didn’t have to go back to school!! As you start to approach graduation, everyone tells you that after you graduate, “real life” starts, which is much harder and takes all your time away from you, so enjoy your time while in college. Well, to be honest, I feel I have much more time now that I’m out of college! When I get off work at 5PM, I get to go home and have the rest of the day all to myself (no required boring textbooks to read, no tests to study for, no painful essays to write, the list goes on and on). And no more studying on weekends!
SEPTEMBER
In September, Kenny and I went to his parents’ cabin in Big Bear with our good friends Scott and Kayla for a weekend. They have three quads up there, so we took turns riding them around – it was so much fun!!
Look at all that smoke! Go, Kenny, go!
Let’s go!
Scott and Kayla looking cute
Kenny and I looking not so cute ;) It was still fun!
OCTOBER
October brought our much-anticipated honeymoon cruise! I get excellent deals on Disney cruises (let me know if you want to come with us next time! I can book 3 cabins….), so we booked a 7-day Mexican Riviera one for a great price. We spent two days in Cabo San Lucas, a day in Ensenada, and a few days at sea (mostly hanging out in the adults only pool and hot tub).
Just arrived on the ship, the Disney Wonder!
Formal dinner on the ship
Riding the tender boat to Cabo
Lunch in Cabo at “The Office”
The chips and salsa was the absolute best, and the place was RIGHT on the beach! I even went in the ocean for a little dip while we were waiting for our tacos.
Snorkeling!
On the catamaran that took us snorkeling
View of Cabo from our ship
Had to get a picture by the Disneyland sign on the ship!
Of course we had a different little towel creature as part of the turn down service each night, this was the fanciest one – a swan!
Last breakfast on the ship before disembarking – Triton’s restaurant
All in all, the trip was awesome! We ate really yummy food, saw really good Disney shows, saw lots of pretty fish while snorkeling, swam in the warm and amazingly blue water in Cabo, and enjoyed our time together.
NOVEMBER
In November, we were able to travel to Florida to spend the Thanksgiving holiday with my family! And not only did we enjoy a delicious meal with family (thanks, Mom!), but a long-time dream of mine came true – to go to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Studios!!! Unfortunately, I didn’t take any pictures (I was way too overwhelmed and excited to remember something like my camera), but nonetheless, we had a great time! We ate at The Three Broomsticks, rode the most amazing ride I’ve ever been on (Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey – truly unique!), and I even got picked for the wand ‘show’ at Ollivander’s! The wand chose me (as we all know, the wand chooses the wizard), but apparently, to keep it, you have to pay (of course). My mom already got me a wand, so I wasn’t about to buy another one. I through since the wand chose me, I deserved to keep it, but oh well, it was still fun to be chosen!
DECEMBER
December brought my and Kenny’s (and probably most everyone elses’) favorite holiday, Christmas! It’s just such a happy time when everyone around you is always singing songs, giving, sharing, and smiling. And let us not forgot the best part – the movies!! We watched most of our favorites (we had to cut our marathon short since we had to move out of our place by the 30th), and spent Christmas Eve and Christmas day with Kenny’s family. We even got some Heagle family pictures done on Christmas Eve.
At the end of the month, we decided to move out of our first apartment together, since our lease was up, and they were going to raise our rent significantly. We recently moved into a house with Kayla’s parents and are renting the second floor for much less than we were paying for rent before, with at least the same amount of space (if not a little more).
And that sums up 2011! The very beginning 2012 brought another exciting event which deserves a separate post. I’m also working on another post with my 2012 goals (since you haven’t read enough of those posts yet, have you??).
Hope you all enjoyed your 2011, here’s to an even better 2012!
Love,
The Heagles
P.S. A much needed update is on the way! Keep an eye out in the next few days…
We’re married now! Have been for a while, but I just got the pictures from the photographer this weekend.
Click here to see them, enjoy!
