Would A Rose By Any Other Name Smell As Sweet?

So... I am already behind on my 30 day challenge, but here's to playing catch up?

Work has be absolutely CRAZY this week, not that its ANY excuse but I leave in the dark, dark morning and come home in the dark, dark night.

I digress. Day Two: Explain your middle name.

I was born in May. As I mentioned in an earlier post, I am Taurus through and through, from the stubborn tendencies to the unfailing loyalty.

That said, when I tell people my middle name is Mae, they always ask: oh, were you born in May?

Well, sure. I was. But that's a mere coincidence.

Mae is a family name.

I am merely the latest in a line of gals who bear the middle name Mae. I must say, I love that.

When I reached my mid-twenties (GASP!) I came to the realization that so many of my first real adult(ish) milestones have been reached as a Wallace. My first published story reads Caitlin Wallace, as well as my college diploma. Knowing that Mae will stick with me through the rest of life's big moments is the best of both worlds.

My mom and I have always been close, so I love it that we share a middle name. It feels appropriate to talk about her since today, January 11, is her birthday.

She and I share more than just a name. We share the same taste in movies, meals and muscle relaxants. We know exactly when to stash a Diet Coke in the fridge, purse or car. We both agree that the gift shop is really the most interesting room in any old European castle, even though it was likely built hundreds of years later.

We are both total anglophiles, and, to the astonishment of her current husband as well as my father, woke up at 2 am to watch Kate and Wills tie the royal knot until the final coverage subsided around 5 am PST.

I've always struggled with the whole, "things happen for a reason" concept, which is maybe why certain prayers have yet to be answered. I am undoubtedly being taught patience, trust and let's be real, life lessons; BUT there is no doubt in my mind that I was born into the right family.

I have my Dad's sense of humor and body (thanks for that?), but I'm mostly my mom. I like to think God knew we would need each other to make it through this life and on to the next.

Here's to my middle name and (hopefully) my daughter's after that.

**The photo above is of me, mumsy and her sister, my aunt, the last time we were all in San Francisco together. We were in the lobby of the Orpheum to see Wicked!

G.O.A.L.S.

So, when you graduate college and enter the "real world," a funny thing happens.

You lose the will to live.

Okay, okay, it's not THAT dramatic. But things do change drastically.

A few years ago I read a blog post (that I have yet to come across again) about a girl who graduated college and found herself a few months later, sobbing in the shower. This gal had been a well-adjusted co-ed who found herself, soon after she left the safe confines of her college existence, lost and confused about what the next step was.

Sure, she had a job. She had friends. She lived on her own. Her life was, as they say, on track.

He whole life had been about goals. Go to kindergarten. Get to elementary school. Start junior high. Make the high school cheerleading team. Be asked to prom. Receive a college acceptance letter.

Find an apartment.Choose a major. Study abroad. Complete an internship. Graduate.

Get a job.

Okay so I made the last few parts up as they are applicable to me. But, you get the point. Hopefully, you see that all this is to say, I am feeling a bit aimless.

Sure, I love love love my job. I have fantastic coworkers and phenominal clients.

But a full life is well-rounded. Therefore, new year, new attitude. This year is going to be about goals.

But, I'm going to start small. I was on Facebook tonight and came across the blog post of a fantastic gal pal from BYU-I who has decided to do a 30 day challenge of posts.

The first day is the task of posting a picture of yourself and telling 10 things people might not know about you.

The photo above is of me in April 2010 on the St. Charles bridge in Prague, Czech Republic. It was one of my most favorite days, ever. Here goes:

10. I watch at least one episode of Gilmore Girls every day. It makes me feel like things will turn out okay.

9. I cry at everything. I cry when I'm happy. I cry when I'm sad. I cry during Grey's Anatomy. I cry at church. I cry when people talk about France. I cry when I can't get PeopleBrowsr to work. The Golden Gate Bridge literally makes me sob.

8. I can almost never turn down cake. Chocolate, vanilla, red velvet, ice cream. You name it. I seriously love it.

7. My mom is my best friend.

6. I love the rain. I'd take the rain over the sun any day. I love the smell of the pavement when it rains after it hasn't for a long time. I love the sound of the rain on the roof and windows. I feel like when it rains, everyone can start over.

5.Contrary to popular belief, my future husband does not need a trust fund or a Mercedes. Just endless patience, a sense of humor and long legs.

4.I have several serious vices, one major one is Diet Coke. My dentist has been scolding me since my late teens, but hey, I'm keeping him in business.

3. I have never understood why people in Australia are not upside down. The concept of gravity is just too much for me.

2. I would rather walk than drive.

1. I am allergic to Ibuprofen, which is in like every medicine ever. So please never offer me Advil.

So, that's it for today!

So I'm Basically An Adult Now, Right?

HA. As my favorite 90s diva says, AS IF.

Though I do generally feel pretty far from adulthood, things have been feeling more grown up lately.

Let's start with my work holiday party last week.

You'd think after growing up going to church every week I'd be immune to a man in a suit.

As my favorite Glee star says, hell to the no.

See below for context.

Our Christmas cocktail soiree was held last Thursday on the top floor terrace of the St. Regis in downtown San Francisco. I was dressed to the nines in a peach-turned-salmon colored tapered flowy number with the gold toga shoes of a Greek goddess and party hair Blake Lively would kill for.

I was feeling pretty great.

Little did I know, my male cohorts (though few and far between in a female-dominated industry) were set to out-do even the best and brightest belles of the ball.

Most of them in tuxes, these twenty and early thirty-somethings were killin' a girl in their penguin suits, (I won't even mention their mad skills on the dance floor). Who knew these princes in hiding met their fairy godfathers in the bathrooms at work post press release?

Not I.

I took a few moments in between compliments to the boys and club sodas to take in the breathtaking view of the San Francisco skyline. My heart beat a little faster as I stared at all the lights on the buildings of my own concrete jungle.

Have you ever driven over the Bay Bridge? Similar to my experience at the top of the St. Regis, whenever I come out of the tunnel and onto into the four or five lanes that span the Pacific, I am always in awe of the vast chicness that is the city by the bay.

Whenever I am sailing along at 65 MPH (not speeding, Mom) I always take a few seconds to scan the buildings, Coit Tower, Alcatraz and, on a clear day, The Golden Gate.

As I stared into the night sky last Thursday, I thought, how did I get so lucky?

How did the stars all align and I am standing here, surrounded by wonderful, talented, smart, fun, kind coworkers who love each other (for better and for worse let me tell you)?

The same feeling comes over me when I cross the bridge. A feeling of pure adrenalin mixed with sheer joy and a little teensy bit of gut wrenching panic because there are days when it seems to good to be true.

Well, mostly. I mean, I have my ups and downs.

Some days feel like the work simply cannot get done fast enough or well enough. But, in my quest into adulthood, I take the good with the bad and, as Andy Grammar says, keep my head up.

Other parts of being an adult include knowing when you've perhaps dropped the ball, that being said, sorry it's been so long since I've written.

Getting my job at Access and moving down here was such a huge experience things got dicey for a while. But, I hit my 3 month anniversary there last week and have gotten into an incredible groove, so I believe it is time to resume our regularly scheduled programming.

I have decided to take up reading again. When I was younger, I simply devoured books. As I got to college, my reading skills were reserved mostly for textbooks (and for those of you who knew me in college know my study time left something to be desired).

I, of course, read the Twilight books in a matter of days, and the Emily Giffin Something Borrowed and Something Blue books at the gym during my summers on the eliptical. Right now, I am reading Mindy Kaling's (of The Office) new auto biography, Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? It is HILARIOUS.

Other things I am doing: anxiously awaiting the return of Grey's and Private Practice, keeping up with Glee, working out, attempting to eat healthy and drop a few before summer, whitenening my teeth and keeping up my blog.

Check and check.

TV is the Mirror of our Lives

I feel more and more like Rory Gilmore every day.

Let me explain.

I have always been a TV and movie fanatic. I like to think that from an early age, I knew a life of media and pop culture was to be my destiny.

Take for example, the early days of T.G.I.F. I used to live for that line-up of Boy Meets World, Step-By-Step, Full House, Dinosaurs (talk about a blast from the past!), Perfect Strangers and, in the later years, Sabrina, The Teenage Witch.

The best part about the half-hour sitcoms is that they were often mini time capsules of our life and times during that decade. One will never forget that late eighties Farrah Fawcett hair DJ Tanner used to rock, or those crop-tops Dana from Step-By-Step used to sport.

One of my all times favorite shows from the 90s is of course, Boy Meets World. In those days, there was a moral lesson to be learned every show, and Mr.Feeny never gave up on the budding young starlets. In fact, my love for the show was re-affirmed when I read a fabulous post on USA Today college entitled, "Everything I need to know in life I learned from Boy Meets World."

Now that I am older, I am hooked on Grey's Anatomy, Private Practice, Drop Dead Diva, The Office and of course, Glee. I find myself often relating to various aspects of each of my favorite characters.

I like to think I have Merideth's patience, Christina's stubbornness, Addison's strength, Jane's poise, style and confidence, Rachel's heart and Kelly Kappor's love for all things girly.

The point is, I can always see some of myself in many of these characters, and I often think, if they can do it, so can I.

It may seem odd to draw strength from actors playing people who don't really exist, but as Sean so fatefully said during an episode of BMW, "TV is the mirror of our lives."

**Please note that my own house style negates the need to add quotes to TV shows as AP Style would suggest in an instance where there are so many shows listed.

The Princess Diaries: Why I Love Wills and Kate

It’s no secret that I am obsessed with this dynamic duo.

I’ve been talking about Wills and Kate ever since their engagement was formally announced last November, and more so in the past four months as their wedding has been planned, performed and now, passed.

So, why the fascination-like, what’s the deal?

Well, there are several factors at play here.

First and foremost, I have always been an anglophile. Not to be confused with an anglophone -though I am one of those too by virtue of my US birth-but a person who has a fetish for the Brits.

I went overseas for the first time in my life when I was 15, and it was a trip with mumsy to jolly old England.

The minute we landed at Heaththrow and met my Aunt (who by the way was a total trooper driving in her wrong-side-of-the-road Volvo), I knew it would change me forever.

Those two weeks were the start of something new. Since my Aunt and Uncle were amidst their tour with the Air Force, we had the fabulous opportunity to stay in a charming English cottage in the most darling London suburb.

We spent our days riding the train into London, jumping on the tube, visiting the British museum and of course, found ourselves at Harrod’s far more than was appropriate.

As dramatic as it sounds, those two weeks were a turning point for me. I knew I needed more than an entire life spent in the States. I felt like I was destined to be an ex-pat; maybe not forever, but for spurts of time.

Back to the Duke and Dutchess.

When mother and I were across the pond, Harry and William were everywhere. On postcards, in the media and on my boy-crazy teenage girl mind.

Turns out that year was Will’s first year at St. Andrews, and Harry was only two years ahead of me in school. Most people bade me farewell with a “try and woo a prince,” or “if you see Wills, get a picture.”

Even here in the States, we have always kept an eye on those real-life princes. They are the fairly tale of my generation.

More importantly, let’s talk about my admiration for Kate Middleton.

Not only did she have the patience to wait just shy of a decade for her charming prince, she did it with style, class and the perfect stilettos.

Humble and unassuming, Kate has been all smiles ever since the pair announced their engagement and she began her stride into the life of a full-fledged royal.

You can always count on her pearly whites to flash during any and all official palace engagements; plus, she and Wills manage to be practically giddy when they sneak in a sweet smirk (or smooch!) during their everyday not-so-private life.

At the risk of sounding like the side of Starbucks cup, the way I see it is this: Kate is in love with William despite, and not because of, his status as the future King of England.

By all counts, she appears to be hardworking, humble, devoted, tenacious, smart, sweet and willing to go the extra mile for her hubby-which I think is an excellent relationship quality whether or not your husband is royalty.

If you haven’t noticed, the press seems to be unnaturally obsessed with how Kate does all of their grocery shopping-and I think this is why. The fact that Great Britain still has a King and Queen is, in and of itself, a little old-world (read: ridiculous).

Not to mention the fact that they employ hundreds (probably thousands) of servants, ladies-in-waiting, housekeepers, nannies and various other waitstaff for the upkeep of their homes and families.

This wouldn’t be a big deal or seem out of the ordinary, until you hear the story of how Prince Charles never put the toothpaste on his own toothbrush.

Yeah, that’s real.

Wills and Kate are determined to be different, and I love it. Kate does all their cooking, Wills has a career in the Royal Air Force (remember, they postponed their honeymoon because he had to be back at work on Monday?) and famously, instead of wedding gifts, they asked for money to be donated to their charities.

Basically, I could go on and on. Speaking as a former British colonist, I can say I whole-heartedly approve (and obsess over) this match.

May their rein as Wills and Kate be long and fabulous... and may Kate continue to single-handedly bring back the nude pump.

How Diet Coke can make you a better person.

Americans are afraid to be alone.

I’m serious.

When was the last time you went to a coffee shop BY YOURSELF and stayed to drink your caramel macchiato?

Never, that’s when. I’m sure of it.

On Monday, I was driving home from work and couldn’t bring myself to just go home. I wanted more than just three hours of Gilmore Girls, an hour on the treadmill and then bed.

Don’t get me wrong, I love Lorelei and Rory more than LIFE, but, as my fellow intern Lauren said today, “after so many episodes on Bravo, you start to hate yourself just a little bit.”

So true.

Cue Monday evening, when I decided to get adventurous and take the exit to downtown Davis. I knew where Chipotle was and figured I pick it up and take a book in to read while I ate--the ultimate shield for someone eating alone.

As I walked to the register, I found my self saying “to go please.”

I chickened out.

I had forgotten my book and wasn’t ready to eat sans something to read. But as I went to the soda fountain, I was like, I just paid $2 for this soda and if I leave I can’t get a refill.

Damnit, I’m staying!

I took a seat at the counter and began to munch on my burrito bowl. As I looked out the window, I reflected on how awkward I felt about being alone. Was that my personality, or something more?

I think it’s a little of both. We live in a culture that seems to think being in a cafe or restaurant alone is somehow a reflection on who we are--or who we’re not.

One thing I learned to cope with daily in Europe was being alone. Yes, I had Sarah and Nikki, but sometimes, I didn’t. More often than not, people sat alone in cafe’s and restaurants and people-watched.

Granted, staring is a cultural norm in France, Spain and Italy...so the people watching is far less creepy and much more accepted across the pond.

About halfway through my meal, I began to feel more comfortable with my loner-self and reflected on what the day had taught me. I thought about the spreadsheets, the clients, the billing codes and what my life is like now that I am in the field.

Before I knew it, Steven was calling me. I happily answered his call and we chatted about my fairly hilarious circumstances--being all alone in a town where I know no one.

Truth is, experiences like that help us grow. If we are never alone with ourselves, how do we ever get to know who we are outside of school and work and relationships. I think one of the most important relationships is life we can foster is the one we have with the person we see in the mirror ever day.

So here’s to eating alone--try it, I dare you. Even if it is only for the Diet Coke refills.

First week, plus grad ketchup.

Wow, life is good.

I always totally judged those people on Facebook that were like “I’m not lucky, I’m blessed,” and “I love my crazy beautiful life.”

It’s like, :eyeroll: puh-LEASE people, get it together( read: no one cares ). PLUS Facebook isn’t the place for that. In the words of one of my favorite fellow TGC alums, Megan Pouliot, get a diary (or a blog! hehe) .

But, here I am. Telling you. That things are going pretty dang well. Lucky for you, if you are reading this, it’s likely you like me enough to be curious about what’s going on...I’m not some random on your newsfeed.

I’m done with my first week at FH. After I found out I got the internship, I was telling people that it “couldn’t have worked out better,” and that “if I 100% had my choice of things to do after graduation this would be it,” and after this week, I mean it more than ever.

Best company. Best co-workers. Best clients.

I am learning so much every day, and get to be a part of a really wonderful thing.

Sacramento is great.

Living in Davis is a nice summer gig, but I am definitely already planning my exodus to midtown in August. The commute is some good thinking time, but I’d really like to live in the city.

So, that’s the present. Let’s rewind.

The last few weeks of school were a blur. Saying goodbye to the study abroad crew was totally tragic, but felt really right because everyone is moving in such a good direction. Big things are happening.

Got my grades, passed all my classes...so win on that. I for real graduated.

Graduation was a marathon of a day--heck, a marathon of a weekend. Lucky for me, I had wonderful friends to throw me a party, (royal wedding themed), hang with me endlessly and take me to an unforgettable brunch (i’m going to be a doctor!) and plan foreign excursions for this summer, next summer and summers after that.

HUGE thank you to the following: Sarah Best, Meghan Mattingly, Sarah Mann, Steven Carroll, Dan Hurst, Chris & Denis Carroll (next time your at the house i’ll fix your transmission!), and OF COURSE my wonderful family...whom I love so much.

Stay tuned for more fun internship posts! Be sure to check out my posts for FH on www.sacfoodies.com.