A Thanksgiving Blog…

Ok, so I figured that since everyone else is doing blogs about what they’re thankful for this time of year, I should do something different! So instead of writing about all the stuff I’m thankful for, I’m going to write about what I’m NOT thankful for. Fun, huh?? :)

1. The fact that eating unhealthy foods is directly related to getting fat. This is just a bummer. I mean, why can’t we eat anything we want and in whatever quantities we want? And also, maybe not ever even have to work out? I would enjoy my life more if I could eat like Oprah (when her weight is up), and have a body like Jennifer Aniston. That’s just a fact.

2. The sucking economy. But honestly, this hasn’t really affected me adversely yet, and I’m hoping it doesn’t. I mean, I got my dream job, and best of all (well maybe not BEST of all, but pretty dang close), EVERYTHING is on sale! I’ve found awesome deals at Victoria’s Secret, Gap, Limited and Express—just to name a few. I think I may just stimulate the economy back to goodness myself.

3. Spandex leggings making a comeback. This tops my list this year of things I loathe. I mean, seriously people. WHY?? There were some things about the 80’s that were awesome: Dirty Dancing, Berlin’s “Take My Breath Away, and the fact that I was born. Obviously. But when it comes to fashion, the 80’s BLEW. Everyone knows this. Poofy bangs, side ponytails, nasty workout leotards, parachute pants—it’s all bad. So why in the name of all that’s sacred, would we bring back one of the worst offenders? Yesterday, Lauren and I were out shopping, and we were accosted by the sight of multiple girls our age wearing skin-tight spandex leggings, and some of them completed the ensemble with tall hooker-boots too. Ick! If you’re reading this blog, and you have worn, bought, or even THOUGHT about wearing leggings, STOP NOW. Trust me on this one. It doesn’t look good on anyone who doesn’t spend at least 25 hours a day at the gym.

4. That Ohio is SO FAR away. Maybe it could just switch places with South Carolina for a little while. I don’t really think that’s asking too much…

All right. Well, that’s all I could think of that I’m not thankful for this year. I’m not much of an ingrate, what can I say?? For more about what I AM thankful for, see previous blog. :)

It's Almost Two O'Clock In The Morning...

And you ask, what better could I be doing right now than writing ablog?? NOTHING! That's why I'm blogging, people. Stay with me here.

Simple disclaimer: It is nearly 2:00 in the a.m., I've had a long, tiring, exciting, crazy week, and I'm tired. My thoughts may not be 100% cohesive (maybe not even 46%) at this point. So bear with me. Or don't. Either way, I write on.

I think right now I'm just going to write about whatever random thoughts come into my head.

1. I haven't had fajitas since I moved to North Carolina. Weird, because I was on a SERIOUS fajita "thing" for quite some time, as all of you who ate out with me could attest to. I kinda miss fajitas. Maybe I'll see if I can make some. I've never actually tried to make homemade fajitas, but it's sounding like a great idea right about now.

2. I went on my first post-Seth date. This may not be the most blog-appropriate subject matter, but it is my blog after all, so I guess that's for me to decide. I thought it would be weird/hard, since my last first date was over 2.5 years ago and with someone I grew to love. But over all, my date with, shall we call him boR, was a positive experience. Will it turn into anything more with him? That's a negatory, Ghostrider. Ready for an insta-relationship is the vibe I got, not to mention WAY forward for someone I just met. He was navy (not the color). Or was he a marine?? Same difference, right Mel and Jenna? ;) Either way, I enjoyed the date, and then deliberated for a few days about what I should do, and then decided that I didn't really want it to go anywhere. But I digress. My basic point is that I went on a date, it wasn't that bad, and now I have the confidence that I CAN do this again. Not that I was all that worried, but you always wonder if the dating thing has changed when you're out of it for as long as I was. It hasn't.

3. North Carolina in the fall = WOW. My drive home from work everyday is like driving through a picture. I can't even describe all the colors. I should get a picture before all the leaves are gone. I pass this lake on my way home and it's incredible...

4. I don't know what my favorite color is. Isn't that weird?! I mean, I have so many favorite colors, for different things (clothes, the sky, the ocean, paint on a wall) that I couldn't ever pick just one. Someone at work asked me yesterday what my fave color is, and I nearly had a nervous breakdown. Not really even close, but I did freak out a little. In a quest to be completely honest with myself and others, I really wanted to put thought into it before I answered the question. I finally decided on blue. In case you were wondering.

5. I am going to Virginia Beach again next weekend, and I can hardly wait. YAY! More girl time with Jenna, which is bound to be fun, encouraging, and who knows what else. Always an adventure. :) Oh yeah, and I'll have just gotten my first pay check from the aforementioned new job. It'll be the largest quantity I'll have ever received in on check before, and I'm thrilled. I've already done my budget for the next 6 months (pat on the back for me!), and can't wait to use some of my spending money in Va Beach.

6. I reconnected with someone today/tonight after almost five or six years of losing touch. This is why I'm still wide awake. It's so incredible if you think about it, how much we change and grow as people, Christians, citizens, friends, whatever it is that we are in our lives, in such a short amount of time. I never want to look back on my life and have ANY regrets about people I've let slip away, or a relationship that I whish I'd nurtured but gave up on for whatever reason. So far, I have very few of those regrets, and now, one less because of a really, really nice conversation tonight. It feels good. I'm grateful for second chances, whatever that may look like.

7. Sometimes, when I put on my makeup, I think to myself, "I'm really just like an artist, if you think about it. My face is the canvas, my makeup products are my paint, and my little applicators are my brushes. Maybe if I take a picture of me when I'm done, I could sell it for some money. Or at least someone could after I die and maybe make a lot. Then people will say, 'Wow. That Carly Razo's talent was tragically unnoticed while she lived. But we sure are thankful for her contributions to the world of face art.'"

And with that, dear readers, I'll close. Maybe I've written myself to sleep (and you too? SAY NO! ;)

OH! I forgot one other thing: Belle is really getting better at running. I mean, it's not that she's some kind of disabled dog or anything and CAN'T run. It's more like she's lazy. But we've gradually worked up our distance, speed, etc, and she's doing great. I've never seen a dog with such unadulterated joy as Belle has when we start our runs. I hope I can get someone to capture it on film, because everyone should see it (I'm totally NOT biased about her being the cutest dog to ever live, btw). Not too many things can make me smile like her face--her whole countenance--when we're running together.

THE END

Lake Lure, NC

Some pictures from Amanda's and my trip to the Blue Ridge Mountains. We definitely had the time of our lives... :)

This is where they filmed "Last of the Mohicans"! Does this waterfall look familiar?? [Spoiler alert!] It's where that one girl throws herself off the ledge.





Amanda and me with a little bit of the Blue Ridge Mountains behind us.




At the resort where we stayed.


And now, the Dirty Dancing Sequence...

Johnny's Cabin


Penny's Cabin


Dancing on the bridge (on the way to the lake where they practiced the lift)


"I carried a watermelon?"


1-2-3 Cha-cha-cha!


"Oh Silvia? Yes, Mickey??"


Nobody puts Carly in a corner


Go ahead and say it; I know you're thinking it anyway. "Carly, you're a freak". I KNOW! But I'm a fun freak. Amanda and I had the best time, and I'm already looking forward to next year's trip.

So long!

I'm Moving On

I've dealt with my ghosts and I've faced all my demons
Finally content with a past I regret
I've found a fine strength in my moments of weakness
For once I'm at peace with myself...

I've been burdened with blame, trapped in the past for too long

I'm movin on

I've lived in this place and I know all the faces
Each one is different but they're always the same
They mean me no harm but it's time that I face it
They'll never allow me to change

But I never dreamed home would end up right where I belong

I'm movin on

I'm movin on
At last I can see
Life has been patiently waiting for me
And I know
there's no guarantees, but I'm not alone

There comes a time in everyone's life
When all you can see are the years passing by
And I have made up my mind that those days are gone

I sold what I could and packed what I couldn't
Stopped to fill up on my way out of town
I've loved like I should but lived like I shouldn't
I had to lose everything to find out
Maybe forgiveness will find me somewhere down this road


I'm movin on...
I'm movin on.

Hmmmmmm

I just realized how easy it is to do a google search and find someone's blog, so I deleted my last post. For those of you that read it, I bet you can guess why. :)

I'm going to post soon, I swear! Terri gave me a great idea for a new blog topic, and I'm gonna use it. Just haven't had any free time lately!

Loves!

Since I've Been In North Carolina...

Time for a new blog again! Things are going really well here in North Carolina--I'm happier than I could've imagined, and SO thankful for it! I thought I'd fill ya'll (JUST KIDDING. I will not start using that "word". Ever.) in on what I've been up to. And what better way to do that than a list of all the things I'm re-introducing myself to since being "home" again?? You know how I love lists...

1. The freestanding ice cream store.
To be honest, I'm not sure how I survived in Colorado without this. In small town Ohio, there were a few of these little pieces of heaven. In Colorado there were NONE. North Carolina has one called Brusters, and when you walk up to the window to order your flavor, it's like you've stepped back in time. It's so quaint. Not to mention delish. I limit myself to going once every other week, but I'd seriously live there if I weren't losing some pounds right now.

2. Running with Belle.
This has proven to be a little bit more difficult than I'd planned, as my dog is lazier than she was when I left for Colorado 3 1/2 years ago. Apparently running isn't one of her favorite activities, which could be why she's a little chub. But it's ok, because we're working on our endurance together. Here's a gross little aside too. I've learned that I really need to take her out to "do her business" before said run, otherwise it can be embarrassing. The other night we were running down the street, both in our own little worlds. Then I look over at my sweet, lady-like Belle, only to find that she's taking a poo, right in the middle of the street, AS WE'RE MOVING! Didn't even miss a beat. This is when I quickly mask my horrified look with an ignorant smile and keep running like I have no idea what just transpired. (I go back later and pick it up, people!)


3. Making new friends.
This is the worst part of moving away. I hated saying goodbye to my friends, as I've never been blessed with a better group of girls. I was pretty nervous when I moved here that I might not make new friends so easily. And while I'll never replace the girls I left in CO, I have started to make some really promising new friends (girls AND boys!) here. And one of the girls lives in my neighborhood, so we walk/run our dogs together most nights now.

Also, there are some people I won't be spending a lot of time with. There are some red necks down here, you guys! I mean, seriously, it's hilarious slash not really that funny. I was talking to this lady at work the other day, and she was telling me that she recently lost over 100 pounds. Obviously I was impressed, so I asked her how she did it. And in her smoker's voice and thick NC drawl, she goes: "Well, I tried Atkins for awhile, and that didn't work too well...then I tried bulimia, but that wasn't good for my brain. Or my teeth, come to think of it." I'm NOT even joking right now. And neither was she! (Ok, maybe you had to be there. But that took me awhile to type, so I'm not deleting. Sorry. :)

4. Going to the beach.
As my blog has been named Riding the Waves since I started it, and I've never had a house or apartment without at least one room dedicated to all my beach paraphernalia, I think you all know that, besides getting to be near my family again, this is the BEST part of my move. I LOVE THE EAST COAST!!!!! I'll post pictures soon of my adventures to Wilmington, NC (an awesome beach) and Virginia Beach where it's a 2-for-1, because I get to spend time with Jenna AND the ocean! I love this place...

I'm kinda tired of writing, and you're probably tired of reading, so I'll end the list there. More to come soon. Also, Ter, I need you to send me a random topic to blog about. Those always end up being the best ones. :)

I miss you, my Colorado friends who are reading this!

<3

My Favorite Snacks (and the Celebs that love them too)

So I've totally been slacking on the blog front lately. My good friend (and future endorser of my book) Terri Schurz was quick to remind me of that today. So we came up with a topic: the stuff I eat. But Terri took it a step further with her suggestion. So without much further ado, a list of the snacks I eat at work, why I eat them, and which Hollywood celeb eats them too.

Not only is this going to be a VERY entertaining read (maybe), but it's also going to benefit your health! So read on!

[The information contained below about anyone besides myself may or may not be made up.]

1. Carrot sticks dipped in roasted red pepper hummus.

Why I eat it: Well, I just looked at the label of the hummus, and let me tell you--it is HEALTHY! Protein, fiber, vitamin A. You really can't go wrong with hummus. And carrot sticks are a given. I mean, c'mon--have you ever met a blind bunny?? I don't think so. It's because their eyes are so good from eating all those carrots. I'm planning on being contact-free by 2012 with a rigorous carrot-eating plan.

The Celeb: Angelina Jolie. She craved it during her entire pregnancy with the twinkies (which she finally had, FYI. Maybe we can all poll our money together and buy the first pics. Who tries to make money off their infant children, BTW?!?) Also, since she didn't adopt these two, she figured she'd try to at least pretend they're foreign so she could love them as much as Maddox. Greek to be exact. Hence the hummus-eating.


2. Hard Sourdough Pretzels.
Why I eat it: Oh. My. Gosh. I love these things! The very best way to eat them is to take a bite of the pretzel, then a nice big drink of Pepsi (chilled over ice, of course). It's about as close to heaven as you'll ever get at work. The good thing about this snack is that it's fat free. The bad thing is that it's TONS of carbs/sugar. So use your head, people! Don't go overboard. But enjoy, and let me know what you think.

The Celeb: J-Lo. Because she doesn't care if her a$$ gets any bigger. Apparently, for Jenny-from-the-block it's a great look. I'm not sure it'd work for me, though, so I'm sticking with only eating this snack on rare occassions.


3. Whole almonds with all-natural, organic peanut butter schmear.
Why I eat it: Really, I only eat it when I'm desperately hungry and I can't find anything else to eat (well, there's always the vending machines downstairs, but I think everything in them expired in 1982. If it's older than me, I don't eat it. That's my rule of thumb). This snack does taste decent, though, and it is healthy in moderation. I don't remember what almonds have in them, but it's something really good for your heart, your skin and your overall health. Just don't eat a whole bag--a small handful will do.

The Celeb: Ben Stiller. In order to stay really, really ridiculously good looking, Ben eats a handful of almonds every day. And his skin nearly glows!


4. Yoplait Key Lime fluffy yogurt with strawberries and blueberries mixed in.
I actually eat this for breakfast, but to each his own. This delightfully refreshing dish will satisfy your sweet tooth, while also providing lots of great vitamins and calcium! IMPORTANT NOTE: Do not, I reapeat, DO NOT eat the "light" version of the yogurt, with the artificial sweetener. It will give you cancer and I don't want to be sued for recommending that poison.

The Celeb: In my very thorough research, I did not find my celebrity twin on this snack. But I know who doesn't eat it: Mary Kate or Ashley Olsen.


Well, that's all for now, folks! Now get out there and buy yourself some healthy snacks! Because it really does help the workday go faster when you have something to munch.

Music

I added music to my blog, thanks to Terri! Now I think people will flock to my blog just to hear the awesome tunes...

-Enjoy!

We're Pimps for Jesus!

I made a solemn oath to my dear friend Mel that I wouldn't talk about work on my blog (well, it wasn't really "solemn" or an "oath" per se, but I made a coment in passing that I wasn't going to talk about the job...anyhoo...). Not because she doesn't want to hear about it, but because it's probably not the most professional thing to do. But, something funny happened yesterday that I thought was blog-worthy.

Random House decided to give all of us employees an internal instant messaging system. It's very convenient, because now I barely ever have to leave my cube (not helping in the exercise department). And sometimes it lends itself to some fun conversations. Like the one Terri and I had yesterday. We were discussing the arrival of two of our authors, Alex and Brett Harris, at our office for a party.

Carly: Hey Terri, are you going to the author reception today?
Terri: Yeah, didn't you hear me practicing my clapping?

Carly: No.

Terri: Are you going?
Carly: Free food, and a chance to get out of my chair. I'm there.

Carly: So how come you were clapping?
Terri: Lindsey (a co-worker) and I do this thing where every time an email comes through about the Harris twins, we clap. We don't really know why, but it seems like everyone else gets excited about them, so we do too.

Carly: Yeah, it's like that on my side of the building too. We seem to put a lot into these guys. I guess they're selling a lot of books!

Carly: Hey, we're kinda like pimps.
Terri:.............Yeah, pimps for Jesus.


So now that I've written this, I've realized that it doesn't sound as funny as it was during the conversation. But I already typed all this stuff, so I'm going to post it anyway. Sorry for the sucky blog. I'll do better next time, I promise!

The San Antonio Spurs and Being Italian

Another random blog, you ask? Nope! I fooled you all! The two subjects of today's blog are definitely linked.

First, the Spurs. Let me give you a quick run-down of my night last night, which started with an afternoon conversation.

Carly: What do you want for dinner tonight, Seth? I think I'll cook something so we don't have to go out to eat again.

Seth: Well, the Spurs are playing tonight.

Carly: Uh-huh...and...?

Seth: Last game we won, we ordered pizza from Louie's, so that's probably good mojo. We should order it again.

Carly: We're going to get fat.

Seth: It's for the Spurs, Carly. Anything for the Spurs.

Carly: Nope. So, how about if I cook something Italian, because that's at least in the same family. And it's likely that if pizza from Louie's brought us good luck, then if I cook Italian food, it'll also be good luck. So I'm going to send you a list of ingredients, you just go ahead and buy what's on the list, and I'll cook us a good-luck Italian meal.

Seth: Ok, if you're sure.

Carly: I'm very sure.

End of phone call. I write all this to say that I like the Spurs a lot. After 2 years of dating a maniacal fan, I've definitely come around. However, I'm a fan in the sense that I watch the games (playoffs only--come on, people, that is a LONG season, so let's be reasonable), I cheer when Manu makes a 3-pointer, and I totally back Timmy up when he flops for the 47th time in a game. However, I am not a fan in the sense that I'll grow a beard because I think it's good luck (this is hypothetical--work with me!), or wear the same shirt for ten days in a row without washing it because they won a game last time I wore it. Seth would and likely has done each of these things, and more. I won't go into it all, because it may frighten you for me. But I really love this about him. In a strange way, it's great to see him so passionate and dedicated. And it's a fun thing that we can enjoy together. Last year, when the Spurs won the National Championship, we went down to San Antonio to celebrate. Here are a couple pictures. It was an awesome trip, and for more reasons than just loving to travel, I hope they beat the Lakers and pull it off again this year so we can go again. Go, SPURS, GO!!!

So, one can reason: if one can become a Spurs fan just by being around someone else who lives and breathes the Spurs, one can also become an Italian by being inundated with Italian heritage, food, and lifestyle from the time they are born. Am I right, or am I right??

My step-great-grandpa was Italian. Straight from Italy. He was around for the first 6 years of my life, and as weird as it sounds, I remember him pretty well! He talked with a funny accent, and he made really, really good food. My large (in numbers, not in girth!), boisterous family, half of whom are Italian thanks to great-grandpa LaRosa, had tons of family get togethers, where all sorts of Italian dishes would be served. From a big pot of spaghetti and meatballs to delish Italian sausage and pepper sandwiches, we had it all.

While my dad wasn't one of the lucky ones to have the Italian gene passed down to him (my grandma was born before her mom married Grandpa LaRosa), he always told me, "Carly, we may not be Italians in our blood, but we're Italian at heart." Thank you, Dad. I believe and embrace that, no matter how many times Seth points out that I'm Croatian and should stop pretending to be Italian.

The end. Comments please! :)

P.S. Here is a picture of me being a good Italian girl

Surfing in Colorado

So here you have it--my very own blog! And you, dear reader, are now reading my first post. I actually don't have much of anything to say at the moment. I just wanted to fit in amongst all of my blogging friends and have something to contribute to future conversations that involve the word "blog."

Oh yeah, I titled my blog "Riding the Waves," which is funny since there is NO WATER whatsoever in this crazy state (more on my feelings about Colorado later). But I have reasons for naming it that:
a. I love the ocean and all things water-related. Body surfing, wake-boarding, swimming, wake-surfing, etc--it's ALL good. And I especially love the tan you get while having so much fun...not to mention the great workout! But I digress...
b. I think my life is like riding waves on my boogie board. Only my boogie boards in life are the people I'm around and the situations in which I find myself. Sometimes the ride is scary, sometimes it's rough, sometimes it's smooth and fun, and sometimes it makes me laugh out loud with carefree abandon. But it is never, ever boring.
c. Did I mention that I'm a FISH?

Ok, well that's all I've got for you right now. I'll try to think of something else to write about! Until then,
-Carly