To Reunion or Not to Reunion

10 years ago I proudly wore my navy cap and gown and received my diploma from Newport Harbor High School. What great memories! 
During the first couple years of college, my group of friends tried to stay in touch. We visited one another at our universities and partied together for the annual Jimmy Buffett concert at Irvine Meadows Amphitheater. Some of the girls and guys kept in closer contact than others, and I really didn't hold onto too many relationships. I embraced my new college friends and quickly started working and enjoyed spending time with people around the office. I guess by year 5 out of high school I had lost touch with the majority of my fellow Sailor alumni. In the last year I have reconnected with a good number of people through Facebook. It is fun to see pictures of babies, boyfriends and some of the unbelievable things that people have experienced since high school. 
My question about the upcoming reunion is this...Do I need/want to get back in touch with everybody from my graduating class? I feel like it is going to be a whole lot of fake smiles, "how are you?"s and "let's get together"s. C'mon...we probably lost touch for a reason and we both know we won't really get together. 
How horrible is this!?! I sound like such a scrooge and I'm typically the positive type. I guess Ben has swayed my decision a bit. He makes fun of people that go to high school reunions  and generally doesn't like doing social things very much. (We'd spend every night on the couch playing video games and drinking beer, if he had his choice. LOL. Such a guy.) His line of work doesn't require him to do much networking. Mine does...I guess that is my answer. For work alone, I should go to my reunion. I know, I know...
So the real question is if I decide to go, how can I convince Ben to go. More importantly how can I get him to enjoy the evening?!? Hmmm

Gidget Turned One!

It may have been a dreary and drizzly day, but we were having a partay at our house! Miss Gidget turned one year old yesterday and we had lots of fun.

Friends and family gathered to celebrate the sweet 34 pound pup that has stolen our hearts. She raced in the rain, played catch with the kids and munched on every treat that she could get her sweet little paws on. Ben and I agreed that we were not going to say "no" on this special day. She didn't take advantage of us, but poor Ben nearly killed his arm from throwing the ball over and over and over again for nearly 4 hours straight! As for me, I let her snuggle really close in bed and nuzzle her furry little bottom onto my face basically suffocating me. What was I to do??? I couldn't push her off, because it was her day!

Anyways, Gidget looked bigger this morning. We were positive that she grew another few inches and put on a few more pounds, but it wasn't true. By breakfast we realized that she was the same little puppy and we were just love-struck parents. 

Now that we have professed our love to our pooch and spoiled her rotten, we realize that we might have taken it a bit too far. Oh well, she has yet to chew a pair of shoes or do anything too naughty so it was only fair to spoil her and reward her for making this past year a wonderful one for our little family. 

The Blog Log

I know, I know...I really need to be more religious about posting. I guess I'm still formalizing what direction I want to take this blog. Mostly, I want to tell people about things and places in the area that they might not have known about or really appreciated. Yet, I still want to weave in personal stories, but I haven't figured out how to do that yet.

Be patient...I'll figure it out. (I am always prepared for constructive criticism...if you have feedback, please give it to me.)

What I don't know how to figure out is ways to get more followers?!? I suppose that I have to put out consistent content, so somebody would want to keep checking back to my site. One thing at a time...my work has to come first and the people will follow. LOL.

Have a great day everybody.

Prologue

I do not profess to be an intellect or author of profound thoughts. In fact, I could be the exact opposite. I’m simply a girl trying to make it through each day with a smile on my face. In the quest for bigger smiles on a more frequent basis, I've tried to focus on the things that bring me happiness. I enjoy connecting people and I've realized that I love sharing information that benefits others. I think I have a knack for bringing people together and using that network to find out what is going on and spreading the word. Creating this blog is my way to reach a broader audience to share pieces of my life and link followers to events or things that might be of interest.

From real estate, restaurant hot spots, movie reviews and local events to charity, local government, fantasy sports and so much more...I have my fingers in every pot. Chances are likely that you could talk about a subject and I’d have some sort of input. (Yep, I can be that annoying person that always has their two cents to throw in the conversation…but I like to think I’m not obnoxious with my insight.)

At this very moment, I have decided to move forward with the inauguration of this site, because I have a lot to offer readers everywhere. (Just mostly to readers in Orange County, California...specifically Newport Beach.) Within my future posts, I plan to share some of the everyday occurrences that take place in my life. Within these unwritten vignettes, I promise to include the delectable details about my dining experiences, bargains that should not be missed, and many other sprinklings of glittering beauty throughout the local area. I plan to talk about anything and everything. Hence the name, “Everything Richardson.” My name is Alexandra Richardson and it is very nice to meet you!