My 25th Birthday was quite eventful. I figured that since it was a monumental day that I should go do something special. I decided that I wanted to go see the Grand Canyon since I had never been (isn't that something you are supposed to do younger on a vacation with the fam?!) My best friend Melinda and I went the tourist route and took a charter bus to the West Rim. The trip there was a little nauseating due to the 7 miles of unpaved road and a not so personable driver. We finally made it (alive) and went to the first stop: The Skywalk. Heck no we weren't paying extra money to stand on a clear deck that was 4,000 feet above the canyon! We had a great view standing on the solid ground. Next, we went to the stop that had even more gorgeous views. This is where the day takes a turn for the worse. I made the genius decision to eat macaroni salad. Now folks, I don't know if you know this or not, but it was fairly warm that day and mayo isn't meant to be sitting in the heat. Needless to say my stomach started punching me from the inside. We went to the last stop which was the ranch and went horseback riding to the edge of the canyon and back. Absolutely phenomenal. We got back to the tour bus at the time specified (and threatened to be left behind if not on time) only to be delayed in departure 1 hour due to some silly tourists that weren't back yet. We left them after an hour. Too bad suckers. We made it back to the car and had just enough time to shower and get ready for dinner at AJ's Steakhouse at the Hard Rock. I decided that some champagne would help my stomach and downed a glass. About halfway through dinner I wasn't feeling so great and made a couple of trips to the bathroom and had my food put in to-go boxes. I thought I could push through the sick and still enjoy the rest of my birthday. We went to Wasted Space and I tried to have a good time but was encouraged to go home and take it easy. Good call by my friends because I spent the rest of the night wishing I was never born. I was out of commission all the next day too. I would never wish food poisoning upon my worst enemies (that's if I had enemies!) So ultimately, I will have a part II celebration sometime soon and I definitely will never forget my quarter of a century birthday!

I went to LA for a couple of days for some shenanigans. Every summer there is an art festival in Laguna called the Sawdust Festival where artists of various mediums sell their work. One of my favorites is a jewelry maker named Slowsky that makes glass items. I have a couple of necklaces and a pair of earrings from her and every time I wear them I get major compliments. My aunt bought me another necklace for my birthday to add to my collection. Also, while I was at home, I went to a costume beach volleyball tournament called The Gillis. My friends dressed up as the characters from The Sound of Music...hilarious! (see pics below) My best friend since Kindergarden is in town for two weeks so we've been doing various activites every night as well. We went to the Area 51s baseball game the other night and had a blast. Oh and last but not least, here is a pic of my pup Hank (happy now Ric?!)

I went to the chiropractor today for a visit and was slightly annoyed when he was running behind and had to wait. There was this little boy in the waiting room...maybe 5 years old or so...and he was playing with some transformers toys. Instantly he gravitated toward me whether it was because he was bored or he thought that I was going to take his toys. Well we get into a whole conversation about transformers, power rangers, the hulk, etc. Then the strangest thing happened...he asked me out. HA! He asked me if I would come over to his house and watch Transformers with him. Pretty freakin cute. I had to politely decline and say that we had only just met and that it was too soon. My humor was lost on him but the rest of the people in the waiting room chuckled. Needless to say that put a smile on my face and I hope it put one on yours too :)

If anybody has ever been a victim of identity theft, I feel your pain. I first found out that someone had used my social security number in March to file a tax return. As a result, my refund was put on hold until they could figure out for the real slim shady to please stand up. They told me that I should be receiving a letter in the mail to confirm my identity in 4-6 weeks. Well that time came and went and I called again. They said to wait another 4-6 weeks. To make a long and dull story short, it is now 5 months later and I still have not heard from the IRS. I have contacted them multiple times and have only been told to wait and that they were working on it. And this supposed economic stimulus check we all were supposed to receive has also been put on hold due to the fact that my refund hasn't been processed....double whammy. Now the same people are attempting to open up credit cards with my information but luckily I have fraud alerts on my credit file. I had to file police reports and make so many phone calls. It is truly exhausting. I'm hoping I will have a resolution AND my refund by the end of the year. If anyone has any tips or words of encouragement I would greatly appreciate it!