It's Summer!

I finally have time to myself!

So last week was finals week and I finished my first year of university on Thursday.
It's such a relief to get a break since quarter systems go by so fast.
Anyway, for the next four days I was working and since I haven't been in the work force in awhile, an 8 hour shift was something I wasn't used to anymore.
I'm glad I got hours in especially because we were super busy for Father's Day but OH MY GOSH
I've never been so exhausted in my life. Everything was go-go-go. I was at work and when I wasn't I had to drive down for my high school teacher's retirement party or do other errands.
I don't think I've had an 8 hour sleep since before finals week...
But now that I don't have to work until next weekend I get to catch up on things I've been putting off for awhile...


ON ANOTHER NOTE!
I got a Russian Tortoise! (:
I've always wanted one but never really looked into getting one until recently.
They are usually pretty expensive ranging from $100-$150 normally. Mind you these are often wild caught animals. Captive bred are usually way more.
But the perfect opportunity came; Petsmart was having a sale on reptiles. And on top of this sale one of my uncles happens to be the manager and he was able to give me a limited time discount as well. So I ended up getting the tortoise for half the normal price. It was too good of a deal to skip.
So I got my very first tortoise and named it Potato!

Here's the story about the name:
For some reason I've always wanted to get a fat cat and name it Potato just for fun but I don't like the idea of a stinky litter box in the house so since I know I'd never own a cat I figured Potato would be a perfect name for this little guy.  They're both roughly the same size and similar shape and Russian Tortoises like to dig underground while potato spuds are found underground!
Very stupid comparison and completely random name but I think its cute.


When I first got him it was super wary of people and when handled he peed and pooped everywhere ):
But I've been carrying him and bringing him outside and hand feeding him everyday. Slowly but surely he's getting used to me and doesn't cringe as much when I get near. I've also been able to stroke his head a couple times. Antisocial but the cutest little thing ever! He's also a pig when it comes to food. I just kept feeding him because he'd never stop eating but I read that Russians can overeat which may lead to development problems. I guess I have to cut down on how much I give him.. It's just too fascinating to watch and its the only thing I know I can do that would get him to get used to me..
Anyway I'd like to introduce you to the newest family member for the next 50 years:

THE WEEKEND

This weekend has been a busy one consisting of a ton of family time and vitamin D.
Two of my cousins came to visit from Australia and they brought their friends and girlfriends along with them. So Steven and I went to meet with them in LA.
On Saturday we left in the morning to have breakfast at Mary's Market. It is a quaint little cafe/antique store within a small hippie-like neighborhood in Sierra Madre. I had the Gio Metro which is a bagel sandwich with eggs, avocado, turkey, tomato, cheese, and onions. Steven chose some type of muffin sandwich that came with salsa. Both were superb and we finished breakfast with an order or yogurt with granola and fruit. The service was amazing as well, the people there made us feel like family. Everyone was very kind and since it was a small community, they knew we weren't from the area and asked us questions.
After breakfast we explored the neighborhood and then went off to Santa Monica.

So I'm a bit of a fish geek and wanted to stop by Nature Aquarium. It's is one of the few stores in Southern California that caters to aquascaping (an art technique of making the illusion of a fish tank to look like a landscape). I will explain more on that later since this is one of my favorite hobbies. Seeing all the tank displays inspired me to start working on my tanks again.

While waiting to meet with my cousins for lunch we stopped by 3rd Street Promenade and checked out the farmer's market and stores.

After having lunch at The Grove, we all headed over to Hollywood.

Today, my family had our annual family reunion. Relatives from all over come to our picnic and we all get to see faces missed. We had lunch and proceeded to our family games. Starting off with soccer, then a water balloon toss, musical "hugs", bike riding, etc. 

photo by Duc Nguyen

photo by Duc Nguyen
A not-so-great attempt at a jumping picture

photo by Duc Nguyen

I think we've had enough sun exposure for the weekend. 

With another addition to my summer adventures, good night!

FAV #1

Here are some must haves for the summer days (:

[1] ruby red Saltwater Sandals

[2] meow meow cat dress

[3] pack pack

[4] great savings with El Gato!

[5] wind in your hair

[6] for the vertically challenged like me