long time, no post

Hello to anyone who reads my blog. I apologize for the long absence. December is my busiest month at work because of that pesky phenomenon called holiday shopping. Then of course, there are the actually holidays. My siblings came to visit and we had some quality bonding time -- it was much needed.
It is now mid-January and I am in the process of applying to graduate school. It is a process that I must admit, I'm not taking as seriously as I could. Part of the problem is that I keep debating if I even want to complete a grad program. My mom has been pushing for me to get a master's for years. At least I would have another point on my scorecard. My sister, Rosi, is the only Torres offspring to have a master's right now. The other benefit, and the most important one, is that completing a master's in writing will motivate me to write full-length novels or collections of short stories. Those are things I have always dreamed of doing, but have not done because I'm lazy and so far no one has imposed a deadline on me to do them. Ergo, I need an overpriced graduate program to kick my ass in gear!

I took myself shopping for the first time in a long time. I realized that the Apple store is the only place I buy electronics and Ann Taylor Loft has slowly become one of my top retailers (take that, Macy's!). Just kidding, I still love me some good ol' department store shopping.

My next trip to Seattle is not for another month. I kind of wish I could go there this weekend. I even looked up ticket prices ($300 is way too much, darn). The weather in California continues to amaze me. It's chilly, yes, but no need for gloves or scarves (at least not for this conditioned Pacific Northwesterner).