I can't embed this clip for some stupid reason, but I can post a link. My brother, Matt, and I saw Will Forte do a similar routine when Peyton Manning was on the show in the 07-08 season. The only way we could get a copy was buying the Best of the season dvd (which Matt found on sale at Starbucks for $8 - score!). We find the whole thing so funny that all one of us has to do is text the other one with "Will Forte dancing" and laughter ensues.
The Peyton Manning one (the original) is funnier, but this is still amazing and hilarious and available to watch on the internet.
Showing posts with label Random. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Random. Show all posts
Thursday, December 4, 2008
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
updates
i posted new tutu stuff on my projects blog - go see "I Make Stuff" over on the left side bar. Cute stuff, I promise.
i, like Megan, am trying out the new followers widget mostly for my own curiosity. All i ask is that you add yourself to the list and don't make yourself anonymous because what would the point be then? i don't even care if i really know you in real life, i am curious to find out who actually reads the craziness i am putting out there.
i miss my friends today. well, i miss them all the time, but especially this week.
i need something new in my life because apparently whatever i'm doing now is causing me stress and pain. even when i make a conscious effort to alleviate stress in my life it doesn't seem to be helping me physically. i've been super productive creatively speaking as well as trying some new recipes and keeping my room relatively clean and organized AND, most importantly, i've been taking on fewer responsibilities and commitments. i'm trying to say no to things when i really feel i should and not guilt myself into an overly hectic schedule. i'm trying to work really hard on this physical therapy thing and it is helping in a lot of ways - maybe it has to get worse to get better? all i know is that my sleeping is all thrown off and i am a person who needs a lot of sleep. also i have a sore throat and i hat that.
today is my daddy's birthday. happy birthday to him. i love him and i hope he has an awesome day. i also hope he likes the card i bought him and his present which is very random...but he likes random.
this is taking a lot of energy and i still have to work till 5 (now you know why i've been posting such short photo posts).
i, like Megan, am trying out the new followers widget mostly for my own curiosity. All i ask is that you add yourself to the list and don't make yourself anonymous because what would the point be then? i don't even care if i really know you in real life, i am curious to find out who actually reads the craziness i am putting out there.
i miss my friends today. well, i miss them all the time, but especially this week.
i need something new in my life because apparently whatever i'm doing now is causing me stress and pain. even when i make a conscious effort to alleviate stress in my life it doesn't seem to be helping me physically. i've been super productive creatively speaking as well as trying some new recipes and keeping my room relatively clean and organized AND, most importantly, i've been taking on fewer responsibilities and commitments. i'm trying to say no to things when i really feel i should and not guilt myself into an overly hectic schedule. i'm trying to work really hard on this physical therapy thing and it is helping in a lot of ways - maybe it has to get worse to get better? all i know is that my sleeping is all thrown off and i am a person who needs a lot of sleep. also i have a sore throat and i hat that.
today is my daddy's birthday. happy birthday to him. i love him and i hope he has an awesome day. i also hope he likes the card i bought him and his present which is very random...but he likes random.
this is taking a lot of energy and i still have to work till 5 (now you know why i've been posting such short photo posts).
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
Future Wedding Ideas - Yeah, I know, I'm crazy.
Okay. This is probably the lamest/nerdiest post I will ever write. It's wedding centric. The lame part comes in the fact that I am not even dating anyone, but I care very little about that fact. I just like wedding stuff (I stumbled upon Brooklyn Bride and have become slightly addicted). I blame it all on my creative side - I love the endless options for color/cards/dresses/shoes/gifts, etc.
Also, I was at Emily's house on Friday and started talking weddings with her and her mom - they have idea books (as well as photos from her's sisters weddings) and it got me wanting to put things I've seen that I like in one place. So here's a post with those things.
I've always wanted daisies at my wedding. That hasn't changed since I first thought of it as a little girl.
My color scheme has changed a lot over the years, but I always go back to wanting to include a little yellow to pick up the accent from the daisy. Now, I know there are tons of daisies out there, and my mind may change on this, but I tend to prefer the simple good ol' regular daisy. My mom also had daisies in her wedding so I like the idea of having that in common with her. There is the option of a white Gerbera daisy with a black center should I get married in the winter or fall then I can cut out the yellow and focus on black/white/green combination.
So I went from blue/yellow, pink/yellow, pink/yellow/green, blue/brown, black, yellow/white/black and finally green/yellow/black (and obviously some white).
This is the deciding factor in color for me:
That's right. Limes. It makes sense if you know me and my love for lime in my water. Also - it would add a splash of bright, happy color without going overboard. I like the idea of being able to use a lot of greenery and having that take care of a lot of the color for my wedding.
I like the bird cage for cards and such. I've seen this idea lots before, but I've wanted one, it can be used again, and I love that this one is green. Also, classy colored cutlery and some more yellow and green flowers.
Then there's these rings. You can have your finger print engraved. That's just cool.
And paper lanterns. Green and maybe some black and/or white. Paper Lantern Store.
Now there's cake. I don't really like cake, although I'm inclined to find someone who can make me a delicious pistachio cake with strawberries. That would make my day perfect. I would love to have cake stands all over the place, maybe as center pieces with the limes on them somehow? I would either pick a lime green or go all black and then have my wedding cake and the grooms cake on white ones. I like the idea of a small wedding cake and a small grooms cake and then just getting a sheet cake for the masses. I don't like cake, I don't want to eat more than what tradition requires.
The cake on the upper right corner is more of an idea of how I would want the cakes to look with a black ribbon and flowers matching whatever I have in the bouquets.
Of course, I already know where I will be married. The Washington DC Temple.
I would just need to find a place to have the reception.
I would love polaroids and/or a photobooth. This is very much in line with my tastes and personality. It would be fun to get the candid photos. I LOVE the idea of a polaroid cake topper.
And this is a fun save the date idea.
I also like the idea of a gallery wall of sorts to display our photos instead of the slide show/video/poster formats. Inexpensive frames can be found at wal-mart or ikea and then I can fill them with childhood photos and photos of us as a couple.
Whichever I decide to use will make an appearance in the form of our engagement photos as well. I'm leaning more toward the polaroids at the moment, mostly because I love the look, but the gallery wall idea would be cheaper. Any of the photo themes would be very much in line with my personality so we'll just have to see how Mr. Right feels about it...and also Mr. Pocketbook, who, let's face it, will have a heck of a lot more say then me or Mr. Right.
Speaking of invites/announcements. I love these.
I love the yellow RSVP envelope and I love how it's simple and elegant but still fun and you know I love the run-on, uncapitalized sentence "aregoingtothetemple & they'regonnagetmarried." It even says temple. Makes me wonder if it's a Mormon wedding.
Also, I was at Emily's house on Friday and started talking weddings with her and her mom - they have idea books (as well as photos from her's sisters weddings) and it got me wanting to put things I've seen that I like in one place. So here's a post with those things.
I've always wanted daisies at my wedding. That hasn't changed since I first thought of it as a little girl.
My color scheme has changed a lot over the years, but I always go back to wanting to include a little yellow to pick up the accent from the daisy. Now, I know there are tons of daisies out there, and my mind may change on this, but I tend to prefer the simple good ol' regular daisy. My mom also had daisies in her wedding so I like the idea of having that in common with her. There is the option of a white Gerbera daisy with a black center should I get married in the winter or fall then I can cut out the yellow and focus on black/white/green combination.
So I went from blue/yellow, pink/yellow, pink/yellow/green, blue/brown, black, yellow/white/black and finally green/yellow/black (and obviously some white).This is the deciding factor in color for me:
That's right. Limes. It makes sense if you know me and my love for lime in my water. Also - it would add a splash of bright, happy color without going overboard. I like the idea of being able to use a lot of greenery and having that take care of a lot of the color for my wedding.
I like the bird cage for cards and such. I've seen this idea lots before, but I've wanted one, it can be used again, and I love that this one is green. Also, classy colored cutlery and some more yellow and green flowers.Then there's these rings. You can have your finger print engraved. That's just cool.
And paper lanterns. Green and maybe some black and/or white. Paper Lantern Store.
Now there's cake. I don't really like cake, although I'm inclined to find someone who can make me a delicious pistachio cake with strawberries. That would make my day perfect. I would love to have cake stands all over the place, maybe as center pieces with the limes on them somehow? I would either pick a lime green or go all black and then have my wedding cake and the grooms cake on white ones. I like the idea of a small wedding cake and a small grooms cake and then just getting a sheet cake for the masses. I don't like cake, I don't want to eat more than what tradition requires.The cake on the upper right corner is more of an idea of how I would want the cakes to look with a black ribbon and flowers matching whatever I have in the bouquets.
Of course, I already know where I will be married. The Washington DC Temple.
I would just need to find a place to have the reception.I would love polaroids and/or a photobooth. This is very much in line with my tastes and personality. It would be fun to get the candid photos. I LOVE the idea of a polaroid cake topper.
And this is a fun save the date idea.
I also like the idea of a gallery wall of sorts to display our photos instead of the slide show/video/poster formats. Inexpensive frames can be found at wal-mart or ikea and then I can fill them with childhood photos and photos of us as a couple.
Whichever I decide to use will make an appearance in the form of our engagement photos as well. I'm leaning more toward the polaroids at the moment, mostly because I love the look, but the gallery wall idea would be cheaper. Any of the photo themes would be very much in line with my personality so we'll just have to see how Mr. Right feels about it...and also Mr. Pocketbook, who, let's face it, will have a heck of a lot more say then me or Mr. Right.Speaking of invites/announcements. I love these.
I love the yellow RSVP envelope and I love how it's simple and elegant but still fun and you know I love the run-on, uncapitalized sentence "aregoingtothetemple & they'regonnagetmarried." It even says temple. Makes me wonder if it's a Mormon wedding.I'm going to wear my mom's veil (as long as we can still find it) which is really long and spanish lacy. I love the idea of saving the veil - because a veil will fit anyone who wants to wear it. I'm also a sucker for traditions/passing things down it's just that much more meaningful.
There might be some adjustments made but I love that veil. It's just gorgeous. (catch a look at the flowers - daisies and roses, my bouquet would have the daisies and lots more green)
Of course, there will be fascinators. Perhaps I'll wear my mother's veil for a portion and then switch to a fascinator for dining/dancing/mingling? Perhaps I'll make my bridesmaids wear them. However it works out, they will be tasteful and fun.
Now on to dresses. I like simple dresses. No beads, no frills, just simple and neat.
Obviously my dress will have sleeves, but these pictures give you an idea of the style and shape I tend to like.
There might be some adjustments made but I love that veil. It's just gorgeous. (catch a look at the flowers - daisies and roses, my bouquet would have the daisies and lots more green)Of course, there will be fascinators. Perhaps I'll wear my mother's veil for a portion and then switch to a fascinator for dining/dancing/mingling? Perhaps I'll make my bridesmaids wear them. However it works out, they will be tasteful and fun.
Now on to dresses. I like simple dresses. No beads, no frills, just simple and neat.
Obviously my dress will have sleeves, but these pictures give you an idea of the style and shape I tend to like.
Buttons are fun as long as they are decoration to hide a zipper. I don't want to spend 8 hours trying to get in and out of my dress.
Most of those are JCrew. I won't be spending nearly that much, but I love the simple style and the clean lines and the pockets. Seriously. Why doesn't every wedding dress have pockets? I'll have to keep in mind matching my dress to the veil and I don't hate the idea of a dress with coordinating laciness, but for the most part, I really like simple simple dresses.
I also really like this bag.
Except I can't remember where I found it. Oh wait. It was on Amazon. I remember adding this and it's matching pieces to my wish list. They have some small zipper make-up bags that would make cute bridesmaids gifts.
I like the idea of chunky, funky jewelry like so:
But I would need a different style for myself. Maybe something along those lines for my bridesmaids? Who knows. I like the idea of making the jewelry as part of the wedding gifts, but who knows if I'll have the time, energy or desire to do so when the time comes? Chances are I'm crazy enough to do it. Again, it's just a little more meaningful and I want everyone to match/coordinate. It's part of my endearing OCDness that you all love about me.
And then Bridesmaids dresses. I love the look of this photo with the black and yellow:
The dresses I pick out will have more coverage (since the majority of my bridesmaids have already gotten married) but I want them all black and probably all the same. The color will come in with the flowers and a sash or fascinator. Again, something simple but fun. And, with black dresses you have some wiggle room regarding the time of year you are married. These colors should translate well in any season - the flowers and such might have to change, but I can be flexible.
So there ya go. Random wedding ideas from my head to the internets. Who knows how much of this will change by the time I actually get married, although I think my only factors of change will be cost and the opinion of Mr. Right (should he feel the need to voice one). I really do prefer things simple and the most important thing for me is to get a really good photographer - as you all know, I'm a photo freak and I don't want to regret not getting good pictures.
Anyway, for anyone who actually got this far in this post, I give you 10 cool points.
Most of those are JCrew. I won't be spending nearly that much, but I love the simple style and the clean lines and the pockets. Seriously. Why doesn't every wedding dress have pockets? I'll have to keep in mind matching my dress to the veil and I don't hate the idea of a dress with coordinating laciness, but for the most part, I really like simple simple dresses.I also really like this bag.
Except I can't remember where I found it. Oh wait. It was on Amazon. I remember adding this and it's matching pieces to my wish list. They have some small zipper make-up bags that would make cute bridesmaids gifts.I like the idea of chunky, funky jewelry like so:
But I would need a different style for myself. Maybe something along those lines for my bridesmaids? Who knows. I like the idea of making the jewelry as part of the wedding gifts, but who knows if I'll have the time, energy or desire to do so when the time comes? Chances are I'm crazy enough to do it. Again, it's just a little more meaningful and I want everyone to match/coordinate. It's part of my endearing OCDness that you all love about me.And then Bridesmaids dresses. I love the look of this photo with the black and yellow:
The dresses I pick out will have more coverage (since the majority of my bridesmaids have already gotten married) but I want them all black and probably all the same. The color will come in with the flowers and a sash or fascinator. Again, something simple but fun. And, with black dresses you have some wiggle room regarding the time of year you are married. These colors should translate well in any season - the flowers and such might have to change, but I can be flexible.
So there ya go. Random wedding ideas from my head to the internets. Who knows how much of this will change by the time I actually get married, although I think my only factors of change will be cost and the opinion of Mr. Right (should he feel the need to voice one). I really do prefer things simple and the most important thing for me is to get a really good photographer - as you all know, I'm a photo freak and I don't want to regret not getting good pictures.Anyway, for anyone who actually got this far in this post, I give you 10 cool points.
Monday, July 14, 2008
Dark Chocolate Macadamia Nuts
The title has nothing to do with this post - I just happen to be eating one of those right now.
I've been thinking of some things lately. Big things. Life changing things. Now I am going to put some of it out there because I've reached the point where I can no longer mull them over in my own mind and get anywhere productive.
Moving. That's right. I said it. I've thought of it dreamily for the last couple of months. Things like, I am going to move to England. And I've actually looked into doing so, but when my brother-in-law quit his job I went and told them that day that I would go where ever they did. I knew he would start looking out of state for jobs and it just felt like a good idea. I could still be near the boys and my Sissie. I LOVE living near my sister and I have a feeling I will find a way to finagle such an arrangement for the REST OF OUR LIVES. I am quite serious.
But now here are my questions.
Do I actively start looking for jobs in Dallas/Fort Worth and Utah?
Do I just wait to see where Wil gets a job and just pick up and leave with them THEN find a job when I move? I have looked around a little, but nothing too serious since I already have this job here in Maryland.
What if I get the answer that I should move but Lauren and Wil don't?
Am I prepared to get that answer and live away from my family again?
Am I brave enough to do so?
Do I really want to live in Utah or Texas? Seriously. Those two places do not top my list of places I want to live (no offense to those places or people from there, there are just more exotic and easternly locales I would like to be placed in) but they are the two places I am considering, mostly for social reasons.
What is life really going to be like for me here in Southern Maryland?
Do I really see myself finding a husband (or even a boyfriend) here? Let's be honest - I'm not marriage hungry and my life does not revolve around finding a husband, but isn't it important to at least put yourself in the position where the opportunities to date are there? Those opportunities are not very plentiful here and the distance alone from my house to my singles ward to the homes of my fellow ward members causes a lot of distraction.
Obviously this is something I am praying about and trying to figure out what is best for me and where I need to be - I just need to find the right questions to ask. That always seems to be the hardest part for me - forming the correct thoughts. Do I ask if I should move with Lauren and Wil to Texas or do I ask if I should move? Specific or blanket statement? Perhaps I'll ask it all till I get an answer. I'm fairly confident I have made the right decisions thus far in my life - I just need to keep trusting that.
The pros of moving to Texas or Utah would be these:
Closer to friends. Texas has the Murrays and Utah has, well, all of my friends from college except Mike and Jamie.
Wider social circle and more social opportunities.
Change of pace, change of scenery.
It would be a new and exciting adventure. I love those. It could also suck - but at least I will have done something!
Finally, here's something I haven't mentioned to ANYONE. I've been casually thinking about school again. I don't really want to pay for school and the cost alone could keep me out of there - but going back to grad school for something more specialized seems a tiny bit more appealing to me now than it has in the past. I can't even begin to think what I would need to do to figure all that out but thought it was a significant enough change from my previous "I'm so glad to be out of school I'm never going back again" mentality.
I've been thinking of some things lately. Big things. Life changing things. Now I am going to put some of it out there because I've reached the point where I can no longer mull them over in my own mind and get anywhere productive.
Moving. That's right. I said it. I've thought of it dreamily for the last couple of months. Things like, I am going to move to England. And I've actually looked into doing so, but when my brother-in-law quit his job I went and told them that day that I would go where ever they did. I knew he would start looking out of state for jobs and it just felt like a good idea. I could still be near the boys and my Sissie. I LOVE living near my sister and I have a feeling I will find a way to finagle such an arrangement for the REST OF OUR LIVES. I am quite serious.
But now here are my questions.
Do I actively start looking for jobs in Dallas/Fort Worth and Utah?
Do I just wait to see where Wil gets a job and just pick up and leave with them THEN find a job when I move? I have looked around a little, but nothing too serious since I already have this job here in Maryland.
What if I get the answer that I should move but Lauren and Wil don't?
Am I prepared to get that answer and live away from my family again?
Am I brave enough to do so?
Do I really want to live in Utah or Texas? Seriously. Those two places do not top my list of places I want to live (no offense to those places or people from there, there are just more exotic and easternly locales I would like to be placed in) but they are the two places I am considering, mostly for social reasons.
What is life really going to be like for me here in Southern Maryland?
Do I really see myself finding a husband (or even a boyfriend) here? Let's be honest - I'm not marriage hungry and my life does not revolve around finding a husband, but isn't it important to at least put yourself in the position where the opportunities to date are there? Those opportunities are not very plentiful here and the distance alone from my house to my singles ward to the homes of my fellow ward members causes a lot of distraction.
Obviously this is something I am praying about and trying to figure out what is best for me and where I need to be - I just need to find the right questions to ask. That always seems to be the hardest part for me - forming the correct thoughts. Do I ask if I should move with Lauren and Wil to Texas or do I ask if I should move? Specific or blanket statement? Perhaps I'll ask it all till I get an answer. I'm fairly confident I have made the right decisions thus far in my life - I just need to keep trusting that.
The pros of moving to Texas or Utah would be these:
Closer to friends. Texas has the Murrays and Utah has, well, all of my friends from college except Mike and Jamie.
Wider social circle and more social opportunities.
Change of pace, change of scenery.
It would be a new and exciting adventure. I love those. It could also suck - but at least I will have done something!
Finally, here's something I haven't mentioned to ANYONE. I've been casually thinking about school again. I don't really want to pay for school and the cost alone could keep me out of there - but going back to grad school for something more specialized seems a tiny bit more appealing to me now than it has in the past. I can't even begin to think what I would need to do to figure all that out but thought it was a significant enough change from my previous "I'm so glad to be out of school I'm never going back again" mentality.
Monday, June 23, 2008
Everyone is a Princess - Even Ryan (and maybe Mark)
Someone got us all started on the "which Disney princess are you" quiz and I just wanted to put all the outcomes here. I like that we are all pretty much a different princess. I also like that Ryan took the quiz and got the Mulan character traits. I'm not sure if Mark or Cristin took the quiz...can anyone clear that one up? Did I forget anyone here?
Lauren and Ryan: Mulan - Strong and spirited. You're no one's girly girl; actually you are very determined person with a strong sense of self. Never let go of that! The only thing that equals your sense of self is your family, but the traditions of society can always be bent to protect something or someone you love. (this is funny because of the statement in italics. Ryan is a boy and Lauren is definitely a girly girl)
Corynn: Aurora/Sleeping Beauty - Thoughtful and loving. Authority figures probably have been sheltering you all of your life. Thankfully you're a very tranquil person who is content with what life has given you, but secretly you want to know how the outside world works.
Cristin and/or Mark: Jasmine - Independent and adventurous. You don't want much; just to break out of the guilded cage society has put you in and experience life to the fullest. Following orders isn't really one of your strong points, and you would rather live a life of poverty than being forced into something that you hate. (I like to think that Mark answered this because of the idea that society has put him into a "guilded cage." That darn society.)
Dee and Heidi: Pocahontas - Free-spirited and wise. You have a strong passionate spirit that touches and changes all who know you. The wisdom and common sense that you have is really what guides you through life. Even so, you also have a very playful side that loves adventure and excitement. (I think this one fits them both nicely.)
Me: Belle - Intelligent and kind. Your beauty goes much further than your appearance. Also, you make judgments of people based on their personality and not their looks. Attaining all the knowledge that you can is one of your major goals in life, but you are also a person who can make things happen. (Is this kind of calling me judgmental? At least I can "make things happen," woot!)
Lauren and Ryan: Mulan - Strong and spirited. You're no one's girly girl; actually you are very determined person with a strong sense of self. Never let go of that! The only thing that equals your sense of self is your family, but the traditions of society can always be bent to protect something or someone you love. (this is funny because of the statement in italics. Ryan is a boy and Lauren is definitely a girly girl)
Corynn: Aurora/Sleeping Beauty - Thoughtful and loving. Authority figures probably have been sheltering you all of your life. Thankfully you're a very tranquil person who is content with what life has given you, but secretly you want to know how the outside world works.
Cristin and/or Mark: Jasmine - Independent and adventurous. You don't want much; just to break out of the guilded cage society has put you in and experience life to the fullest. Following orders isn't really one of your strong points, and you would rather live a life of poverty than being forced into something that you hate. (I like to think that Mark answered this because of the idea that society has put him into a "guilded cage." That darn society.)
Dee and Heidi: Pocahontas - Free-spirited and wise. You have a strong passionate spirit that touches and changes all who know you. The wisdom and common sense that you have is really what guides you through life. Even so, you also have a very playful side that loves adventure and excitement. (I think this one fits them both nicely.)
Me: Belle - Intelligent and kind. Your beauty goes much further than your appearance. Also, you make judgments of people based on their personality and not their looks. Attaining all the knowledge that you can is one of your major goals in life, but you are also a person who can make things happen. (Is this kind of calling me judgmental? At least I can "make things happen," woot!)
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
You May Remember Me From Such Posts as...
Here's what I've been thinking about:
Does anyone else have a hard time believing that the children of the stars are just like every other kid? You read stories about stars going shopping, taking cab rides, interacting with other famous peoples children, going to the park, etc. but I don't automatically think of them the same way as I would if I were to hear the same story from a friend of mine and her children. Why is that? Because we know their parents have tons of money, work ridiculous hours and probably have a great deal of help in raising their children? There are some stars that it is easy to believe they spend a good deal of time raising their kids on their own (Michelle Williams and Jennifer Garner/Ben Affleck) because they are seen less at events and in the movies. Of course this is all perception. I just wonder what life is really like for some of those kids. I'm sure they can have anything they want, but it comes at what seems to be a pretty big cost.
My jaw hurts. I did just have my teeth cleaned so I had to have my mouth open for a while - but I've never been so uncomfortable during a cleaning before - not even the three hour cleaning I had post braces removal (we had to get rid of all the glue on my teeth from two years of braces). We had to keep resting - and I was pushing myself as far as I could go. It wasn't necessarily painful, just very very uncomfortable. Like I could feel the muscles in my jaw tightening up. It's weird to have to stop and consciously remind myself to relax my jaw and separate my teeth.
The Colbert Report kills me. Seriously. So funny. There was a clip the other day where Colbert took the Canadian Hockey Night theme song and made it more "American." This entailed waving an American flag, then waving the flag and eating a hot dog, then waving the flag, eating a hot dog and waving a gun around - then he started talking about "patriotic" things which somehow ended up being about punching a beaver in the face. This is the kind of stuff that really can make me laugh.
Alyssa also makes me laugh. That's my friend. She is awesome. She has this laugh that she uses when someone says something that is supposed to be funny, something they think is funny but everyone else just kind of smiles and nods. She kind of does this pity laugh - but I don't think very many people pick up on it because they don't know how she laughs when she really thinks something is funny. All of that makes me laugh - although I'm still not laughing at the lame joke, I'm laughing at Alyssa's pity laugh. For the most part, though, the person telling the lame joke has no idea we aren't laughing at their joke so I think it's a win-win-win type of deal.
This personal review of Twilight written by a boy I don't know who read the book made me laugh. It also makes me love blogging even more because these are thoughts I would not have otherwise come across. My favorite part,
By this point I was welcome to walk away mid-conversation, because whether I stayed or not, the girls would quickly become completely oblivious to my existence. They’d get all caught up in imagining their bloodthirsty yet sensitive Adonis of the walking dead showing up in their bedrooms in the middle of the night to sweep them off their feet and then carry them into the woods so he could blow tenderly upon their necks. It became very apparent during this week that I cannot compare to a 6 foot tall, stone-jawed 200-year-old vampire who looks 17, sparkles in the sun and has a breath that smells more delicious than a vat of freshly baked chocolate chip cookies slathered in liquid pheromones.
Awesome. The review is what you would expect and a lot of the same stuff you hear from boys who ventured into the world of Twilight - it was an okay book, but let's just be clear that you will never find a real Edward. No one is that perfect...or, you know, a vampire.
I've never been one to get all fanatical about things. There are things I like a lot. Things I will go out of my way for. Things I will get VERY excited about. But I've always liked that I wasn't one of those girls who cried at the mere thought of being within 100 feet of their favorite boy-bander, musician, actor, person portraying a fictional character who has now become the embodiment of that character, etc. I can keep my composure. I only whisper excitedly about the possible presence of a celebrity (usually more obscure than most) or point awkwardly while forgetting the name of said celebrity. Total composure.
I kept the volume of my car radio on an odd number yesterday. Nothing like improving yourself, I always say.
I did a really nerdy thing this week. I picked up on a game of Sims2, which I occasionally break out when I feel the need to ignore other, more important (read: real) things. I usually play it for a couple of days, progress in the life of some random character then focus on real life again. This week, I totally created a new neighborhood. and characters. based off of characters from books. I can't believe I'm confessing this...we'll just call it a step forward in my quest to be a more truthful blogger. That's right, folks, so far I have created the Pevensie children, part of the Cullen clan, Bella and Charlie, and a few others stuck in there. I'm sure I'm not the first person to do this, but I'm probably the most secretly ashamed person to do this. haha. Oh well. Now, if you could just instantly forget that I've shared this little snippet. Mucho thanks.
This is one of my more random (and long) train-of-thought posts so I best be moving on. I don't like ending on that note, but what can you do?
I know. A short list of bloggy things I am anticipating:
Corynn and Jer coming home from their trip and the posts that are sure to be posted about said trip.
Posts that are soon to be made to Megan's new London blog (look for the link soon!)
Hopefully some more funny posts from Mike and Miri, who have (thankfully) refrained from becoming one super blogger/i-love-my-new-spouse-centric/boring since joining in wedded bless for time and all eternity.
More posts from Hayley, which I know in my heart of hearts will come soon. I like her updates and her daughter is adorable.
The blog announcement of the birth of little Maren Blake. Simon and Anne are going to be fun parents.
Okay. That's really all for now. Happy reading. Don't judge me.
Does anyone else have a hard time believing that the children of the stars are just like every other kid? You read stories about stars going shopping, taking cab rides, interacting with other famous peoples children, going to the park, etc. but I don't automatically think of them the same way as I would if I were to hear the same story from a friend of mine and her children. Why is that? Because we know their parents have tons of money, work ridiculous hours and probably have a great deal of help in raising their children? There are some stars that it is easy to believe they spend a good deal of time raising their kids on their own (Michelle Williams and Jennifer Garner/Ben Affleck) because they are seen less at events and in the movies. Of course this is all perception. I just wonder what life is really like for some of those kids. I'm sure they can have anything they want, but it comes at what seems to be a pretty big cost.
My jaw hurts. I did just have my teeth cleaned so I had to have my mouth open for a while - but I've never been so uncomfortable during a cleaning before - not even the three hour cleaning I had post braces removal (we had to get rid of all the glue on my teeth from two years of braces). We had to keep resting - and I was pushing myself as far as I could go. It wasn't necessarily painful, just very very uncomfortable. Like I could feel the muscles in my jaw tightening up. It's weird to have to stop and consciously remind myself to relax my jaw and separate my teeth.
The Colbert Report kills me. Seriously. So funny. There was a clip the other day where Colbert took the Canadian Hockey Night theme song and made it more "American." This entailed waving an American flag, then waving the flag and eating a hot dog, then waving the flag, eating a hot dog and waving a gun around - then he started talking about "patriotic" things which somehow ended up being about punching a beaver in the face. This is the kind of stuff that really can make me laugh.
Alyssa also makes me laugh. That's my friend. She is awesome. She has this laugh that she uses when someone says something that is supposed to be funny, something they think is funny but everyone else just kind of smiles and nods. She kind of does this pity laugh - but I don't think very many people pick up on it because they don't know how she laughs when she really thinks something is funny. All of that makes me laugh - although I'm still not laughing at the lame joke, I'm laughing at Alyssa's pity laugh. For the most part, though, the person telling the lame joke has no idea we aren't laughing at their joke so I think it's a win-win-win type of deal.
This personal review of Twilight written by a boy I don't know who read the book made me laugh. It also makes me love blogging even more because these are thoughts I would not have otherwise come across. My favorite part,
By this point I was welcome to walk away mid-conversation, because whether I stayed or not, the girls would quickly become completely oblivious to my existence. They’d get all caught up in imagining their bloodthirsty yet sensitive Adonis of the walking dead showing up in their bedrooms in the middle of the night to sweep them off their feet and then carry them into the woods so he could blow tenderly upon their necks. It became very apparent during this week that I cannot compare to a 6 foot tall, stone-jawed 200-year-old vampire who looks 17, sparkles in the sun and has a breath that smells more delicious than a vat of freshly baked chocolate chip cookies slathered in liquid pheromones.
Awesome. The review is what you would expect and a lot of the same stuff you hear from boys who ventured into the world of Twilight - it was an okay book, but let's just be clear that you will never find a real Edward. No one is that perfect...or, you know, a vampire.
I've never been one to get all fanatical about things. There are things I like a lot. Things I will go out of my way for. Things I will get VERY excited about. But I've always liked that I wasn't one of those girls who cried at the mere thought of being within 100 feet of their favorite boy-bander, musician, actor, person portraying a fictional character who has now become the embodiment of that character, etc. I can keep my composure. I only whisper excitedly about the possible presence of a celebrity (usually more obscure than most) or point awkwardly while forgetting the name of said celebrity. Total composure.
I kept the volume of my car radio on an odd number yesterday. Nothing like improving yourself, I always say.
I did a really nerdy thing this week. I picked up on a game of Sims2, which I occasionally break out when I feel the need to ignore other, more important (read: real) things. I usually play it for a couple of days, progress in the life of some random character then focus on real life again. This week, I totally created a new neighborhood. and characters. based off of characters from books. I can't believe I'm confessing this...we'll just call it a step forward in my quest to be a more truthful blogger. That's right, folks, so far I have created the Pevensie children, part of the Cullen clan, Bella and Charlie, and a few others stuck in there. I'm sure I'm not the first person to do this, but I'm probably the most secretly ashamed person to do this. haha. Oh well. Now, if you could just instantly forget that I've shared this little snippet. Mucho thanks.
This is one of my more random (and long) train-of-thought posts so I best be moving on. I don't like ending on that note, but what can you do?
I know. A short list of bloggy things I am anticipating:
Corynn and Jer coming home from their trip and the posts that are sure to be posted about said trip.
Posts that are soon to be made to Megan's new London blog (look for the link soon!)
Hopefully some more funny posts from Mike and Miri, who have (thankfully) refrained from becoming one super blogger/i-love-my-new-spouse-centric/boring since joining in wedded bless for time and all eternity.
More posts from Hayley, which I know in my heart of hearts will come soon. I like her updates and her daughter is adorable.
The blog announcement of the birth of little Maren Blake. Simon and Anne are going to be fun parents.
Okay. That's really all for now. Happy reading. Don't judge me.
Monday, June 16, 2008
{something} is {a vegetable}
This blog is called "Fashion is Spinach," which reminds me of the quote wall...specifically the quote, "Celery is porn."
There's an explanation and clear connection between celery and porn (you use more calories than you get when you eat celery - porn takes more from you than it gives, therefore celery is LIKE porn ergo celery IS porn). I'm curious to know how fashion is spinach? Are we talking in terms of Popeye? If we open up a can of fashion will it suddenly make us posh and glamorous? If so, where can I purchase said can? If I mix fashion with artichoke hearts and cream cheese will it too make a tres delish side dish that is yummy with chicken or steak? More importantly, does it work the other way around? Will we soon be seeing top fashion models walking down the runway in spinach-esque outfits? Will it be leafy green or frozen?
So many questions...
There's an explanation and clear connection between celery and porn (you use more calories than you get when you eat celery - porn takes more from you than it gives, therefore celery is LIKE porn ergo celery IS porn). I'm curious to know how fashion is spinach? Are we talking in terms of Popeye? If we open up a can of fashion will it suddenly make us posh and glamorous? If so, where can I purchase said can? If I mix fashion with artichoke hearts and cream cheese will it too make a tres delish side dish that is yummy with chicken or steak? More importantly, does it work the other way around? Will we soon be seeing top fashion models walking down the runway in spinach-esque outfits? Will it be leafy green or frozen?
So many questions...
Friday, June 13, 2008
...
I kinda want to write a book. I've always toyed with the idea of a fun children's book because it would be fun to do some illustrations as well. I'm fairly decent in the writing arena - with some help in the editing department. I'm not saying I'm great, but would that not just be kind of cool? You could say things like, "Yeah. I'm writing a book." or "When I was writing MY book." Both things sound incredibly snotty, but I kinda don't care...at least I wouldn't care if I did indeed write a book.
My great problem: No story. I can't think of something unique or original enough. Someday though...just you wait. I'll have an "aha!" moment and I will write it down instead of forgetting it and I will follow through.
For those of you who have experienced my "aha!" moments in terms of poetic genius and or short, completely false stories about how I met my friends, then you know just what to expect.
My great problem: No story. I can't think of something unique or original enough. Someday though...just you wait. I'll have an "aha!" moment and I will write it down instead of forgetting it and I will follow through.
For those of you who have experienced my "aha!" moments in terms of poetic genius and or short, completely false stories about how I met my friends, then you know just what to expect.
List of Things To Do
I've always been a little bit of a dreamer, but tend to lack the confidence needed to propel myself in one direction or another. I remember talking to my mom before I went to London and telling her how proud I was of myself - how long it took me to realize (ie: act upon) that I really can do what I want. I wanted to go to England. What was stopping me? The only thing stopping me was FEAR. I was afraid of telling people I was going and letting them discourage me (which didn't happen). I was afraid of the restrictions of the real world and being able to take time off work (which worked out very well eventually). I was afraid of going into debt (I may have some debt, but it's manageable and not linked to my England trip).
I've also always loved lists. I don't make as many lists as, say, Rory Gilmore, or even as many as my sister does (she makes a lot - and does a good job at crossing things off). I make lists as more of an outline - just to get things out of my head and on paper so I can look at them and make sense of them. Topics of lists include finances, music, books, boyfriends, groceries, homework assignments, etc.
And I've always liked the idea of a pre-made list of goals. I like to look at a huge list of what other people find curious/exciting/interesting and I like to check things off. It reminds me that, yeah, I am pretty cool and sometimes I take risks and they work out and I have some fun stories to share.
I think people can get so bogged down in their day-to-day life/worries that they forget to look around them and be proud of what they've accomplished. It might be annoying, but for my benefit (and others) I try to point out good things in the midst of stressful times. It is really hard to do when you are wallowing in your own self pity - but that's what is challenging and it can make a big difference.
So, I found this while I was a-lurkin' and thought I'd browse through it and see what I've done.** Check out the bold-faced type.
1. Sang the National Anthem at a public event (Something I can say with 100% confidence that I will NEVER do. I don't sing...especially in public.)
2. Swam with dolphins
3. Climbed a mountain
4. Taken a Ferrari for a test drive (no...but I have been in the passenger seat of a Porsche, which I LOVED)
5. Been inside the Great Pyramid
6. Held a tarantula
7. Won a pie eating contest, or any eating contest
8. Said “I love you’ and meant it
9. Hugged a tree
10. Bungee jumped
11. Visited Paris
12. Watched a lightning storm (oh so many, unfortunately)
13. Seen the Northern Lights
14. Stayed up all night long and saw the sun rise
15. Gone to a huge sports game
16. Walked the stairs to the top of the leaning Tower of Pisa
17. Grown and eaten your own vegetables
18. Touched an iceberg
19. Slept under the stars
20. Changed a baby’s diaper
21. Taken a trip in a hot air balloon
22. Watched a meteor shower
23. Gotten drunk on slurpees
24. Given more than you can afford to charity
25. Looked up at the night sky through a telescope
26. Had an uncontrollable giggling fit at the worst possible moment
27. Had a food fight
28. Overcome a fear
29. Asked out a stranger
30. Had a snowball fight
31. Screamed as loudly as you possibly can
32. Held a lamb
33. Seen a total eclipse (I'm pretty sure)
34. Ridden a roller coaster
35. Hit a home run
36. Danced like a fool and not cared who was looking
37. Adopted an accent for an entire day
38. Actually felt happy about your life
39. Had two hard drives for your computer
40. Visited all 50 states
41. Can recite something over 100 words long (I'm sure there's something...)
42. Have amazing friends
43. Danced with a stranger in a foreign country
44. Watched wild whales
45. Stolen a sign- and road cone
46. Backpacked in Europe
47. Taken a road-trip
48. Gone rock climbing
49. Midnight walk on the beach
50. Gone sky diving
51. Visited Ireland
52. Been heartbroken longer than you were actually in love
53. In a restaurant, sat at a stranger’s table and had a meal with them
54. Visited Japan
55. Milked a cow
56. Alphabetized your CDs
57. Pretended to be a superhero
58. Sung karaoke
59. Lounged around in bed all day
60. Slept in a castle
61. Gone scuba diving
62. Kissed in the rain
63. Played in the mud
64. Played in the rain
65. Gone to a drive-in theater
66. Visited the Great Wall of China
67. Started a business
68. Fallen in love and not had your heart broken
69. Toured ancient sites
70. Taken a martial arts class
71. Played some sort of game for more than 6 hours straight
72. Gotten married
73. Been in a movie
74. Crashed a party
75. Eaten food you had no clue what it was but did it out of respect for your host
76. Gone without food for 5 days (not by choice, but from sickness)
77. Made cookies from scratch
78. Won first prize in a costume contest
79. Ridden a gondola in Venice
80. Been skinny dipping
81. Rafted the Snake River
82. Been on television news programs as an “expert”
83. Got flowers for no reason
84. Performed on stage
85. Been to Las Vegas
86. Recorded music
87. Eaten shark
88. Stood up for something against the crowd
89. Gone to Thailand
90. Bought a house
91. Been in a combat zone
92. Buried one/both of your parents
93. Been on a cruise ship
94. Spoken more than one language fluently
95. Asked someone for forgiveness and received it
96. Raised children
97. Followed your favorite band/singer on tour
98. Gotten stitches
99. Taken an exotic bicycle tour in a foreign country
100. Picked up and moved to another city to just start over
101. Walked the Golden Gate Bridge
102. Sang loudly in the car, and didn’t stop when you knew someone was looking
103. Had plastic surgery
104. Survived an accident that you shouldn’t have survived (perhaps my car accident could be considered this - although I came out relatively unscathed)
105. Wrote articles for a large publication
106. Lost over 100 pounds
107. Held someone while they were having a flashback
108. Piloted an airplane
109. Pet a stingray
110. Been afraid for your life
111. Helped an animal give birth
112. Won money on a T.V. game show or the radio
113. Broken a bone
114. Gotten a tattoo
115. Lived longer than a year in another country
116. Fired a rifle, shotgun, or pistol
117. Eaten mushrooms that were gathered in the wild
118. Ridden a horse
119. Had major surgery (I have no tonsils...does that count?)
120. Had a snake as a pet
121. Hiked to the bottom of the Grand Canyon
122. Slept for more than 30 hours over the course of 48 hours
123. Visited more foreign countries than U.S. states
124. Visited all 7 continents
125. Taken a canoe trip that lasted more than 2 days
126. Eaten kangaroo meat
127. Eaten sushi
128. Had your picture in the newspaper (probably local for something in Elementary school)
129. Changed someone’s mind about something you care deeply about
130. Gone back to school
131. Parasailed
132. Pet a cockroach
133. Eaten fried green tomatoes
134. Read The Iliad
135. Selected one “important” author who you missed in school, and read
136. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
137. Skipped all your school reunions
138. Communicated with someone without sharing a common spoken language
139. Been elected to public office
140. Written your own computer language
141. Thought to yourself that you’re living your dream
142. Had to put someone you love into hospice care
143. Built your own PC from parts
144. Sold your own artwork to someone who didn’t know you
145. Had a booth at a fair
146. Dyed your hair
147. Been a DJ
148. Shaved your head
149. Caused a car accident
150. Saved someone’s life
**I have done some things that are VERY close to things on this list, but tried to just answer yes or no. Also, there are some things I'm glad I haven't had to experience and some things I can honestly say I will never choose to do (tattoo, bungee jump, sky dive - I'm not a thrill-seeker).
I've also always loved lists. I don't make as many lists as, say, Rory Gilmore, or even as many as my sister does (she makes a lot - and does a good job at crossing things off). I make lists as more of an outline - just to get things out of my head and on paper so I can look at them and make sense of them. Topics of lists include finances, music, books, boyfriends, groceries, homework assignments, etc.
And I've always liked the idea of a pre-made list of goals. I like to look at a huge list of what other people find curious/exciting/interesting and I like to check things off. It reminds me that, yeah, I am pretty cool and sometimes I take risks and they work out and I have some fun stories to share.
I think people can get so bogged down in their day-to-day life/worries that they forget to look around them and be proud of what they've accomplished. It might be annoying, but for my benefit (and others) I try to point out good things in the midst of stressful times. It is really hard to do when you are wallowing in your own self pity - but that's what is challenging and it can make a big difference.
So, I found this while I was a-lurkin' and thought I'd browse through it and see what I've done.** Check out the bold-faced type.
1. Sang the National Anthem at a public event (Something I can say with 100% confidence that I will NEVER do. I don't sing...especially in public.)
2. Swam with dolphins
3. Climbed a mountain
4. Taken a Ferrari for a test drive (no...but I have been in the passenger seat of a Porsche, which I LOVED)
5. Been inside the Great Pyramid
6. Held a tarantula
7. Won a pie eating contest, or any eating contest
8. Said “I love you’ and meant it
9. Hugged a tree
10. Bungee jumped
11. Visited Paris
12. Watched a lightning storm (oh so many, unfortunately)
13. Seen the Northern Lights
14. Stayed up all night long and saw the sun rise
15. Gone to a huge sports game
16. Walked the stairs to the top of the leaning Tower of Pisa
17. Grown and eaten your own vegetables
18. Touched an iceberg
19. Slept under the stars
20. Changed a baby’s diaper
21. Taken a trip in a hot air balloon
22. Watched a meteor shower
23. Gotten drunk on slurpees
24. Given more than you can afford to charity
25. Looked up at the night sky through a telescope
26. Had an uncontrollable giggling fit at the worst possible moment
27. Had a food fight
28. Overcome a fear
29. Asked out a stranger
30. Had a snowball fight
31. Screamed as loudly as you possibly can
32. Held a lamb
33. Seen a total eclipse (I'm pretty sure)
34. Ridden a roller coaster
35. Hit a home run
36. Danced like a fool and not cared who was looking
37. Adopted an accent for an entire day
38. Actually felt happy about your life
39. Had two hard drives for your computer
40. Visited all 50 states
41. Can recite something over 100 words long (I'm sure there's something...)
42. Have amazing friends
43. Danced with a stranger in a foreign country
44. Watched wild whales
45. Stolen a sign- and road cone
46. Backpacked in Europe
47. Taken a road-trip
48. Gone rock climbing
49. Midnight walk on the beach
50. Gone sky diving
51. Visited Ireland
52. Been heartbroken longer than you were actually in love
53. In a restaurant, sat at a stranger’s table and had a meal with them
54. Visited Japan
55. Milked a cow
56. Alphabetized your CDs
57. Pretended to be a superhero
58. Sung karaoke
59. Lounged around in bed all day
60. Slept in a castle
61. Gone scuba diving
62. Kissed in the rain
63. Played in the mud
64. Played in the rain
65. Gone to a drive-in theater
66. Visited the Great Wall of China
67. Started a business
68. Fallen in love and not had your heart broken
69. Toured ancient sites
70. Taken a martial arts class
71. Played some sort of game for more than 6 hours straight
72. Gotten married
73. Been in a movie
74. Crashed a party
75. Eaten food you had no clue what it was but did it out of respect for your host
76. Gone without food for 5 days (not by choice, but from sickness)
77. Made cookies from scratch
78. Won first prize in a costume contest
79. Ridden a gondola in Venice
80. Been skinny dipping
81. Rafted the Snake River
82. Been on television news programs as an “expert”
83. Got flowers for no reason
84. Performed on stage
85. Been to Las Vegas
86. Recorded music
87. Eaten shark
88. Stood up for something against the crowd
89. Gone to Thailand
90. Bought a house
91. Been in a combat zone
92. Buried one/both of your parents
93. Been on a cruise ship
94. Spoken more than one language fluently
95. Asked someone for forgiveness and received it
96. Raised children
97. Followed your favorite band/singer on tour
98. Gotten stitches
99. Taken an exotic bicycle tour in a foreign country
100. Picked up and moved to another city to just start over
101. Walked the Golden Gate Bridge
102. Sang loudly in the car, and didn’t stop when you knew someone was looking
103. Had plastic surgery
104. Survived an accident that you shouldn’t have survived (perhaps my car accident could be considered this - although I came out relatively unscathed)
105. Wrote articles for a large publication
106. Lost over 100 pounds
107. Held someone while they were having a flashback
108. Piloted an airplane
109. Pet a stingray
110. Been afraid for your life
111. Helped an animal give birth
112. Won money on a T.V. game show or the radio
113. Broken a bone
114. Gotten a tattoo
115. Lived longer than a year in another country
116. Fired a rifle, shotgun, or pistol
117. Eaten mushrooms that were gathered in the wild
118. Ridden a horse
119. Had major surgery (I have no tonsils...does that count?)
120. Had a snake as a pet
121. Hiked to the bottom of the Grand Canyon
122. Slept for more than 30 hours over the course of 48 hours
123. Visited more foreign countries than U.S. states
124. Visited all 7 continents
125. Taken a canoe trip that lasted more than 2 days
126. Eaten kangaroo meat
127. Eaten sushi
128. Had your picture in the newspaper (probably local for something in Elementary school)
129. Changed someone’s mind about something you care deeply about
130. Gone back to school
131. Parasailed
132. Pet a cockroach
133. Eaten fried green tomatoes
134. Read The Iliad
135. Selected one “important” author who you missed in school, and read
136. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
137. Skipped all your school reunions
138. Communicated with someone without sharing a common spoken language
139. Been elected to public office
140. Written your own computer language
141. Thought to yourself that you’re living your dream
142. Had to put someone you love into hospice care
143. Built your own PC from parts
144. Sold your own artwork to someone who didn’t know you
145. Had a booth at a fair
146. Dyed your hair
147. Been a DJ
148. Shaved your head
149. Caused a car accident
150. Saved someone’s life
**I have done some things that are VERY close to things on this list, but tried to just answer yes or no. Also, there are some things I'm glad I haven't had to experience and some things I can honestly say I will never choose to do (tattoo, bungee jump, sky dive - I'm not a thrill-seeker).
Tuesday, June 3, 2008
Further thoughts on current worries
I was thinking about my earlier post and Lauren's comment on it and I realized where I've grown in this department. I'm not good at hiding my emotions or putting on a brave face - the difference now is that I don't expect or need anyone in my family to do those things, I expect them to be feeling the same way I am. When I was younger and dealing with things like this, it made me feel better to see that Lauren and my mom were holding it together - it stressed me out more to see my mom get upset. Now I am more aware of how this is effecting my mom and my Grandad and my other family members. Our worries are the same and that's comforting to me. I can't say no one else feels this way, I can't say I don't have anyone who can understand.
Of course that doesn't mean I don't wish we could all avoid worrying about and feeling these things...because obviously I want more than anything for things to be okay.
Of course that doesn't mean I don't wish we could all avoid worrying about and feeling these things...because obviously I want more than anything for things to be okay.
Emotional Commotion**
lauren kind of alluded to the stuff going on with my Grandmother and mentioned that she might be more worried about it than she is willing to admit. this made me feel so much better because i've been feeling the same way.
it's the type of thing that requires me to be strong FOR other people. i have not perfected this quality in my life. in fact i suck at it....a lot. i'm going to chalk it up to being the youngest and not really having to put on a brave face for any younger siblings. i can be strong for my friends and family, but most often i'm best at it when it doesn't directly effect me emotionally. i've mentioned before that my mom is very careful not to let anyone else tell me difficult things and that, while it's understandable based on my past reactions, it's frustrating because i am no longer 15 years old and can handle things much better than i have been able to in the past.
it doesn't feel like that now. i think, you know what, yeah, she's right to be so careful. i'm a mess. haha. i'm happy she's careful and waits to tell me first and let's me ask my questions and get everything out. then, a couple days pass and i think i'm doing okay, but the next thing happens and i worry some more about new things and the worrying goes up to the next level and i'm just not a fun person to be around. i try to be and i distract myself, but i am not good at hiding how i feel.
i feel worried and mopey and over-emotional. i mean i cleaned last night. cleaned! i threw stuff away like there's no tomorrow. and there's still more to do and i'm happy about it. if i had the luxury of space to move things around then my furniture would also be completely rearranged.
all i can say is that my future husband will have his work cut out for him. hopefully he'll be understanding (like Dave does with Heidi and her rearranging) and just accept my habit of constant reorganization and rearranging that comes with my worry and stress. honestly, it's either focus on that or on you (him). no one wants the latter. and although it may be confusing to arrive home to a completely different looking house, at least it keeps things fresh and unpredictable? haha.
**From the song, The Motion Waltz (Emotional Commotion) by Rufus Wainwright
Waiting to cross the rubicon
Wondering what side I'm on
What are these visions of me as a young man?
With one arm pointed, and the other arm holding your hand
Needing a plan to keep you near
Blowing a horn, so you can hear
If it was only my love and devotion
This world would suddenly be in a state of commotion
Emotional commotion, emotional commotion
Emotional commotion, emotional motion
it's the type of thing that requires me to be strong FOR other people. i have not perfected this quality in my life. in fact i suck at it....a lot. i'm going to chalk it up to being the youngest and not really having to put on a brave face for any younger siblings. i can be strong for my friends and family, but most often i'm best at it when it doesn't directly effect me emotionally. i've mentioned before that my mom is very careful not to let anyone else tell me difficult things and that, while it's understandable based on my past reactions, it's frustrating because i am no longer 15 years old and can handle things much better than i have been able to in the past.
it doesn't feel like that now. i think, you know what, yeah, she's right to be so careful. i'm a mess. haha. i'm happy she's careful and waits to tell me first and let's me ask my questions and get everything out. then, a couple days pass and i think i'm doing okay, but the next thing happens and i worry some more about new things and the worrying goes up to the next level and i'm just not a fun person to be around. i try to be and i distract myself, but i am not good at hiding how i feel.
i feel worried and mopey and over-emotional. i mean i cleaned last night. cleaned! i threw stuff away like there's no tomorrow. and there's still more to do and i'm happy about it. if i had the luxury of space to move things around then my furniture would also be completely rearranged.
all i can say is that my future husband will have his work cut out for him. hopefully he'll be understanding (like Dave does with Heidi and her rearranging) and just accept my habit of constant reorganization and rearranging that comes with my worry and stress. honestly, it's either focus on that or on you (him). no one wants the latter. and although it may be confusing to arrive home to a completely different looking house, at least it keeps things fresh and unpredictable? haha.
**From the song, The Motion Waltz (Emotional Commotion) by Rufus Wainwright
Waiting to cross the rubicon
Wondering what side I'm on
What are these visions of me as a young man?
With one arm pointed, and the other arm holding your hand
Needing a plan to keep you near
Blowing a horn, so you can hear
If it was only my love and devotion
This world would suddenly be in a state of commotion
Emotional commotion, emotional commotion
Emotional commotion, emotional motion
Friday, May 9, 2008
FYI
There's one part of my left arm that has noticeably less hair on it than the rest of my arm which basically means my left arm is balding. Why? I have no idea, but it's happening all the same and I find it odd.
I made a flower arrangement today and it's very nearly "even." I realized that I do a pretty good job arranging flowers but that I could have never taken the class at BYU or done it professionally because I'm too OCD. Unless there's a market for completely symmetrical and even flower arrangements. Maybe I could work for Monk. Too bad he's fictional and I'm not a florist.
Monkey started saying, "plea-de-lee-del-ease" when asking for stuff. Courtesy of us carrying on the tradition started by Jena Murray circa 1990-something. We intend to video tape it. It's freaking adorable.
Monkey also shares my taste in movies, music and shows. Specifically, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang , 80s classics (such as Ice Ice Baby and Karma Chameleon) and The Muppet Show. He watches intently, gets excited and dances around and sings. He's going to be THE coolest kid.
I'm having another good hair day thanks to my new favorite accessory - the headband. Oh thank heavens for whatever technology was invented to make somewhat comfortable headbands! Remember how they used to dig into your skull when you were little. My search for the perfect headband is ongoing and now fueled by a desire to have awesome hair more often. Too bad summer is upon us or else I would wear my leg warmers and a headband and have a total flashback.
Speaking of flashbacks. I think I might plan an 80s dance. Themes are all the rage. Then I wouldn't have to worry about the DJ playing sucky music because it would all be 80s and it would all be retro and fantastic. Thoughts, suggestions?
Also. I really don't like volley ball. They play it every week after institute and I just refuse to play...politely of course. I just remember always getting hit in the face. It's even happened to me several times while standing on the side lines minding my own business. I am not friends with this sport and doubt I ever will be. Plus, I have terrible hand eye coordination. Seriously.
Now that I'm back from Utah and away from my bestest pallies, I've realized several things. No one here calls me a "wise forest sage" or makes any reference to Georgia Nicholson books. I miss including those references in my every day speech and I shall probably re-read the books (and finally read book 8) to cheer myself up. I am also still making jokes that only people in Utah get. No one picks up on my Gilmore Girls references (JAM HANDS) or my Strongbad voices/sayings (long pants, long pants). Tis sad. Someday I'll have a husband and I will make him understand all of this...I imagine Miri is doing that right this minute - training Mike to understand inside jokes and nonsensical humor so he will respond to things appropriately.
I'm also pretty aware of my ears at the moment. They hurt for several reasons: my headphones for work (I do a lot of transcription) are jamming the back of my earrings into my neck, the doctor thinks I might have TMJ, sinus pressure, and itchy allergy symptoms. At least my hair looks good and my earrings are tres cute.
Tomorrow is a busy day for me. I am watching nephews and niece, I have to make an appearance at a BBQ and I am in charge of a YSA activity. Not to mention there will be meals and grocery shopping to take care of.
I don't like the term "BBQ." It's lazy and I dislike my use of it.
Also - TMJ? Seriously? I can't wait for my appointment next week to figure this out. I have noticed pain in my jaw from time to time, usually in the morning and in the afternoon and more so when I've been transcribing all day. I wonder if I zone out while I type and start clenching my jaw or grinding my teeth. I just don't notice what I do with my jaw, I only notice when it hurts.
I've run out of random things to share. Except to say I like the occasional "stream of consciousness" posts. They are soothing and interesting to me. Also, I know I'm completely random, but this line of thinking makes total sense in my head.
I made a flower arrangement today and it's very nearly "even." I realized that I do a pretty good job arranging flowers but that I could have never taken the class at BYU or done it professionally because I'm too OCD. Unless there's a market for completely symmetrical and even flower arrangements. Maybe I could work for Monk. Too bad he's fictional and I'm not a florist.
Monkey started saying, "plea-de-lee-del-ease" when asking for stuff. Courtesy of us carrying on the tradition started by Jena Murray circa 1990-something. We intend to video tape it. It's freaking adorable.
Monkey also shares my taste in movies, music and shows. Specifically, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang , 80s classics (such as Ice Ice Baby and Karma Chameleon) and The Muppet Show. He watches intently, gets excited and dances around and sings. He's going to be THE coolest kid.
I'm having another good hair day thanks to my new favorite accessory - the headband. Oh thank heavens for whatever technology was invented to make somewhat comfortable headbands! Remember how they used to dig into your skull when you were little. My search for the perfect headband is ongoing and now fueled by a desire to have awesome hair more often. Too bad summer is upon us or else I would wear my leg warmers and a headband and have a total flashback.
Speaking of flashbacks. I think I might plan an 80s dance. Themes are all the rage. Then I wouldn't have to worry about the DJ playing sucky music because it would all be 80s and it would all be retro and fantastic. Thoughts, suggestions?
Also. I really don't like volley ball. They play it every week after institute and I just refuse to play...politely of course. I just remember always getting hit in the face. It's even happened to me several times while standing on the side lines minding my own business. I am not friends with this sport and doubt I ever will be. Plus, I have terrible hand eye coordination. Seriously.
Now that I'm back from Utah and away from my bestest pallies, I've realized several things. No one here calls me a "wise forest sage" or makes any reference to Georgia Nicholson books. I miss including those references in my every day speech and I shall probably re-read the books (and finally read book 8) to cheer myself up. I am also still making jokes that only people in Utah get. No one picks up on my Gilmore Girls references (JAM HANDS) or my Strongbad voices/sayings (long pants, long pants). Tis sad. Someday I'll have a husband and I will make him understand all of this...I imagine Miri is doing that right this minute - training Mike to understand inside jokes and nonsensical humor so he will respond to things appropriately.
I'm also pretty aware of my ears at the moment. They hurt for several reasons: my headphones for work (I do a lot of transcription) are jamming the back of my earrings into my neck, the doctor thinks I might have TMJ, sinus pressure, and itchy allergy symptoms. At least my hair looks good and my earrings are tres cute.
Tomorrow is a busy day for me. I am watching nephews and niece, I have to make an appearance at a BBQ and I am in charge of a YSA activity. Not to mention there will be meals and grocery shopping to take care of.
I don't like the term "BBQ." It's lazy and I dislike my use of it.
Also - TMJ? Seriously? I can't wait for my appointment next week to figure this out. I have noticed pain in my jaw from time to time, usually in the morning and in the afternoon and more so when I've been transcribing all day. I wonder if I zone out while I type and start clenching my jaw or grinding my teeth. I just don't notice what I do with my jaw, I only notice when it hurts.
I've run out of random things to share. Except to say I like the occasional "stream of consciousness" posts. They are soothing and interesting to me. Also, I know I'm completely random, but this line of thinking makes total sense in my head.
Thursday, April 10, 2008
glimpse into a womans mind
at this very moment i have an overwhelming desire to eat cookie dough
and to shun the rules of capitalization and punctuation
Thursday, March 27, 2008
What's your sign?
I don't put much stock in Zodiac signs. I'm not really a believer in astrology - but sometimes I check it out just to see how bogus it is. This makes me feel better about myself and my individuality. Sometimes, though, it kind of creeps me out. Like how much of my personality depends on the month I was born? I don't think much of it does, but sometimes these things are pretty darn accurate, even if you consider that they make use of sweeping generalities so as to cover a wider base. Of course there are parts that I really really hope don't apply to me.
like this word: "boisterous." Energetic, eager, and dynamic are also words used to describe an Aries, but boisterous just seems to carry a more negative connotation. It makes me think more along the lines of loud and overbearing than fun and exciting.
Here are excerpts of the somewhat accurate stuff:
"When it comes to getting the ball rolling, an Aries is the best. Pioneering everything from work-related projects to parties with friends, these folks go for the gusto." I like to plan things. I'm a planner. I can be spontaneous and break away from the plan - as long as there is a plan to break away from. I have a hard time approaching things where I don't know what's going to happen.
Friends and Family
"'Activity' is the key word for this sign, and wow, can they ever go! The Aries is on the go constantly. When it comes to Aries' friends, the more variety, the better. It takes a range of different personalities to complete Aries' circle of friends. Quick and easy to get along with, an Aries native makes an incredible amount of connections in a lifetime. "
"Long-term friends are something altogether different, though. Only those who are equally as energetic and able to keep up are apt to make it in the long run."
I don't agree with that last part. I'm pretty good and keeping in touch and staying close with people for the long-term. The first part though - I definitely have a knack for attracting very different types of people. I would have to say "activity" isn't the key for me so much as I have a hard time saying no to things.
"Independent and ambitious....A direct and forthright approach can be expected almost always, and when a sentiment is expressed, it's bound to be sincere. "
I'd like to think these traits apply to me. My mom tells me I'm too honest. But it's always coming from a good place.
Aries Tidbits
Health
Each sign has a part of the anatomy attached to it, making this the area of the body that is most sensitive to stimulation. The anatomical areas for Aries are the head, face, brain, and upper teeth.
Seriously. That's just eerie when you think of it in terms of my sinuses, which most often cause pain in my head, face and upper teeth.
The Perfect Gift
A sporty car, metal jewelry, a nice steak, high-tech gadgets
None of those things apply to me. haha.
Famous Aries
Russell Crowe, Sarah Jessica Parker, Matthew Broderick, Mariah Carey
I really don't like any of those people.
Best travel destinations
England, France, Italy (especially Naples and Florence)
That's pretty much my top three places to visit, only Italy comes second and France comes third.
Strengths
Courage, determination, self-confidence, enthusiasm
Weaknesses
Impatience, silly arguments, allowing fear to limit choices
Those strengths and weaknesses are interesting. I get into silly arguments a lot because I am stubborn. I have a severe lack of patience for many situations and I will certainly let doubt and fear limit my choices. I wouldn't call myself courageous nor am I exceptionally self-confident. I kind of don't like that all the weaknesses apply to me but the strengths need work. haha.
Okay, so there you have it. In honor of my birthday and being an Aries. Not that this will inspire me to make changes in my life or go talk to an astrologer - I base my decisions off of something and someone much more reliable and trustworthy. But it's interesting to me all the same.
like this word: "boisterous." Energetic, eager, and dynamic are also words used to describe an Aries, but boisterous just seems to carry a more negative connotation. It makes me think more along the lines of loud and overbearing than fun and exciting.
Here are excerpts of the somewhat accurate stuff:
"When it comes to getting the ball rolling, an Aries is the best. Pioneering everything from work-related projects to parties with friends, these folks go for the gusto." I like to plan things. I'm a planner. I can be spontaneous and break away from the plan - as long as there is a plan to break away from. I have a hard time approaching things where I don't know what's going to happen.
Friends and Family
"'Activity' is the key word for this sign, and wow, can they ever go! The Aries is on the go constantly. When it comes to Aries' friends, the more variety, the better. It takes a range of different personalities to complete Aries' circle of friends. Quick and easy to get along with, an Aries native makes an incredible amount of connections in a lifetime. "
"Long-term friends are something altogether different, though. Only those who are equally as energetic and able to keep up are apt to make it in the long run."
I don't agree with that last part. I'm pretty good and keeping in touch and staying close with people for the long-term. The first part though - I definitely have a knack for attracting very different types of people. I would have to say "activity" isn't the key for me so much as I have a hard time saying no to things.
"Independent and ambitious....A direct and forthright approach can be expected almost always, and when a sentiment is expressed, it's bound to be sincere. "
I'd like to think these traits apply to me. My mom tells me I'm too honest. But it's always coming from a good place.
Aries Tidbits
Health
Each sign has a part of the anatomy attached to it, making this the area of the body that is most sensitive to stimulation. The anatomical areas for Aries are the head, face, brain, and upper teeth.
Seriously. That's just eerie when you think of it in terms of my sinuses, which most often cause pain in my head, face and upper teeth.
The Perfect Gift
A sporty car, metal jewelry, a nice steak, high-tech gadgets
None of those things apply to me. haha.
Famous Aries
Russell Crowe, Sarah Jessica Parker, Matthew Broderick, Mariah Carey
I really don't like any of those people.
Best travel destinations
England, France, Italy (especially Naples and Florence)
That's pretty much my top three places to visit, only Italy comes second and France comes third.
Strengths
Courage, determination, self-confidence, enthusiasm
Weaknesses
Impatience, silly arguments, allowing fear to limit choices
Those strengths and weaknesses are interesting. I get into silly arguments a lot because I am stubborn. I have a severe lack of patience for many situations and I will certainly let doubt and fear limit my choices. I wouldn't call myself courageous nor am I exceptionally self-confident. I kind of don't like that all the weaknesses apply to me but the strengths need work. haha.
Okay, so there you have it. In honor of my birthday and being an Aries. Not that this will inspire me to make changes in my life or go talk to an astrologer - I base my decisions off of something and someone much more reliable and trustworthy. But it's interesting to me all the same.
Thursday, March 20, 2008
Confessions of a Blogger
I read this post the other day (written by Heidi's sister. I totally lurk on her blog) and really liked it. Mostly the microtrends she would like to see occur in the blogging world, which are as follows:
Here are some micro trends I'd like to see emerge:
Confessional blogging.
Blogging about how you hate your parents.
Blogging about free stuff you want to give to me.
Before and after pictures of a room or house you totally trashed.
Blogs about crafts that make themselves.
Blogs about flaws and physical defects.
Blogs that worship me.
Blogs about Guitar Hero.
Blogs that somehow preview and select the best and funniest YouTube videos for me to watch, with links.
I have, for a while now, been slightly annoyed by the rut I have fallen into as a "blogger." I don't like that word, by the way, it's stupid, but I digress. I began blogging as a way of working things out for myself - writing down things that happened or things that bugged me and if no one read it, that was all the better, then I didn't have to get into details of why I was frustrated, upset, happy, sad, etc. Then I switched from LiveJournal and more people started reading my blog. People I know and love. People I interact with on a daily basis. People who might be the source of my frustration. Now, there's no problem if they're the source of my happiness, but I'm not the type to go and write everything down in a public forum when someone has caused me worry or stress knowing full well that someone might read what I have written. But I do want to write it down.
There's the kicker. I suck at journaling - blogging is really a great outlet for me because it's like journaling but it's also keeping in touch with friends and staying up to date on what's happening in their life so when we do talk, it's a little more real. But I don't want to hurt feelings or make matters worse. How can you be honest and really use the blogging world to your advantage and still open yourself up to a community? Confessional blogging really can only come through anonymity - unless you really, truly don't care who reads it and/or what people would think.
Most of the blogs I read contain some amount of venting/confessing/frustration posts - I feel like I, personally, vent quite a bit on my blog - but that's because, as I said before, writing things down helps me figure them out. That's usually when you lucky people get to read posts like this - slightly rambling, somewhat confusing, but ending in some kind of point or resolution. That's when some of you get phone calls for no good reason but to talk things out. They are completely selfish posts/phone calls. Yesterday I wanted to listen to you and hear how you are doing - Today I want you to listen to me. Hopefully that's cool and completely understandable. The amazing thing about venting via blog is you don't really have to read this post and that's okay. I won't know. No blog fairy is going to come tattle on you. If you answer, you answer. If you don't, at least I had the chance to get things off my chest. I guarantee I felt at least a little better the minute I hit "publish post" and didn't really expect anyone to leave a comment. Sometimes there are no comments to leave. That's just that.
It's already pretty clear that I like to have separate blogs for certain topics (Reading Loons, Projects, England, etc.). That's the organizer in me (or more accurately, that's my blogging OCD shining through). So if you see more pop up, don't be surprised. Don't even feel obligated to read them. I feel like experimenting. I may not even share the link. Who knows. I just think it's time to spice things up...so that's what I'm going to do. But I promise I won't be creating the Guitar Hero blog Kacy dreams of - I really really suck at that game.
Here are some micro trends I'd like to see emerge:
Confessional blogging.
Blogging about how you hate your parents.
Blogging about free stuff you want to give to me.
Before and after pictures of a room or house you totally trashed.
Blogs about crafts that make themselves.
Blogs about flaws and physical defects.
Blogs that worship me.
Blogs about Guitar Hero.
Blogs that somehow preview and select the best and funniest YouTube videos for me to watch, with links.
I have, for a while now, been slightly annoyed by the rut I have fallen into as a "blogger." I don't like that word, by the way, it's stupid, but I digress. I began blogging as a way of working things out for myself - writing down things that happened or things that bugged me and if no one read it, that was all the better, then I didn't have to get into details of why I was frustrated, upset, happy, sad, etc. Then I switched from LiveJournal and more people started reading my blog. People I know and love. People I interact with on a daily basis. People who might be the source of my frustration. Now, there's no problem if they're the source of my happiness, but I'm not the type to go and write everything down in a public forum when someone has caused me worry or stress knowing full well that someone might read what I have written. But I do want to write it down.
There's the kicker. I suck at journaling - blogging is really a great outlet for me because it's like journaling but it's also keeping in touch with friends and staying up to date on what's happening in their life so when we do talk, it's a little more real. But I don't want to hurt feelings or make matters worse. How can you be honest and really use the blogging world to your advantage and still open yourself up to a community? Confessional blogging really can only come through anonymity - unless you really, truly don't care who reads it and/or what people would think.
Most of the blogs I read contain some amount of venting/confessing/frustration posts - I feel like I, personally, vent quite a bit on my blog - but that's because, as I said before, writing things down helps me figure them out. That's usually when you lucky people get to read posts like this - slightly rambling, somewhat confusing, but ending in some kind of point or resolution. That's when some of you get phone calls for no good reason but to talk things out. They are completely selfish posts/phone calls. Yesterday I wanted to listen to you and hear how you are doing - Today I want you to listen to me. Hopefully that's cool and completely understandable. The amazing thing about venting via blog is you don't really have to read this post and that's okay. I won't know. No blog fairy is going to come tattle on you. If you answer, you answer. If you don't, at least I had the chance to get things off my chest. I guarantee I felt at least a little better the minute I hit "publish post" and didn't really expect anyone to leave a comment. Sometimes there are no comments to leave. That's just that.
It's already pretty clear that I like to have separate blogs for certain topics (Reading Loons, Projects, England, etc.). That's the organizer in me (or more accurately, that's my blogging OCD shining through). So if you see more pop up, don't be surprised. Don't even feel obligated to read them. I feel like experimenting. I may not even share the link. Who knows. I just think it's time to spice things up...so that's what I'm going to do. But I promise I won't be creating the Guitar Hero blog Kacy dreams of - I really really suck at that game.
Thursday, January 31, 2008
Mouseketeers
One of the things I liked about my Grandparent's house when I was younger was that they had the Disney Channel. We just had the basic channels at home so stations like Nickelodeon and the Disney Channel
were treats. The Disney Channel was very different back then - trying to gain an audience I believe. One of the shows I remember watching was "MMC", which was just the hip, new way of saying Mickey Mouse Club. I was a sucker for anything with singing and dancing really. The show was cheesy and silly, but I was but a young thing and my tastes had yet to develop.
I've thought of this once or twice over the years as many of the cast from that show has become popular. We're talking about Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera, Justin Timberlake, J.C. Chasez, Ryan Gosling and Keri Russell. That's two pop princesses, two N'Sync-ers, one of the most attractive men on the planet and Felicity...you could say they were the first Disney Channel produced stars, the front-runners for the likes of Hilary Duff and Shia LaBeouf (and it does not escape me that those names rhyme, but there's no getting around it).
Now, my tastes for these MMC stars have changed throughout the years as they've gone through different stages of their careers. I've always liked Ryan Gosling. He was cute then and he's hot now, what's there not to like? Not to mention his family is LDS. I mean, look at him with that amazing side part! He's also just a really great actor. He chooses great, challenging parts that set him apart from the pack. Plus he did the Notebook, which every girl loves.
I've also pretty much always liked Keri Russell. I hated it when she cut all her hair off during Felicity - but just recently saw her in Waitress and she was spectacular. It was a good movie and well acted on her part.
Then we have our boy-banders. I'm not really sure what J.C. Chasez is up to at the moment, but we always know where Justin is thanks to the tabloids. Justin has carved a nice little career out for himself and now seems to be very careful in choosing acting parts that will counter act his former boy band, MMC status. Plus, his style is very much improved.
Then we come to our pop princesses, Britney and Christina. Christina has had her crazy days, but 
they pale in comparison to Britney 2008. Christina has maintained her career - changing with her age and with the times and always receiving recognition for her work. She's also married and had a child - and has yet to make any major media headlines outside of the recent birth of her son. You can tell all she's ever wanted to do was sing and she actually is very good at it - she has amazing range.
Finally there's Britney. She was kind of a plain looking little girl.
We all know what's happened to her. It's plastered everywhere. She did great for a while. Yes, she lip syncs like there's no tomorrow and shows too much skin - but she was successful. I even went to one of her concerts.
Now, who knows. She has a lot to work through and a lot of problems to work her way out of...not to mention a public image that may not ever be salvaged. At least not since the head shaving.
Basically, I think it's amazing the places you can go and where you can end up if you make the right choices. I also think it's crazy how you get such a huge example of successful and not so successful careers from this one show. Whoever did these auditions knew what they were doing.
And now, youtube videos, because this post wouldn't be complete otherwise.
Um. Amazing. The outfits, the lyrics, the dance moves, the token black guy and oh so much more.
Christina Aguilera. Listen to her voice - she's singing like a 40 year old gospel singer.
"Tell him why girlfriend."
and looking at these clips makes me wonder what on earth I was thinking....I suppose I was only 6.
were treats. The Disney Channel was very different back then - trying to gain an audience I believe. One of the shows I remember watching was "MMC", which was just the hip, new way of saying Mickey Mouse Club. I was a sucker for anything with singing and dancing really. The show was cheesy and silly, but I was but a young thing and my tastes had yet to develop.I've thought of this once or twice over the years as many of the cast from that show has become popular. We're talking about Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera, Justin Timberlake, J.C. Chasez, Ryan Gosling and Keri Russell. That's two pop princesses, two N'Sync-ers, one of the most attractive men on the planet and Felicity...you could say they were the first Disney Channel produced stars, the front-runners for the likes of Hilary Duff and Shia LaBeouf (and it does not escape me that those names rhyme, but there's no getting around it).
Now, my tastes for these MMC stars have changed throughout the years as they've gone through different stages of their careers. I've always liked Ryan Gosling. He was cute then and he's hot now, what's there not to like? Not to mention his family is LDS. I mean, look at him with that amazing side part! He's also just a really great actor. He chooses great, challenging parts that set him apart from the pack. Plus he did the Notebook, which every girl loves.
I've also pretty much always liked Keri Russell. I hated it when she cut all her hair off during Felicity - but just recently saw her in Waitress and she was spectacular. It was a good movie and well acted on her part.
Then we have our boy-banders. I'm not really sure what J.C. Chasez is up to at the moment, but we always know where Justin is thanks to the tabloids. Justin has carved a nice little career out for himself and now seems to be very careful in choosing acting parts that will counter act his former boy band, MMC status. Plus, his style is very much improved.
Then we come to our pop princesses, Britney and Christina. Christina has had her crazy days, but 
they pale in comparison to Britney 2008. Christina has maintained her career - changing with her age and with the times and always receiving recognition for her work. She's also married and had a child - and has yet to make any major media headlines outside of the recent birth of her son. You can tell all she's ever wanted to do was sing and she actually is very good at it - she has amazing range.
Finally there's Britney. She was kind of a plain looking little girl.
We all know what's happened to her. It's plastered everywhere. She did great for a while. Yes, she lip syncs like there's no tomorrow and shows too much skin - but she was successful. I even went to one of her concerts.
Now, who knows. She has a lot to work through and a lot of problems to work her way out of...not to mention a public image that may not ever be salvaged. At least not since the head shaving.
Basically, I think it's amazing the places you can go and where you can end up if you make the right choices. I also think it's crazy how you get such a huge example of successful and not so successful careers from this one show. Whoever did these auditions knew what they were doing.
And now, youtube videos, because this post wouldn't be complete otherwise.
Um. Amazing. The outfits, the lyrics, the dance moves, the token black guy and oh so much more.
Christina Aguilera. Listen to her voice - she's singing like a 40 year old gospel singer.
"Tell him why girlfriend."
and looking at these clips makes me wonder what on earth I was thinking....I suppose I was only 6.
Thursday, January 24, 2008
Tuesday, January 22, 2008
Two bloggy things with which I am somewhat frustrated...
1. The layout of my blog.
2. The content of my blog.
1. The layout. I think this is the most recent victim of my irrational need to "re-organize" things every other month or so. In high school, it was my bedroom. You never knew where my bed, dresser, hammock, TV, etc. would be placed upon entering the room. I made creative use of my several small closets and even took my shelves and screwed them onto the wall so as to have more options with my dressers and vanity. Of course, once I was sharing limited space with roommates in college, I had no choice but to soldier on through my crazy rearranging urges. I still get them, mind you, I just am better at ignoring them. I am sure to be one of those moms whose house never looks the same as the last time you saw it. Really, it is a good way to keep a house clean because with rearranging, there is decluttering, organizing, and deep cleaning. Those are all very good things.
I digress. This is about my blog layout. I've changed it about twice now. Both times I have been left wanting. The state it is in now is the closest I've been to liking it, but since it has been this way for months now, I am tiring of it.
And now I will admit that I have a teeny-tiny fear of my blog looking too cliche, too kitschy, too run-of-the-mill, etc. Basically, I think I've become a blog snob. I am afraid that one day, while browsing the blogs of friends and strangers, I will come across someone with the exact same layout as me. Then my originality will fly right out the door leaving me alone, huddled up on the floor. I feel I am limited by my layout options, however, and will continue to mess around with layouts until I find one that is juuuuuust right.
2. The content. My life is busy and I have a lot to say. These are both very good traits that every blogger should have. People may not think they have a busy life or a lot of things to say until they start a blog and realize how often they want to post or think about posting. Case in point. My lovely sister was hesitant to start a blog because she didn't know what she would write about and didn't think anyone would read or comment. Now she makes comments to me like, "This is totally going on my blog" as soon as something funny, ridiculous or blog-worthy happens (ie: the sights and sounds of a doctor's office waiting room - and yes, this is my way of reminding lauren to tell the story about the woman with the hair piece and the crazy soap opera obsessed ladies).
Sheryl has recently requested that we go out a little more often. I am doing my best to not be tired and boring during the week - although after a long day at work I tend to want to veg on the couch. But Sheryl is motivating me and I have been looking for new and interesting things to do. Today, I thought, "why on earth aren't I doing more interesting things?!" I live close to some amazing things, DC and the Chesapeake Bay being two of them. I need to do more interesting things and I need to take more pictures of me doing them! If only for the sake of my blog.
I will mention that I also fear people will find my blog boring. I think this is probably a common and legitimate fear among bloggers. At least, that's what I will continue to tell myself. Basically, I'm going to do my darnedest to spice up my life if only to make my blog more interesting.
In summation, prepare yourselves for blogging awesomeness.
Actually, don't. That sets way too high a standard for me to achieve. How about you just cross your fingers that I don't start blogging about my daily calorie intake or the last time I clipped my toenails? Yeah. That should do it.
2. The content of my blog.
1. The layout. I think this is the most recent victim of my irrational need to "re-organize" things every other month or so. In high school, it was my bedroom. You never knew where my bed, dresser, hammock, TV, etc. would be placed upon entering the room. I made creative use of my several small closets and even took my shelves and screwed them onto the wall so as to have more options with my dressers and vanity. Of course, once I was sharing limited space with roommates in college, I had no choice but to soldier on through my crazy rearranging urges. I still get them, mind you, I just am better at ignoring them. I am sure to be one of those moms whose house never looks the same as the last time you saw it. Really, it is a good way to keep a house clean because with rearranging, there is decluttering, organizing, and deep cleaning. Those are all very good things.
I digress. This is about my blog layout. I've changed it about twice now. Both times I have been left wanting. The state it is in now is the closest I've been to liking it, but since it has been this way for months now, I am tiring of it.
And now I will admit that I have a teeny-tiny fear of my blog looking too cliche, too kitschy, too run-of-the-mill, etc. Basically, I think I've become a blog snob. I am afraid that one day, while browsing the blogs of friends and strangers, I will come across someone with the exact same layout as me. Then my originality will fly right out the door leaving me alone, huddled up on the floor. I feel I am limited by my layout options, however, and will continue to mess around with layouts until I find one that is juuuuuust right.
2. The content. My life is busy and I have a lot to say. These are both very good traits that every blogger should have. People may not think they have a busy life or a lot of things to say until they start a blog and realize how often they want to post or think about posting. Case in point. My lovely sister was hesitant to start a blog because she didn't know what she would write about and didn't think anyone would read or comment. Now she makes comments to me like, "This is totally going on my blog" as soon as something funny, ridiculous or blog-worthy happens (ie: the sights and sounds of a doctor's office waiting room - and yes, this is my way of reminding lauren to tell the story about the woman with the hair piece and the crazy soap opera obsessed ladies).
Sheryl has recently requested that we go out a little more often. I am doing my best to not be tired and boring during the week - although after a long day at work I tend to want to veg on the couch. But Sheryl is motivating me and I have been looking for new and interesting things to do. Today, I thought, "why on earth aren't I doing more interesting things?!" I live close to some amazing things, DC and the Chesapeake Bay being two of them. I need to do more interesting things and I need to take more pictures of me doing them! If only for the sake of my blog.
I will mention that I also fear people will find my blog boring. I think this is probably a common and legitimate fear among bloggers. At least, that's what I will continue to tell myself. Basically, I'm going to do my darnedest to spice up my life if only to make my blog more interesting.
In summation, prepare yourselves for blogging awesomeness.
Actually, don't. That sets way too high a standard for me to achieve. How about you just cross your fingers that I don't start blogging about my daily calorie intake or the last time I clipped my toenails? Yeah. That should do it.
Tuesday, January 15, 2008
odds and ends
I have to go get sinus xrays today. this is good because it means progress of some sort in figuring out what is going on with my head. this is bad because i'm pretty sure it's just going to show that i have sinus problems. there isn't really anything you can do to FIX sinus problems - you just do stuff to CONTROL sinus problems.
I forgot to mention one thing about our trip to Pennsylvania. While riding in the car, Lauren and I talked about many things, one being J 2.0's arrival (which is scheduled for Feb 28th/March 3rd). I have been thinking Lauren is 7 months along but she reminded me that technically she is 8 months along because women are really pregnant for 40 weeks. That reminded me of how annoying I find it that everyone says pregnancies are 9 months. This is technically false. Now Wil tried to say, they don't count the first month because you usually don't find out you are pregnant till blah blah blah. This is not sufficient explanation for me. If it's 10 months, I want to know. I mean, I'm the one who is going to be carrying the baby around for 40 weeks. (which, btw, referring to the weeks you are pregnant makes pregnancy seem a lot longer in my head). It's not really a big deal - just a minor annoyance with "technicalities".
I think I went on a date last night - only it wasn't my date - I was somehow turned into the third wheel....when it was MY idea and MY plan to go out. This was a girls night gone slightly wrong. Yes, it was fun and not too awkward and really the guy just tagged along on our little shopping/dinner trip, but HE paid for our dinners. So we got to have the fun "let me get the bill," "really, we can pay our part" conversation. and frankly, I'm sitting there thinking "he's not buying ME dinner, I just happen to be part of the deal". In the end I figured, whatever, free dinner....and it was California Pizza Kitchen too....this wasn't the food court....this was the yummiest salad ever (Thai Crunch - taste it, it's heavenly).
I texted Megan while on this "outing" and it made me feel better. I truly believe that if we were both much less responsible people we would be packing and moving to England as I type. Who needs American boys and jobs and such when you can go shopping in Covent Garden whenever your little heart desires? Or see a fantastic show for 20 pounds? Or go to the park and just relax? Seriously. And just to warn Megan - there will be a post soon about all the good, sensible reasons you should move here.
There will also be a post soon about my need to travel somewhere. I've caught the bug and I'm terrified of losing it. More to come on this later.
I'm terribly excited to meet J 2.0. If he's anything like Monkey, I'm toast. Monkey, btw, is getting cuter and cuter. You should see this kid dance. It kills me. Also, sing. If you ask him to sing you a song, more often than not he will just start belting out a song (although we don't understand any of the actual words of the song) with a tune and changes in time and usually a grand finale at which point I like to clap so as to encourage this incredibly adorable habit.
That's it for now. Back to work for me.
I forgot to mention one thing about our trip to Pennsylvania. While riding in the car, Lauren and I talked about many things, one being J 2.0's arrival (which is scheduled for Feb 28th/March 3rd). I have been thinking Lauren is 7 months along but she reminded me that technically she is 8 months along because women are really pregnant for 40 weeks. That reminded me of how annoying I find it that everyone says pregnancies are 9 months. This is technically false. Now Wil tried to say, they don't count the first month because you usually don't find out you are pregnant till blah blah blah. This is not sufficient explanation for me. If it's 10 months, I want to know. I mean, I'm the one who is going to be carrying the baby around for 40 weeks. (which, btw, referring to the weeks you are pregnant makes pregnancy seem a lot longer in my head). It's not really a big deal - just a minor annoyance with "technicalities".
I think I went on a date last night - only it wasn't my date - I was somehow turned into the third wheel....when it was MY idea and MY plan to go out. This was a girls night gone slightly wrong. Yes, it was fun and not too awkward and really the guy just tagged along on our little shopping/dinner trip, but HE paid for our dinners. So we got to have the fun "let me get the bill," "really, we can pay our part" conversation. and frankly, I'm sitting there thinking "he's not buying ME dinner, I just happen to be part of the deal". In the end I figured, whatever, free dinner....and it was California Pizza Kitchen too....this wasn't the food court....this was the yummiest salad ever (Thai Crunch - taste it, it's heavenly).
I texted Megan while on this "outing" and it made me feel better. I truly believe that if we were both much less responsible people we would be packing and moving to England as I type. Who needs American boys and jobs and such when you can go shopping in Covent Garden whenever your little heart desires? Or see a fantastic show for 20 pounds? Or go to the park and just relax? Seriously. And just to warn Megan - there will be a post soon about all the good, sensible reasons you should move here.
There will also be a post soon about my need to travel somewhere. I've caught the bug and I'm terrified of losing it. More to come on this later.
I'm terribly excited to meet J 2.0. If he's anything like Monkey, I'm toast. Monkey, btw, is getting cuter and cuter. You should see this kid dance. It kills me. Also, sing. If you ask him to sing you a song, more often than not he will just start belting out a song (although we don't understand any of the actual words of the song) with a tune and changes in time and usually a grand finale at which point I like to clap so as to encourage this incredibly adorable habit.
That's it for now. Back to work for me.
Friday, January 11, 2008
Randomness for a Friday Afternoon
It's finally Friday. It's been a long week for me...mostly because I can't ever seem to get enough sleep and my head/ears/eyes/nose hurt constantly and that makes working 40 hours incredibly draining and monotonous.
But it's finally Friday. It's Friday AND the weekend ahead of me is relatively laid back. Of course the weekend almost always starts out laid back and then I end up running all over the place doing something for someone or shopping or babysitting. So we will see on Monday if this weekend will provide me with the down time I need for my physical and mental well-being.
Speaking of which, I finished my antibiotics last night and I'm nervous. I still don't really fell better and I am afraid that come Monday morning I will be stricken with the usual symptoms. I am tired of being sick - I want a clear head. What's even more frustrating for me is that this illness I have been dealing with isn't your average illness. It's what I like to call a "functional illness" because, for the most part, I can still complete my everyday activities, those activities just take longer and are more draining than they would be if I were feeling 100%. I have been dealing with this on and off, at varying degrees for YEARS and I probably will be dealing with this for years to come. Woohoo. Envy me.
Anyway, the point of this post is to wish everyone a happy friday. I hope you enjoy it. I know i will.
But it's finally Friday. It's Friday AND the weekend ahead of me is relatively laid back. Of course the weekend almost always starts out laid back and then I end up running all over the place doing something for someone or shopping or babysitting. So we will see on Monday if this weekend will provide me with the down time I need for my physical and mental well-being.
Speaking of which, I finished my antibiotics last night and I'm nervous. I still don't really fell better and I am afraid that come Monday morning I will be stricken with the usual symptoms. I am tired of being sick - I want a clear head. What's even more frustrating for me is that this illness I have been dealing with isn't your average illness. It's what I like to call a "functional illness" because, for the most part, I can still complete my everyday activities, those activities just take longer and are more draining than they would be if I were feeling 100%. I have been dealing with this on and off, at varying degrees for YEARS and I probably will be dealing with this for years to come. Woohoo. Envy me.
Anyway, the point of this post is to wish everyone a happy friday. I hope you enjoy it. I know i will.
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