#43 - sour lemons

I've consciously decided to look at the bright side - yes, I do have terrible weekend hours (Fridays and Saturdays 6-midnight), but I am going to squeeze every thing I can out of those terrible lemons. Around 11:15 everyone usually trickles away. Well, there's always that lonely runner that trucks on until I give them the subtle "get out" by turning off the TV's in the gym. If it's just me, the good tunes get cranked up and I sing and dance through the closing procedures. Also, I steal a wheeley chair from the office down the hall so I can scoot around during work and then glide at super speeds down the ramp when it's time to go home. Anticipation of that exhilarating trip alone makes the long hours whiz by. Now the rush: laundry. I carry the many, wash the many, dry the many, fold the many, then distribute the many many towels. The scary part comes in the middle of this routine after they are dry: I have this thing where I love clothes right when they come out of the dryer - all warm and cozy, so as soon as the buzzer buzzes, I'm in that thing, grabbing the still moving clothes. Now, imagine this dryer: it's huge... industrial strength; a giant spinning orb of terror. When I reach my hands in, my head comes too. So now I'm inside this spinning orb, trying to grab warm towels as fast as I can so as not to die. It's a little terrifying, but hugging those clean warm towels makes the adventure satisfying. Every time I am inside, I feel like I'm in one of those rides, like on Grease; trying to keep my cool and my balance, while holding in vomitous feelings, and the terror of being sucked in.

#42 - P.S.

Sorry if you went on to check my "me" the other day and found you weren't allowed to. I was having an internet frustrated and anti trust day and thus, decided to close down all internet information about me in protest. So, it was nothing personal; well, it was personal for the internet, that was a direct burn.

#41 - there's something in the cheese

There is a special nerve in my body. It takes control every time I watch a pathetically sappy movie, every time I get that look from that guy, and yes... every time I hear one of those ridiculously cheesy 80's love songs. I am pretty particular about my music: I love what I like and know what I don't. I am especially categorical with my love songs. I have my general "in the mood for love" playlist, "happy love" "cheesy love" "broken love" and the ultimate, "romance" playlist. Two songs really get the cheesy-love nerve twitching: The Glory of Love and The Inspiration. It doesn't get more sappy than those, and I love it! They are the kind of songs that make you want to spin around your house, belting out those grandiose lyrics to a man in a heart-shaped picture frame. I am undeniably one of those girls who goes weak in the knees when she gets handpicked flowers that are mostly dead - but with all the loving intentions.

(Just so my freaky playlist obsession can be placed in context: you should know I have a playlist for every circumstance or situation... comes to about 60 playlists. Thank you.)

#40 - circling each other like Venezuelan flamingos engrossed in a complex mating dance

Being enrolled in a class that involves an online discussion board or blog puts me in quite a sticky situation. Right now I'm dealing with two: Social Problems and Ethics. I don't know what it is, but in the discussion board arena, I feel like I'm drowning in theological bafoonery. There are millions and millions of people smarter than I - that is not in dispute. I just feel like 90% of the time, I am placed in discussion groups with people who are missing the boat. Please feel free to step into my world with brief view of my pain:

"I can say nothing about the existence of objective standards, because any statement about them would be taken from my subjective point of view. Trying to find an objective measure by which to measure my judgements would itself be subjective, either by the other trying to measure my judgements, or my myself trying to realize the potential of my thoughts as being objective. If I were to say that a standard were objective, I would most definitely hope that the process by which I discover this standard did not contain subjective standards or rules, because then what could I truly say about the objectivity of the process of finding objective standards? As subjectivity is possessed by the potential to be incorrect, only an objective being could find and be objectively sure of objective standards relating to what form of life, if any, is better. A rational human may incorrectly determine a standard to be objective."

This isn't even as bad as some of the superfluous jargon that I have encountered. This "response" had absolutely nothing to do with the posed question... needless to say, I "regrettably" gave him a 20/50. It's also interesting how many, barely high school level, papers I have edited while in college... it is frustrating beyond comprehension sometimes. This is partially why I don't like group projects or group discussion boards. It hurts my head to try and weave through these intense webs of incognizance (might have made up that word...for dramatic effect, of course)

#39 - glorious achievement

Five months after buying the goods, I did the deed. A sushi SUCCESS! We had avocado-crab-carrot sushi and salmon-cucumber-avocado sushi. Both delicious and both well crafted. With the pot-stickers to accompany them and with cokes on the side, it was the perfect meal. That's not to say Sushi Ya is no longer appetizing, but our dozen or so sushi came to about 5 bucks worth of ingredients (if that)... maybe 3. The "making of" and "shopping for" being so fun probably added to the goodness of the dinner, but I think the sushi can stand alone and speak for itself. And if it could, it would say "Love on me; I'm delicious".

#38 - "or would you rather be a fish..."

I believe that we are evolved from animals. Not directly from apes or anything like that. I think that each person morphed into who they are from an animal previously. If you look at someone close enough, you can see the animal within them. I remember one day at work at the Attorney General's Office, my friend/co-worker and I had fun with this game. There was a large poster with the faces of all the Washington State Representatives and Senators. We proceeded to look down the list and identify which animals each of the member's looked like. I've done this with roommates and friends before too - identifying which animals we look most like.

Sami and I identified our inner animals:

#37 - Maaaaammm! We need carpet for the clubhouse!

I'm officially never too old for forts. It's so exciting being in a secret place, inside a place. When I was in elementary school, I would clear out a corner of my closet; add a lamp, some blankets and pillows and just be happy being sneaky. I always thought, no one could see me or find me if I was in my fort. My forts were very portable as well. Where ever I was, I could find one: inside the circular clothing racks in stores while my mother shopped, laying on the chairs under the dining room table, and inside empty cabinets (I was much more compactable then). My dad and I even built a treehouse fort in my back yard - split level!

Every semester, thus far, I have had a fort in my apartment. Freshman year, it usually consisted of stacking the couches in the living room with one sheet draped over it. Sometimes we mixed it up, went all out, and brought our matresses into the living room, but that was only on special occasions. Each semester, I think they have gotten more and more sophisticated. This semester, however, the title was taken. Sami and I made a breakfast of champions for the men (Taron and Brent) while they build "the cave". Big enough to sit in, eat in, lay in, and watch a movie - it was perfect. I don't think we could have done better, even after our many years of practice. I believe we easily could have hung out in there all day, but alas, duty calls (boo work). Time to plan the next stronghold of sneak...

(no pics of today's fort... couldn't find the camera...)

#36 - older and older

Yesterday was Taron's surprise birthday! The big 2-4. Batman themed with a monkey pinyata - it was awesome. Sami and I were talking the other day how I won't have another birthday while I'm in school. Graduation is the 23rd and my birthday is the 31st. All of a sudden, I felt very old. To make me feel better, we decided to have an "in between" birthday in June to celebrate both of our birthdays together (in addition to celebrating Sami's in May and mine (sami-less) in July). This makes me happy, yes it does!

#35 - can I have your number? can I have it?

Pet peeve: so it's just about closing time - 11:30 and a girl has been working out for about half an hour already, running on the treadmill. This young guy comes in and starts walking on a treadmill near her and begins small talk. Where are you from? Name? Major? etc... She politely answers and continues to run. First of all, it's hard to talk and run at the same time, so props to her for being so nice. He starts jogging and flirting up a storm. After about five minutes of that, he gets off, says it was nice to meet her and leaves. In no way do I approve of guys pretending to work out just to pick up girls. We know what you are doing and are not impressed. That, plus the fact that he was all small-talkie. I don't like when guys ask the generic questions on a date... I say, just be normal and have fun and all those little details will come out naturally in conversation. Don't be too overwhelmingly interested... if that makes sense. So this is what I do from 11:00 pm on - during the days I'm pretty busy with work stuff, but this late, I just listen in and judge the feeble pick-up attempts.

#34 - a year of change

I am so excited for this new year. It started off perfectly; spent with my best friend - and continues to be more and more exciting. I started my new job today as Fitness Director and Faculty Advisor to the Wellness Center. It was so much fun - I'm right in the midst of the workout, healthy, sweaty action! All the people I work with are friendly and outgoing and it looks like I will be staying pretty busy. Classes also started this week: Sports Medicine, Spirituality in the Arts, Communicable and Non-Communicable Diseases, Ethics, Social Problems. All my teachers are friendly and pretty funny. The work load isn't going to be cake, but defiantly manageable. I am also starting to put the Relief Society President gears into motion. I am teaching this sunday and will meet all the new people in my ward. I am stoked! It's nice being able to start over - clean slate - for a new year and a new semester. This will be my last full load semester (my senior semester will only have two classes!). A few caveats amidst the perfection: two of my professors seem to be embracing the youth embodied in their students by offering "sharing time" "show and tell" and requiring that the students use markers and paper to make name plates to put at our desks... oh so cute... SLASH makes me feel like I'm not a senior in college.

#33 - one more sleep 'till christmas

After two long days of driving, we finally arrived! Christmas with my sister and her family in Colorado instantly made the strenuous trip worth every minute. Merry Christmas everyone!!

#32 - clothes make the man

I was finishing up my Christmas shopping yesterday, and in doing so, walked around Best Buy. While I was there, I saw a sales rep talking to a woman about external hard drives. I'm guessing he was either just starting his shift or just finishing because he was holding his bright blue "I know things" Best Buy shirt and had on a, normal people, Hurley shirt. I was listening to their conversation and then I realized: I was subconsciously questioning every word out of his mouth; he didn't really know that much about external hard drives... It was because of the shirt. Those blue shirts give them power: "He knows, he's wearing blue." "He must be right, can't you see his shirt?" Even though he was still clearly an employee, the absence of his official uniform made me see him as just some punk guy. Shopping is all a big mind game - and if they look official, I'm a sucker all the way.

#31 - i'll be home for christmas

This year I get to spend Christmas with my whole family (in parts). I'm so excited! Especially that I get to spend so much bonding time with our newest, Chase Matthew. I think that family is what makes Christmas, Christmas. I love you all! Merry Christmas!!

#30 - shout out

Thanks to my friend, Kristal - I have embraced the addition of hyperlinks into my blog. Being all "technological" still makes me feel funny, but I'll just go with it for now. Anyway - love the special blue words with me... click them and enjoy the ease of the hyperlink.

#29 - chance of precipitation: 100%

What an ordeal! I started on my trek home yesterday afternoon and finally made it 27 hours later. I stayed overnight in Ontario, OR (which, by the way, getting a hotel room by my self made me feel very adult) and then left this morning around 8:30 am. Evidently, overnight, the mountain pass received a down pour of snow, because my life flashed before my eyes about 10 times driving through it. First off, before it even started snowing, my windshield wiper broke. Just the one.... the one on the driver's side, of course... just randomly. So, now I'm making my way up the mountain and notice about 100 semi's pulled over on the side of the road putting their chains on. Should I be doing that? Do they know something I don't? Confidence in my driving skills and in my car (and the fact that the roads seemed very do-able still) allowed me to brush the internal question off. Soon, I realized my mistake and was in about a foot of snow. My poor little car was sliding every which way and add to that, the fact that I could not see a thing because of my windshield wiper (unless I leaned over and peered out the passenger side of the windshield).

So now I'm blindly sliding through snow in a blizzard, going about 30 mph. I saw two other cars pulled over to the side and asked the assistance of one very capable looking man and one very old man, to help attach my chains. With no success, I then turned to AAA. [Now I have to add a footnote: Up until this moment, I have idolized AAA as this unknown supreme entity, an all-knowing car superhero company that will come to your rescue whenever you shine the "bat signal". I have previously never needed their services, but strangely looked forward to an opportunity to see their skills in action.... the skills I pay a monthly fee to have at my disposal]. The call was placed. I explained my situation: how I couldn't get the chains on, my wiper was broken so I am driving blind through the pass and now, because I pulled off the road, I think I am stuck in the snow. After explaining where I was located on the highway, the AAA man expounded their actual services to me. "We can't help you put on the chains and we also can't fix your windshield wipers... but we can tow you to safety... well, within a 3 mile radius" "Well, is there a car place within 3 miles? Because my GPS doesn't show that there is anything for at least 20." "Right, so there will be a fee for each additional mile that we need to tow you". BOGUS. That plan was seriously not working for me, and the situation accompanying my now shattered glorified view of AAA forced me to release some anger on this poor customer service representative. "Well, you're a man - can't you just come out here and help me put on my chains?? Or do something!?" "I'm sorry ma'am, that's not one of the services we offer. We can only really tow you out of a ditch if you get stuck." "I see, so I'll just attempt to drive again and in 2 seconds, when I crash into a ditch, I'll be sure to give you a call right away. Thanks a lot!" I have removed AAA from my contacts list and also immediately removed their endorsement sticker off my dashboard. I also pulled over when I saw a cop, hoping he could help me with the same problems, until he also informed me that he could only push me out of the snow, which I was now stuck in since I pulled over for his help. Ironic. With the aid of my brother, texts of support from friends, and payers being sent a million miles a minute, I made it through the pass (about 3 hours later) and onto clearer roads. Thoughts of "this is the end" crept up again while driving through the Portland area through a down pour of rain, again with wipers not working and it starting to get dark. When a car passed me, there was at least 3o seconds where I could see absolutely nothing and just tried to keep my car in line with the break lights in front of me. "Don't they know I can't see anything?!" I guess not. Relieved and alive, I took a hot bath when I got home and am now going to bed. Good luck to all those still on the road. Safe driving!

(PS. the first picture is what the road looked like when my wipers broke, yes it was stuck in that position and the 2nd is my view for about 4 hours... death! But, despite all that, I remained optimistic - I was not going to die in a bad mood.)

#28 - harvey

It is finished. I have officially completed my last final for this semester and I think I skimmed by okay. I finished around 2:00 pm, so for the rest of the day I have been forced to entertain myself. I can usually hold my own pretty good and today, I have become especially creative. I played "house" with myself, home alone; acting out all the parts while I made "everyone" lunch and cleaned the house. Maybe it's a nostalgia thing, but I don't think I ever really grew out of playing "imaginary". I often role play scenes in my head and even get so caught up, that my outward expressions change to reflect the pretend situations. So, if I look, sound, or even behave crazy sometimes, just know that there is a whole other exciting world and life going on inside my head.

#27 - sweet dreams

I'm not saying I have the greatest or the most comfortable bed, but there is something to be said for coming home after a long trip to your own bed. I've got an almost "princess and the pea" set up, with my box-spring, 2 mattresses, down comforter, memory foam mattress pad, and fitted sheet under me and my down comforter on top of me. I slept so well that first night back. I was reading an article recently about sleep positions, and what yours can say about you. For instance, if you sleep on your stomach (or "Freefaller), you are often gregarious and brash, but can be nervy and thin-skinned underneath, and you don't like criticism or extreme situations. I am usually a "Foetus" which means I might be seen as tough on the outside but am sensitive at heart. Aw......

Anyway, tell me what kind of sleep personality you are: www.flatseats.com/general/positions.htm

#26 - it's thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone! I took the advise of a knowledgeable teacher and didn't eat beyond the point of nausea. I definitely reached that point, I just didn't surpass it. When you can actually see your stomach expanding - you know, enough is enough. It's not a comfortable, or a good feeling, so why do you do it? I think that the food is just too good and you're left with no choice but to uphold tradition. And after all, without tradition, our lives would be as shaky as a fiddler on a roof, true? True. I took a nap after eating to help the digestion process, and just because I wanted to. I hope everyone was stuffed to the brim and thought about what they were thankful for. I know towards the top of my "grateful list" was stretchy pants and naps.

#25 - lost in space

If you look in the right place in the sky tonight, you can see the famous bag of tools that was dropped last week by an astronaut. Evidently, this was not just any tool bag. This was a $100,000 tool bag. SpaceWeather.com started tracking the tool bag and "More bag-viewing opportunities are expected." I don't know why I think this is so funny; I just do. What's more is, they say, "the errant tool bag will fall back to Earth in June of next year" and that when it falls, it will be a huge, fiery ball. I'm excited to see this fireball come back to earth and am marking my calendar now. I just looked up my area and there are 54 flybys in the next 10 day. Goodness! That is one zippy little lost tool bag. You can track it's progress by linking to: http://www.n2yo.com/?s=33442 (bag might not be actual size...)

I love that this is news and that people are concerned. Funny.

#24 - womanly toes

I'm not a girlie girl. My dad's nickname for me as a kid was even, "girlyman." I think as I've gotten older, I've embraced my femininity more and more, but it's still not at the level most women are. Nails for instance. I never paint them, and if I do, it's a clear coat, and the extreme would be french tipped. Two days ago, I made the plunge. I painted my toenails RED. Bright RED. I really like the color, but now, every time I look down at my toes, it throws me off and I feel like they aren't mine. I can't help but stare at them while I am in the shower. I wiggle them up and down... yup, they're mine. Anyway, I thought I would share my womanly progress with you.

(I would show you my actual toes, but that's a little too personal for blogging)

#23 - beuller... beuller...

Earlier today, I was at the doctor's office, waiting to have my prescriptions filled... waiting for my number to be called... waiting... waiting... There were two guys sitting next to me. One just had his head in his hands, sympathizing, while the other guy talked to his girlfriend on the phone. He's breaking up with her. Or rather, making her break up with him. He just broke his arm and he is asking her if he should come home to her, if she still loves him, and if she will take care of him until his arm heals. He gives her the ultimatum and asks if he should look somewhere else to live. He expresses his financial issues and how he needs her money. "You gotta decide, Amelia. That's what I'm tellin' ya. There's no more time." I wonder what she's thinking on the other end. "I hafta know, Amelia!" Sometimes I think that I might be too picky in regards to relationships. I might not give guys enough of a chance. But it's situations like this one and couples that I see everyday, that refortify my original impressions. I don't ask much at all; I don't have a list of necessary requirements or a book of a hundred qualities and hurdles the guy has to pass, but time and time again, my heart is left wanting. Why is he doing this now? In the most public of places and over the phone? He accuses her of not caring enough about him. "You shouldda seen this comin', Amelia. Are you gonna tell me you need more time? 'Cause you ain't got no more time. I need a definite answer, Amelia." The answer is simple; if you find yourself in this situation, asking these kinds of questions... end it. I hope that's not just me being cynical, but I've been through a lot and I guess have high expectations and low patience. It's amazing how much personal information people share in public places. I am a pretty private person. I don't like people (even close relations) to know too much about me and when too much information is leaked, I feel exposed, vulnerable, and emotionally naked. Exposure is quickly followed by a recluse into silence and solitude. Slowly, I'll emerge and begin sharing myself again, but it's a vicious cycle of self-disclosure. What good does it do to keep yourself to... yourself? Gossip, opinions, and unwanted input instill fear of opening up, but equivalent fear of loneliness and solitude push me back into communication.

Camera phone shot trying to capture the pain in my eyes...

"now serving... number 724..."

(I think another key reason why this guy bugged me so much is how many times he said her name. Someone's name is important and how many times you use it is powerful. Use it too much, derogatorily, and it makes you seem cocky, overbearing and obtrusive. Use it lovingly and it makes all the difference in what you are trying to say. Needless to say, how he was using her name did not make him come off compassionate and understanding. It made me want to punch him in the face... not really, that's mean.)

#22 - John Fitzgerald Kennedy

P.S. Yesterday was the 45th anniversary of the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. This is my favorite painting of him in the White House.

http://www.whitehouse.gov/history/presidents/jk35.html

#21 - the humans are dead

Very slowly and timidly, I am walking into the technological light. A few things rub me the wrong way (facebook, myspace, twitter, intelius) but some have been like a pair of new fuzzy socks: warm, comfortable and easy to incorporate into my everyday life. Obviously, in contrast to my first blog entry, the "blogging" water is nice and warm. I think the reason why I enjoy it so much is, I really enjoy writing and currently have no outlet, being neck deep in science and health classes at school. But, another technological creation has replaced a make-shift invention of my own. When ever I don't know something or have a question/debate regarding a particular subject, or just have something on the tip of my tongue that I just can't grasp... I call or text my mother and ask her. 90% of the time, she knows exactly what I am talking about and promptly responds with my answer, relieving much frustration. Then came along chacha. Evidently, in January this year, a company was birthed that answers random (and practical) questions. "What concerts are in Olympia this week?" "What time does my flight leave?" "What should I eat if I need more vitamin D?" a few of the questions I have posed to chacha. They are always quick to respond and, to my knowledge, correct. They are a great resource if you are out and about and can't look up information for yourself. Or, even if you can look it up yourself, they can save you some googling energy. Three opinions I have: because of inventions like this, we are becoming a more and more lazy people. Why look it up myself if some "impression of a person" can do it for me? One confession I have is, with my school, I only know (basically) one phone number: campus operator. I ask them everything, and have them transfer me everywhere. It takes a few seconds to go to my school's website and look up a professor's number... OR I can just ask Sally on the other end of this 24 hour hotline and ask her what my teacher's number is and have her transfer me. Opinion two: I hope this isn't some weird, uncomfortable way of somehow replacing my mother with an invisible "chacha"entity, like those orphan monkeys that think a terry-cloth with a cube-ball on its head is its mom. Opinion 3: too much technology still scares me, and it's taking over. Proof enough is that, while typing this blog, the word "googling" does not come up as a spelling error. It is, in fact, a word in the english dictionary. Sometimes I just freak out and turn off my cell phone, shut down my computer and write a letter. I still think that no matter what new advances are made in the future... nothing means more and can replace the feeling that come when you send/receive a letter in the mail. I love it, and think that the written word is much more potent and efficacious that anything else. I'm still very much anti those, attached to your head bluetooth things. Makes you look like a robot and completely unnecessary (possibly acceptable while driving...possibly.)

#20 - prudence

Tonight I am alone. My friends have all gone away. I'm leaving tomorrow for Utah to visit with a best friend from NY, then I'm off to WA to be with my family for Thanksgiving. Tonight I decided to think of what I am grateful for, right now.

My music that I love. (it defines me)

My cozy sweat pants.

... It's hard to just do now thankful things and not just list off all the general, normal thankful things...

Brown Cow, cream on top, fruit on bottom, strawberry yogurt.

Imaginary pets to keep me company.

When I am alone, I think way too much about way too much. I think someone should call me and save me from my wandering, obscure thoughts.

#19 - a great divide of desire

There are no words. Actually, I'm experiencing a little bit of word vomit because of the intensity of the situation. So here it is: I feel like I need to give some background information before springing this on you. I don't like squirrels. No one should. They are satanic demons of the dark underworld. They offer no benefit to the world and only instill fear and dread. They stalk you. They scurry all over really fast with their sharp little nails attached to their creepy feet. They attack people (just watch Charlie and the Chocolate Factory for proof). They plot against man-kind (haven't you ever seen that car commercial where the squirrels run that car off the road and then give evil handshakes??) They carry rabies. They teased my dog maliciously for years. They are just bad all over and I don't like them. Despite my hatred of them, the kind-hearted person within can not actually harm them (even though every instinct I have tells me to). I once was faced with a situation, driving in my car at night when a squirrel ran in front of my car and I swerved. I swerved!

This all brings me to tonight's events. We were all sitting in our living room. "KNOCK KNOCK" none of us wanted to answer it because, well....we are lazy. We yelled, "come in!" and after no response, Holly (my roommate) got up to answer it. Clipped to our front door was none other than a dead squirrel. My body was faced with a divide of desire. I was utterly grossed out and screamed!! I couldn't look at it. It was SO gross! But then, a part of me was almost relieved that there was one less of them in the world to terrorize me. I felt a little happy (and then immediately guilty for the happiness). We don't know who it was, but the whole evening's events were very confusing. My body has never felt so contradicted.

#18 - that's what we have

Approximately one year and a half ago (April 2007) I made a discovery. Flatwin. I was waiting to meet up with a few of my friends at the Olympia Arts Walk, I came across a table in the middle of the street. (For a quick catch-up for those of you who aren't familiar with arts walk, it is a time when 100's of businesses and artists display their art and their talents through performances and displays. The Spring Arts Walk also includes the Procession of the Species which is when people in the community create costumes and vehicles to look like different animals and they parade down the street (usually accompanied by their pets). It is one of the defining attributes that makes Olympia, Olympia). It was just a regular small table and there was a regular looking man (okay, he gave a striking resemblance to David Duchovney) sitting surrounded by flat black combs displayed in a plastic case. What drew me in was his speech, "I'm basically doing nothing. I am selling combs for a dollar. You give me a dollar, and I give you a comb. That is all that is happening." Evidently one day on his front step appeared a large box filled with hundreds of flat black combs. He wondered what he was going to do with all of these and then it came to him. "This is something that I can do, in the world. I am in the world, and this is what I am doing. I'm selling combs for a dollar." I stood there just staring at him with my mouth partially open, amazed at his ability to attract this much attention. He really was doing basically nothing and selling practically nothing, but I couldn't move away from his presence. I texted my friends and told them where I was and they were equally entranced. I thought at first that this was some sort of social experiment and kept looking around for the hidden camera. Anyway, he has expanded his business to now selling, "It's a Comb" "It's a Twig" "It's Art" "It's a Flat Can" "It's Nothing" "It's a Piece of Burnt Toast" and "It's a Booklet". Currently (because I've been away from home) I only own the Comb and the Twig, but will make my collection complete and up-to-date in three days when I am at last home for Thanksgiving. What is it about the Flat Win Company that pulls at my being. I'm drawn to their products and can not see my home complete with out "Nothing". He inspires: how am I contributing to the world?

Check him out: www.buyolympia.com/q/Artist=The+Flat+Win+Company and tell him Vanessa sent you (maybe we'll be friends!)

#17 - "if we walked on our hands with care, instead of on our feet, would what we saved on shoe repair suffice to make ends meet?"

The conclusion is... the smaller the task, the more frustrated I become if I can't do it. It's those dang small motor skills - they need some major fine tuning. Tonight my shoe broke, and i've been trying to save money everywhere I can so if things break, I try to fix them before going out and getting a new one. Shoes, clothes, appliances, etc. I run into some limitations when it comes to electronics, but it seems like nowadays, no one wants to take the time. Like, you can't find a cobbler or taylor anywhere any more...we just get new things instead of fixing the old and comfortable. (I could go on a whole metaphor ramble about relationships now, but will refrain. You're welcome.) Anyway, tonight's focus was the shoes. They have stitching all around the edge and the string came out. The string was too big to fit in the eye of any needle I had so I tied the large string to a smaller string and tried to hand sew it back together. Great idea! oh but wait, no. The smaller string kept breaking, I kept on stabbing myself, losing the string in the fuzziness of the shoes, and constantly struggling with fingers too big and needle too small. Many "urg!!!" and "grr!!!"'s later, the shoe is fixed! But now I'm afraid to wear them, worried that the string will come out again. So I fixed my shoes so I could save money and fix what I had, all to be too afraid to wear them. Someone explain this to me please. (The picture is the most frustrated face I can make...trying to convey to you the pain of the evening)

#16 - i'll take two

Soaking in a 112 degree natural spring while it's 25 degrees outside. It really doesn't get much better. My friend took me about 1 1/2 hours south to the Lava Hot Springs last night for some much needed relaxing. There were three pools of varying hotness. mmm...hotness. It is a whole resort spa place (with massages which I might have to cash in on next semester). Compared with the other natural hot springs around the area, this one really surpasses them; classier, bigger, more relaxing atmosphere without the smell of sulfur. I want to go back in the winter because evidently it's the best when you are burning up and surrounded by snow.

#15 - quantum of solace

Wow. You really have to see this one. I thought it was, dare I say, better than the first one. Tons of intense action and an in-depth plot. It keeps you interested and the special effects were flawless. There were a couple far-fetched Bond moves, but he's 007! He is for sure the best Bond so far. This one gets my vote.

#14 - have we met?

The BYU-I homepage has been cycling through the same 5 faces of students for about 5+ years now. Suddenly dawns a new dynasty! There are 5 new heads that adorn our school's webpage! While looking up a teacher online at work, I came across one new head I didn't recognize. "Who is that?!" "They go to our school?!" "HELLO!!!" =) excited voices gathered around me as all my c0-workers and volunteers circled around our computer as we hit refresh over and over again until we had identified all the new people. They are very culturally diverse and bear the classic BYU-I, "Golly! I'm just happy to be alive!" pose. So if you have some time, visit byui.edu and join me in welcoming our new heads. Get to know them, love them, remember them; for they will be the new heads for the next 10 years. (You can tell the new heads from the old because the new ones are brighter with newer campus backgrounds).

#13 - "Beauty is God's Handwriting" - Emerson

I've been reading about handwriting analysis (graphology). I'm going to take a writing sample of myself and see what I can deduce about the inner workings of my being. I'll let you know what I come up with. Wish me luck!

Ooh, and I also discovered this program you can buy that turns your own handwriting into a font on the computer, so you can use your handwriting as your font. Pretty awesome! (...if you liked your handwriting...)

#12 - check your kids

I thought I would pass along something that I learned today about scoliosis. Parents have a responsibility to check their children for early signs of the disorder. If you just rely upon the yearly checks in schools, you could easily miss it, or catch it too late and then have permanent damage done. There are easy things you can do and should do about once a month to make sure your children are healthy. Something that I am going to do in my family is have healthy body checks for FHE and this will be part of it. Have you child bend over (in half at the waist) and check for "razor back" which is a first indicator that your child has scoliosis. There is no absolute cure, but if you catch it early enough, you can, through physical therapy and bracing, stop the damage where it is and maybe even help correct it. I think it's a good idea if we do everything we can to watch and make sure our kids are happy and healthy and growing properly!

#11 - stigmas

Tonight is my Relief Society Enrichment and we are having cultural foods night; each apartment bringing a different main dish from an assigned country. I volunteered for our apartment to bring Indian food. I think that Indian food scares people and that even if they haven't tried it before, they think it's gross or will make them sick. MMMM! Curry is SO good and our apartment is going to make it for everyone and everyone will love it!

Foods not to be afraid of: Curry, Sushi, Spinach, Egg Nog

Foods to fear: Cherries, Kraut, Brains (way too high in cholesterol!)

#10 - dopplegaenger

Every monday, Tessa and I have our usual routine consisting of crocheting together while we watch Arrested Development episodes for about an hour and a half, then heading over to the school for Music Outlet. Music Outlet is a place where students who feel like they are musically gifted play (usually a song they wrote) for their peers. About 10% of the performers are very talented and should make a CD or something. They do an excellent job and are very creative. However, on the all too common occasion that someone that doesn't fit that description gets up, they have opened themselves up to criticism. They must think that they are really good, good enough to get up in front of a large crowd and belt it out. Either that or their friends lure them into a false sense of security, despite their own protests. Tessa and I usually sit together and make constant comments about either their voice, lyrics, or playing ability. I mean, sometimes it is completely just. Some people just majority need to practice before they come. Or at least play the song through once... I mean, come on. We very rarely suffer through in silence, and tonight was no exception. There was one guy in particular who thought he was just too cool and we just couldn't take it. If you saw us, we portray an uncanny resemblance to those two grumpy old men hecklers on Sesame Street (Statler and Waldorf). It made me laugh, and I should feel bad (I mean, who am I to talk), but they are basically asking for it when they get up there to perform. Alright, I'm mean, but at least I'm aware of it... right? And really, this is the only time that I allow my critical and unreasonably judgemental comments get the better of me.

#9 - stick to the plan

Alright, so I'm accepting advise (you can vote on the left or just leave a comment). These are some ideas i've been playing around with but pretty much any combination works:

Plan 1: Graduate in July 2009 - move to Boise and get an apartment alone (maybe a roommate later if i've met someone) near BSU, get a job hopefully at Hfit or Medifit (exercise/wellness centers) and work until I can apply for grad school in the fall and start the Health Science Masters Program in the Spring of 2010.

Plan 2: Graduate in July 2009 - take August off and used my saved money to take some time off and go to Italy. Stay with family and tour southern Italy for a month. Come back home to WA, work and save money while looking for an apartment/job near Seattle and eventually apply to grad school at the UDUB.

Plan 3: Be done with school after graduation. Just look for a good job and move where ever that takes me.

Plan 4: Pretty much the same as plan 1 except replace Boise with Denver, CO and replace BSU with University of Colorado, Denver.

Plan 5: Prolong graduation from BYU-I and just keep taking classes that interest me; going to school part-time and working part-time.

Plan 6: Get married and live happily every after.

#8 - an emotionally charged issue

Thursday, 11/ 6, the LDS L.A. Temple closed due to hundreds protesting the vote on prop 8. The church has issued a statement asking for a spirit of mutual respect and civility and remains firm in its stand to defend the sacred and divine institution of marriage. By supporting Prop 8, the LDS church members aren't showing their intolerance for homosexuals, just standing up to maintain their their beliefs. I am sad to see that it has gotten so bad as to cause the L.A. Temple to close and make the members of the church in California fear for their safety. It is scary, but I know that it is only going to get worse as the amendment now will surely be sued and taken to the National Supreme Court. Saints around the world are going to be persecuted for their stand in this matter and I feel that this is the issue that will draw the line in the church members.

I'll just leave it to the experts:

http://www.newsroom.lds.org/ldsnewsroom/eng/news-releases-stories/first-presidency-urges-respect-civility-in-public-discourse

http://www.newsroom.lds.org/ldsnewsroom/eng/news-releases-stories/church-responds-to-same-sex-marriage-votes#continued

#7 - i'm a barbie girl, ooo woah

For my friend's 21st birthday, she had a barbie party. I received an invitation requesting that I come as "Nurse Barbie". Since that would be the barbie I would probably be if I was transformed into a barbie, I easily found pieces for my costume. We had barbie party bags, put together barbie puzzles, had a barbie runway show and afterwards, headed to Large House for a big dance party.

From Left to Right Top Row: Rocker Barbie, Cowgirl Barbie, Artist Barbie, Birthday Barbie, Disco Barbie, Gold Digger Barbie, Cocktail Barbie, Malibu Barbie

Front Row: Evening Gown Barbie, Hollywood Barbie, Workout Barbie, Nurse Barbie

#6 - give me migraines!

I read this health article that found a correlation between women, migraines, and breast cancer. Evidently "research" indicates that women that get migraines are 30% less likely to develop breast cancer than those that are migraine free. I have to give the article some credit for answering a few of my initial "are you joking?!" reactions. I see a viscous cycle emerging from this article of women, not taking medication for their migraines because they think having one is a good thing and will save hem from breast cancer, when, in actuality, it may be the medication that is helping prevent breast cancer. Anyway, I think that sometimes, health ideas that emerge are a little on the funny side.

http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?id=migraines-breast-cancer-estrogen

HOWEVER, please heed the conclusions from new research that tells you not to static stretch before you exercise, but that you should do dynamic warm-up movements before you exercise, and follow your workout with static holds. Stretching before shows no improvement of performance and will actually cause muscle tares and soreness. (This is a shout out to those tennis players and joggers that I have noticed doing toe touches and "v" stretches before their respective activities). I think of it like trying to bend a spaghetti noodle before it is cooked. If you try to bend and stretch a muscle before it's warmed up, you will cause small breaks.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/02/sports/playmagazine/112pewarm.html (good video)

#5 - so what you're saying is, I should follow satan?? ooh... okay.

Regal Cinemas was generous enough to reward my giving them lots of money with a free movie ticket. I don't want to think about how much I've spend on movies over the years, but at least every 30th movie is free! (or something like that). I've been holding on to this ticket, keeping it oh so safe, waiting for that one great movie that comes out that I can cash in on. It didn't happen. No good movies. Before I knew it, the expiration date was now. Last night was the night and I had no choice but to see a lame movie. I drove to Idaho Falls with a friend and we picked the best looking one without any prior knowledge of those listed. It was about this girl that like...died right after being born and so this devil lady came to her parents and said something to the effect of, "I can make your daughter live to age 18 if she becomes a devil child after that and serves us". The parents agreed....shocking, I know. So she's about to turn 18 and is having these devil visions and hearing things and thinks she's crazy. Her dad tries to help and her uber freakishly religious friend tries to help, but all the "christian" people just come off crazy. So she turns 18 and becomes a devil. She turns to the dark side and all of a sudden there is super happy music, she hooks up with the hot jock-guy (who also is a devil worshipper), is valedictorian, beautiful and successful. Her dad gets locked up in the insane asylum and the religious girl dies. So moral of the story... succumb to the devil and don't listen to your crazy christian friends and you will be happy and successful and popular. Seriously? What an awesome movie! The whole experience was topped off with having too salty of popcorn and being disappointed that the happy song at the end was an Honorary Title song.... oh Honorary Title....why did you go and attach your awesome name to a bizarre-o-world movie like that?? Hmm.....in the end, I blame Regal Cinema for giving me a free ticket and making me feel bad if I didn't see a movie I wasn't even interested in.

#4 - ah yea, that's right

Bret and Jemaine from Flight of the Conchords

http://hk.youtube.com/watch?v=nwvEDzsLHc4

http://hk.youtube.com/watch?v=FUVagbFcSUU&feature=related

#3 - it's like looking in a mirror

Sami and I were the Flight of the Conchords for Halloween. We hung out at the campus operator office (Sami had to work all night) and watched Sweeney Todd. So demented, but being a musical, it was surprisingly light hearted and up beat. Johnny Depp and Tim Burton are a match made in heaven.

#2 - who dunnit

This Halloween, I did it all: carved "Jack", went to a haunted house with my friend Cam, dressed up to watch a scary movie and learned Thriller.

We had a Clue theme at work so Thursday before Halloween we all dressed up like the characters (I was Miss Peacock).

#1 - how did this happen??

Giving blogging a try...

So I've been pretty skeptical about blogging. I think it's kind of weird...just talking about yourself. Anyway, from family requests, I have decided to give it a go. I don't think I'll have much to say, but read if you wish.