The Caprices of a 20 something

Astigmatism

2009-08-04T23:52:00.000-07:00

This should be titled, "Getting Old."

Guess what I did today? I went to the eye doctor. As near as I can remember, the last time I had my eyes checked was in elementary school. Remember when they made you flip your head over to check for lice? Or when you had to put on those earphones and push a button to check your hearing? About that time period, I had my eyes checked. At which point they were perfect!

But recently things have been a little fuzzy for me. Not so easy to see the street signs until they are right up close.

So today I went to the eye doctor. And guess what he tells me? I have astigmatism. What? What the heck is that? I always assumed that was an old person problem, and here I am at 25 with an -ism! How did that happen?

And so, my big purchase of the week: Kate Spade glasses. Kate Spade's new ad: "Life not so clear? Buy my glasses!" Well, she would be cooler than that. But you get the idea.

Me and the Gym

2009-07-28T22:38:00.000-07:00

My inner dialogue:

8am: I can't wait to go to the gym tonight.
9am: I am going to do like an hour on the elliptical and do arms and crunches today. I'm going to burn so many calories.
Noon: Hmmm... lean cuisine or delicious calor-ific chinese food? Well I'm going to the gym, and I'll just have egg drop soup.
12:30pm: Mmm that hot and sour soup was delicious
12:40pm: ... and those egg rolls
12:50pm: ... and the Moo Goo Gai Pan
1pm: ... and the fortune cookie. Luckily all of that added up to 200 calories.
1:30pm: Damn! Moo Goo has like 1000 calories!
2pm: I am going to work so hard at the gym today
3pm: I need a margarita. Who else needs a margarita?
4pm: Where has a good happy hour...
4:30pm: Seriously? No one else is free tonight?
5pm: Finally! I get to go home! Too bad I have to take the dog out or else I'd go straight to the gym.
6pm: I hate traffic. I want to sit at home and drink this bottle of wine. Oh damn I have to take the dog out.
7pm: Stupid addictive facebook. I still haven't taken the dog out.
7:15pm: How many calories do you burn walking a dog?
7:17pm: Go poo Parker!
7:25pm: My apartment is upstairs... that's enough calorie burning for one night.
7:27pm: Stupid Sookie and her skinniness
7:35pm: Hello 24 Hour Fitness.

Bored

2009-07-26T18:48:00.001-07:00

I am such a lucky girl. I have an incredible life! I have amazing friends (20 years! Wow!), an incredible family, I'm getting married to the man of my dreams. Oh, and I can't forget my dog. I'm so full of goodness I could burst.

But somehow I'm bored. I feel like there must be more, that I'm supposed to do something bigger. I guess everyone feels that way, but I'm in a funny position. I've worked my way into an incredible job, the kind of job I wanted to do all my life. And that's weird, because now it isn't everything I wanted it to be. It's incredibly fulfilling and challenging and rewarding. It's also exhausting and hit-your-head-against-the-wall frustrating. I absolutely love it, and simultaneously I can't wait to move forward.

Now what do I do? I'm 25, and I'm doing the job I wanted to with all my heart. So now I'm looking into the future and it's all muddy again. It was so clear before!

I started to write a book. But who would be interested in reading about the work I do? I'm thinking about going back to a leadership track, but really that's just to lead someone in something. So what's that something? Half of me wants to take a few weeks and go to a yoga retreat. But how will that show me where to go from here? Ugh. I am absolutely full of questions with no answers.

And that's right where I'm supposed to be.

Smoothie Love

2009-07-12T15:31:00.000-07:00

For my birthday, my wonderful sister gave me a fabulous gift: a Target giftcard. Oh the possibilities! I knew exactly what to get. A blender.

My little beauty blender is being put to good use! I bought it Friday, and have made 2 smoothies already. I've discovered that smoothies are a delicious way to get all the good healthy things you need in your diet. I know everyone else has figured this out already, but I am proud of myself for coming up with this on my own.

My first favorite smoothie recipe:
Fat Free Vanilla Yogurt
Vanilla Soy Milk
Frozen Blackberries

Yep, that's it. I haven't gotten to the super complicated smoothies yet with the whey protein and whatnot. Too complex! I'll just go with the fruit and other deliciousness for now. Yummy!

A little dusty

2009-07-07T19:43:00.001-07:00

I didn't really know Michael Jackson. I came in during the second half of his life, when things weren't so peachy. I was sad when he died, but mostly just because he was a person who did great things.

But this moment changed it all. This is the most overplayed news clip all day (probably for the next month), but it deserves more than just being played for ratings. This is such a heartfelt moment.

When I was eight my dad died. I feel some kinship for this little girl. She's put on the world stage in all of her grief. What a huge moment, and I am so proud of her that she shared it. I wish I could make the last two weeks disappear for her. Because I can't, I am sending her deep warm wishes and a good hug.

Ode to quesadillas

2009-07-01T18:10:00.000-07:00

I think quesadillas are a very under appreciated food. Sure, they have 100s of calories and plenty of fat and carbs. But they also have delicious warm gooey cheese, crispy tortilla and whatever you want to go with them. Guacamole, salsa, the world can be yours! So here's to the world's cheapest and easiest comfort food. Hip hip, quesadilla!

Alive and Well

2009-06-30T18:58:00.000-07:00

Hello World! I am alive. I am busy and happy and thrilled about everything going on. I promise to write a post very shortly!

Oh and GO LAKERS!

Mysteries of the Deep

2009-04-23T20:52:00.000-07:00

My best friend is now in Paris, on her way to walk across Spain. I can only imagine what she will find in herself there.

She has a fabulous blog, Mysteries of the Deep, that everyone should read.

Why, you might ask, is it called "Mysteries of the Deep"? Well I will tell you! It's because, for my whole life, I have had a fascination with the deep oceans. Particularly sharks... I am sure my death will be by great white. Positive.

Anyway, I used to watch this show when I was very small called "Mysteries of the Deep". It was fabulous. All I remember is that the credits were underwater. But it made a deep impression on my young mind.

Fast forward 20 years or so (ps she and I have been best friends since age 5... who can say they have had their best friend for 2 decades? AMAZING) when she and I and my mom went to Europe. As you may know, when you travel in foreign countries there are many inexplicable things. For some reason, the three of us started calling these, "Mysteries of the Deep." As she says, "It's an understanding that for some things, there is no way to understand or no answer, and so, we laugh."

And so the Mysteries of the Deep live on in her blog. I am so proud of you my friend. I wish I was there with you.

*Added Later: So, after a lazy hour spent browsing the internet, it seems I was wrong. I can't find a tv show called Mysteries of the Deep. It's a mystery of the deep.

Lost Generation

2009-04-01T20:50:00.001-07:00

So I know I've been horrible at keeping up my blog lately. Sadly, my work now takes up the vast majority of my time. That's a happy thing because I'm living my dream, working to help the world for an incredible organization. But I haven't been keeping up with my friends, my family, and things I love like my blog.

All that aside, check this out. It's a great video, watch all the way through.

Much love to you all. I promise to write more :)

Riskless War

2009-01-22T20:09:00.001-08:00

What does it mean to have "riskless war?"

It means we can fly drones overhead to protect our men on the ground, who fight everyday to keep us safe. It means we can send an intelligent, lifeless form to dismantle a bomb without the reckless abandon of human life. It means we can use the skill and precision of a robotic hand to take out the lunatic who holds a child hostage. It means I no longer have to worry about my high school friend and her new husband in Qatar. It means we can fight without endangering our soldiers.

It also means we have 19 year olds trained by video games piloting weapons of death. It means we can kill a woman from 7000 miles away after seeing her only on a video screen, reminiscent of Milgram. A robot has no emotions, which means there is only a difference of zeros and ones between a militant and an old man in a wheelchair. It means our men on the ground expecting and deserving cover may die in the unprotected moment when the drone driver goes for a coffee. Cheaper, smarter technology means less need for war bonds, decreasing the impact of the war for those with the upper hand. It means technological "oopses," like a prototype turning on a dime to point its machine gun at VIPs. It was luckily unloaded. "Glitches" like a training pod opening fire on our newest soldiers in Africa. It killed 9 of them.

Riskless war is immoral. But is there such a thing as responsible war?

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=99663723

Happy New Year

2008-12-31T09:33:00.000-08:00

This is going to be a big year!

My dog is happy:

My cat is happy:
My left hand is happy:
My family is happy:

My new family is happy:

My friends are happy:

My country is happy:

Happy New Year Everyone! This one is going to be great.

I'm gonna be a Mrs!

2008-12-31T08:57:00.000-08:00

I am engaged!

Yes I am! It just happened on Christmas eve. We were at Aiden's aunt's gorgeous house right on the beach. We were with family and laughing and just having a grand old time. He pulled me aside and told me he wanted to go for a walk and get away for a little while. We took our new friend the dog (this great little Shitzu, Parker was at his parent's house) and we went out to the backyard, which is this big incredible firepit on the beach. We climbed down a bunch of rocks to get to the water and we just stood there for a while holding each other. He asked me if I still loved him and I was like, OHMYGOD!!!!!! Then he asked me if I wanted my Christmas present. I said, "heck yes I cannot freaking wait for my Christmas present!", or maybe something a little smoother but that's what I was thinking. I asked him if he needed to go get it (we had this thing for awhile where I told him I thought it was a car). He said, "No, it's right here." Then he turned me around, got down on one knee, pulled a white box out of his jacket and said, "Will you marry me?" And I said, "Yes!" and grabbed him up in a big bear hug and kissed him on his cheeks and his shoulders and he pulled me up off the ground and swung me around in the sand and I was soooo happy. Then he was like, "So do you want to see the ring?" and I realized I had forgotten all about the ring part I was so happy that I'd be spending my life with him. He opened the box again and inside was this amazing, blinding, perfect engagement ring, more gorgeous than anything I've ever seen in my whole life. He put it on my finger (he'd been all sneaky and found out my ring size and everything so it fit perfectly) and we just stood there in the light rain next to the water holding each other in this amazing magical moment. Then the water almost washed over our feet and we started laughing again and ran up to the house to tell everyone.

I am so happy.

A note about Christmas, and my new list

2008-12-14T13:38:00.000-08:00

It's Christmas time!

I love Christmas. There are so many things to love! Last year I made a great little list of lots of things that make me happy this time of year. It's here.

One thing I notice about holidays though is that people tend to get a wee bit snippy. We are all excited and joyful, but I think sometimes the stress and the overstimulation of Christmas stuff gets in the way of that. So I just want to say: to all those that I love, I love you even more now because it's Christmas time. Please forgive me if I get cranky... usually a big hug will make everything better.

Now to the fun part!

New things I love about Christmas:

Warm Cinnamon Buns

Egg Nog and Baileys

Taking pictures with your friends and the Gingerbread Man

The Christmas Tree at the Grove

Big sales

Trying to guess your Christmas presents

My first Red Cross ornament

Mythbusters holiday special

Finding just the right thing to give your boyfriend

Christmas cards

Learning new Christmas songs

White wire Christmas trees

Christmas lights around your ceiling

Stockings

Knowing I get to go home soon

Christmas besos

Santa Hats

Giving presents to friends

Christmas parties

Seeing your breath in the morning

Salvation Army red kettles

Iron Chef holiday edition

Spending Christmas with someone I love more than anything in the whole world

Jingle bells on the dog

Hamster On A Piano (Eating Popcorn)

2008-11-22T09:05:00.001-08:00

Steve Irwin

2008-11-07T23:01:00.001-08:00

I never met Steve Irwin, but I think he changed my life. I learned so much from watching him. I know how to tackle a crocodile, and that I should never, ever try. I know that if I pick up a snake I should always let its tail touch the ground so it isn't afraid.

He didn't just teach about animals. Through his actions, Steve Irwin taught us all how to be good human beings. He had such an incredible relationship with his wife. When he died, I spent the whole day watching interviews with him and Terri. They were so much in love. And he cared more about his kids than about himself, just watch any video. They had a beautiful family.

November 15th is Steve Irwin day. It celebrates all aspects of his life. Check it out at http://www.steveirwinday.org/index.php. All proceeds go to support his charity, Wildlife Warriors.

President Obama

2008-11-05T08:11:00.001-08:00

A new world

2008-11-05T08:02:00.000-08:00

Hello, Chicago.

If there is anyone out there who still doubts that America is a place where all things are possible, who still wonders if the dream of our founders is alive in our time, who still questions the power of our democracy, tonight is your answer.

It's the answer told by lines that stretched around schools and churches in numbers this nation has never seen, by people who waited three hours and four hours, many for the first time in their lives, because they believed that this time must be different, that their voices could be that difference.

It's the answer spoken by young and old, rich and poor, Democrat and Republican, black, white, Hispanic, Asian, Native American, gay, straight, disabled and not disabled. Americans who sent a message to the world that we have never been just a collection of individuals or a collection of red states and blue states.

We are, and always will be, the United States of America.

It's the answer that led those who've been told for so long by so many to be cynical and fearful and doubtful about what we can achieve to put their hands on the arc of history and bend it once more toward the hope of a better day.

It's been a long time coming, but tonight, because of what we did on this date in this election at this defining moment change has come to America.

A little bit earlier this evening, I received an extraordinarily gracious call from Sen. McCain.

Sen. McCain fought long and hard in this campaign. And he's fought even longer and harder for the country that he loves. He has endured sacrifices for America that most of us cannot begin to imagine. We are better off for the service rendered by this brave and selfless leader.

I congratulate him; I congratulate Gov. Palin for all that they've achieved. And I look forward to working with them to renew this nation's promise in the months ahead.

I want to thank my partner in this journey, a man who campaigned from his heart, and spoke for the men and women he grew up with on the streets of Scranton and rode with on the train home to Delaware, the vice president-elect of the United States, Joe Biden.

And I would not be standing here tonight without the unyielding support of my best friend for the last 16 years the rock of our family, the love of my life, the nation's next first lady Michelle Obama.

Sasha and Malia I love you both more than you can imagine. And you have earned the new puppy that's coming with us to the new White House.

And while she's no longer with us, I know my grandmother's watching, along with the family that made me who I am. I miss them tonight. I know that my debt to them is beyond measure.

To my sister Maya, my sister Alma, all my other brothers and sisters, thank you so much for all the support that you've given me. I am grateful to them.

And to my campaign manager, David Plouffe, the unsung hero of this campaign, who built the best -- the best political campaign, I think, in the history of the United States of America.

To my chief strategist David Axelrod who's been a partner with me every step of the way.

To the best campaign team ever assembled in the history of politics you made this happen, and I am forever grateful for what you've sacrificed to get it done.

But above all, I will never forget who this victory truly belongs to. It belongs to you. It belongs to you.

I was never the likeliest candidate for this office. We didn't start with much money or many endorsements. Our campaign was not hatched in the halls of Washington. It began in the backyards of Des Moines and the living rooms of Concord and the front porches of Charleston. It was built by working men and women who dug into what little savings they had to give $5 and $10 and $20 to the cause.

It grew strength from the young people who rejected the myth of their generation's apathy who left their homes and their families for jobs that offered little pay and less sleep.

It drew strength from the not-so-young people who braved the bitter cold and scorching heat to knock on doors of perfect strangers, and from the millions of Americans who volunteered and organized and proved that more than two centuries later a government of the people, by the people, and for the people has not perished from the Earth.

This is your victory.

And I know you didn't do this just to win an election. And I know you didn't do it for me.

You did it because you understand the enormity of the task that lies ahead. For even as we celebrate tonight, we know the challenges that tomorrow will bring are the greatest of our lifetime -- two wars, a planet in peril, the worst financial crisis in a century.

Even as we stand here tonight, we know there are brave Americans waking up in the deserts of Iraq and the mountains of Afghanistan to risk their lives for us.

There are mothers and fathers who will lie awake after the children fall asleep and wonder how they'll make the mortgage or pay their doctors' bills or save enough for their child's college education.

There's new energy to harness, new jobs to be created, new schools to build, and threats to meet, alliances to repair.

The road ahead will be long. Our climb will be steep. We may not get there in one year or even in one term. But, America, I have never been more hopeful than I am tonight that we will get there.

I promise you, we as a people will get there.

There will be setbacks and false starts. There are many who won't agree with every decision or policy I make as president. And we know the government can't solve every problem.

But I will always be honest with you about the challenges we face. I will listen to you, especially when we disagree. And, above all, I will ask you to join in the work of remaking this nation, the only way it's been done in America for 221 years -- block by block, brick by brick, calloused hand by calloused hand.

What began 21 months ago in the depths of winter cannot end on this autumn night.

This victory alone is not the change we seek. It is only the chance for us to make that change. And that cannot happen if we go back to the way things were.

It can't happen without you, without a new spirit of service, a new spirit of sacrifice.

So let us summon a new spirit of patriotism, of responsibility, where each of us resolves to pitch in and work harder and look after not only ourselves but each other.

Let us remember that, if this financial crisis taught us anything, it's that we cannot have a thriving Wall Street while Main Street suffers.

In this country, we rise or fall as one nation, as one people. Let's resist the temptation to fall back on the same partisanship and pettiness and immaturity that has poisoned our politics for so long.

Let's remember that it was a man from this state who first carried the banner of the Republican Party to the White House, a party founded on the values of self-reliance and individual liberty and national unity.

Those are values that we all share. And while the Democratic Party has won a great victory tonight, we do so with a measure of humility and determination to heal the divides that have held back our progress.

As Lincoln said to a nation far more divided than ours, we are not enemies but friends. Though passion may have strained, it must not break our bonds of affection.

And to those Americans whose support I have yet to earn, I may not have won your vote tonight, but I hear your voices. I need your help. And I will be your president, too.

And to all those watching tonight from beyond our shores, from parliaments and palaces, to those who are huddled around radios in the forgotten corners of the world, our stories are singular, but our destiny is shared, and a new dawn of American leadership is at hand.

To those -- to those who would tear the world down: We will defeat you. To those who seek peace and security: We support you. And to all those who have wondered if America's beacon still burns as bright: Tonight we proved once more that the true strength of our nation comes not from the might of our arms or the scale of our wealth, but from the enduring power of our ideals: democracy, liberty, opportunity and unyielding hope.

That's the true genius of America: that America can change. Our union can be perfected. What we've already achieved gives us hope for what we can and must achieve tomorrow.

This election had many firsts and many stories that will be told for generations. But one that's on my mind tonight's about a woman who cast her ballot in Atlanta. She's a lot like the millions of others who stood in line to make their voice heard in this election except for one thing: Ann Nixon Cooper is 106 years old.

She was born just a generation past slavery; a time when there were no cars on the road or planes in the sky; when someone like her couldn't vote for two reasons -- because she was a woman and because of the color of her skin.

And tonight, I think about all that she's seen throughout her century in America -- the heartache and the hope; the struggle and the progress; the times we were told that we can't, and the people who pressed on with that American creed: Yes we can.

At a time when women's voices were silenced and their hopes dismissed, she lived to see them stand up and speak out and reach for the ballot. Yes we can.

When there was despair in the dust bowl and depression across the land, she saw a nation conquer fear itself with a New Deal, new jobs, a new sense of common purpose. Yes we can.

When the bombs fell on our harbor and tyranny threatened the world, she was there to witness a generation rise to greatness and a democracy was saved. Yes we can.

She was there for the buses in Montgomery, the hoses in Birmingham, a bridge in Selma, and a preacher from Atlanta who told a people that "We Shall Overcome." Yes we can.

A man touched down on the moon, a wall came down in Berlin, a world was connected by our own science and imagination.

And this year, in this election, she touched her finger to a screen, and cast her vote, because after 106 years in America, through the best of times and the darkest of hours, she knows how America can change.

Yes we can.

America, we have come so far. We have seen so much. But there is so much more to do. So tonight, let us ask ourselves -- if our children should live to see the next century; if my daughters should be so lucky to live as long as Ann Nixon Cooper, what change will they see? What progress will we have made?

This is our chance to answer that call. This is our moment.

This is our time, to put our people back to work and open doors of opportunity for our kids; to restore prosperity and promote the cause of peace; to reclaim the American dream and reaffirm that fundamental truth, that, out of many, we are one; that while we breathe, we hope. And where we are met with cynicism and doubts and those who tell us that we can't, we will respond with that timeless creed that sums up the spirit of a people: Yes, we can.

Thank you. God bless you. And may God bless the United States of America.

PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT

2008-10-28T19:49:00.000-07:00

DO NOT GET THIS PHONE
I repeat: DO NOT, under any circumstances, buy the Verizon Samsung Glyde.

You want to know what's frustrating? Imagine Sarah Palin coming to your dinner party. That is how frustrating this phone is.

Imagine seeing a call from your best friend in the whole world, who has just gotten back from a long trip to Guatemala. Now, imagine pressing the "send" button over and over to talk to her, and nothing happens. Imagine she sends you a text message. But you can't read it, because you can't press the "options" button. Imagine trying to call her to let her know what's going on, and then imagine you can't press the "contacts" button.

This has been my life for a month.

I love this video. GO VOTE.

2008-10-10T19:30:00.000-07:00

This is great.

VOTE.

The VP Debates

2008-10-03T10:41:00.000-07:00

Hands down, Joe Biden won.

Did anyone else notice that Sarah Palin didn't really answer questions? She certainly evaded topics like bankruptcy and home ownership in the beginning of the debate.

I had to applaud when Biden finally took issue with the word "Maverick." In a focused and clear way, he systematically went through a handful of factual reasons why John McCain is not a "maverick." Mostly to do with his voting record, which is sadly right along Mr. Bush's political lines.

I thought it was interesting too that Sarah Palin chose to emphasize her motherhood so much. She was constantly speaking about her son going to war, the hardships she's faced as the typical American mother, etc. Joe Biden finally took her up on that too toward the end of the debate, almost in tears when he spoke about the sudden death of his wife and children and the hardships he's faced beng a single father.

All in all, Joe Biden spoke about specific policy, specific legislation, specific plans and the Obama/Biden ticket's dedication to change. Sarah Palin spoke about why what Biden said was wrong and how he was out of touch, and unless I missed something didn't cite any specifics. She generalized the economy, Pakistan, clean coal and everything else into Obama-Bad, McCain-Good, without utilizing hard evidence.

Good job Joe Biden. May the force be with you!

Red Cross Bear

2008-09-30T14:52:00.000-07:00

The last few weeks I have been volunteering for the Red Cross. It's great. I feel empowered and important again. When you help a good cause, your basis for comparison is so different. Little things are still bothersome, like money, but the amount of stress those things cause changes drastically.

Today I was given a gift for volunteering. During the Southern California fires, Build a Bear donated boxes and boxes of bears for all the displaced kids. This morning I was given one of those wonderful little bears. He's so cute! He's got a little button that says, "Future Volunteer for the American Red Cross." I am thrilled with my little bear. He's better than any money I could have been paid. I'll have him forever and ever as a reminder of good old fashioned volunteering.

Sick

2008-09-17T13:21:00.000-07:00

Best calling in sick excuses (yes they're real)
1. At her sister’s wedding, an employee chipped her tooth on a Mint Julep, bent over to spit it out, hit her head on a keg and was knocked unconscious.

2. While at a circus, a tiger urinated on the employee’s ear, causing an ear infection.

3. An employee’s dog wasn’t feeling well, so the employee tasted the dog’s food and then got sick.

4. “Someone put LSD in my salad.”

5. An employee’s roommate locked all his clothes in a shed for spite.

6. “Stuck on an island – canoe floated away.”

7. An employee was upset because his favorite American Idol contestant was voted off.

8. “I didn’t think I had to come in if I had time in my vacation bank. I thought I could take it whenever I wanted.”

9. An employee said he wasn’t feeling well and wanted to rest up for the company’s holiday party that night.

10. A groundhog bit the employee’s car tire, causing it to go flat.

That's all I got. I'm sick.

Inspired Again!

2008-09-05T22:42:00.000-07:00

Today I did something I haven't done in a long while.

I volunteered.

That's right! I went down to my local red cross chapter this morning and put in a good couple hours volunteering.

I actually went in expecting to do some kind of an interview. I had applied to volunteer two months ago, but when no one called me back I called them. The woman I spoke to was just thrilled that I might be available, and when I told her I had done some work for Greenpeace she mentioned this job that had just opened up. So I arrived this morning in my cute interview gear, ready to talk to whoever.

Instead, I met an overworked Bianca (the girl from the phone, who was just lovely) who immediately put me to work. She was super friendly and very enthusiastic. Her first question: Can you use a computer? Her second: Can you use a phone? And that was all. That was my entire training, those two questions.

Bianca set me up with a list of people, their phone numbers, their qualifications (in acronyms, none of which I'm familiar with) and some sort of table of what positions were needed immediately for Hurricane Ike. Within two minutes of being there I was calling volunteers, identifying myself as, "____, from the Red Cross here in LA" and getting people all nicely signed up to leave in the next 24 hours for a three week volunteer stint in Florida.

*A note here: It amazes me how many good people there are out there. Not a single person I talked to today said, "no I don't feel like it." One incredible gentleman, a mental health doctor, called me back to tell me that although the county (his real job) won't pay for him to go, he managed to get them to give him his vacation time so he could go help with Ike. What an amazing person, to take their personal vacation time to go help others. It's astounding what humanity can do.

So, this morning, with no training but a whole bunch of heart, I became a Red Cross volunteer. I made spread sheets, I faxed, I emailed, I called, all as "me from the Red Cross." And it felt so good. Finally, doing something to make a difference again.

A Dusty Moment

2008-08-20T13:34:00.000-07:00

Congratulations Shawn Johnson! The whole world loves you! You're wonderful and you deserved it.

Some of Mr. Bush's Best Moments

2008-08-15T20:23:00.001-07:00

Just a silly little 2 minute video featuring those moments he's best known for

The Olympics: Part 1

2008-08-08T23:30:00.000-07:00

At the end of the marathon opening ceremonies of the Beijing Olympics, something odd happened. Yao Ming walked in as the Chinese flag bearer... but he was walking with a little boy.

That little boy, Lin Hao, is a nine year old who survived the earthquake a few months ago. 20 of his 30 classmates died in the earthquake. He was buried under the rubble but he somehow freed himself. He brought everyone who could walk to safety, including a teacher. He then returned to rescue two more of his classmates. Those he couldn't rescue, he led in singing to overcome their fear until help arrived.

When asked why, he said, "I'm a leader. I'm the hall monitor."

What incredible heroism from such a small human.

McCain v Hilton

2008-08-06T10:33:00.000-07:00

McCain scares me. Here is the ad everyone is talking about:

Paris Hilton scares me less. Even she has a better energy policy than McCain. Here's her response:

See more Paris Hilton videos at Funny or Die

Even Hilton's mom had something more intelligent to say than McCain:
"It is a complete waste of the country's time and attention at the very moment when millions of people are losing their homes and their jobs, And it is a completely frivolous way to choose the next president of the United States."

I agree.

The X Games

2008-08-05T22:33:00.000-07:00

Went to the X Games on Saturday. They were disorganized, hot and poorly orchestrated. And AWESOME.

We missed the skateboarding events due to a slight program error, ie the program listed the television air times, not the event times. Of course. So, while we were watching rally car racing, the skate finals were happening, etc. Which I really wanted to see. However, despite missing the cool skateboarding stuff (we'll go next year) we did get to see some kick ass rally car racing.

These are some pictures that my friend took from two of the best races.

This car took off for the jump perfectly
But clearly landed askew and ended up...
Crashing into the cement on the side. So cool.

This one missed the jump by inches, landing with just its butt hanging off the edge:
And this is the crash (WATCH IT )

So cool live. Please note, in each crash the two people inside were A-okay. I wouldn't post something demented like that.

I highly suggest going to the X Games. Make sure you drink plenty of water and have your camera at the ready.

Complicated

2008-07-22T12:01:00.001-07:00

Has anyone seen Wicked?

Glinda (the pink and sometimes blue one) is very used to getting things her way. There's a funny moment in the beginning of the play where she says, "Something is very, very wrong. I didn't get my wish!" And... well you have to see it. Trust me, it's funny.

Then towards the end she sings a little ditty which goes like this:

That's why I couldn't be happier
No, I couldn't be happier
Though it is, I admit
The tiniest bit
Unlike I anticipated
But I couldn't be happier
Simply couldn't be happier
Well - not "simply"
'Cause getting your dreams
It's strange, but it seems
A little - well - complicated
There's a kind of a sort of - cost
There's a couple of things get - lost
There are bridges you cross
You didn't know you crossed
Until you've crossed

And there's some more singing but you get the drift.

Well, this is how I feel today. I finally got something I've wished for for a long time. But it's... well... complicated. It sucked before, but now that I've got it it sucks too. Which is lame. LAME.

So.

Let Sleeping Dogs Lie

2008-07-18T09:22:00.000-07:00

The internet defines this phrase as, "don't bring up old conflicts." As in, "I again wanted to rant about the hollow place between Mr. Bush's ears, but decided to let sleeping dogs lie." Which is great, but totally misses the point.

Watching a sleeping dog is one of the world's greatest pleasures.

My dog is the most beautiful dog you will ever meet. That is, until you meet her sleeping. Your words will fall over themselves in an attempt to describe how adorable she is.

In this picture, my little cupcake jumped up on her daddy's favorite chair, found herself a cozy place, and knocked out. She knows this is not her chair, but I was asleep on the couch when she got up to sit in it. Normally, when I'm on the couch, she's on the floor next to the couch. But when I fell asleep she thought she had her big chance. Luckily she woke me up on her way over, and I peeked with one eye to watch her jump up on the chair and do her little three turns. I almost died of the cuteness of it all, but luckily kept myself alive long enough to take a picture.

As I write this, my dog is asleep (on my feet) at the bottom of the bed. One of my friends describes my dog as having the personality of a cat. This is perhaps more true than they realize.

It is so wonderfully satisfying to sit here writing, feeling my dog sleep-breathe by the rise and fall of my feet. She makes me calm and simply happy when there are so many things that just aren't simple. Thank God for dogs. Aha! That's why all dogs go to heaven. Because they are so wonderful, he wants them all up there to sleep on his feet.

The Dark Knight

2008-07-17T13:31:00.000-07:00

See it. Immediately.

My New House

2008-07-17T11:58:00.000-07:00

Do you like it? I do.

It's a 4 bedroom, 2 bath, 1249 sq ft Colonial Style doll complete with a garage and basement.

And it's going for $1.

That's right, this lovely little house is smack dab in the middle of Detroit. The crime, the unemployment, and the Tigers' losing record have brought this charming little home to a standstill on the market. $1 buys you twice the space that I rent for $1650. Makes me kinda sick to think I live here, when I could have a place like that. I think I could make quite a statement fixing up this pretty little house (in my Kevlar suit).

Some other homes I would like:

This is a 4 bedroom, 2 1/2 bath with a 2 car attached garage. It was built 1 year ago and is completely energy efficient. It's 1516 sq ft and fabulous.

It's $200,000. Approx. $1026 monthly payment.

Last but not least:

Another 4 bed, 2 bath. This one has a "nook" and a library, both of which I am tremendously excited about. It's 2184 sq ft. It has a breakfast room too.

And it's made of brick.

This one is $260,000. $1315 a month.

By contrast:

Here is where I live.

We have (according to the website):
Laundry on each floor, spacious elevators, tile countertops (really? not in my apartment), lighting and plumbing fixtures (oooh!) and a sauna (somewhere I haven't discovered yet). For this 2 bed 1 bath luxury we spend $1650 a month.

I'm moving to Detroit.

New York, Neeeewwwww YOOOOOOOORK!

2008-07-16T10:24:00.000-07:00

There are some lovely little spots in the world where a whole lot of good is done without enough people knowing about it.

My best friend works at a wonderful place called Double H Ranch. This is just one of those spots.

Double H is a camp located out in the middle of upstate New York. It's full of fun stuff like lakes, gooey slime and songs by campfires. The little campers get to frolic around, learn the camp songs, play with arts and crafts, and do all the good fun stuff campers do.

There's a more serious side to Double H, however. This camp is for kids with serious illnesses.

Double H Ranch (and all Hole in the Wall camps) is a place where kids with sickle-cell anemia, ms, cancer, and all sorts of other illnesses can come to have some serious fun. My best friend has participated in the ranch for years running, first as a camper, then as a volunteer, and now she works there year-round. Every day she does something that will change a person's life for the better.

My sister just went as a volunteer for the Ranch. She came back with an entirely new tone of voice. She says being at camp changed her life. I believe it.

For various (lackluster) reasons, I haven't been able to get to Double H yet. But until I can, you should. Click here to find out about volunteering. It will make you a better person.

I've Got the DMV Blues

2008-07-15T10:49:00.000-07:00

My car registration is $1035.

Poop.

This is especially fun at a time when I'm already stressing about work and money.

It is my own fault. Well, duh, I guess. I didn't have the $300 to buy a parking pass for school my second to last semester. I figured I could just pay the $5 fee daily, which of course amounts to much more, but hey when you don't have the money, you don't have the money.

However, my school had this fun thing where there is zero parking. And, on top of zero parking, they decided to do construction on one of the parking lots. So there is already no parking, then they decide to take 800 spots away.

Needless to say, sometimes, after an hour of looking for parking, I didn't have time to get one of those parking passes.

Which turns out to be crappy later, because they follow you to the DMV.

Moral of the story:

They'll get you either way.

Character Counts

2008-07-11T12:48:00.001-07:00

I didn't write this but it really touched me. I was going through a hard moment when this hit my inbox, funny how those things happen. If you're never heard of the Josephson Institute of Ethics, I highly suggest you visit their site. This is from the commentaries called Character Counts. Thanks very much to the Institute for this story:

Can I Borrow $100?

Tim knew his father was an important lawyer who worked most nights and weekends. So he was disappointed but not surprised when his father didn’t attend the last soccer game of the season.

That night he got up the nerve to interrupt his dad’s work to ask: “How much do lawyers make?”

Annoyed, his father gruffly answered, "My clients pay me $300 an hour."

Tim gulped, “Wow, that’s a lot. Would you lend me $100?"

"Of course not," his father said. "Please, just let me work."

Moments later, he heard his son sobbing and he called him back. "Son," he said, "I’m sorry. If you need some money, of course I’ll lend it to you. But can I ask why you need it?"

Tim said, "Well, I’ve saved $200 and if you lend me a hundred, I’ll have enough.”

“Enough for what?”

“To buy an hour of your time so you can come to our banquet on Friday and see me get the most valuable player award. Will you come?”

The father felt like he was stabbed in the heart as he realized the cost of his priorities.

None of his clients needed him as much as his son, and nothing he could do as a lawyer was more important than what he could do as a father. How had he missed that insight?

It’s always difficult to balance job demands and family needs, but the test of whether you work too much is simple: Are you able to be the kind of parent your child deserves?

Few people look back on their lives and wish they’d spent more time at the office; a lot of them wish they’d spent more time with their kids.

This is Michael Josephson reminding you that character counts.

* This story is derived and adapted from one that was circulated on the Internet without attribution. The original source is unknown.

Hooray!

2008-07-10T08:56:00.000-07:00

I just found something quite fun. It's cartoon strip called Everyday People, and it rocks.

I love it because Cathy Thorne is a real lady who goes through real girl problems and puts them into cartoons. However, they are greatly simplified, which always makes these overwhelming issues easier to understand. And, they are cartoons. Somehow you can always stomach even bad things when they are in cartoon form.

Here are some of my favorites:

I've never gone on this diet. And it isn't called South Beach.
Don't we all know someone like this? Usually you have to weed through issues before you come to this small realization.
True. They bring you both.

And one of my personal favorites:

Dream Jobs

2008-07-03T13:07:00.000-07:00

My life is perfect. I have a family who loves me. I have a huge apartment in the middle of Hollywood. I have a beautiful dog. My boyfriend is everything I could ever ask for. I have friends, ambitions, and a cell phone.

What I don't have is a job.

Well, that's not true. I have a job. And I love it. If I could make $70,000 a year doing what I do now, I would be the happiest girl alive. But, unfortunately, I don't. So I'm looking for a real person job. Which is harder than I expected it would be.

Jobs I'd love to have (but probably don't exist):

Blog reader for movie industry: There are some damn cool blogs out there! I saw one today that was the diary of a doctor in Britain who hates his job. Another about a city clerk who files complaints about dog poop. Funny stuff! I bet half those blogs would make a good movie. I mean, anything would be better than The Love Guru.
Columnist about Daily Life: Yes, a la Carrie. Yes, I know that's a fantasy world. But it looks great. She writes like I do, so I bet people would find mine interesting. I would love to write from home, or traveling, about anything. Anyone read Eat, Pray, Love? Like that.
Dog Rescue Charity: Starting at $70,000 with benefits and bonuses. I'd probably put all my bonuses into bringing red-lined dogs into my house anyway, so really the money would just be going right back. Oh, and I'd like to travel to disaster areas to help the rescue effort there.

Uhm, yeah. There are more but I can't come up with them right now. I'm getting some food.

WALL-E

2008-06-30T11:08:00.000-07:00

WALL-E, the universe's most lovable robot.

Incidentally, this is the most romantic movie I've seen in a long time.

From the first concept poster at Disneyland, I knew WALL-E was going to be my friend. Seriously, how can you not just fall in love with that little tyke?

I should preface this by saying that I saw WALL-E at the end of one of my top 10 days in life. I didn't do anything amazingly special. I woke up, cuddled (always the best), went grocery shopping, and watched the Euro Cup finals after a yummy salad. All of this was done with my best friend and wonderful boyfriend, Aiden. We've been busy the last few weeks, and this one day of uninterrupted Aiden time was just what the doctor ordered. After soccer, we went to our favorite little coffee shop and I helped him write his newest script. When we got hungry, we decided to go to The Cheesecake Factory for some chicken madeira and fresh baked bread. We had one of those cute couple-y moments where you just stare at each other over the table. Sigh. Happy. Afterwards, we spent an hour browsing Barnes and Noble. Then we went to WALL-E.

So you see, my day was already perfect.

The short film before WALL-E was fantastic. You know how Pixar always does a little 10 minute thing before the real movie? Like the snowglobe one, or the birds on the wire? This one is about a magician's rabbit... a very hungry rabbit. You just keep laughing, I love it.

Then, there was WALL-E.

(*Warning! Spoilers!)

I fell in love the minute his little binocular eyes hit the screen. He is just the sweetest little robot you could ever imagine!

His cockroach is so damn cute. Anyone who has ever had a dog knows the happy feeling that a tail wag can bring, and this cockroach has it down. More than that, he does a full-butt wag. He sits and obeys and never dies when you run him over. What a great pet.

There's a great little sequence in the beginning where WALL-E plays with all the human trash left over. He finds a spork and goes to put it in his collection, but gets confused between the spoons and forks and ends up just putting it down.

I think that's the great thing about this movie. You take a robot, something entirely unemotional, and give him feeling and voice. Oh that's another thing! There's hardly any talking! One of the sweetest moments of the film is when WALL-E finally meets his love, EVE. He tells her his name, and.... ooooooh there is no way to describe the cuteness! You just have to hear him say it.

Even though the robots have limited voice capabilities, they are completely unimpaired in communicating feeling. The first time we meet EVE, she quietly waits for her spaceship to leave, then starts zooming around in happy circles. All the poor girl wanted was some freedom!

In fact, the movie is chock full of unspoken messages like this. Another important little message is to stick with your loved one and help them through. All of a sudden, little EVE shuts down! WALL-E tries everything to get her back, but in the end stays by her side, holding her umbrella in the rain, waiting. It is so sweet.

Something that struck me immediately about WALL-E is how very polite he is. Quite the gentleman actually. Every time he meets a new person, he introduces himself and shakes hands. He helps a fat human up to his seat before asking directions. He follows directions mostly, except when EVE is in trouble. Did I mention he always shakes hands? I know I said this before, but seriously it's so damn cute you could shoot yourself and die happy.

Another good message is that we humans are lazy bozos who are dangerously close to giving up all our humanity for the privilege of sitting in chairs, turning our transport, leadership, and thought processes up to automated systems. The president of BnL, the company partially responsible for the travesty that is Earth, bears a frightening resemblance to our very own Mr. Bush. Down to his language. Which is important to note, because the robots need no language to do good.

Perhaps my favorite part of the movie is WALL-E's overwhelming desire to hold hands with EVE. As Aiden will tell you, I've picked up a little habit from my new favorite robot. Every time I want to hold hands, I hold up my hand and make little robot gestures. Silly, but effective. Every single time I do it, my boyfriend grabs my hand and smiles at me. Which is precisely the reaction I always want.

Ah. Mmm. Sigh. I don't have enough words for this movie. Instantly a favorite, but the feeling can't be put into 8 letters on a computer screen. You just have to see it.

Kaitlyn Maher (4 year old singer) on America's Got Talent

2008-06-18T09:38:00.001-07:00

This little girl made me cry she's so cute!! Go a minute in to see her performance. What a DOLL!

A Wedding (Pause for "ahh")

2008-06-18T08:49:00.000-07:00

*Note: Yes, I know the Lakers lost. Don't talk to me. I'm in mourning.

In other news, I was the Maid of Honor in a beautiful wedding on Sunday.

One of my best friends, we'll call her B.B., got married in a beautiful courtyard at a jazz club in Pasadena. She walked down the aisle by herself ("I don't need anyone to give me away" - perfect for her) to a jazzy version of "Somewhere Over the Rainbow." She looked radiant. Her hair was perfect, makeup was perfect, dress was divine. It looked something like this although I can't find exactly the right one.

I wore this dress , although mine was blue. Our bouquets were green and very natural and BEAUTIFUL. Everything was perfect. I could not believe it turned out so well.

Some things went a little silly. Mostly they were me. I guess I handed her his ring at the wrong time, although I was totally caught up in the moment and don't remember a thing about it now. But the minister-ette (is there a word for a female minister?) forgot to have her put it on his finger, so it was best that she had it anyway. Ha! See? I'm psychic. She just stuck it on his finger, it was so cute.

I also gave the world's funniest Maid of Honor speech. Probably every MoH has the best intentions, and then loses it in the endgame. I spent the day with the two other bridesmaids and one honorary girl trying to write the speech, but every time we would get to a certain point and then see a sparkly thing and get distracted. So I was good for the first part, and then I got all sad and happy at the same time and started telling her how much I love her and how happy I am that she found him. I have no idea what I said but I know it was heartfelt, and her mother came to me afterwards saying it was perfect. She's so cute.

The whole weekend was fabulous though. The day before, the bride and two of us bridesmaids went out for a girlie day. We drank bottomless mimosas at Saddle Ranch, cried at Sex and the City and then went for another cocktail at Hard Rock. The next morning all us girls (plus one boy) went and got our nails done. It took hours! and it was such fun. Then we took the bride to get her hair done, went in search of last minute things like thumb tacks, champagne and a fathers day card, and implemented some "liquid thinking" consisting of Malibu, pineapple and orange juice.

Our best present to her was a flask, silver with a little blue bird on it (something blue). We enjoyed some liquid thinking with that too, in the nail salon and other places. Sadly, we forgot it at the wedding. We were going to put it in her bouquet just incase. Ah well.

Two things about the wedding were particularly cute:

1) The bride's gift was a hamster with big balls. His name is Fighting Irish, and he's got some health problems and the happy couple saved him. Awww.

2) Her husband cried. Really, really cried. He started crying when he saw her walking down the aisle. He tried to hold it together during the ceremony but I saw a couple tears in there. Then at the end, he lost it. It was ADORABLE. Probably the most beloved moment of the ceremony.

After all the rigamarole, I am sooooooo glad she's found someone that makes her glow like that. She is so obviously in love with him. She's never been this happy in her whole life, and I am so lucky to watch that happen for her. I wish you the best!!! LOVE YOU!

Rocco

2008-06-17T14:11:00.000-07:00

The World's Coolest Dude
This is Rocco Mediate, and he almost beat Tiger Woods yesterday at the US Open.

I have decided that I will marry him when I'm old. He's perfect.

Everybody loves the Cinderella story. Rocco was something like the 160th rated player in the PGA. Then somehow he ended up with just Tiger Woods in the last part of the US open. He tied with Tiger at the 18th hole and went into sudden death, which I think has happened all of 4 times ever. He ended up losing a close race at the end, but he was just so damn cool about it.

In an interview afterwards, Rocco said, "I've never had more fun! Man he's amazing... he's hard to beat! I threw everything I had, the kitchen sink and everything right at him and uhm... He's just amazing." How awesome is that? He's just one cool old dude.

Cheers to Rocco.

Random Musings

2008-06-11T12:51:00.000-07:00

Phew! School is done and I'm so glad!

That was a little song.

So, school's out forever. Hooray! But now I don't know what to do with my life. I pretend to myself that I'm not freaking out about it, but I bet my boyfriend would tell you otherwise.

Currently, I'm working 1000hrs a week and wishing I could just sit at home and watch the Laker games. But that's ok. Actually I'm thinking I will start a blog about waitressing, just because there are so many funny things that go on. Look for that in the future.

I guess this is just a placeholder to get me excited about writing again, now that I'm not staring at a screen everyday for school. Lets see, what can I do to make this interesting?....

List of things I am thinking about right now:

how much longer I can procrastinate on laundry
I am very jealous of Aiden's new black mac
also jealous of the new touch ipod
thinking maybe he is jealous of my beautiful new bag, named Bag, who will be the subject of a blog coming soon
trying to decide just how large a piece of birthday cake I will cut myself
trying to figure out why my dog burps/farts so much
finding it surprisingly difficult to buy a normal mouse trap online (not for killing mice, but for scaring said dog into not eating my garbage anymore)
wondering why God made eyebrows grow so fast

Eh and that's my list for now. I'm going to go make a pretty new blog on which to put my waitressing stuff. Who knows, maybe it will get me a movie deal and I will become rich and famous for doing nothing. Like W, before he did stupid things in Texas to make his name known. Maybe I will even become the president! Yay!

Almost Done!

2008-04-30T11:10:00.000-07:00

Man. I can't wait to be done with school.

I'm making a new webpage!

This one is actually really cool. It's all about dystopia, the opposite of utopia. Lots of videos and links and scholarly stuff. Check it out.

Dystopia! Insanity Makes a Comeback

Scrubs and How Relationships Really Work

2008-04-25T18:00:00.000-07:00

Sometimes when I come home from school I watch mindless shows just to unwind for a little while before going back to the grind. Scrubs is a new favorite.

Simultaneously, I have been learning quite a bit about relationships recently.

Somehow this all ties together. Watch the damn video.

For some reason it has Japanese subtitles... just ignore that
Watch Scrubs: Season 1 Episode 15 on Fanpop

If you just want to skip to the meat of the thing:

Jack Johnson

2008-04-25T10:11:00.000-07:00

This morning was bad. It started with not sleeping well. Too many things in my head, you know? And I had to wake up super early to see my professor. Who got stuck with administration crap and so he was late. Ugh.

On my hour long drive to school every morning I usually listen to the news. I like to know what's going on. Lately though it's been difficult because the news is so constantly upsetting!

This morning I heard about:

A grandmother who was attacked while at a park with her four year old granddaughter.
Gas prices going to $7 a gallon by 2010
Dwayne Wade dating Star Jones
A U.S. ship firing a shot at an Israeli ship
The CA budget deficit being underestimated by $1 BILLION dollars

Ah well you get the idea. Needless to day I was upset. With all this crap going on it's easy to feel like there is no point.

Luckily, before driving my car into a ditch, I turned to KROQ.

Jack Johnson was playing, live.

After a minute of listening to some chill guitar, things started to not be so bad anymore. I mean, all the crap in the world is still happening, sure. But Jack Johnson is playing Coachella and I get to hear him on the radio and life goes on. It's calming I guess to hear him. He was just ranked Billboard's #1 eco-friendly artist. He doesn't wear shoes. He gets PMS if he stays away from the beach for too long. Yeah, he works to make the world better. But listening to him, you forget the political stuff. I think sometimes that's exactly what I need.

So cheers to Jack Johnson. Things can be bad but there's always a guitar.

The death of my arch-nemesis

2008-04-16T10:04:00.000-07:00

This morning as I sat in class I was once again thwarted in all learning attmpts by my arch-nemesis: Pap Smear Lady.

Duh duh duhhhhh!

Normally I would pass notes to the equally pissed people about me, complaining that she looks like a blind, deteriorating hippo and that her voice is as welcome as a pop quiz worth 20% of your final grade when you haven't read the book. But these deviances do nothing to alleviate the problem. Thus, as usual, I found myself crouched at my desk staring daggers into her eye sockets.

It was at that moment that I noticed a peculiar burning smell. The students around me shifted uneasily and glanced around looking for the source. Too upset to care, I continued to stare at my target.

All of a sudden, red laser beams shot from my eyes straight into her head. She began to convulse violently, causing quite a commotion. As she writhed in her desk her body began to split apart, revealing, in fact, a hippo alien in glasses. The hippo seemed to be in the midst of a tickle war, jerking about as if a million fingers were poking its lumpy spots. She squirmed her way out of her desk and rolled to the empty center of the room. The students cheered! She caught herself on her hippo elbows and, with a characteristic grunt/snarl/blow-of-nose she started coming towards me! Once again I summoned my laser beam ability, this time trained on the center of her power... the rolly backpack. The backpack began to steam and curdle like bad milk but still she came toward me! I summoned all my strength caught the rolly backpack on fire. The Pap Smear Hippo began to smoke as she advanced, and let out a blood curdling woof something akin to a tuba. She BLEW UP into a thousand tiny pieces that went scattering across the room and into the hall. Each tiny piece grew horns and legs and tried to scurry away, but my classmates were too quick. As one we leapt into action, stomping each and every one out of existence. As we joyously stomped they squealed little pangs of unimaginable pain. As they died they congealed like mercury into the rolly backpack. When at last we had stomped out the last one, a mass cheer erupted in the class. While we celebrated among the confetti falling from the sky, I glanced to the side and noticed the rolly backpack shaking like a landed fish. As I brought pointed towards it, the backpack began to roll slowly towards the door. It gained speed as it went, and then suddenly flew upwards, shattering the ceiling and flying straight towards the sun. As it got closer I could see with my superhuman vision that the wheels were beginning to melt. Finally the backpack reached just the point of the atmosphere, but it was too hot and it exploded in a supernova seen across the world.

Afterwards I was hailed as a hero and given reprive from all papers due this semester.

Falling Down

2008-04-13T20:13:00.001-07:00

I fell down today.

Hard.

On my butt.

I was learning to skateboard. I was convinced my dog was going to cross my path, and since I'm really bad at skateboarding I was mortally afraid I would kill her. Or she would kill me. Either way, I forgot to pay attention to my skateboard. And I fell.

It was so embarrassing. I fell straight on my tushy and it hurt! Of course I had my cell phone in my back pocket so I now have a big cell-phone shaped bruise. Oh, and I broke it. Sucky.

Like a girl, I started crying. Not because it hurt, more just that I was shocked. Like a little kid. I'm funny about failing... I don't want anybody to see me, and I want to put myself back on my own two feet. I was so mad at myself for tearing up that it started to make me cry more; it was a vicious cycle.

Five minutes later I'd silently cursed the skateboard with every insult in my vocabulary, so I just got back on. I went a little slower for a minute but after a bit the big fall was a thing of the past. Half an hour later I was showing off my scabs and reliving the moment.

Now as I sit comfortably on the bed, nursing my bruised posterior, I can't help but think how like life my little experience was today. Sometimes you have a big fall. It hurts and maybe you cry. You might not even know why you do. But then you get back up. Sometimes you even have a caring person there to help you. And you set your skateboard back down and you do it again. A little while later you might even be proud of your fall. The wounds become a source of self-confidence. Because you realize, your big fall really wasn't that bad. And if you can live through that one you can probably manage the next one too. You might even be better prepared for it.

You know now that you can get back up.

Lil' Bush is Funny

2008-04-11T10:27:00.001-07:00

Last night I was about to bash my head into my computer over homework frustration. To preserve my computer I decided to turn to another source of bashing instead: Comedy Central's Lil' Bush.

I LOVE IT. But I'm entirely confused as to how this show is legal.

I think this may be my new favorite show. I'd never watched it the whole way through before. Have to admit, I always thought it would be dumb. A toned down version of his inadequacies. Oh did I say toned down? EEEEEEEEE (that's the sound of one of those "you are wrong" buzzers).

In the episode last night Lil' Bush is trying to decide who to take to the dance: Lil' Laura, Lil' Fatima (oil king's daughter) or Lil' Condi. His brain tells him that he can only take one but he decides he can't make decisions with all that racket going on in his head. So he goes into his head and kills it. He then makes decisions based on his gut, who only tells him that he's hungry. He proclaims his gut a "straight shooter."

Man, this all loses something in the retelling. Just go see it. Here's a link. Trust me, it's hilarious.

American Airlines

2008-04-11T10:17:00.001-07:00

How fucked up is it that American Airlines has grounded 3079 planes so far this week?

<-- This is precisely what their planes are NOT doing at the moment.

I just love that everyone is pointing fingers at everyone else. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) says it isn't their fault. But of course it couldn't be the fault of American either.

The thing that really irks me is that no one seems to be doing anything about it. Yes, American is offering full refunds. Ahem, FUCKYOU, ahem. Oh sorry that was a sneeze. Full refunds my butt. I heard this guy on he radio today... he's a standup comic and has a show in St. Louis tonight. I'm sure that a full refund will suffice... NOT.

Anyway it pisses me off. May the God of Lawsuits bring his wrath upon American Airlines.

Unsung Heroes

2008-04-08T14:36:00.000-07:00

Twice this year I have been struck by nameless members of my own City of Angels who have selflessly given their lives in order to help another. This is the first in my intended series honoring them and those who follow in their footsteps.

Randall Simmons was one of LA's elite SWAT team. He was a 51 year old father who'd served the city of LA for 27 years, 20 of those on SWAT.

He was especially known for his calm demeanor in tense situations. He is well remembered for talking down Rainbow Man, a religious zealout who was holding a maid hostage in a hotel room. Thanks to Simmons the maid was rescued safely.

His special love was kids with disabilities. He was SWAT's contact person for charity efforts. He never said no to something that would help. He worked especially with the LA Orthopaedic Hospital with the kids who knew him as "Randy." He affectionately called them his "babies." He would remind them to drink soy milk and cheer for his favorite team, the Raiders. He and his partner used to raise money by running from LA to Bakersfield to bring awareness. As they said, they were "running for kids who can't."

He played Santa every year.

On February 7th he was killed in a standoff. He entered a building controlled by a mentally unstable gunman because he believed there were hostages alive inside.

LA Orthopaedic's commemorative site
A Memorial
Randall Simmons Trust Fund

My Arch Nemesis

2008-04-03T14:18:00.000-07:00

First thing Monday morning I go to Drama class. My professor is great, the subject is great. But my day is always ruined by one long grating sound - the squeaky wheels on the rolling backpack of my arch nemesis... The Pap Smear Lady.

I don't think I've ever felt such loathing for a fellow student. In fact, maybe ever. I mean sure, Mr. Bush isn't my best friend, but this woman tops that.

It's difficult to explain precisely why she is so obtuse. It might ahve to do with that she talks more than the teacher. or that she generally have nothing of importance to say. Have you ever heard someone described as, "likes to hear their own voice"? Literally (as in I am not exaggerating) this woman speaks merely because hearing herself is her personal sublimity.

Never mind that she is talking about Pap Smears.

Yes that's right, Pap Smears. Man it is frustrating.

This morning for example we were talking about Ferdinand de Saussure. My professor was attempting to make a point about the arbitrariness of language. Of course Mrs. Pap Smear misses the point. My prof wrote the name on the board and she launches into an incredibly long single-breath sentence, "Saussure wrote __________ book in ____ year and it was written by his students posthumously blah blah blah" nothing to do with language whatsoever. So our professor attempts to bring it back to the subject. Here is the lecture:

Prof: So Saussure leads to Levi-Strausse in...

Pap Smear: How do you prounounce "Levi-Strausse?" That's important I need to write it down

Prof: "Levi-Strausse" (pissy)

Pap Smear: Well because my other professor pronounces it ________

Prof: So Levi-Strausse worked with...

Pap Smear: And my husband pronounces it _____ but what does he know he's just a (insert elongated medical title here)

Prof: ...And he worked with the signifier theory to...

Pap Smear: Oh the signifier I read that book but you should explain it because you're the professor and what do I know I just do pelvic exams all day.

Prof:...in conjunction with a cultural anthropologist...

Pap Smear: My work is like cultural anthropology except all I know is Pap Smears but you know it's amazing what you can learn from looking up vaginas all day...

And on and on. Really, could it be more frustrating? At least it's only an hour. Sigh.

TAG!!

2008-03-31T10:36:00.000-07:00

Aiden's movie has a trailer!

It just got into the Indy Spirit Festival in Colorado Springs. I couldn't be more proud.

Website up soon... tagshortfilm.com

Can I also just point out that the awesome music you're hearing in the background was created by none other than my very talented boyfriend.

Ps I make my Oscar-worthy debut in this film. Oh yes.

Addendum

2008-03-31T10:12:00.000-07:00

Ah yes... Here it is...

Yes we can to opportunity and prosperity.
Yes we can to opportunity and prosperity.
Yes we can heal this nation.
Yes we can repair this world.
Yes we can. Si Se Puede
(yes we can, yes we can, yes we can, yes we can...)

Cesar Chavez Day. Aka Obama Dog.

2008-03-31T09:27:00.000-07:00

I'm still in bed at 9:30 and it feels great. Today is Cesar Chavez day, a day to reflect on how funny it is that I go to school on Presidents' Day but Cesar Chavez gets a day off in his honor.

Did you know Cesar Chavez was nominated for the Congressional Medal of Honor? Clinton gave him the US Medal of Freedom. Wow... he never earned more than $6000/yr? Yikes. I complain about what I make.

He also has a bowling alley named after him in Amarillo, Texas. I wonder if he liked bowling or if they just decided to name it after him anyway.

His motto was "Si Se Puede" which I think translates to "It can be done." I was a little surprised to see this... I seem to remember Obama using this same Spanish phrase. Go Obama!

Speaking of, my fabulous sister just made Parker quite fashionable.
Obama Dog and I are now hanging out on the bed enjoying the day off. She likes to sleep on the bed now... doesn't work really when there are two of us humans here since she takes up the whole bed, but on days off when it's just dog and mommy there's room enough for the both of us.

I planned on being productive today. Now I plan on sleeping for a couple of hours, going to my favorite thrift store, having coffee with a friend and just hanging out. Funny how all your best laid plans drift aside.

The Story of the Turkey Dog

2008-03-26T13:27:00.000-07:00

"Hi Boyfriend!"

"Hi Girlfriend"

"What are you going to do today?"

"Well our dog is shedding a lot so I'm going to give her a haircut"

"Ohhhh.... uhm, how short?"

"Just a couple inches off"

"Ok.... I guess..."

Later:

Bzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Giggle giggle giggle giggle giggle

Bzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Giggle giggle giggle

"What's going on boyfriend?"

"Oh nothing"

"Do you need any help?"

"No thanks I'm good"

Bzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Giggle giggle giggle giggle

"You sure you don't need help?"

"Yeah, I don't want you to see her yet"

Uh oh.

Bzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

"Girlfriend can you come help me?"

"Sure boyfriend"

Door opens

"You shaved my dog"

The Hospital... Part Deux

2008-03-20T13:55:00.000-07:00

Mrs. McDougal is again in the hospital. Don't worry... well maybe worry, all hospital stays are unpleasant, but comparatively this one is minor.

I just have to remark how brave she is. This young woman endures being poked and prodded every half hour or more. She has these things on her legs that automatically contract different parts of her calves randomly. It's to prevent bed sores, but I can't imagine how annoying that must be. Her bed sounds like a cow dying every time she moves it up or down it's so squeaky. She's hooked up to this confused mass of tubes which has to come with her every time she goes to the bathroom.

And through it all she keeps the most amazing attitude. She sees us sitting here and implores us to go do something so we aren't bored. She waked up from a dilatid (like vicodin) sleep and instantly has some funny remark. And she looks so pretty. It's amazing to watch.

And so I sit here in constantly broken reverie, again amazed at the strength of spirit some people have. Three cheers for Mrs. McDougal!

DisneyHand

2008-03-12T13:10:00.000-07:00

A continuation of my Real Life Dilemma:

A few days ago I had a conversation with a friend about what to do when we get to the dreaded Real Life. Still a scary thought.

So lately I steal a few minutes a day to look at various charitable thigns I can do in my Real Life. I want to do something that helps people. I want to be paid well for doing this (maybe that's selfish but it's true). I want to be able to help in many different ways with lots of different organizations. I want to be hands on with kids, the environment and all sorts of projects that will help something. I don't have a specific thing I want to do. I just want to make a difference for every thing that has a need.

That's all.

Hahahaa.

So today I was poking around a bit on the internet, looking at the Make A Wish Foundation. I love Make A Wish. Every time I see something they've done it makes me cry a little. My wish is to do as much good for people as that organization has been able to.

I discovered in these musings that the most requested/granted wish is a trip to a Disney theme park. Which made me think.... I sure do like me some Disney. In fact I love it. I am completely drawn to all things Mickey.

And so for the last hour I have been researching jobs at Disney in hopes that I can find something in this vein. I'm still scared of this Real Life thing but I feel like I'm getting closer to knowing what I want to do. I just have to find a way to do it.

The Ickies and 10,000 BC

2008-03-10T11:37:00.000-07:00

I wish there were a word for the kind of sickness that's indescribable. You know that kind? Where you just feel generally bad but it isn't in a particular place. I've been feeling sort-of generally icky. I know how I feel, but I think people around me would be more comfortable if I could just say, "I have the flu." I'm just going to make up a title for it.... we'll call it the Ickies. I have the Ickies.

Sounds like the name of a band.

Other things I'm thinking of...

10,000 BC looked so cool. Then I went and saw it. Thank god I didn't pay for it. The thing is full of holes and discrepancies. I mean really, welding in the time of the mammoths? I don't think so. And somehow the Egyptians were building the Sphinx in 10,000 BC, although Wikipedia places the building somewhere in the 2000 BC range. But that's cool. They also had the mammoths working side by side with the people on the pyramids. Uhm, sure. Besides the fact that mammoths lived in snow, not the desert. And that they almost all died out in 12,000 BC (Wikipedia again). And those are only the problems I have with the mammoth part. But hey, suspend the disbelief right? Yeah.

Some good quotes from another blog:

"Every once in a while, a movie comes along that is simply baffling in its ineptitude... 10,000 B.C. falls into that same caliber of filmmaking - jaw-droppingly bad."

"10,000 BC is the kind of thunderously stupid movie that results when no consideration is given to plot, character, pacing, structure, or emotion" - Pajaba

Oh right and there were boats. I'm not sure boats were invented for a few thousand years, but whatever.

Ah well. Go see it for the Egypt part. No, rent it. Or YouTube it.

Feel Good Movies

2008-03-06T10:51:00.000-08:00

Last night my boyfriend and I watched Finding Neverland.

I forgot how incredible that movie is.

I love how purging a good cry can be. Of course I cried! Who wouldn't? When the orphan children start giggling at Peter Pan, I get a little misty. And it just gets worse from there.

But it is such a good cry! I'm so happy even though I'm so sad.

Some other movies like this:

The Notebook. Above all others. Wow, talk about an amazing emotional movie. By the end I'm sobbing and sobbing. I remember taking my mom and my sister to see this. When the movie was over my sister and I had our heads on our mom's shoulder and we were crying and crying long after the theatre cleared.

Bambi:
When his mom dies? Makes me want to cry now.
Life is Beautiful:
ie La Vita e Bella
Remember that movie with Roberto Benigni where he has to make the Naza camp better for his son? Totally that kind of movie.

It's A Wonderful Life:
I spend Christmas with Aiden's family this year. They all made fun of me for wanting to watch this, but I heard a few sniffles. More than a few. Must have been dusty in there.

Philadelphia:
I haven't seen this one in years. Man it's good. Remember the opera scene? I love Tom Hanks.Cinema Paradiso:

Wow there are a bunch. Worthy of note: Titanic, Ghost, Forrest Gump, Amelie.... there are so many!

Class Characters

2008-03-05T09:59:00.000-08:00

By now we all know that I have various film/tv/whatever characters in my classes.

Dumbledore:

Dumbledore is, of course, my Freshman (aka Stupid) English professor. I have him for another class too, but I never got the book and he gives the same lectures as in Stupid English so I don't suppose it matters. Actually he cut his beard and now has bangs, so I suppose he looks more like the new Dumbledore.

Yes. Just like that.

I also have:

Mary Poppins!!

Whoa. They look scary alike. She's a 40something student in my drama class. She actually started singing the other day! She wears red sparkly shoes sometimes, I think that's like Halloween for her. I'm just waiting for her to bring in her umbrella.

And lastly (for now)...

The South Park Goth Kid. He's hilarious. I have him in my Film as Lit class. He talks in this low goth voice EXACTLY like the south park character. He's so funny... he uses words like anthropomorphic and probity and coterminous (?) when any other word would do, but then he places those between "like" and "you know" while somehow keeping that incredulous/sarcastic/could care less tone of voice. All this together is strikingly funny. I think you have to be there.

New Website!!

2008-03-04T21:26:00.001-08:00

I created a website!!!

Check it out! It's about Ousmane Sembene, the Father of African Cinema. I've already seen one of his movies, pretty damn cool I must say. But not as cool as my new website!

I'm so proud of myself. I've never made a website before!

Ousmane Sembene Webpage by Me and The Priestess

Lacking

2008-02-29T09:48:00.000-08:00

Today I feel I am lacking.

At the moment I am lacking battery in my cell phone. I forgot to charge it last night, and of course now the cigarette lighter in my car doesn't work, so my car charger won't charge. Strange... how did we ever live without cell phones?

Lacking my W2 from my old work. I've already called twice about it but no one will call me back. Can't get my tax return without submitting taxes! Also can't get a student loan evidently. Ugh.

Lacking money big time. Still short on my rent although I'm picking up every shift I can, even agreeing to doubles.

This of course results in a lack of time to do my homework. The other night I came home from work and promptly sat in my big comfy red bowl chair and read the entire Planet of the Apes. I liked it actually. Only problem was that I also needed to read plays by Brecht and Pinter that night. Oh well.

Lacking in excercise too. The lack of time has been my excuse for lack of exercise but I know that's really just bs. I should find time to do the exercise. I know it would make me feel better. But at the same time, I am so tired that half the time I sit down to do my homework and fall asleep after two scenes. Oh right, lack of sleep.

Things I am not lacking:
1) Eyebrow hair. Gross!! I feel like a wookie but haven't brought myself to pluck yet. Thank god for bangs!
2) Love. Awwww. Thanks to my boyfriend and my dog and my fam back home, I'm doing well on this one.
3) Nutrients pouches on my tummy
4) Homework. Yuck.
5) Midterms.
6) Classes.
7) oh crap... speaking of classes I've got 3 minutes to get to Dumbledore.

Midterms

2008-02-28T10:17:00.001-08:00

Midterms are overrated. And crappy. For example, my bible midterm. We go through the first few weeks of class with relatively little discussion of the stories of the bible. My professor, intead of being something normal like, oh, say, a religious studies professor, is actually a Dr. of Linguistics. So instead of talking about the stories in the bible, I need to know things like the definition of reification, or that the Bible is actually something called a Hagadah, whereas the individual story is really called a mashel. WHAT?? Anyway, that's what I thought I was supposed to know for my midterm.

Oh, but not so.

Turns out my midterm has none of those questions in it. Rather, I need to know things like 1) all the sons of Israel, according to their mommas but also by birth order 2) an exact and yet brief account of the fall of man and of Noah's flood 3) exactly what happened each day of creation, and 4) who is Abraham's mother. Uh, crappy.

So anyway I only missed two, thank God. Hahahahaah. I still don't know (or care) where Abram/Abraham came from. What I do know is, my professor is hilarious. My personal favorite is when he randomly starts saying, "Sausages! Sausages Sausages!" And so it is all ok. The end.

Phoenix

2008-02-26T15:26:00.000-08:00

The last time I wrote was just before I headed to Phoenix to visit my boyfriend's family. It was quite the experience.

The first few days were a little crazy. I was stressed and tired even before driving the five-ish hours to get there, so of course I was a wee bit bitchy. This made my boyfriend first want to help me and then want to shoot me, so by the time we actually got into Phoenix neither of us were in a very festive mood.

We were both starving but were waiting to eat dinner with his family as planned. Then they called to tell us they were hungry so they were eating without us. We got bitchier.

Then Aiden's mom called. She thought we were going to see them when we first got in, but we had already passed her house half an hour ago on the way to my boyfriend's brother's. She really wanted to see us and wasn't excited that we weren't headed there. That made us even bitchier.

We finally got there, ate food we didn't want and spent hours in a house with dogs, cats, and a baby, all of which Aiden is allergic to. Bitchy bitchy bitchy.

Good points: my boyfriend has a really cool sister. And the baby is pretty cute.

Next day I had to do homework. Bitchy. But I get interrupted half way through with a surprise shopping trip. Three hours to decide between two of the same painting.

Good points: ate at a deli. Food was good.

Came home. Ate. Or something. I don't actually remember what we did. I do remember Aiden's sister and I sitting with the dogs out by the pool, laughing about how everyone was so stressed out.

Oh right. Went shopping with just the kids (well... 20somethings). Started good. Got stressful. Then we had margueritas. That made everything better.

Good points: Margueritas.

That night my boyfriend, his sister, and I went out to this little dingy bar. They made jack and cokes with 3/4 jack and a splash o' coke. It was probably the best thing we could have done. Suddenly we all let go of the stress and just talked and laughed and relaxed. Then we went for Jack in the Box. It was one of those nights that, for no concrete reason, you'll always remember as being the best times of your life.

Next morning was great. Aiden and I cuddled. We all went and did something, don't remember really. Then we came home. I started reading a play for homework, and then my boyfriend came in and convinced me to come play horse. We had a blast! I made like 2 baskets the whole time. It was so much fun. We were playing with the baby, taking pictures of him like he was playing basketball. Aiden's mom came and played. His sister was unstoppable. Even the baby momma was making more shots than me. We were all giggling and making fun of each other and having a jolly old time. It was great.

Somewhere in there Aiden and his sister and I went on an adventure. Basically we went to some lookout points and took pictures. And we loved it. Somehow his sister and I ended up with coffee... and a small bottle of vodka. We had such fun.

That night we went to the casino with Aiden's mom. First I won a bunch of money, the Aiden's sister won a bunch more. We were laughing and playing and having a grand old time. Three happy girls sitting around a slot machine.

Then my boyfriend and his brother wanted to go to the bar. So at midnight the four of us packed up and, courtesy of Aiden's mom (who was sure she would win it big) set out for a night on the town. We ended up at a cute little bar walking distance from the house. And we got pretty shlitzed. It probably didn't help that we had been drinking literally all day long. But man, we had so much fun. We ate some damn good bar food and had round after round of drinks and shots and told a bunch of stories and laughed at the room spinning. In a completely unexpected way, it was a great bonding moment for me. Afterwards we all went back and Aiden's brother was jumping up and down on the couch and we all giggled and then knocked out. Well actually Aiden and I had to drive back to his parents house at like 3am because of his allergies. But even that was fun. We were poking fun at each other the whole way and nothing was stressful anymore.

The next day we had to leave. We played with the baby and had lunch with Aiden's sister, then we drove out. Aiden read me the play that I had skipped out on for horse. We held hands and laughed at the stupid play. He even let me drive. It was great.

Moral of the story: Surround yourself with good people. Even when things are on a knife's edge, you will find yourself loving them. And when you work through that part, there's no one you'd rather share your life with.

At School

2008-02-26T11:49:00.000-08:00

I know I have been terrible with posting lately. Trust me, I've had enough to be doing.

First, check out my other blog, Colorful. I've been doing lots and lots of homework lately, and half of it has been on that blog. If you want to see me be nerdy, check that out.

This is what I'm doing now.

I am currently using I Like To Learn to practice learning all the countries in Africa. If you feel like a nerd, you should try it. It's actually kind of fun.

Just now I emailed my friend two pages of notes from yesterday.

And now I'm off to get a burger.

Probably a veggie burger because I'm counting calories. Or maybe a real burger because I deserve it! Aiden says we will have healthy chinese food tonight. YUMMY!!! I love Chinese.

God People Are Assholes

2008-02-12T13:25:00.000-08:00

This is the scene right outside my library. There is a Jesus dude walking around with a big stupid sign and a megaphone. And he's using HIS KIDS to hand out flyers.

This pisses me off to no f*ing end. I can handle stupid people being stupid. But this is just overboard.

I have no problem with someone believing in God, or Buddha, or the Nutcracker. Your belief is your belief. I even have some of my own. But these people, who I refer to as, "God people" or "Jesus people" are unintelligent sheep.

I'm really not sure what he's hoping to accomplish here. Everyone is walking straight past and ignoring him. Hmmm, maybe that's because he's making a giant DOUCHE of himself. I don't understand trying to get people to listen to you while simultaneously using tactics that keep people away. And, he has a couple old homeless smelly cronies with him who are talking to people too. Right, because the group of Greekers they set up camp in front of are going to respond well to homeless dudes. One of them tried to talk to me when I took the picture. I tried to be nice and just ignore him, but he gets in my face and says, "Thou art a sinner. Do you have sex?" I was like, WHOA DUDE. First, pick a century. Second, you're an asshole.

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHH!

Some funny things: First, the girl in blue is a sorority girl. She was actually giving the dude a piece of her mind there for a second, and she was winning. The funny part is that the sorority girl made a better argument than someone. Sad part is that it was a God person. Second, look at the kid in grey. He's like, what the f*. Then the God person said something to him.... through the megaphone. Imbecile, you're a foot away. Naturally, the kid smacked him across the face. Well no he didn't really but that would have been so great. Lastly, the booth in the back is for Obama. God person, you don't have a chance. Why didn't he try the other side of the quad? People were bee-lining past him to get the Obama stickers.

I'm tearing my hair out in frustration. The stupidity of people can be astounding.

And WHAT is with having your kid hand out flyers. Honestly. I have so many choice words for this dude. I have seen this same story so many times. Father is over-reactive God person. Daughter can't date till 16. Daughter gets preggers at 16. Daughter hates daddy. Daughter grows up hating all men.

What's really stupid is this: his repeated script, broadcast over the megaphone, is, "God will punish the sin of fornication!" Asshole. You have your kids with you. (Unless, I suppose, they were born of the virgin. Yeah right. DICKWAD.)

I apologize. I am so angry that I am completely inarticulate. Well thought-out blog coming soon, I promise. It will detail the many horrible things this man deserves.

Attack of the Freshmen!!

2008-02-08T16:14:00.000-08:00

One of my classes with Dumbledore is comprised entirely of freshmen.*

These freshmen are of the "not cool freshmen" sort (please see my note on "cool freshmen"). For instance: the little girl who sits next to me came in this morning wearing white crocs with her tri-delt sweater wrapped around her waist. Twenty minutes into class, she asked if she could have the melon pieces that I hadn't eaten from my fruit-cup breakfast. This is the same girl who, on hearing that I am "oh cool a senior!" asked me to proof-read her papers.

Anyway.

A few days ago, I missed my name in roll call. This is stupid for several reasons.
1) He takes roll call
2) We can't hear a damn word he says because he mumbles
3) We can't hear a damn word he says because the freshmen never shut up

So I was playing sudoku in class and missed my name. That sucks an extra five minutes out of my life to go talk to him after class to get the absence taken off. Bother.

The freshmen who never shut up are the "popular" freshmen who sit on one side of class and have an endless amount of vapid things to say. They consist primarily of a girl who comes in late and a guy who will soon move to West Hollywood. This day was particularly bad because one of the "not cool" freshmen didn't shower, seemingly for a week. It smelled like shit, literally, in the classroom. And of course Dumbledore couldn't hear himself speak with the door open, so we were shut up inside a little room with this horrible stench.

Ugh. I am telling you, I could take up ten blogs with these stories.

So after class I go up to Dumbledore. Of course there are ten other people there, eight of whom are following the two popular freshmen. To my dismay, the popular girl came straight up to me and smiled the stale botox smile of a sorority girl. And then she started talking to me. This is approximately the conversation.

Sorority Girl: "HiIreallylikeyourbagwheredidyougetitoh
yourmommadeitthatissocoolithinkmomsareunder
appreciatedsohaveyouhadthisprofessorbeforeishe
alwaysthisboringohmygodyouhavehimfortwoclassesi
wouldjustdiedoyouhavehimnextclassohmygodialmost
tookthatclassthenwewouldhavehadthesameschedulebut
ijustknewicouldnttakeitIthinkthatssocoolsoyoure
graduatingiwillgraduateinthreeyearsbecause..."

Me: "My name is Astor. Yes, I'm on the roll. No, that's the roll for your other class."

Sorority Girl:
"OhmygoshIcan'tbelieveheseriouslydoesntevenknow
ournamesdoyouthinkhedevennoticeifwemissedadayi
meaninevermissedadayofschoolbutsometimesitsreally
hardtogetupinthemorningdoyouevermisshisclassarethese
testsgoingtobeeasydoyouthinkwhereisyournextclassdoyou..."

And then she followed me. All the way to my next classroom.

My friend made fun of me unendingly during class. But then the fire alarm went off, and we decided we would rather go into the library than back to Dumbledore. So three of us are on our way when yet another botox freshman walks up, clearly singles me out of the group, and says, "Have you ever thought about joining a sorority? We'd really like to have you." At which point I ran away and hid my head in a paper bag while my friends laughed hysterically at me.

Now, I have become "the cool senior." I heard the popular girl this morning telling her West Hollywood friend, "OhshesreallyniceItalkedtoherlastweek
shestakenhisclassbefore...." I looked over and she smiled this big sorority smile at me again.

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!

*Note: My fantastic sister is a freshman. She however is what I call "the elite group of actually cool freshmen'" namely because she showers, dresses herself better than any person you see in a magazine and above all could match you in conversation any day.

Yes We Can

2008-02-07T09:22:00.000-08:00

Wow.

Will.i.am (Black Eyed Peas) created this anthem from Barack Obama's speech after the New Hampshire primary. The video is directed by Jesse Dylan (Bob Dylan's son) and features 40 big names like Scarlett Johansson, Common, John Legend, Herbie Hancock and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.

Ever see something that profoundly affected you, but afterwards you can't find words for it? The feeling is there but it's too big for these small letters.

Lyrics:

It was a creed written into the founding documents that declared the destiny of a nation.
Yes we can.
It was whispered by slaves and abolitionists as they blazed a trail toward freedom.
Yes we can. Yes we can.
It was sung by immigrants as they struck out from distant shores
and pioneers who pushed westward against an unforgiving wilderness.
Yes we can. Yes we can.
It was the call of workers who organized;
women who reached for the ballots;
a President who chose the moon as our new frontier;
and a King who took us to the mountain-top and pointed the way to the Promised Land.
Yes we can to justice and equality.
(yes we can, yes we can, yes we can, yes we can...)

Yes we can to opportunity and prosperity.
Yes we can to opportunity and prosperity.
Yes we can heal this nation.
Yes we can repair this world.
Yes we can. Si Se Puede
(yes we can, yes we can, yes we can, yes we can...)

We know the battle ahead will be long,
but always remember that no matter what obstacles stand in our way,
nothing can stand in the way of the power of millions of voices calling for change.
We want change!
(We want change! We want change! We want change...)

We have been told we cannot do this by a chorus of cynics who will only grow louder and more dissonant.
We've been asked to pause for a reality check.
We've been warned against offering the people of this nation false hope.
But in the unlikely story that is America, there has never been anything false about hope. We want change!
(We want change! I want change! We want change! I want change...)

The hopes of the little girl who goes to a crumbling school in Dillon are the same as the dreams of the boy who learns on the streets of LA;
we will remember that there is something happening in America;
that we are not as divided as our politics suggest;
that we are one people;
we are one nation;
and together, we will begin the next great chapter in America's story with three words that will ring from coast to coast;
from sea to shining sea - Yes. We. Can.
(yes we can, yes we can, yes we can, yes we can, yes we can, yes we can, yes we can, yes we can...)

National Prevent a Litter Month

2008-02-07T09:11:00.000-08:00

Who knew there was a National Prevent a Litter Month? Too bad we don't get a day off school for that.

I thought this was interesting. One "unaltered" (so PC) cat who has two litters a year with 2.8 surviving kittens each will produce this family tree:

As much as I love cats, I wouldn't want to have two million of them.

By the way, this is my gorgeous cat. She now lives at home with my mom in a few acres filled with mice and birds and a loving grandma who takes good care of her.

Two million of her would be ok.

Super Tuesday Party!

2008-02-06T08:46:00.000-08:00

Last night was such fun! We had a Super Tuesday Party, which mostly consisted of my boyfriend and one of my best friends yelling at each other about their choices in candidates. Oh no wait.... actually it mostly consisted of wine. Lots and lots and lots. Four bottles by the end I think. I had a blast.

This morning I woke up thinking, "Man, I am a lush!" I was trying to somehow reconcile the fact that I can drink so much on a Tuesday. Then I realized.... I'm in college!! There are parties every night of the week! I'm supposed to drink all the time!

And so with that realization I feel better about myself. And the fact that I am currently carrying around a wrapped 6-pack of Heinekin as a birthday present for a friend.

Cheers!

I Voted!

2008-02-05T13:10:00.000-08:00

My very own "I Voted" sticker!!!

I voted today. In the end, I voted Obama. I went back and forth about it for awhile. Honestly, I believe in both Clinton and Obama. Haha, it's funny that we say, "I believe in" like a god. Rather, I support both Clinton and Obama. I think either would do an excellent job.

Yesterday I was watching Man Of The Year, the Robbin Williams movie where the political comedian gets elected president.

There is a fantastic quote at the end of the movie where Christoper Walken says, "He sounds different. That's why the voters can hear him."

This is exactly what we need. Somebody we (and the world) can hear.

Our biggest problem now is our foreign policy. If we can fix the way we deal with the rest of the world, then perhaps the rest of the world will be interested in dealing with us again. If we can renegotiate trade deals more money will flow into our economy. Goodness knows our economy needs it. As I write this, the DOW is down 301 points. Eeeesh... and the day isn't even over. With our economy up our production will rise, creating more jobs and exports. We can finally focus on our impact on the environment. And just perhaps, if we stop spending $100 billion a quarter on defense spending, that money could go to important things like education. The rest of the free world doesn't listen to us any more, mostly because for the last eight years there has been nothing to listen to except, "War! Terrorism! Weapons of mass destruction!" No one wants to do business with someone so negative. We've "protected" ourselves so well that by this point we need a very different voice to make us heard again. Obama has incredible leadership ability. He speaks well in front of individuals and masses. He runs his campaign one person at a time. He has the power to speak his mind while maintaining peace. He can also bring scores of people to accomplish things they would not have done without him. We need that now. He is less experienced. But that youthful idealism is precisely what is necessary to get my friends out of Iraq and get our economy back on track. Old world politics will do it slowly or won't do it at all. His brand of motivated exuberance will accomplish results quickly, with a necessary abandonment of slow tradition. What's more, the experience he does have will lead us in a far better direction. For instance, he is the only presidential hopeful ever to have lived outside the US. With the position Mr. Bush has maneuvered us into, I suggest that this experience is presently worth more than experience on the arm of the White House. Obama will lead this country back to what we should be.

That's my bit. If you voted Clinton, I salute you too. If you voted McCain... well I probably don't know you but I hope you had good reason. And if you didn't vote, you forfeit your right to complain. Poles are open till 8. GO VOTE!

Super Bowl

2008-02-04T10:02:00.000-08:00

What a game!

Have to admit, I really wanted the Patriots to win. I just think it would have been keen to see a team go completely undefeated.

I find it hilarious this morning that every talk show host is talking about, "The best team in the NFL, the New York Giants!" What? Excuse me... wasn't it just Saturday when you all were saying that no one could beat this Pats team, no way no how? Hmmm... discrepancies.

I just loved that absolutely nothing happened for three hours, and then the last hour turned everything on its head.

This super bowl was so much fun. I had to work, which I was semi-dreading, but when I got there I realized my favorite friend at the bar was going to be working with me, and everything perked up. We had a blast! We were there like three hours before the game, so f*ing long I thought I was going to shoot myself. Luckily though that gave us time to prepare for the onslaught of people so that when the damn game finally did start I got to kick back and hang with my peeps. So great! I got paid to hang out and watch the super bowl. I created a little half time dance that even my customers were doing by the end. And in the last few minutes I was the lone Patriot fan in a sea of very drunk New Yorkers, all of us screaming at the tv at the top of our lungs. It was awesome.

I have decided this morning that of the two quarterbacks I am glad Eli Manning won. The dude is just cool. I mean, Tom Brady is gorgeous.

Who knew he looked like that without a helmet on? Owww... oh wait I just burned myself on the hotness of Tom Brady.

Only problem is, he's also kindof an asshole. He did get some girl preggers and then leave her high and dry. And he's not exactly known for charitable giving.

Eli Mannning, on the other hand, is pretty damn cool.

He's definitely cute. Like in a "Pinch my cheeck... you know you want to" kind of way. His dad seems like a quality dude too. And Eli does some awesome charity work feeding hungry kids right here in the USA. Such a good little American boy, you gotta love him.

You know, on second thought I'm glad the Giants won. They were the underdogs and it's always great to see the underdogs win. It was a fantastic game and I think in the end the team who wanted it more ended up winning.

Back to School, Back to School....

2008-02-01T16:49:00.000-08:00

Whew! This last week has been a blur. School is going to kick my butt this semester. Here is a rundown of what I'm taking:

So far my favorite is my senior seminar. I started out with one called Medieval Mystics and Dreamers... eeesh. Should have known by the title how that one would work out. When I went to my first class and found out we were reading Chaucer I had the urge to run, but I steadied myself. My friend was trying to add the class, so I figured together we could manage. Then I found out she couldn't add. I thought about dropping. Then I found out the Chaucer we were reading wasn't even Canterbury Tales, but Love Visions. Love visions?! AAAAAAAH!! I was sufficiently scared to never set foot in the classroom again.

So anyway a couple of my friends were in another senior seminar that was luckily still open. Turns out, it's awesome. It's African Film and Literature, which I was a little leery of in the beginning. But I walked into the classroom and the professor was playing some cool African music, and I was happy. He's a great South African guy who requires that we attend the Pan-African film festival and instead of super amounts of papers he's asking us to keep a blog. Oh right, I have a new blog. Colorful 495. That would be for English 495, the course number, not something weird and random. Check it out, should be interesting. The only thing on there now is a post about an excellent book called Things Fall Apart which I suggest to everyone. More soon.

I have another Film and Literature class as well, this one just plain Film and Literature. I am currently trying to finish 1984, which is of course due by my next course meeting. I'm going to fit it in right around the two other novels, 40 pages of poetry and three plays due next week. Hahahaha..... oh it's sad. Should be a cool class. So far we have talked about panopticism. It's a concept of social control from the French philosopher Foucault (my old friend from Theewy). Basically it comes from a prison system developed by another philosopher where a solitary watchtower is surrounded by prison cells in a circular formation. The cells are separated from one another so the prisoners can't converse with those directly around them, but the inside wall is glass so that the watchtower can look in at any time on anyone without them knowing... I realize now that this could be an entire blog on it's own, so I will give you a picture and move on.

The whole point is that this is the concept behind the "Big Brother" dealio in 1984.

Moving on:

I have a drama class with one of my professors from last semester. He is one of the coolest, most engaging teachers I've ever had. Unfortunately, although he gave me A's on everything else in the class, he decided I deserved a C on my term paper. Not to be weird about it, but I don't get C's. What's more, he didn't even tell me what I did wrong. He put a couple markings for something I didn't indent. That was it. I was sincerely PISSED OFF. However, I had the option of taking him again or waiting another semester to graduate, so I'm taking him again. I figure this time I just won't bother doing the damn paper, maybe he'll give me credit for not bothering him with my apparent ineptitude. But I'm not bitter.

I have a Bible as literature class that's pretty cool. So far we haven't read much Bible because my professor keeps explaining the 17 different interpretations of the hebrew word we translate as, "light," but it is actually interesting so I don't mind. I've been reading the bible a bit on my own (ostensibly it's homework but I don't know when he will catch up to his own assignments). It's semi interesting! For instance, I had no idea that Noah actually took seven pairs of clean animals on his boat. Now, how he knew what was clean I'm not sure, since the clean/dirty thing seems to come in the New Testament, but hey I think you're supposed to take the leap.

And last but not least, I have our good friend Dumbledore.

Oh yes. For two classes. In a row, no less. Kinda makes me want to shoot myself. On the other hand, I suppose it's built in nap-time.

That's them. Should be a crazy semester. Wish me luck!

Cheetos, Dog Pee and So Forth

2008-01-28T17:12:00.000-08:00

Things I am thinking about:

* I love cheetos. I'm trying to eat healthy and I've actually been pretty good. I eat fruit for breakfast every day and Aiden's made me some fantastic food from our Biggest Loser cookbook. But I can't give up the cheetos. They are so cheesy and fake and tasty and you can lick your fingers afterward. Man. There is nothin better than a few good cheetos. Chester and I are buddies on that one.

* Bush is an imbecile. Good news is, tonight is his very last State of the Union. EVER!!! He's been fucking awful. In addition to Iraq and our economy both being in the toilet, here is a list of some almost-forgotten insults:
1) Cut funding to libraries by $39 million.
2) Increased the acceptable amount of arsenic in tap water.
3) Cut $60 the from the public housing program of the Boys' and Girls' Clubs of America.
4) Cut coverage of the pill from federal employees, although their plan still covers Viagra.
5) Cut Environmental Protection Agency budget by $500 million.

* My dog peed on the carpet. I don't know where. But I can smell it. I went to do some situps yesterday and almost puked. Blecke (that is the sound of puking).

The good news about her is that she plays fetch now and it is adorable.

* A little freshman asked me today if I would proofread her papers. HAHAHAHHAHAHA. It was so sweet. These little girls have such big wide eyes to accompany their bright pink tri-delt "Kipper's little sister!" sweatshirts... eeeeeeeeesh. I wanted to pat her head and tell her to sit.

* I want Uggs. Unfortunately, they are completely sold out all over the f*ing country. Why is it so difficult to find these shoes? You'd think it was Tickle Me Elmo! Even that wasn't sold out like this. I have wanted these shoes for forever. And they are IMPOSSIBLE to find. I even had my sister check Spodunk-ville (aka my hometown), and they are sold out! Its ridiculous. Wouldn't you just make more? I mean honestly, they're missing out on money here! Ah well. Foiled again.

That's all for now. I have to read 13 chapters tonight. Yuck.

(Thanks to e.ThePeople for help on my Bush Is Bad list)

Heath and the Worms

2008-01-24T14:20:00.000-08:00

I am sad.

Heath Ledger died. I didn't know him. But for some reason, I am incredibly sad. What a tremendous loss.

This morning as I walked to school I saw something I've never seen before. There were hundreds of dead worms on the sidewalk. It was beautiful in a tragic way. I think the worms were grieving too.

To Matilda and Michelle and the Ledgers, I am so sorry.

Almost Over

2008-01-22T11:39:00.000-08:00

Finally! The first day of my last semester at college!!!

(That is of course undergraduate... if I get into USC then there will be yet more semesters but I will be a trojan!)

This is what I am now:

A Matador. Grrrr.

So today, armed with a brand new red polka dot bag from my best friend (LOVE YOU!) and some super healthy apple juice instead of the coffee I really wanted, I am off to tackle the wide world of English 400s.

Wish me luck!

A Tribute to Alan RIckman

2008-01-21T18:20:00.000-08:00

I love Harry Potter. And as a self-proclaimed Harry Potter nerd I absolutely adore (and simultaneously despise) Professor Snape.

Interestingly, I also love Sense and Sensibility, where the same dude plays the gorgeous and dashing Colonel Brandon.

And recently I saw Sweeney Todd, where this fantastic actor played yet a completely different role.

Who is this guy? Oh wait... turns out he's an acclaimed actor. Duh.

So now I have a little crush on Alan Rickman. In kindof a not crush way.... Anyway turns out he's been in a ton of stuff:

Hitchiker's Guide To The Galaxy:
He was Marvin, the sad little robot
(Note: the movie sucks but he does a good job. And the book is awesome.)

Dr. Alfred Blalock in Something the Lord Made, a little known but damn fine movie about the guy who created (?) open-heart surgery. Intense movie. Kudos to Aiden's mom for turning me on to this one.

Love Actually (YAY!!)

Metatron in Dogma (the super dry humor voice of God... oooooohhh)

The Sheriff of Nottingham in the Kevin Costner Robin Hood movie Prince of Thieves:
(ah yes... under this picture on imdb are the words "tall dark and wickedly handsome"... so true)

And a bunch of other stuff.

Alan Rickman. Nemesis of Harry and love of women everywhere. There you go.

Taco Taco, Burrito Burrito

2008-01-18T09:45:00.000-08:00

As brought to you by:

Hennifer... Lopezzz

Mmmm... burritos.

I dream of burritos. I crave them. I love them.

Before I begin, I must pay homage to the damn fine burritos of the world that will not be the continuing subject of this blog.

1. Ricos Tacos Super Burrito (Humboldt, CA)
2. $2 Burrito/Hamburger Stand (Just off UCLA campus)
3. Aiden's Open-Face Burrito (my apartment)

However, one burrito tops them all:

Oh yes, the Chipotle burrito. Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm.

Let's talk about my personal burrito:

It is scrumptious. It starts with a warm tortilla. Next comes some excellent cilantro/lime rice. No beans for me because they're gross. But hey, I get my burrito made exactly how I want it thanks to the user-friendly taco bar.

What a beauty! Slap on some Carnitas and a little mild and medium salsa. Top it with sour cream and guacamole! (which should always be said with an exclamation point) and wrap up that sucker... heaven in a tinfoil shell.

Aiden and I always get chips and salsa to go with our burrito. And they do have some wonderful chips. Made fresh daily. I want one of those shirts that says, "I made the chips today."

So, granted, I know this isn't the greatest food for me. And I don't eat it that often. But it was sort of a it's-not-great-but-can't-be-that-bad concept in my head. I always shied away from finding out exactly how not-so-great it was.

Until this morning.

Aiden and I have been trying to be more health conscious lately. Last night we made a fantastic little meal from our Biggest Loser cookbook. Note: by "we" I mean he. Note also: cheap whole wheat pasta is GROSS. The sauce was really good though.

Phew! Got through that tangent.

Anyway something compelled me this morning to look at Chipotle nutrition information. Which isn't actually available on the website, weird. However, it is available on Chipotle Fan.

They have this fun little game called, "How Healthy Is Your Chipotle Meal?" Well I played. And...

I lost.

Check out my burrito. This is the one I described above, with chips.

Chipotle Nutrition Facts

Serving Size: 1 Burrito


Amount Per Serving

Calories 1617	Calories from Fat 650

% DV*

Total Fat 72g

Saturated Fat 19.5g

Cholesterol 106mg

Sodium 3660mg

Total Carbohydrate 184g

Dietary Fiber 13g

Sugars 8g

Protein 55g


Vitamin A 103%

Vitamin C 54%

Calcium 40%

Iron 40%

Chipotle Nutrition Results provided by:
Chipotle Fan.com

EEEEEEEEEEEESH!! 1700 calories. Wow. 650 of those lovely little things from fat. Gross!! After just watching SuperSize me, I am officially freaked out.

Alright Chipotle. You win. I can't give you up. However, I have discovered a new love:

The Burrito Bol:

Here we go. With this little puppy we have cut out the tortilla. I have also removed the sour cream and added lettuce. Bam! Cut out 500 calories. Here's my new count:

Chipotle Nutrition Facts

Serving Size: 1 Burrito Bol


Amount Per Serving

Calories 1172	Calories from Fat 480

% DV*

Total Fat 53g

Saturated Fat 10.5g

Cholesterol 66mg

Sodium 2770mg

Total Carbohydrate 128g

Dietary Fiber 11g

Sugars 5g

Protein 44g


Vitamin A 113%

Vitamin C 65%

Calcium 13%

Iron 22%

Chipotle Nutrition Results provided by:
Chipotle Fan.com

Next time you head to Chipotle, I strongly suggest you eat tea leaves and lettuce the rest of the day.

Disclaimer: yes, I know Chipotle is owned by McDonalds. Yes, I know Morgan Spurlock gained 17 pounds in 12 days. Yes, McDonalds food is gross. And yes, Chipotle has cut out nasty things like Synthetic Growth Hormone from their food. Oh wait what? Something good from a fast food joint? Haha got you there, you thought I was going to say something bad. Agreed, Chipotle isn't exactly organic. And I too hate that the Big Mac owns my beloved burrito. But it's a far cry from toe nail hamburger.

The Little Puppy

2008-01-16T09:49:00.000-08:00

Once upon a time there was a mommy bloodhound.

She was a very special dog. She helped catch the bad guys.

One day, the mommy dog had puppies!

She loved her puppies. She loved them more than fishes love water.

But there are lots of bad guys out there and the good humans needed help. So the puppies were taken away to school to learn. The mommy bloodhound was very sad.

She cried all night. She cried some of the next morning too. She cried so much that when she finally stopped she heard herself crying still.

But then she realized, it wasn't her crying!

She looked around the corner and a tiny sad face looked back at her.

This little tyke had a reason to cry. She was left all alone by a bad guy who had been her human. The bad guy had sped off in a car so quickly that he didn't even get the puppy out all the way!

The poor little puppy had lost her tail.

She was so sad. She was all alone without a mommy and without a human and without a tail.

The mommy bloodhound knew just what to do.

She took in the little puppy. Her mommy instincts told her the little puppy needed the kind of love only she could give. The mommy bloodhound took the little puppy to work with her. The little puppy was a fast learner and soon she was catching bad guys too.

The little puppy was really good at her job. Soon enough she wasn't even a little puppy any more. She was a real dog, smarter than any of the other dogs she worked with.

One day she caught a really bad guy.

He was so bad that the good humans were afraid other bad guys might come after the little puppy! So they put the little puppy into witness protection.

Only remember, the little puppy wasn't little anymore. In fact, she had puppies of her own now. She'd had a long life helping the good humans.

But now she was sad. She was lost in a cage and she didn't have much time left.

Then one day a nice girl came to see the little puppy. She petted the little puppy and took her into a pretty place with grass. The nice girl hugged the little puppy and told her she was going to have a new mommy and daddy and that they were going to love her more than fish love water. Then she took the little puppy's picture.

The nice girl left. But then she came back. And then the little puppy went home with the nice girl. The little puppy now has her very own good humans who love her. She is a happy dog.

The End.

Wicked

2008-01-15T15:40:00.000-08:00

Unless you have seen Wicked, you will not understand any of this blog.

You think I'm kidding. I am not. You think I'm exaggerating. I am not. Without having seen Wicked, you have no concept.

Wicked is that fabulous broadway sensation recounting, "the untold story of the witches of Oz." Which does sound cool. In like a, "huh weird they made a musical about the wizard of Oz that isn't The Wizard of Oz" kind of way.

You see, that's the problem. I think that people judge too early on this one. They see a green witch and think Judy Garland. Let me assure you, Wicked is absolutely no trip over the rainbow.

However, you need to see this to get it.

To discover for yourself that Glenda, the good witch (yes, the pink one in a bubble), is obsessed with shoes.

Although she is in a bubble, this Glinda is far from the "good" you might expect.

Or that the wicked witch of the west has a name. Elphie. And, like our favorite frog, she learns it's not easy being green.

Resemblance?

Most importantly, there is a song that ends the first act which will blow your mind to smithereens. After seeing this live you will, as my sister described, "feel like you've just had an orgasm."

It's called Defying Gravity, and it is at the same time about learning to fly and about f***ing the rules and no longer accepting limits.

Nerdy you say? No more nerdy than, oh, Rock Band parties. Don't judge until you've seen it.

Life Raft

2008-01-14T10:59:00.000-08:00

Sometimes, all you need in life is a set of damn good girlfriends.

I think in order to live a more full life a girl needs those few girls around who will always be there. For pad thai. For trying on bridesmaid's dresses with an embarrassing coldsore. For a place to stay when you suddenly have to move.

And especially for those times when men just wouldn't understand.

After midnight on Friday I met one of my best friends for a late night bitch session over thai food. We both had so much pent up steam in us. It was AWESOME. We were so loud our neighbor table shhhhh'd us.

On Saturday I went line dancing with my bud who's always up for anything. We had a shot of something creamy. And some drink called a Johnny Appleseed... which I think doesn't actually exist but it did the trick.

Today I hiked to the Hollywood sign with my dog and her fairy dogmother. It's been such a good weekend. Hooray for friends!

Die Alien Die!!

2008-01-07T09:23:00.000-08:00

HAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHAH!!!
(That was an evil laugh. Think Dr. Evil)

I HAVE KILLED THE ALIEN!!!

Yes, that is correct. It is dead. At least almost... the big nasty scab fell off last night and didn't come back this morning. I'm probably jinxing myself by writing this. In fact I'm sure I am. But it's dead!!!

Guess what killed it? Plain, unassuming mouthwash, dabbed on with a q tip.

Finally I can get back to life.

Feeling Shitty

2008-01-04T08:51:00.000-08:00

Have you ever seen Alien? You know the part where some random guy in a bar or something all of a sudden falls down and an alien erupts from his stomach? That is exactly my problem. Except that it's on my face.

Ah yes that is just what I look like, just move it upward a little.

Consequently, I feel like shit.

The biggest problem is that, in contrast to healing and going away, it just keeps getting worse and different. Yesterday it was just pussy and disgusting. Today it is bloody, pussy and disgusting.

I feel like this:

Only it isn't even Christmas anymore, so I don't have a sliver of happiness in any part of this.

So I am the maid of honor in this wedding, and today I have to go try on the dresses. I'm positive the attendant is going to take one look at me and kick me out. I would kick me out. I look like I have the beginnings of a zombie disease or something.

Funny enough, there is a picture of a zombie bride and bridesmaid on the internet. I will show you just so you have some idea what I am going to deal with today.

(What is this picture doing on the site for the Tate Modern? Guess zombie brides are more chic than I thought...)

So anyway, here is my plan for the day:
1) Write a blog bitching about how badly I have it
2) Wear a paper bag over my head and try on some damn dresses
3) Go back home
4) Read magazines, watch tv and eat bad food
5) Not go anywhere or let anyone see me
6) Lie in a pool of my own misery and shame until my face heals and I can rejoin my fellow humans.

Life Without Rent

2008-01-03T09:21:00.000-08:00

What I would buy if I didn't have to pay rent this month:

(This is of course assuming that I've paid all bills and my credit card balance was back to zero. Which it is not. But in the perfect world without all that jazz, here is my list...)

First:

Because every girl needs a coach keyring, especially one with a tiny bottle of perfume.

Then:

These fantastic Chip and Pepper jeans. Man I wish I could afford super cute jeans.

A NARS makuep palette

Uggs, the single most comfortable piece of clothing available to humanity.

This box set

Because I am a nerd, but honestly who doesn't love hobbits?

This coat:

And this bag:

Both by Marc Jacobs. Because that's a necessary part of life.

Oh and these:

Even though they're Juicy Couture, which I'm not usually a fan of but these are adorable.

This haircut (and possibly every single thing in the movie)

And this adorable Bella Bella collar for my cupcake:

And then a car for good measure

Yes, I think those little items could keep me happy for a bit.

Christmas at Disneyland

2007-12-30T10:37:00.000-08:00

The fun thing about being an adult is... well there are a few fun things about being an adult. Like choosing to eat cheetos whenever you want. But one really great thing about being an adult is that you get two Christmas-es, one for your boyfriend's family and one for your own.

I was of course in Phoenix for the first Christmas, the one with Aiden. It was pretty fabulous. I got some awesome clothes, kick-butt boots, a slinky and had a wonderful time with some cool people. His grandma, who is church-y and dislikes alcohol, was there, so Aiden's mom made some "peppermint coffee" that accidentally had schnaaps in it. That was lots of fun.

And I got to be with this cute little munchkin:

Our second Christmas was sooooooooo fantastic! We were with my mommie and my sister and we had such an incredibly fun time. This was the castle when we first got there:

It was gorgeous. Aiden met us after he got off work and we rode like four rides and had sushi and some churros and walked around the park and it was the greatest day ever. After dinner we watched fireworks while Aiden sang his own version of the lyrics to the fireworks song. The castle got all snowy it was suuuuper pretty, looked like this:

My mom got me a pass to disneyland for the next year (wahoo!!) and my sister got me coco chanel, not to mention clothes and a lancome train case and martini glasses.... I was spoiled. I have such a wonderful family. So Merry Christmas everybody! Hope yours was as good as mine.

Dexter

2007-12-27T08:46:00.000-08:00

Hello all you save the world-ers!!!

I have discovered yet another way to make a difference.

Well, now that I think about it, it's not really new. In fact, I've done it. But let me tell you, it changes your life.

Meet Dexter:

Dexter is an adult Maltese with all the good stuff. He's up to date with his shots, he's good with kids, he's house trained, he's everything you could ever want in a dog. Plus, he's only 25 lbs. so there's no "tiny apartment" excuse. He's PERFECT.

Awwwww look at the little tyke. His family had to move to Europe and try as they might they weren't allowed to have him. Now the little love is at Thumping Tails Animal Rescue and needs a home!!

Here's what the shelter says about him:
Dexter is what we call a good time Charlie... He wakes up happy every day and just loves life. He is a beautiful little dog and weighs about 20 pounds. He is fit and sturdy, loves to go on long hikes or leash walks but also loves to chill with a toy. More than anything, he loves to give and get affection from his human companions. We were shocked when we found out he’s 5 years old because he bounces around like a puppy and is VERY active and playful. Dexter is an extremely affectionate dog and would be great with kids. He is fine with other dogs of all sizes and also cats. Dexter’s family has had him since he was a puppy but they have been suddenly transferred to Europe and cannot bring him. They are heartbroken but we know there’s another loving home out there for Dexter. Could it be yours?

So if you want to help the world, here's a little ball of fun-loving fur kind of way to do it. Trust me, your whole life will change.

Things I Love About Christmas

2007-12-22T19:45:00.000-08:00

Christmas Lights

Christmas Songs

Snow at the Grove

Presents

Giving presents

Shopping

Cold air

Snoopy's Christmas Special

Mittens

Aiden Playing Guitar

Cold Toes

People being happy

How people's eyes light up when they receive something really fantastic

People saying "Merry Christmas!"

The Grinch

Seeing wrapped presents under the tree

Disneyland Christmas

Stockings

The Christmas Tree smell

All the stores having Christmas decorations

The old Rudolph cartoons

The misfit song

Christmas cookies

Making Christmas cookies while drunk

Oh yes EGG NOG!!!

Champagne with my mom

Fires

Snow

Christmas Dinner

Finding the perfect present for Aiden

Scarves

Stars on top of the Christmas tree

Christmas Songs

Santa!!!!

... To Be Continued

Funny Penguin

2007-12-21T08:56:00.001-08:00

Haha

Things to Remember: From Polar Bears

2007-12-21T08:50:00.000-08:00

They have butts.

Oh wait no, that wasn't a life lesson.

Life lesson: Look life straight ahead, no matter where that puts your rump.

Or something.

Life lesson: nap.

Life lesson: sometimes you gotta put your game face on.

This is funny

2007-12-15T12:08:00.000-08:00

That's all. I just think this is a funny picture. I swear I'm doing my homework I swear I swear...

A Day Without A Bag

2007-12-15T11:18:00.000-08:00

SAVE THE DATE!!!!!

December 20th is National A Day Without A Bag... Day. It's quite simple actually. You know how I'm always harping on how plastic bags are axe murderers? Well, I am not alone. There is a rather large environmental group that thinks plastic bags are axe murderers as well although for legal reasons they can't come out and say as much.

Here's the deal:

December 20th
DO NOT USE PLASTIC BAGS

That's all. Simple huh? It's this brilliant idea that Heal the Bay came up with. I volunteered for them with my cousin when I was like 10, it was cool. They save the world! I've also worked with them at beach cleanups and various Greenpeace stuff. Seriously, awesome organization.

Just a reminder, this is what happens with plastic bags:

And then this happens to the turtle:

So, rambling aside, NO PLASTIC BAGS ON THURSDAY!!! In lieu I would suggest a reusable Ralph's bag. They're $1. Or you could be swanky and get a Whole Foods one to look like you eat super healthy all the time. Whatever you want. Just NO PLASTIC BAGS DECEMBER 20TH!!!

"Paper or Plastic... Or Better Yet, Neither" an awesome article in the LA times yesterday.

Kat Von D is cool

2007-12-14T22:55:00.000-08:00

I live across the street from LA ink, the cooler, better weather version of Miami ink.

Yesterday as I walked to my friendly neighborhood Ralph's with my friendly environmentally sound reusable bag I noticed that the homeless people on the corner didn't smell as bad as usual. Then I realized that the sleeping bag they were using was clean. Then I realized they weren't actually homeless at all, but people choosing to sleep on the street (in 30° weather) for no reason whatsoever.

But whatever, people in LA are crazy.

So today I go back to Ralph's with my reusable bag in tow and what do I see but HUNDREDS of people lined up literally around the block. Insane people. Like a dude with a red florescent wig who had died his eyebrows to match. And he was wearing a skirt.

Not just psycho people but normal people too. And lots of people with no visible tattoos. WHAT? Weird.

But again, LA people are crazy.

I didn't give it another thought until I was distracting myself from my homework at 11pm tonight. I turned to KTLA waiting for Friends to come on, and what do I see but my friendly neighborhood tattoo shop!

(Note: this pic is old, it looks much snazzier now)

Turns out Ms. D is SUPER CHARITY LADY!! She's attempting to do 400 tattoos in 24 hours, which will be a world record. I have never understood why people want to break random records like that, but I suppose that will be another blog.

ANYWAY Kat is tattooing 400 people in the next 24 hours. Each person with donate $20 for the privilege of the "LA" logo tattooed somewhere on their person. Like so:

The fucking cool part of it is, all proceeds go to an awesome group called Vitamin Angels. In a nutshell, they provide Vitamin A to kids around the world suffering from malnutrition.

Doesn't sound so swanky until you understand that Vitamin A deficiency leads to blindness. This year alone they have helped 4 million kids in 18 countries. Man, it is so cool what charities are out there. I would never ever have thought to do that, and here they are saving 4 million people who will grow up to be our doctors and teachers and tattoo artists. Fuck yeah.

You are cool

So, for $40 to get in the door, plus $20 to get the tattoo (unlimited tattoos by the way), booze, auctioned clothes/art/gold teeth (someone donated a gold cap made by someone famous... what? crazy LA people?) PLUS the world record winning money, I figure the girl just made a pretty significant donation. As the Vitamin Angels site says, $1 saves 1 kid.

Fuck yeah Kat Von D. Save the world.

I Love My Dog

2007-12-13T17:34:00.000-08:00

I love my Parker! I had to study today, massively. Can you tell how much studying we were doing?

I have a theewy final on Monday that I think might kill me. Honestly. I think I am going to die. It was a good life, but now I think it will be over. All because of theewy.

But I'm not nervous or anything.

Anyways I had the greatest afternoon. Parker had a doggie date with our friend Nala, the Chihuahua. Haha it rhymes! We had a blast. I don't really have an epiphany on this one. I just wanted to show off my dog.

Look how cute! They are looking at the same thing!

How to: School

2007-12-13T09:29:00.000-08:00

1. Write papers the day they are due, preferably 2 or less hours before. I swear to you, you will get a better grade.

2. Ratemyprofessor.com

3. Never take English 436, Literary Theewy. If you have to, only take Chatterjee and buy a pack of huggies; you will be literally scared shitless.

4. Find an online MLA site.

5. For god's sake, please please please use easybib.com. Bibliographies are nasty and you'll never have to use them in the real world, don't tear your hair out over nothing.

6. Find a friend in every one of your classes. If you're like me and somehow don't make it to class (ever), they come in handy.

7. Sometimes you have to take a class that is really, really stupid. In this case, remember that attendence is not always necessary. In fact, the less you go to class the cooler you are. Yes. It's true.

8. Also, for stupid classes, required effort tends to drop significantly. Do not attempt more than you must! If there are stupid people trying hard, then your C-level effort will earn you an A. (Was that mean?)

9. For the first 3 weeks, park a mile away from school and walk to campus. Yes, you do have to get there early. No, do not attempt to park any closer. This results in a 2 hour search for a spot along with 30,000 other students. Yes, 2 hours. Not to mention the police trying to guide everyone to random places and the inevitable construction that closes down a major road onto campus.

10. Get a parking permit. Do not for one second think they won't see through the week-old one sitting on your dashboard. Seriously expensive habit, I would know.

11. Find a good counselor and stick with her. If you're nervous, ask around. Don't mess with taking classes you don't need. You will hate the world for it come senior year.

12. Don't listen to those people who tell you to stay in school as long as you can. Even though they have more life experience I am convinced they have no clue what they are talking about.

13. Do invest in a good bookbag, preferably one that puts the weight on both shoulders. I know you will get the cute bag that you carry on one shoulder. I know this. But when you can't turn your head left for fear of the excruciating pain, don't say I didn't warn you.

14. half.com

15. When you go to sell your books back, you will get money for them according to this chart:
a. Originally $15-30: Get back $6, or nothing
b. Originally $30-75: Get back $7-$14, or nothing
c. Originally $75-250: Get back $17-$25, or nothing
d. If you bought the book used, expect them to give you a funny look and then say that there is a new edition out now. Because you were supposed to know that.

16. Scope out the best food on campus early. This will come in super pooper helpful later. Besides, this knowledge can make you the most popular girl on campus if you use it right.

17. Get a gym membership or a dog. Unless you go completely broke, you will notice a few extra pounds and you will desperately want to get rid of them because the sorority girls will be sticks and you will constantly compare yourself to them although you would never admit this to another soul.

18. It is totally ok to go broke. People help you, and it is honestly a good experience. Later when things get tough you can laugh about the time you were in school and got super sick and had no money and ate cheap ice cream you made into soup because you couldn't stomach/afford anything else. I don't know anyone who has done this.... oh wait yes I do! Me!

19. At the end, it's all worth it.

Life

2007-12-04T09:09:00.000-08:00

Yep. Life.

What is this exactly.

Is it about school? Is it writing the papers that will never again have any point in your life? Is it about having perfect MLA format? My teachers seem to think so.

Is it clothes? Makeup? Mascara and name brand perfume? I love all that stuff, but it's so transitory. I remember before I had a coach bag all I wanted was to have one. But then I got one, but as soon as I carried it I went to the store and saw another, newer one that I thought was better than mine. It doesn't end. There's always a new something. Don't get me wrong, new bags always make me happy (in an outward sort of way). But that isn't life.

Is it social life? I love people. I love bars and movies and restaurants. I love how they drain my money away. But funny how you can do that for awhile and come away feeling empty. Why is that?

People get so pressured by everything. God knows I'm one of them. But you can get so swept away by what you're supposed to do and be that you forget who you are. Everyone says that you should follow your heart and do what you believe you should do. But only some people actually follow that. Most of the people who say it have never done so.

You need your own epiphany.

2007-12-04T09:02:00.000-08:00

My dog burps. All the time. I think she learns it from her dad. It's so cute.... you'll be petting her and kissing her and all of a sudden she'll look up at you and BBBBUUUUUURRRRRPPPPP! It's adorable.

Haha Just Kidding

2007-11-29T12:24:00.001-08:00

Last night my manager got a rib eye steak. And, because he is super cool, he gave me a bite.

I forgot how very much I like steak.

I've been craving steak for weeks but haven't given in to temptation. In fact I was really, really good for a while there. No meat (except for the occasional burrito, after all I was a burritoitarian) and lots and lots of tofu.

But on Thanksgiving Aiden's mom made turkey. I ate some of course, you can't have Thanksgiving without turkey (unless of course you're a hippie, which I still content I am not). And it was really, really good.

And then we went to Superburrito (in Phoenix). And I ate some chicken.

And of course after a long day of gambling with Aiden's mom there was no vegetarian option of a very hungry me, so I had a chicken sandwich.

Oh right and then when we were waiting the 17 hours for the baby there was a mighty fine looking burger that ended up in my tummy.

I justified all this via the holiday weekend. The traditional "I'll start my diet as soon as I'm home" gig.

But on Sunday night Aiden made chicken pesto from scratch. And you can't turn down your boyfriend's cooking, that would just be rude. Not to mention a major loss on my part.

I was good on Monday.

I was even good on Tuesday. Until I went to work and had a bite of lasagna, which I then discovered had meat sauce.

Which brings us to my steak bite yesterday. Not to mention this fantastic Brazilian chicken beast with broccoli dinner that my friends in the kitchen accidently made just the way I like it.

And so, with little fanfare, I remove myself from the semi-vegetarian world. Not only was I absolutely no good at it, but ... ok so I'm just no good at it. I admire my best friend for her almost lifelong vegetarianism. I never knew it was so hard until these last few weeks.

Babies Make Everything Better

2007-11-27T10:48:00.000-08:00

This weekend I met the perfect boy.

His name is Cian. Kee-un. Isn't he just the most beautiful thing you've ever seen? This is Aiden's brother's new baby. And I love him.

He's a little grumpy here. How can something be so cute when it's grumpy? Wait... Aiden is the same way. Familial resemblence.

Proud Papa:

Gorgeous new Mom:

And here's Grandpa T. Little Cian is Cian Thomas after Grandpa T. He started crying when he heard, it was the sweetest moment.

Funny how everything in the world stops when a new baby is born.

Lucky

2007-11-20T09:01:00.000-08:00

I was planning to write about the men/women double standard. I'm sure it will be the topic of conversation at some later point. But it won't be about Aiden.

Sometimes life throws you curveballs. My mom loves to tell me this. My curveballs tend to happen when I'm most stressed. Which would be right now. You know those times when the smallest thing sets you off? Maybe guys don't have that but girls sure do. I usually have a valid point but... it's funny how there are always more sides than you see.

Somehow my boyfriend makes everything better. Always.

I love him more than I ever thought I would love anyone. That's what it all comes down to. No matter what has thrown me for a loop he is right there next to me, holding my hand and listening to me and finding the solution. We work it through together. I found my partner. And I'm the luckiest girl in the world because he loves me too.

These last few months have been insane between the two of us. He's filming a movie. I'm graduating college. There is so much going on. And every day I fall more and more in love with him. We even decided to move in together.... it was the best decision of my life. Sometimes we're so busy we don't see each other for 18 hours even though we live together. But waking up next to him every morning starts my day off so right. Better than commercials make you think cereal can. I smile all day thinking about him. And falling asleep with him every night is therapy. It recharges my happy level. Happy people don't just have happiness fall from the sky onto them. There is a complicated web of people and events behind them that allows them happiness. Like a life raft.

My gorgeous genius fun-loving scrumptious boyfriend is my life raft. He makes me whole. Is there a word for love that somehow encompasses ten times what people normally mean? That's how I feel for him. It's love in the way only the two of us can feel it.

I love you big boo.

Random

2007-11-13T11:17:00.000-08:00

(Note: the first 3/4 of this blog are things that piss me off at the moment. I am actually a happy person. Please see the bottom of the blog for things that make me happy.)

Mr. Bush:

Ass munch.

So far today our brilliant leader has done two things.
1) Veto another health care bill. It was too expensive.
2) Approve more money for defense spending (non-war).

It does make perfect sense. Because really, we need more for non-war defense right now. I feel much safer.

By the way...

Did you know Mike Brown, former FEMA head (of Katrina infamy) used to be a horse racing judge?

Here is a fun quote:

Yes, that's right... the man responsible for directing federal relief operations in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, sharpened his emergency management skills as the "Judges and Stewards Commissioner" for the International Arabian Horses Association... a position from which he was forced to resign in the face of mounting litigation and financial disarray.

Here is another about Mr. Brown.

He was an unmitigated, total fucking disaster

No, that's not regarding his disregard for human life as head of FEMA. That's about him as a horse racing judge. Which, I have to agree with Mr. Bush, makes him a perfect candidate to head a major government program.

School:

Ugh. For two reasons.

a) Parking

There is no parking at my school. None. I left for class early today. Took me 26 minutes from the minute I entered the parking structure to find a spot. I started timing because it took me 7 minutes just to get into the structure because of the line of cars. So really, 33 minutes to park a damned car. I ended up on the 6th floor at 11:04.

Which leads me to my next issue

b) Teachers

Remember this lady?

Well I have her today. Would have had, rather. Except that I got parking at 11:04. It takes 7 minutes to walk from the parking lot to my classroom (yes, I have this down to a science). However, it takes approx 1 hour to walk down the 6 f*ing floors because of all the f*ing cars trying to f*ing kill you.

So of course by the time I actually get to the classroom it's 11:14 (ok only 10 minutes but my life did flash before my eyes). Of course Ms. Yells-A-Lot hates latecomers and will make your life miserable. So I didn't go in. I now have 3 hours to kill before my next class, with Mr. Fake Accent. GET ME OUT OF HERE!

Did I mention they just put in this parking lot? They are also now spending $60 million to build more parking. It will take 8 years to complete, during which time they will be removing a 1220 space lot. GENIUS!

Social:

Know those people who have trouble relating to the opposite sex? I do. Two of them actually.

One is a girl. She is my friend. I love her dearly. She actually just got married! But she and Aiden just cannot get along. This may be due to that she can't see when she's crossed the line. Maybe it's because she grew up with only girls. Maybe it's because she has daddy issues (who doesn't, jesus). I don't know. All I know is, she thinks she's playing, and Aiden avoids the situation altogether.

The other is a boy. He is Aiden's friend. He loves him dearly (not in a weird way). And so do I. But when he's around both Aiden and me, he is MEAN MEAN MEAN. He thinks he's playing. But honestly, when all they do is insult you, it isn't playing anymore. And it isn't cute insulting. It's "You suck everything you love sucks you have no taste you're torturing your dog and by the way you suck." My girlfriend NEVER did this. Maybe it's a guy thing. Does he think if he insults me that I will feel like one of the dudes? Uh, no. Makes me want to avoid the situation too. Funny thing is, when Aiden isn't around, his friend is super cool with me. What's with that? He sends me the sweetest emails and we joke around and laugh and one day he promises to cook for me (gourmet is SUPER exciting for anyone who has ever been vegetarian). Seriously, don't get it.

Sports:

1) I am now second to Aiden in fantasy football. I was so excited about it for the first like 4 weeks. Now I forget about it until Sunday, when I go, "oh yeah I have a fantasy team" and then completely forget again while I bring some already drunk fan another beer. No one can ever again tell me that men have a short attention span. It's just that the attention is short when it involves anything not directly of their interest.

2) Fantasy basketball? Quoi? Another one of those guy attention things. I said I'd join the league just so I could have Kobe. Of course, the draft happened while I was at work, and I don't have Kobe. I do have Dwayne Wade, who of course still isn't playing, and Kevin Durant, who of course has not yet won a game. I'm told the game winning thing isn't important in this whole fantasy gig, but I'm still convinced it does.

I don't get fantasy basketball. I haven't looked at the thing since our draft, but somehow I've lost 6 and won 3 already. Won what exactly? Games? Fantasy football I get but this basketball thing is just not cutting it for me. When did these games happen? Seriously, I just want all the lakers on my team and have that be the end of it. Then I can check it at the end of the season and go, "hey look I won" and be happy.

Happy:

Aiden says my Christmas present is something sparkly. I lOVE sparkly.

I watched Dr. Strangelove last night. Despite complete non-understanding of the title, I loved it. It's hilarious in a political way which is absolutely my favorite.

South Park is awesome.

Parker makes me happy. I love her because I have all this crazy affection in me and she lets me get it all out. I think she might like it. Plus, she's really really cute with Aiden.

Planet Earth is back on.

And this:

*Quotes are from The Daily Kos