Day 27 ~ Your day job vs. your passion
This is going to sound pathetic with such an apparently easy topic, but I really don't know anymore.
It used to be so obvious - I've wanted to be a writer ever since I can remember. I've always loved making up stories. I spent a lot of time in high school (time that often should have been spent on homework) writing stories . . . most of them bad, some of them intentionally so trying to be funny. In college I was always writing - of course, I was also always taking writing classes. But it was so awesome to be getting constant feedback from such a variety of people, and that made it truly enjoyable (mostly) even though it was assigned.
I honestly intended to keep writing when I went to Florida, but it just didn't happen. Working for Disney just isn't the type of job that lets you write on the side. Especially as a CP, which everyone acknowledges as merely a slight step up from slave labor, by the time I got home I was usually just too tired to do anything other than veg out in front of the tv or sleep. In the first few months particularly, I generally spent one of my days off lying on the couch with my feet elevated because I was pretty sure my legs were going to fall off. Needless to say, it was a vey physically demanding job and I just had no energy left for mental work.
Since leaving, I've tried. Particularly last summer - I spent a lot of time trying to get a couple of ideas I had going. I just couldn't do it. And I don't know if I've just got the most epic case of writer's block ever, or if what I took for a real passion and dream job was actually just a longer-lasting-than-usual passing fancy that finally exhausted itself.
As far as my day job goes - I love it (as I should hope you've all guessed). And while I have said a few times that it has also been proof that I was right not to become a teacher, I am fervently hoping and praying that I'll get it back in a few more weeks (seriously, where is summer going?!) because if I don't I really don't know what I'll do.
I guess part of the problem is that neither Luke nor I are very ambitious people career wise. Neither of us are interested in "climbing the corporate ladder" as they say (me especially after watching my dad's career!!) or being some super important person where we work. We'd rather make a life than a living. In fact, Luke's perfectly content to stay at Convergys as long as it keeps covering our bills. All we want is enough to pay for what we need and every now and again splurge a little, whether it's a new book once in a while or a big(ish) vacation every once in a greater while. Sometimes we both get the feeling that there's something wrong with us . . . that we're not "normal" because we don't want a lot of flashy stuff and important sounding jobs to show off to people. And then I feel guilty about not being so passionate about writing anymore, like I'm wasting . . . something. And then I try again, and I feel even more frustrated when the words that used to flow so naturally just won't come. It's really a rather depressing cycle.
So for now, I guess I'll just stick to my day job - assuming I still have one.
P. ost S. cript
Wow, that was kind of a downer, wasn't it? Good thing Super Grover can always cheer things up! "It is not nice to confuse a super hero" . . . HAHAHA!!
Thursday, June 30, 2011
Wednesday, June 29, 2011
26
Day 26 ~ List 10 things you're thankful for
1 ~ the zoo. And the fact that it's a block away.
2 ~ one car that works
3 ~ our awesome apartment
4 ~ the fact that we're not in our old apartment anymore
5 ~ having enough to meet our needs
6 ~ Wii Fit
7 ~ the library
8 ~ goodreads giveaways (13 won and counting!)
9 ~ homemade bread. That I made.
10 ~ AIR CONDITIONING
P. ost S. cript
Oh, this is SO going on the bucket list! Although once I get there I may never come back . . . waterfalls are so mesmorizing . . . I think I'll watch again . . .
1 ~ the zoo. And the fact that it's a block away.
2 ~ one car that works
3 ~ our awesome apartment
4 ~ the fact that we're not in our old apartment anymore
5 ~ having enough to meet our needs
6 ~ Wii Fit
7 ~ the library
8 ~ goodreads giveaways (13 won and counting!)
9 ~ homemade bread. That I made.
10 ~ AIR CONDITIONING
P. ost S. cript
Oh, this is SO going on the bucket list! Although once I get there I may never come back . . . waterfalls are so mesmorizing . . . I think I'll watch again . . .
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
25
Day 25 ~ What you would find in my bag.
I switch purses a lot, so I try to keep it pretty basic:
wallet
cute little mini-wallet that holds all our frequent visitor cards to pretty much every place to eat in town
hand sanitizer (a different one in each purse both for variety and just in case I forget to switch that over)
lotion
a pen (usually)
my keys
previous grocery lists and receipts squished down to the bottom because I just kinda shove them in walking away from the register and then clean them all out every couple of weeks when they make it hard to put anything else in there
and . . . .
actually, that's generally pretty much it. I try to travel light.
P. ost S. cript
This? Is just plain impressive. I can't even imagine how much practice it took to get to the perfect!
I switch purses a lot, so I try to keep it pretty basic:
wallet
cute little mini-wallet that holds all our frequent visitor cards to pretty much every place to eat in town
hand sanitizer (a different one in each purse both for variety and just in case I forget to switch that over)
lotion
a pen (usually)
my keys
previous grocery lists and receipts squished down to the bottom because I just kinda shove them in walking away from the register and then clean them all out every couple of weeks when they make it hard to put anything else in there
and . . . .
actually, that's generally pretty much it. I try to travel light.
P. ost S. cript
This? Is just plain impressive. I can't even imagine how much practice it took to get to the perfect!
Monday, June 27, 2011
24
Dy 24 ~ Your favorite quote or verse of scripture and why.
I believe I've mentioned this before, but my favorite anything changes depending on the day and the mood I'm in and about a zillion other factors. So I'm just going to to peruse through my lists of quotes on facebook and pinterest (you know you want to!) and give you the ones that particularly strike me today. And there's your "why." Woot.
"It is our choices that show us who we truly are, far more than our abilities."
~Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore
(was that showing off? oh well.)
"Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle."
~ Plato
"A person who won't read has no advantage over one who can't read."
~ Mark Twain
"I became insane, with long intervals of horrible sanity."
~ Edgar Allan Poe
"Happiness is a butterfly, which when pursued, is always just beyond your grasp, but which, if you will sit down quietly, may alight upon you."
~ Nathaniel Hawthorne
"Electric communication will never be a substitute for the face of someone who with their soul encourages another person to be brave and true."
~ Charles Dickens
"The person, be it gentleman or lady, who has not pleasure in a good novel, must be intolerably stupid."
~ Jane Austen
"God is a comedian, playing to an audience too afraid to laugh."
~ Voltaire
"I do not agree with what you have to say, but I'll defend to the death your right to say it."
~ Voltaire
"I like your Christ, I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ."
~ Gandhi
"Question with boldness even the existence of a God; because, if there be one, he must more approve of the homage of reason, than that of blind-folded fear."
~ Thomas Jefferson
"The only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing."
~ Socrates
"Christianity, if false, is of no importance, and if true, of infinite importance. The only thing it cannot be is moderately important."
~ C. S. Lewis
"A room without books is like a body without a soul."
~ Cicero
And perhaps best of all:
"The trouble with quotes on the internet is that you can never know if they are genuine."
~ Abraham Lincoln
(Please note: as far as I know these are all legit. Well, all but one. I'll let you guess which one that is.)
P. ost S. cript
To quote a Robin Williams character (and I've got a thousand points for the person who can name the movie!) "Gravity works!"
I believe I've mentioned this before, but my favorite anything changes depending on the day and the mood I'm in and about a zillion other factors. So I'm just going to to peruse through my lists of quotes on facebook and pinterest (you know you want to!) and give you the ones that particularly strike me today. And there's your "why." Woot.
"It is our choices that show us who we truly are, far more than our abilities."
~Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore
(was that showing off? oh well.)
"Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle."
~ Plato
"A person who won't read has no advantage over one who can't read."
~ Mark Twain
"I became insane, with long intervals of horrible sanity."
~ Edgar Allan Poe
"Happiness is a butterfly, which when pursued, is always just beyond your grasp, but which, if you will sit down quietly, may alight upon you."
~ Nathaniel Hawthorne
"Electric communication will never be a substitute for the face of someone who with their soul encourages another person to be brave and true."
~ Charles Dickens
"The person, be it gentleman or lady, who has not pleasure in a good novel, must be intolerably stupid."
~ Jane Austen
"God is a comedian, playing to an audience too afraid to laugh."
~ Voltaire
"I do not agree with what you have to say, but I'll defend to the death your right to say it."
~ Voltaire
"I like your Christ, I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ."
~ Gandhi
"Question with boldness even the existence of a God; because, if there be one, he must more approve of the homage of reason, than that of blind-folded fear."
~ Thomas Jefferson
"The only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing."
~ Socrates
"Christianity, if false, is of no importance, and if true, of infinite importance. The only thing it cannot be is moderately important."
~ C. S. Lewis
"A room without books is like a body without a soul."
~ Cicero
And perhaps best of all:
"The trouble with quotes on the internet is that you can never know if they are genuine."
~ Abraham Lincoln
(Please note: as far as I know these are all legit. Well, all but one. I'll let you guess which one that is.)
P. ost S. cript
To quote a Robin Williams character (and I've got a thousand points for the person who can name the movie!) "Gravity works!"
Sunday, June 26, 2011
23
Day 23 ~ Something you crave a lot
Easy. I have an utterly insatiable sweet tooth. If it is sweet, if it is calorie-laden, if it is even slightly unhealthy - I have pretty much no willpower. Well, I sort of do now . . . more than I used to anyway.
I think it stems from the way sweets were never allowed when I was a kid, even when they were in the house. Seriously, most of our Halloween candy was thrown away. As was a good chunk of all the baked goods my mom would spend so much time making at Christmas. It was kind of weird . . . all these trays displaying delicious Christmas abundance - but heaven forbid you ask to have a cookie or a piece of fudge because the answer was nearly always no. And then the cookies got stale and the fudge got hard and you didn't really want to eat it anyway but you still asked because a couple of times a week the answer was yes.
I'm sure my parents had good intentions and were intending us to learn that treats were something to be enjoyed in small moderation or whatever . . . but . . . yeah. Totally backfired. The more they said no, the more I wanted the cookie.
So my first couple of years of college I kind of went nuts for the junk food. Five pound bags of skittles that wouldn't last a week, pints of Ben&Jerry's finished off in a single sitting . . . how I did not gain a million pounds is beyond me! I was like an Amish kid on Rumspringa - for the first time I could have whatever I wanted, there was no one to ask permission and no one to take it away when they caught me with it. So I milked the situation for all it was worth. I never actually made myself literally sick from all the candy . . . but I would get to the point where I would swear I could never even look at a jelly bean again. Only to buy another bag a month later. Again, why do I not weigh a million pounds right now? I. Do. Not. Know.
But the good news is I more or less got that out of my system. And now, while I have to be pretty darn stuffed to say no to dessert, I also do not eat my weight in M&Ms in four days. That's good, right?
Oh - and I hope you brought enough chocolate to the blog-o-sphere to share with everybody. Or at least just with me. ;-)
P. ost S. cript
More cute animals, because really, is there any such thing as enough- HOLY CRAP SO THAT'S WHAT SOUND A PANDA MAKES!!!!
Easy. I have an utterly insatiable sweet tooth. If it is sweet, if it is calorie-laden, if it is even slightly unhealthy - I have pretty much no willpower. Well, I sort of do now . . . more than I used to anyway.
I think it stems from the way sweets were never allowed when I was a kid, even when they were in the house. Seriously, most of our Halloween candy was thrown away. As was a good chunk of all the baked goods my mom would spend so much time making at Christmas. It was kind of weird . . . all these trays displaying delicious Christmas abundance - but heaven forbid you ask to have a cookie or a piece of fudge because the answer was nearly always no. And then the cookies got stale and the fudge got hard and you didn't really want to eat it anyway but you still asked because a couple of times a week the answer was yes.
I'm sure my parents had good intentions and were intending us to learn that treats were something to be enjoyed in small moderation or whatever . . . but . . . yeah. Totally backfired. The more they said no, the more I wanted the cookie.
So my first couple of years of college I kind of went nuts for the junk food. Five pound bags of skittles that wouldn't last a week, pints of Ben&Jerry's finished off in a single sitting . . . how I did not gain a million pounds is beyond me! I was like an Amish kid on Rumspringa - for the first time I could have whatever I wanted, there was no one to ask permission and no one to take it away when they caught me with it. So I milked the situation for all it was worth. I never actually made myself literally sick from all the candy . . . but I would get to the point where I would swear I could never even look at a jelly bean again. Only to buy another bag a month later. Again, why do I not weigh a million pounds right now? I. Do. Not. Know.
But the good news is I more or less got that out of my system. And now, while I have to be pretty darn stuffed to say no to dessert, I also do not eat my weight in M&Ms in four days. That's good, right?
Oh - and I hope you brought enough chocolate to the blog-o-sphere to share with everybody. Or at least just with me. ;-)
P. ost S. cript
More cute animals, because really, is there any such thing as enough- HOLY CRAP SO THAT'S WHAT SOUND A PANDA MAKES!!!!
Saturday, June 25, 2011
22
Day 22 ~ What makes you different from everyone else.
Ummmmmm . . . no idea. I mean, the mere fact that I have that second X chromosome makes me quite fundamentally different than about half the population.
The blonde hair differentiates. The complete mathematical ineptitude beyond basic arithmetic. The questionable decisions to major in English and French. The (sort of) cello playing. The lack of crafty abilities. The bookworm-ish-ness. The I-shouldn't-spend-half-as-much-time-as-I-do-online-ness. The innate ability to mess up the simplest of tasks. The utter lack of any athletic ability whatsoever (unless dropping 2x4s on your head counts).
I suppose no one else has precisely these traits in precisely the combination of intensity that I do. But I look at them, and I don't see anything standing out. Maybe everyone doesn't play the cello, but musical dabbling is pretty common, you know? Lots of people are bad at math. And while we may be the rare double-recessive gene holders, blondes are not dying out (no matter what you've heard).
So I think I'll open it up to people with a better view - you tell me? What makes me different? Because I? Feel pathetically average.
P. ost S. cript
Excuse me while I die laughing.
Ummmmmm . . . no idea. I mean, the mere fact that I have that second X chromosome makes me quite fundamentally different than about half the population.
The blonde hair differentiates. The complete mathematical ineptitude beyond basic arithmetic. The questionable decisions to major in English and French. The (sort of) cello playing. The lack of crafty abilities. The bookworm-ish-ness. The I-shouldn't-spend-half-as-much-time-as-I-do-online-ness. The innate ability to mess up the simplest of tasks. The utter lack of any athletic ability whatsoever (unless dropping 2x4s on your head counts).
I suppose no one else has precisely these traits in precisely the combination of intensity that I do. But I look at them, and I don't see anything standing out. Maybe everyone doesn't play the cello, but musical dabbling is pretty common, you know? Lots of people are bad at math. And while we may be the rare double-recessive gene holders, blondes are not dying out (no matter what you've heard).
So I think I'll open it up to people with a better view - you tell me? What makes me different? Because I? Feel pathetically average.
P. ost S. cript
Excuse me while I die laughing.
Friday, June 24, 2011
21
Day 21 ~ A picture of something that makes you happy.
Only one? Yeah, you already know that's SO not happening. I could totally take the shortcut route and tell you to just check out my new pinterest boards, but I won't. (side note: I've been on that site for less than 24 hours and already . . . well, I refuse to admit how many pins I have. You want to know, you gotta see for yourself. Thanks a lot Elise!)
So. Anyway. Things that make me happy. In no particular order and CERTAINLY not a conclusive list. And sans explanations of any sort. If you wanna know, ask me. :-)
Yep. Good stuff. :-)
P. ost S. cript
Holy crap, SO doing this!
Only one? Yeah, you already know that's SO not happening. I could totally take the shortcut route and tell you to just check out my new pinterest boards, but I won't. (side note: I've been on that site for less than 24 hours and already . . . well, I refuse to admit how many pins I have. You want to know, you gotta see for yourself. Thanks a lot Elise!)
So. Anyway. Things that make me happy. In no particular order and CERTAINLY not a conclusive list. And sans explanations of any sort. If you wanna know, ask me. :-)
Yep. Good stuff. :-)
P. ost S. cript
Holy crap, SO doing this!
Thursday, June 23, 2011
20
Day 20 ~ Write a letter to someone.
Dear Wii Fit Trainers,
I can handle the fact that it sometimes looks like you don't have a mouth. It's a little weird, but I guess that's just how it's gonna work.
However.
The fact that you don't move your nearly invisible mouth when you're "talking"? The fact that other than that you move around and gesture as if you really are talking?
Kinda creeps me out.
Could you do something about that for me?
Cheers,
Lacey
P. ost S. cript
His ears don't explode. I'm calling it - FAKE!
:-P
Dear Wii Fit Trainers,
I can handle the fact that it sometimes looks like you don't have a mouth. It's a little weird, but I guess that's just how it's gonna work.
However.
The fact that you don't move your nearly invisible mouth when you're "talking"? The fact that other than that you move around and gesture as if you really are talking?
Kinda creeps me out.
Could you do something about that for me?
Cheers,
Lacey
P. ost S. cript
His ears don't explode. I'm calling it - FAKE!
:-P
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
19
Day 19 ~ Write a sweet memory from your past.
You know how when people tell you to clear your mind and you're suddenly thinking of everything? Or they say "don't think about this" and then that's ALL you can think about?
Yeah. The only sweet thing I can think of right now, quite literally, is square ice cream. Give me a minute.
*crickets chirping*
*still chirping*
*crickets get bored and go home*
Okay, I know I have a lot of sweet memories, but it's like my entire life is a complete blank right now - which is more than a little unnerving, gotta say - so I'm going the literally sweet route. Because even though it kinda freaks me out, I cannot think of anything else.
So.
Once upon a time there was a Lacey. And she went to college. And she had some pretty awesome friends. And she spent a lot of time hanging out at their apartments, which was great because she'd never really done that before.
And on a few occasions she would go to Celeste's place (Friend Celeste, not Roommate Celeste . . . somehow that ended up being how I differentiated, silly as it sounds) which was a major socialization hub for the English department. It was a little trippy, even though she knew the people there weren't there just because she was there, but she still felt sort of popular. It was a very odd feeling.
Once upon a time there were just a few girls there. And they felt like having some ice cream. So Friend Celeste grabbed her carton of vanilla ice cream and some spoons and Roommate Celeste grabbed Friend Celeste's jug of chocolate sauce and poured it generously on top. All the girls took a spoon and dug in. When the chocolate sauce topping was gone, one of them poured another one. The ice cream carton was about half full. (It was just a quart, not one of those ginormous five quart tubs.) The chocolate jug was pretty full. They finished the ice cream and a good chunk of the chocolate. And they had a few spoon wars when more than one of them went for the last bit of chocolate, which tended to be rather amusing.
It was quite possibly the sweetest carton of ice cream the Lacey ever ate. Because she ate it with friends.
The end.
P. ost S. cript
OMG HIS EARS!!!!!!!!!!! EPIC SQUEAL OF CUTE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
You know how when people tell you to clear your mind and you're suddenly thinking of everything? Or they say "don't think about this" and then that's ALL you can think about?
Yeah. The only sweet thing I can think of right now, quite literally, is square ice cream. Give me a minute.
*crickets chirping*
*still chirping*
*crickets get bored and go home*
Okay, I know I have a lot of sweet memories, but it's like my entire life is a complete blank right now - which is more than a little unnerving, gotta say - so I'm going the literally sweet route. Because even though it kinda freaks me out, I cannot think of anything else.
So.
Once upon a time there was a Lacey. And she went to college. And she had some pretty awesome friends. And she spent a lot of time hanging out at their apartments, which was great because she'd never really done that before.
And on a few occasions she would go to Celeste's place (Friend Celeste, not Roommate Celeste . . . somehow that ended up being how I differentiated, silly as it sounds) which was a major socialization hub for the English department. It was a little trippy, even though she knew the people there weren't there just because she was there, but she still felt sort of popular. It was a very odd feeling.
Once upon a time there were just a few girls there. And they felt like having some ice cream. So Friend Celeste grabbed her carton of vanilla ice cream and some spoons and Roommate Celeste grabbed Friend Celeste's jug of chocolate sauce and poured it generously on top. All the girls took a spoon and dug in. When the chocolate sauce topping was gone, one of them poured another one. The ice cream carton was about half full. (It was just a quart, not one of those ginormous five quart tubs.) The chocolate jug was pretty full. They finished the ice cream and a good chunk of the chocolate. And they had a few spoon wars when more than one of them went for the last bit of chocolate, which tended to be rather amusing.
It was quite possibly the sweetest carton of ice cream the Lacey ever ate. Because she ate it with friends.
The end.
P. ost S. cript
OMG HIS EARS!!!!!!!!!!! EPIC SQUEAL OF CUTE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
18
Day 18 ~ Plans/dreams/goals you have
Okay, ummm, kinda not sure how this is different from the bucket list. Any ideas? No? Maybe because it's not really different? Yeah, let's go with that. So . . . one of each . . . I guess . . .
Plan:
Keep living. Until I, you know, die.
Dream:
Travel. A lot. A whole butt-load of lot.
Goal:
Enjoy plans and dreams.
There. That was easy. :-)
But seriously - how is this different? I don't feel so bad for all the cheating I've been doing now because whoever made this up totally cheated.
P. ost S. cript
Someday these guys will be the winners of the Most Epic Darwin Award Ever. And I will laugh.
Okay, ummm, kinda not sure how this is different from the bucket list. Any ideas? No? Maybe because it's not really different? Yeah, let's go with that. So . . . one of each . . . I guess . . .
Plan:
Keep living. Until I, you know, die.
Dream:
Travel. A lot. A whole butt-load of lot.
Goal:
Enjoy plans and dreams.
There. That was easy. :-)
But seriously - how is this different? I don't feel so bad for all the cheating I've been doing now because whoever made this up totally cheated.
P. ost S. cript
Someday these guys will be the winners of the Most Epic Darwin Award Ever. And I will laugh.
Monday, June 20, 2011
Announcing . . .
Yeah, not that. Sorry to disappoint. (Ashli, I'm sure, is inconsolable at the moment.)
No, what I have chosen to take a moment to announce today is rather more mundane . . . but in my opinion it's more exciting. :-) Some of you will grasp all the reasons why, but I'm pretty sure that by now you all will get why this is so epic.
ahem
*clears throat*
*drum roll*
*really long drum roll*
*the kind you get in slapstick type movies*
*you know, where everyone is just like "get on with it already!!!!!!!!"*
*are you thinking that yet? ha ha*
*cymbal crash*
I MADE BREAD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! FROM SCRATCH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! AND IT WORKED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! AND THE YEAST PROOFED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! AND THE DOUGH ROSE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (rised? raised? whatever) AND IT CAME OUT NICE AND LIGHT AND FLUFFY AND TASTY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
AND I DID IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
While I must admit the loaves did not come out particularly pretty looking, but there were no creepy looking hieroglyphics carved into the top either. So - score there!
Confession: I actually made it on Saturday . . . I've kind of been expecting it to melt . . . or explode . . . or disintegrate . . . or do something else proving that I screwed up epically somewhere along the line. But we're already down to about three-quarters of a loaf (out of two), so I'm thinking it turned out pretty all right.
I'm thinking I'll have to try again a couple of times to make sure this success wasn't some crazy fluke, but if it turns out that it's not I'm thinking the whole making-is-cheaper-than-buying thing probably has something to it. And I feel so talented! :-) Next time I'll have to take pictures to prove I"m not making it up, lol. (Note to self: wear pearls and heels for pictures. It makes the whole bread making thing totally more legit. And silly, which is the more important part.)
Anyway . . . yeah, that's all. I'm totally still riding on the high from pulling the towel off the bowl Saturday and seeing that the bread dough had actually doubled like it was supposed to. Crazy, I tell you, CRAZY!
P. ost S. cript
This is one talented - and embarassed! - cat. I kind of adore him.
No, what I have chosen to take a moment to announce today is rather more mundane . . . but in my opinion it's more exciting. :-) Some of you will grasp all the reasons why, but I'm pretty sure that by now you all will get why this is so epic.
ahem
*clears throat*
*drum roll*
*really long drum roll*
*the kind you get in slapstick type movies*
*you know, where everyone is just like "get on with it already!!!!!!!!"*
*are you thinking that yet? ha ha*
*cymbal crash*
I MADE BREAD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! FROM SCRATCH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! AND IT WORKED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! AND THE YEAST PROOFED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! AND THE DOUGH ROSE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (rised? raised? whatever) AND IT CAME OUT NICE AND LIGHT AND FLUFFY AND TASTY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
AND I DID IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
While I must admit the loaves did not come out particularly pretty looking, but there were no creepy looking hieroglyphics carved into the top either. So - score there!
Confession: I actually made it on Saturday . . . I've kind of been expecting it to melt . . . or explode . . . or disintegrate . . . or do something else proving that I screwed up epically somewhere along the line. But we're already down to about three-quarters of a loaf (out of two), so I'm thinking it turned out pretty all right.
I'm thinking I'll have to try again a couple of times to make sure this success wasn't some crazy fluke, but if it turns out that it's not I'm thinking the whole making-is-cheaper-than-buying thing probably has something to it. And I feel so talented! :-) Next time I'll have to take pictures to prove I"m not making it up, lol. (Note to self: wear pearls and heels for pictures. It makes the whole bread making thing totally more legit. And silly, which is the more important part.)
Anyway . . . yeah, that's all. I'm totally still riding on the high from pulling the towel off the bowl Saturday and seeing that the bread dough had actually doubled like it was supposed to. Crazy, I tell you, CRAZY!
P. ost S. cript
This is one talented - and embarassed! - cat. I kind of adore him.
Sunday, June 19, 2011
17
Day 17 ~ Someone you would want to switch lives with for one day and why.
Ummm, duh, the Duchess of Cambridge! And that's all I'm going to say about that because either you know the rest already or you are really new around here.
Alternately - Amy Adams. Except I'd be the still Mormon version of Amy Adams. (seriously - her family lives in Idaho! How's that for random?) Because I'm pretty convinced that she actually is Giselle incarnate. Seriously . . . every time I see her, whether acting or as herself that is EXACTLY how she is. Remember this trailer? Ten bucks says she's not actually acting. Because she doesn't have to. Because she's awesome like that.
P. ost S. cript
Speaking of the Muppets, the "real" trailer is finally out. Count down until November begins . . . NOW! :-)
Ummm, duh, the Duchess of Cambridge! And that's all I'm going to say about that because either you know the rest already or you are really new around here.
Alternately - Amy Adams. Except I'd be the still Mormon version of Amy Adams. (seriously - her family lives in Idaho! How's that for random?) Because I'm pretty convinced that she actually is Giselle incarnate. Seriously . . . every time I see her, whether acting or as herself that is EXACTLY how she is. Remember this trailer? Ten bucks says she's not actually acting. Because she doesn't have to. Because she's awesome like that.
P. ost S. cript
Speaking of the Muppets, the "real" trailer is finally out. Count down until November begins . . . NOW! :-)
Saturday, June 18, 2011
16
Day 16 ~ A picture of yourself
I know I've totally been cheating practically the whole way through this month . . . but on the other hand, I've also posted nearly every picture taken of me in, like, the last two years recently. And pretty much every picture ever taken of me is on facebook if you're really that interested. So please enjoy instead this great picture I managed to snag at Epcot a few years ago. There may be a budding photographer in me yet!
Cracks me up every time I look at it. Seriously. That expression . . . just . . . priceless!!
P. ost S. cript
Someday I will own this series on dvd. And any children I have will know what good cartoons are. But mostly I just want it so I can watch it again.
I know I've totally been cheating practically the whole way through this month . . . but on the other hand, I've also posted nearly every picture taken of me in, like, the last two years recently. And pretty much every picture ever taken of me is on facebook if you're really that interested. So please enjoy instead this great picture I managed to snag at Epcot a few years ago. There may be a budding photographer in me yet!
Cracks me up every time I look at it. Seriously. That expression . . . just . . . priceless!!
P. ost S. cript
Someday I will own this series on dvd. And any children I have will know what good cartoons are. But mostly I just want it so I can watch it again.
Friday, June 17, 2011
15
Day 15 ~ Put your ipod on shuffle, first 10 songs that play
Having already done this, let's go genre specific. So I have closed my eyes and randomly pointed at the screen . . . and discovered that doesn't work since it's a big screen and the category lists are kinda small and just on the side. So I kinda cheated, by making my other hand a barrier blocking in only the music lists, closed my eyes again and landed on . . . Recently Played! Ummmm . . . LAME! So we're going with pop.
Note: this is a generic name for the category, as any song roughly my age or newer that is not country or instrumental. Although there are some classics in there from before the 80s.
1. Come What May from Moulin Rouge
Awwwww, sweet song (and EWAN MCGREGOR! YUM!)
(random search and the first one that pops up has French subtitles? Sweet!)
2. Waterloo by ABBA
ABBA rocks. That is all.
3. Billie Jean by Michael Jackson
Isn't America great? I mean, where else can a poor black boy grow up to be a rich white woman?
4. Because of You by Kelly Clarkson
Love the solo version, love the duet, and this video . . . dude . . .
5. Walk this Way by Aerosmith
Speaking of duets - absolutely cannot decide what I think of this one.
6. Footloose
Ahh, memories . . . like the fact that mom didn't have a problem with us singing along with "Dancing in the Sheets." That particular memory is a little disturbing now, actually.
7. Stop in the Name of Love by The Supremes
True story: in high school there was an annual lip sync contest. My sophomore year three of my friends did this song . . . three of my male friends. Awesomely hysterical, hysterically awesome - for eleven years now (oy!) I have not been able to hear this song without thinking of them. Sadly, I do not have video footage of that particular rendition to show you. (Justin (I mean Ms. Ross)? Kate? Surely you know where to dig it up?!)
8. Truly Madly Deeply by Savage Garden
Wasn't this just the most romantic song EVER back in the day? :-)
9. Smooth Ciminal by Michael Jackson
Okay, I've skipped, like, three other Michael Jackson songs already going for a little bit of variety. Clearly itunes is just in one of its moods or something. But there's no denying that this video is awesome. Weird . . . but awesome.
10. Baby One More Time by Britney Spears
Apparently itunes is also in a vaguely old school mood today. This song probably topped the not allowed list at our house . . . however mom couldn't exactly control what got played at dances and the like . . . and this was also about the time she came home singing Backstreet Boys (who were also banned) so the not allowed list kind of died.
P. ost S. cript
I feel a little guilty for loving this show. But it's so awesome.
Having already done this, let's go genre specific. So I have closed my eyes and randomly pointed at the screen . . . and discovered that doesn't work since it's a big screen and the category lists are kinda small and just on the side. So I kinda cheated, by making my other hand a barrier blocking in only the music lists, closed my eyes again and landed on . . . Recently Played! Ummmm . . . LAME! So we're going with pop.
Note: this is a generic name for the category, as any song roughly my age or newer that is not country or instrumental. Although there are some classics in there from before the 80s.
1. Come What May from Moulin Rouge
Awwwww, sweet song (and EWAN MCGREGOR! YUM!)
(random search and the first one that pops up has French subtitles? Sweet!)
2. Waterloo by ABBA
ABBA rocks. That is all.
3. Billie Jean by Michael Jackson
Isn't America great? I mean, where else can a poor black boy grow up to be a rich white woman?
4. Because of You by Kelly Clarkson
Love the solo version, love the duet, and this video . . . dude . . .
5. Walk this Way by Aerosmith
Speaking of duets - absolutely cannot decide what I think of this one.
6. Footloose
Ahh, memories . . . like the fact that mom didn't have a problem with us singing along with "Dancing in the Sheets." That particular memory is a little disturbing now, actually.
7. Stop in the Name of Love by The Supremes
True story: in high school there was an annual lip sync contest. My sophomore year three of my friends did this song . . . three of my male friends. Awesomely hysterical, hysterically awesome - for eleven years now (oy!) I have not been able to hear this song without thinking of them. Sadly, I do not have video footage of that particular rendition to show you. (Justin (I mean Ms. Ross)? Kate? Surely you know where to dig it up?!)
8. Truly Madly Deeply by Savage Garden
Wasn't this just the most romantic song EVER back in the day? :-)
9. Smooth Ciminal by Michael Jackson
Okay, I've skipped, like, three other Michael Jackson songs already going for a little bit of variety. Clearly itunes is just in one of its moods or something. But there's no denying that this video is awesome. Weird . . . but awesome.
10. Baby One More Time by Britney Spears
Apparently itunes is also in a vaguely old school mood today. This song probably topped the not allowed list at our house . . . however mom couldn't exactly control what got played at dances and the like . . . and this was also about the time she came home singing Backstreet Boys (who were also banned) so the not allowed list kind of died.
P. ost S. cript
I feel a little guilty for loving this show. But it's so awesome.
Thursday, June 16, 2011
14
Day 14 ~ A picture of yourself and your family.
Easy. Here's a good chunk of them in one picture.
Okay, so it's actually less than half if we're talking extended family . . . but I'm pretty sure it's the largest gathering of extended family that's happened for quite some time, especially for my mom's side. There's kind of a lot of us.
P. ost S. cript
Not having a smart phone, I totally have not gotten the whole craze over Angry Birds. Then I saw this. Cartoonish violence and explosions? That is something I can get behind. (But why exactly are the birds so angry?)
Easy. Here's a good chunk of them in one picture.
Okay, so it's actually less than half if we're talking extended family . . . but I'm pretty sure it's the largest gathering of extended family that's happened for quite some time, especially for my mom's side. There's kind of a lot of us.
P. ost S. cript
Not having a smart phone, I totally have not gotten the whole craze over Angry Birds. Then I saw this. Cartoonish violence and explosions? That is something I can get behind. (But why exactly are the birds so angry?)
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
13
Day 13 ~ Your 5 favorite books and why
Ummmmm . . . seriously? I'm only allowed FIVE favorite books? Yeah, not happening. Especially since they change on pretty much a daily basis. How about 5 favorite genres? (in no particular order)
1) Classical literature. They call them classics for a reason. And that reason is because they're (mostly) awesome. Granted there are some that I feel obligated to read (and sometimes even pretend to like) because I fee like I wouldn't deserve my degree otherwise . . . but Jane Austen? Dickens? Hugo? Twain? Yes, please!
2) Sci-fi/fantasy. I'm kind of picky about what I'll read from this category (and I do not like science fiction . . . which is decidedly different from sci-fi) and some of it can be really lame, but when it's done well and to my taste? Hello, Harry Potter! Percy Jackson! The good stuff rocks!
3) Historical fiction. I've been on a major Medieval England kick for . . . well, a few years now. But seriously, pretty much anything that has a note at the end separating fact from fiction - I'm in. Part of it is the educational aspect of it - if it's part of an interesting story I'll remember it MUCH longer than if it's part of a textbook or lecture. And it's just plain interesting.
4) Thrillers. This would be the "Da Vinci Code + copycats" category. Some are really terrible, but some are really awesome (and it's not very hard to find better written stuff then Dan Brown . . . although his plots are good). Tons of fun - I just keep forgetting not read them late at night!
5) Dystopian novels. Often a sub-category of sci-fi, I can't get enough. Read The Hunger Games and Uglies. Those 2 serieses (seri?) will completely explain why. If you still don't get why I like this stuff, you're not going to ever.
P. ost S. cript
Taking a moment to make everyone feel their age - Raiders of the Lost Ark? 30 years ago this past weekend. At least it's not this old. :-)
Ummmmm . . . seriously? I'm only allowed FIVE favorite books? Yeah, not happening. Especially since they change on pretty much a daily basis. How about 5 favorite genres? (in no particular order)
1) Classical literature. They call them classics for a reason. And that reason is because they're (mostly) awesome. Granted there are some that I feel obligated to read (and sometimes even pretend to like) because I fee like I wouldn't deserve my degree otherwise . . . but Jane Austen? Dickens? Hugo? Twain? Yes, please!
2) Sci-fi/fantasy. I'm kind of picky about what I'll read from this category (and I do not like science fiction . . . which is decidedly different from sci-fi) and some of it can be really lame, but when it's done well and to my taste? Hello, Harry Potter! Percy Jackson! The good stuff rocks!
3) Historical fiction. I've been on a major Medieval England kick for . . . well, a few years now. But seriously, pretty much anything that has a note at the end separating fact from fiction - I'm in. Part of it is the educational aspect of it - if it's part of an interesting story I'll remember it MUCH longer than if it's part of a textbook or lecture. And it's just plain interesting.
4) Thrillers. This would be the "Da Vinci Code + copycats" category. Some are really terrible, but some are really awesome (and it's not very hard to find better written stuff then Dan Brown . . . although his plots are good). Tons of fun - I just keep forgetting not read them late at night!
5) Dystopian novels. Often a sub-category of sci-fi, I can't get enough. Read The Hunger Games and Uglies. Those 2 serieses (seri?) will completely explain why. If you still don't get why I like this stuff, you're not going to ever.
P. ost S. cript
Taking a moment to make everyone feel their age - Raiders of the Lost Ark? 30 years ago this past weekend. At least it's not this old. :-)
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
12
Day 12 ~ Write a poem to someone you love.
Yeah, uh, no. Heaven knows I'm not much of a poet as it is and "love" poetry? Not happening. Instead you get two of my better poems - in fact, they've actually been published! (okay, so it was SUU's English department's yearly literary journal, no one outside the department has ever read it or ever will, and I certainly didn't get paid for them . . . but it still totally counts!)
Fate
Sitting at the window watching the world go by
Moving along frantically at a snail's pace.
Everyone in a hurry to win a non-existent race --
Even though doing so anyone would deny.
So many worries are worth scarcely a sigh
They'll soon be gone along with time and place
Switched for another, a completely new face
Leaving today's urgent concerns high and dry.
So why do I feel compelled to join in
When logic says to keep far away
And well out of this game I can't win?
I toss my coin in the collection tin
Fate has decreed that I must stay
For life to chew up and spit out again.
(ten points if you recognized the form!)
Heart's Desire
Last night she
Dreamed she was
Kidnapped by
Pirates.
No one
Came to rescue
Her, but
That's not why
She was disappointed
When she woke
Up.
Bonus - the poem included on my invitation to Poetry Club from (Eric):
Roses are red
Violets are blue
So are you
I kinda miss that kid. :-)
P. ost S. cript
Just kinda fits. Also: totally played this one back in the day.
Yeah, uh, no. Heaven knows I'm not much of a poet as it is and "love" poetry? Not happening. Instead you get two of my better poems - in fact, they've actually been published! (okay, so it was SUU's English department's yearly literary journal, no one outside the department has ever read it or ever will, and I certainly didn't get paid for them . . . but it still totally counts!)
Fate
Sitting at the window watching the world go by
Moving along frantically at a snail's pace.
Everyone in a hurry to win a non-existent race --
Even though doing so anyone would deny.
So many worries are worth scarcely a sigh
They'll soon be gone along with time and place
Switched for another, a completely new face
Leaving today's urgent concerns high and dry.
So why do I feel compelled to join in
When logic says to keep far away
And well out of this game I can't win?
I toss my coin in the collection tin
Fate has decreed that I must stay
For life to chew up and spit out again.
(ten points if you recognized the form!)
Heart's Desire
Last night she
Dreamed she was
Kidnapped by
Pirates.
No one
Came to rescue
Her, but
That's not why
She was disappointed
When she woke
Up.
Bonus - the poem included on my invitation to Poetry Club from (Eric):
Roses are red
Violets are blue
So are you
I kinda miss that kid. :-)
P. ost S. cript
Just kinda fits. Also: totally played this one back in the day.
Monday, June 13, 2011
11
Day 11 ~ Write a bucket list
Totally cheating but -
1. This
2. And this
3. Get published. Even if it's something really small.
4. Meet someone famous (and not get star struck).
5. Read enough books to fill Belle's library . . . because realistically, we all know that actually having it is never going to happen.
6. Be at least mostly happy every day. (so far so good!)
P. ost S. cript
CUTE!!!
Totally cheating but -
1. This
2. And this
3. Get published. Even if it's something really small.
4. Meet someone famous (and not get star struck).
5. Read enough books to fill Belle's library . . . because realistically, we all know that actually having it is never going to happen.
6. Be at least mostly happy every day. (so far so good!)
P. ost S. cript
CUTE!!!
Sunday, June 12, 2011
Strike 2
Dear Ice Cream Van:
Have you looked outside recently? We are most certainly not Walking in a Winter Wonderland right now. And I'd really rather not be for a few more months.
And while I really do appreciate your wishes regarding my Christmas experience, need I remind you (again) that similar wishes for the New Year could not be any less timely and approriate than they are right now?
Consider this your official warning. If I have to write again, I may just have to make it a break up letter.
Cordially,
Lacey
P. ost S. cript
How about you try something like these on for size?
Have you looked outside recently? We are most certainly not Walking in a Winter Wonderland right now. And I'd really rather not be for a few more months.
And while I really do appreciate your wishes regarding my Christmas experience, need I remind you (again) that similar wishes for the New Year could not be any less timely and approriate than they are right now?
Consider this your official warning. If I have to write again, I may just have to make it a break up letter.
Cordially,
Lacey
P. ost S. cript
How about you try something like these on for size?
Saturday, June 11, 2011
Saturday Morning Memory: Death of my Childhood
So as I mentioned we went to Jackson Hole on Wednesday. In order to get to Jackson Hole one must pass through Idaho Falls. (okay, okay . . . there are other ways to get there . . . work with me here) For those of you who don't know, I lived in Idaho Falls from the age of 2 to the age of 14. Moving away still ranks pretty highly on the list of Lacey's Most Traumatic Experiences.
Except for about 12 hours my senior year of high school, I had not been back since we left. That was 13 years ago. That means that as of this year more time has passed since we left IF than we spent living there. CRAZY!!!!!
It was kind of fun to drive through town and see what's changed. Luke got quite the kick out of the awesome giant Indian head. Sadly, he really didn't get a very good view of the falls, which normally look like this. Those rocks in the center of the picture? Not visible, as the falls are only a few feet high right now. On the other hand, I very much remember the flooding in 1996 when there were essentially no falls at all and benches 20 feet back from the bank of the river were completely under water . . . well, except for the top couple of inches. That was an interesting year. I shall have to attempt to dig up the pictures mom took sometime. This year is seriously nothing comparatively speaking. (side note: how far can helicopters fly on one tank of gas? 'Cause if they could get from IF to Luna . . . )
You know how when you're dreaming you'll be in a place that's simultaneously completely familiar and completely foreign? That was pretty much what it was like. It's been so long that except for the super familiar places everything looked like I should recognize it but I kind of didn't. Seriously, it was trippy. I even had to pinch myself a couple of times to make sure I wasn't dreaming - it felt that surreal. In fact, I'm still not convinced I didn't imagine that part of the day . . . and I kind of wish I had. (more on that later)
So it was a day filled with trips down memory lane. First, the good ones:
SQUARE ICE CREAM IN SWAN VALLEY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Okay, for those of you not in on the awesome, there is a store. No, let me back up. There is a tiny little think-about-blinking-and-you'll-miss-it-town called Swan Valley not to far away from IF. In that town there is a little tiny gas station/convenience store called the Swan Valley Commissary. (okay, okay, technically it has been changed to the Rainey Creek Country Store. But that? Is a dumb name, and soooooooooooooooooo not the place where I had my first square ice cream, so the Commissary it is and the Commissary it shall be forever and ever amen. So there.) And at the Commissary they have fabulous ice cream flavors (no lame vanilla or strawberry here!) and super fabulous square ice cream scoops. This place is so legendary in fact, that when YW go to girls' camp (the church owns a camp in the area that a bunch of stakes use every summer. And it is another awesome place . . . story for another day) it is common knowledge that you take a few bucks with you because we're stopping for square ice cream on the way back home. So there I was, 12 years old (because my parents would NEVER stop for ice cream on the way to Aunt Loretta's . . . LAME!), haven't showered for . . . well, a few days, as this awesome camp came with running water, flushing toilets, and showers - seriously, best camp ever - first ever nights spent away from home, having had a pretty great week and ending it with the best ice cream ever made. It. Was. Epic. I kid you not, this ice cream is legendary. So when dad called on Monday asking if we wanted to come and he mentioned we'd stop in Swan Valley . . . well, it was pretty much a no brainer that we'd be going. I'd have taken multiple pictures from multiple angles of the awesome, but as I also mentioned a couple of days ago - battery issues. Blargh.
So I hand mom my camera and tell her it's ready to go . . . and she asks "so what do I do?" Ummmmm . . . take the picture? "But how? Do I push the button or what?"
I couldn't face palm with ice cre-awesome in my hand, so I silently forgave all the Disney guests I mentally mocked back in the day who felt like they needed to explain to me how to use their cameras when I took pictures for them. Apparently, they are not self-explani-obvious to everyone.
Just to review kids - my grandfather? Has a smart phone. My mom? Can't figure out the camera I bought 4 years ago. My head? A splode.
Anyway . . . SQUARE ICE CREAM!!!!!!!!!!!!! (and I suppose I can forgive the lack of zooming in . . . especially since mom's camera has no zoom to speak of)
That, my friends, is my old standby of huckleberry on top, licorice on bottom. An amazing combo if I do say so myself.
Just call me Arorangi, the Maori Warrior Princess . . . the rest of the tribal tattoos will come later. :-)
Also - at the bottom of the cone they put a Whopper(tm) to prevent drips. I'd totally forgotten - best surprise EVER!
Oh . . . guess I spoiled that surprise for all of you (since you're totally going to drive straight to Swan Valley as soon as you're done reading) . . . ummmmmm . . . SPOILER ALERT?
In other delicious news, we also went to The Sandwich Tree, home of the BEST sandwiches in the WORLD. Seriously. Apparently Ashli was recently talking about making the 3 hour drive to IF just to get some Sandwich Tree. I totally would have gone too. It was great - the place has hardly changed at all. Still a tired looking little hole in the wall type place that is so good it was our meal every Christmas Eve for years. YUM!!
Of course, as evidenced by the Commisary's epically stupid name change, the more things change the more obnoxious it is. In the varying degrees of sad changes department:
~ Waremart, the super cool grocery store of my childhood, is long gone. So sad. This store had a 25-foot long 2-tiered soda fountain where one could refill one's 2-liter pop bottles . . . with TWENTY-FIVE FEET OF FLAVORS TO CHOOSE FROM!!!!! As far as I was concerned, this was the best place on earth. As my dad put it Wednesday, it's not hard to entertain little kids. I say? Not when that much soda is involved, it isn't!
~ North Forty, the super cool mini-golf course with the name that never made sense to me - gone. It was seriously the greatest course too . . . Old West themed and lots of fun . . . although the only hole I remember is Boot Hill. You had to hit your ball over a little hill littered with . . . wait for it . . . cowboy boots!! So. Much. Fun.
~ We drove past my old elementary school. When I was in 3rd or 4th grade we planted a tree outside the school for our principal who was moving to a new school the next year. Then - it was a couple of feet tall. Now? It's, like, a . . . tree. A full grown, tall . . . TREE!!!! When did that happen?!?!?!?!?!?! Great merciful crap, I'm getting old!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
~ Speaking of driving past old places . . . and also speaking of trees (and this will be most appreciated by those who also remember this) THE TREE IS GONE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! OUR TREE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! THE WILLOW TREE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! THE BACKYARD TREE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Okay, a little backstory for those not cool enough to know me when I was a kid: the last few years we lived in IF we lived in a cute little house in what was once upon a time the poshest place in town (called Bel Aire - I kid you not) but was sinking in to slummy-ness when we lived there and is decidedly the wrong side of town now. But like I said, it was a cute little house, and it had a GINORMOUS willow tree in the back yard. You could see this tree (and pick it out) from three and four blocks away. The house didn't get super hot very often because by the time it got that hot outside the tree was shading it. (don't get me wrong - it still got hot . . . but there was a noticeable difference between the shadiest parts of the house and the less shaded) There were a few squirrel nests in it every year, and we'd always hear or see squirrels chasing each other around the yard - the best was when they went around and around the trunk of the tree which was easily ten feet or more around. The branches were so long that some of them touched the ground and we'd get in trouble all the time for pulling them down because we'd been swinging Tarzan style on them. Then a year or so before we moved dad put up a rope swing and then we got in trouble for killing the grass beneath it by dragging our feet to stop. It was kind of funny, mom would keep putting grass seed in that patch and banning us from the swing for a week or so, and then as soon as we were allowed to swing again those little shoots of baby grass had no chance. So there we are getting close to the house and I'm all excited to see it and then we pass it - and I almost didn't recognize the place!
For those in the know - the fence by the back door has been moved up parallel to the front of the house, the fence on the other side has been redone (and expanded to include by the side of the garage) the fence between the house and garage is gone, all the flower beds are gone (mom really had a problem with that one), the shutters are gone (which makes the house look really weird), there's a mailbox in the front yard now, and THE WILLOW TREE IS GONE!!!!!!!!! Seriously - google map it. There's a street view. 1210 Johnson Street. I'll wait. Doesn't it look weird? Doesn't the whole right side of the picture look off and bland and EMPTY?!?!?!?!?!?!?!
So mom and I are seriously in mourning for the tree and my oh-so-sensitive father says something about what's the deal, it's probably been gone for years. And proceeds to not get it when I say no, it was there yesterday, and as far as I'm concerned I'm not sure how we missed the evil tree removers because they couldn't have finished the job more than five minutes before we showed up! Seriously, there I was wondering if the swing would still be there - it never occurred to me that the whole tree might be gone! Who does that?!
And what about the squirrels?!?! Where did they go? Did they have to move to the (smaller, not nearly so pleasant) willow tree next door? The willow tree in the back yard of the meth house? (well, it was when we left - not when we moved in, and I'm not sure now, but in my mind it will always be the meth house. Or possibly the crack house, all we knew for sure was that there were unsavory characters doing unsavory things over there) My poor squirrels - we always kind of thought of them as pets. Pets we couldn't actually, you know, pet, but still. And now they're crack addicted little squirrels. Poor things. How can those evil tree removing . . . tree removers . . . sleep at night knowing they caused the addiction of the poor crack squirrels?!?!?!
Seriously, the highlight of any day (in every place we lived in IF) was watching the squirrels running around . . . so happily. So cheerful. Such a pick-me-up. And they don't even HAVE squirrels in Utah!! At least, not in any of the places I've lived - haven't seen one since we moved. :-( My poor, poor squirrels.
In slightly cheerier news, the two apartments we lived in haven't changed much. And how's this for crazy? The second apartment is in the same spot in the fourplex that Luke and I are in now, except that one was #1 and we're in #4. What are the odds?! (okay, okay, they're one in four, I know. It was a rhetorical question. Shut up.)
Also - the Candy Man is still there!! At least it looked like he is . . .
So. The Candy Man. Has a name. And I even know it. But he will always be the Candy Man.
You see, in our first ward (whilst in the 2 apartments) there was a guy (an old, grandfatherly guy whom everyone knew and trusted and had no reason not to, I feel obligated to add) who would slip a piece of candy into the hand of a child who shook his hand. Sometimes there would seriously be a line of kids waiting to shake this guys hand after church . . . which is kinda funny as I think about it now. Anyway, it was always those pink wintergreen mints - you know? - and to this day I cannot see, smell, taste, or even think of them without thinking of this guy.
Theirs was always the last house we went to on Halloween. They always gave out these cute little candy trains - a pack of gum, a life saver roll, a little box of raisins, . . . and a few other things I have forgotten . . . glued together to make a train. They were really cute. And we always went last so they wouldn't get crushed by the infinitesimal amount of candy in our baby bags. (okay, that was probably an exaggeration. I think those bags have continued to shrink in my mind.) It was the best stop of the night because we'd usually get a handful of tootsie rolls or something in addition to the train - mega score! :-)
I think my parents got quite a kick out of the fact that I remembered who's house it was . . . probably mostly because my answer was "The Candy Man!" and it took me another moment or two to remember his actual name.
So I suppose the trip, while sad, was not entirely sad. But Arthur Miller could still totally write himself a great sequel based on my day.
P. ost S. cript
Totally feeling this song this week.
Except for about 12 hours my senior year of high school, I had not been back since we left. That was 13 years ago. That means that as of this year more time has passed since we left IF than we spent living there. CRAZY!!!!!
It was kind of fun to drive through town and see what's changed. Luke got quite the kick out of the awesome giant Indian head. Sadly, he really didn't get a very good view of the falls, which normally look like this. Those rocks in the center of the picture? Not visible, as the falls are only a few feet high right now. On the other hand, I very much remember the flooding in 1996 when there were essentially no falls at all and benches 20 feet back from the bank of the river were completely under water . . . well, except for the top couple of inches. That was an interesting year. I shall have to attempt to dig up the pictures mom took sometime. This year is seriously nothing comparatively speaking. (side note: how far can helicopters fly on one tank of gas? 'Cause if they could get from IF to Luna . . . )
You know how when you're dreaming you'll be in a place that's simultaneously completely familiar and completely foreign? That was pretty much what it was like. It's been so long that except for the super familiar places everything looked like I should recognize it but I kind of didn't. Seriously, it was trippy. I even had to pinch myself a couple of times to make sure I wasn't dreaming - it felt that surreal. In fact, I'm still not convinced I didn't imagine that part of the day . . . and I kind of wish I had. (more on that later)
So it was a day filled with trips down memory lane. First, the good ones:
SQUARE ICE CREAM IN SWAN VALLEY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Okay, for those of you not in on the awesome, there is a store. No, let me back up. There is a tiny little think-about-blinking-and-you'll-miss-it-town called Swan Valley not to far away from IF. In that town there is a little tiny gas station/convenience store called the Swan Valley Commissary. (okay, okay, technically it has been changed to the Rainey Creek Country Store. But that? Is a dumb name, and soooooooooooooooooo not the place where I had my first square ice cream, so the Commissary it is and the Commissary it shall be forever and ever amen. So there.) And at the Commissary they have fabulous ice cream flavors (no lame vanilla or strawberry here!) and super fabulous square ice cream scoops. This place is so legendary in fact, that when YW go to girls' camp (the church owns a camp in the area that a bunch of stakes use every summer. And it is another awesome place . . . story for another day) it is common knowledge that you take a few bucks with you because we're stopping for square ice cream on the way back home. So there I was, 12 years old (because my parents would NEVER stop for ice cream on the way to Aunt Loretta's . . . LAME!), haven't showered for . . . well, a few days, as this awesome camp came with running water, flushing toilets, and showers - seriously, best camp ever - first ever nights spent away from home, having had a pretty great week and ending it with the best ice cream ever made. It. Was. Epic. I kid you not, this ice cream is legendary. So when dad called on Monday asking if we wanted to come and he mentioned we'd stop in Swan Valley . . . well, it was pretty much a no brainer that we'd be going. I'd have taken multiple pictures from multiple angles of the awesome, but as I also mentioned a couple of days ago - battery issues. Blargh.
So I hand mom my camera and tell her it's ready to go . . . and she asks "so what do I do?" Ummmmm . . . take the picture? "But how? Do I push the button or what?"
I couldn't face palm with ice cre-awesome in my hand, so I silently forgave all the Disney guests I mentally mocked back in the day who felt like they needed to explain to me how to use their cameras when I took pictures for them. Apparently, they are not self-explani-obvious to everyone.
Just to review kids - my grandfather? Has a smart phone. My mom? Can't figure out the camera I bought 4 years ago. My head? A splode.
Anyway . . . SQUARE ICE CREAM!!!!!!!!!!!!! (and I suppose I can forgive the lack of zooming in . . . especially since mom's camera has no zoom to speak of)
That, my friends, is my old standby of huckleberry on top, licorice on bottom. An amazing combo if I do say so myself.
Just call me Arorangi, the Maori Warrior Princess . . . the rest of the tribal tattoos will come later. :-)
Also - at the bottom of the cone they put a Whopper(tm) to prevent drips. I'd totally forgotten - best surprise EVER!
Oh . . . guess I spoiled that surprise for all of you (since you're totally going to drive straight to Swan Valley as soon as you're done reading) . . . ummmmmm . . . SPOILER ALERT?
In other delicious news, we also went to The Sandwich Tree, home of the BEST sandwiches in the WORLD. Seriously. Apparently Ashli was recently talking about making the 3 hour drive to IF just to get some Sandwich Tree. I totally would have gone too. It was great - the place has hardly changed at all. Still a tired looking little hole in the wall type place that is so good it was our meal every Christmas Eve for years. YUM!!
Of course, as evidenced by the Commisary's epically stupid name change, the more things change the more obnoxious it is. In the varying degrees of sad changes department:
~ Waremart, the super cool grocery store of my childhood, is long gone. So sad. This store had a 25-foot long 2-tiered soda fountain where one could refill one's 2-liter pop bottles . . . with TWENTY-FIVE FEET OF FLAVORS TO CHOOSE FROM!!!!! As far as I was concerned, this was the best place on earth. As my dad put it Wednesday, it's not hard to entertain little kids. I say? Not when that much soda is involved, it isn't!
~ North Forty, the super cool mini-golf course with the name that never made sense to me - gone. It was seriously the greatest course too . . . Old West themed and lots of fun . . . although the only hole I remember is Boot Hill. You had to hit your ball over a little hill littered with . . . wait for it . . . cowboy boots!! So. Much. Fun.
~ We drove past my old elementary school. When I was in 3rd or 4th grade we planted a tree outside the school for our principal who was moving to a new school the next year. Then - it was a couple of feet tall. Now? It's, like, a . . . tree. A full grown, tall . . . TREE!!!! When did that happen?!?!?!?!?!?! Great merciful crap, I'm getting old!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
~ Speaking of driving past old places . . . and also speaking of trees (and this will be most appreciated by those who also remember this) THE TREE IS GONE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! OUR TREE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! THE WILLOW TREE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! THE BACKYARD TREE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Okay, a little backstory for those not cool enough to know me when I was a kid: the last few years we lived in IF we lived in a cute little house in what was once upon a time the poshest place in town (called Bel Aire - I kid you not) but was sinking in to slummy-ness when we lived there and is decidedly the wrong side of town now. But like I said, it was a cute little house, and it had a GINORMOUS willow tree in the back yard. You could see this tree (and pick it out) from three and four blocks away. The house didn't get super hot very often because by the time it got that hot outside the tree was shading it. (don't get me wrong - it still got hot . . . but there was a noticeable difference between the shadiest parts of the house and the less shaded) There were a few squirrel nests in it every year, and we'd always hear or see squirrels chasing each other around the yard - the best was when they went around and around the trunk of the tree which was easily ten feet or more around. The branches were so long that some of them touched the ground and we'd get in trouble all the time for pulling them down because we'd been swinging Tarzan style on them. Then a year or so before we moved dad put up a rope swing and then we got in trouble for killing the grass beneath it by dragging our feet to stop. It was kind of funny, mom would keep putting grass seed in that patch and banning us from the swing for a week or so, and then as soon as we were allowed to swing again those little shoots of baby grass had no chance. So there we are getting close to the house and I'm all excited to see it and then we pass it - and I almost didn't recognize the place!
For those in the know - the fence by the back door has been moved up parallel to the front of the house, the fence on the other side has been redone (and expanded to include by the side of the garage) the fence between the house and garage is gone, all the flower beds are gone (mom really had a problem with that one), the shutters are gone (which makes the house look really weird), there's a mailbox in the front yard now, and THE WILLOW TREE IS GONE!!!!!!!!! Seriously - google map it. There's a street view. 1210 Johnson Street. I'll wait. Doesn't it look weird? Doesn't the whole right side of the picture look off and bland and EMPTY?!?!?!?!?!?!?!
So mom and I are seriously in mourning for the tree and my oh-so-sensitive father says something about what's the deal, it's probably been gone for years. And proceeds to not get it when I say no, it was there yesterday, and as far as I'm concerned I'm not sure how we missed the evil tree removers because they couldn't have finished the job more than five minutes before we showed up! Seriously, there I was wondering if the swing would still be there - it never occurred to me that the whole tree might be gone! Who does that?!
And what about the squirrels?!?! Where did they go? Did they have to move to the (smaller, not nearly so pleasant) willow tree next door? The willow tree in the back yard of the meth house? (well, it was when we left - not when we moved in, and I'm not sure now, but in my mind it will always be the meth house. Or possibly the crack house, all we knew for sure was that there were unsavory characters doing unsavory things over there) My poor squirrels - we always kind of thought of them as pets. Pets we couldn't actually, you know, pet, but still. And now they're crack addicted little squirrels. Poor things. How can those evil tree removing . . . tree removers . . . sleep at night knowing they caused the addiction of the poor crack squirrels?!?!?!
Seriously, the highlight of any day (in every place we lived in IF) was watching the squirrels running around . . . so happily. So cheerful. Such a pick-me-up. And they don't even HAVE squirrels in Utah!! At least, not in any of the places I've lived - haven't seen one since we moved. :-( My poor, poor squirrels.
In slightly cheerier news, the two apartments we lived in haven't changed much. And how's this for crazy? The second apartment is in the same spot in the fourplex that Luke and I are in now, except that one was #1 and we're in #4. What are the odds?! (okay, okay, they're one in four, I know. It was a rhetorical question. Shut up.)
Also - the Candy Man is still there!! At least it looked like he is . . .
So. The Candy Man. Has a name. And I even know it. But he will always be the Candy Man.
You see, in our first ward (whilst in the 2 apartments) there was a guy (an old, grandfatherly guy whom everyone knew and trusted and had no reason not to, I feel obligated to add) who would slip a piece of candy into the hand of a child who shook his hand. Sometimes there would seriously be a line of kids waiting to shake this guys hand after church . . . which is kinda funny as I think about it now. Anyway, it was always those pink wintergreen mints - you know? - and to this day I cannot see, smell, taste, or even think of them without thinking of this guy.
Theirs was always the last house we went to on Halloween. They always gave out these cute little candy trains - a pack of gum, a life saver roll, a little box of raisins, . . . and a few other things I have forgotten . . . glued together to make a train. They were really cute. And we always went last so they wouldn't get crushed by the infinitesimal amount of candy in our baby bags. (okay, that was probably an exaggeration. I think those bags have continued to shrink in my mind.) It was the best stop of the night because we'd usually get a handful of tootsie rolls or something in addition to the train - mega score! :-)
I think my parents got quite a kick out of the fact that I remembered who's house it was . . . probably mostly because my answer was "The Candy Man!" and it took me another moment or two to remember his actual name.
So I suppose the trip, while sad, was not entirely sad. But Arthur Miller could still totally write himself a great sequel based on my day.
P. ost S. cript
Totally feeling this song this week.
Friday, June 10, 2011
10
Day 10 ~ Songs you listen to when you are happy, sad, bored, hyped, mad
Hmmmmmmmmmmm. This one is a little tough. I almost always have music going, but I don't generally go for specific songs when I'm in a particular mood. that said, I'll try to come up with one for each.
Happy:
C'est La Vie by B*Witched
It's just a fun little song with a lovely bit of nostalgia to it.
Sad:
Okay, for this one I do tend to go for the Broadway stuff, particularly the Les Mis/Phantom/Jekyll&Hyde/Scarlet Pimpernel type stuff. And I believe I've mentioned it before, but this one was a bit of a theme song for me when I was a depressed dateless college girl.
Not That Girl from Wicked
Bored
Ummmmm . . . pretty much anything. Isn't that what the shuffle button was made for?
Dancing Queen
Hyped
God Rest Ye, Merry Gentlemen by Mannheim Steamroller
(really good song to drive to)
Mad
Ok . . . really drawing a blank for this one . . . invoking the power of the shuffle button.
Only the Good Die Young, Billy Joel - another good one for nostalgia too.
P. ost S. cript
Yeah, I've posted this one before. But it rocks just that much.
Hmmmmmmmmmmm. This one is a little tough. I almost always have music going, but I don't generally go for specific songs when I'm in a particular mood. that said, I'll try to come up with one for each.
Happy:
C'est La Vie by B*Witched
It's just a fun little song with a lovely bit of nostalgia to it.
Sad:
Okay, for this one I do tend to go for the Broadway stuff, particularly the Les Mis/Phantom/Jekyll&Hyde/Scarlet Pimpernel type stuff. And I believe I've mentioned it before, but this one was a bit of a theme song for me when I was a depressed dateless college girl.
Not That Girl from Wicked
Bored
Ummmmm . . . pretty much anything. Isn't that what the shuffle button was made for?
Dancing Queen
Hyped
God Rest Ye, Merry Gentlemen by Mannheim Steamroller
(really good song to drive to)
Mad
Ok . . . really drawing a blank for this one . . . invoking the power of the shuffle button.
Only the Good Die Young, Billy Joel - another good one for nostalgia too.
P. ost S. cript
Yeah, I've posted this one before. But it rocks just that much.
Thursday, June 9, 2011
9
Day 9 ~ Something you're proud of in the past few days.
This is easy. We went to Jackson Hole yesterday with my parents AND I DID NOT GET SUNBURNED! This? Is epic.
Granted, it may have a tiny bit to do with the fact that the weather in the afternoon looked a lot like the weather outside our apartment right now (dark and gloomy enough to almost need lights on even though it's going on noon), but the first few hours were gloriously sunny and a tad on the too warm side (except for when we stopped at the top of the mountain to look down on the town, that was chilly as there's still a few feet of snow up there).
Sadly my camera batteries were on life support (i.e. - take one picture, camera shuts itself off, turn it on again, take one picture, repeat) so I did not get as many pictures as I would have liked. But we'll go back sometime (if for no other reason than because we did not buy one of each item labeled "huckleberry [delicious thing even without huckleberries added]") and get more pictures then.
But in the meantime - NO SUNBURN!!!!!!!!!!!!!! WOOT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
P. ost S. cript
Teacher needs a day off? Just play these all day and the kids totally still get educated! I? Am a genius. :-)
This is easy. We went to Jackson Hole yesterday with my parents AND I DID NOT GET SUNBURNED! This? Is epic.
Granted, it may have a tiny bit to do with the fact that the weather in the afternoon looked a lot like the weather outside our apartment right now (dark and gloomy enough to almost need lights on even though it's going on noon), but the first few hours were gloriously sunny and a tad on the too warm side (except for when we stopped at the top of the mountain to look down on the town, that was chilly as there's still a few feet of snow up there).
Sadly my camera batteries were on life support (i.e. - take one picture, camera shuts itself off, turn it on again, take one picture, repeat) so I did not get as many pictures as I would have liked. But we'll go back sometime (if for no other reason than because we did not buy one of each item labeled "huckleberry [delicious thing even without huckleberries added]") and get more pictures then.
But in the meantime - NO SUNBURN!!!!!!!!!!!!!! WOOT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
P. ost S. cript
Teacher needs a day off? Just play these all day and the kids totally still get educated! I? Am a genius. :-)
Wednesday, June 8, 2011
8
Day 8 ~ Short term goals for this month and why.
Short term goals, short list. This one shall be quick.
1 - Get back into the whole Wii Fitting thing. I kinda gave it up during the school year because, really, who wants to come home from work and get all sweaty and gross and have to take a second shower in one day and if you're going out again having to do the whole makeup/get ready to go thing a second time and . . . yeah, not interested. I told myself I had a fairly active job (while not nearly as active as working at Disney, it is compared to most jobs) and just let it go. But now I'm ready to get going again. One hour a day last week, two hours this week, and we'll just keep going from there. Hopefully this summer is as self-esteem boosting as last summer.
2 - Sort of on that note - not forgetting my New Year's not-Resolution. (admit it: all'a y'all have totally forgotten yours, lol) I haven't really . . . but I think I could be doing better.
3 - Keep on track/get ahead with my 150 book goal. Yeah, that one. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
I'm sure I've read that many books in a year before . . . but now I will know it for sure. The moment when I finish that 150th book? Will. Be. Epic.
4 - No sunburns. I should hope that's self-explanatory. We now live right next to the zoo and the pool, so there will be ample opportunity to put this one to the test this summer.
(5) - Come up with more specific goals. In parenthesis because it's probably not going to happen per se. I'm more of a deadline setter than a goal setter. As in "I will finish the hippo baby bib by this day because the next day is Leza's baby shower is the next day." (for the record they were done well in advance . . . mostly because I was paranoid they wouldn't be!) Do those count as goals? I'm totally counting them.
And that is all.
P. ost S. cript
No particular reason. Except this song cracks me up. Every time. Sometimes I listen to the entire soundtrack (which is awesome) just because this song is so much better in context. Also: after watching this clip I want to see this number done with everyone wearing hats once worn by Princess Beatrice.
Short term goals, short list. This one shall be quick.
1 - Get back into the whole Wii Fitting thing. I kinda gave it up during the school year because, really, who wants to come home from work and get all sweaty and gross and have to take a second shower in one day and if you're going out again having to do the whole makeup/get ready to go thing a second time and . . . yeah, not interested. I told myself I had a fairly active job (while not nearly as active as working at Disney, it is compared to most jobs) and just let it go. But now I'm ready to get going again. One hour a day last week, two hours this week, and we'll just keep going from there. Hopefully this summer is as self-esteem boosting as last summer.
2 - Sort of on that note - not forgetting my New Year's not-Resolution. (admit it: all'a y'all have totally forgotten yours, lol) I haven't really . . . but I think I could be doing better.
3 - Keep on track/get ahead with my 150 book goal. Yeah, that one. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
I'm sure I've read that many books in a year before . . . but now I will know it for sure. The moment when I finish that 150th book? Will. Be. Epic.
4 - No sunburns. I should hope that's self-explanatory. We now live right next to the zoo and the pool, so there will be ample opportunity to put this one to the test this summer.
(5) - Come up with more specific goals. In parenthesis because it's probably not going to happen per se. I'm more of a deadline setter than a goal setter. As in "I will finish the hippo baby bib by this day because the next day is Leza's baby shower is the next day." (for the record they were done well in advance . . . mostly because I was paranoid they wouldn't be!) Do those count as goals? I'm totally counting them.
And that is all.
P. ost S. cript
No particular reason. Except this song cracks me up. Every time. Sometimes I listen to the entire soundtrack (which is awesome) just because this song is so much better in context. Also: after watching this clip I want to see this number done with everyone wearing hats once worn by Princess Beatrice.
Tuesday, June 7, 2011
7
Day 7 ~ A picture of someone/thing that has had the biggest impact on you.
(warning: I'm bored, and thereby only loosely following blogging directions . . . )
Well, I don't know about the BIGGEST impact, but . . .
If I hadn't been working for these guys . . .
. . . I would never have met this guy . . . and I imagine things might be a little different for both of us these days. :-)
Moving on.
From the "so large an impact in my childhood that I spent way more time than should have been necessary hunting him down later on (and shall have to tell that story sometime) file:"
From the "larger impact on my childhood and even now than I should admit file:"
(note: totally friends with the guy in the suit. we let people pass us in line waiting for the other guy to switch off with him. it was worth it, we all had fun when he came out and we could play around a little and nobody else got it.)
And last but certainly not least - from the "soooooooooooo freaking glad we're related because otherwise I would probably STILL be job hunting file:"
Also, she's awesome.
P. ost S. cript
How cool is this? I'm sure there's some sort of camera trickery going on, but I am an Escher junkie, and I? Do. Not. Care.
(warning: I'm bored, and thereby only loosely following blogging directions . . . )
Well, I don't know about the BIGGEST impact, but . . .
If I hadn't been working for these guys . . .
. . . I would never have met this guy . . . and I imagine things might be a little different for both of us these days. :-)Moving on.
From the "so large an impact in my childhood that I spent way more time than should have been necessary hunting him down later on (and shall have to tell that story sometime) file:"
From the "larger impact on my childhood and even now than I should admit file:"
(note: totally friends with the guy in the suit. we let people pass us in line waiting for the other guy to switch off with him. it was worth it, we all had fun when he came out and we could play around a little and nobody else got it.)And last but certainly not least - from the "soooooooooooo freaking glad we're related because otherwise I would probably STILL be job hunting file:"
Also, she's awesome.P. ost S. cript
How cool is this? I'm sure there's some sort of camera trickery going on, but I am an Escher junkie, and I? Do. Not. Care.
Monday, June 6, 2011
6
Day 6 ~ Your favorite superhero and why.
You know, Shayla is a hardcore Superman girl. She even has a tshirt that says "I <3 Nerds" and over the heart is Clark Kent pulling his shirt open to reveal the his super suit underneath.
Me? Not so much. I've never really been in to the whole superhero thing. No, my fictional heros have always tended toward the more literary side. I have kind of a lot . . . here's a few:
(note: if you don't recognize any of these characters, please don't tell me so I don't have to judge you. because I am totally going on the assumption that you are all as well educated as I think you are and not giving their sources.)
Elizabeth Bennett. For all the obvious reasons. Yes, I can be cliche sometimes. (keep that in mind going forward . . .)
Anne Shirley. Again, the reasons are probably pretty obvious. I still kinda want to be her. Well, the blonde version, I guess.
Hermione Granger. Because I kinda was her, kinda wanted to be her.
Hester Prynne. Not, perhaps, quite so obvious. But aside from the obvious, she really is a very strong character and good role model for those who can see what is admirable in her.
Katie Scarlett O'Hara Hamilton Kennedy Butler. (that was probably a little show off-y, wasn't it? a bit of overkill? oh well.) I know most people have nothing good to say about her, but I kind of adore her. I mean, think about it. Here is a girl who epitomizes the spoiled, pampered princess who is raised to believe she will never have to lift a finger in her entire life. And then her world is turned completely upside-down and she's forced to grow up pretty freaking quickly. So the experience didn't leave her much like Melanie (whom I also adore, btw) but she did what she had to do. She was personally responsible for keeping a dozen people from starving to death at one point for crying out loud! Her methods are most certainly questionable, her motives cloudy, but her determination and motivation are utterly admirable.
Catherine Earnshaw. Totally admire her passion.
Winnie Foster. Girlfriend's got guts. On multiple levels.
Mina Harker. If those Y-chromosome bearing idiots hadn't been so focused on protecting her and actually let her help things would have been taken care of lots quicker. Stupid boys.
Tess Durbeyfield. Talk about enduring to the end!! I would love to have HALF her inner strength for coping with endless crap.
Katniss Everdeen. Ummmmmmmm . . . duh!!!!
There are more. But I get the feeling I'm boring you so . . . peace out . . . or something . . .
P. ost S. cript
Luke is looking forward to experimenting (his word, not mine) in a like manner some day with all manner of random experiments. Worry not, my minions, I shall be manning the camera.
(note to self: get minions so that makes sense.)
You know, Shayla is a hardcore Superman girl. She even has a tshirt that says "I <3 Nerds" and over the heart is Clark Kent pulling his shirt open to reveal the his super suit underneath.
Me? Not so much. I've never really been in to the whole superhero thing. No, my fictional heros have always tended toward the more literary side. I have kind of a lot . . . here's a few:
(note: if you don't recognize any of these characters, please don't tell me so I don't have to judge you. because I am totally going on the assumption that you are all as well educated as I think you are and not giving their sources.)
Elizabeth Bennett. For all the obvious reasons. Yes, I can be cliche sometimes. (keep that in mind going forward . . .)
Anne Shirley. Again, the reasons are probably pretty obvious. I still kinda want to be her. Well, the blonde version, I guess.
Hermione Granger. Because I kinda was her, kinda wanted to be her.
Hester Prynne. Not, perhaps, quite so obvious. But aside from the obvious, she really is a very strong character and good role model for those who can see what is admirable in her.
Katie Scarlett O'Hara Hamilton Kennedy Butler. (that was probably a little show off-y, wasn't it? a bit of overkill? oh well.) I know most people have nothing good to say about her, but I kind of adore her. I mean, think about it. Here is a girl who epitomizes the spoiled, pampered princess who is raised to believe she will never have to lift a finger in her entire life. And then her world is turned completely upside-down and she's forced to grow up pretty freaking quickly. So the experience didn't leave her much like Melanie (whom I also adore, btw) but she did what she had to do. She was personally responsible for keeping a dozen people from starving to death at one point for crying out loud! Her methods are most certainly questionable, her motives cloudy, but her determination and motivation are utterly admirable.
Catherine Earnshaw. Totally admire her passion.
Winnie Foster. Girlfriend's got guts. On multiple levels.
Mina Harker. If those Y-chromosome bearing idiots hadn't been so focused on protecting her and actually let her help things would have been taken care of lots quicker. Stupid boys.
Tess Durbeyfield. Talk about enduring to the end!! I would love to have HALF her inner strength for coping with endless crap.
Katniss Everdeen. Ummmmmmmm . . . duh!!!!
There are more. But I get the feeling I'm boring you so . . . peace out . . . or something . . .
P. ost S. cript
Luke is looking forward to experimenting (his word, not mine) in a like manner some day with all manner of random experiments. Worry not, my minions, I shall be manning the camera.
(note to self: get minions so that makes sense.)
Sunday, June 5, 2011
5
Day 5 ~ A picture of somewhere you've been.
As they say, anything worth doing is worth overdoing . . . so there might be a few dozen pictures here by the time I'm done.
Fake New York
Fake England
Fake Asia
Fake Africa
Fake Davy Jones' Locker . . . okay so that's a stretch. But yes, that's the real organ from the movies. And yes, I'm touching it. That was a good day.
And now the real places:
Cape Canaveral
Pearl Harbor
Waikiki Beach (I promise I'm in both of these pictures!)
Semi-fake Fiji - the Polynesian Cultural Center in Laie.
The Space Needle (all my pictures from the Canada half of this trip vanished . . . sad . . .)
The Gum Wall at Pike's Place in Seattle (it may look it, but I'm not actually very close to that wall . . . eww.)
Wilson Arch
Yep. There.
Zorbing in Rotorua, New Zealand
Also New Zealand
Hobbiton, Middle Earth (a.k.a. New Zealand)
Currumbin, Australia
Woo. Hoo.
P. ost S. cript
You know, if this show was still on I bet it would solve most, if not all, of this country's geography problems. (Dude, just listening to the theme song would probably fix half of them!) Also, I know I've posted the Africa win before - but it's that cool. NOBODY won the Africa map!!!! Well, except this kid. Also: I still covet those jackets.
As they say, anything worth doing is worth overdoing . . . so there might be a few dozen pictures here by the time I'm done.
Fake New York
Fake England
Fake Asia
Fake Africa
Fake Davy Jones' Locker . . . okay so that's a stretch. But yes, that's the real organ from the movies. And yes, I'm touching it. That was a good day.And now the real places:
Cape Canaveral
Pearl Harbor
Waikiki Beach (I promise I'm in both of these pictures!)
Semi-fake Fiji - the Polynesian Cultural Center in Laie.
The Space Needle (all my pictures from the Canada half of this trip vanished . . . sad . . .)
The Gum Wall at Pike's Place in Seattle (it may look it, but I'm not actually very close to that wall . . . eww.)
Wilson Arch
Yep. There.
Zorbing in Rotorua, New Zealand
Also New Zealand
Hobbiton, Middle Earth (a.k.a. New Zealand)
Currumbin, AustraliaWoo. Hoo.
P. ost S. cript
You know, if this show was still on I bet it would solve most, if not all, of this country's geography problems. (Dude, just listening to the theme song would probably fix half of them!) Also, I know I've posted the Africa win before - but it's that cool. NOBODY won the Africa map!!!! Well, except this kid. Also: I still covet those jackets.
Saturday, June 4, 2011
4
Day 4 ~ A habit you wish you didn't have.
I should be more ashamed to admit to this, but I can be really judgmental of people who don't know things I think they should know.
I know it's wrong, I know I shouldn't do it, I know it's not very Christlike or positive or good-karma-inducing or whatever . . . but in my defense I also know that I'm right. Generally speaking, people should know these things.
For example - remember Miss South Carolina? Yes, let us all take a moment to revel in her pitiable nervous ineptness. But what kind of gets to me is that because of her answer, the question has gotten lost - 1/5 of Americans can't locate the US on a map. ONE-FIFTH. TWENTY PERCENT!! That's insane!!
I'm sure a lot of people will chalk this up to failing schools and crappy teachers and all the same complaints that I first heard from my parents' lips (not to me of course, but they had quite the tendency to talk as if we were deaf when we were kids) clear back when I was a kid. And while heaven knows the public education system has its issues, I'm am not laying this one on the schools. You can't find Uzbekistan on a map? That's okay, I can't either - and I'll bet most people can't . . . unless they live in Uzbekistan. You can't find Greece on a map? Okay, that might be to do sub-par geography education. You, an America, cannot find the United States of America on a map? I'm sorry, either you are legitimately mentally handicapped . . . or you are a freaking moron.
Another example - I get really judgmental when it comes to Mormons not knowing things they should. Case in point: at this point I'm beginning to believe that my family are the only ones who know the Kirtland, Ohio, is pronounced KirTland, not KirKland.
Absolutely. Drives. Me. Nuts.
I have a cousin in the MTC right now, her mission includes Kirtland and her farewell was two weeks ago tomorrow. There was some extra time at the end of the meeting and some stake dude or other got up to fill it. And talked about the time he and his wife had spent in Kirtland years. Only it was Kirkland this and Kirkland that, and I swear if he had said the name of that town one more time I would have jumped up, right there in the chapel, and screamed "IT'S PRONOUNCED KIRTLAND, YOU MORON!!!!!!!!!!"
Okay. I probably wouldn't have done that. But - eyes closed, fists clenched, teeth grinding. I seriously did want to scream. I mean, in what world - in what language?!?! - is the letter T pronounced like a K? What the crap is up with that?!?!?! Why, why, why is it so ridiculously prevalent?!!?!?!?!! Why are so many Mormons generally intelligent but somehow incapable of pronouncing this one word correctly? (and I'm not sure whether this is a good thing or not . . . but this is not a Utah phenomenon. I've run into it everywhere. grrrrr.) I'd bet you anything that if you show ANYONE else the name written down that they would have no problem saying it.
There is seriously nothing that can make me lose pretty much any and all respect for a person faster than hearing someone utter the word Kirkland.
I really shouldn't do that though. Not a very good thing, you know? But I think it's hereditary . . . on the drive back home from Twin Falls, mom was the one who brought it up for us all to rant about. And we all felt the same way. Bad hereditary habit! Bad!
Also: yes, I did pick this habit just to rant about the Kirkland guy. It's been bugging me for the last two weeks.
Alternate: I still bite my nails sometimes.
P. ost S. cript
Counterbalancing the horrible person that I am with probably the best mother cat ever. Holy breaking-glass-adorable!
I should be more ashamed to admit to this, but I can be really judgmental of people who don't know things I think they should know.
I know it's wrong, I know I shouldn't do it, I know it's not very Christlike or positive or good-karma-inducing or whatever . . . but in my defense I also know that I'm right. Generally speaking, people should know these things.
For example - remember Miss South Carolina? Yes, let us all take a moment to revel in her pitiable nervous ineptness. But what kind of gets to me is that because of her answer, the question has gotten lost - 1/5 of Americans can't locate the US on a map. ONE-FIFTH. TWENTY PERCENT!! That's insane!!
I'm sure a lot of people will chalk this up to failing schools and crappy teachers and all the same complaints that I first heard from my parents' lips (not to me of course, but they had quite the tendency to talk as if we were deaf when we were kids) clear back when I was a kid. And while heaven knows the public education system has its issues, I'm am not laying this one on the schools. You can't find Uzbekistan on a map? That's okay, I can't either - and I'll bet most people can't . . . unless they live in Uzbekistan. You can't find Greece on a map? Okay, that might be to do sub-par geography education. You, an America, cannot find the United States of America on a map? I'm sorry, either you are legitimately mentally handicapped . . . or you are a freaking moron.
Another example - I get really judgmental when it comes to Mormons not knowing things they should. Case in point: at this point I'm beginning to believe that my family are the only ones who know the Kirtland, Ohio, is pronounced KirTland, not KirKland.
Absolutely. Drives. Me. Nuts.
I have a cousin in the MTC right now, her mission includes Kirtland and her farewell was two weeks ago tomorrow. There was some extra time at the end of the meeting and some stake dude or other got up to fill it. And talked about the time he and his wife had spent in Kirtland years. Only it was Kirkland this and Kirkland that, and I swear if he had said the name of that town one more time I would have jumped up, right there in the chapel, and screamed "IT'S PRONOUNCED KIRTLAND, YOU MORON!!!!!!!!!!"
Okay. I probably wouldn't have done that. But - eyes closed, fists clenched, teeth grinding. I seriously did want to scream. I mean, in what world - in what language?!?! - is the letter T pronounced like a K? What the crap is up with that?!?!?! Why, why, why is it so ridiculously prevalent?!!?!?!?!! Why are so many Mormons generally intelligent but somehow incapable of pronouncing this one word correctly? (and I'm not sure whether this is a good thing or not . . . but this is not a Utah phenomenon. I've run into it everywhere. grrrrr.) I'd bet you anything that if you show ANYONE else the name written down that they would have no problem saying it.
There is seriously nothing that can make me lose pretty much any and all respect for a person faster than hearing someone utter the word Kirkland.
I really shouldn't do that though. Not a very good thing, you know? But I think it's hereditary . . . on the drive back home from Twin Falls, mom was the one who brought it up for us all to rant about. And we all felt the same way. Bad hereditary habit! Bad!
Also: yes, I did pick this habit just to rant about the Kirkland guy. It's been bugging me for the last two weeks.
Alternate: I still bite my nails sometimes.
P. ost S. cript
Counterbalancing the horrible person that I am with probably the best mother cat ever. Holy breaking-glass-adorable!
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