Sparkly Jesus, hot buttered rum, and more sparkles!

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A couple of people wanted to know what the super awesome white elephant present I bought was. And so I shall post a picture. Please don't be offended. It was all in good fun, and I really did buy it with a good message in mind. Christmas is all about celebrating His birthday right? What better way to do that than with a sparkly Jesus bank? Teaching remembrance and good saving habits all at the same time!

We were originally going to do a white elephant gift exchange at The COT's Christmas party. Sadly, I was informed that it was canceled due to lack of planning. But, thanks to Tony's somewhat-clever planning, everyone still got a chance to enjoy my gift. He came up with COT Trivia. Unfortunately, I did not do as well as I should have. Hillary, however, kicked some trivia ass and got to take home the fabulous prize. Good thing Whitley actually thought it was fabulous!

*Sidenote: When making hot buttered rum, find a recipe that uses less butter and make sure you don't heat it up too much. The sweetness can get way too overpowering. I also recommend using regular, light rum instead of spiced. But that probably depends on how sweet your recipe turns out.
We bought Hillary tickets to The Nutcracker for her birthday and it was AMAZING! They built completely new sets and had a brand-new ballet theatre perform. Honestly, one of the best performances I've seen, and I've seen a lot. We're definitely going back next year. And the year after.
Other than that, I've been busy with work, work and more work. I know I should be grateful for the business, because I know we will be sllllloooowwwwww in January and February, but it's hard to enjoy the season when you're in the mall everyday and not to shop. Here are some pictures of my Christmas decorations. They actually go really well with the apartment.
I probably won't be blogging until January, so until then, Merry Christmas, Happy Hannukah, Happy Kwaanza, and may 2009 be amazingly fine!

*Can you tell I love sparkly things? That includes jewelry, if anyone needs birthday ideas!

One of those days...

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Today has actually been a really good day. I woke up to some amazing snow, got so much done at work (which is actually working out really well, despite the fact that I am now officially a commuter), and ate some really delicious food (food is always a good thing.) And yet I still just feel kind of melancholic. Not sad, per say. Just kind of like I want to curl up in bed with a really good, really sad book. Unfortunately, I just read the 7th Harry Potter book not too long ago and I don't think Wicked is going to cut it.

Thank goodness for Love Actually. A happy-sad-Christmas movie all in one.


I can't wait to go home for Christmas. Even if it is just for 36 hours.

The most wonderful time of the year...

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So far this year, I haven't really gotten into the Christmas spirit. I still feel like it's just barely time for Thanksgiving. But tonight, when I was decorating my room (pictures to come soon), I watched The Santa Claus and that definitely helped. And with a 50% chance of snow, a C.O.T Christmas party, and The Nutcracker all this weekend, I should be good to go by next week. But just to make sure, here are some of my favorite Christmassy things.
*The French definitely know how to celebrate Christmas. When I was in Paris last November visiting my sister, we went shopping at the Lafayette Galleries. Seven floors consisting of designer clothes, designer shoes, awesome accessories, and the best Christmas decorations ever and my favorite thing to do was just look at the gigantic Christmas tree in the center. I was literally mesmerized by it.

(These are the pictures I took last year. The white cord things are actually lights that zoomed across the ceiling in a falling star-ish kind of way!)



(These are pictures of the tree this year.)




*Snow. It's not Christmas without it.


*I usually just sleep in shorts and a tshirt, but at Christmas, even I like to sport a pair of matching pajamas. My latest ones are red and have dogs on them. My sister has the same pair. I know you are jealous.




*I truly love the idea of Santa Claus and in some ways, I definitely still believe in him. Just like Judy the elf in The Santa Claus says: "Seeing isn't believing. Believing is seeing." And so I choose to believe. And whether he appears in the form of a Christmas miracle or just lives in the heart of any child or child-at-heart, life is always a little more fun when you believe in magic.
In case I don't get to say it in time, Merry Christmas, Happy Hannuka, Happy Kwanzaa, Merry Chrismuka, and Happy Holidays!

A new blog...

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I have a lot of things I want to accomplish in my life. Like eating real Chinese food in China. And sometimes, when I think of things I need to do in my lifetime, I forget to write them down.

Problem solved.

http://emilysmillion.blogspot.com/

Give me more ideas. I'm not very adventurous, but who knows? I do need a New Year's resolution.

Bon Anniversaire Diane!

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*Just a little sidenote-I did actually write this on Diane's actual day of birth, but apparently I saved it instead of publishing it! But better late than never, I suppose! And do not worry Diane-I am ready to party it up on Saturday!


Happy Birthday to Diane, one of the craziest and most wonderful people ever. A few things I especially love:
1. How you used to wear tights with shorts. I especially miss the neon green ones!
2. How you gave me a Spongebob pillowcase and how I still sleep with it!
3. How you are literally THE BEST Guitar Hero player I know.
4. How you force me to branch out of my food comfort zones, no matter how much I resist.
5. How you literally help me plan and sort out my entire life. I would be nowhere without you!

Here's to 25 more years and more after that!

A Time of Thanks...

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Although I can't quite believe it, Thanksgiving is in 2 days! And I am so looking forward to mashed potatoes, turkey (dipped in mashed potatoes), rolls (also dipped in mashed potatoes), and pumpkin pie. When I was mentoring today, the fourth graders were all dressed up as Pilgrims and Indians and it was so cute! My favorite thing to do in school was draw a "Turkey Hand" and decorate it with five things I was thankful for. In honor of that tradition, here are five things I am thankful for today!

5. Microwaves. Probably one of the best inventions of all time! Do you know how hard it is to heat up leftover rice on the stove? First, I tried the oven, but then the bowl just got really hot and it was taking forever. So I switched to the stove. Then the rice started to congeal on the bottom of the pan. Good thing I added some soy sauce to it to loosen things up. And although you really can cook anything using the stove and oven, it takes SO MUCH LONGER! So yes, I am extremely thankful for microwaves and extremely thankful that I can now afford to buy one!

4. Potatoes. In case you couldn't tell, I love mashed potatoes. But really, I love potatoes of all kinds. Baked, scalloped, in soups, in salads, fried, as chips, all forms of the potato is good! When I went on the job interview at Washington Mutual, Hillary was telling me about how one branch asks the question "If you could be any vegetable, what you be and why?" I immediately knew my answer. "I would be a potato. No matter what situation you put it in (i.e. baked, scalloped, fried, mashed, etc.), you can always expect a satisfactory result. It's a vegetable that is very multi-faceted, and most importantly, very adaptable." Of course they didn't ask me that question, but I was ready for it just in case. I am truly thankful for being an Idaho girl and for the deliciousness that is the potato!

3. J. K. Rowling. I absolutely idolize her. She restored my faith in the written word and introduced a world of magic that will help me escape the reality of the world today for years and years to come!

2. My friends. There really isn't anything I can say that does justice to how much I love my friends. I am truly blessed to have so many wonderful, lifelong friends. I know many people believe that you meet your lifelong friends in college, because that is when you discover who you truly are as a person. I am lucky enough to have friends from every major part of my life-high school, college, and work. I can honestly say that I have more true great friends than I count on both hands. I know that each of them would do anything for me and I would do anything for them.

1. My family (Go Figure, right?!). I don't have a huge, extended family. But the 12 crazy people that do make up my family are the best I could ask for. We are all so alike and so different in every way. But the bottom line comes down to this: Always do whatever is best for you. The family will support you no matter what. I am so very excited that I get to go home for Thanksgiving this year. But, just so you know, even if I was going to have to stay in Boise, I still would have been celebrating with family. About four different sets of family, to be exact!

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone! May your plates be empty and your stomachs' full!

It's About Time!

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Emily finally has a job! Yes, it's back in retail, but I think it will do me good, and I am definitely just happy to have something to do now. And I get to do all my training in Idaho Falls, which makes my family super happy!

Oh-I am now the store manager at Christopher & Banks in Nampa. So if you're looking for a festive holiday sweater, let me know!

All Moved In!

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It's official! I am entirely, completely done moving into my new apartment. So I don't have a couch. Or a dining room table. Those things will come in due time. For now, here are some pictures of my favorite parts of the apartment. Diane and I have affectionately dubbed it a "Scandinavian Ski Haus." How awesome is that?!




Pretty much, the built-in bookshelves and the fireplace sold me. And I have to thank Miss Kari Burkett for doing such an amazing job at arranging all my books and pictures. I definitely wouldn't have done such a good job! And how do you like my $30 entertainment center? Gotta love CraigsList. Just please ignore the giant whole behind the tv. I'm working on a solution. The deck might just be my very favorite part though. It makes me feel like I'm up in Island Park or Hebgen Lake at my cabin. The fox and raccoon that I've seen in the past 3 days also help with that vision!
My room and the kitchen are the next two projects to tackle. Pictures will come shortly. And cross your fingers for me, because it will require some extreme craftiness on my part. Scary, I know.
On a completely unrelated note, Brittany dragged me to see the midnight premiere of Twilight. And can I just say-BLEGGGH! Pardon me while I go throw up the bucket-sized popcorn and soda I ingested prior to it starting. Don't get me wrong-the books have a great premise and the movie could have been amazing. But the 5-minute long swooning scenes where Bella and Edward gaze hungrily into each others' eyes and then climb to the top of some trees where they spend some quality getting-to-know-you time seriously made me feel ill. And the 12 year old girls next to me having "Edward-gasms" really made me it hard for me to not laugh out loud. Brittany almost made me leave. It also didn't help when Mike said it was the most emo thing he'd ever seen; even more so than an actual emo concert. I couldn't agree more. If the books are as mushy-gushy (which I've heard they are) as the movie, then our relationship will be a short one. At least I got to see the preview for the next Harry Potter movie. I don't think anything can EVER compare (or even come close) to the magic J.K. Rowling managed to produce.
*Sidenote: I am looking for a new purple bedding set. Like the one in Twilight, but not the actual one (which is from Target, and has weird felt flowers and is dry-clean only. Who really dry-cleans a comforter? Who really even washes their comforter that often?). So if you see anything that is a dark-lilac or plum color that has some sort of floral/plant motif and isn't outrageously expensive, let me know. And the same goes for curtains.

A funny thing happened...

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A funny thing happened tonight. I changed my mind about fate.

A little background: I changed my mind about fate one other time, about 3 months ago. Before that, I had always believed that my life was already mapped out for me and that I would eventually end up where I was supposed to. If something didn't go my way, then I tried to look on the bright side and trust that it was supposed to be that way.

Anyways, I was considering moving to Oregon and things were not going my way. At all. And so I posed a question on MySpace asking what to do when fate steps in and flips things around 180 degrees. Every response I got told me that fate is for losers. The only really successful people out there make their own fate and create their own destiny. And so I decided to change my outlook on fate, and just life in general. I started doing things because I wanted to, not because I thought I was supposed to. For the most part, nothing really changed. I did become more decisive, something that needed to happen. And I did stress out a little more, always questioning whether or not I made the right decision. What decisions, you may ask? I decided to stay in Boise. I decided to move somewhere downtown. And I decided to get my teaching degree. Not everyone thinks I made the right decisions. But I do, and that's all that matters.




Anyways, back to tonight. After Mike and Brittany so graciously helped me move about 3/4 of my stuff into the new apartment, Brittany and I decided to go to Old Chicago for dinner. As we chowed down, we decided that we were going to the hockey game this coming Wednesday and then to Hannah's to have a reunion with Rocci Johnson (Rocci Johnson herself deserves an entire blog dedicated just to her. That will come later.). So we checked to see if there is a game on Wednesday (there is) and then we decided to check in with our long-lost friend Jason, who bartends at the hockey game (meaning we get free drinks). I sent a text message and got a reply of "Who is this? I'm on my 4th phone this year and don't have anyone's numbers."

Now, I've gotten this text message before. And he probably really is on his 4th phone of the year. But Jason is also kind of a player and has too many girls numbers to count. And so Brittany and I decided to play a game of "Guess who this is." It basically involved not telling him who I was, but still asking him if he bartends and if he would give us free drinks. Jason is apparently a little desperate these days, because he was pretty insistent on finding out who I was. He even promised me free drinks for life. Tempting, but we figured he'd give them to us anyways, and we'd still get to drive him crazy for a night.

And so we left. We parked in the garage, and had just barely gone over the first hour (which means we were going to have to pay). And so Brittany suggested that we walk down 8th Street and see her friend Wendy's new shop. And who happened to walk by as we were looking at the window display of the shop? Jason. And who did he happen to be on the phone with? My voicemail. And who supposedly doesn't get free drinks ever again for playing a mean trick? Me.

Really funny story! Brittany and I laughed about it forever. And then fate popped into my mind. Here's the thing:

1. We never go to Old Chicago. Ever. And if we do, we always go to the one at the mall because that's basically where we live.
2. We haven't seen Jason in literally 2 years. After we both stopped working with him, we saw him every now and then, but that was REALLY 2 years ago.
3. We were really only over on our hour by like 4 minutes and probably wouldn't have been charged anyways.
4. We just happened to stare at the windows for a really long time because Brittany thought she recognized something from Michaels and then had to tell me a long, involved story.

And so, after a discussion with Brittany, I once again have a new outlook on fate and the role it plays in my life. I still believe that fate has a part in my life, and a pretty big one at that. I also believe that the decisions I make can alter the role fate plays in my life, but that eventually, I will end up exactly where I'm supposed to.

And don't think that I now believe that Jason and I are meant to be together or some crap like that. Brittany and I merely decided that we were supposed to get caught and ultimately that we were meant to be such good friends and such awesome people in general! And here's hoping Jason will still give me free drinks. I don't have a job after all!

It's Taylor-iffic!

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Today has been a good day. Not only is it one of those cozy, rainy days, but Taylor Swift's new album came out today. All I have to say is it's about damn time!

I have an extremely eclectic music taste. My favorite CD's are the mixes I make that have anybody from AC/DC to Eminem to Wynonna to The Goo Goo Dolls. I never listen to a whole song and I change radio stations every three minutes. Taylor Swift, however, is a completely different story. I listened to her first CD religiously last summer and I listened to every song in it's entirety. When Rascal Flatts came to Portland last May, Brittany and I drove down there, but really just to see Taylor, who was opening for them. And let me tell you, she was BY FAR the best part of the concert.
And so, in honor of the release of Fearless, I added a playlist featuring my favorite Taylor songs. I know I sound like a crazed fan. But she really is good. Even if you don't like country!
Oh yeah-I got a sweet new apartment and think I get to move in either next week or the week after. Still no job (: ( Stupid economy!), but I'm working on it!

Happy Birthday Hillary!

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Exactly 25 years ago yesterday, Hillary Dawn Kelsch graced the earth with her presence. She is now Hillary Dawn Kavran and she will probably kill me when she sees that I posted her birthday pictures on here. But I couldn't resist. Especially since her eyes are open and that never happens!


We had dinner at Casa Mexico and then some delicious chocolate birthday cake, made by yours truly. I know you can't see, but right next to the Scooby-Doo candle is a Mexican flag to go along with the Fiesta theme!

Anyways, I am super glad that Hillary and I are still such good friends. I really don't know what I would do without her! We've made a million great memories and I'm sure there are a million more to come! One quarter of a century down, AT LEAST three more to go!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY!
Hillary-isms:
"Put your brake up. We're on a heeeelll."
"Stop tickeling my tunnel."
"Who do I look like?
I look like Justin Timberlake."
"Look at those arches!"
"It's like an amusment park for my finger!"
LOVE YOU!!!!

Anti-bacterial Argument...

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As we were shopping the aisles at my most favorite store (Target, of course), Brittany and I got into a sort of argument. An argument about soap, to be exact.

Emily: Oooh look! New holiday soap. I dare you to smell this one. (It was the Toasted Hazelnut Method soap and it smells horrible!)
Brittany: Ewww. That is gross! Do any of these smell good?
Emily: Not really. I just always buy the plain, old, fragrance-free stuff.
Brittany: Yeah, we just buy all our soap at Bath & Body Works.
Emily: I know. You buy that anti-bacterial crap. You know you're just helping all those bacteria grow stronger. Soon they will take over the world.
Brittany: You sound just like Mike's Dad. You guys are all crazy. If we don't use anti-bacterial soap, then how do we kill all the gross germs?
Emily: Hello? There is nothing wrong with regular soap. How did people survive in the past without anti-bacterial soap? They did just fine. They probably did even better.
Brittany: Whatever. You need to get a real life. One that doesn't focus on what kind of soap people use.
Emily: Whatever yourself. You need to buy me my own soap to use at your house.

And then we were distracted by the toy section. However, I didn't give up on my soap crusade. Instead, I did some research and sent Brittany an email. Did you know that anti-bacterial soap has been found to cause a 30% increase in the amount of asthma and allergies in young children? It's all because they are growing in too sterile of an environment. And MRSA, that crazy new staph infection? Yep, just stronger bacteria that is resistant to normal anti-biotics.

So yeah, I'm sure this is one of my more boring posts. But I thought everyone needed to know!

Pumpkins, Transformers, and Jabbawockeez...Oh My!

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The first party of the season was at Hillary and Natalie's assistant manager's house. They seriously go all out. They do an amazing job and it was a great time. They created a haunted house of their very own and they even had Sheila the psychic from 105.9 FM there to read Tarot Cards and look into the future for everyone. It was definitely worth the 2 hour wait! In case you can't tell, we dressed up as 'Deal or No Deal,' complete with the shaving of Tony's head. Aaron was 'Dick-in-A-Box.' If you don't know what that is, it's a SNL skit that you should look up online. Very funny. Unfortunately, we didn't win the costume contests. Believe me, we tried. However, I now know that when we try to stuff the voting box, we need to switch up the handwriting!




For the actual holiday, I was in Idaho Falls. My dad and I carved pumpkins the night before and mine took FOREVER! I got a lot of compliments on it, though, so what can you do? I handed out candy with my mom earlier in the evening. We had so many trick-or-treaters, it was ridiculous. Seriously, there must have been like 75 people. We went through 6 huge bags of candy. There were some good costumes, though. I went and saw my cousins at Grandma Wava's house. Rylee was 'Pumpkin Spice' and Andrew was a Transformer. Tony, Hillary, and Whitley came over to visit and my Grandma totally dragged out the family videos. I don't know why, but I do know that she better watch out. She's in for some revenge! Afterwards, I stopped by Bowl-Ero to see my crazy friends. Avacado, Doug, and Greg had the BEST costume. They went as the Jabbawockeez from America's Best Dance Crew. I totally might have to steal their idea for next year! All in all, it was another spooktacular Halloween. Can't wait for next year!

Apparently...

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...I forgot a couple of things on my 'Crazy Eights' survey. And because my favorite tv show doesn't start for a little bit, I am going to entertain myself by finishing it. Hopefully it entertains you as well, but I understand if it doesn't!

8 Things on my Wishlist:

1)A new laptop (preferably a MacBook).
2)A new dresser.
3)A bookshelf for all my books!
4)A trip to Greece.
5)A boyfriend. :)
6)A sweet apartment close to downtown.
7)A puppy or a kitty.
8)A genie in a lamp so I could have three crazy wonderful wishes.

8 Tidbits About Me:

1)I've broken four bones-all on my left side.
2)My left arm is now about an inch shorter than my right arm.
3)I am freakishly good at remembering people's phone numbers. Example: I could call the Clair E. Gale attendance office if you wanted me to. Why you would, I'm not sure.
4)Lots of people think my sister and I are twins. I think we look nothing alike.
5)When I get nervous, I cross my left index and middle fingers. Never my right hand. And if my hands are occupied, I cross my big and second toe. But only on my left foot.
6)I primarily breathe only through my mouth. I can breathe through my nose, I just hate it. It makes for some very awesome drooling and snoring stories.
7)I hate hate hate it when it's sunny in the winter. It puts me in the worst mood. Give me cloudy days for three months and I really wouldn't care.
8)I HATE the show Unsolved Mysteries and have since I was 4 or 5. To this day, hearing anything resembling the theme music and I will run for cover.

8 Pet Peeves:

1)People who don't change the roll of toilet paper and just leave the cardboard thing there. I always change it. Even at other peoples houses.
2)Hair in the sink. Before I can wash my hands (even at restaurants, gas stations, etc.), I have to clean/wash out the sink.
3)When people spell my name wrong. It's really not that hard!! Pronouncing it, I understand. But sound it out people!
4)People who claim they are open-minded, but then argue with people about everything.
5)People who act one way, but then another way when they're around a different group of people.
6)When people use alcohol as an excuse for the stupid things they do.
7)People who say that BSU is overrated year after year after year.
8)Bad tippers. I'm always the one who has to make up for them. Unless it's truly warranted, of course.

So that took me way too long. I did, however, have a nice discussion with my dad about pet peeves and took a little break to go on a walk with my dog and 2 cats. Yep-my cats go on walks. But not on leashes. That would be weird.

An insightful evening...

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Here are some things I learned at the Cobra Starship concert last night:

1) Whoever invented skinny jeans should have included a warning label that stated:
WARNING: THESE ARE ONLY FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE LEGITIMATELY SKINNY! AND BY SKINNY WE MEAN NO BIGGER THAN A SIZE 4.


I mean REALLY??!! Don't get me wrong-there are plenty of people out there that can rock the look and rock it well. However, said people are usually waifish and have legs that resemble chopsticks. And I completely get that all the cool kids are wearing what their favorite band members are wearing. And yes, they are almost always wearing skinny jeans. But may I point out that most band members are approximately 6' tall or have a 28 inch waist? So until you start either a)burning thousands of calories from dancing around 7 stages a week or b)take up consisting on a diet of alcohol, cigarettes, and cocaine and reach the level of skinniness to appropriately pull the look off, PLEASE reach for something a little more flattering next time you go shopping. You can still be punk rock. Why not try one of those ridiculous knit hat/turban things or cut half your hair off? And by the way, I STRONGLY reccommend the dancing thing over the cocaine thing.

2) I'm old. Not only did I have to use earplugs to prevent permanent hearing loss, I didn't even recognize some of the songs played in between bands! I pride myself on being up-to-date with all the latest music. Why do you think my satellite radio is currently tuned to XM Top 20? Yes, I recognized MOST of the music. I sang along with Rhianna and 'Don't Stop the Music' and put 'my hands in the ayer, ayer' with Will.I.Am. But when EVERYONE around me started singing something about making their hips swing, I kind of just stood there and wished I could change the channel. It was the kind of rap that my mom always says gives her a pounding headache that matches the beat. When I almost got a headache that pounded along with the beat, I knew that I had reached a new level of oldness. Good thing I can still hide the earplugs with my hair!

And remember at high school dances when everyone would line dance to 'Cotton-Eyed Joe?' I don't think that happens anymore. I think the new dance of choice is 'Superman That 'Ho' by Soulja Boy (aka 'Crank That'). Good song with good dance moves, but come on? Can it really replace 'Cotton-Eyed Joe?' I think not.

And because I have an inordinate amount of time on my hand, I looked up both dances on YouTube for you. Unfortunately, there was not one good one of 'Cotton-Eyed Joe.' So here's the music video. Same goes for the Soulja Boy song, although this video really isn't that bad.






3) Technology is taking over the world. And it's not necessarily a good thing. While I think it's a really cool thing that you can buy concert tickets just by sending a text message, I really don't see the point in going to a concert if you're going to spend the whole damn time texting someone who isn't there. Two girls in front of us literally didn't put their cell phones down one time during the concert-not even when they were jumping up and down.

I love texting. It makes boring classes and meetings tolerable. It makes communication that much easier. But those people who send thousands of messages every month really just need to get a life. Try some face-to-face conversation. Or even phone-to-phone conversation. Crazy idea, I know.

But yeah, the concert was fun. Great music and plenty of crazy people to keep me entertained. And all that jumping around and singing was a pretty good workout. A couple more concerts like that and maybe I'll be able to rock some skinny jeans!

Time for an update...

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Although I am sure that you all love knowing what my favorite restaurants are and how I spent my day blowing my nose a million times, I thought I would give an actual update. And if you're lucky, you might even get pictures!
I just got back to Boise tonight. Despite some worries that my water pump was going out in my car, I even made it back in time to play some trivia with Brittany and Andrea at The Ram. Amid the trivia craziness, we also decided that The Ram shall be my new place to "pick up some dudes," as Brittany put it. We will see how that goes.


I was in Idaho Falls before, celebrating my late grandmother's life. The memorial service was really beautiful, and the whole family went to dinner later that night. It's sad that it took a funeral to bring everyone together, but it was a great way to remember Grandma Marj and she would have loved it.

Here are some of my favorite pictures of her:
The early years-


And the later years-










And here is a rare treat. I don't think we've ever had a family portrait this good!










I was in IF for a little over a week. And basically, I regressed into my teenage self. I slept a lot (the cold didn't help), watched tv a lot, and ate good food a lot. But all my time was not wasted. I developed quite the crafty side while I was home. I baked banana bread, which was delicious and disappeared in mere hours. I decked the house out in all the Halloween haunted-ness that I could before my mom decided to inform me that she was doing an understated holiday this year and didn't want Dancing Frankenstein out. And so, I was forced to pack him and all his hip-shaking awesomness away. I consoled myself, however, by creating this awesome candy box for my sister.

You can just call me Marthemily Stewart. Needless to say, I was very impressed with my efforts. If you really know me, you will know that I do not have the patience or the talent needed to be considered a "crafter."


Time was also spent at one of my favorite local haunts. Bowlero is where I used to bowl and now it is where I bowl, drink, and play trivia. I don't have all that many friends left who like to hit the town, but the ones that do love to hang out at the 'ero. I have no complaints, however, for the drinks are cheap, the cheesy poufs are delicious, and the company is always entertaining.
:
Here is one last picture that I just had to post:
This is my cat Dorothy. Dorothy is a boy, despite his name (entirely the veternarians fault), and this is one of his favorite pasttimes. However, I've never seen him sleep like this for a long as he did on the day I took the picture. Soooo funny! I have pictures of Asia and Fifi and my precious dog Pepper, too, but they aren't on my computer yet.


So, like I said, the purpose of this blog is to serve as an update. I will be in Boise until Wednesday and then back in IF until Sunday for Halloween and Hillary's sisters wedding. Then, I will be in Boise until at least Thanksgiving and maybe even Christmas. Hopefully, I will have found a job by the first of November so I can get the moving thing going. I found an AMAZING place to live, but it seems too good to be true. If it doesn't work out, I plan on moving in with my awesome friend Will. Until then, I will try to think of some worthwhile posts. I don't make any promises though!
Oh yeah...school is coming in January and I even have a few ideas for starting my own business. Life seems to be on track. It's about time.

My Crazy Eights!

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Thanks to Kaelynn, I have something semi-productive to do with my time!

8 Favorite TV Shows:
1.Greek
2.Gilmore Girls
3.Jon & Kate plus 8
4.Seinfeld
5.Frasier (yes, I am aware that only old people like this show.)
6.Real World/Road Rules Challenge (I really hate to admit that I STILL watch that show, and it's really bad this time, but it still sucks me in.)
7.Ace of Cakes
8.E! News

8 Favorite Restaurants:
1.Bardenay
2.Guidos
3.Brick Oven Bistro
4.Papa Kelseys
5.Panda Express
6.The Outback
7.Garcias
8.Burger King/McDonalds (have to have my french fries, cheeseburgers, and chocolate pies!)

8 Things That Happened Yesterday:
1.Went to lunch with the family.
2.Bought some Mucinex for my gross and ridiculous cold.
3.Made a sweet Halloween card for Amanda with Andrew.
4.Took a nap.
5.Finished the 7th Harry Potter book for the 2nd time. (Still made me cry. Such a good book.)
6.Coughed a lot.
7.Blew my nose a lot.
8.Ate 2 things of chocolate pudding and then felt sick.

8 Things I'm Looking Forward To:
1.Carving a pumpkin.
2.Saturday.
3.Halloween
4.Thanksgiving
5.The entire month of December!
6.Getting a new place of residence.
7.Decorating said place of residence.
8.Starting school all over again.

Woo! Wasn't that the best thing you've ever read? I tag miss Hillary. And Kari (when she finally starts a blog!)

Boredom...

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I have officially been unemployed for almost a month now. While I definitely don't hate it, the boredom does get to me. And so I present, for your pleasure, a little journey down memory lane.

1. Did you date someone from your school?
Heck no.

2. What kind of car did you drive?
A red oldsmobile
A white audi quattro (Oh how I miss that car!)
I forget what years I drove what car. All I know is that we shoved a lot of people in little amounts of space!

3. Did you pass your driver's license test on the first try?
Sure did. I suppose Mr. Cardon was a good teacher. Despite constantly chewing on carrots and then spitting them out the window. And we definitely had it a lot easier than they do now!

4. Were you a party animal?
Not compared with the kids today!

5. Were you considered a flirt?
Heck no!

6. Were you in a band, orchestra or choir?
None of the above. Yearbook, however, trumps all of those put together.
I was on my way to having an ulcer at the old age of 17.
It was worth it though.

7. Were you a nerd?
Um, I would say that I am more of a geek. I was back then and I still am today.

8. Were you on any varsity teams?
Have you seen me run? Oh that's right...I can't. So no.
I did letter in yearbook though! Does that count?

9. Did you get suspended or expelled?
All the time. I was a rebel.

10. Can you still sing the fight song?
Dear Old I.F. High, We Are With You,
You're The One We Are All Fighting For...

Are you impressed? I also remember the Gale fight song. Not sure why...

11. Who were your favorite teachers?
I think I learned the most from Mrs. Seydel and Mrs. Marler.
Sestero was my favorite, though. All I learned from her was how to make frappes!

12. Where did you sit during lunch?
In the Wendy's drive-thru, most of the time!
Occaisonally we branched out and went to Arby's.
And sometimes I was forced to go to Toxic Hell.

13. What's your school's full name?
Idaho Falls High School

14. What was your mascot and colors?
Go Tigers!
Orange and black. That fits in just right with my lovely page dedicated to Halloween!

15. Did you go to homecoming?
I was definitely anti-dance in high school. However, senior year, we decided just to go in a big group. I bought my dress the day before, we went to Wendy's for dinner, and it was a damn good time! I wouldn't have had it any other way.

16. If you could go back and do it all again, would you?
Nope. It was fun, but so was/is everything after it.

17. What do you remember most about graduation?
I remember hearing marbles rolling down the floor of the Civic, I remember wondering where my parents were with the camera to capture the once-in-a-lifetime moment (they left and went home. Good thing I had friends who gave me copies : )), I remember Hillary winning the iron and playing in that running/bungee cord thing at the all-night party, and I will always remember driving up Taylor Mountain with everybody to watch the sunrise. Hillary-remember how you didn't want to get out of the car? Soooo lazy!!

18. Where did you go on your Senior Skip Day?
We went and played at Tautphaus Park and then I'm sure we had lunch. Unfortunately, I had to go to school in the afternoon for what else? YEARBOOK!

19. Were you in any clubs?
Honor Society, Rinky Dink, President's Club, French Club, and did I mention that I was in yearbook?

20. Have you gained some weight since then?
Yep. I definitely gained the Freshman 15. And then I lost it. And then I didn't really gain anymore weight until last year. I blame it all on Brittany and Bardenay.

21. Who was your prom date?
Remember how I said I was anti-dance?
Here's another good memory. I don't remember what dance it was, but a bunch of girls went to Ashlee's house and had pizza and watched Stepmom. All I know is that somehow I ended up with pizza sauce on my face. Good times...

22. Are you planning to go to your 10 year reunion?
Yep. But only if Hillary and Kari come with me and we sneak in some alcohol!

23. Did you have a job while in high school?
Old Navy. And that's a whole other topic that I could on for days about!

Gone but not forgotten.

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Marjorie Emily King Poitevin passed away today. I will forever miss her.

I will never forget the power outages at the cabin or the way she closed the curtains.

I will never forget how she cut the crusts off my ham sandwhiches and didn't even care when I just wanted to lick the mayonaise.

I will never forget her size 5 feet.

I will never forget her cat sweatshirts.

I will never forget her playing the piano.

I will never forget how she spoiled us rotten at Christmas and on our birthdays.

I will never forget making fancy hair bows.

I will never forget feeling like a princess when we dressed up in her jewelery.

I will never forget her wonderful life lessons and all her wonderful stories.


She was a sister, a wife, a mom, a friend, and a wonderful grandmother.

She's gone now, but will never be forgotten.

Dinner, drinks, movies, and a scary jacket...

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Much to the dismay of my family, I headed back to BTown aka The COT aka Boise on Friday afternoon for one very specific reason-KARI SPOFFORD BURKETT! Despite the fact that her husband decided to call BSU over-rated without even saying hi first, it was fun to see both of them.

Here's a little something that I know Kari and Scott will love.


One foggy night, a Boise State fan and an Idaho fan were driving the opposite directions on a road near Boise. While crossing a narrow bridge, they hit each other head-on, mangling both cars.
The Idaho fan manages to climb out of his car and survey the damage. He looks at his twisted car and says, "Man, I'm lucky to be alive!"
Likewise, the Bronco fan gets out of his car uninjured, he too feeling fortunate to have survived.
The Idaho fan walks over to the Bronco fan and says, "Hey, man, I think this is a sign that we should put away our petty differences and live as friends instead of being rivals."
The Bronco fan thinks for a moment and says, "You know, you're absolutely right! We should be friends. In fact, I'm going to see if something else survived the wreck."
The Bronco fan then pops open his trunk and removes a full, undamaged bottle of Jack Daniel's. He says to the Vandal fan, "I think this is another sign - we should toast to our newfound friendship." The Vandal fan agrees and grabs the bottle. After sucking down half of the bottle, the Vandal fan hands it back to the Bronco fan and says, "Your turn!"
The Bronco fan calmly twists the cap back on the bottle, throws the rest of the bottle over the bridge into the river and says, "Nah, I think I'll just wait for the cops to show up."


I know Kari will probably beat me up the next time I see her, but it's just sooo funny to see how mad she and any of her fellow Vandal friends get. And no, Boise State is not overrated, and while we may have a weak schedule, take a look at BYU's and where they're ranked and then get back to me.


Ok, enough picking on the Vandals. Hillary and I met Kari for dinner at Bardenay (my favorite!) on Friday night.
Here's a classic Kari pose!
Afterwards, Hillary had to go home and take care of her poor, sick daughter and I dropped Kari off to take care of her poor, drunk husband. Don't worry-he wasn't drunk enough to not make fun of my Boise State car sticker.
Saturday, I was supposed to meet Mike and Brittany to see Mike get his tattoo, but I was late of course. So once he was done, we went and saw Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist. Super good movie! You might think it will be predictable, but they throw in some unexpected twists and turns. It will definitely be one that I own. Afterwards, we were bored bored bored and decided to hit up our favorite place. Target, of course! From there, we played some hoops at Shoe Carnival (RANDOM!) and saw some slutty Halloween costumes at Hot Topic. My favorite was watching people watch Mike Jones. He gets the greatest reactions.
And I wonder why? Add this scary jacket to his denim cut-off shorts, mullet hair, and blanket scarf and I would be scared too if I didn't know him.
I ditched the married couple later on and met Kari, Scott, and Jess at Reef. A band from U of I was playing, and although I was surrounded by Vandals, I will admit that I had a good time. The band was actually really good! You can check them out at http://www.myspace.com/soulserene.
The best part was watching people dance. I don't know why, but watching old people dance together and not care about where they are or who might be watching makes me so happy. You can bet that will be me sooner or later!
Sunday was a lazy day until Brittany got off work and then we went to see 'How to Lose Friends and Alienate People.' So funny! Also highly reccommended. And then we played a nice quiet game of Pictureuka! Quiet, my ass! That game is definitely open to interpretation. What exactly do they define as spots or marks? We needed some more specifics, but we made it work. All in all, it was a perfect Boise weekend and one that reminds me why I love living here. Now if I could just find a job...

So sleepy I can't sleep!

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In case anyone can't tell, I seem to be Halloween-obsessed. And since I don't really have a space of my own to decorate, my blog must suffer the consequences. At least it's only for a month!
And no, I did not carve those pumpkins. I merely stole the image. That will change soon.



On a completely unrelated note, LeeAnn Rimes was in concert in Idaho Falls last night (anybody else wonder why a Thursday night?), and it seemed we were headed in the same direction the following day. As I was driving back to Boise, I passed four tour busses all in a line. And where were they from? Tennessee. Using my amazing detective skills, I deduced that it was the star herself. And using my superhuman driving/picture-taking skills, I was able to capture this amazing shot of the caravan.




Please do not be scared-I had full control at all times. Where she was going, I do not know. But I do wonder why she needs four busses. Wasn't she popular like six years ago? And only mildly popular at that?



Here's another random tangent. I am in a state of mourning. My husband, Channing Tatum, gave his heart to another. I know we have spent an inordinate amount of time apart and come from extremely different lives, but I thought we could make it work. Guess I was wrong. Jenna Dewan, you are a lucky girl. You're tires, however, might not be so lucky.

And Renee, it's not like you ever really had a chance with Channing. He was mine from the start! : )