Christmas Time

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Everyone has heard that song "My Favorite Things.' Especially at Christmas time. A few of my favorite things are potatoes, glitter, and lists. Thanks to an extremely boring night at work, I present to you some top 10 lists all about Christmas time.

Top 10 Christmas Songs:

10. 'Last Christmas'- Pretty much anyone can sing this, but my favorite versions are by Jimmy Eat World and miss TSwift.

9. 'Alone This Holiday'-The Used (For when you're in a not-so-cheery mood.)

8. 'Good King Wenceslas' (An underrated classic.)

7. 'Christmas, Baby Please Come Home' (Cher and Rosie O'Donnell do a mean version. And by mean, I mean awesome.)

6.'Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays'- N'SYNC (annoying my family for a good 11 years.)

5. 'Santa, Can You Hear Me?'- Britney Spears (even better with choreography.)

4. 'Song for a Winter's Night'- Sara Mclachlan and Jewell

3. 'All I Want For Christmas is You'- Mariah Carey (also annoying my family for as long as I can remember, They're traditionalists.)

2. 'Do You See What I See?'- Martina McBride (I wish I could sing just so I could sing this song.)

1. 'The Christmas Song'- The Raveonettes (If you've never heard this song, stop what you're doing and listen to it. It's everything Christmas should be. Happy, sappy, traditional, untraditional, and just plain amazing.)

*Honorable Mentions: 'Winter Song' by Sara Bareilles and Ingrid Michaelson, 'A Valley Winter Song' by Fountains of Wayne, and 'Christmas Day' by Dido.

Top 10 Christmas Foods:

(In no particular order, because really? They're all just that good.)

10. Spinach dip (with or without the spinach, it's always delicious)

9. Lil' Smokies

8. Mashed potatoes

7. Turkey

6. Bubble Bread (made by my aunt, eaten by all, known for it's carmely, butterscotchy deliciousness)

5. My mother's peanut-butter fudge (locally renowned and extremely hard to make)

4. Apple Cider (made with that little box of goodness sold at Hallmark. Only acceptable form)

3. Munner Toast (Something I haven't had in waaayyy to many years. And kind of a family secret. And so it shall remain.)

2. Breakfast Quiche (Perfected by the Grandma)

1. Funeral Potatoes (love the crunchy cornflakes on top. Google it.)

*Honorable Mentions: Hot chocolate (should cider not be available), pumpkin pie, and rolls (with lots and lots of butter).

Top 10 Favorite Things About Christmas:

(According to me, of course. In order, but only according to my mood at the time the list was made.)

10. Shopping (Love finding the perfect present.)

9. Going Home (Love the Family. And the Friends.)

8. Sledding (See #2.)

7. The Smells (cookies, fire smoke, Christmas trees, oranges, and peppermint.)

6. Parties

5. Secret Santa

4. Presents!

3. Decorations (Especially lights. And candles. And anything with glitter.)

2. SNOW! (It's not Christmas unless it's a White Christmas.)

1. Going to bed with all the anticipation of a 12 year old. Waking up as a 12 year old. Spending the day doing pretty much the exact same things you did when you were actually 12 years old.

*Honorable Mentions: Christmas cards (sending and receiving), all the delicious food mentioned in the previous list, and my recurring Christmas dream.

Whew! I think we covered it all. With that being said, Merry Christmas to all and to all a good time!

(Please to stay tuned for the best of 2009. I know you can't wait.)

On 3-D Snowflakes, wooden stars, and sibling rivalries.

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I am not an art-and-crafty kind of person. That isn’t to say that I don’t like arts and crafts. Quite the opposite, in fact. I appreciate home- and handmade goodies as much as the next person. I especially love anything having to do with glitter, but that’s an entirely different post.

The problem with arts and crafts is that I suck at them. I have a feeling it’s my perfectionist personality, but put a glue gun or paintbrush in my hand and I start hyperventilating. Some people find it relaxing; I find it entirely too stressful and time-consuming.

Which is why you might be surprised to learn that I made this little piece of awesome at work the other day.

How long did this snowflake take me? Only approximately 2 and 1/2 hours. That’s nothing, right? RIGHT?!

Ok, fine. So it took me forever. And so it only took my assistant manager an hour or so to make hers. And so hers was approximately twice the size of mine. WHATEVER. My process was complete with tantrums, paper cuts, and utter confusion on why I couldn’t cut the paper the right way. Basically, mine was made with STYLE. (And at least it eventually got made, right?)

The whole debacle was very reminiscent of the time my grandma took my sister and I to paint wooden Christmas stars. Growing up in a town that was/is predominantly LDS, I was often given the chance to be arty and crafty. After the first few failed attempts, I quickly learned to say no. But who can say no to a Christmas-themed event with family? (Plus they had food, and let me tell you, those mormons make some delicious food.) And so off we were to paint a wooden star.

This star was cute. And it still is cute to this day. Definitely one of my all-time favorite endeavors. Basically, the game plan was this. Paint the star exactly like the model they provided us with. How could I mess it up? And really, I didn’t. It turned out exactly how I wanted it to. I was successful!

So what was the problem, you ask? The problem appeared when my star was compared to my sister’s.

A little background on my sister. She’s a pain in my ass. I love her to death and will forever jump off the end of the dock at the cabin in the summer time, but she somehow always manages to one-up me. And never on purpose, which always makes me feel that more inferior. Which is good, because she always challenges me to do more with my life, but is mostly bad because she’s always one step ahead of me.

But back to the star. My sister decided she was above following the directions. And so, she took some creative liberties. And came up with a star that kicked my star’s ass. Did anyone even notice that I had actually managed to finish a craft project and that it actually came out? Nope. They were all too busy ooh’ing and aah’ing over how my sister had managed to blend the colors in the hat so well and how her star’s face had so much more character than anyone else’s.

Obviously, I have sister-issues*, as most people with siblings do. I probably need therapy, and someday, I’ll probably actually go. And then I will probably be forced to burn my star and my sisters star as a metaphor that I have accepted our differences and truly let them go. But for now, I will always make sure that my star is on display instead of hers.

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*Like I said, I love my sister. This post was in no way meant to dredge up any drama. In fact, I wish she was here instead of Russia. Christmas won’t be the same without her.



Giving Some Thanks, volume 4

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Today is the big day. The turkey is nestled in Brittany's oven (I'm hoping anyways), my brownies and rice krispie treats are ready to go, and my fingers are ready to rock some Band Hero. Even though I wish I was home with my crazy wonderful family, I am very thankful that I have a houseful of crazy wonderful people to celebrate it with here. Have a good one!

Giving Some Thanks, volume 3

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Tonight I am thankful for my bed. For it is the most comfortable bed in all the land. And it is calling my name as I type this.



*The cartoon has nothing to do with my bed. But a narcoleptic turkey? Definitely made me laugh.

Giving Some Thanks, volume 2

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Today I am thankful for books. Of all kinds. The following are just a few of my favorites (and also what I'm currently reading):





I've always been a big reader. And also a fast one. In elementary school, when the teacher would make us read in groups, my group members would make me speed-read whatever we were assigned so we could be the first group finished. Problem was, however, that I was the only one who understood anything of what I read. Little did my group members know that they were making themselves look bad and me look even better.

Anyways, my current job allows a lot of time for reading, and while I may complain about my job (A Lot), this is one aspect I do enjoy. For that one moment when I immerse myself in someone else's words, I am also immersed in someone else's world. The truly great writers have an uncanny ability to put me right in the middle of the action, freezing in the pouring rain or crying when Dumbledore died. No matter the situation, for a few moments each day, I get the chance to escape from all the trifling events in the world. And for that, I am very thankful.

Giving some Thanks, volume 1

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So yeah. I know it's been a while since I've blogged. Quite a while, actually. But every time I sat down and tried to write something, nothing good would come out. And I don't really have anything good to say right now, but in honor of Thanksgiving, I think I will try and post one thing I am thankful for every day. And for today, I am thankful for...

C.O. Bigelow Spearmint Mentha LipShine. I am thankful for it's minty freshness and it's shiny goodness. I am thankful that it's always there when I need it (unless I put it somewhere unexpected and can't find it and then it stresses me out). I am easily obsessed with things, but at the same time, if something new and better comes along, I can change my mind just like that. But this stuff? Has been at the top of my list for all my chapped lipped needs ever since I discovered it. Thanks you C.O. Bigelow. My lips love you.

The Mom Chronicles

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Before I post the funniness that is this email, let me preface it by saying that my mother is in no way prejudiced against anyone of latin, hispanic, african american, european, australian, etc, etc origins. She wants to learn spanish and thinks this is helping her.

To: Emily
From: Your madre

Hola, comoesta:

You speak engisha?

I still looking for eh sweater with pumpkin big on it.  Please respond when you find.

Tankyou
Sopfie Maria

No, I don't know who Sopfie Maria is, although I have a feeling it is her spanish-speaking alter-ego. All I really know is that my mother is highly entertaining.

The Loves of my Life

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Monday night (after watching The Proposal with PIC) was spent lol'ing at Seinfeld, doing The Pro's accounting final, and partaking in some quality texting with QS and The Rangeboy. Somehow, we ended up discussing all the things we love in life. And there's quite a few. Reviewing the list made me super happy and so I decided to post it here. Mainly because it's a pain in the ass having to scroll through all the texts (one thing the iPhone has that I wish my blackberry did), but also because I love making lists.

And so, I present for you, the Loves of my Life:
*Seinfeld
*Rainy days
*Hot fudge sundaes
*Bars that serve popcorn
*Karaoke
*Sappy movies
*Bardenay
*Target
*Christmas lights
*Driving alone and singing loud
*Pictures
*Sharpie markers
*Ground squirrels
*Puppies
*Traveling
*Glitter and sequins
*Bar trivia
*Rum (even though it makes me crazy and emotional)
*Picking out the perfect present for someone
*Music that says everything you can't say
*Butterflies you get in your stomach when thinking of someone that makes you supremely happy
*BSU football (Go Broncos!)
*Red Sox baseball
*The Super Bowl
*Ryan Reynolds
*Papa Kelsey's
*Waking up and realizing you still have 2 more hours to sleep
*Potatoes
*Halloween
*Books that you can't put down
*Marathon phone/text conversations with great friends
*Surprises
*Puppies
*Kitties
*Laughing with little kids
*Laughing until you're crying
*Scarves
*Jimmy Johns
*Running around barefoot
*Writing
*Wearing glasses
*Gilmore Girls
*Greek
*Jergens cherry-almond lotion
*Texts From Last Night
*My family
*Making lists
*The moments when everything makes sense
*The fact that I have such good friends that I consider them my 2nd family.

So I could really go on and on. Apparently, I love a lot of things. Some might call it indecisiveness. I call it having a zest for life.

Famousness!

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Disco Pierre is famous! I'm sure everyone has heard of PeopleofWalmart.com. If not, then you need to join the 21st century. Anyways, Disco Pierre managed to use his sneaky photography skills and catch this classic WalMarter.


I personally love the brown socks (with sandals) and the fanny pack.

Here's the website. It's an excellent waste of time, if I do say so myself.

http://www.peopleofwalmart.com/?p=4498#comments

The Mom Chronicles

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My mom is awesome. In more ways than one. Today, I share her with you.

Mom: So after we left Barnes and Noble, we decided to go to Dairy Queen for dinner. Except N had to get M, and then L didn't know how to get there so she followed me.

Me: Ok.

Mom: But then I forgot that L was following me and when I tried to look for her, there was this big truck behind me. So I slowed way down so he would get mad and pass me, but he didn't. So then we were almost to DQ and I still didn't know if L was behind me. So I turned on Woodruff and pulled over.

Me: This is the longest story ever.

Mom: Be quiet. I haven't even gotten to the good part. So I try to call L but my cell phone is dead, but then this nice man comes to my window. He wants to know if I want to buy peaches. I tell him no, but ask if I can borrow his cell phone to call L. He says yes and so I try to call L and N, but they both didn't answer. So then he says I can text them if I want, but I don't know how to text. So then he does it for me. And then I tell him the story about how I broke my ankle and the other nice man that helped me then.

Me: Why did you tell him that story?

Mom: Because they were both nice. But anyways, then I decided that since he was so nice that I would buy some peaches. So I bought a bag of peaches for $5, but then I only had a $10 bill. So I bought 2 bags of peaches.

Me: Why didn't you just get change?

Mom:......I don't know. Think grandma will want some peaches?

Gotta love her.

Falling for fall...

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I can't decide if this summer was a good one or not. I have a feeling that since I can't decide, that I'm leaning towards the not-good side. It wasn't a horrible summer, by any means. It just wasn't spectacular. I'm going to blame it on this whole 'being a grown-up' thing. Summer was so much more fun when I was a kid and could do nothing but lay on the couch all day and watch MTV.

Anyways, now that summer is over, FALL IS HERE! And I love the fall. You might say I'm a sucker for it and anything fall-related. Here's a list for you:

-I'm a sucker for anything apply, pumpkiny, nutmeggy, or cinnamony. We're talking candles, baked goods, cider, yummy waffles made in a sandwich maker (umm...it's wednesday. Where were my yummy waffles this morning?), and things on a stick. It's all good. All of it. Oh-except for cinnamon mints. Those are gross anytime of the year,

-I'm a sucker for football. I have been since elementary school, where I was introduced to my very first Emotion Bowl. Granted, at that point, I really just liked getting to stay out late and dye my hair orange and black. Now I actually like the game. And yes, I do actually know how it works, TYVM.

-Speaking of football, I'm specifically a sucker for a very certain team who is kicking butt as usual. Go Broncos!

-I'm a sucker for Halloween*. Might just be my favorite holiday of all time. I love the parties, the stories, the tricks and the treats, and I love that you get the chance to let your imagination come alive for one night and run free. I'm also a sucker for adorable Princess Ballerina's, Scooby-Doos, and Vampires.

-I'm a sucker for pumpkins. And not just for carving them (which I'm awesome at, by the way.). I also loooove leaves. I still have a Ziploc bag full of all the leaves I collected in Boston. What I'm going to do with them, I couldn't tell you. But I still loooove them. Plus, after you rake them all up, you get to jump in them and rake them all up again. It's the best cycle ever.

-Lastly, I'm a sucker for believing that fall is a time for starting over. For finding that balance you need to make it through the end of the year. Time starts to slow down (or so it seems) and life starts to slow down. And that is definitely what I need. Besides a new life plan, anyways.

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*Speaking of Halloween, I need awesome costume ideas. Individual and group please. And go.

Still waiting...

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...for the rest of the girls to post their pictures from The Roommate's wedding, but until then, here are three of my favorites. I won't go into wedding details, since the pictures do a much better job, but just know that it was definitely in my top 3. Which is a feat all in itself.




*The girls at Mt. Rushmore! Check that off my life list.






*The Hot One and I. The Roommate was too hungover to take any more pictures with us. We're lucky she even made the drive!




*Awww. I still love these girls after all those years apart (hey-two years feels like a lifetime). Reunion 2009 was a success. Still deciding on where to go for Reunion 2010.
Anyone have any good ideas?





Just a quick one...

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Woo! In exactly 23 days, I leave for Reno. Gotta love spur of the moment travel decisions. Especially when the ticket was only $100 round trip. Super excited to play in Lake Tahoe, kick ass at Blackjack and hang out with my favorite teacher!

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In other news, this is so two days ago. But really? How can I not put this on here? Team Taylor represent!

Ramblings continued...

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So I believe I left off with the question of why I haven't done anything about my current life predicament. Here's what you need to know:

*I change my mind. A lot. Like every other day.
*If you asked me to list things I could see myself doing for the rest of my life, I could easily list 7. Which is a lot when you're trying to make a life-changing decision.
*I have a really good life in Boise. One full of family and friends that are like a second family. 98 percent of the time I have a fan-freakin-tastic time and life couldn't be better.
*I have this problem where I can't make a decision that affects myself without considering how it would affect a certain handful of people (namely my immediate family. Times are a little rough and I don't feel it's responsible of me to gamble with my life when it kind of gambles with their lives too.).
*I second-guess myself. A lot. Apparently, I'm not a risk-taker and fear plays a huge role in the decision-making process.

On the other hand of the spectrum, however:

*I'm a very restless person. I almost always have to be doing something.
*I always pictured myself somewhere completely different from where I'm at now. See this post for related information. It's also one of my favorites.
*My sister is currently living in Russia. Something I thought I would be more likely to do than her (not necessarily the Russian thing. But the living abroad thing.) It definitely bothers me that I'm still living in Idaho, still working in retail, and still no where closer to achieving any of my big plans.

So yeah. Every three months or so, I go through this funk. It basically consumes my entire life. I yell at myself for still living in Boise, for not going to graduate school, for not moving somewhere to experience life a little differently. I kick myself for not taking advantage of this carefree time in my life, the time when I could do anything I wanted. And then sometimes I make plans. For instance, last fall, I decided I was ready to leave. I decided I wanted to be a teacher. I decided that Portland was a good place to accomplish both (it also helped that PIC and Disco Pierre* had decided to move there too). And so I looked into school. And places to live. And then life got fun again and those plans completely fizzled out. Which really didn't surprise me or anyone else. Because that's how I roll.

And that's still how I roll. My current plan is to move to Greece. Don't ask me what I will do there. It just sounds fun and exotic and like it would make other people jealous. Don't worry, though. Tomorrow, I'll probably want to become a dentist. Basically what I'm saying is this: it's a good thing I still have four years left to figure my shit out. Because I'm going to need it.

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*From here on out, M2J2 is now Disco Pierre. As in 'Disco Pierre Knead Stoner.' As in inside joke.

Cue awesome 80's WhiteSnake music here...

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Ever have one of those days (or weeks or months or years) when you have a million and one thoughts racing around your head all at once? One of those days where it would be soooo nice to put them all somewhere where they would just leave you alone? A place such as a blog?

Yeah. That happened to me. And I have a blog. Right here. This one that you're reading right now. So why haven't I posted in over a month?

Ever have one of those days (or weeks or months or years) where all those thoughts in your head make no sense at all? To you or anyone kind enough to try and let you get it all out?

Yep. That was me again.

So instead of letting the internet try and have a go at making sense of the madness inhabiting my head, I put it all down in paper form. I filled almost an entire notebook in one month. Filled it with ramblings about nothing and everything all at once. Did it solve any of my problems? No. Did it do any good? Hell yes. It emptied my mind. It made me realize that I still have the same giant questions I had three years ago when I graduated from college. I'm still in the same place, which to me, feels like essentially nowhere, despite the fact that others continually tell me otherwise.
So if I've felt this way for the last three years, why haven't I done anything about it?

Good question. And one we shall tackle on another day.

Photo Overload

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Thanks to the BFF, I can now post actual pictures from The Circle's cabin trip. Somehow, BFF managed to only be in one picture, and a long-distance one at that. We'll have to change that the next time around!



*Triple K looking pensive.
*QS with my sunglasses.





*Me looking ridiculous.












*The Pro being lame and sick and whiny.















*Princess Ballerina. Too cute for words.












*Jet-skis are awesome.













*So are my tubing skills.








*Triple K spent a lot of time in the water







*The Pro thought he had tube burn on his knees. Really, he
just didn't put on sunscreen.









*BFF is a wimpy driver. We'll work on it.









*Halleyouya!












*The Jiffy-Pop predicament. Good thing they come in two's.










*Do you hear what I hear?









*Matching shirts. Awesome!











*Mesa Falls=WOW!










So there you have it. In other news, PIC and I went and saw 500 Days of Summer. Good movie. Probably not the best of the summer, but there is still some time to go. Wedding countdown=13 days! Maybe I will share some other wedding stories. After all, I have a million of them!
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Please excuse the weird formatting problems. It is entirely Blogger's fault.

An ode to The Teacher...

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*The Teacher so nicely informed me tonight that my blogs are too wordy and that she doesn't have time in her busy life to read all my ramblings. And so I was going to post pictures of the cabin trip, but instead I decided to tell a story featuring The Teacher herself. Love you!*

Once upon a time, The Teacher and her friends came to visit from the school that doesn't know how to play football (might as well start off on the right foot. Go Broncos!)
Good times were had by all. The Teacher is a very inclusive person. Her friends are my friends and my friends are her friends. Especially when we are all friends with the alcohol. We ended up at China Blue for the majority of the night, where we danced and danced and danced some more. They had a special guest DJ from California that night who was spinning some awesome tunes.
We're talking 'What a Feeling' mixed with Eminem mixed with 'I've Had the Time of My Life' mixed with Christina Milian. We're talking music so awesome that The Teacher herself went up to the DJ to tell him how awesome he was. And a new friendship was born. They even let us use the fans to cool ourselves off.
The Teacher just generally has a zest for life and gets excited about things very easily. As I hazily recall (not because I was wasted, but because it was a good 5 years ago), something exciting happened. So exciting, in fact, that as she was celebrating, she completely ate shit and fell face first into this VIP seating area. It was hilarious at the time (of course!), but I wish I had a picture of the bruise because it was gnarly.
So, like I was saying, The Teacher has a lot of friends. And she talked one of her friends into giving the 6 of us a ride home. In a tiny little truck. Don't worry, they had a good time. I rode in the front. Because I am awesome.
I am fairly certain that the alcohol-consumption continued on into the wee hours of the morning, only to come to a screeching halt when The Teacher yelled at one of her friends, went to slam the door, kicked it when it wouldn't close, and put a giant hole in my bedroom door. That cost her $100 to replace. In addition, someone used the bathtub as a bed (alas, I couldn't find any pictures. They tend to disappear when college students try to lead respectable lives.), and The Teacher regaled us all with a heart-wrenching version of James Blunts' "You're Beautiful."
All in all, it was a successful and memorable weekend, one that I don't think I will ever forget.
Love you Teacher!!

Bruises, mosquito bites, and bonding time.

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You know the saying "I need a vacation from my vacation?" I am definitely feeling that way after last weekend's Circle Cabin trip. I was only technically on vacation for a mere 5 days (which definitely wasn't long enough), but I squeezed in as much fun as possible. And I have the cuts and bruises to prove it.

QS and I left town Thursday night, with BFF and the family not far behind. Thankfully, I was only forced to ride with QS for half the time, as we met up in Twin Falls and switched off. He's definitely a backseat driver. And there is no need to be, for I have excellent driving skillz*.

I headed up to the cabin on Friday to spend some quality time with the mother and the sister. Sister leaves on Tuesday for Russia, so Saturday was really our only chance to bond, as the mother put it. And we did, by regressing back into our teenage selves, complete with tube surfing, handstand contests, and water wrestling.

The family left on Sunday, only to be replaced shortly after with The Circle, minus The Rangeboy, a sad and unfortunate exception. The next two days were spent jet skiing, drinking, jet skiing, eating, jet skiing, and taking naps. All in all, it was a damn good time. Triple K and QS finished off the Jose that someone so kindly left us, and the night was complete as Triple K thought the lightning outside was someone taking a picture of him peeing. He also managed to steal my bed from me, when he gracefully crashed into the bunk bed ladder, proving it would be a definite liability to try and make him actually climb up there to go to bed.

Due to some unforseen circumstances, our Tuesday plan of four-wheeling was replaced with some good old-fashioned sight-seeing. We fed the fish at Big Springs, and took the scenic route so we could see the natural wonder that is Mesa Falls. Made it home in time to have dinner with the family, and then it was Wednesday. Which meant that I was forced to head back to the real world. So far, it is no fun. And niether was this blog post. Please to excuse the lack of pictures. BFF has all the good ones, and she is still on vacation. I will add some spice as soon as she gets back.

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*Kidding, QS. Not about the backseat driver thing, but about being forced to drive with you. You are an excellent co-pilot and might give BFF a run for her money someday.

For your reading and viewing pleasure...

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I'm bbbbaaaacccckkkkk! Wait-no one realized I was gone? Well, that's just rude.

I wasn't really gone. And it wasn't like I just didn't have anything to blog about. In fact, I think I probably had too much to blog about. Everything was swimming around in my head and had I tried to write it down, it probably wouldn't have made any sense. Even to me.

So here's a quick update: The sister came to visit and overall, it was a good time. There were times of tension, as there usually are, and there was one major mental breakdown on my part, but it was entirely the rum's fault. Other than that, there was family dinner with amazing discussion of parasites, dead mice in shoes, and maggots. There was some good shopping, HARRY POTTER! (totally loved this movie and am sad all over again that there are no more books to come), floating of the river, and a perfect night of baseball. It's crazy to think that the sister leaves for Russia in a mere 22 days. For a year! I know a year will fly by and I'm sure I will head that way to visit and enjoy some chilled vodka, but it will be so WEIRD not having her home at Christmas. Who will I argue with? It's not the same arguing with a picture or even over the phone.

Got treated to a delicious dinner courtesy of LifeCoach and friends this weekend. She whipped up some delicious latkes (potato pancakes) and my hair still smells faintly of fried potatoes. I'm totally okay with it, however, for it reminds me of home!

As for the rest of summer, I'm sure it will be over with the blink of an eye. My fair friends are in town this week for the Canyon County fair (yay for them! And fair food, of course!). My Assistant Manager gets married this Saturday, and the end of next week is the official kick-off to the Circle's cabin trip, minus a few key players (I will really only miss the Dr., though!). Unfortunately, the real world is requiring my presence back in Nampa three days earlier than planned, something I'm not happy about, but will just have to deal with. Plus, I will be stuck in a car with QS and the Rangeboy for up to 6 hours! Noooooooooooooooooooooooooo!

Kidding, of course. I'm sure it will be highly entertaining. After that, the summer will end with a bang with the wedding of The Roommate! Due to cash flow and time management issues, this will also serve as the 2009 reunion. Mt. Rushmore best be getting ready!

And that, my friends is life as I have known it for the last little while. As a little parting gift, I leave you with this video, one of my all time favorites. And no, I don't care if you've already seen it a million times. It never gets old!


The Landlord

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Life's short...Says who?

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Just a quick rant. Today, as I was pondering what I should do with myself tonight, I considered two options.

1-Go home like a responsible adult who has to work in the morning should. Watch a little tv and retire early.

-or-

2-Hit the town. Drink a little, dance a little, and sleep a little. Life's short. You only live once, right?

Now wait just one second.

How do I know that life is short? How do I know that I only live once? For all I know, I could live to be 111 years old. And once I die, how do I know that I don't get to start all over as a fish* or a boy named George?

And I guess that's the point. No one knows. Except for maybe that really smart fish with a photographic memory who distinctly remembers his life as a girl named Lucy who had really awesome shoes. And now he's just pissed, because he never got that one last night out on the town. That one last vodka-cranberry. That one last urge to go jump in a fountain or drunk dial that long-lost friend at three in the morning.


Well don't worry, Mr. Fish. This vodka-cranberry's for you.

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*After many a discussion of what I would like to come back as, should reincarnation be a real and viable thing, I decided that I would like to be a fish. But not a goldfish (especially one you could win at a fair. I would probably be dead before I even got a chance to own my own bowl). And hopefully I will be that fish with the photographic memory so that when there is a delicious worm dangling in front of me in a lake, I will know it's an evil trap. Because WORMS DON'T LIVE IN LAKES!

Coulda, Woulda, Shoulda...

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Today was a sucky day. And so to distract myself at work, I did this*. And now you get to read it.


I Can't:
*Wear hats. Of any kind. *Walk in high heels. *Function well before 10:00 am. *Stop buying Oreos (Have you ever tried freezing them? AWESOME.). *Wakeboard or waterski (Again, I blame the knees.). Wait for the new Harry Potter movie.

I Can:
*Juggle. *BS my way through anything. *Read a book in less than a day. *Read 4 books in less than a week. *Pick out the perfect purse for the BFF everytime! (That's it, though. She's too picky about everything else.) *Harldy wait to go to my cabin this weekend.

I Will:
*NEVER like beer. *Dance anywhere, anytime if the song is a good one. *Get along with anyone. (That doesn't mean I like everyone.) *Never understand why people love to go running. *Buy a new purse every three months or so.

I Won't:
*Ever like mushrooms. *Let myself get stuck in the world of retail. *Ever want to stop traveling. *Always be so indecisive. *Apologize for being obsessed with TSwift. *Tell your secrets, if you make it clear that you don't want anyone to know.

I Shouldn't:
*Shop at Target so much. *Bite my nails when I get nervous. *Spend so much time on my Blackberry. *Drive with my knees as much as I do. *Text when I'm drunk.

I Should:
*Move somewhere new. *Get a sleep study done. *Never feel guilty for wanting to be alone. *Get a tetanus shot. *Learn how to read slower.

Sorry if that bored you. It bored me as I typed it. You should try watching Weeds. It is single-handedly one of the greatest shows of all time. I have to go buy season 3 now, so Peace Out.

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*Borrowed from Here.

Cheers.

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Age is a funny thing. People still think I'm in high school and that my younger sister is actually the older one. When people ask, my first instinct is to tell them that I'm 21. Truth be told, I'm 25, but does it count if I don't really feel 25? I'd like to think it doesn't, and I think my grandma would agree (she's been celebrating her 49th birthday for the last 15 years.)

I don't really know what any of that has to do with anything, but Triple K celebrated his 21st birthday Wednesday night/Thursday morning. It was your typical shit show, complete with crazy shots, a little bit of drama, and the required puking session. I gotta give it to the kid, though, because I have never seen anyone chug an AMF in three seconds flat. Even the bartender at The Cactus was impressed, which has to be hard to do.

21st birthdays are awesome. All birthdays are awesome, just for the fact that you get presents and free drinks and even free hot dogs, but the 21st is special. Its the one night you can pretty much get away with anything, give or take murder and robbing a convenience store.

I celebrated my 21st with my family in Idaho Falls. Needless to say, it wasn't so crazy. But I think I've made up for it by helping all my other friends celebrate theirs and celebrate it right. Here's a few of my favorite memories:

-Dancing with Erin at The Balcony, and watching her watch the man with the assless chaps.
-Not actually going out with The Roommate on her 21st (not exactly a good memory, but still kind of funny!).
-Singing karaoke with the cheer king and trying to prevent his death as he supermanned down the escalator head first.
-BKamps laying on the ground outside of Hannah's because her feet hurt and she just wanted to take a nap.
-Taking shots of whiskey with my sister and her boss.
-The kid in Denver who had to be surrounded by 8 of his friends so he wouldn't run back and forth in the train. Naked.

Like I said, you can get away with anything on your 21st. Maybe I should try and celebrate mine all over again. I'm sure I could get away with it.

A letter...

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Dear left knee,

Really? You were so good for so long. We're talking at least 8 years! And then one wrong move and Mr. Knee Joint decides to take a little roll out of its home. WHAT WAS WRONG WITH YOUR HOME? I get the whole "exploring the real world" thing, but I have taken you to some pretty awesome places. And it's not like we're going to be done anytime soon.

And the real world isn't the nicest place. It's tough.

But no. Out you rolled and down I went. At least when my right knee joint rolled out, it didn't make me want to pass out. What the hell? And right in the middle of work, too. Not that I really minded that. It gave me an excuse to sit in my office some more.

So like I told you, the real world isn't all it's cracked up to be. You must have found out quickly, as you rolled back into your home real quick. Doesn't matter, though, because my knee still hurts. Like, a lot. And I look like a big dumbass, limping around everywhere. Add the fact that I get to wear my sweet knee brace for the next little while, and my dorkiness is complete.

Don't think you're getting out of this with just this letter. Oh no. Now we get to visit a physical therapist. Who will make you work. Hard. And if it doesn't get better, we get to have surgery again. Something I tried reeeeaaaallllyyyy hard to avoid. The first time was enough. It only took a good 6 months for me to walk normally again. Running? Don't even think about it. A second knee surgery and I will have to get a scooter to scooter me around. Which might be kind of awesome. But not awesome enough to forgive you.

Seriously. Thanks a lot-

The rest of your body

Friends Forever**...

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This just seriously made my night. Maybe even my year. I will be watching when the reunion actually happens. I might even have a Saved By The Bell-themed party. You know you all want to come.


ZACK MORRIS ON JIMMY FALLON
*


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*Please excuse my rudimentary clip-posting techniques. My computer from the year 2000 just isn't quite cutting in these days.

**Anyone remember the name of the gang's sweet band that sang "Friends Forever?" I do. I just want to see if anyone else is as cool as I am.

I don't wanna grow up...

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I don't think I want to grow up. Ever.

Sunday, The Artist had a 'Dynomite' birthday party for DAD, complete with a prehistoric cake with a volcano. Of course I didn't bring my camera, so you will just have to imagine it. As is the norm these days, I was the only adult present that didn't have at least one child or child-t0-be at the party. And here's what I realized:

I will always be more comfortable at the kids' table.

I know some people HATE the kids' table, suffer from nightmares about the kids' table, and can't wait until they are finally allowed to escape the kids' table. I am not one of those people. And the reason is a simple one.

Kids, for the most part, are entirely free of judgement*.

For example: Let's talk about the two year olds I hung out with on Sunday. By the end of the party, there were at least two tantrums, three sets of hands and faces smeared with green frosting, and two extremely questionable smells eminating from their vicinity. Did it bother any of them at all? No. They were just as happy to share their Capri Sun or their crayon with whoever wanted it.

Grown ups? Not the case. Judgement comes into play in virtually every situation we're in. The smelly person on the subway/bus/trolley? No one wants to really sit by him. The woman with spaghetti sauce on her shirt? Soon to be the next nomination on What Not to Wear. But really? How do either of those things tell us anything about the actual person?

In elementary school, we're taught to not judge a book by it's cover. And then we hit junior high and high school. And the judgement begins. If you don't wear the right brand of jeans, or go to the right church, or drink and do drugs on the weekend, you're not cool, not good enough.

And then we go to college. And we experience the real world, one that's made up of people polarly opposite of ourselves. We experience new things and change the way we think and question everything we've been taught. And judgement kind of takes a back seat.

But once we graduate, once we enter the real world, it comes back full force. We judge others on everything. The job they have, the school they went to, where they live, their past relationships, where they shop and the shoes they wear. And it just kind of sucks.

And so, I'm going to sit at the kids' table forever. That way I can spill anything and everything on myself whenever I want. I can drink vodka instead of beer. And I can eat cake and play with dinosaurs everyday if I choose.

Anyone else want to join me?

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*Don't think that the adults at the party were judgemental. The opposite is true, in fact. The whole party was really one big kid's table. And yes, I did manage to spill cake and green frosting all over myself. What else is new?

Let's go have a beeeeh...

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It's been a while since I've posted any pictures on this ole' blog here. Mostly because my camera has been hiding from me. I found it in time for the Taylor Swift concert, but then PIC put the wrong batteries in. Have no fear, though, because I got my shit together in time for the trip to Boston. And so, for your viewing pleasure. I present the following:

There are a shit-ton of pictures and I am too lazy to write captions for them all. So here's a few things you might need to know. It will be a fun game for you to guess which facts relate to which pictures! And......Go! (P.S. Blogger is lame and so the pictures are all posted backwards.)

*The sister worked at an organic farm while in college, which had absolutely nothing to do with her degrees, but fit her to a T!
*The white chicken and I had a staring contest. The chicken won.
*The farm just recently received a grant for the first-ever Humaneur Compost Toilet. I did not take a picture of the future site, but I thought you all should know.
*We went on a duck tour. And had a guide named Garribaldi. He was bald.
*Hillary Clinton did not speak at the commencement. But she was there in spirit. And in cardboard form.
*The Wellesley campus is gorgeous. Boise has no rightful claim to being the City of Trees. However, it is home to the Circle of Trust, so it can still claim the initials C.O.T.
*Harry Potter would approve. The grandpa is standing by Platform 9 and 3/4. Guess where the hidden stairs are!
*Wellesley girls like to wear hats. So do we.
*One of the pictures features a scene from The Departed. Unfortunately, Matt, Leo or Matt was not anywere near.

Other helpful tidbits, not related to the pics:
*The Minnesota airport is a pain in my ass. Always wear running shoes when flying through.
*Just because nothing has ever been stolen from your checked luggage in the 18 years since you first started traveling does not mean that it won't happen on your final flight home from college.
*Bostonians really love to run. And drink. And then run to burn the calories from drinking.