Life as I know it...

Scratch That.

2010-12-05T22:13:00.001-08:00

Yeah...about that blogging everyday thing. Didn't happen. Not going to happen in December. Might happen in January. Stay tuned...

Back in Action...

2010-12-02T22:42:00.000-08:00

So it's been like five months. Five months since I've even thought about writing something. At least, since I thought about writing something on here for all to see. But that's one of the great things about the internet and about blogging. They never go away.

A lot of people did this last year. It was called #best09. This year, it's called #reverb10. In yet another honest attempt to figure out if writing is something I really, truly love and something I would want to do everyday for the rest of my life, you're going to get a blog post every day for the month of December. EVERY DAY. Good thing these #reverb10 people are sending me prompts. This girl needs some structure.

Obviously, it's December 3rd now. Or it will be in 44 minutes. And so I present for your viewing pleasure the prompts from yesterday and today all rolled into one post.

Prompt #1: One Word. Encapsulate the year 2010 in one word. Explain why you’re choosing that word. Now, imagine it’s one year from today, what would you like the word to be that captures 2011 for you?

2010: Complacency
According to the dictionary (yes, I used a dictionary. An actual one. On paper. ), complacency means being content with one's life. I disagree. I define complacency as being just happy enough most of the time that there is no need to introduce challenge into one's life. And I think that's kind of a bad thing.

Which brings me to...

2011: Aspire
There are a lot of things I aspire to. My goals change daily. Unfortunately, I don't think I have actually accomplished any goal since graduating from college in 2006. And so, 2011 is the year that changes.

Prompt #2: Writing. What do you do each day that doesn’t contribute to your writing — and can you eliminate it?

Where should I start? Like I said, it's been five months since I've really written anything. And a whole lot of that time has been spent on entertainment. I'm a big fan of entertainment; I think I get it from my grandparents. They cannot spend more that one day sitting at home, doing nothing. If they're not at work, they're in Island Park. Or Jackpot. Or on a cruise (without me, which is very rude). Or playing bingo. Or snowmobiling. They just always like to be entertained. Which is my point.

For me, Monday's mean bowling. Tuesday's mean trivia. And drinking. Sometimes a lot of drinking. Which leads to lazy Wednesdays, sometimes with some mentoring thrown in, and always ending in family dinner. Thursday's mean closing at work, as do some Fridays. Saturday's mean anything from birthday parties to crying at a bar to reading a book at home with my cat. And Sunday's mean resting. Catching up on life so the craziness can start all over again the next day. I know that a lot of people have way more demanding schedules than I do. But like I said in prompt #1, I am usually content with this routine. Routines are good. Until you become complacent, which is my word of the year.

As for making more time for writing, it's something that can be easily done. A little less sleeping, a little less HIMYM and boom-you'll get a blog post a day for a month. As for switching up the routine, though, I don't really think it's that easy. Like I said, routines are good. They keep life going. And blogging is writing about life. And I'm not quite ready to stop life as I know it. But that's kind of why I decided to do #reverb10. It gives me a chance to look back over the past year, separate what I like and don't like, what's working and what's not, and hopefully head into 2011 ready to start the rest of my life.

See you tomorrow.

For whom the bell tolls.

2010-07-13T20:50:00.000-07:00

Since I was two years old, I have lived a block and a half from the bells. And for as long as I can actually remember, the bells have tolled three times a day, 37 chimes each time; once at 8:00 am, once at noon, and once at 6:00 pm.

The bells have signified different things through the years. When I was younger, the 8:00 bell meant that I was late for school and had less than five minutes to get my butt out the door. In the summer time, the noon bells meant it was time for tuna fish and potato chip sandwiches. And later, after I discovered the amazingness of Gilmore Girls, the 6:00 bell meant it was time to tune in.

Overall, though, the sound of the bells meant I was home. Home from college, the cabin, Paris, or Boston. Just like the smell of my grandma's cinnamon bread or the feel of the wind on my face as I'm flying through the air on the trampoline, those 37 chimes meant instant comfort, instant regression back to my childhood, instant happiness.

But this latest trip home? I was not greeted by my favorite, familiar sound. Instead, I was greeted by a weird, annoying tinkle.

They changed the bells.

And I am not happy about it. And I am sure that Pepper (my cocker spaniel, may he rest in peace) would not be happy about it either, as one of his favorite daily activities was howling along with the bells three times a day (I hope they're chiming for you up in that big backyard in the sky).

As far as I'm concerned, the only bells that are supposed to tinkle are those little tiny ones that rich people use to summon their hired help. The stately Catholic church (one of only two in a town dominated by LDS churches on every other corner) with gorgeous stained glass that I've lived around the corner from since I was two deserves a loud, booming bell, one that chimes thirty-seven times, three times a day.

And so, for anyone that has watched as much Gilmore Girls as I have, I'm going to have to channel the episode where Luke and Lorelai break the bells. But instead, I will be doing the opposite-restoring my favorite bells to their original glory.

A question...

2010-06-07T22:15:00.000-07:00

What to do with this here blog of mine?

One Step Closer...

2010-03-24T22:25:00.000-07:00

The application process is complete. I have already been accepted to two schools. Still waiting to hear from my number one choice. It will be a while, considering I just mailed the packet today. Now comes the part where I normally freak out, talk myself out of it, wonder how I could ever leave this place, these people, this life?

But this time? It's different. I'm ready to leave. I've spent the last four years doing the same things. And while I have too many wonderful memories to count, I'm ready to make new ones, with new people, in a new place. I've finally realized that I need to do this for myself, that I can't worry about anyone else, that I can't worry about missing out on things. Because that? Just leads to me missing out on my own life.

So yeah. I'm ready. Ready for something new.

A dose of cuteness.

2010-03-02T19:01:00.000-08:00

We went to the hockey game on Saturday night to celebrate QS's birthday. As we were driving there, we had a little discussion with the Princess about what age she was going to be that night.

The Pro: "Now Princess, if anybody asks you how old you are tonight, you're going to say three years old."

Princess: "But daddy, I'm four!"

The Pro: "Yes, you are, but just for tonight, we're going to pretend that you're three so we don't have to buy you a ticket."

After some chiming in from the BFF and myself, I look over and see the Princess' eyes welling up with tears.

Princess: "But can I still be four years old?"

It just doesn't get cuter than that.

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On a sadder note, today i ran over a squirrel. And I didn't even know it until the cheer king made me look in the rear view mirror. And then I saw the poor thing twitching. And I just couldn't bring myself to run him back over to put him out of his misery. I am officially going to squirrel hell, where the poor little guy will run me over everyday as my punishment.

The cheer king did try to make me feel better by telling me that the squirrels are over-populated in Boise and that I was just doing my job controlling the problem. It didn't really work; I still feel horrible.

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Stay tuned tomorrow for a story about our epic Monday night karaoke adventure. Two words for you: legend. dary.

An addendum. Or three.

2010-02-25T21:13:00.000-08:00

As per the usual, I left some of my favorites out yesterday. And that just won't do. Once again, click the pictures and away you'll go!

One of Brandy's most coveted items is a diamond-encrusted toothbrush. And something I do believe she put on her Christmas list. Brandy is the queen of lists; add that to her love of Ryan Reynolds and Soul Decision and we're basically best friends. She also does one of the best features in the blogging world-The Secret Project. If you like Post Secret, you'll love this. And it always gives you something to look forward to on Mondays.

I just very recently discovered her. And big surprise? She took three months off to travel through Europe. Her difference? She did it alone. CRAZY! And? She just recently left home to start a new life in Boulder, Colorado, something I'm considering as well. Plus, she loves Barnes and Noble and likes to have dance parties in her kitchen. We're pretty much the same person.

And last, but certainly not least, is Miss Challis. It's funny how you can go to junior high and high school with someone and not really know them at all until like five years later. And while the majority of my classmates blog about their adorable children (which is cute, but just another reminder of the weirdness of my hometown), Challis writes amazingly hilarious posts about her domestic abilities (or lack thereof) and airline adventures. And I'm sure we can all relate to anyone who loves cookies as much as this girl.

And that wraps it up. I even double-checked this time. I'm currently watching the Olympics and having mini panic attacks as the lady figure skaters take to the ice. I seriously can't watch when they do their jumps. If they fall, it feels like I fell. And then my knees hurt. I'm sure it's all their fault (my knees, not the figure skaters) that I'm not a professional athlete; after all, I totally could race down a giant, icy ski hill and kick ass while doing it. Maybe in another life. Only two more days left in Idaho Falls. And six more days until I go back to work. Not sure how that's going to go. I'm going to have to brush up on my cat-sweater-selling skills.

Back again...

2010-02-24T20:54:00.000-08:00

What up everybody? So glad ya here*. Once again, it's been a while. Probably far too long. But that's what happens when you're living life. Or so people tell me.

At the moment, I am home in Idaho Falls, recovering from a tonsillectomy and septoplasty. Basically, I had my tonsils taken out, my turbinates reduced, and my septum straightened. All because of a little thing called sleep apnea. I know you might be asking "isn't that all a little extreme?" And to that I say, it's better than my other option, which was this:

That is a CPAP Machine. Being the single girl that I am, my doctor and I agreed that this wasn't something I wanted to deal with for the rest of my life. It's hard enough finding someone in this big, crazy world; now just imagine having to explain that giant contraption to anyone I chose to invite into my bed. That's hot, right? Except not so much.

And so surgery was underwent. I was actually really nervous about my recovery; the postings on the message boards I found online weren't the most comforting ('worse than childbirth,' 'burning pain of the hell-like variety,' 'someone kill me now.' Not really what you want to hear the night before surgery). Thankfully, I recovered much better than normal and I already notice the difference in my breathing. Not sure about the snoring, as that is hard to monitor when I'm asleep.

Anyways, recovery has been good. Very lazy. Blogging is definitely helping me pass the time. As in, reading other people's blogs, not writing them. Obviously. And so, I thought I would give a shout-out to some of my favorites. Because if I like them, everybody should like them. Click on the picture and away you'll go!

Yes and Yes is a great one, especially because she actually gave up her job, her home, her life-as-she-knew-it to travel the world, explore new cultures, and expand her horizons. Hello? That is my dream. So not only does she have great advice and great stories, but she also interviews really interesting people. The latest? A transvestite.

This is honestly one of the most random blogs I have ever read. You never know what you're going to get, but you can always count on it as being hilarious and well-written.

Kathleen is just a very relatable** person. She left her hometown and moved to Vegas to be with her boyfriend, she's homesick, she has great fashion-sense and she tells great stories.

Miss Jamie Varon is another one of those dare-to-live people. I discovered her right after she moved to Italy. Just because. She also appeals to my entrepreneurial side; she started Shatterbox Media and also made national news when she used Twitter to help her get a job. She is also the new roommate of this girl down below...

...and together, they provide some very entertaining writing. Nicole is basically what I aspire to be, although with not so much of a focus on sex, seeing as how I don't have all the experience. She talks like she writes, which has always been one of my favorite styles. Basically, she's crazy and don't we all need a little more crazy in our lives (of the good variety, of course)?

Basically, my day is made anytime any of these ladies post. And with them in mind, I am going to try and be a little more consistent with my blogging. We'll see how it goes.

But now, I need to see to my nasal rinse. Such an exciting life I lead. Who wouldn't want to read about it?

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*That's right. I busted out some Coolio.

**Apparently, relatable is not a word. Which is ridiculous. How else can you describe someone who people can relate to? I think it's time I start my own dictionary. I'm sure it would be helpful to all.

Christmas Time

2009-12-22T23:26:00.000-08:00

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.

2009-12-20T21:42:00.000-08:00

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

2009-11-26T11:56:00.000-08:00

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

2009-11-24T20:43:00.000-08:00

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

2009-11-23T21:59:00.000-08:00

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

2009-11-22T21:44:00.001-08:00

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

2009-10-08T15:25:00.000-07:00

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

2009-09-30T21:27:00.001-07:00

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!

2009-09-30T21:20:00.000-07:00

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

2009-09-23T11:18:00.000-07:00

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...

2009-09-23T09:44:00.000-07:00

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...

2009-09-21T21:15:00.000-07:00

...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...

2009-09-16T21:09:00.000-07:00

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...

2009-09-15T20:54:00.000-07:00

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.

--------------
*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...

2009-09-14T19:00:00.000-07:00

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

2009-08-13T21:57:00.001-07:00

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...

2009-08-11T21:37:00.000-07:00

*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.

2009-08-06T21:22:00.000-07:00

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...

2009-07-20T22:51:00.001-07:00

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?

2009-07-10T18:06:00.000-07:00

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...

2009-06-28T19:25:00.000-07:00

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.

2009-06-26T09:50:00.000-07:00

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...

2009-06-19T22:02:00.000-07:00

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**...

2009-06-17T22:28:00.001-07:00

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...

2009-06-16T22:10:00.000-07:00

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...

2009-06-10T21:22:00.000-07:00

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.

It's Hammer Time!

2009-05-30T16:58:00.000-07:00

Attended the highly-anticipated recital of miss Princess Ballerina today, and let me tell you, never have I seen so many adorable ballerinas with so much attitude. I think there were 8 or 9 different pre-schools there, and each performance offered a little something different. There was the crier, and the little girl who did not move for the entire performance. There was the girl who knew every single move, and the girl who was always one step behind everyone else because she had to watch them first. And there were even some boys*, too! Two who were just a tad pre-occupied with their props and forgot to dance and one who did the best imitation of a fish I might have ever seen. All in all, it was highly entertaining.

And it definitely brought back some memories. I took dance lessons for a good 8-10 years of my life. I started out with tap, jazz and ballet, but soon dropped ballet because it was boooring and the outfits were ugly. I think my mother managed to find the only non-mormon dance teache in IF; looking back, we definitely had some scandalous outfits. My favorites were the yellow and black, spandex, cavewoman-esque** ones and the red and gold half top with the tutu/bike short combo. We were pretty hot stuff. Just ask BFF and The Pro, who were happily forced to watch some ancient dance videos my grandma dragged out on Halloween. (Thanks Gma Wava. I owe you!)

I was never the best dancer out there, but I definitely wasn't the worst. I'd like to say that this still holds true today, but the last time I went dancing, it consisted merely of a few step-touches and some booty-shaking. Dancing just isn't what it used to be.

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*I asked The Pro why his mother didn't ever put him in dance class, and he responded with this gem.
"Because she loved me!"
So where'd all your mad, Wade-Robson-esque skills come from then?

**The dance we did while wearing these outfits was appropriately titled 'Walk the Dinosaur' and it remains my dad's favorite dance to this day. And with moves like The Popper and the Roger Rabbit, who can blame him? 'Boom boom, shakalakalaka boom!' (Seriously, go look it up on ITunes. It's amazing.)

Some people's kids...

2009-05-26T22:50:00.000-07:00

Just a quick little rant (I will actually try and be quick this time. Just for you M2J2!)

The weekend was mostly spent hanging out with The Circle. We went on a crazy dirt-road adventure, saw a fox, and had a no-hands, loser-buys-ice-cream balancing contest. And then I almost died when I foolishly agreed to race The Range Boy up a mountain (not just any mountain. The steepest mountain in all the world). I lost, even with my 300 yard head start. It was a sad day.

In between all of that and the sweet barbecue we had in the park yesterday, we stopped at my apartment to visit my hammock and get Transformers for the BFF to FINALLY watch*. The boy roommate** and the girlfriend were there, but not for long. As they were leaving, I asked them where they were going. The girlfriend said something about a movie, and the conversation ended when she said something along the lines of "...just somewhere childless."

Now, she could have been referring to something completely different, some completely separate situation of her day, but I took this comment as a direct attack on me and my friends. Because, of course Princess Ballerina was with us. It's not The Circle without her. And I get that some people don't like kids and never want to have them. But here's the thing: we'd been there for maybe 5 minutes. Princess Ballerina is probably the best behaved child ever and we were all outside on the deck, far from the boy roommate's room. And is it really allowed for someone who is basically still a child herself to make a comment like that? Yeah, I didn't think so.

So then I started thinking about all the people I know who say they don't want kids. And the same holds true for the majority of them. They're all kids themselves, barely over 18, just barely starting their own individual lives. It's easy to think that you don't want a child when there's one running around, screaming, and putting their sticky hands everywhere. No one wants that. But that one child isn't representative of the millions of other children in the world, and it certainly isn't representative of a future child.

Basically, it all boils down to this: "Judge not, lest ye be judged." If the girlfriend had stuck around, she might have gotten the chance to hang out with the funniest 3 year old I know, the one who says 'Holla!' and shakes her booty with the best of them. And she would have been very lucky...

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*We attempted to watch Transformers last night. As usual, BFF fell asleep. During TRANSFORMERS! Only she can get away with this and not make me want to hit her.

**If the boy roommate happens to read this, know that I'm not mad. I just thought it was weird. And then I wrote about it.

Best. Day. Ever!

2009-05-19T22:54:00.001-07:00

Sunday was seriously one of the best days I've had in a looonnggn while. Why, you ask?

Because of this.

Her Fearless Tour was the best concert I've ever been too. And I've been to quite a few*.

Gloriana (anybody remember Cheyenne from MTV? It's her new band, with 2 guys and another girl) and Kellie Pickler opened for her. I didn't think I was a big fan of Kellie, but I think I was wrong. Her new album is not bad at all (especially since Taylor is featured on it!). And she has awesome shoes (have you seen how short she is? Crazy short!)

And then there was Taylor. I don't even really know how to describe the awesomness of that night. We had awesome seats (right behind Rocci Johnson even! Total added bonus.), she sang all of my favorite shows, and she even did 'Should've Said No' as her encore, complete with trash cans and rain. Seriously-it was my favorite when she opened for Rascal Flatts and it was even better this time. If you want (and you totally should!), go check out this video. Definitely not the same as seeing it in person, but it will do.

In other news, I got a sweet sunburn while hanging out with some weiner dogs, my apartment spent the last 2 days hanging out at around 87 degrees, and I swear I got a 3rd degree burn from the metal part of my seatbelt. I know everyone is ready for summer, but 94 degrees on May 18th? Give me a break. And a swimming pool.

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*The first concert I ever attended was the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Who's jealous? That was followed by Alan Jackson (gotta love 'Don't Rock the Jukebox!'), Britney Spears, Jack Johnson, and 3oh!3, just to name a few. And soon, Journey, FOB, Blink-182, and more Taylor! will join this list. Thank goodness for music.

You're Hired......Not!

2009-05-15T18:10:00.000-07:00

I've worked in retail for a long time. No really-a looonnnggg time. Almost 10 years (crap! I really am old). And in those 10 years, I've seen a lot of 'interesting' people inquire about or apply for jobs.

Success rate for these 'interesting' individuals?

0%.

In hopes of helping out some of the 'interesting' ones out there (and entertaining the rest of you), I have prepared a list of Don'ts. Many of you may think these are basic, common sense things not to do. You're wrong. Obviously, they need to start teaching 'How-to-Get-a-Job 101' in high school.

1. When asking for an application*, don't wear your swimming suit. Or your pajamas. Or your sweaty work-out clothes. Or booty shorts and a belly-shirt (especially ones that were apparently half-eaten by the washing machine). A good rule of thumb is to overdress instead of underdress. You never know-someone might do an on-the-spot interview with you. And it's kind of distracting watching you try to pick a swimming-suit wedgie discreetly. And shoes? Were meant to be worn in public places.

2. Don't mention the fact that if you don't get a job by Thursday, your parole officer will send you back to jail. Not only did you just let me know that you were arrested ("not my fault that the bitch hit on my boyfriend and then ran into my inch-long fingernails with her face. Or that the police classify marijuana as an illegal substance. At least they didn't find the ecstasy pills!"), but you also just filled me in on the fact that you're not meeting the terms of 'good behavior.'

3. Don't criticize the clothing, food, employees, etc of the place you just got an application from until you leave the premises. I know a lot of people need jobs and will apply anywhere and everywhere. I also know that anyone under the age of 55 wouldn't wear the electric blue pant suit or the linen floral shirt with matching skirt, but if you did happen to magically get this job, you have to sell said items and be happy about it!

4. Lastly, if you somehow manage to get an interview, your response to 'tell me about a time you had a conflict with a co-worker and how you handled it' should not include the words 'party,' 'wasted,' 'bitch,' or 'assistant manager had to pull us apart but we talked it out when we were sober and are now really good friends." Keep it professional people**!

Bottom line: always assume you're being watched, judged, and tested. Because you are!

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*Rule also applies to interviews. Even more so, to be exact. I don't care that all the employees and managers wear jeans and tshirts. It doesn't mean you should.

**Yes. These are all real examples. Sad, but true.

The Mountain

2009-05-12T21:45:00.000-07:00

It dawned on me that I haven't yet shared any of the hilarious stories involving The BFF. And that, my friends, is truly sad. So why don't we fix that right now?!

I'm not really sure why this story popped into my head. But it's a good one.

The year-2003.
The place-Towers Hall. Fourth floor. BSide (which you must say like a gangsta. BSiiide!)

Quick sidenote: BFF entered the real world (i.e. she got a real job!) a little earlier than the rest of us BSiders. And because we eliminated the entire notion of a reasonable bedtime the minute our parents dropped us off, she spent the majority of her time at The Pro's apartment. When we were lucky enough for her to grace us with her presence, however, happiness and hilarity ensued. Back to the story...

Sometime during Spring semester, BFF and I decided that it would be a great idea to make strawberry daquiris. In the dorm (hey-we had a non-existent RA. It was only fair that we broke all the rules.). A not-so-great idea? Relying on The Pro to get us the rum. Ever had strawberry daquiris with Captain Morgan? Not so good. But trying to be the hardcore alcoholics that college freshman are supposed to be, we drank them. And bought some Coke from the vending machine and drank that.

(BFF! Remember how John hung out with us that night? That was weird. But fun. And I saw him two Wednesday-dinners ago at Angels. Still the same, old John. Which is refreshingly awesome. And where was Ashlee when we did this?)

LifeCoach also happened to be around that night, hanging out with TCox, and whoever else happened to be around. And being the responsible, soon-t0-be RA that she was, she checked in on us to make sure we weren't attempting to fly out the windows. And then she decided that we were being too loud. And so we went for a drive.

Another quick sidenote: LifeCoach is not the best driver in the world. In fact, I can't remember the last time she drove anywhere. But really, it is for the best. The world is a safer place. Love you, LifeCoach!

So, seeing as how BFF, LifeCoach and I were not fit to drive (BFF and I being under the influence and LifeCoach just being a bad driver), I'm sure your wondering how this act even took place. TCox made it all possible (Not sure if that was a good idea. Especially since I let him drive my car. Up a mountain.)

That's right. We took a drunken drive up a mountain. From what I remember, it was a good drive. Until we had to pee. Drunken pee cannot wait, especially when it is sloshing around your bladder as you careen around mountain curves. And so TCox pulled over. And BFF and I climbed up the hill we were next to to attend to business.

Have you ever peed on a hill? It might seem like a good idea, as the pee runs downhill and eliminates the risk of falling into it. However, a new risk arises. And that is getting pee on your shoes. Which I did. I'm hoping I wasn't wearing flip-flops.

Not the best story involving the BFF, by far. Next time, I'll fill you in on the night we went swimming. On a water bed. And how I lost my sock, my phone, my school ID, and my room key. And how the BFF spilled beer all over TCox's room and my camera. And how everyone thought that she secretly had a leather catsuit hidden in a closet somewhere.

Crap. I pretty much just told the whole story. You're lucky. Two stories in one post. And it wasn't even that long. Maybe M2J2 will read the whole thing this time.

And the winner is...

2009-05-11T20:55:00.000-07:00

...ME!!!

For the people I talk to everyday, this will be old news. But it is still great news. Friday is not only my payday, but it's also the day I get my $400 gift card that I won for working sooo hard! Don't worry-this is somewhat true. I did actually have to earn my entries into the lottery for said gift card. I just wouldn't call my work hard by any means. Slow, boring, overrated? Yes. Time-sucking and all-consuming? Yes. But I won't whine about the whole 44 hour thing. At least until the $400 is gone.

Plans for the money? P.F. Changs, maybe a massage, and maybe a ridiculously expensive raft for the summer. Maybe I will save some. And I'm even rewarding my lovely staff with an all-expense paid dinner. Because yes, I do realize that just because I am in charge of the store doesn't mean I get all the credit for making the sales go 'round. Just in case anyone was wondering.

As for a life update, I spent the weekend puppy sitting for The Artiste and PIC & M2J2. Not that any of their dogs are puppies anymore; it's just more fun to call them that. We definitely had a grand old time, full of toe-licking, toy-chasing fun. It is definitely apparent, however, that my schedule and a puppy would not get along. Someday, though. And yes-I might even get a cat. But only one that is trained to swat like a ninja whenever QS and The Pro are near.

Speaking of The Circle, we had a groundbreaking meeting this weekend. I'm not sure if I am allowed to discuss all the details, but I will say that we are now one member less. A sad, but entirely necessary thing.

Completely switching gears. I'm in a weird mood. And maybe it's because I feel like I'm in a weird place. Not a good or bad place. Just weird. One thing I have figured out, though, is that as long as I keep myself busy, then I'm completely happy with my life. It's the downtime that gets to me. Solution: No downtime! Good thing summer is almost officially here!

This was originally intended to be a much more entertaining blog. And then it turned into this. My apologies. I will do better next time! For now, I'm thinking a new summer mix is in order. A little Enrique, a little Asher Roth, a little bit of heaven!

Kirk out. (Go see Star Trek. Definitely worth it, if only for Chris Pine!)

Another Saturday night...

2009-05-02T20:10:00.000-07:00

...and I ain't go nobody. I got some money, cause I just got paid."

Ten points to the first person who can tell me who sings that song.

Anyways-yes, it is Saturday night and I ain't go nobody. And honestly, I wouldn't have it any other way. My mom came to visit me this week, and for some reason, the boy roommate and the girlfriend decided to stay at our apartment pretty much the whole time. While the girlfriend's apartment sat empty. Anyone else think that's weird? I thought so. Therefore, I'm glad that I have the whole place to myself. I made some spaghetti and garlic bread and I'm currently watching a Miley Cyrus special. Thank goodness for cable.

But enough about my loser of a Saturday night. Let's talk about SUMMER! Forget about the fact that it's currently raining outside; I've decided that May is the kickoff month. Starting with the super awesome kickoff party that will take place next weekend. Originally supposed to be the weigh-out party for the C.O.T and Swoobs' graduation celebration, it has since morphed into something different, due to the fact that Swoobs' has been officially nominated for impeachment from The Circle. Plus, we are all too lazy and decided that losing weight is over-rated. Details have yet to be finalized. Just know that it will be awesome.

Here's a list of everything else that I'm excited about.
(Please excuse the list format. Apparently, I am long-winded, and people like M2J2 don't have enough time in their busy lives to read about life as I know it. Boo, you whores!)

2. TAYLOR SWIFT! May 17th will be one of the best days of my life. Call me a loser, but I know you're jealous that you don't have tickets.

3. BOSTON 2009. The sister is graduating. Not only do we get to stay in the dorms, but I'm making sure that I make it to the coast to experience some real New England seafood. Even if I'm the only one.

4. Fourth of July. One of my top 3 holidays and it's even on a Saturday! It will be spent celebrating in Idaho Falls, because they do it up RIGHT! (Except for when it's on a Sunday, but let's NOT get into that.)

5. JOURNEY! Didn't go the first time they came, and seriously regretted it. Won't happen again.

6. The C.O.T. Cabin Trip. It was legendary last year, and I know it won't dissapoint this year.

7. The Roommate's Wedding! Sad that it will be our official get-together of 2009, but I'm so excited for it anyways! Mt. Rushmore and the dance floor-watch out! Here I come.

8. Patio Parties. Have you seen my patio/deck? Pure awesomness. Just wait until I get a hammock.

9. Floating adventures. The river has proven to be a damn. good. time. My raft's still in my trunk. I'm so ready.

10. VEGAS! Don't actually have a trip planned, but I seriously think this should change.

This is just a small list. There are thousands of other things involved in summertime. My flip-flops are ready, I bought new sunglasses, and the Summer 2009 mix is a work in-progress. Now if only my skin wasn't so blindingly white.

Sports-4 Emily-0

2009-04-22T21:49:00.000-07:00

I'm going to tell you a secret.

I'm not very good at sports.

Hard to believe, right? I know you're all thinking "How can that be? She moves with the grace of a gymnast! She looks like she runs 10 miles every day!"

That is not the case. What follows is a collection of some of my more finer moments in sports. All for your reading enjoyment. How'd you get so lucky?

My parents, like any good parents, enrolled me in softball when I was a wee one. I don't know if I actually enjoyed it so much as I just really liked getting a cool tshirt. And I didn't completely suck; I could definitely keep my eye on the ball and hit it almost every time it was pitched to me. The problem came when my team was in the field. Most often I was either left or right field, so that whoever played center could make up for me. I don't know what it was about being out there. Maybe it was the blazing sun. Maybe it was my active imagination. But whenever a ball was hit my way (and it always happened at least once a game), I panicked. I knew what I was supposed to do, and I actually had a pretty decent arm. But my brain never really put the connection 'catch ball, throw in-field' together. My last year in softball is a great example. I was on a team with some lame name like the Falcons or the Cardinals (why couldn't we be called the Funky Monkeys? Or the Razzin' Dazzlers? Our shirts could have had sequins and everything!) And, of course, three boys from my class were on the team with me. All I really remember is that the ball came to me in right field. I scooped it up, went to throw it, and it wasn't there. Yep. When I reared back to throw, I just let go. And those three boys? NEVER let it go.

And that was the end of my softball days. Until The Pro forced me to play some 10 years later when his company softball team needed girls in order not to forfeit.

A quick break in the story: my junior year of high school, I had knee surgery to cut some tendon that was essentially pulling my knee-cap higher than normal, allowing my joint to basically fall out at certain moments. Not so fun. After that surgery, I had to re-learn how to run. And I don't think I learned right. Because I CANNOT RUN. At all. Even though I might think I'm moving, it soon becomes obvious just how slowly I'm moving as my 7-year old cousin passes me by.

So yeah, softball and I don't really get along. Due to the whole running thing. The Pro decides that I'm going to be the catcher. Great plan. Did I mention that when I bend my knees for long periods of time (read: 30 seconds or so) they lock up? So kneeling and getting up every minute did not help the situation. And when I had to run to first base (because of course I hit the ball! I always do)? Even slower than normal, which is really. damn. slow. Needless to say, I haven't played much softball lately.

The knee problems really started back in junior high when I thought that running track might be a good thing for me. And since I hadn't had surgery yet, I really wasn't too slow. I even won a race or two (we're talking local meets, of course. Me, make it to districts? Nope. Not even close.) One of the things I'd always wanted to try though, was the hurdles. And so one rainy day, as I was talking to my friend Tara, I noticed that they had the practice hurdles out on the field. When I say practice hurdles, I'm probably talking about the ones they use for the 6th graders when they have their annual track meet. Standing maybe 2 and 1/2 feet high, made out of foam practice hurdles. I set two up in a row, stretch out a little bit, and start sprinting towards them (yes, moseying is probably a more suitable word, but it doesn't sound as exciting!). I leap off the ground, force my legs into the 'hurdlers position', catch my back leg on the actual hurdle, and face plant into the ground. Pure awesomness.

My last real foray in the world of high school sports was making the 9th grade cheerleading squad. Shocking, I know. Don't worry-I broke my arm the first month of summer practice. And those back handspring things? Totally overrated. The cartwheel and the sommersault are where it's really at.

Since then, I've kept to where I rightfully belong. In the stands, watching people with some natural talent. Every now and then, The Pro and QS will make me play volley-ball. Until they see just how uncoordinated I am, and then they are more than happy to let me off the hook.

There is one sport that I kick ass at. Swimming. Perhaps I shall tell the tale of 'The Swim Around the Buoy' next time...

Stay tuned. It's a classic.

That's what happens when I ramble...

2009-04-20T20:45:00.000-07:00

So I really didn't mean for my post about my sister teaching in Russia to turn into a post about how I'm unhappy with my life. Apparently, rambling on and on about high school made me forget my true intention. Which was to state how fast a person can change in such a short amount of time.

Back to the sister. (Really-the high school part should have taken up merely a paragraph or so and not the entire blog. But, at least the BFF enjoyed it!) Sister used to have a very stubborn stance on drugs, alcohol, cigarettes, and even meat. She dumped my dad's scotch down the toilet. She hid his cigarettes. She forced me to eat tofu.

And then she went to college. And, of course, that all changed. As it rightly should. College is the time when you actually, sort of figure out who you are as a person. Turns out she is someone who likes beer (seriously? How are we related?), who smoked the hooka (I totally call BS on this one, because she still gives my dad a hard time about smoking. Which is totally warranted. Except if you're going to participate in a very similar activity. [And yes, I know how small the actual amount of tobacco is. It's still tobacco.]) with my cousin, and has even come back around to the dark side. Of red meat, that is (and meat in general).

And none of this makes her a bad person (except for when she does this whole judgment thing she's fond of that drives me crazy!). In fact, it just makes it so we have more in common.

Sister also used to be shy. I was outgoing. She hated sleepovers, and I encouraged my friends to have them. I had (and still have) a million different friends and I love trying to keep up with them all. She was more of a homebody, which my mother was absolutely fine* with.

And then, like I said above, she went to college. And when she came back for the summer, she got a job in West Yellowstone. And worked with some crazy people. And was never at the cabin when her dear, sweet, older sister traveled many miles to hang out. Apparently, bon fires in the middle of the forest were cooler than sitting around watching Conan with older sister and dad. Go figure, right?

Which brings me to my other point. Why the heck wasn't I at the bonfires with her? She invited me numerous times and my parents even told me to go. Basically, sometime after I graduated from college, I became an old fart. And really, the appeal of the comfy chair and Conan was so much greater than drinking gross Schmirnoff Ice** in the freezing woods, while possibly being stalked by a bear or a mountain man. Add that to the fact that I would have to try and make conversation with people I didn't know and I was willing to stay home on a Sunday night and watch Charlie Rose with the dad.

And there you have it. The true story of how my sister and I switched personalities (with some me-whining-about-life thrown in for a little spice). Maybe we switched ages somewhere along the way too? Yet another old lady asked me what high school I went to today. Good thing she didn't have a cane, or I would have knocked her on her ass with it.

I kid! I kid!
Over and out.

*My mother's idea of grounding me was not letting me hang out with my friends on the weekend. "You're grounded. Now, where should we go to dinner and what movie should we see? And let's go to Target afterwards!"

**I really need to learn to drink beer. Or at least get a flask so that I can carry around my girlie hard alcohol at any time. Problems, problems.

An ode to my voice...

2009-04-18T17:15:00.000-07:00

Hey voice! Where did you go?
Without you, I kind of sound like a freak show.
I had to use my precious sick hours at work today,
which will seriously limit the amount of time for future vacays.

I suppose it's cool that I don't really feel sick,
But I sure do I hope I get better quick.
It sucks when you have to have a translator.
Good thing the BFF owes me a favor*!

Tomorrow we are having a barbecue in the park,
And will probably play clear until it's dark.
Please, voice, come back soon.
Otherwise, I'm wrapping myself up in a cocoon.

The end.

Seriously, this is the second time in two months that I have lost my voice. And this time it's gone completely. I hope you all enjoyed my poem. There will be many more to come. I'm thinking I should quit my job and just become a poet.

*She doesn't really owe me a favor. I just needed something that sort of rhymed with translator.

I can swim to Russia right?

2009-04-16T17:48:00.000-07:00

Something happened. I'm not sure when. And I'm not sure how.

My sister and I have switched places. Personality-wise, just to clarify.

In order for you to truly understand what I mean, let me take you back to my high school days.

It's Friday night and I'm working at Old Navy. I get off at 10:00 and have to be back again at 8:00 the next morning. What do I do after I get off? Meet up with my friends and spend the next four hours or so "cruising*." I'd eventually head to bed around 2:00 and be wide awake and ready to go a mere four hours later.

My sister? Was probably in bed before I even got off work.

Another example: it's the night before I take the ACT's. I've put in maybe three hours of studying time and instead of getting a good night's sleep before the big day, I decide it's a much better idea to hang out doing god-knows-what (most likely eating pie at Perkins. That was when it was still cool and open late).
My sister? Had probably put in at least 30 hours of studying time. And written practice essays. And taken those things called practice tests. (Did the ACT even have an essay section? Doesn't matter; she still would have written practice essays.)

Let's just say that throughout high school, I definitely applied myself much more in the areas of making friends, watching movies, and driving around aimlessly than I did in trigonometry, english, and history. Don't get me wrong-I was in multiple AP classes and head photographer and Editor-in-Chief of the yearbook. I went to pretty much every sporting event and was in as many clubs as possible, and graduated with a 3.8 GPA. I was lucky (and still am) that I was smart enough to figure out how to do the bare minimum to make myself look good. Could I have been Valedictorian at graduation? You betcha, but I wouldn't have been able to see OutCold in the theatre at least twice or go to Wendy's in my finest formal for Homecoming dinner or find the ugliest jacket ever to wear to the Rummage Romp.

And when I made my college decision, I chose the one that offered the most fun potential. Forget that I could have gotten my degree for free from UofO or gotten paid to get it at ISU. My friend's weren't going there and niether school had a sweet blue football field.

Sister, on the other hand, defined "applying yourself" in high school. She didn't care about being in the newest, coolest club; she cared about starting one of her own that actually accomplished something worthwhile (and thus, the first recycling club at IFHS was born). She actually studied on Friday and Saturday nights instead of wasting gas and time on good ole' 17th st. She had great friends and she has great memories from high school; just in an entirely different form from me.

And she was Valedictorian when she graduated. And she is basically obtaining her college education at one of the countries most prestigious all-womens' school for free. And she's headed to Russia next year to teach the english language.

Me- I'm still in Boise, still telling myself that all I really want out of life is a good time. Sooner or later, however, I'm going to have to acknowledge that annoying little voice in my head that keeps asking me when my life is really going to start. And sooner or later, I will respond. Hopefully sooner rather than later.

More to come soon!

*Ahh cruising. Many nights were spent with the windows down, Britney Spears blaring, and the five coolest girls ever driving up and down 17th street. Up and down. The purpose? Meeting new people, revving your engines in a form of flirting with the cute ones, and speeding away from the creepy ones. Careful who you flip off- you might get cheeseburgers thrown at you. And don't call the football team who just lost their first game losers. The Teacher will lock your window. You will react like a mentally-challenged person. Hilarity and memories will ensue.

Holla!

2009-04-06T21:32:00.000-07:00

I am currently listening to 3Oh!3. If you don't know who they are, you need to find out. Nothing is better than 2 white boys from Colorado rapping to some tight techno beats. Unless you are front and center for their kick-ass performance like I was last night. To help you out, I've put the link to their "Don't Trust a Ho" music video on here. The video: definitely sub-par, but the song still rocks and that's what matters!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zv9jUffQKxI

They weren't even the headliners on the tour. We also got to see Rocket to the Moon, Hit the Lights, Family Force 5 (my new fave!), and The Maine, all bands that are worth checking out. And I have excellent taste in music, so do yourself a favor! : )

The Knitting Factory was pizzacked, and my poor feet are suffering because of it. Who was a dumbass and wore flip flops to the concert? Yep, that would be me. I know better, so don't ask me what I was thinking. My legs aren't feeling too hot either, but I am totally ok with that, seeing as how jumping around and dancing for 4 hours straight is an awesome workout. Again, we were surrounded by 12 years old wearing neon of all sorts, but if I look like an 18 year old everywhere else, then I'm sure I fit right in.

One last thing: never have I ever wanted to punch someone so much as the two people who tried to stand in front of us. When we didn't move, they literally grabbed me by my belt loops and tried to move me over. My elbows had something else to say about that, however. They do come in handy every now and then. Also pissed at whoever spit their gum into my shirt, as I didn't realize it until I got home and by then, it had congealed itself to my clothing. Bastards!

Moving on. The rest of my weekend was also quite enjoyable. Work on Friday night definitely didn't count, but Saturday was Lifecoach's husband's birthday and we ate dinner at Tavern at Bown Crossing. Expensive, but delicious. And the pot roast nachos? Amazing. Don't worry, LC, I am still coming over bearing cookie gifts! How is Wednesday? Or Friday?

Also saw the movie I Love You, Man! Definitely worth seeing, maybe even in the theatre. Although I think the six of us were laughing louder and harder than everyone else combined. I'm sure it was because the humor was too complex for anyone but us. Right? Right.

So far, the week has been busy. And it's only Monday. But that just means the weekend will be here that much sooner! (I hate that I look at life in terms of when the weekend will finally get here. I should work on that.) Until then, I will leave you with this little gem of a whistle-pig. Why they are called that and why the Lifer wants to hunt them are questions I'm still working on. Stay tuned!

Whistle pigs=ground hogs, ground squirrels, etc. Very helpful information. Just in case.

To protect and serve...

2009-04-03T20:45:00.000-07:00

...Is the motto of our beloved police force, correct? If I'm wrong, let me know. For now, we'll go with the fact that I am always right (just don't ask The BFF or The Teacher about this. They will tell you some sort of ridiculous lie proving otherwise.) In that case, I have a question. Is serving me with a speeding ticket what they were talking about when they came up with said slogan? I didn't think so.

It's true. I got my first speeding ticket yesterday. Ever. And I totally don't think I deserved it. For the following reasons:

1.The location of the incident.
Those of you that live in the city of trees know the certain stretch of road I was pulled over on. Right as the freeway becomes the connector. Before you even reach the Franklin on-ramp. Where there isn't a speed limit sign anywhere close. I don't know about you, but I don't consider myself to be on the connector until I reach the Franklin on-ramp and can see the mall to my left. That's where I slow down. And I was pulled over right before I hit that spot. Fair? I think not. I'm going to personally write a letter requesting a sign that states; "Welcome to the Connector-Home of the 55 mph speed limit. Please slow down NOW!" Seeing as how I am so powerful and convincing, I'm sure the powers that be will listen. So watch for that sign to come soon!

2. My impeccable character.
I am a very organized driver. All of my insurance cards are stapled to my registration and then stored in a handy envelope. Isn't there some sort of organization discount? If not, there's another letter I need to write.

3. My impeccable character (again).
I was clearly going with the flow of traffic. And I could have been an asshole and asked him if he did his 12-point check and all that jazz, but I didn't. And he still gave me a ticket. Two, to be exact, because I didn't have my most current insurance card (which was effective March 1st or something ridiculous like that. Seriously?!). Apparently, Officer Douchebag hasn't heard about going with the flow. Of anything. Not only do I get to pay $75, but I get to take a trip to the court house and visit with a clerk to show them that I am, in fact, an insured driver. Did I mention that fact that there are at least 11 old insurance cards all stapled together? And that the last one expired on February 28? I did?! Right. Just making sure we're clear.

Really, I'm not annoyed at all. It happens to everyone. Officer Douchebag was just doing his job. Protecting and serving.

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While we're on the subject of the po-lice, I suppose its a good time to tell you about my first trip to Portland. We were maybe a month into our freshman year of college. The Hot One and The Artiste were planning their first weekend trip home and asked if I wanted to join. I didn't give a definite answer, but said I would think about it. Until they asked The Roommate if she wanted to go too. With no hesitation whatsoever, she said she was in. Not wanting to be outdone or left out, I said I was in too, and that next weekend, we were off.

That weekend, in addition to eating delicious homemade food (yaki soba noodles anyone?) and spending way too much money shopping (the no sales tax thing seems like a great idea at the time!), I got the chance to truly find out who The Artiste and The Hot One really were. And my suspicions were confirmed: they were just as crazy as I thought they were.

All of their old friends from high school were in town for the weekend, and they had a huge reunion party. Keep in mind that I'm from small town Idaho; the party was out of control compared to what I was used to. The Artiste and The Backbreaker officially coined the phrase "rocking the Winnie," I was introduced to the wonders of Skyy vodka, and The Roommate decided she wasn't ready to call it a night when everyone else finally did. And so she invited the two sketchiest people at the party home with us.

I'm not making this up. In THO and TA's circle of friends and acquaintances, they were known as The Murderer and The Rapist. The Murderer was a Golden Gloves boxing champ, and had just recently spent a little time in prison for beating someone with a metal pipe.

The Rapist wasn't technically a rapist; he was just reallly creepy and reallly touchy-feely. And there were some rumors that he didn't fully understand the boundaries involved when a girl passed out from too much alcohol.

And The Roommate really invited them over. It was an uneventful end to the evening, but it still gave me great insight into who I was dealing with.

All in all, the trip was a good one. The ride home, however, was a long one, and its where the po-lice come into play.

Oregon cops are assholes. We had 2 cars on the way back-one with the 3 of us and one with The Artiste and her sister. We were a mere hour into our drive, when we rounded a bend and came face to face with a cop. TA was leading and so she got pulled over. Both for speeding (maybe 10 over the limit. Maybe) and for not having a clear view in her rearview mirror. Thankfully, she didn't get a ticket.

Because we were following her, we drove a few miles and then pulled over. Bad idea, as the cop pulled up behind us a little later. Apparently its not a good idea to wait for someone you were following, if that someone was speeding. It most likely means you were speeding too. And he did have a point. But, he chalked it up as a learning experience and we were off once again.

The drive between Portland and Boise is a long one, but not a bad one. In the day time. Because its pretty. Nightime is a different story. Being girls, when nature calls, we have to find an appropriate facility. Unfortunatley for us, there was not one in sight and nature was calling persistently. And so we pulled off and found a nice empty field. With some razorblades decorating it. Why they were there we do not know, nor did we wish to find out. We were just glad that we had all somehow managed to avoid them during the peeing process.

And back in the car we went. A short time later, still following TA, a car came racing up behind me, with headlights flashing. Not knowing what the hell was going on, we pulled over to the side of the road and let it pass. As it flew by, we recognized the familiar marking of a state trooper. 'Weird that he didn't have his actual lights on,' we thought.

A short time later, we saw the state trooper and his latest prey, 2 semi-trucks. As we passed them, the officer did the weirdest thing. He turned his flashlight on us as we passed, and hopped into his car. And pulled both of us over. The 2 semi-trucks both had to follow, so he had 4 cars pulled over all at once. And what was our crime this time? He 'paced' us and said we must have been going at least 15 over the limit. Not true in any way, shape, or form. Don't you think we learned our lesson the first time? Again, TH was leading and this time she got a ticket. And a date in court. Like I said, Oregon cops are assholes.

We did finally make it home, without any other incidents. Except for when my contact fell out as I was driving. But I think you've heard enough. And I've definitely typed enough. So until next time...

PS: Anyone else know what whistle-pigs are? Or is that an Idaho thing?

Workin' out, weddings, and wings...

2009-03-30T20:40:00.000-07:00

I finally sucked it up and made my way back to the gym today. And it was not fun. But is the gym ever really fun? As I was sweatin' it out, listening to some sweet tunes, a couple thoughts came to mind and I thought I would share with you. I know you're excited!

There was this man. He was wearing a rainbow-striped jacket. It was manly rainbow striped, mind you, but it was still RAINBOW STRIPED. Needless to say, I was jealous. And if I could have snuck my way into the men's locker room and stolen it, I would have.

(The rainbow jacket also made me think about my awesome Rainbow Bright halloween costume. And how pissed I was when two other girls were wearing the same costume downtown. Except they were lazy and bought their costume, unlike myself. But I digress...)

There was this other man. He was in front of me, and he was spinning like no other. He was also sweating like no other. We're talking dripping buckets of water. All over the bike. All over the floor. It was gross. So gross I had to focus on the woman running on the treadmill behind me who was making shooshing noises as she was breathing. How am I supposed to concentrate on not falling off the elliptical with these two?

My last thought involved the girl at reception desk. Wearing three-inch heels. Hi, you work at a gym. A smelly, sweaty, swooshy gym. Why are you dressed up? Why is any of the staff dressed up? Hell, the trainer wearing new pants is too dressed up if you ask me. I get the whole "being professional" thing, but at a gym? I think as long as you don't smell and don't drip sweat on me, then we're good to go!

But enough about the gym. Without the crazies there to entertain me/gross me out, what's the point of going? Oh. Right. Working out. I suppose that's a good point. And as time is ticking in the COT weight loss challenge, I should probably make the gym my new best friend.

In other news, wedding season has officially begun. I got the chance to celebrate the nuptials of Ben and Raylene on Saturday. It was definitely a weird experience being in the audience. But quite an enjoyable one. Instead of worrying about being watched, I got to do the watching! And there were some very HOT firemen to watch! And some funny, drunken dancing. And The Teacher was a bridesmaid and she did a beautiful job. Favorite part? Besides the cake, you mean? Loved her dress and I loved the fact that they got to ride around in an old school fire truck. Very romantic! I have more thoughts of weddings, but I'll save them for another post.

Because I want to talk about wings! Buffalo wings, to be exact. Select members of the COT and I went to Buffalo Wild Wings yesterday and I'm in love. Not only with the wings (honey bbq style) and the fries, but with TRIVIA! I know I posted about trivia before, but can I just say how much I love it? Random, useless facts combined with my really good knack for guessing equals the best time ever! So who wants to go?

Why not having cable is awesome...

2009-03-22T22:20:00.000-07:00

1. I wouldn't have gotten to spend my Sunday night vaccuuming out the heater grate in my kitchen. Or mop my floor with washcloths on my feet (old school style!).

2. I never would have gotten the chance to watch the tv show Legend of The Seeker. Let me tell you, it is some of the best acting I have seen in a while. How do I describe it? It's Harry Potter meets Walker, Texas Ranger, with a little Xena, Warrior Princess and LoTR thrown in. I can't believe I was able to tear myself away from it to even write this blog!

3. It gave me a chance to re-bond with my movies. I'd forgotten just how good She's the Man, Love Actually, and The Goonies really are (I'm kind of serious about this one!).

I know everyone reading this is truly enthralled, but really-I need cable! That will hopefully happen soon.

Before I go any further, there is one very important cast member that needs introducing. I could never forget about The Teacher (her nickname needs some work, but I'm not very creative at the moment), but it had been a while since I'd talked to her, and so she wasn't in my daily thoughts. But she is most definitely a very important character in my life. And she is in town for the next little while and I am very happy about that. Her good friend (and mine now, thanks to her!) is getting married next Saturday and her bachelorette party was last night. Apparently, Mulligans and 10th Street Station don't get a lot of bachelorette parties. Or know what a Scooby Snack is. Eventually, we ended up at the more group-friendly bars, and they were packed. Spring Break will do that, I guess. Too bad I don't still get a Spring Break. I could use one!

It was fun, and I'm excited for the wedding next week. Still don't know who I'm taking as my date. Any takers?

I feel like doing an Irish jig...

2009-03-17T17:50:00.002-07:00

...And then kicking someone in the face.

Didn't expect that, did you?

I don't know what it is, but I'm sick of people. Actually, I do know what it is. I'm sick of people who judge everyone else. I'm sick of people who take advantage of everyone else, myself included. I'm sick of trying to do nice things for people, only to have them go unnoticed and unappreciated. Whatever happened to just saying thank you?

I know I said yesterday that I was ready to move. And I'm so there again. I'm ready for the next chapter in my life, for new people and new adventures. At this point, I'm not even worried about having to move all by myself. Security blankets are fucking over-rated. Moving won't happen anywhere in the new future, but if an opportunity presented itself, I wouldn't think twice.

And now I'm sick of being grouchy. So instead I'm going to focus on having a good night with The Artiste. She deserves it and so do I.

But if I see someone not wearing green, I'm totally going to pinch them.

Days like these...

2009-03-16T21:33:00.000-07:00

First, I have to make some changes to the cast list. From here on out:
The Vandal is now QS.
The Golfer is now The Pro (he is lucky he gets this name, since he picked it out. And it is true, he is The Pro. At procrastinating, whining, ordering expensive food, and not being successful at anything having to do with water).

And together, they are starting a blog (thanks to me!). It should be a funny one. But we will see.

Anyways, blacklight golfing was fun, Tucanos (the new Brazilian grill) is lame because it is closed on Sundays, BFF makes damn good cupcakes, and the boys tried to teach us this new game called Pyramid, which is actually just Egyptian Rat Screw. I was definitely off my game last night and sucked it up. There's always next time, though.

Today pretty much sucked. I woke up late (as usual), work sucked, I had the worst headache, and had to use M2J2 and PIC's computer to do some lame work shit. Whoever thought that working 50 hours but only getting paid for 40 hours was a good idea was a complete asshole. I will find ways to make up for it though. Its just the way of the world.

The dog is currently trying to chew through the box and get her toy out. What an awesomely mean game! M2J2 is pretty much an awesomely mean person though.

Tomorrow is St. Patrick's Day and apparently The Artiste and I have a new tradition. She just had TAD in January and is fully ready to celebrate. Just like we did last year. So it is kind of like her one holiday out a year. We will see what happens!

I still need to add new cast members. But I'm tired and still grouchy. So suck it.

Weekend Update

2009-03-14T23:38:00.000-07:00

So far, my weekend has been pretty uneventful. Went to bed early last night, worked today, and then I got to see Miss R (my cousin from IF) at her gymnastics competition! Despite the fact that it lasted approximately 3 hours longer than it should have, it was a good time! She can flip with the best of them. I am always amazed at the thighs gymnasts have. How do they find pants that fit both their waist and thighs? I would probably just wear a lot of skirts.

But enough about thighs! Tomorrow I get to mini-golf it up in honor of The Golfer's birthday. I'm sure I will dominate (unless any of the holes have a raised cup. Anybody know what I'm talking about? They get me every time.), but in case I don't, at least there will be cake! That wraps this installment up, with the exception of this...

M2J2, this rap is just for you.
You've got a cute dog and a very cool wife,
But living in Boise is causing you some strife.
Take my advice and live and let be,
Because without this town, you wouldn't have met me!

Heeyyy! Who's a rapper now?

Grandma Wava Day makes everything better.

2009-03-12T22:35:00.000-07:00

I know I've written about this, one of the holiest of days, before. But I have once again realized just how powerful it truly is. Any problems you may have get erased by french toast, bacon, doughbellies, tater tots, salmon patties, trampolines, and ping pong. If only there was a way to ensure that I could be there on Thursday nights and back to reality by Friday morning...

In other news, I am suffering from my yearly case of laryngitis. Not bad, just very quiet. And it did make me miss out on an awesome night with Houston Calls, but no regrets. I blame the po-lice for that entirely!

Speaking of the po-lice, did I ever tell you about the time we* got pulled over twice in the same day? Oregon cops are assholes. End of story**.

Not really, but I'm tired. Stay tuned!

-----

*When I say we, I mean The Artiste and her sister in one car, and The Hot One, The Roommate, and I in another car.

**When I do tell this story, make sure I mention The Rapist, The Murderer, and the field of razorblades. Seriously.

The tequila...it keeps chasing me!

2009-03-08T20:45:00.000-07:00

I know I mentioned my inner 21-year old before. And in the past few weeks, its definitely made itself known!

I blame tequila. And all the birthday parties.

Tequila and I don't have much of a history. Mostly because of 'Tequila Popper' night. Tequila poppers are basically one of the most dangerous concoctions known to man kind. Who knew that Sprite could play a part in that either? Anyways, the night involved cartwheels, backyard races, and did not end as well as it started, to say the least. And since then, tequila and my pasts' have not crossed. (That night took place during sophomore year, so we're talking a good 5 years or so.)

And then The Vandal had to go and have a birthday. And Mr. Jose Cuervo was a guest at said birthday. And we hung out. It wasn't as bad as TP night, that is for sure. But I definitely had too much fun and spent too much money. It was kind of worth it, though, to see the boys take those girly, whipped-cream shots!

And then Boy Roommate had a birthday too. And somehow, I found myself dancing the night away at Hannahs with some long lost Old Navy friends. Tequila wasn't involved, however, and it was quite entertaining trying to drag Boy Roommate off the dance floor. Who knew he would start an impromptu break-dance contest with some crazy girl? And who knew he'd try to have a dance party in the living room with himself later on?

All in all, being 21 definitely wears a 25-year old down. Good thing I had a nice, uneventful weekend! Tomorrow, it's back to the grind, but with some spice thrown in. I don't think I mentioned it before, but Partner-in-Crime somehow managed to talk the band Houston Calls into stopping over in Boise and playing a house show before they head to SLC for their real tour. It will be interesting, to say the least!
Know what I'm saying?

Fixed it. It was the lug nut...

2009-03-04T15:28:00.000-08:00

Alas, I had to dispose of my beautiful Asian flower blog template and go back to a regular one. But, I decided that comments are more exciting for me than what my blog looks like, especially because I never look at my own blog.

Anyways, I've had a very busy day, complete with a GIGANTIC meal from P.F. Changs (Thanks LifeCoach!). I am still in the last phases of a food coma, and as it has now started to rain, I think a nap is in definite order!

I'm sure work will be slow tomorrow, so stay tuned. I'll think of something interesting to say!

The characters in my life...

2009-03-02T10:37:00.000-08:00

First of all, I am aware that no one can post comments on my blog. I guess that's what I get for trying to be fancy. I'm working on fixing it, but without a real computer, it's a little challenging.

Second, after being yelled at twice, I decided that today is the day I post the cast list of the story that is my life. I'm starting slowly, with just the people that were afore- mentioned and the people who play a daily part.

Introducing Partner-In-Crime (aka PIC): Met her at Old Navy a mere three or so years ago, but it feels like I grew up with her. When we're together, our IQ's drop considerably, but the FQ (Fun Quotient) basically doubles! She's married to M2-J2, has the best little dog ever, is obsessed with crafting, and I can always count on her to eat french fries with me, dance (almost) all night long, and pick my drunk ass up (unless it's too far away. Bitch!).

M2-J2: Married to PIC, loves Star Wars, and has a film degree from UofA, hates Boise and basically belongs somewhere in the music industry. Loves Guitar Hero. Scared me when I first met him, but now he's awesome! Just don't ever try and use one of his brand-new toothbrushes. You'll hear about it for years to come!

The BFF: Best friends since junior high, basically like a second sister and now my second mom! Married to The Golfer, actual mother to Princess Ballerina, and co-founder of The Circle of Trust (see below). Wouldn't know what to do without her! I think I will always have to live in the same town as her. Otherwise, I'd go crazy.

LifeCoach (LC. NOT too ever be confused with that girl from that show that my LC would never voluntarily watch.): Met our freshman year of college, bonded over her love of Gap hoodies and my employee discount. Only person on our floor that actually did well that first semester. She loves eggplants, Anthropologie, and shopping. I totally predicted her marriage and it came true shortly after. Had the best Bully ever and now the best Bruce ever. Should basically become a real life LifeCoach, as she has helped me find and led me down the right path numerous times. When we are old, we are starting a Ladies who Lunch club.

The Roommate: Lived with her all four years of college. Didn't always get along. Bonded for life our senior year all because of a brand new couch. Currently lives in South Dakota and is getting married in August.

The Hot One: Lived together freshman and sophomore year. She got smokin' hot somewhere in between sophomore and junior year. Hates it when you show pictures of her freshman year! Loves football, basketball, and horses. Currently lives in PTown and doesn't visit me nearly as often as she should!

The Artiste: Grew up with The Hot One, definitely intimidated me when we first met. Married to The Backbreaker, mother to DAD and TED. Loved the outdoors, loves to paint (although she hasn't had much time for it lately!). Throws sweet parties. Will always remember her for 'rocking the Winnie' and for getting lost downtown.

The Circle of Trust: Founded by the BFF and the Golfer. Is a very exclusive, high-class group that has extreme membership standards. Must be born into or unanimously voted into, and you must be willing to travel, eat out a lot, and suffer through the boys' basketball games. Basically my second family! Other members include:
Princess Ballerina
KKK
The Doctor
Swoobs (not an official nickname, as she hates it. Once birthday present is received, it will be reviewed.)
The Vandal
The Range Boy

Other minor, but just as important players:
The Lifer-only person I know who still works at Old Navy. Awesome bowler, married to The Cowboy, lives too far away to hang out regularly.
The Boy Roommate-current roommate, met at Old Navy. Birthday is Tuesday. Party is Saturday!
The Cheer King-former employee at BCBG. He still works there, coaches cheer on the side, and is working on his cosmetology degree. Just turned 21. Crazy fun!

I'm sure I forgot people. But that is what updates are for! As for me, time to actually start working! A real update will come soon!

The times, they are a changin'...

2009-02-24T21:30:00.000-08:00

As I mentioned previously, my blog is changing. I've always thought that my life was worthy of a book deal; It's incredibly full of ridiculously crazy characters and even crazier stories. And what better place to start chronicling them all? However, in the interest of protecting the innocent and not incriminating the guilty, I'm switching it up to a more anonymous format.

Ok, so I'm just using nicknames like all the other bloggers out there, but we will pretend its an original idea. Just go with it.

Anyways, as I'm sure you all know (actually, I'm not. This is Idaho, after all. But now you will!), today is Mardis Gras. Aka Fat Tuesday. Aka the day of debauchery. I'm not Catholic, but I do know a fair amount about the holiday. And this will be the first time since 2003 that I have not actively celebrated it (I didn't technically celebrate in 2007 either, due to some complications involving JintheB tacos, too much rum, and a date with the Hannah's toilet. But, hey-there's another awesome story!). Am I sad that I'm not hitting the town tonight? Yes and no.

Yes, because it truly is one of the best nights to go out in Boise. It's a Tuesday, you get to wear fun necklaces (none of which I have ever earned in public, just for the record), and you get to watch stupid people doing stupid things on an even more ridiculous level than usual!

And no, because I'm just too damn tired. There is no way that I can pull off the dancing-until-2-taking-a-quick-slumber-back-at-work-by 9 thing anymore! I didn't even make it past 12:30 last year!

No worries, though. Partner-in-Crime (first nickname! Exciting!) and I did pass on the torch last year to our younger friends. Hopefully, they will continue on with the tradition.

Besides, without The Roommate and The Hot One here to cause trouble, its lost some of its appeal.

Case-in-point:
The year was 2004. It was The Roommate and The Hot One's second year out on the town, and my first official one. We came with separate people, but planned on meeting up later on.

Just an FYI-the city of Boise has an awesome downtown scene, with the majority of the hot bars located all in one 3-block radius. On Mardi Gras, they shut the whole street down, essentially turning it into one giant party for people of all ages.

Anyways, it was around the time we were supposed to meet up with everyone. As I turned the corner, I saw an enormous group of guys all huddled together. Jokingly, I told The Artiste that I bet I knew who was in the center of that huddle. Lo and behold, I was right. The Roommate and her friend were the stars of that particular show, and The Hot One was close by.

Another sidenote: The Roommate used to have a wild side. A very wild side. She has since calmed down immensely. Deep down, though, Mardi Gras will always be her holiday!

After the huddle dispersed, the night went on. And into history. It was the night The Roommate tried yet again to seduce The Player, despite The Player's girlfriend being just steps ahead of them as we all walked down the street. It was the night Pita Pit started locking their bathroom door because drunk people forget how to pee right. And it was just the first of many stories yet to come! Unfortunately, there won't be any new ones made tonight. Unless my inner 21-year old decides to make an appearance. You just never know...

My blog is boring.

2009-02-17T22:32:00.000-08:00

After discovering some very funny and very entertaining blogs (I had a very productive day at work!), I decided that my own blog needs some help. And so some changes will be coming soon. I know you are all excited.

Until then, a quick story. My apartment smells like weed. That's right-it smells like pot, reefer, ganja, wacky tobacky, or whatever else you want to call it. Funny thing is-I do not nor have I ever smoked pot in my life. Niether has the roommate (at least not in our apartment). And I'm pretty sure my downstairs neighbors do not partake in the activity either. So where did the smell come from?

My friendly, woodland neighbor, Mr. Skunk.

I can't remember if I mentioned the fact that I basically live in a forest. To date, I've seen two foxes, three deer, numerous raccoons, and most recently, a skunk. And on Saturday night, I was awoken by a very strong, very specific smell. Someone pissed Mr. Skunk off. And now I know that as the smell dissipates, it very strongly resembles the scent of marijuana.

How I know what marijuana smells like is another story completely.

The Vice President almost ruined my day.

2009-02-12T23:02:00.000-08:00

As Diane and I were on our way to renew her driver's license (that's a funny story! You should ask her about it!), we decided to take a detour. A detour to the Special Olympics, to be exact. The figure skating finale was today, and not only was the Vice President (of the United States, just to clarify!) going to present the medals, but so was Michelle Kwan. Apparently, she has always been Diane's idol, so of course we had to go.

After finally finding parking, we hoofed it to the Qwest Arena, only to be yelled at by a not-so-nice cop. Basically, we were five minutes too late, as the arena was on lockdown awaiting his arrival. So instead, we hovered on the edge of Front Street, stared at some handsome Secret Service men (they really know how to wear their pinstriped pants!), and finally, we glimpsed a view of the side of his head! Probably not as exciting as watching some awesome figure skating, but I will take what I can get.

After that, our adventures took us to the courthouse, where I was mistakenly suspected of trying to sneak a utility knife in (it was a Coca-cola key chain, for pete's sake! Apparently, the scanner must prefer Pepsi.). And then I was introduced to the deliciousness that is Blue Sky Bagels. I hate bagels, but apparently I love bagel sandwiches! Anyways, it was an eventful day. And my mother is slowly recovering. And I don't want to go back to work. Ah, but such is life!

Protect your ankles.

2009-02-11T21:43:00.000-08:00

Apparently, the universe is in some sort of war with ankles this week. First, my friend Kevin sprained his ankle playing basketball, and has to have crutches. Second, my poor mother was out for a walk, slipped and fell, and broke her ankle in 3 places. She gets to have surgery in the morning, where 3 screws will now make a home in her body. OUCH! Good thing Steve and Issac are still hanging out in my basement.

In case you were wondering, Steve and Issac are my crutches from when I had knee surgery. They were faithful companions and got me through some rough times. They rode with me when I commandeered an electronic wheelchair at the grocery store and then backed into a tower of paper towels (yes, it really happened). They survived a hijacking by my chemistry class and they were first-hand witnesses to me falling on my face the first day back at work. My mother will surely be in good hands.

As for me, I'm going home to find some athletic tape and my old ankle brace. Just in case.

To perm or not to perm?

2009-02-09T22:12:00.000-08:00

Well, my seven day stretch at work is coming to an end. It hasn't been too bad, although we definitely aren't selling as many Valentine's day sweaters as I thought we would! I definitely have a few favorite customers. And then there are the cranky old ladies who constantly ask if we sell low-rise jeans. The answer is a most definite NO! Let me tell you, I've tried the jeans on and there is maybe one pair that sits below my belly button. And even then, it's less than a quarter inch below, which almost doesn't count. I am impressed with some of the new styles they are coming out with. They definitely have some pieces I will most likely wear. I still need to work with them on making things longer and adding pockets.

In other news, I'm thinking I need a new hairstyle. Problem is, my hair is difficult and doesn't like change. My friend Richard devised a new way of perming hair, and I'm seriously considering it. I can't give away his secrets, but he did it on my roommate's girlfriend's hair, and its super cute. We will see.

I'm working on getting my mom to come to Vegas with Brittany and me to see TAYLOR SWIFT in concert! Its right on her birthday, and she is very picky about her birthday. But who wouldn't want to celebrate it in Vegas?!

Lastly, the Special Olympics are in Boise and I am determined to go watch some events. I have Wednesday and Thursday off, so that's a definite plan. I was thinking about watching floor hockey. I could also be really motivated and drag myself up the mountain to see the skiing events. Either way, its sure to be a good time! If anyone wants to join me, just let me know (Diane, Hillary-this means you!)!

Bremily's latest, greatest idea...

2009-02-06T22:45:00.000-08:00

As Brittany and I (hence the name Bremily) were sitting at Barnes & Noble, discussing extremely random things (penis pinatas, Jessica Simpson's weight problem, etc.), I was struck with a brilliant idea. There is a chance that The Amazing Race will hold a casting call at Karcher Mall, just as they held the Survivor one. If and when that happens, Brittany and I will be in line, waiting to be discovered.

How could this not be a great idea? Brittany and I are everything the other is not. I'm not especially athletic, so she's got running up hills, carrying buckets of water on her shoulders covered. She's not particularly fond of anything academic, so put me in charge of the puzzles and we're good to go. Combine all of that with our sparkling personalities and we're shoo-ins.

I almost described our personalities as spunky, but then had second thoughts, as it didn't conjure up the image I wanted. Which then got me thinking, what exactly does spunky mean and where did the word come from? Amongst our other random conversations, we also started discussing weird words. Spunky was one of them. Poignant was another. And how about permeating? Ok, permeating isn't that weird of a word. If I really took some time, I could probably list many more crazy words, but that idea has since lost some appeal. Besides, it's way past my bedtime! Sweet dreams!

I KILL YOU!

2009-02-02T22:02:00.000-08:00

I find it ironic that when I actually have something to blog about, its the same day that my internet decides to not work. And by not work, I basically mean that the person I was stealing internet from decided to wisen up and install a security key. So I suppose I can't really be that upset about it. So anyways, this post is coming to you via my phone. My apologies for no pictures, but take what you can get!

This past weekend was a good one. We had a 'get-together' at my apartment on Friday and there were good times and good people. I especially had a good time, even though my beer pong skills were not up to par. Some practicing is definitely in order.

Saturday I had to go to work for exactly 40 minutes in order to hit my 44 hour mark. Don't get me started on the ridiculousness that is my 44 hour work week. I will post about that later! The rest of the day, however, was spent napping (my favorite!) and then Guitar Hero-ing with Mike until Brittany got home.

Sunday was super, as The C.O.T. had a Super Bowl party complete with quesadillas, wings, pizza, chips and dip, and fruit pizza (gotta throw something a little healthy into the mix!). I was sad that the Cardinals couldn't pull off a win, but that last catch by the Steelers was amazing and I am just glad that it was a good game.

I'm sure you might be wondering about my blog title. It's simple-sometimes I want to inflict great pain on certain people. On Friday, certain people were Will and Joel who kept beating Richard and me at beer pong. At work, certain people are the kids that rattle the gate when we're closed and then, once I give them A Look, they proceed to drag their slimy hands along my window. And sometimes, certain people are even my close friends (none of whom have access to this lovely blog of mine). Has anyone ever had a lopsided friendship? One where you put in more effort than the other person? I'm usually very tolerant of this (probably because I tend to think the best of people. Also because I secretly hope karma will repay me in the future!), but the last month or so, the tolerance has faded. I'm sick of always being the one to remember birthdays and spend hours and tons of money on the perfect present only to be rewarded with nothing in return. I know this is a trivial issue to be worrying about, but its high on my irritation list at the moment. For once, I would like to be put first. But enough about that. Dwelling on the issue will only lead to more bitterness, and so I'm just going to focus on the good times.

I'm sure I've rambled on enough for all of you. And so I shall conclude. Besides, my thumbs are tired.

A short story and a fun picture.

2009-01-20T22:48:00.000-08:00

This is what happens when you take a nap at 7:00. PM.

Hi, my name is:

Emily Jean Poitevin

Never in my life have I been to:

Greece. Hopefully very soon!

I hate it when:

I am all ready to go to the gym, and when I grab my IPod, I realize it's dead.Who can go to the gym without an IPod?

The one person who can drive me nuts is:

My sister. We are absolute opposites!

When I'm nervous:

I bite my nails and cross the fingers on my left hand.

The last song I listened to was:

The ending credit song of Superbad. Something about McLovin.

If I were to get married right now my best man/ maid of honor would be:

Hillary Dawn Kelsch Kavran

My hair is:

Usually in a ponytail because I am too lazy to drag my ass out of bed early enough to do anything with it.

When I was 5 I was:

Living an awesome life and rollin' on a pink bike with my neighbors.

Last Christmas:

Was snowy and blowy and beautiful.

I should be:

Sleeping, I suppose.

When I look down I see:

The keyboard.

The happiest recent event was:

My birthday celebration week! My sister, dinner at Sakana, and an awesome extravaganza.

My current annoyance is:

A certain fellow employee.

I have a hard time understanding:

Myself and what I want out of life.

There's this girl that i know:

That is a pathetic excuse for a human being.

The thing I want to buy is:

A new computer and a tropical vacation.

If you visited the place I'm from:

You would be in Idaho Falls. It has a bad reputation (for being boring and extremely conservative), but if you know the right people, you're in for a rockin' good time.

I'd rather lick the belly of a cockroach than:

Be in an avalanche? Nothing really good came to mind.

Most recent thing I've bought myself was:

A chicken quesadilla.

Most recent thing someone else bought me was:

Dinner at Applebees. Tony is lucky that I am such a good friend and so smart!

My middle name is:

Jean. The same as my grandma's. And Emily is my other grandma's middle name. Love that!

In the morning:

I do not function well before 10:00 am. At all.

Last night I was:

Harassed by Brittany WashJones putting up ridiculous pictures of me on Facebook.

If I was an animal Id be:

An otter. One that lived in a zoo. I would lay on my sunny rock all day and swim whenever I wanted and do tricks for people I thought were cool.

Tomorrow I am:

Volunteering, dog-sitting, doing laundry, ROCKBAND!, dinner with the fam, and then basketball statistics.

Tonight I am:

Watching Friends and doing this. I lead such an exciting life.

This is one of my current favorite photos, via A Cup of Jo.

Love...

2009-01-18T23:12:00.001-08:00

Apparently, it has become quite apparent that my life is lacking in the love department, as there was a COT intervention of sorts tonight. After watching the Ravens lose to the Steeler's (sad! There will be no Bird Bowl this year.), H, T, and A decided it would be a good idea to see who they could possibly set me up with. The results were not good. Which probably means that we all need to meet new people. But, I digress...

My friends have always been semi-baffled by my love life. 1-because I don't talk about it, and 2-because it's never really been high on my list of priorities. I just turned 25. I still can't decide what I want to be when I grow up, so why should I worry about getting married? I strongly believe that I'll find whoever I'm supposed to be with when the time is right. And while there is an insane amount of pressure to get married and have babies from my hometown and certain people who live there (which I think is ridiculous and deserves an entire separate post), I am perfectly content with my single life. I can go where I want to, when I want to. I can travel whenever I want, and spend money on whatever I want. And I am extremely fortunate to have so many amazing people in my life to share all my adventures with. Loneliness happens, but it happens for everyone, even if you are married.

I am also a firm believer in building a complete, individual life before combining it with someone else's. Not only do I think it makes for much more successful relationships, but I think it makes for a happier existence in itself. I am not the same person I was when I graduated from high school. I am more confident and I know who I am as a person. And it took me immersing myself in new adventures and opportunities for me to discover that, something I don't think is as easy when you have other people and influences in your life to consider.

In terms of love, I am definitely an idealist. I want the romantic, sweep-you-off-the-feet, knew after the first date I was going to marry them kind of love. But, I also know that sometimes it takes a while for the fireworks to start sparking. And so far, I haven't found one or the other. And while some may think that I have high standards, I'm not at the point where I feel the need to settle, and don't think I'll ever get there.

Basically, what I'm trying to say is that I'm happy. I think my life is headed where it's supposed to and I'm just trying to enjoy the ride. If it comes to that point, I will encourage my friends to set me up with anyone and everyone and I will succumb to the online dating phenomenon. For now, though, there isn't any worry.

New Year, New Me.

2009-01-14T20:55:00.000-08:00

It's almost three weeks into the new year. My thoughts are that this is about the time when people start to slack on their resolutions. For example, last year, I resolved to floss more. Three weeks in, I ran out of those floss stick thingys and so my resolution kind of went by the way-side until late March when I finally got around to buying more. This year, I still resolve to floss more, but I added some new things into the mix.

1. Stop telling little white lies. When I actually started looking at it, it was ridiculous how much a part of my everyday life they had become. And so, I resolved to always tell the truth. And let me tell you, it's a lot harder than you think. Example:

Q: "Why didn't you volunteer this week?"

A: "Oh, I got stuck at work and couldn't make it in time."

Truth: I couldn't drag myself out of bed. And yes, I am a little ashamed of the fact that I can still sleep in until 10 or 11 in the morning.

Basically, if the lie got me out of something easily and made me look less lame than the truth, than it was usually the path that I took. It started to feel natural to me. And that's when I realized that I had a problem. And so, if I tell you I can't make it to your party because I had to go into work or I already made plans to baby-sit, then you can count on the fact that I will actually be at work or watching Dora the Explorer with my favorite 3 year old.

2. Stop heading down the path towards chubbiness! Somehow, it seems that as my age increases, so does my weight. Thankfully, I am not the only one. Four members of the Circle of Trust (I will probably have to do a seperate post now that I've introduced the COT) and I have started our own weight-loss challenge. The prize: $250 and years of bragging rights. So far, Nanny seems to be winning. Just wait until I actually start going to the gym! (Yep, I'm definitely starting out on the right foot. But here's a plus: No McDonalds since the beginning of January!) Come May 10th, not only will my face still look like I'm a 21 year old, but my body will too!

I decided to just pick two things, so that I can better focus on them. I will try and keep this updated, but who really wants to know how long I was able to force myself to stay on the elliptical?

In other news, I'm back to a contemplative state, which is never good, because I always seem to end up with more questions than I started out with. And so, I won't bore you with the details until I figure out exactly what I'm contemplating.

A story...

2009-01-05T18:49:00.000-08:00

Once upon a time, it was Emily's 25th birthday (yes, she is old and yes, she knows it.) Because Emily really loves food and really loves entertainment, she decided to go to Sakana, a japanese hibachi grill for dinner. She was accompanied by two awesome ladies.

As Emily was using her chopsticks to eat her food, she noticed that the other two ladies were not. And so she yelled at them. Don't be fooled by the picture below. She ate maybe 1/4 of her meal with the chopsticks. She does not have the skillz to pay the billz like her older, wiser sister does.

This is an onion candle, created just for Emily by the hibachi chef. She didn't get to blow it out and make a wish, so instead, when the shrimp came flying through the air and Emily caught it (ten points!), she made her wish then.

Emily's dear sister made her this delicious birthday cake, which was enjoyed by all. Including the honey bear, who tried unsuccessfully to beat Emily when blowing out the candles. Good thing his mouth was fake.

Because New Year's eve is so close to the holiday that is Emily's birthday, Emily decided to have a birthday/New Year's extravaganza! She even decorated for the occasion, which never happens.

Her great friend El Prego (who is due any day now!) came with her husband and adorable son who is already a champ at beer pong( not really-he just loved throwing the extra balls around). And do not worry-husband was not allowed to jump off anything onto the Love Sack (a story for another time!).

Emily's new dining room table was converted into a beer pong runway, of sorts. Later that night, the birthday girl and her sister dominated in said game, and will take on any competitors, any time. And we won't even spill a drop on the carpet.

This is Eddie. Eddie was THISCLOSE to peeing on Emily's neighbor's head. Needless to say, the neighbor was not too happy and Eddie spent some quality time with a bucket of water.

*Sidenote: when someone tells you to just go pee outside, make sure you're not peeing onto someone else's porch.

Let's play a fun game. Which sister do you think is older? If you're like Emily's friends and the clerk at the liquor store, you will make the wrong choice. But, Emily is learning to just accept the fact that EVERYONE thinks she looks like she's 19 years old. She just hopes that is really does pay off when she's 40 like they all say.

When Emily first planned her party, she decided that it should have a sequined theme. And so, A Sequined Soiree was born. However, Emily ran out of time to come up with a completely sequined outfit and was forced to rely on a sequined headband. Richard came through with flying sequins however; complete with blinged-out boots!

As midnight struck, champagne bubbled and confetti poppers popped. But the party didn't stop there.

An expedition was taken to visit a creepy monk diorama. Creepy monk later turned out to be St. Francis, the very saint that Emily's apartment is named after. Who woulda thought?

After the expedition, an experiment was conducted to see what would happen when confetti is placed into a glass of champagne. Hopefully, the dye used in said confetti is non-toxic because it leaks like the roof in Karcher Mall. No worries however, for the champfetti was not consumed by anyone.

Good thing the confetti dye did not leak onto Emily's brand-spankin'-new couch. That would have not been a good start to the new year!

All in all, the extravaganza was extravaganzily fun and 2009 started off just fine!
My resolutions post will follow shortly!

Sparkly Jesus, hot buttered rum, and more sparkles!

2008-12-21T19:47:00.000-08:00

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...

2008-12-14T20:24:00.000-08:00

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...

2008-12-10T22:07:00.000-08:00

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...

2008-12-08T23:05:00.000-08:00

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!

2008-12-03T21:53:00.000-08:00

*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...

2008-11-25T13:56:00.000-08:00

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!

2008-11-24T15:47:00.000-08:00

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!

2008-11-21T21:52:00.000-08:00

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...

2008-11-14T21:10:00.000-08:00

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!

2008-11-11T15:14:00.001-08:00

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!

2008-11-11T14:54:00.000-08:00

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...

2008-11-03T20:45:00.000-08:00

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!

2008-11-03T13:28:00.000-08:00

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...

2008-10-29T20:26:00.000-07:00

...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...

2008-10-27T17:15:00.000-07:00

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...

2008-10-23T22:18:00.001-07:00

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!

2008-10-19T21:45:00.000-07:00

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...

2008-10-12T20:23:00.000-07:00

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.

2008-10-08T23:00:00.000-07:00

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...

2008-10-06T17:20:00.000-07:00

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!

2008-10-03T23:31:00.000-07:00

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! : )

You're it!

2008-09-25T21:21:00.000-07:00

I will keep this short since I won't be able to add any pictures. And who really wants to read me rambling on and on?

Anyways, I drove home to Idaho Falls today. And lucky me! I was just in time for Grandma Wava (GW) day!

For those of you that don't know, GW day is when all the cousins still residing in IF converge on the Bott household to eat all they can eat, perform awe-inspiring tricks on the trampoline and generally wear GW down. We try and wear Grandpa Bill down, but he can asleep anytime so it's not quite a challenge.

Anyways, as I was saying, I arrived just in time for a delicious dinner of salmon patties and lumpy potatoes (aka fried potatoes). They were delicious as usual and we finished up with some peaches and homegrown pairs! Oh how I miss dinners like that!

Afterwards, I was challenged to a game of butt-war by Rylee and then I attempted to show everyone how to juggle. They all need a little (ok-a lot!) Of work. Good thing I'm a pro!

Then, the alley neighbors, Alisha and Dylan came over and just like that, I was transported back in time. We were in the middle of a rowdy game of toilet tag, when I was struck with a brilliant idea. I decided to teach them how to play sardines. It took a few games but they finally caught on.

I remember still being in junior high and even high school and playing sardines, kick the can, capture the flag, and any other night games we could think of with my sister and all the neighbor kids. We would play for hours and all over the neighborhood. It kind of makes me sad to think that in this day and age my cousins won't get the joy of running around all night and hiding under or even in the neighbors cars.

And so it shall be my mission to at least pass on the tradition of these wonderful games. And for those of you that get the pleasure of spending time at my cabins this next summer, plan on partaking in all of the above.
Ready or not, here I come!

And just so you know, playing tag almost killed me. I'm definitely not as sprightly as I used to be.

Finally fall!

2008-09-21T20:34:00.000-07:00

My favorite season is finally here. Tomorrow is the official start of fall and I couldn't be happier! As much as I love the summer season and 100 degree weather, I love rainy, cloudy days and colder weather just as much, if not more. I love being able to wear layers and layers of clothes. I love wearing all of my favorite hoodies and sweatshirts. I love the fact that Halloween is right around the corner, which means that Thanksgiving, Christmas, my birthday, and New Year's are all close behind. I love the smell of controlled fires burning in the distance and I love college football.

Speaking of football, Boise played Oregon yesterday and THEY WON! Not that I had any doubts, of course, but I'm sure the rest of the nation did. They played an amazing first half, and it's a good thing, because they kind of sucked it up in the fourth quarter and could have lost it had Oregon put in their new freshman quarterback any sooner.

I really do owe it to Boise State for kindling my love of college football. Before 2002, I probably couldn't have told you what the Pac-10 was. Now, I am happy as a clam watching almost any college football game in the nation. It's just so american, so college, and so fall-ish. I'm sure I will get some crap for posting this video on here (especially from all those crappy Vandal fans out there; Kari, in particular!), but it still gives me chills watching it, and anything that still gives me chills 2 years later deserves to be shared!

Enough about football. As far as my life goes, I've been pretty not-busy since I got back on Tuesday. Mainly because I'm not quite sure what my next step is going to be. I have a couple of options. I'm considering getting my teaching certificate and if I choose to do so, I will do so at Boise State (it BY FAR makes the most sense, both financially and logistically). However, nobody is quite sure that I really want to become a teacher. They are partially right: teaching is not where I thought I would be at this point in life, but I have always secretly wanted to be a teacher. Plus, I love the schedule and I love school supplies! : )

I'm also still considering moving to Portland. After talking to my sister today, if I do so, I am not allowed to work in retail unless it is in the corporate arena. She says I didn't major in entrepreneurial management to fold shirts all day, and she makes a valid point. Therefore, I am on a hunt to find a job or internship in the following business catagories: wedding/event planning, journalism (preferably print), and publishing/writing. All of the above are future endeavors that I could see myself pursuing long-term and on my own. At this point, I'm pushing for wedding planning, because it peaks my interest the most and there is a definite need in the Boise area. There is only one real wedding planner in the area, and her website is not something to be proud of. So here's hoping something pans out in the next few days! I will keep you updated.

On a completely unrelated note, I had a great time last night hanging out with Hillary and her work family. They had a fiesta at her manager's house and I tagged along. We got involved in a heated game of flip-cup and come to find out, I am quite the player! Good thing, because I can't say the same thing for beer pong! We are planning on going to the corn maze this weekend and we even have an idea for a sweet group halloween costume. Halloween is one of my most favorite holidays! Here are some pictures from Halloween's past:

Halloween 2006: I was a Red Sox player, Brittany was a Yankee's player (BOOO!), Whitley was Tinkerbell, and Mike was the best Edward Scissorhands since Johnny himself!

Renee and Kristal were Laker's players. Not sure why everyone was sports-related, but we had a good time!

Halloween 2007: I had 2 different costumes going on this year! First, it was Paul Abdul and his 80's groupies!

On the actual holiday, I was a ping-pong player and Whitley was the cutest lion ever. She definitely had her 'rawwwr' down! Kudos to Mike and Brittany who impersonated Jim and Pam from The Office!

Fall is finally here and I'm definitely ready.

My family will be so proud...

2008-09-15T20:48:00.000-07:00

I almost forgot about the most important thing I learned from my summer job. I learned how to JUGGLE! My family is very excited to see me in action, so I will post a little preview here. Hopefully it works. And don't worry-I'm still practicing. Someday I will have my own traveling show!

(Sorry it's sideways. I blame Rachel! :D)

Back in Boise...

2008-09-15T20:26:00.000-07:00

I finally made it back to Boise, and this time, I'm here to stay for a while. At least two or three weeks! :) The drive home wasn't too bad, especially after I somehow managed to meet up with Mike and Brittany in Pendleton as they were driving home from Portland. Crazy how that worked out! Last night, Tammie came and helped us pack everything up and then we went to dinner with Rocky and his employee Brent. Rocky owns too many businesses to name, but at this fair he was running the mechanical bull. I got some good tips, so I'll have to try it out again! Rocky has some crazy good stories-he's met Carmen Electra at the Big Boy Toy Expo in LA, his bull was featured in the Carl's Junior ad and in Charlie's Angels, and he just recently bought a giant lemon to sell lemonade out of. Marissa and I are considering driving it around the country for him next summer. And I'm really not kidding.

Anyways, we ate at this restaurant in Spokane called The Onion. Besides the delicious food, we had an awesome waiter who gave us all some super cool buttons that say "No Problem!" on them. Come to find out if someone in your party wants something else not listed on the menu-say French Toast, macaroni and cheese, fish tacos, or even King crab legs, they will go get it for you, NO PROBLEM! How cool is that? If your kids want McDonalds, they'll get it. If you want pizza, they'll call up their favorite delivery guy. All you have to do is pay for what you want, nothing extra. That's my kind of service. If you're ever in Spokane, I highly reccommend it, for both the service and the food! Anyways, here are the last couple of pictures I took.

This is Rachel. She hails from the Bay area in California and just graduated from UC Davis. She's moving to San Diego and will most likely end up managing a MotoCross team. She's FANCY! (Inside joke :D) And yes, we are wearing super cool red vests. I know you're jealous and want your own!This is Marissa Faye, my much younger twin. We really are so much alike, it's scary. I told Tammie that she inherited another daughter. Marissa leaves for OSU in a week and I'm seriously considering going down there for the BSU game even though there aren't any tickets. Anybody else want to go?

Marissa decided that we needed to bust out some champagne to celebrate our last weekend as carnys. So what did we decide to buy? Yep, $4 bottles of Andre. Took me back to my college days. Yuck. Although the blush kind was actually not too bad when we mixed it with orange juice. We hung out at our friend Greg's house (he was sick and in bed, so we actually hung out with Ben, his fellow employee) and watched SuperBad for like the 12th time. It just never gets old. "I'm gettin' that fo sho!"

Now that I'm back to the real world, I have days of laundry to do and lots of sleep to catch up on, but other than that, I just need to get my life in order. I have an 'appointment' with Diane (otherwise known as a lunch date where she will give me lots of wonderful statistics on becoming a teacher) on Friday. I suppose I will look for a job both here and in Idaho Falls. In between that, though, I'm in the mood for a little miniature golfing and trivia. Anyone interested?

The end of fair life...

2008-09-14T13:14:00.000-07:00

My time as a carny is officially coming to an end. I'm extremely happy to be leaving spokane and our ghetto motel. It's located on Sprague Street and I recently found out that it is the second most well-known street for prostitutes in the nation! We actually did see a real-live one the other night, walking in front of our motel. It was pretty awesome, in a very funny way!
I am sad, however, for the experience to end. I definitely stepped out of my safe zone and I'm glad that I can do it successfully. I met a whole lot of wonderful people and had some really good times.
I will always remember the crazy cow kid who tried to jump off the stage in vancouver. I will remember partying it up with renee in downtown portland and driving to The Sand Bar in Moses Lake with 10 people in a van with no seats. I will always remember playing 'your team-my team' and telling crazy janitor pat to leave people alone. Never will I forget crazy anthony who tried to fight joe and rachel and said the famous "I know how to play pool. My grandpa plays for money!" And then there was spokane-hanging out with marmentrout, perfecting my juggling skills, meeting marissa (who is my twin, only younger, and my new bfff!), watching SuperBad for the 12th time with HOT Ben, and guarding all our valuables from stupid spokanites (they stole rachel's wallet, marissa's lunchable, and marbles, poppers, and magnetic wheels.
We are packing up tonight (say a little prayer for my feet, since I'm wearing flip flops!), and then I will drive to Boise tomorrow. It will be weird to have to make my own bed, but good to be home just the same!

Spokane...

2008-09-05T23:13:00.000-07:00

I do believe the last time I updated this thing in terms of fair life, it was when I was in Walla Walla. I also thing I promised a picture of an onion. Unfortunately, that never happened. Working 10 hour days does not leave much extra time for picture taking. But, have no fear, I have other pictures to share!

I am now in Spokane for the Interstate fair. It's a 10-day'er, which is LONG, but it is definitely the busiest one yet, which makes the day go so much faster. Supposedly, we are supposed to have crowds of 200+ people! YIKES! Here's hoping it goes well. I'm working with Rachel and Tammie's daughter Marisa. We are staying at the Park Lane Motel. Let's just say it's on the sketchy side. My room smells like 10-year old smoke and my sheets and pillow sheets don't match. For some reason, that bothers me the most! It's clean though, which I guess is the most important thing!

Tomorrow, I will take pictures of the exhibit (and me being awesome, of course!) so you all will know exactly what my job entails. For now, here are some from the past month.

These are pictures I took of the amazing flowers at the Clark County fair. This is still when I was working with Hailey.

Rachel and I decided to take a day trip to Coeur D'Alene! It was the perfect fall day.
This is me taking over the job as lifeguard of the lake. Good thing there was no one swimming!
Miss Megan Armentrout currently resides in the Spokane area and I'm so excited I got to see her. We went to dinner at this amazing Italian restaurant called Tomato Street. It was delicioso! Especially the house dressing. I even had to buy some to take home! Don't you just love the angel/cherub man posing on the ledge behind us? My favorite part of the picture!

As for my life plan, I plan on moving back to Idaho Falls for the holiday season (October through December) and then moving to Portland in January. At this point, I'm worried about getting into PSU and then paying for it, but I'm taking it one day at a time. The less stress, the better!

The Journey continues...

2008-08-26T23:06:00.000-07:00

I am now in Walla Walla, WA. Apparently, it is the home of the best sweet onions. Ever. Too bad I don't like onions. There are even onion statues on the corners. I will post a picture of me and an onion very soon.

The Walla Walla fair starts tomorrow. It's definitely a bigger fair than Goldendale, and it should be a good time. Rachel will be in Ellensburg with Tammie and I will be with Erika. Good thing I love Erika. We will have an awesome time. I finally met Tammie. She's crazy and amazing. Basically just how I pictured her! I admire her for working hard to promote her business. It could be a pain in the ass and I am glad I'm not the one who has to do it.

On a completely unrelated note, my new TV obsession is Greek. I will have to buy the 2nd season in order to catch up with the 3rd season that just started tonight. Hopefully, this will be the only show I watch regularly.

And now, it is time for sleep. Busy day tomorrow! Here's hoping I don't dream about onions...

The here and now...

2008-06-25T22:26:00.001-07:00

"Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?"

-Mary Oliver

I am currently living the life of a white collar carny. Hailey (my friend from college) needed a back-stage hand for two weeks while she traveled to state and county fairs with a children's theatre company. Diane (my wonderful and amazing life coach) told her I was unemployed, and so I found myself on a plane to Portland. That was two weeks ago. Since then, I took a job with another company that travels around to fairs (the owners of the 2 companies are great friends, hence the connection). Instead of theatre, however, I get to teach kids all about physics using cool mind-bogglers and puzzles. Today was my first day, so I will keep you updated, but so far, so good!

Current location: Goldendale, WA
Pretty much located in the middle of nowhere. The fair is 4-H central and we're basically the only entertainment. At least it will keep us busy. The people are a crazy, random mix. Half are hardcore cowboys, half are hardcore construction workers, and the ones in between like to wear baggy gym shorts.
I'm working with Rachel and she's awesome. Definitely on top of things, and I don't think she's used to working with someone who doesn't need to be supervised. Ah, if only all employees could be as amazing as I am (just don't look at my last two jobs as examples).
Our hotel is nicer than I thought. First impression was that I was going to have to put the dresser against the door and use my own blanket. Little did I know there was a brand-new addition, complete with flat-screen tv! One woman owns/runs the hotel and apparently, she does a good job. Kudos to her.
We're here until Sunday and then off to Walla Walla!

Life update: Big changes are coming soon. My new career plan is to become a teacher (high school economics or science), I'm moving to Portland in the next six months (with Mike and Brittany! and to go to school), and I hope everything works out the way I want and need it to. It's definitely about time.

My first blog ever...

2008-05-14T22:42:00.000-07:00

Original posting date: May 09, 2007

I graduated from college exactly one year from this coming Saturday. If you had asked me on that day what I would be doing a year from now, I would have said that I would be getting ready to go to graduate school in Boston. I most definitely would not have told you that I would still be working at the job I've had for the last seven years. I would not have told you that I would be living with my uncle still to avoid paying rent so I could save money for grad. school (so much for that. The money I should have saved has pretty much paid for the four trips I went on this past year, in addition to my horrible fascination with eating out. Damn delicious food. I'm currently trying to be better. It's rough...).

If you had asked me six months ago what I would be doing today, I still would have told you that I would be getting ready to go to grad. school and start the newest chapter of my life. Let me tell you, things can change so much in six months. Hell, things can change so much in six days!
I am the type of person who always makes a wish when the numbers on the clock are all the same. I am the type of person who always hopes that things will turn out for the best. I am an eternal optimist. The clock currently says 11:11 pm. I was born on December 30, 1983 at 11:11 am. I, therefore, consider 11:11 (am or pm) to be my luckiest times of the day and I will religiously make a wish. The wishes I make at this time are never trivial. I wish for happiness. I wish for health. I wish that my mom figures out what she wants to achieve for herself and I hope she achieves it. I wish that my dad will one day quit smoking and I wish that he will be there to walk both me and my sister down the aisle. I wish nothing but good things on all the people who have come into my life and made it that much better.

Tonight I wished for clarity.

One of the most frustrating things about my current job is the lack of respect I get from certain people when they find out I'm still working there (I know I'm jumping around, but this is a process and who am I to interrupt the process?). I realize that working retail is not a glamorous job. Once again, it's not where I thought I would be today. When I graduated from high school, I told myself that by the time I was 25, I would be well on my way to being the vice-president of some Fortune 500 company. I told myself that I would be wearing the expensive suits and living in the high rise apartment and ordering the fancy, pricey drinks from the coffee shop on the corner or in the basement of the 50-floor building I worked in. I feel that I almost had the chance when I interviewed for the Gap internship in San Francisco. I wanted the corporate life. I wanted the money. I even wanted the stress.

Today, I don't think I want any of that.

Today what I want is for people to realize how much my crappy retail job has given me. It's given me the chance to develop leadership skills. It's given me the chance to break out of the shell of shyness I once had. It's given me some of the best friends, best experiences, and best memories I could EVER ask for. And, ultimately, it's given me the chance to realize what I truly want out of life.

I want freedom. I want the flexibility to be able to take a week off whenever I want and fly to Idaho Falls or fly to Las Vegas. I want the ability to be able to sleep until noon two or three days a week and not just on the weekends. I want the chance to meet new people every day and form lasting relationships with them that I know will last forever. I want to do something that makes me happy.

Right now, my job gives me everything I ask for. And while I may have days where I want to throw a stapler at a customer or where I have to eat two pieces of chocolate cake just to not think about what dumb fucks I work with, I also have days where we sit in the office waiting to call for radio station contests. I have days where I actually look forward to coming in at 6:00 am just because of the people who will be there with me. I have security in the fact that I know there will always be someone who will give me a high five.

Right now, I have the urge to tell everyone who ever questioned the fact that I STILL work at the same place to just fuck off! And I never tell people that.

The way I see it, I'm currently standing in the middle. To the right of me is the edge of inspiration (this is for Diane. We have such good conversations!!). To the left of me is the edge of frustration. Until something pushes me over either edge, I am happy where I am. I have a feeling I will get pushed over the edge of inspiration. Let's hope I'm right...