One Step Closer...

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.

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.

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...

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

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.

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

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!