Just to Clarify...

For the record, I am not retarded when it comes to computers. In fact, I am a lot more computer-savvy than most people I know. I don't know anything about how to fix them when they're broken, but I know my way around them. My dad is a computer programmer and I was playing on/using a computer in our house when I was like five. Just so you know.

The Way We Live Now

So I can't find this anywhere. I don't know how Megan got a hold of it, but she did several months ago, and I saw it with her in our apartment. Since then I've looked for it tons of times, and it's always checked out. I guess I'm going to have to buy it on ebay.

Anyway, if you don't know what this movie is, you should definitely see it. It's got Matthew McFadyen, Miranda Otto (Eowyn from Lord of the Rings), Shirley Henderson (Moaning Myrtle from Harry Potter--she dates Matthew McFadyen), Cillian Murphy, and lots of British actors.

So basically I just wanted to complain about how difficult it is to find this movie. My guess is that I probably wouldn't be able to find it in stores, either, because it's kind of obscure. But seriously--how is it so popular? Who even knows about this movie? And so many people that it never gets back to the library? Everyone stop checking it out so I can. Jerks.

Are You in Good Hands?

Allstate commercials bug me. Pretty much their advertising strategy is to scare people into getting insurance with them by showing them all of the horrible things that could possible happen to them. Every commercial shows car accidents, houses on fire, break-ins, etc. I think this is lame.

iTunes Rant

I can't even stand how much I hate iTunes anymore. All my music disappears and even though I know for a fact it's on my computer, I can't find it. You know that stupid little exclamation point that shows up on the left when you try to play a song that iTunes "can't find"? About a fourth of the songs right now have that. In fact, here's the breakdown of what is in my iTunes.

One fourth--exclamation point songs
Two fourths--duplicates of songs
One fourth--the actual song file I want

So yes, only about 1/4 of my iTunes is music I can listen to. My playlists are all messed up because songs keep disappearing so I go and re-add them to iTunes but then I have to go back and add the new files to the playlists, because the old ones are gone. Almost every song has a duplicate, and most have two or three.

So here's where the problem started. You can skip this section if you don't want to read it--I'm explaining everything for ranting purposes, but frankly it might not even make sense to you.

I have the documents from my old Gateway laptop in a folder called Old Documents, and this includes some of the music that I had from then. To get to Old Documents, you have to go into Documents, click on Old Documents, and then click on My Documents, which was an empty folder. I didn't like having to click on that extra folder for no reason, so I highlighted all the documents and moved them up a folder. This took forever. And then, because I had done that, all the music that had been in that folder disappeared from iTunes, because apparently the computer is retarded and can't follow when I move it from one folder to another.

Well there were a ton of songs that were affected by this, and it was really annoying me to try and fix them all, so I decided to just move everything again, into my current iTunes Music folder, and then re-add that entire folder to iTunes. I knew this would give me a million duplicates, but I figured at least then everything would be locatable, you know? And then iTunes couldn't give me that "can't find the file" crap.

So I did it. It took several hours because of all the music I have, and probably because my computer is gay.

It didn't work. I now have 829285 duplicates, and STILL iTunes can't find half of my music.

I hate, hate, hate iTunes. I would stop using it completely if I didn't have an iPod, so when this one dies I will NOT be getting another one. I want a Zune, and to never use iTunes again in my life.

bah humbug

sometimes i get jealous that my friends talk to each other a lot and i hardly talk to them anymore. it doesn't help that i'm down to 1000 texts a month now, which means i have to ration my texts. but i don't know if it has something to do with being married or if it's just that i'm not that good at keeping in touch with people when they don't initiate contact... but as lindsey would say, bah humbug.

Today's Statistics

Number of Old Friends I Saw Tonight at Macey's: three
Todd, Natalie Ginos, and Shelley

Degree of Awesomeness Attained by Me at Cashier Training Today: like 98

Current Level of Gladness that, Although I Was Awesome at my Training Today, I am a Sales Floor Person and Not a Cashier: 9 out of 10

Time at Which I Awoke This Morning: 6:30 (for no reason)

Days Until Stop in the Name of Pants! Comes Out: five


I am very sleepy. It is time for bed. Night night.

AHHHH

I didn't even know! And it comes out in like five days!


Ok, well, I knew that there was going to be a ninth one. I just didn't know that it was being written, that it was almost out, or what it was called!

I stumbled across this picture while I was looking up the one for Angus, Thongs, and Full-Frontal Snogging to put on my blog, and now I am so excited! Hurray!

Sick... and Sad.

Pregnancy Boom at Gloucester High

Wednesday, Jun. 18, 2008 By KATHLEEN KINGSBURY

As summer vacation begins, 17 girls at Gloucester High School are expecting babies—more than four times the number of pregnancies the 1,200-student school had last year. Some adults dismissed the statistic as a blip. Others blamed hit movies like Juno and Knocked Up for glamorizing young unwed mothers. But principal Joseph Sullivan knows at least part of the reason there's been such a spike in teen pregnancies in this Massachusetts fishing town. School officials started looking into the matter as early as October after an unusual number of girls began filing into the school clinic to find out if they were pregnant. By May, several students had returned multiple times to get pregnancy tests, and on hearing the results, "some girls seemed more upset when they weren't pregnant than when they were," Sullivan says. All it took was a few simple questions before nearly half the expecting students, none older than 16, confessed to making a pact to get pregnant and raise their babies together. Then the story got worse. "We found out one of the fathers is a 24-year-old homeless guy," the principal says, shaking his head.

The question of what to do next has divided this fiercely Catholic enclave. Even with national data showing a 3% rise in teen pregnancies in 2006—the first increase in 15 years—Gloucester isn't sure it wants to provide easier access to birth control. In any case, many residents worry that the problem goes much deeper. The past decade has been difficult for this mostly white, mostly blue-collar city (pop. 30,000). In Gloucester, perched on scenic Cape Ann, the economy has always depended on a strong fishing industry. But in recent years, such jobs have all but disappeared overseas, and with them much of the community's wherewithal. "Families are broken," says school superintendent Christopher Farmer. "Many of our young people are growing up directionless."

The girls who made the pregnancy pact—some of whom, according to Sullivan, reacted to the news that they were expecting with high fives and plans for baby showers—declined to be interviewed. So did their parents. But Amanda Ireland, who graduated from Gloucester High on June 8, thinks she knows why these girls wanted to get pregnant. Ireland, 18, gave birth her freshman year and says some of her now pregnant schoolmates regularly approached her in the hall, remarking how lucky she was to have a baby. "They're so excited to finally have someone to love them unconditionally," Ireland says. "I try to explain it's hard to feel loved when an infant is screaming to be fed at 3 a.m."

The high school has done perhaps too good a job of embracing young mothers. Sex-ed classes end freshman year at Gloucester, where teen parents are encouraged to take their children to a free on-site day-care center. Strollers mingle seamlessly in school hallways among cheerleaders and junior ROTC. "We're proud to help the mothers stay in school," says Sue Todd, CEO of Pathways for Children, which runs the day-care center.

But by May, after nurse practitioner Kim Daly had administered some 150 pregnancy tests at Gloucester High's student clinic, she and the clinic's medical director, Dr. Brian Orr, a local pediatrician, began to advocate prescribing contraceptives regardless of parental consent, a practice at about 15 public high schools in Massachusetts. Currently Gloucester teens must travel about 20 miles (30 km) to reach the nearest women's health clinic; younger girls have to get a ride or take the train and walk. But the notion of a school handing out birth control pills has met with hostility. Says Mayor Carolyn Kirk: "Dr. Orr and Ms. Daly have no right to decide this for our children." The pair resigned in protest on May 30.

Gloucester's elected school committee plans to vote later this summer on whether to provide contraceptives. But that won't do much to solve the issue of teens wanting to get pregnant. Says rising junior Kacia Lowe, who is a classmate of the pactmakers': "No one's offered them a better option." And better options may be a tall order in a city so uncertain of its future. —with reporting by Kimberley McLeod/New York

Sometimes Carmindy is Dumb

"Great hairy monkeys of fire!"

This is what she said about some woman's eyebrows today. Hairy monkeys, sure... of fire? It makes no sense.

And also I was bugged with the eyebrow jokes--I couldn't believe how much she made fun of that girl! Yes that's pretty much the premise of this show, but I've never heard her do it that much. It was kinda lame.

Silly Carmindy.

IT'S HERE!

Well I've only been waiting for this paperback for a YEAR, but it's finally here! We saw it at Borders today (I wasn't even expecting to see it, because it's not supposed to be out until July) and I had to get it! I've literally been waiting for the paperback since last July when the book came out, and for some reason that I cannot fathom, it has taken a year for the paperback to come out. I now have all eight volumes of the Georgia Nicolson books as they now stand. Anyway I'm very excited, so I just thought I'd share. The end!

They called!

I have orientation on Tuesday. I can finally start getting a paycheck again. :D

O oysters, come and walk with us!

Sometimes I like to write a hundred posts in one day. I haven't been super active on my blog lately--when I do post something, half the time it's just a link to something or a survey that took me five minutes to do, so I guess I miss my blog.

Anyway, so Target still hasn't called me, and that makes me a little nervous. I was going to call them today but we were out all afternoon apartment shopping and I didn't have the number, and then when we got home we were so exhausted that we fell asleep and anyway the moral of the story is I guess I'm going to call them tomorrow and find out what is up. In case you're wondering, I was offered a job on Tuesday but it was conditional upon my passing the drug test I took that afternoon. Of course there's no reason why I wouldn't have passed the drug test, so there's no reason that they might not still hire me; but I still can't help worrying that they decided not to after all and that's why I haven't heard from them yet. In any case, I'll know tomorrow, and then so will you.

We have been apartment shopping for a few days and it's actually pretty fun this time! I don't know how we struggled so much last time, but we have so many good options right now and I am really having fun with it! We're planning on having this next apartment be the last one that we live in in Utah--after I'm done with school and Mike has his associate's, the current plan is to move to Texas to be close to my family for a couple years at least (that's as far as we've planned). But yeah; I'm hoping that we will only have to move one more time, and that when we find an apartment now it will be the one that we stay in until the end of next year. Wish us luck!

I'm freakin exhausted now so I'm going to go to bed. Our night was kind of ruined by the nap we took earlier tonight... Waking up from a nap at 8:00 kinda throws off your sleeping patterns a little. But the time has come, the walrus said, to talk of many things; of shoes and ships and sealing wax, and cabbages and kings... and why the sea is boiling hot, and whether pigs have wings.

Bye bye.

Meg Cabot

Meg Cabot is 1) much older than she looks and 2) very funny. She's really cute; from this picture I would think she's, like, 30 tops. But she was born in 1967, which makes her almost my parents' age. Anyway, I like her. Too bad I haven't read more of her stuff. Maybe someday... although I don't see myself ever reading the Princess Diaries books. The movies were quite enough, thank you. And also I can't believe how many of them there are. She's as bad as Robert Jordan. Anyway, here's her blog, which Lindsey posted on Reading Loons, and which I finally got around to checking out. Fun times.

Tagged by Landon

4 things I was doing 10 years ago:
1. going to my first (second?) year at girls' camp
2. reading
3. learning to play the bass clarinet
4. getting braces

4 things I was doing 5 years ago:
1. working at the theater before starting college
2. coming to BYU
3. getting my first kiss
4. living with a roommate I didn't get along with, but making good friends in the hall

4 things I did yesterday:
1. ate ice cream at 1:00 in the morning (so technically today... but it counts)
2. looked at apartments
3. got Mike's car fixed
4. went to Dan and Candice's to do laundry and hang out

4 shows that I like: (I'm doing shows that are not my normal list of shows I like)
1. the Nanny
2. Scrubs
3. Avatar (believe it or not)
4. Samurai Jack (also believe it or not, although I am less likely to watch this than Avatar)

4 Biggest Joys of My Life Right Now:
1. Mike and me getting new jobs together
2. family
3. planning things
4. spending time with Mike

4 things that you might not know about me:
1. I love love LOVE the sun and get very depressed in the winter when there isn't any
2. and at the same time, I have very little tolerance for hot weather unless I'm laying out
3. I have scoliosis
4. my eyes have some green and gold in them when I'm in the sun

4 people I tag:
1. Sami
2. Dafni
3. Miki
4. Amanda (ha! you have to do it again with different answers!)

(for the record, I thought about tagging Lindsey but figured she'd probably do it even if I didn't. :P I love you Lin!)

A Thought.

I've just had a thought that I'd like to share.

I'm a little bugged when I see/hear from someone that they basically will take one person's opinion on something as doctrine (I'm not using this religiously, just talking about anything in general). Yeah, I take people's opinions into account when I'm wondering about something, particularly my friends and family and people I know have the same tastes/beliefs as me, depending on what the issue is.

But one person's opinion isn't usually enough to cement mine. When Megan recommends something to me, I will generally go pick it up--because I know that there's a good chance I'm going to like it, because she and I have similar tastes. But we don't always like the same things, and I won't always just take her opinion as my own without looking into it myself and finding that I feel the same way.

Anyway, this isn't about Megan, she just happens to be the other half of my head and therefore the most applicable example. I just think people should think for themselves, do their own research, find out what really resonates with them, instead of accepting whatever people tell them.

The Hunt is Over!

I have a job. At Target. Where I will be a Sales Floor Associate something or other... yeah I don't remember what my title is. But my job is to be on the sales floor. Which means that if you come to Target and visit me, I can pretend to be showing you something exciting while I'm secretly chatting with you! Yay hurray.

In other news, I had to take a drug test today. Never had to do that before, and it was weird.

In still other news, and just in case you were wondering, here are the job hunt statistics as they now stand:

As close as I can tell, as of today (June 17) I have applied for at least 64 jobs. This includes only the ones I emailed and the ones I can remember that had online applications; that means there are almost certainly a few I am not remembering. This means that I applied for close to 70 jobs in a one-month period--and also that I was unemployed (and searching) for an entire month, which has never happened to me before.

Fewer than one third of those jobs contacted me after I applied, which I think is pretty lame.

I have searched on Monster, Craigslist, the UV Job Board, the BYU student jobs board, Yahoo Hotjobs, Simplyhired.com, CareerBuilder, jobsinprovo.com, jobs.net, the Daily Herald, and a hundred other places. (Funny how the one I ended up with came from none of those places.)

I might still take a part-time editing job if I get offered it, and if decide I want to work that much... I have a second interview on Thursday, so we'll see how that goes.

I have also applied for two part-time work-from-home writing/editing jobs, and am waiting to see how those go. I really won't NEED those--with Mike's income and my new one, we'll be fine money-wise--but I would like the editing experience to go on my resume, and also I like the work. Besides, the extra money can't hurt; and even more besides, I'll probably be working a few nights a week at Target, which means I'll still be at home during the day, and Mike will (we think) still be working during the day, so I'll have nothing else to do. Might as well make some extra money if I can.

But lest you think my internet-searching/applying days are over, I should tell you that I am now restarting the process of apartment hunting, and as such have emailed 17 people tonight regarding apartments in Orem. Which is where Mike and I have decided we want to live, since we'll both be working there, and his school and family are there. I'll just drive to school, since that'll be about the only thing we have in Provo.

And also we want to get a scooter.

Well, that's all. I thought I would share. So everyone feel free to come visit me at Target whenever you want. I'll probably be starting next week.

Hugs!

I Heart Dave Barry

You really should read this.

Dave Barry--Technical Support

For the Record:

I applied at Target and have an interview tomorrow. (I made Mike apply there too, just because there was an empty kiosk next to the one I was using. :)) Anyway. I can't foresee any reason why I wouldn't get hired at Target, so I'm hoping to use that as my backup.

I also have a second interview on Thursday for the editing job I interviewed for last week. That one's only part-time and in the afternoons, so I could keep it in the fall and could also maybe even work at Target at the same time, if I got offered both jobs. So I'm keeping my fingers crossed for that too.

Anyway I'll let you know how they go, just thought I'd update.

Which Disney Princess Am I, You Ask?

You Are Mulan!


Strong and spirited. You're no one's girly girl; actually you are very determined person with a strong sense of self. Never let go of that! The only thing that equals your sense of self is your family, but the traditions of society can always be bent to protect something or someone you love.

You Are Ariel!


Headstrong and fiesty. You have a mind of your own that's full of romantic dreams about the world around you. Exploring exotic places is your ultimate dream, and although you can be a little naive you'll realize that there is something to be gained from your family's wisdom.

You Are Snow White!


Pure and trusting. You are a gentle soul who can get along with just about anyone. Everyone you meet instantly falls in love with you. How can they resist? You have a pure, lovable nature that's irresistable. Just don't trust everyone who comes across your path.
Which Disney Princess Are You?

Oy. At least the others have similar traits. And for the record, Snow White happens to be one of my least favorite Disney princesses.

Wednesday, March 14, 2007

I found something funny today; I thought I would share. It's a post from March of last year.


Alright, alright, I'm posting. First of all, it has become apparent to me that I suck at this blogging game. In case you haven't noticed. Also, my computer has been dead, so I haven't been on as much lately because I have to borrow my roommates' laptops when I want to use the el-interneto.
However, I recently received an email from my blog begging me to return and post on it. Isn't that amazing? You see, I hadn't realized that my blog actually missed being posted on. How insensitive I have been. I am changing my ways at once.
That's probably a lie, actually. I'm changing my ways temporarily is what I should say. It is doubtful that I will become a more faithful blogger after this. But I will try, which is something, isn't it? The thought is what counts, after all.


Little did I know... :)

Sometimes People are Funny

Well, Tommy Lee and Pamela Anderson are back together, and with this to say:
"We've only given it a try 800 times-- 801, here we go."

Some doctor and Tom Cruise are fighting... I guess the doctor said he couldn't understand why someone would be drawn to a cultish environment like Scientology, and that it must be indicative of some "deep emptiness" or something in Tom Cruise's childhood. Of course dear Tom got very offended.

Denise Richards is an intensely vapid and slutty person.

Blech. The people at E! News should be unemployed.

Apparently Zac Efron smells like Lance Bass... Madonna's brother is gay, but doesn't like gay guys... oh, no. Madonna's brother is gay, but the guy she's marrying (whose name is Guy) doesn't like gay guys. Vin Diesel is going to play Madonna in a movie.

Britney Spears and Mel Gibson are hanging out! If I had any respect for him left, well, there it went.

I pretty much can't wait for Get Smart to come out. It looks so funny.

There are two very large, half naked men holding hands, swearing profusely, and getting their backs waxed right now. And now they're walking down the street in towels (yes, still naked). Mmm boy.

Man, these late-night celebrity commentators are vicious. It's a good thing those people deserve it.



This girl is a reeeeallly good actor.

Things I've Done

1. Sang the National Anthem at a public event (Something I can say with 100% confidence that I will NEVER do. I don't sing in public.)
2. Swam with dolphins
3. Climbed a mountain
4. Taken a Ferrari for a test drive
5. Been inside the Great Pyramid
6. Held a tarantula (I've been in the same room with people who were doing it and I believe I, too, can say with 100% confidence that it's something I'll never do)
7. Won a pie eating contest, or any eating contest
8. Said “I love you’ and meant it
9. Hugged a tree
10. Bungee jumped
11. Visited Paris
12. Watched a lightning storm
13. Seen the Northern Lights
14. Stayed up all night long and saw the sun rise
15. Gone to a huge sports game
16. Walked the stairs to the top of the leaning Tower of Pisa
17. Grown and eaten your own vegetables
18. Touched an iceberg
19. Slept under the stars
20. Changed a baby’s diaper
21. Taken a trip in a hot air balloon
22. Watched a meteor shower
23. Gotten drunk on slurpees
24. Given more than you can afford to charity
25. Looked up at the night sky through a telescope
26. Had an uncontrollable giggling fit at the worst possible moment
27. Had a food fight
28. Overcome a fear
29. Asked out a stranger
30. Had a snowball fight
31. Screamed as loudly as you possibly can
32. Held a lamb
33. Seen a total eclipse (I'm pretty sure)
34. Ridden a roller coaster
35. Hit a home run
36. Danced like a fool and not cared who was looking
37. Adopted an accent for an entire day
38. Actually felt happy about your life
39. Had two hard drives for your computer
40. Visited all 50 states
41. Can recite something over 100 words long
42. Have amazing friends
43. Danced with a stranger in a foreign country
44. Watched wild whales
45. Stolen a sign- and road cone
46. Backpacked in Europe
47. Taken a road-trip
48. Gone rock climbing
49. Midnight walk on the beach
50. Gone sky diving
51. Visited Ireland
52. Been heartbroken longer than you were actually in love
53. In a restaurant, sat at a stranger’s table and had a meal with them (um, who has actually done this?)
54. Visited Japan
55. Milked a cow
56. Alphabetized your CDs
57. Pretended to be a superhero (ha!)
58. Sung karaoke
59. Lounged around in bed all day
60. Slept in a castle
61. Gone scuba diving
62. Kissed in the rain
63. Played in the mud
64. Played in the rain
65. Gone to a drive-in theater
66. Visited the Great Wall of China
67. Started a business
68. Fallen in love and not had your heart broken
69. Toured ancient sites
70. Taken a martial arts class
71. Played some sort of game for more than 6 hours straight
72. Gotten married
73. Been in a movie (I'm making an executive decision that commercials are close enough)
74. Crashed a party
75. Eaten food you had no clue what it was but did it out of respect for your host
76. Gone without food for 5 days
77. Made cookies from scratch
78. Won first prize in a costume contest
79. Ridden a gondola in Venice
80. Been skinny dipping
81. Rafted the Snake River
82. Been on television news programs as an “expert”
83. Got flowers for no reason
84. Performed on stage
85. Been to Las Vegas
86. Recorded music
87. Eaten shark
88. Stood up for something against the crowd
89. Gone to Thailand
90. Bought a house
91. Been in a combat zone
92. Buried one/both of your parents
93. Been on a cruise ship
94. Spoken more than one language fluently
95. Asked someone for forgiveness and received it
96. Raised children
97. Followed your favorite band/singer on tour
98. Gotten stitches
99. Taken an exotic bicycle tour in a foreign country
100. Picked up and moved to another city to just start over
101. Walked the Golden Gate Bridge
102. Sang loudly in the car, and didn’t stop when you knew someone was looking
103. Had plastic surgery
104. Survived an accident that you shouldn’t have survived
105. Wrote articles for a large publication
106. Lost over 100 pounds
107. Held someone while they were having a flashback
108. Piloted an airplane
109. Pet a stingray
110. Been afraid for your life
111. Helped an animal give birth
112. Won money on a T.V. game show or the radio (do concert tickets count? I've won concert tickets on the radio)
113. Broken a bone (Talia's, not mine :D)
114. Gotten a tattoo
115. Lived longer than a year in another country
116. Fired a rifle, shotgun, or pistol
117. Eaten mushrooms that were gathered in the wild
118. Ridden a horse
119. Had major surgery (I have no tonsils...does that count?)
120. Had a snake as a pet
121. Hiked to the bottom of the Grand Canyon
122. Slept for more than 30 hours over the course of 48 hours
123. Visited more foreign countries than U.S. states
124. Visited all 7 continents
125. Taken a canoe trip that lasted more than 2 days
126. Eaten kangaroo meat (ew)
127. Eaten sushi
128. Had your picture in the newspaper
129. Changed someone’s mind about something you care deeply about
130. Gone back to school (after a semester off)
131. Parasailed
132. Pet a cockroach
133. Eaten fried green tomatoes
134. Read The Iliad
135. Selected one “important” author who you missed in school, and read
136. Killed and prepared an animal for eating (oh ew)
137. Skipped all your school reunions
138. Communicated with someone without sharing a common spoken language
139. Been elected to public office (um, seriously.)
140. Written your own computer language
141. Thought to yourself that you’re living your dream
142. Had to put someone you love into hospice care
143. Built your own PC from parts
144. Sold your own artwork to someone who didn’t know you
145. Had a booth at a fair
146. Dyed your hair
147. Been a DJ
148. Shaved your head
149. Caused a car accident
150. Saved someone’s life

Birthday Post

Well, I turned 23 last week. It's kind of weird; we basically celebrated my birthday all week long, but I almost feel like I missed it. I just never had a moment where I was like okay, I'm officially older now, I'm 23. I have to consciously remember my age. Kinda strange.


But anyway, I thought I'd tell you all about what we did, since we had three or four different celebrations, and I got presents in stages throughout the whole week. So here we go.


Day 1: Friday, four days before. Mike brought home my first present with the intention of leaving it on top of the TV for me to look at until my birthday. But then I asked him if I could open it and he said yes. :)


Day 2: Tuesday, the actual birthday. Mike sang happy birthday to me when we woke up, which was very cute. Then we went to a job interview together, which was fun. We ate at some Chinese buffet in Orem, and then... I can't remember what we did the rest of the day. Oh, yes I can. We went shopping at Plato's for some jeans with birthday money my mom and Tilly gave me (bad idea, p.s., shopping for jeans on my birthday when I'm supposed to be feeling good... but eventually the shopping paid off wonderfully) and then we rented 27 Dresses and Ferris Bueller's Day Off and made spaghetti and watched them both that night. My family called while we were watching the movie and sang happy birthday to me over the phone, and then I talked to them for a few minutes before we went back to the movie. Yay fambuly.

Day 3: Friday. Dan and Candice brought the girls over, and Liz came over and we had snacks and played with the girls and then Liz and Mike and I watched Madagascar when the others went home.


Day 4: Saturday we went back to Plato's before our book club and I spent the rest of the clothes money, and then that night we decided hey, let's celebrate again. (Also our first month anniversary was my birthday, so it was a combo celebration). So we went to Bombay House, one of our favorite restaurants, and the Provo Towne Center to see Kung Fu Panda--which is, incidentally, freaking hilarious. Go see it, seriously. Soooo funny.


Day 5: Sunday dinner at Mike's parents' house, a combined celebration of Sherman's and my birthdays (his is the day after mine, and we both turned 23--as did Candice two weeks before, and Liz a few months before that. I love that we're all the same age). Dan and Candice gave me a Borders gift card and $3 to go buy Cheetos. (No, I'm not kidding. They were going to get me some but kept forgetting, so they just gave me the money and told me I had to spend it on that.) Rick, Nathalie, and Anna also gave me a gift card to Borders, so that was basically amazing. Nathalie made me a chocolate cake with whipped cream and strawberries, which was delicious. And Liz and Sherman gave me a gigantic beach bag for when we go to Bear Lake next month. Very fun times.


Day 6: Monday night, when Mike and I went to Borders and I used both my gift cards in one go. I bought Slaughterhouse-Five, The Moon is Down, The Three Musketeers, Dante's Divine Comedy, and I Capture the Castle, and spent three dollars of my own money for them. I love, love, love gift cards to bookstores. :)


Day 7: Megan came down and we went to lunch at Olive Garden! Love that soup, salad, and breadsticks. So she brought me a present (a lovely book called Kabul Beauty School which looks fascinating, and some cute earrings) and bought me lunch, and we had a lovely talk and it was fun.


So! That's about it. I had not realized how many different celebrations we had! It was a really good birthday and I would like to thank everyone for my presents. Yay for another year and another candle on the cake!

I Freakin Love This Commercial

Always Trust the White Squirrel

I have little to offer by way of explanation. This is a PostSecret from this week. The title of my blog is the title that came up when I saved the picture. I have no idea what it means.

Not as funny as it sounds... but still funny.

Scientists find monkeys who know how to fish

By MICHAEL CASEY, AP Environmental Writer Tue Jun 10, 7:27 AM ET

BANGKOK, Thailand - Long-tailed macaque monkeys have a reputation for knowing how to find food — whether it be grabbing fruit from jungle trees or snatching a banana from a startled tourist.

Now, researchers say they have discovered groups of the silver-haired monkeys in Indonesia that fish.

Groups of long-tailed macaques were observed four times over the past eight years scooping up small fish with their hands and eating them along rivers in East Kalimantan and North Sumatra provinces, according to researchers from The Nature Conservancy and the Great Ape Trust.

The species had been known to eat fruit and forage for crabs and insects, but never before fish from rivers.

"It's exciting that after such a long time you see new behavior," said Erik Meijaard, one of the authors of a study on fishing macaques that appeared in last month's International Journal of Primatology. "It's an indication of how little we know about the species."

questions!

Do you like blue cheese?
makes me gag.

Do you own a gun?
nope. neither does my dad, incidentally, but he gets mail from the NRA alll the time.

What flavor do you add to your drink at Sonic?
I'm not sure I know what this question is asking... the only thing I get there is the Sunshine smoothie. mmmm good.

Do you get nervous before doctor appointments?
yeah, as much about making the appointment as about actually going.

What do you think of hot dogs?
I like them. You just have to ignore where they came from. (I'm keeping what Lindsey said. it sums it up perfectly. also I don't like ketchup anywhere else but I can't eat hot dogs without it.)

Favorite Christmas movie?
It's a Wonderful Life

What do you prefer to drink in the morning?
water.

Can you do push ups?
some. not very well.

What’s your favorite piece of jewelry?
my wedding ring (yes, it's still a fake one) and the necklace that says my name in Hebrew.

Favorite hobby?
reading, giant journaling, playing the piano.

Do you have A.D.D.?
nope.

What’s one trait you hate about yourself?
it's still pretty hard for me to talk to people I don't know.

Middle name?

Kayla, after my great grandmother.

Name 3 thoughts at this exact moment:
my back hurts a little bit. (I'm lying on my stomach on the bed typing.)

I need to get a job.

I want a new phone.

Name 3 things you bought yesterday?
we bought groceries, so... cream cheese, lactose-free milk, and 20 yogurts (they were 10 for $3).

Name 3 drinks you regularly drink?
water, sometimes whatever juice Mike made that day (the guy's obsessed).

Current worry?
finding a job, particularly one that pays well and doesn't suck.

Current hate right now?
job hunting.

Favorite place to be?
somewhere outside with Mike. every year this weather reminds me why I love Provo. (and then around October I remember why I hate it.)

How did you bring in the New Year?
um... I can't remember. I was in Texas, so probably having a dance party with my family.

Where would you like to go?
home, Europe, Disneyland.

Do you own slippers?
not really, but I'm the only one who ever wears Mike's, so they're kind of mine.

What song makes you happy?
the song the lemurs sing on Madagascar

What year would you go back in time to?
maybe 1985 to see what my parents were like when they first got married, and when I was born.

Can you whistle?
nope. sometimes I can make the noise, but I can't carry a tune with it.

Favorite color?
green, then blue.

Would you be a pirate?

no, they always look dirty. also I'm afraid of the ocean.

What songs do you sing in the shower?
I only sing in the shower if I'm listening to music, in which case I sing along.

Favorite girl’s name.
Brooklyn.

Favorite boy’s name?
Michael.

What's in your pocket right now?
there are no pockets on my person at the moment.

Last thing that made you laugh?
watching Madagascar.

Last thing that made you cry?
I had kind of a weird breakdown yesterday where I was crying about lots of things, so... that.

Worst injury you’ve ever had?

I haven't ever had really serious injuries, and I think all the worst have been to my legs, particularly my ankles. I've sprained my right ankle a few times, scraped all the skin (down to the bone) off my left ankle in a bike accident, burned my foot on a lawnmower, and cut myself really deep shaving in two different places (all of them left scars except the sprains).

Do you love where you live?
sometimes. most of you probably know, but Provo and I have a love-hate relationship.

How many TVs do you have in your house?
two.

How many dogs do you have?
none, but I'm hoping we will soon!

What is your favorite book(s)?
I cannot possibly narrow that down enough right now... a few of the favorites, though, are:

The Phantom Tollbooth

Twilight

the Narnia books

the Harry Potter books

the Chronicles of Prydain

Tess of the d'Urbervilles

The Kitchen God's Wife

Ivanhoe

A Wrinkle in Time

the Georgia Nicolson books

Things Fall Apart

What is your favorite candy?
Dove chocolate, Snickers, Almond Joy, peanut/almond M&Ms.

Favorite Sports Team(s)?
the Dallas Mavericks.

Your favorite meal?
oh geez, I'm way too fat to pick one. probably one of the potato casseroles my mom always made, which I have just decided I need to make very soon. or Hawaiian haystacks, which Mike's mom is making for Sherman's/my combined birthday dinner on Sunday... or spaghetti, that's always good. pretty much most pasta dishes. I've also come to love steak in the past year, which I never did before. steak and potatoes, yum yum, especially with broccoli on the side. mmm.

What were you doing 12 AM last night?
reading in bed.

What was the first thing you thought of when you woke up?
hey, Mike's not snoring! :P

Do you have any odd habits?
many.

How much time do you have?
too much! I reallllly need to find a job.

How many siblings do you have?

five plus six (soon to be seven) in-laws.

and we have a candidate

Clinton suspends campaign, endorses Obama

I was pretty sure it would turn out like this, but I have to admit I was a little sad when it did. I do like Obama, and I definitely prefer him over McCain, but I was rooting for Hillary.

Um....

Eagle wounded by poacher gets new beak, new look

By NICHOLAS K. GERANIOS, Associated Press Writer 26 minutes ago

ST. MARIES, Idaho - More than three years after a poacher shot off her upper beak, a bald

eagle named Beauty can finally live up to her name — with the help of volunteers. A team attached an artificial beak to the 15-pound eagle in mid-May, improving her appearance and, more importantly, helping her grasp food.

"She's got a grill," joked Nate Calvin, the Boise engineer who spent 200 hours designing the complex beak.

The "grill" was exposed when a bit of the synthetic beak broke off during application. But the new beak is only a temporary fix, designed to nail down precise measurements.

A final beak made of tougher material will be created and attached later, though her saviors don't plan to release her back into the wild. They say that she has spent too much time with humans that the final beak will still not be strong enough to tear flesh from prey.

But getting this artificial beak now was key to Beauty's survival. A wild eagle that must be hand-fed by humans would eventually have to be euthanized, especially since her life span could run four more decades, said Jane Fink Cantwell, who took Beauty to her raptor recovery center in Idaho two years ago.

The bird was found in 2005 scrounging for food and slowly starving at a landfill in Alaska. A bullet had taken from her curved upper beak, leaving her tongue and sinuses exposed, with a stump useless for grasping food. Cantwell said eating with her beak was like using one chopstick.

She also had trouble drinking and couldn't preen her feathers.

Beauty was taken to a bird recovery center in Anchorage, where she was hand-fed while her caretakers waited in vain for a new beak to grow. Cantwell in 2007 agreed to take the eagle to her Birds of Prey Northwest ranch. Every day she used tongs to feed Beauty food, such as strips of salmon.

During a speaking engagement in Boise, she met Calvin, who offered to design an artificial beak.

"As an engineer, as a human being first, I was interested in helping it out," Calvin said.

Molds were made of the remaining beak and scanned into a computer so the artificial beak could be created accurately.

The nylon-composite beak will help the bird drink and grip food.

Some critics question such an extraordinary effort to save one bird that is no longer on the endangered species list. But Cantwell pointed out that Beauty has the potential to breed or be a foster mother to orphaned eagles.

Cantwell also plans to use the bird at lectures around the country to teach people not to shoot at raptors.

The procedure took place in the garage of Cantwell's neighbor, in front of reporters and guests.

Beauty was laid on her back, fully conscious, with a ribbon of veterinary wrap around her wings. Her talons were wrapped in a leather strap.

"Everybody better be still and quiet," Cantwell told visitors. "Let's be mindful she's a nervous, wild animal."

A gold and titanium pin was glued to the remnant of her upper beak to serve as the guide for sliding the artificial beak into place.

The volunteers moved slowly and talked softly as they slipped the beak on and off, making minor adjustments. A grinder, sander and scissors were used to trim both the artificial beak and the existing remnant of upper beak. The bird sometimes nipped harmlessly at their hands.

About an hour and a half into the procedure, Beauty lurched upright and spread her wings, snapping the wrap. She hovered above the table, screeching, with Cantwell and the other handler holding the leather straps.

After a couple of minutes, they calmed the eagle and got her back onto the table, then completed the procedure.

The Boeing Co. and a maker of synthetic skin in California have volunteered to help make the permanent beak.

After the surgery, Cantwell cradled the eagle and prepared to return Beauty to her aviary, saying: "The eagle has landed, and she has a beak."

Love It.

“Why I love women’s bodies”
By Christine M. Coppa
Tall, short, plump or petite, one thing is universal—no matter what a woman’s shape, there’s a man out there who’ll appreciate it! To prove our point, listen to what these guys have to say, and feel your confidence soar… no matter what your body type.

The pleasure of plus
“My wife is plus-size — and it’s a plus in every aspect of the word — especially when it comes to spooning.”
– Anthony Abruccio, 39, Brooklyn, NY

Stay strong
“I like muscles! My girl’s arms are cut, toned and sexy—and I love when she wraps ’em around me.”
– Carl Steir, 31, Clifton, NJ

Boyish bodies rock!
“I’m not lusting after the classic Playboy centerfold. My girlfriend is a 32A, and I love when she goes braless—especially in a clingy tank-top.”
– Dan Cooke, 24, Asotin, WA

Muscles, schmuscles…
“My girl’s middle is soft and luscious and every time she complains about it, I hug her belly. I love that part of her body best—it’s so womanly.”
– Roger Abrams, 31, Browning, MO

Short and sweet
“Everyone thinks tall models are so glamorous, but my fiancée is just five feet tall. It’s so adorable when she stands on her tippy-toes to kiss me.”
– Josh Cooper, 29, New York, NY

On the lean and narrow
“I’ve dated women of all shapes, sizes and races. I’m engaged to a tomboy with narrow hips and pin-thin legs. It’s all good!”
– Josh Wood, 31, Houston, TX

When thin isn’t in
“I used to date a dieter. She obsessed over everything she ate and was depressed every single time she looked in the mirror. My new girlfriend loves to eat and bake. She’s not thin or heavy. She’s healthy, and I’m happy!”
– Matt Magino, 29, Brick, NJ

Bathing beauty
“I met my current girlfriend last summer. She’s plus-size, but was romping around on the beach in a bikini. There was something very confident and free in the way she moved. She didn’t cover up or hide anything, and there was this fresh air about her that I really fell for.”
– Anthony Douglas, 28, Mission Viejo, CA


In case you're wondering, yes--the phrase "romping around on the beach" IS one of the reasons I loved this article. The other is that it's the kind of thing all women need to hear once in a while. I wanted to hug each of those guys as I read their statements.

post the 200th

And here it is! The infamous 200th commemorative post!

Haha here's a story. Just now, when I was trying to write "And here it is!", I accidentally selected ctrl A instead of shift A and deleted this ENTIRE LIST! Which I have been working on for at least a week. Thank heavens for ctrl Z.

K so here it is. For the record, I created a bunch of top 5 lists, but they don't add up to 200 or anything... So yes. That's all.

British actors

5. Hugh Grant

4. Ewan McGregor

3. Emma Thompson

2. Christian Bale (ok he was born in Wales, but I'm counting it)

1. Alan Rickman

movies in which I actually liked an actor I usually find annoying

(in order of how much I liked the movie, not how much the actor generally annoys me)

5. Spanglish--Adam Sandler

4. Elizabethtown--Kirsten Dunst

3. The Guardian--Ashton Kutcher

2. She's the Man--Amanda Bynes

1. The Holiday--Jack Black/Cameron Diaz

movies I can watch over and over again (and I can't put them in order)

Beauty and the Beast

Love Actually

Hairspray

Pride & Prejudice (A&E)

the Music Man

movies I LOVE but can't see too often

the Holiday

the Golden Compass

the First Wives' Club
Sleeping Beauty
Lord of the Rings

movies I don't know why we own

Anchorman

Anger Management

Grind (a skateboarding movie)

The Simpsons Movie

Girls Just Want to Have Fun

movies I didn't want to see but now I'm glad I did

5. I Am Legend

4. Fearless

3. The Bourne Identity

2. In Her Shoes
1. 16 Blocks

movies that were a waste of my life

5. Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom

4. The Dukes of Hazzard

3. Ghost Rider
2. Just Friends

1. Talladega Nights

children's books (series)

Prydain Chronicles, Lloyd Alexander

Chronicles of Narnia, C.S. Lewis

A Wrinkle in Time (and the others), Madeline L'Engle
The Phantom Tollbooth, Norman Juster

Harry Potter, J.K. Rowling
adolescent books (series)

the Georgia Nicolson books, Louise Rennison

the Gemma Doyle Trilogy, Libba Bray

His Dark Materials, Philip Pullman

the Truth About Forever, Sarah Dessen

Twilight-Eclipse, Stephenie Meyer

female actors

5. Lauren Graham

4. Julie Andrews

3. Julia Roberts

2. Sandra Bullock

1. Nicole Kidman

male actors

5. Christian Bale

4. Michael Caine

3. Alan Rickman

2. Jimmy Stewart

1. John Cusack

TV shows

5. the Nanny

4. Friends

3. What Not to Wear

2. Gilmore Girls

1. the Office

bands

5. Panic! at the Disco (I refuse to take the exclamation point out even though they did)

4. Fall Out Boy

3. My Chemical Romance

2. Coldplay

1. Muse


places I want to visit

5. New York City

4. the UK

3. Italy

2. Vienna

1. Israel

games to play

5. Buzzword

4. Monopoly

3. speed Scrabble

2. Settlers of Catan

1. Risk (Lord of the Rings edition)

blog posts I've written

5. Thursday, February 21, 2008

4. Things to Postpone Getting Back to Work. Volume One.

3. I Love Blogging

2. Thanksgiving at Home!

1. Parking 101: The Yellow Lines are Your Friends

blog posts my friends have written

--based on how long it took me to go through my own posts and decide on which ones were my top 5, I have decided that I can't write this list. maybe someday.--

Disney (/Pixar) movies

5. High School Musical

4. Sleeping Beauty

3. Finding Nemo

2. Aladdin

1. Beauty and the Beast

words of which I have an irrational hatred (also known as scare-quote words)

5. "bodice"

4. "fester"

3. "moist"

2. "supple"

1. "flesh"

songs I associate with certain people

(for the record, I'm not including Mike's and my songs cause I think those are kind of a given; and also these are in no particular order)

• Green Eyes, Coldplay--Megan
• Maxwell's Silver Hammer, the Beatles--Lindsey
• Some Kind of Friend, Barry Manilow--my sisters (because we used to choreograph dances when we were little, and we had an amazing one to this song)
• Janet, the Format--Mandy and Megan
• Hard to Say I'm Sorry--my parents (it's their song)

OCD-like tendencies

5. inability to watch movies without a laptop and IMDB

4. categorizing my books, but alphabetizing my movies

3. eating candy by color (particularly M&Ms, Skittles, and Smarties)

2. playing the piano in the air to whatever tune I'm hearing/is stuck in my head

1. air-typing (it's hard to explain but it's actually exactly what it sounds like)

favorite giant journal pages I've done

(this one is a top 8 list)