mrs. meleggan

Random Question Tag

2011-08-25T14:11:00.000-07:00

Oh, hi. I really DO exist! There's this random tag going around some places on the internet. And well, here I am, nothing to do (except clean the apartment), so let's do this!

#1. What's a nickname only your family calls you?
Nothing too fancy-- Megs.
#2. What's a weird habit of yours?
Quadruple checking to see if I locked the car or not. Luckily, my new car honks to let me know I did.
#3. Do you have any weird phobias?
Someone scaring me while I blow dry my hair. I always dry it with the bathroom door shut.
#4. What's a song you secretly LOVE to blast & belt out when you're alone?
Cascada dance music. Or silly things like Christmas music or the Fiddler on the Roof soundtrack.
#5. What's one of your biggest pet peeves?
Bad driving. Seriously. I try so hard to drive well. And others are just so completely careless. Drives me nuts in the Bay Area, especially.
#6. What's one of your nervous habits?
Avoiding eye contact. Nervous giggles. the usual.
#7. What side of the bed do you sleep on?
The right side
#8. What was your first stuffed animal & it's name?
Not a clue. But I had a giant doll that I think we called Megan. Fancy that!
#9. What's the drink you order at starbucks?
Well, I work there. So I get different things. But mostly, either iced or hot black tea. Or chai lattes. Lately, it's been hot Awake (black) tea every morning.
#10. What's the beauty rule you preach.. but never ACTUALLY practice?
Wearing SPF. I have tons of SPF products for my face/body to protect me. But only wear it 1/2 the time.
#11. Which way do you face in the shower?
Every which way. Except towards the back wall, I suppose.
#12. Do you have any 'weird' body 'skills'?
David thinks it's cool that I can raise each eyebrow, one at a time. But I don't think that is too unique. I can do that Elvis lip thing too.
#13. What's your favorite 'comfort food'/food thats 'bad' but you love to eat it anyways?
My name is Megan, and I like pizza.
#14. What's a phrase or exclamation you always say?
"My goodness!"
#15. Time to sleep- what are you ACTUALLY wearing?
Tank top & leggings, hair pulled atop me head.

Summer Uniform

2011-07-12T10:02:00.000-07:00

Please excuse the fuzzy pixely photo. My first time doing this.

This Summer I've been wearing nearly the same thing every day. Comfortable shoes, breezy dresses & shirts, simple jewelry, and fitted blazers. Where I live in the Bay Area it is actually mostly sunny. And considering we're only about 10 minutes away from complete cloud cover it's been a pretty awesome sunshine-y Summer. Here's what I call my Summer Uniform:

1. I have a white cotton/linen dress I got from Target. Here is something similar.

Also, I've been wearing my Converse shoes non-stop.

2. Goodwill has treated me well and spoiled me with a perfect pinstripe blazer from a no-name brand. Here is an adorable one from Zara.

3. Remember that bow belt I was adoring awhile back? I found mine at Asos!

4. Forever21 has cheap jewelry that I just throw on with anything.

5. My new favorite shirt on clearance at Old Navy. I wore it 3x last week....

6. Any pair of old skinny jeans rolled up just a bit. Makes me feel like I should be camping or gardening. And I kind of love that.

What's your favorite thing to wear in the Summer?

Clothing inspiration

2011-05-15T20:34:00.000-07:00

Here's a quick list of styles I'm inspired by at the moment. I've really enjoyed window shopping, then shopping my own stash of clothes for much cheaper. Most of the time I'm stuck in my work uniform of black, khaki and white. So I love seeing such feminine touches on casual clothing.

Calf-length ballerina skirt with the light brown leather bow belt.

Leather shoulder bag, shorts, tan legs, heels

Printed maxi dress, long dark hair

Scallop-edged dress in one of my favorite colors

New Ride

2011-05-06T10:16:00.000-07:00

Two weeks ago David and I got a new car. Well, new to us! And maybe it is more mine than his; as in, I drive it everyday. So I got a new car. But anyway, goodbye 2002 Ford Escort. Hello (!) 2008 Saturn Vue Hybrid! We surprised my family with the new purchase over Easter weekend on our trip to Angels Camp and home.

I had the Escort since I was 16. And, as the oldest in my group of friends, I was usually the driver. Until they turned 16 anyway. Any favorite memories in my old car, ladies? An ode to Lucy/Candy Shop?

Adele

2011-04-26T00:04:00.000-07:00

Let me just say... I was not a fan of Chasing Pavements. But now? Dang! Obsessed with Adele. More specifically, Set Fire to the Rain. And Someone Like You. And probably every other song off the album 21.

And look at this gorgeous face! And huge golden hair. Beauteous.

And by no means do I have the rights to these photos. I don't remember where I found them.

So, take a ride in my car, and her album is what you will hear. Take a ride in David's, and it's nonstop Mumford & Sons. We'll probably switch CDs eventually. :)

Spring and Summer: Nail Polish

2011-04-25T22:13:00.001-07:00

Even though I am currently employed at a place that does not allow nail polish, I have my favorites. I'll paint my nails for 24 hours and scrub it off to go into work. Or paint my toe nails for a little cheer up. Here's a list of my favorite Spring/Summer colors:

Essie's Van D'Go
A creamy peachy pink. Was part of some collection last year. Not sure if it is part of their permanent line.

Essie's Topless & Barefoot
A creamy neutral nude. Honestly, not my favorite formula. But once I'm able to slap it all on, it looks so good with my skin tone. Part of a current collection.

China Glaze's Something Sweet
A creamy baby pink. I wore this color on Easter. China Glaze has my favorite nail polish formula; whatever it is. Not gloopy or sheer like Essie can be.

China Glaze's Purple Panic
A neon pinky-purple. The finish is listed as "neon," which somehow means it is semi-matte. I finish this one off with a clear top coat, otherwise it looks a little weird. The best summer toe color.

OPI's Hey! Get in Lime!
A creamy pale green with a bit of blue in it. More green than "Tiffany blue." This one doesn't even look that great with my skin tone. But I just love it too much and wear it a ton!

Obviously, my favorite nail polish finish is cream. It's classic; grown up. I'm totally the kind to do a boring taupe on my nails and glitterbomb my toe nails. But tomorrow is my day off... and even if sunshine is not in the forecast, bright nail polish sure is!

Fresno memories

2011-02-06T13:24:00.000-08:00

One of my many fond Fresno memories includes my brother James, Gramma Nadine, and an hour or two of put-put golf. I don't really know for sure how often we went. But as a kid, it felt like every time we stayed at Gramma Nadine's, we were treated to an awesome evening of miniature golf at Blackbeard's. Every once in awhile in the summer, we'd get to go to their water slides, but James and I mostly died to go play golf with our grandma. She'd blast baseball on the radio and drive on the little reflective bumps in the road on our way. James and I sat like angels in the car as we made our 3-mile trek. Once inside, with putters in hand and multi-colored golf balls on AstroTurf, it was ON. And Gramma usually got better scores than us... winning free slurpees or 5 extra prize tickets. Along with darts, wheelbarrow races, picking oranges, watching cable television, playing with her make up, watching her eat (she takes forever!), eating peanut m&m's, or rummaging through Uncle Richard's and mom's old toys, etc, etc; playing miniature golf with Gramma is one of the fondest memories I have with her.

David and I played miniature golf last night at a place in Redwood City called Malibu Grand Prix. And although it was pretty fun... I don't think it compares to how awesome Gramma Nadine made it for me and James.

Where are Nick and Mike in these memories!?

Hm...Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to call my loving gramma and tell her hello!! :)

Golden Globe Fashion Favorite

2011-01-20T16:06:00.000-08:00

I actually watched the Golden Globes this year. I probably turn it on every year, but hardly ever pay attention. Ricky Gervais was pretty funny, so I watched and laughed along the way... and changed the channel to E! during acceptance speeches (because they're awkward! & because E! was live and NBC was not).

My favorite dresses were from Amber Riley and Emma Stone. Amber's reminded me of my wedding shoes! And Emma's dress is like a t-shirt dress done absolutely right. I just plain loved it! And I not-so-secretly wish I could have Claire Danes' blond hair.

My least favorite was Angelina Jolie's. And not even because I don't like her.

Colin Firth wins for my favorite male of the night. Simply because he makes nearly every woman swoon and think of Mr. Darcy. And I instantly added The King's Speech to our Netflix Queue.

Who were your faves? Do you even care? I'm surprised I did.

Emma Watson

2010-11-17T14:58:00.000-08:00

My goodness! Emma Watson is stunning with her new hair cut. She blows Audrey Hepburn and Mia Farrow out of the water.

In a similar vein, anyone excited for Harry Potter 7 (pt 1)???? I am!

Halloween

2010-11-01T21:43:00.000-07:00

Halloween is over! Hip Hip Hooray! It's time for Christmas music and sparkly things. Here's what Dave and I carved up for our Halloween. Dave thinks mine looks like a [South Park] Canadian Jack Skellington. His is just cuuuute.

The pumpkins reflecting off the front window

The Holidays

2010-10-28T11:49:00.000-07:00

This year will truly be a first for us Gallaghers. Thanksgiving and Christmas in our little home. I've become accustomed to driving 4+ hours to visit my family to spend Thanksgiving morning turning over sugary gooey yams. Christmas Eve in the living room listening to Bing Crosby or watching movies like Muppet Christmas Carol. But this year, it's not going to be the same. We used up our vacation for the wedding and honeymoon and will truly spend our first Christmas together, without enormous family dinners and the smell and warmth of the wood stove.

For Thanksgiving, David's mom and sister will be at our apartment. I'll likely be working in the morning, but still be able to cook up my grandmother's buttery, brown sugar yams before the afternoon dinner. And maybe we'll use the handy-dandy crock pot to cook our turkey to perfection. It's going to be delicious, and with loving family.

Christmas is up in the air. We know we'll be here. Possibly by ourselves, without family. I may need a couple Skype dates with you all. At least we have that.

For now, I'm comforting myself with the sounds of Mannheim Steamroller, a spice cake candle, and maybe I'll get Dave to watch White Christmas with me before Thanksgiving!

Highlights of Semi-Recent Months

2010-09-23T11:22:00.001-07:00

Now that the wedding is over, I have free time to enjoy my days off instead of stressing over tiny details of wedding woes. It's been a busy Summer, but somewhere in there, I had time to enjoy a few bits of family and friends.

A visit from my brother Michael while he was in California for a friend's wedding. I only had one day off, but drove 5 hours to spend all day with him and drive back just in time for work.

My birthday weekend in May was spent renting a Camaro and driving to San Diego. Ahhhhh loved it.

In July, my Aunt threw a bridal shower for me in Fresno. The only photo I caught was one with me and Grandma Nadine. Such a sweet day for both of us.

David and I ventured over to Sacramento and paid a visit to the California State Railroad Museum. A place my family and I visited many times before with my Dad, a train lover.

The weekend before my wedding was spent in Sunny, hot, sweaty Bakersfield with my family and friends for a quick minute. My girlfriends threw a lovely shower filled with laughter.

My summer ended a month early with the most beautiful August wedding.
(No bias here)
I married the sweetest man and spent a busy 10 days in San Diego and a week in glorious, surprisingly sunny, Washington.

Makeup Storage

2010-09-23T11:02:00.000-07:00

In response to my friend's post a few weeks ago, I decided to share my makeup storage. It isn't nearly as cute as Vanessa's, but it works for what I have!

$5 plastic drawers & place mat from Target. Furniture from IKEA. Vase, mug and jar used for brushes. To keep the brushes sticking straight up in the large vase, I used vase filler from Michael's.

Hitched!

2010-09-15T16:17:00.000-07:00

So, we did it! Our wedding came and went in a flash. Here it is in a very small nutshell:

One of our welcome signs made by my sister-in-law Lena

Our "first look" before the ceremony

One of our centerpiece flower arrangements. My rustic weeds!
During the ceremony with Uncle Richard

With my beautiful bridesmaids in gray

The Walker side of the family
The Gallagher/Painter side of the family
The new part of my family!
We got to cut our last-minute delicious lemon cake. Though, did I even have time to eat it? No.
And we cried. Like babies. A lot.
My dance with sweet Daddy
The best jig partner you could ask for
And the best brothers in the world.
Thanks to all who were a part of our special day. We love you!

Face of the Day

2010-07-27T16:15:00.000-07:00

I thought it might be fun to share with y'all what I slap on my face on a [near] daily basis. So, snoop on, my friends! Better yet, share yours!

Maybelline Pure Cover Mineral concealer. It's just the only one I own. Don't really have an opinion on its quality.

Maybelline Dream SMOOTH Mousse Foundation

This is my new favorite thing in my collection. But I think you have to have the right brush with it. I use the equivalent of a MAC 188 brush.

Maybelline Dream Matte Powder. I just now realized I use all Maybelline for my face. And I spelled Maybelline wrong every sing time I typed it and had to change it. Aye! Anyway, I use this with a giant soft powder brush.

MAC Powder Blush. The color "Coygirl" is shown. Everyday the color changes. This is just one of my faves. It isn't as purple as the picture shows.

The eyeshadows I use every day changes as well. But my favorites are from NYX cosmetics or MAC. NYX shadows are about $3 while MAC's are $10-14, depending on packaging. I just mostly use 3 varied neutral shades.

Covergirl Lash Blast Mascara.... the one in the orange tube. I hate the purple one. And don't use the waterproof stuff (makes your eyelashes fall out!).
OR I use L'Oreal Voluminous Mascara.

Then I also fill in my sparse eyebrows with a brown eyeshadow, and line my eyes like a stinkin' raccoon with Milani Liquif'eye and Maybelline Line Stiletto liners.

It seems like a lot, writing it out. But takes about 10 minutes to do... and it's my current hobby!

Jetta love

2010-07-17T17:04:00.000-07:00

My brother Mike recently linked to an article about living a thrifty lifestyle while still getting what you want. In the article, the man wrote about wanting something because you tried it for a short time. i.e., I really want a VW Jetta now because I had a rental for two weeks. I was content with my car. It works and gets me places! But now I've indulged in one of my dream cars and feel like I can't look back. That car was perfection. Except for the fact that I can't get over the maintenance of VW cars. So unless Dave gets himself the VW Golf, Toureag or Eos of his dreams, I don't see one in my owning-of-a-car future. I'll stick with economy and function.

TOMS

2010-06-27T14:15:00.000-07:00

Meet my wedding shoes:

Eeeeeee! I can't wait!!
David and I are pretty much constantly whistling this tune.

My Day Off

2010-06-24T11:18:00.000-07:00

On my days off, I usually sleep in, bake something and go out for a little shopping trip. Yesterday I made some lemon bars and ventured onto Kohl's to look at the clearance racks. I left empty handed. While leaving the parking lot, my car got hurt! The car in front of me mistakenly reversed into mine while we exited the parking lot. My reaction was just *well, let's pull over and get this taken care of* And it didn't really click until talking to David that I was upset about it. For now, we're just moving forward and doing what we have to do. Everyone is physically fine, so, good news there! Now I'm off to work, driving slowly, with my crooked hood.

Kate Miller Heidke

2010-06-22T23:06:00.000-07:00

A month ago I went to see Ben Folds with my brother James and fiance David. His opener was Kate Miller Heidke and her husband Keir Nuttal. They are from Brisbane, Australia...She is classically trained...throws in a bit of 'opera'-esque sounds... He just rocks on guitar... and I love them! Every moment of that night was perfection.
Ben ended his portion with Keir playing Wipeout. Here's my video of it:

Yesterday, while perusing the internet, an ad popped up saying Kate had a show here in San Francisco TOMORROW! (Thank you, AdSense?) I bought two tickets immediately. Dave and I went tonight. She did a rendition of Britney Spears' Toxic and had us smiling from ear to ear. Look her up! Love her!
:)

This is one of my favorite songs from her. It's about people being sad that they didn't live in the '60's and just need to get over it!

First Look: Thoughts?

2010-05-18T19:00:00.000-07:00

We're starting to think about the time line of the wedding day and how little pieces fit together. One thing I have discovered on the blogs I read is the "first look" before the wedding ceremony. My brother and sister in law N & R took photos before the ceremony with family and wedding party. My brother and sister in law M & M did not see each other at all and we all made great efforts to keep it that way.

I tried doing a bit of research and all I found was that the custom of not seeing each other may have come from arranged marriages. It was considered bad luck to see each other before the ceremony. Someone also wrote that the groom wouldn't back out of the marriage if they didn't see each other until the veil was lifted. Hmm...

For me, what it comes down to is which moment is more special for us? Is it seeing each other at the end of an aisle at the beginning of the ceremony, or taking a private moment (with photographer) to be excited beforehand and gab about how good we both look. Right now it's a toss-up.

I need to know... What are your thoughts? How have you envisioned your own first-look moment?

Here are some blogs for thought:
AmyJean
A Cup of Jo
Two Pair Photography

Wedding Inspiration

2010-05-06T09:18:00.000-07:00

I think I've found a great collection of wedding inspirations. I spent hours before work yesterday browsing the 23 pages of this blog. It's called Pretty Chicky. Some posts are simply great photos and others break down each budget detail of real weddings.

Another DIY life-saver website? http://www.marthastewartweddings.com
From cakes to decorations, it is ALL there! I can't deny my infatuation with all things Martha.

Wedding Flowers

2010-03-31T11:20:00.001-07:00

We're finally working hard on little bits and pieces of everything wedding. Lately I've been trying to get inspiration photos for bouquets & table centerpieces. I also scoured Joanna's blog for tips and tricks from her own wedding planning and this(click there) is one of my favorites so far. I don't want the flowers at our wedding to be too perfect. It should feel rustic and beautiful on its own. Here are some inspiration photos I've gathered so far.
What are your thoughts on wedding flowers?

You're a Lush!

2010-03-09T21:56:00.000-08:00

I ventured down to San José today to the Westfield Valley Fair mall, accidentally stumbling upon the Winchester Mystery House. Unfortunately I was alone and didn't feel that a trip to a local haunt was in order. I made my way into the enormous shopping center feeling overwhelmed and wanting to leave ASAP. I am a woman who loves to shop. But mall crowds and no clearance racks? I'm outta here. But then-- just around the corner-- a green and yellow sign catches my eye. A Lush Cosmetics store? Here? In San José?! Señor GoogleMaps didn't notify me of this!

I heard of Lush from the ladies on YouTube. The ones that got me into this whole makeup obsession. They always have huge "Lush Hauls," bringing home a TON of soaps, shampoos, bubble bars, massage bars, etc. I had never been in a store before and certainly didn't know how expensive anything was. The salesman helped me around the store and did a demonstration of their bubble bars. He even said, "Girls come in here all the time saying they want a demonstration because they heard about it on YouTube. Little teens demanding I show them how to use these things." (HA! I didn't tell him I was one of them. He offered to give a

demonstration, anyhow. Embarrassed and cracked me up all the same).

I walked out having spent too much money on a tub of shampoo ...and I, not-so-secretly, can't wait to use it!

What Season is it Now?

2010-03-08T22:31:00.000-08:00

I seem to only write about seasons changing and weather annoyances. But here's an exciting season of fatty goodness! It is time to scout your local soliciting areas and hope for some

Samoas, Tagalongs, Thin Mints and Do-Si-Dos. Girl Scouts!! My lovely bought me a box... and it's gonna me last a long while at 75cals/cookie. What is your favorite? Have you tried their ice cream versions?

Redwood Forests

2010-02-15T19:47:00.000-08:00

Dave and I decided to escape for a quick second to the Redwoods of California. Have you ever driven through a tree? We did! Twice! Here's a look at the people driving through behind us:

And here's what it's like on the inside:
Oooohhh! Ahhhh! It was kind of a cheesy experience. And probably not worth driving 150+ miles for. But it was wonderful going through the city streets of San Francisco to the quiet forests of Northern California with my fiancé on Valentine's Day.

Valentine's Day

2010-02-11T20:44:00.000-08:00

(I'll admit- I found the following quote and reference on Wikipedia.)

For this was on seynt Volantynys day
Whan euery bryd comyth there to chese his make.
Geoffrey Chaucer, Parlement of Foules, 1382.

Reading Chaucer is fun! Ha. Ha. Ha. No, really; it's difficult. But, it is exactly the type of language that tugs on my linguistic heart strings and shows the transitions languages go through.

That's not the point here, though, is it? I'm here to wish you a Happy Valentine's Day! To me, it's more like another Thanksgiving than a day of eating candies and receiving flowers. It's a day to send my love to all of you, my friends and family. It's a day to enjoy time with those around me. And, as I requested the day off work, it will be a day to spend time with my fiancé. So do yourself a favor-- give someone an unexpected hug, make your own cards, pick your own flowers and bake your loved ones some dark chocolate brownies.

love love
Megan

Mrs. To-Be

2010-01-05T13:52:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year, Ya'll!
I hope everyone had a great Christmas and New Year's Eve/Day. I was able to spend loads of time with family at Disneyland, an evening with my favorite girls, and a day or two of Christmas at home. I then returned to San Francisco for a few days of work and had my first fantastic New Year's Eve!

I had work that evening until 9pm. Dave told me to save room for dinner, as he was preparing something special for us at his place. There were a few hints as to what was about to occur as I walked in the door. His beard was trimmed. Flowers on the table. A glass of wine and a lit candle. (aww). But I didn't think much more of it than any other day. He does sweet things all the time. We feasted on the best tacos I've ever had. And just as we were walking out the door to go to a friend's house, Dave suggested that we write down our new year's resolutions on some index cards. (so that we could rip them up as soon as the resolution is completed). We each wrote down three and shared with each other when we were done. He read his third one last, "Make Megan Joy my wife" and proceeded to do the whole shabang of telling me lovey dovey things, getting on one knee and handing me a ring. I whispered "yes" somewhere in there and cried my eyes out while asking, "Did you ask my dad!?!" And, of course, he had. He went ring shopping with his mom in San Diego in November and kept it all a big secret.

The ring is gorgeous; the moment was perfect & unexpected; and I am ecstatic.
I love my David James.

Here are some photos:

This is David before proposing. I thought he was just taking silly pictures. Turns out it was a legitimate emotion!

Here we are together just moments before... dressed up a little for New Year's Eve.

Me with my perfect ring

And David with the ring he bought himself. :)

Winter Skin!

2009-12-18T11:16:00.000-08:00

It's officially Winter. "Official" because my skin is seriously dry; not because of the date on your iPhone Calendar App. And I am writing this for your advice. I share what I use for my skin and you can share your go-to items!

Face: I was using a moisturizer from Clinique... I was amazed by it at first, but soon realized it did nothing for my skin and made my eyes burn if it got remotely close to them. (It was also too expensive). The other day I bought a Pond's face cream for $5.99 and, hello(!) my face is glowing. :)
Body (but mostly feet & legs): A Body Butter from The Body Shop. Even though I love the scents and packaging of items from Bath & Body Works, it doesn't do anything for my skin. Body Butters work wonders and smell yummy, too.
Lips: A lip balm by Nivea. Smells like nothin', feels like somethin'. Love it.

And favorites I haven't found...
Hands:
Eye Cream:

So let's help each other, friends!! Happy (almost) Winter!!

photo found here

Things I'm Loving...

2009-11-19T16:01:00.000-08:00

It's been chilly in the bay area since November popped in; getting me excited for the weeks ahead. Next week is already Thanksgiving! There have been a few things I just can't get enough of since the cold set in:

Hot tea: I had a cold for awhile and was drinking echinacea tea non-stop. I've been hooked ever since!
Candles: I went to Kohl's the other day and bought a bunch of yummy smelling candles... and now I just want more...
Chunky Sweaters: My sweet boy bought me an awesome sweater when he was in Germany. Now I'm on the hunt for one from America!
Heels: I'm 5'9". And lately, love love loving heels. Hello 6'1"!
My family. But that's pretty much always. Hugs!

I like lists, huh?

Happy Fall!!

Why Makeup is so Cool...

2009-10-14T00:52:00.000-07:00

I just love it. Can't get enough of it. I get inspired by colors; neutral or not. Who knew brown had so much possibility?

Halloween creates a makeup guru frenzy in the YouTube world. This girl is my favorite.

First, she can be Edward Scissorhands:
Second, Tinkerbell:Next, Cleopatra:And then, Tim Burton's Queen of Hearts:....and it goes on and on and on and on and on........
plus she seems to be a good person with an honest heart with life experience to back it up. Inspiring people pass on inspiring thoughts and messages.

Happy Halloween!!!

Power's out!

2009-10-13T22:29:00.000-07:00

The "big" storm of Oct 13th hit! And boy, it was a doozy! It really was not that bad. Yes, there were car accidents and other costly incidents, but compared to the fear that was instilled in the news since last Thursday, it wasn't bad. I felt safe. But maybe that's because I was able to stay off the roads by choice.
I did, however, make a little adventure to one of my local Targets. I live within a mile of TWO. It's a dream come true. No Wal-Marts in sight! (sorry Dad and C. You won't find one when you visit.) After browsing the dollar section for about a minute, the lights went out. Girls were screaming. I laughed out loud. The generater kicked in and dim lights were running. I, along with maybe 5 other people, continued to shop. I didn't risk my life driving a whole mile just to turn around and leave! Target team members used it as an opportunity to roll out the big ones and stock up the shelves. I used it as an opportunity to shop in peace; squinting my eyes as I tried to distinguish the actual color of the object in front of me. I left shortly after with the perfect [on sale] cardigan and a smile on my face. I ain't scared of no storm!

I remember as a kid being stuck in various places during storms... Costco; a long walk home from school; neighbors' front yards; the end of Rancho Sierra during a lightning storm with my best friends; on a drive from the mall in Oklahoma while Grandma worries on the porch of Uncle Jim's.... Weather brings out the memories in me... :)
I'm sure my brother, a power lineman, is lovin' it! <3

Windy Whispers

2009-10-04T00:06:00.000-07:00

photo from Eric_Vondy

I planned on writing about the windy weather of the bay area today. Instead, I was inspired by pictures of dandelions. While on a walk with Dave last month we found a patch of grass right off the bay that was covered in dandelions -- a mini field of wishes. What a philosophical plant; you either see it as a 'field of dreams' or a patch of weeds. I just wonder; does anyone believe in the power of dandelion wishes? Is it just some way of putting your hopes into the universe? Do we remember those wishes when they do or do not come true?
I don't have an answer, but I won't stop trying to get all of the seeds off in one breath any time soon. It's like being in my backyard next to the ol' swing set, wishing for a dachshund puppy from my parents by blowing out a weed. ...Maybe my dreams have changed a bit...

11 Things

2009-09-28T00:19:00.000-07:00

I found this on a popular blog and thought it was simple enough to do myself. These are 11 things about me:

1. Clothes Shop: Gap
2. Furniture Shop: Thrift, Antique, IKEA
3. Sweet: Jill's Lemon bars
4. City: Seattle
5. Drink: Chai latte
6. Music: Ben Folds
7. TV-Series: Gossip Girl. Dick Van Dyke Show
8. Film: Sleepless in Seattle
9. Workout: Window shopping
10. Pastries: Croissant
11. Coffee: Iced espresso with a lil' white mocha or black coffee

I tag: YOU. Do it for kicks!

Hints of Autumn

2009-09-27T23:35:00.000-07:00

According to the calendar, Autumn is officially here. And, even though it hasn't arrived in California, I am welcoming this new season with open arms. A few leaves have turned & I'm excited to experience my first fall in (semi) Northern California. ...I can't wait for the day that I don't bake on the way to my car after work.

Here are some examples of why I love this beautiful season:
1. Falling Leaves (obvious? maybe.)
2. Pumpkin scents & flavors
3. Wearing huge sweatshirts while sipping on hot cider
4. Waking up to the sprinkles of rain
5. Coats, sweaters, scarves, thick fuzzy socks & leather
6. The possibility of retiring my every day worn-out Rainbow flip-flops
7. Family time
8. Visiting my parents & eating their meals cooked from the wood stove
9. Smoky Eyes
10. Weddings! I don't know anyone getting married this fall. But I hope to see photos of an outdoor autumn wedding.

What are you excited about?

My family and friends

2009-09-18T17:47:00.001-07:00

On days where you feel like thinking of nothing, it's great to think of the terrific people you have in your life. Appreciate and love those wonderful human beings.

Rant: Customer Service

2009-09-16T15:26:00.000-07:00

How often have you heard the statement, "I think every one should work in customer service at one point in their lives?" It's something I probably rolled my eyes at when I was a teenager. Yeah, right, why would I work in a restaurant and serve other people? Yet now I find myself wanting to tell the customers that arrive around 3pm at my Starbucks, "Appreciate me!!!" One kid yesterday said to my co-worker, "How come your service is so slow these days?" Are you kidding, kid? Your drink was ordered and made within a minute. Your only wait-time was to pay at the register. I'd rather not stereotype--but I'll just say that most of these teenagers seem to have wealthy families. My store is in a well-off neighborhood. It is one of my biggest hopes to raise a child that has an appreciation for genuine, hard-working people like my co-workers. Please, don't tell us to smile when we've been doing it non-stop for 8 hours. I'm not sorry that my face turns from a smile to a concentrated squint as I make your half-caf, triple-shot, two-pump vanilla, non-fat, extra dry cappuccino. Good day! :)

Blog Stalking

2009-09-15T11:50:00.000-07:00

Yeah, I'll admit it. When Facebook or Twitter get boring or gossip blogs run dry, I check the good ol' blogsphere. As I have nearly nothing to do until work at 4pm, I've been doing my fair share of blog stalking this morning. I think the people who actually read mine know I read theirs also, so it wasn't yours I was stalking. I'm talking about following blog chatter of friends of friends of friends. People I may have heard of (or not), and reading about their lives; engagements, weddings, births, birthdays, what they had for dinner[?]...etc.
My favorite of late is getting the scoop on good yardsale finds from a friend of my brother's.
Who do you secretly, or not so secretly, follow/snoop on?

And, just for kicks, this is an example of the kind of makeup blogs I read. Oh, the horror.

ps: Music players on blogspot are not my favorite. This isn't MySpace, honeys. wink!

Upcoming Weekend

2009-09-04T08:51:00.000-07:00

Not my niece or nephews. Photo found here.

Do you know how much I enjoy being an aunt? If only I had all the time in the world to babysit and help out my brothers and sisters in law. Those kids just light up my life--even Amelie, the youngster I haven't met yet. N&R's L makes an English major proud; using similes, metaphors and large adjectives--at age 2 1/2. The sweetest, most talkative little girl I know. M&M's J-Dog seems to be the sweetest older brother to his newborn Amelie. And I get to see 3 of 5 nieces and nephews this weekend!

We are celebrating Grandma Nadine's 90th birthday. Most of the Dahlstroms and Walkers will reunite! A first since... hm... 2001, I would guess. I've seen Uncle Richard a few times during a visit to San Diego and a visit to Fresno. And N&R have seen some of the family in Fresno on occasion. But we (most of us) will be together at last! We're all grown up now--or at least in process--and I am so excited to spend the weekend with fine people. And possibly live vicariously through their stories of my dream home of the moment: Seattle.Gramma Nadine when she was my age

New Boots

2009-08-19T17:39:00.000-07:00

I forgot to tell the world that I found some leather boots for Fall/Winter! I looked for boots last year, with ONE perfect find. They were Frye boots... beautiful... soft... and expensive. I bought them and returned them within 24 hours. Spending that much money made me anxious! So I've found some slightly worn flat leather boots for under $10 dollars at Goodwill. And I am fully satisfied! I know a lot of people (myself included) wouldn't wear used shoes. But for some reason, I see leather boots as an exception. ...if only I hadn't donated those skinny jeans already...

Hey There, Ho There, How do ya do?

2009-08-18T00:09:00.000-07:00

Goodbye San Diego!

You may have noticed the picture at the top of your screen changed awhile ago. Yes, that is the San Francisco skyline. Yes, I made a big decision to MOVE to the SF Bay Area! It's been a long distance relationship for far too long, and I'm done with college (for now), so it's a great time for ch-ch-ch-changes. I found a place North of Burlingame, where I work, and the town Dave lives in. It has orange carpets and funky light fixtures, but I'm excited to make myself a new room to call home. Once my stuff is all moved in, anyway. Life's a bit chaotic at the moment. Let's update a bit.

Stacie and Zach were married on August 1, 2009 at the Los Angeles LDS temple. And the girls and I all attended the beautiful reception in Bakersfield at the Nichols' home.
Then came back to the city and went out on the town with Dave and his sister Lena, who just left for DE for a year!And in the span of a week, both the boy and I had food poisoning! Or something like that. Awful. Date nights turned into garbage. I haven't eaten out much since. Or eaten much garlic, as mine was after eating at The Stinking Rose. (I do still love that place somewhere deep down). Oh well, all is well now.

The boy has been in Oregon for awhile, visiting with family and doing some work too. Happy birthday to his mama today... or yesterday now!

I don't think Jeff reads this, so he won't be embarrassed that I'm mentioning him. But he's been in and out of the hospital lately after getting tonsils removed... some complications and emergency surgeries. Hoping he feels better soon. Missing my best boy friend! And sad I can't help him.

Soo.. missing my old Starbucks and co-workers like Judy (hi!); though my new co-workers are really great. And it's pretty weird I found a picture of my actual old store:

missing my old roommate:

and, of course, missing that kid I always hung out with:

Enough reminiscing I suppose-- now onto adventures! Come visit! :)

Shopping Strategy

2009-07-16T15:17:00.000-07:00

click
I am usually a thrifty person. I don't settle for full price items. I know that I can get it for cheaper if I wait. Even for things like... Cheez-its. I know how cheap they can be. So I'm not going to buy them if they're more than they should. Mostly though, I apply this to clothes shopping. Especially at places like Gap and Target.
At (The) Gap last fall, I saw a red plaid jacket that I really wanted. Of course I wasn't going to spend over $100 dollars. I waited. It went down to under $100. Still waited. Waited long enough for it to be under $50. And they still had my size. (That's the gamble: sizes). Yeah, I own that now.
Just three weeks ago I was looking for a dress to wear to Stacie's bridal shower. I found a cute one that was $30. I know that's not expensive. But I know it can be cheaper! Three weeks and $12 later, it's mine.

take that!

Mia Farrow

2009-06-06T22:05:00.000-07:00

Soooo Rosemary's Baby is a freakin weird movie... but Mia Farrow's dresses were so pretty! I want to wear cute yellow shift dresses and chop off my hair! That whole baby devil thing; not so much.

Makeup!

2009-06-05T18:42:00.001-07:00

You should probably just ignore this post if you don't care about makeup. I had to share with someone/something about how excited I am about this stuff.
I just really need to dedicate this to the recent gifts and purchases I've received lately! Makeup has really become a hobby that I just can't control.

For my birthday and graduation, Dave got me some amazing gifts. He did his research (even calling my roommate!) to find me the perfect bunch of products.
MAC 224 Tapered Blending Brush
Brush Cleanser
Brush case (holy crap, too expensive!! such soft leather, though!)
2 Shu Uemura brushes
and a MAC powder blush

THENNNNN... I went shopping! We went on a mini road trip and stopped at the outlets. Dave lets me wander around the Cosmetic Company Store rummaging through eye shadows and lip glosses until I find the perfect (for now) color. I got...
two of MAC's mineralized eye shadows. One in "Two to Glow" and another in "Love Connection." And a MAC paint pot in Greenstroke.
And just now I went to Sephora to buy NARS Laguna Bronzer. I can't explain its magic! Really though, it's not just another something among my small collection. I'm pretty sure it is made of Tinkerbell's fairy dust or something.

I also went to Bath & Body Works today. Because, hello? Semi-Annual sale! I only really buy wallflowers (plug-ins) and Slatkin & co. candles during these sales.

Ok. That was enough blabbing! :)

Ben Folds Recap

2009-06-04T01:22:00.001-07:00

I found a video from the show James and I went to at House of Blues, San Diego. James and I were on the general admission floor. basically front row, next to the piano.

Fantastic show. And, as usual at most every show, I felt dehydrated halfway through.

I'll continue updating with my recent shenanigans when I get pictures. I left my camera at Dave's mom's house. Oops! There's a ton to update on.

...and DONE

2009-05-20T13:25:00.000-07:00

My graduation is this Friday.
It will be anti-climactic because I am taking ONE LAST class this summer. But holy cow... I can't wait for graduation.

V-Neck Tees

2009-05-13T11:43:00.000-07:00

I can't tell you how many v-neck tees I have. I could guess maybe hmmmmmm. No. It's pretty much my everyday uniform. V-neck tee and a cardigan. Simple.

These are my go-to v-necks from GAP. SOOOO soft. And right now? SOO cheap!!!
I got two more last week or the week before for 5 bucks each!

What are you sinking about?

2009-05-10T18:04:00.000-07:00

Dave showed this to me years ago. And then we watched it in one of my Linguistics classes last semester. Laugh out loud.

J. Crew Shoes

2009-05-09T19:09:00.000-07:00

I'm a big fan of ballet flats. And moccasins too. I've tried these shoes on at J.Crew before and they're just the best my feet have ever felt. Too bad they're stinking expensive! No way José are these shoes a priority for me! I've got more useful things on my wish list. A girl can dream.

High School

2009-05-08T15:17:00.000-07:00

I don't know if everyone's classes were like mine in high school, but I feel like we missed something at Highland. Everyone I talk to in San Diego worked so much harder in their college preparatory classes to get an A. They wrote 10 page research papers as sophomores. I feel like I haven't even done that yet...though I'm pretty sure I have. It's college; come on. I just observed two classrooms here in San Diego, and was completely amazed at the students. They are respectful and give a ton of effort. Why was that not present in my high school experience? I never felt like it was bad, but I am just now realizing how different it was.

Love. Language. Ben.

2009-04-23T00:37:00.000-07:00

Our language doesn't really allow us to put our emotions into words. There is the whole Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis that basically says that our thoughts are shaped by our language. With this comes a serious amount of restriction. We can't say a lot of things because our language simply doesn't allow it, or doesn't have the exact word for it. For example, the word we ALL cannot define is love. How on earth do you define LOVE!? There are so many types of love. So many emotions. I think Ben Folds captures one aspect of love through his song The Luckiest.

Listen to it here.
Lyrics are in the info bar.
I'm pretty positive my family is very familiar with this song. Just spreading the love for Ben Folds in the blogsphere.

Oh also, James and I are seeing Ben Folds in San Diego on May 21st. CHyeah!!

Growing Walker Family

2009-04-13T18:00:00.001-07:00

Yesterday, my family grew! TWO new babies were welcomed into the world! N & R Walker had two beautiful baby boys on Easter Sunday! What a great way to celebrate. I will be meeting them this coming weekend, and I cannot wait!

Congratulations N & R!!!!!!!

photo found here

Egg Hunt

2009-04-12T14:39:00.001-07:00

Our closer at work last night left us a note for the early morning workers. You can read it here:

I just wish I had taken a picture of the 4 of us adults at 7am on the prowl for plastic eggs. When I left at 2pm, we had 18 of 24 eggs found. What a fun (and still exhausting) day at work!

In Love!!

2009-04-09T14:13:00.000-07:00

With my new sandals. Hello, lover!

Find them here.

I guess these will have to replace my beloved black leather flip flops that I lost over a cliff in Mazatlan last week. And I only owned them for a few months...RIP, flip flops.

Most Recent Obsession

2009-03-26T10:36:00.001-07:00

You want to know what distracts me from getting homework done lately? Among things like Gossip Girl episodes online or working at Starbucks, YouTube makeup tutorials have consumed my time! Yes. There are so many aspiring makeup artists on YouTube who buy tons and tons and tons of MAC, Stila, NARS (etc.) products and show people like me how to use them. What brushes to buy. What colors are more pigmented. Green Eyeshadow how-tos. ...and it goes on and on and on. If you have looked at my YouTube channel lately (which you likely have not), my subscriptions are crazily mostly some of these ladies. My roommate and I stumbled upon ONE video back in December. I think it was just a product review about different types of mascara. And both of us have become obsessed. I've spent too much money lately on things I never imagined I 'needed.' They also let me in on really good deals for people who can't afford the crazy junk they get.
It's just funny when people at work (customers and co-workers) notice. ...It's a complete confidence boost! haha

An assignment

2009-03-24T14:47:00.000-07:00

I'm doing a small response paper on a quote I chose from Zora Neale Hurston's "How it Feels to be Colored Me."
The quote is:
"A dried flower or two still a little fragrant”

I feel pretty much like this right now. My brain is DEAD. I know I have some good stuff still in my brain, but I need a big break. I am tired of analyzing. Tired of diving into language. Spring break could not come at a better time.

Adios, America. I'm going on a cruise Saturday.

Apologies

2009-01-23T00:11:00.001-08:00

I apologize for being MIA on here. But I'm really more of a twitter micro-blogger than blogspot.

Maybe follow my words of advice in my current "tweet" by updating ya'll's Flickr! I need something to look at while I procrastinate this semester.

Keep a Crayon in Your Pocket

2008-07-29T22:44:00.000-07:00

Randy Pausch.

I watched this video last week after hearing of Pausch's death. I never heard of him before he passed away. But since his death, Carnegie Mellon professor Dr. Randy Pausch has been everywhere. Nothing about his lecture is particularly profound. It is about getting your childhood dreams. But as a whole, his life, lessons, and story of his accepted fate is something I hope to never forget. If you have an hour and a half and crave some laughs and inspiration, watch his last lecture at Carnegie Mellon.

"My plan was this: As I spoke about childhood dreams, I'd ask everyone to close their eyes and rub their crayons in their fingers--to feel the texture, the paper, the wax. Then I'd have them bring their crayons up to their noses and take a good, long whiff. Smelling a crayon takes you right back to childhood, doesn't it? ...When I need to go back in time, I put it under my nose and take another hit."

worksies.

2008-06-30T00:53:00.000-07:00

Four things I'd like to change about my Starbucks:
1) RECYCLE!!! We throw away SO many cardboard boxes!
2) DONATE!!! I throw away SO many pastries at the end of the night! (Though, some of that is to blame on whoever does the food ordering at my place, I think) I usually take a sandwich or two home and some pastries. But tonight I threw away BOXES of unopened muffins. And took an entire bag of bagels home for myself. I just got some vegetable cream cheese and oh, it sounds delicious. :)
3) CLEAN! I've worked at two other locations in the past two weeks and realized my store is not so clean. It is partly due to the fact that we're busy busy busy. But, some people are just so careless! Come on. Spilled some frap base? wipe it up! There's a towel .5' away!
4) STOCK! Tonight there were about 5 things that we stumbled upon that we were OUT of. How come no one put it on the list to order when we started running low?! My shift supervisor and I were pretty unhappy.

I would add a 5th item to this list: change furniture/lay out. But we just did! It looks so good. Feels like a living room and actually gives that essence of a third...whatever starbucks wants starbucks to be. third place. work. home. starbucks. Shoot, it makes me want to hang out there.

Summer school will be starting soon. :(
Though I've been working most days, I am enjoying the free time. I think my friend Jeff and I went to Sea World four times in the past two weeks. There's not much else to do 'round these parts, I guess. Last night, though, we skipped out on Sea World and just watched their fireworks show from across the bay. Makes me excited for the 4th of July! ...But I don't know what to do yet. :/

Dreamin'

2008-06-05T11:53:00.001-07:00

After a long shift at work, I often dream about work.
Last night's wasn't too bad. I was just handing out cups of coffee.
The night before was frappuccinos. That was stressful because it was just a constant line of cups for me to make and fill up. Never ending.
Whatevs. I'm making the money. Right?...Right?

Bath and Body Works is having a sale right now. I'm gonna go see if I can score something CHEAP. :)

Just Say NO

2008-05-08T20:49:00.000-07:00

Everyone's blogs are back from the dead! Though, it seemed while Nick, James and I were missing from the blog world, Mike's internet communication flourished. Well, he posted pictures. :)

Anywho, Ya'll hear about my school in the news? Yeah!! But, of course, we're not getting recognized for something awesome. Like, how we're apparently #1 small research university. (though i don't know what that even entails). Or how.. hmm.. what else does SDSU offer? oh. right. a ton of smart people that totally outweigh the dumb ones. But, ALAS, we are free of about 33+ "dumb" ones thanks to the DEA! Ever since a girl my age died last May due to an overdose, there have been extensive investigations regarding drug dealing on campus. People have been getting arrested since January, I believe. But this Tuesday was the BIG one. An official e-mail SDSU students all just received states that 75 is the total number since January. 33 is Tuesday alone (i think). Tons. O. Drugs. I thought I didn't know anyone. Then I checked out the mug shots on our school newspaper's website. We were looking at them before my African Civilization class began and who do we see? TWO students from that class. That class is maybe 35 people. And TWO were arrested for distributing cocaine. 5% of of the students in that classroom will not return! sad news, people. sad news.

I guess that's it for now. I have a busy busy busy busy week ahead of me. School is over next Thursday. (!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)
bye.

System File Missing

2008-03-13T10:27:00.000-07:00

My laptop has pooped out on me. I've been getting the "Blue Screen of Death" at least once a week lately. But I thought maybe if I tweaked one or two things it would stop. I turned my computer completely off more regularly. And had more frequent virus checks. But maybe I should have just had someone check out my computer. Because now the only thing my computer does is show a black screen with white letters stating, basically, that I don't have Windows. What? ...What?
I knew that I was a computer junkie. A junkie in the sense that I am ALWAYS on it. Not that I know much about how it works. But without it, I am realizing how dependent on it I am. On Tuesday, the day it decided to stop working, I was lost in what to do after I returned home from school. I read a magazine. Talked to my roomie. (Maybe I should have studied..?)
And now I'm thinking that I may have needed this break from my dearest computer. I started reading a book last night. I bought A Prayer for Owen Meany in January, recommended by James' BFF Kristin. And now I have the chance to read it. Though I didn't spend all night attempting to get halfway through the book, I did make a dent in it. It's funny how I love reading when I actually do it, but hate thinking about reading. Kind of like the problem many people have with exercise. Once you're done exercising at the gym you feel great! But planning to do it and taking the steps to get there is a drag.
So anyway. Of course I can't go completely without any computer! And here I am. In the Love Library at SDSU, writing a blog...

Just a little hello...

2008-03-05T10:46:00.000-08:00

I feel like I'm in a good place right now. Maybe it's just this second.. or today.. or this week. But right now I feel good. I just started actually doing stuff at Starbucks today like the register and simple coffee drinks. It's exciting to be doing something that I haven't done before. I'm also happy that I am keeping up with reading in my classes. It makes me feel like I can actually handle everything instead of being a big lazy bum. Oh, and yet another reason I feel good is that I am trying to keep up with this year's election. I am finally really interested in the world today. Politics have never been anything I really paid attention to or followed. But now I turn up the radio when news is brought up. And I check this AOL website often to see how the primaries are going. You can check both Democrat and Republican results on the left hand side. Exciting!
Well, those are the reasons I am feeling good.

Some other things to note: Grandma is out of the hospital, but still needs thoughts and prayer and looking after.

Torrey Pines State Reserve

2008-02-23T23:04:00.001-08:00

Torrey Pines is just a couple of minutes north of La Jolla in San Diego county. A few of us hiked through the hills on Earth Day freshman year. We only had a few short hours to spend and really only got to go on one trail.
Today, my roommate and I went on an adventure through Torrey Pines! I know this definitely isn't considered hiking in the 'real world,' but for us, it did the trick. It was a beautiful day on the coast. Cyclists, joggers, tourists, families... and us. We went through a bunch of little trails. As many as we could handle. Took photos of interesting plants and our views of the blue ocean. The final trail we took led to the beach below the cliffs. We then walked, what I assume was, about two miles along the beach. I think we were about to sneak up on a nudie beach at that point, so we turned around. :) After our adventures through the wilderness, we feasted on some Greek food in La Jolla. A pleasant day, I must say. (Though I have to admit I am SORE)
Look up some pictures of Torrey Pines on Flickr. People have posted some great shots.

oh, PS: I just got a job at Starbucks. :)

Book Tag

2008-02-10T15:15:00.000-08:00

I was tagged by my big bro to do this: "Go to page 123, and beginning with the 5th sentence, transcribe the following 3 sentences."

I'm currently almost finished with a book I got for 5 bucks by Augusten Burroughs (the guy who wrote Running With Scissors). Let's see what it has to say...

"So why would I notice anything at thirty? But when I turned thirty, something was indeed left behind. Suddenly, inexplicably, a piece of me went missing."

This is the beginning of a chapter about how Burroughs' dating habits changed at thirty. He noticed he no longer had the ability to say "no" and would go on a second date even if the first was horrible. It was a funny little story.

American History

2008-01-24T19:03:00.000-08:00

Just a thought that popped in my head today during class...
Throughout your formal learning experience, did you ever have a teacher that attempted to not have an American bias?
I may have touched on it before in conversation when I was enrolled in an American History class in Spring '07. That teacher, and my Philosophy of Ethics professor, were the first to actually tell it how it was and is. For example, we've always been told facts about slavery and the horrible conditions these people were put in. But there was always this background of "American Greatness" through it all... like it wasn't that bad.
In my Philosophy class we mostly discussed the treatment of Native Americans and how reparations are in order. People were claiming land that did not belong to them. Yet our textbooks from elementary school on glorify this period of escaping the oppressive hands of Europe. The process of escaping that oppression hurt, killed, and still affects the Native American community today. Why isn't that emphasized in our textbooks? When learning about history, teachers have always said something similar to, "We learn about the past to prevent future mistakes." If that is the case, I would like to learn the truth as we know it to make my community more humane. America may look like a big bully, but it's what we have to learn from.
Thoughts..?

Chargers

2008-01-18T22:37:00.001-08:00

I am back in San Diego and there is Charger FEVER down here! Let's hope it lasts through Sunday after the big game! It's all everyone is talking about.
Here is a photo with my friend Jeff at the Charger game we went to a couple months ago.

I'm just a fan by association... because I live here. But for all of you who care about the outcome of the NFL (James, maybe?), who do you want to win the Superbowl? Only 4 teams left. We'll see how it goes!

OH...listen to this. Lean Like a Charger. (yikes.)

Fast, Quick, Speedy!!

2007-12-09T11:19:00.000-08:00

Those are words that accurately define 2007. Growing up, I always heard adults (teachers, most likely) state that as you get older, the faster life flies by. Is this true? Or was it just the year 2007? Just about every week this semester I found myself saying, "How is it Monday already? Where did last week go?" And here we are, nearing the end of the year and I'm saying the same thing, but about the year. What made this year fly by so fast?
If you have an idea why your year was speedy, or perhaps slow, share!

And just for fun, CLICK HERE, CLICK HERE! You won't regret it! :)

Revolution

2007-11-27T22:10:00.000-08:00

Though I know next to nothing about Ron Paul, I do enjoy this:

And I know that means nothing in the scheme of, well, knowing about the politics. Just stating that I like the posters/graffiti I have seen because of the whole "Love" backwards thing.

And that kind of led me to Banksy, unintentionally. He is a graffiti artist Stephanie and I stumbled upon while looking at books at Urban Outfitters (a book collection which is not completely clean, btw...). Yeah, it's graffiti... but stenciling is just so darn cool!

Okay, 'night!!

Nothin' Much

2007-11-19T22:20:00.000-08:00

I'm not really up to much of interest besides school. Today I have been working on a project for my Theater310 class. It involves making a book. Initially, the project included us making a 10+ page book individually. After the fires, though, my teacher decided she wanted to make a book together to capture the emotions of the Firestorm of 2007. This class is geared toward those in Liberal Studies majors (elementary teaching). And our book is an Alphabet Book that will include words associated with the fires and also somehow related to Creative Drama with some activities on the back of each page. It seems kind of goofy to me, but it's turning out OK so far. There are 13 people in this class, which works out perfectly for the alphabet (13 x 2 = 26 letters). I was assigned C and P. And after brainstorming various words we all helped each other choose the words to use. Mine are "community" and "protect". And I put quotes on each page that I found. For community it is "What remains unscathed is a sense of community," which was part of a musical tribute to the fires put together by Z90 radio station in San Diego. Another quote I found wasn't directly related to the firestorm, but it works for the word "protect." The quote is, "Fire service people take care of the land and protect the resources." Nothing too profound... but it works out alright.

This week is busy. Tomorrow is a long day at school. Nothing too crazy, but hey, sometimes a complaint about a busy day is fine...yeah? Class starting at 9:30... 11:00... 3:30-6:10... except I am leaving the last one because we have another local high school band competition performance. I guess I'll just be having a 12 hour day. Then Wednesday I have a quiz in Shakespeare on Twelfth Night and off to Bakersfield for a few days. Actually, for a few hours... then to Fresno. Then back to Bakersfield for one day. And back to San Diego on Saturday morning for a football game on Saturday afternoon. Agh. Finals will be here soon enough. Then a nice long break and hopefully a job for next semester.

San Diego Chargers

2007-11-10T12:55:00.000-08:00

Tomorrow, November 11, around 5pm Pacific Standard Time, I will be doing pregame with the Marching Aztecs for a Chargers Game airing on NBC. Now, it is unlikely that they will give us any airtime. I suspect we would be in the background of some sportscasters discussing how well some guy's injuries are holding up or what the final score might be. But, there is a chance! So, look for me! I'll be playing the giant brass instrument somewhere in the back of the field. And if the Sousa line is in an upside U sort-of shape, I'll be the last one on the right.
We get some $90+ seats along with doing pregame. We also get to change out of our uniforms into regular clothes for the game. I am so excited!

P.S. San Diego has so much Charger pride. I think half a dozen cars or more in my complex have GIANT stickers or decals. One white truck even has the charger bolt thing going across the entire side on both sides.

Music and Yogurt

2007-11-05T19:32:00.001-08:00

I just want to promote Feist even more. I don't know if I've mentioned Ms. Leslie Feist on blogger before, but I know I've been trying to get people to love her for a few years now. It all started with finding a random track on the computer at home called Mushaboom (which Michael probably put on there years ago). I was trying to find some songs to add to my 1g mp3 player and I instantly fell in love with that song. I asked for the CD soon after and I believe James bought it at work. Thank you. After that I fell in love with Gatekeeper, which was stuck in my head for many days while I slaved away working for the city two summers ago.
And now, her new CD The Reminder has been out since May 2007. With the release of the new iPods in September, she has finally been given some media light through Apple's commercial for the new iPod Nano.
And to prove she is pretty much amazing, she was on Jimmy Kimmel Live doing a set on a city bus. Watch it. She has a beautiful voice and pulls off a fantastic performance on the road! Because I am about 6+ months shy of 21, I cannot go to Feist's show in San Diego this weekend. I'll have to settle for youtube videos like this one.

And not related to this topic at all, I just finished a bit of frozen yogurt from Golden Spoon. I don't know how many locations they actually have, but I do wish there was one in Bakersfield. A friend of a friend works at one of the San Diego locations and gave me two "Free 8oz. with 8 stamps" things, so my roommate May and I went. The flavor I chose: Pumpkin! Ah, what a great way to bring in November with the real taste of Autumn. What are you doing to welcome Thanksgiving and Christmas?

P.S. Another good song that has come out recently because of commercials is The Way I Am by Ingrid Michaelson which was shown on an Old Navy commercial. It's sweet and she has a strong voice, too.

Mid-Semester

2007-10-31T21:48:00.000-07:00

With it being roughly mid-semester, it is assumed that I would have a stack of "midterms" on my plate. But no, just one. Normally that should be something to be ecstatic about. My exams have not fallen in the same week, let alone same day. But why, oh why, do I always have an exam on November first!? Freshman year I took a Cultural Geography class that had a midterm scheduled for the day after Halloween. Last year, I believe my Spanish 102 class had a test. Although, we may have talked our teacher out of it... I don't quite remember. But I know for sure I didn't get dressed up with friends like most people are doing right now. And tonight, I sit on the floor frantically studying Astronomy. Well, right now I am procrastinating, obviously. But I do intend on finishing this up to continue my study session. I was talking to James about this earlier today and we both decided that we would not do that to our hypothetical students. While scheduling it for that day may just work with the calendar or they are making a statement about people going out for Halloween, I don't see the students getting the best results on this exam. As a teacher, I want my students to succeed. And of course I would be thrilled if they chose studying all day and night to going out with their friends dressed up in costumes. But the reality is most college students choose the latter. I would like my students to make good choices and be prepared for their exams. And put their midterm on October 29th or November 2nd.

Tomorrow begins my Christmas season. Yes, my Christmas season lasts two months long.

Goodnight, and Happy Halloween.

Fire Update

2007-10-23T13:51:00.000-07:00

We are still OK. The fires are growing. But there have been so many good efforts going on. My school is closed for the rest of the week. I just want to share a few more photos I have found online from around San Diego County.

Here are the same links from my previous post:
Craigslist

Google Fire Map from KPBS

News 8 San Diego Maps

Southern California Fires

2007-10-22T12:30:00.000-07:00

Just so you know, as of now, at 12:31pm on Monday October 22, 2007... I am fine! I am worried about these fires, though. My roommate and I are in the midst of packing a bag in case we are told to evacuate. We're thinking.. hmm.. Arizona sounds nice. Some Cracker Barrel for lunch or dinner... That seems to be the only direction we could go... East. But honestly, if we do get evacuated, we'll be going to Qualcomm stadium, where I just played for a football game not even two full days ago. PLEASE keep Southern California in your thoughts and prayers.

This last photo is of Stephanie's dorm. She goes to Pepperdine University and they're in more danger than me. But she is at home in Bakersfield for now...

This is also very inspiring. Craigslist for good things? Who knew.

Here is a google map of the fires. I am near the Qualcomm Stadium evacuation center.

And here are some maps from the live coverage I've been watching all day.

Needs.

2007-09-17T16:43:00.000-07:00

One fact about myself I always knew, but has been reinforced since being away from 'home,' is that I do not like buying things I need. This fact possibly exposes my greed. I'd much rather go shopping for a blouse I don't need or didn't want before, than go to my nearby Vons or Albertson's and pick up a loaf of bread, carton of eggs and milk. Purchasing food has always just been one of those things I despised. And now I find myself having to do it weekly, if not more. Where does it all go!? Well, you know where it goes...

I'm watching Oprah right now and Dr. Oz and Bob Greene are on... talking about health, organs, nutrients, etc. Bob Greene is her nutritionist(?) and she mentioned how she opens her fridge and says, "where did all this soy milk come from!?"
I wish I could open my fridge to things I needed without having to worry about it.

C'est la vie.

In other news, band is fun... as always! :)

In the Air

2007-09-12T10:24:00.000-07:00

I'll take whatever is in the air. Meaning, I will use wireless internet and use my bunny ears to get free television. However, this almost fool-proof plan has backfired. While I have been in San Diego happily using these services for a month now, the internet decided to stop working yesterday morning. Oh, "Belkin45" wireless internet, why did you decide to stop allowing me to use your Network Key-free waves?? Last night there was a tease. A name showed up, "default," that allowed my roommate and I to sink into the depths of the internet for an hour or two. Then, out of nowhere, GONE. Disappeared!! I watched some TV after that, read some for class, then went to bed. This morning I woke up, hopeful that somehow this problem would be fixed. No. My computer, and my roommate's say that we have a full connection with so-called Belkin. But nothing works.

So now I sit at the bottom of the Library Dome. Writing this blog for all of you to see.

Time for class.

IKEA

2007-09-01T14:51:00.000-07:00

What would I do without Ikea? I wouldn't have any furniture. I know that's all I have been talking about lately, but it is what's on my mind. As of today, I have a bed! Well, I have a frame for a bed. Still sleeping on an air mattress. But that's totally okay with me. I can't even tell...mostly. I just wanted to be off the floor! And now I am.

Today I paid for rent for the first time (besides move-in day). All I did was fill out a check and put it in a box in the leasing office. Simple, hm. There goes some more money.

My roommate left for the weekend already. She came last Friday. And now with this three-day weekend, I am alone in the apartment again. Oh well, that's fine with me. I just wish there was something to do...

That's enough for now. This wasn't much of an update anyway..

First Apartment

2007-08-25T20:04:00.000-07:00

I am living in my first home away from home.
So far, not too homey. I have purchased a few things to make it feel a little more comfortable. Such as a cute canvas flower piece that I put above our fireplace. And buying lamps definitely made things better in here because I was actually able to see when I walked inside. But now, I sit on the floor, next to a rug that sits in the middle of the empty living room next to an Ikea Poang chair bought off Craigslist and my TV that sits on top of my makeshift TV stand/cart-dolly. But one thing I absolutely adore: my pink and white vase from a thrift store at home that has fake yellow flowers in it from Wal-Mart. Sounds completely cheap (and it is), but besides the canvas flower (which I also got at a thrift store for $1.50), the vase is my favorite part of this home.

School will begin Monday morning. And I am serious about being serious in school this semester. Not like I haven't been trying, but I know for sure that I can try harder. And I want to do the best I can. And that requires effort. So here I am, making a point to make a very serious effort in school from now on.

Band has already begun. This last week was full of sun, sunscreen, brass, noise, music, awkward conversations, efforts of bonding and sousaphones, sousaphones, sousaphones!!! There are 17 (that's right, SEVENTEEN) tubas/sousas this year! That is seven more than last year. And for only knowing about half of them for a week, I think we all get along really well. Here's to another good season that I cannot wait for...

I miss all of you at home and I hope that Zaca fire isn't ruining your lungs. Poor Bakersfield. Valley Fever, 3rd worst air, Asthma, West Nile, Zaca Fire, good ol' heat...

Goodnight.

summer is almost over

2007-08-04T17:57:00.000-07:00

it's kind of funny. I check all of your blogs expecting another entry and am disappointed if it isn't updated. Yet, I don't ever update this.
What's going on in my life, you ask? Oh, well, you didn't ask.

I am getting ready to move back to San Diego once again. Probably in about a week. I haven't decided on a day yet. But my last day at the blood bank for work will be this Friday, the 10th. Soon after, I will be living in my new apartment down south. Very south. And although I am extremely excited, I will miss one thing for sure: furniture! Moving into this apartment with absolutely nothing is going to feel kind of silly for a few days. But I have some friends down there that are willing to help me move things if I buy things from Craigslist or Ikea. Preferably items from the 'free' section of Craigslist. Ah, I love it. So far I have the following: air mattress. Yeah, that's it. Actually my friend Tasha from home and her family have donated a dresser, recliner, and bookshelf. So that's just a matter of getting it down to San Diego somehow.

Other than moving back to San Diego, I am excited for Marching Band. Yes, VERY excited for band. Nerrrrd.

And other than that, I will be going over to my friend's house for a nice barbecue and viewing of today's Dodger game. Adios, friends and family.

Blurbs

2007-03-15T11:36:00.000-07:00

I am better at mentioning little blurbs of thoughts rather than elaborate explanations. So here are some thoughts and subjects that have come up a lot recently in a few of my classes.

1) I'm pretty sick of political parties.

2) What is racism? Is it based on ethnicity? Just plain looks? Or is there more/less to it? People can get in arguments just about what race is, let alone how they stand on it.

3) I'm seriously loving Linguistics. It's difficult to transcribe, but it's still really fun. It also helps that my teacher completely loves it as well and our class has picked up on that and bonded. ghoti=fish!

4) Spring Break starts on March 23. Get excited!

Follow-Up

2007-02-22T09:46:00.000-08:00

We discussed the taser for a second in my Linguistics class yesterday. Someone in my class apparently saw it happen. Turns out that fool skateboarder tried to hit the police with his skateboard! Aye.

In other news, little baby Lauren is out of the hospital which is SO good!! And Mike and Michelle are having a boy! I love this growing family stuff. :)

Hm, other news... I just got back about an hour ago from a history midterm. We had to write an essay in 55 minutes choosing from two questions put on the board. I wrote about the United States forming the Constitutional Convention and pretty much everything about the constitution. ("yay" for being able to use notes!)
My friend Tasha is going into the hospital tomorrow for surgery on one of her feet. So keep her in your prayers for the surgery itself and the painful recovery.

I'll finish this up with some more randomness. I love language! hahaha...and making sentence trees.

Skateboard Taser

2007-02-12T23:43:00.000-08:00

I have to admit I don't know much about reasonable justifications for tasering someone, nor do I know these two situations personally or have any idea what it feels like to be tasered. I have just read an article or two and watched some YouTube videos.

Having said that, let's jump into this Taser discussion. A young man (non-student) on my campus was tasered last Tuesday after being told to stop skateboarding. The Daily Aztec (our school newspaper) said that the local news reported it as the man being tasered because he was skateboarding on campus. The newspaper tried to make it clear that he was tasered because he wouldn't comply with the officers' request. Here are some quotes:
"...refused to get off his skateboard and started to get combative with the officer."
"It's a tool that, if the situation presents itself, I have to stop the situation from escalating to the point where I have to use a handgun." -University Police Lt.
"If anyone was running from me and had just committed a crime, I would feel justified to use a Taser."
"The fine for skateboarding on campus is approximately $120."
"What's important to note is that none of this would have occurred if he had complied with officers."

Now I know that if an officer told me to get off my hypothetical skateboard, I would do it. So that was poor judgment of this guy. He would've just been cited and go on his way. But for some reason he thought it would be a good idea to fight the inevitable. It's like a car chase--you're almost always going to get caught, why even bother prolonging the inevitable and make your crime worse?
But besides that point, I think it was also poor judgment on the University Police. It's not like this guy was running away after he just robbed someone. He wasn't a "bad guy." Just skateboarding on the edge of campus. I just don't see the need in tracking him down and hurting him because they need to be SO strict with the policies. But hey, maybe I'm just too easy on 'em.

The other incident I was going to go into was with a UCLA student being Tasered a few months ago. Supposedly for not having his ID on him at the library and being asked to leave. That's about all I know about that... once again, poor judgment on both sides.

So my point is possibly not made clear because I'm still not sure what I think about this. But I think I'm trying to say this:
to people being asked by some authority to do what they say-- do it. stop skateboarding. leave the library. whatever. so long as you think it's not taking away your rights.
and to these police-- was it worth it?

So, that's it for me not knowing what I think and rambling about what I think I think....hahah
Oh, and keep in mind that the kids skateboarding on campus aren't really ever grinding on things...just usually on longboards floating through...

Lauren Elaine

2007-01-14T02:40:00.001-08:00

She is here!!!!!!

Lake Ming

2007-01-12T18:28:00.000-08:00

I was driving around with Tasha, not knowing what to do with our nearly freezing afternoon. So we ventured down Fairfax Rd toward Hart Park. And through Hart Park we went, without a cat or peacock in sight, surprisingly. Usually that's how our Hart Park drives end up...being attacked by hungry birds or even more hungry kittens. We continued past the soccer park and onto the old Resort where Rebecca and Nick got married. I hadn't even realized that the resort isn't there anymore. Fenced off and overgrown. The small white gazebo still standing amongst it all. Two left turns brought us to Lake Ming. Only a few miles away from our home, and seconds away from places I've been many times before, I don't believe I had ever been to Lake Ming before. I don't think it is looked at with high regard, but today it was pretty. Not overly beautiful or anything, but pretty. We saw a lady sitting on bench looking out onto the water and decided to do the same. After a visit from a lot of birds, we headed back into the warm car and sped off. But it was nice, for those moments to just sit and watch. Watch the birds, the water, the dry hills, the houses, fishermen, off-roaders...etc.

And now I wait, just as anxious as the rest of the family, for another generation to begin...

Semester Ends

2006-12-05T11:28:00.000-08:00

I have three more days of class. And four finals. Today seems like the most stressful day I've ever had. I woke up this morning practically shaking with stress. All because of an oral exam in Spanish this afternoon. I don't know how this will go. But I cannot wait until it is over. I'm trying to eat some lunch right now but it is taking forever. I ate yogurt and I'm working on a sandwich.
I loved this semester (except Thursdays) and I'm sad it will be over. I've made even better friends and I can't wait to spend time with them when we come back from Winter Break.

For now, I must eat and study and meet with my exam partner. :/

Concert Video

2006-09-24T16:20:00.000-07:00

Poems

2006-09-21T23:06:00.000-07:00

I do not like having a prompt for writing a poem. Well, a prompt is fine. But specific guidelines are bothersome. I wrote a great 1/2 poem about Grandma Nadine's old house and then realized I did not have the required 10+ syllables per line. Of course I should've checked each line before getting halfway that it was not following the guidelines, but everything was flowing so nicely. Since I am to write about a childhood memory and discuss time, I have chosen to write a new poem about life on our old street. I don't like what I'm writing, but here is a line:

Time was no matter because we were having fun
We rode our bikes all day in the hot summer sun

I have 12 of the required 24 lines done so far. And I don't like the sound of it. If only I could turn in my other poem...

Lab tomorrow

2006-09-20T21:25:00.000-07:00

I have to face the first thing I mentioned in the previous post. Segmented creatures! Tomorrow's lab in my World of Animals class is on "The Evolution of Bilateral Symmetry: Platyhelminthes and Annelids." Grosssssss! I don't know why, but these things really freak me out. Hopefully it will be interesting

Oh, and the other day while walking to my car, a mouse ran across the sidewalk.

I've been tagged

2006-09-18T20:11:00.000-07:00

Three Things That Scare Me
-Segmented creatures
-Forgetting moments/memories
-Not learning a lot about the world

Three People Who Make Me Laugh
-Tiffany Plengsangtip
-My Dad
-My brother[s]

Three Things That I Hate
-screaming music
-my study habits
-people who hand out flyers in Aztec Center

Three Things I Don't Understand
-What May is talking about
-Espanol
-How I ended up in San Diego. I'm glad I did though.

Three Things I'm Doing Right Now
- Talking to my roommate
- chatting with Vanessa and Tasha online
-Making a list of things to buy from the store tomorrow

Three Things I Want To Do Before I Die
-Live in either NorCal, Oregon, or Washington
-Live in a completely different culture for a few months
-Take a picture worthy of the local news haha

Three Things I Can Do
-Drive happily by myself long distances
-meet great people
-take millions of pictures

Three Ways To Describe My Personality (as described by my roommate)
-Chill/easygoing
-Easy to get along with
-Cheesy/Funny

Three Things I Can't Do
-Juggle
-Eat Ice
-write creatively

Three Things I Think You Should Listen To
-Your own advice
-Your parents
-Dixie Chicks' Travelin' Soldier

Three Things You Should Never Listen To
-Half of the CDs my old roommate listens to
-People in the wrong state of mind
-People who believe the earth is flat. They live near Bakersfield...so my Bio101 professor says.

Three Things I Would Like To Learn
-Spanish
-How to write a poem/story
-big words that I might never use

Three Favorite Foods
-teriyaki chicken
-peppers & onions
-chocolate

Three Shows I Watched As A Kid
-Lamb Chop's Play Along
-Fraggle Rock
-Barney

Three People I Tag
-Dad
-Mike
-Anyone else who comes across this.

I never write!

2006-08-29T13:26:00.000-07:00

Yeah, so, I guess I'm not completely into the writing on the internet thing as I once was. Even then, it wasn't here...it was on Xanga.

I've had 1.5 days of school so far. I'm only halfway through today. I've got a huge break in between classes today and my Spanish II class starts at 2pm. It's about 1:25 now.

My assignment in my World of Animals class (bio 101--zoology) is to go to a beach and look at all the creatures. Isn't that great? It's not really an assignment, because we're supposed to read like, two chapters of our book. But it's a suggestion. I can't wait to learn more about this class. Except this whole Darwin stuff is kinda....interesting...

Blogs

2006-07-24T12:12:00.000-07:00

I am at work, and should probably not be writing. But did you ever think about the people who blog for work? Celebrities across the country seem to blog all the time! Just today while reading the newspaper or clicking on links slapped in my face after checking my mail, I heard of several celebrity blogs. I've even read some of them in the past and thought nothing of it. They use it to make announcements, make themselves seem normal, and post their thoughts about fashion, gossip, and politics. But why does it seem so stupid to me? I'm not really sure. Britney Spears recently blogged about Tigers and their similarity to humans. Daniel Vosovic of Project Runway (the almost-winner from my favorite show that airs on Bravo) wrote about cropping pants into sleek summer shorts; Rosie O'Donnell's is mentioned on TV quite a bit for her blog; and Tom Green is pretty much making a living off of his quirky thoughts. And I am one of the people who get suckered into reading these things. Out of the ones I mentioned, I have only ever read Tom Green's and Daniel Vosovic's. But I also have my daily glance at Phantom Planet's blog worked into my not-so-busy schedule.

So now I am blogging about the purpose of blogs in the media. Oh, bloggityblogblog...

And for those who saw Lady in the Water this weekend, I have one word for you: blim-blam!
...it made me laugh...

Now Bakersfield needs to stop being so humid and stormy so I can swim without fear. Even though I didn't really think much of the storm hovering above me as I swam on Saturday...it was too hot to stay out. But I'm sure our cups in the cupboards would appreciate the lightning to cool off for awhile--it shook the whole house last week.

Sick

2006-06-29T08:57:00.000-07:00

I have a cold...or allergies...something that is making my eyes water and my nose run all day which results in me not having a voice. I called in sick at work today! I was telling my friends that I planned on calling in sick today and they all said something like "Yeah, do it! Your parents will never know..they're in Rome!" And I wasn't calling in sick because my parents weren't going to be at work...it really is because I feel disgusting. But you know, it is less likely that they would know...if I didn't tell them or anyone else at work when they returned. But what are the odds that Dad would call work today and ask to talk to me? I don't even know. But they told him I called in sick. And he called home to talk to me. So all of you who are wondering, Conchita and Dad made it safely across the ocean onto the boot-shaped country we call Italy. It sounded like they were having fun--I could hear Jack, another guy from work who was going on the trip, talking/yelling in the background.
Well, I guess that is all I have to say for now. I plan on taking some allergy medicine and see what it does to me. It will hopefully allow me to sleep.

<-- I believe Dad said they were walking to the Colosseum

It's been ages

2006-06-19T17:49:00.000-07:00

You know, it's been awhile since I wrote anything. I haven't written anything anywhere for awhile.

I work for the city now. I answer phones and direct people to the appropriate employee as well as file things, make copies, and bug Dad every once in awhile in his office. It's SOOOOO fun!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! lololol.....hah. Okay, sarcasm?
I'm not going to complain. They treat me very well!

James went floating down the river today. Lucky. I just mentioned it yesterday and now he's going. huh.

I think that is all I have to say for now.

Jury Duty

2006-05-26T11:04:00.000-07:00

Jury duty is an interesting thing. In my case, it was criminal and lasted four days. It is strange how our law is based purely on "reasonable doubt." Everything is in the hands of the jurors based on that. We took a man out of jail yesterday because we found him not guilty. It is difficult because all of us believed him to be guilty of something. But not the particular situation we dealt with. It was not proved to us--therefore, a possibly guilty man went free. We'll never know the truth. And I know people were hurt with the verdict. ...jury duty is good for learning...about different people, lifestyles, law, our country...etc.

Now I am off to the ever-so-loved DMV.

Finals

2006-05-12T18:15:00.000-07:00

My first final was today. It was a poetry exam in my English220 class. I think I did alright. I wrote down a poem by memory. A really really easy one, but hey, 10 extra points for me because I memorized it.

I have eaten
the plums
that were in
the icebox

and which
you were probably
saving
for breakfast

Forgive me
they were delicious
so sweet
and so cold
-William Carlos Williams

Yeah, so now I am beginning another essay and this time it is about Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. Last paper of the year! Yesssss. Too bad I don't want to start it.
Happy Friday! 6 days 'til I'm home.
(That's thursday the 18th for those who don't want to count)

Kitties

2006-05-02T11:58:00.000-07:00

I miss the kitties. I just saw a commercial with kittens and butterflies and it made me want to sit on the couch with Oso and watch a good movie.

That's about all. I have really enjoyed the last month or so with my friends here. We have fun just sitting in my room listening to music and making trips to Yogurt Express. I will miss them this summer and a few of them who won't be returning next year.

Dad's Birthday

2006-04-19T19:45:00.000-07:00

Dad's birthday is tomorrow!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Chin2

2006-04-19T19:32:00.000-07:00

Since everyone seems to be in the mood to share videos, I will jump on the bandwagon.

I jut finished writing a very tiny blurb about this on my xanga, but since most of you don't read that, I will post here as well. Lucky you!

While searching for a picture to link the video to, I discovered that wikipedia has an article about it. I love wikipedia for its randomness of information...even if I am not allowed to use it as a source for papers. It is a source for my own enjoyment of knowledge!! And according to wikipedia, this video was an "internet phenomenon" in 2001. It sure was...
wikipedia link

Oh geez, I didn't even explain the video...oh well. I loved it 3 years ago. That's all. You can read more on wikipedia.

I got my paper back from rws. I still dislike my teacher very much. I went into a conference with her last tuesday and she loved my paper. We turned it in thursday. I got it back yesterday and she was mean. In the past I have disliked a few teachers, one in particular last year for english. But there were still things about her that I liked. I have not discovered anything about my current teacher that I like yet. I don't like not liking people...
k, now I'm done.

xanga

2006-04-18T16:04:00.000-07:00

it may benefit you to know that I mostly write on xanga. ...and the link is to the right.

Summer Excitement

2006-04-05T23:51:00.000-07:00

Does anyone desire to know the connection between an article written by Gerry Spence and another written by Mark Hertsgaard through what my RWS teachers refer to as the 'larger conversation?' Yeah, didn't think so. But I just wrote a draft of an essay on just that! Even introducing an image and showing how they can have arguments on something they haven't even seen. I just assume what argument they might make and write about it. Oh RWS...how I can't wait for my final minute in your class!

Is anyone else excited about me being productive this summer? I am SO excited. I mean, I want a job! I want to go to summer school! I wan't to vacation when possible!! This is all so exciting to me. Especially the job...I've never had one...and for the most part never truly desired to have one. But just thinking about it makes me happy. Hopefully I will be able to work where I want (Target), but there will be happiness with anyone who gives me a job I can tolerate. So, hoorah for the future.

I can't believe it's been a week since I last got on here. I need to write more. I used to do it almost everyday.

I haven't taken any new pictures, so sorry for the lack of visual aid for viewing my life. But I suppose a huge rain cloud might show you how San Diego has been. Too bad I can't find a good picture...