Long Gone
11:15 PM Edit This 0 Comments »
I keep on forgetting my username & password for this blog! Oops. Got it now - more to come!
Hello.
9:09 PM Edit This 0 Comments »
Geez!
It took a while - but I'm BACK!
Blogger was all about stealing my own blog from me - but I hacked in and took it back.
More to come - stay tuned.
Big Pimpin . . .
8:07 PM Edit This 2 Comments »
The most random & uncomfortable situation happened a few weeks ago. A friend and I met at Applebee's for dinner and were taken to a table. Our table was close to the bar, but separated from the bar area by a half-wall and a railing. My friend Emily & I sat down and almost immediately things got uncomfortable. There were three people sitting at the table positioned perpendicular to ours - separated only by the half-wall and railing. Emily sat with her back to this table but I could see the it's occupants. Seated at this table was a middle-aged couple and a man who looked to be about 45 or 50. This man had a silver mullet down to the middle of his back and had no more than half of his teeth. Hey - I'm not judging his oral hygiene - I'm just stating the facts.
Emily & I sit down and this mulleted-wonder leans his head in between the railing, takes a few deep sniffs toward us, and says "Mmmm somethin' smells gooood!" Wow. Really, sir? As if one time weren't horrendous enough - this continued for about 5 more minutes as the couple at this man's table prodded him onward. I wish I could say we had a quick witted response for his awkward advances - but thats not the case. Eventually his attention wandered back to his beer. That meal ended with the waiter dropping a tray of glasses down the side of my body. It's a good thing he hadn't been giving us refills as often as he should have been because the glasses only had ice in them & damage was minimal. Way to go, Applebee's.
I found myself in another awkward situation in my very own front yard. The weather in Lexington has been gorgeous lately, so I decided to take advantage of it and wash my car in the driveway. So there I was, soaped up in my bikini a la Jessica Simpson . . ohh wait. I was about halfway through washing my car when a woman in a big SUV pulled up in front of my house and rolled her window down. I didn't immediately look up, but when she started speaking I glanced up. "Oh my husband would just love you!" I said nothing . . I just stood there holding a running hose and a soapy sponge with a look of bewilderment on my face. Seeing my discomfort the woman stumbled deeper into awkward by saying "I mean because you're washing a car . . ." At this point I started to feel bad for her so I managed a half smile . . but still had no words for her. Then she said "I mean because you're out here taking the initiative to wash your car . . . Ok. Well have a good day!" Her window rolled up as she drove down the street and left me confused with dried soap suds on half of my car. Awesome. Thank you, ma'am.
I'm sure there are more awkward interactions to come . . . stay tuned.
Emily & I sit down and this mulleted-wonder leans his head in between the railing, takes a few deep sniffs toward us, and says "Mmmm somethin' smells gooood!" Wow. Really, sir? As if one time weren't horrendous enough - this continued for about 5 more minutes as the couple at this man's table prodded him onward. I wish I could say we had a quick witted response for his awkward advances - but thats not the case. Eventually his attention wandered back to his beer. That meal ended with the waiter dropping a tray of glasses down the side of my body. It's a good thing he hadn't been giving us refills as often as he should have been because the glasses only had ice in them & damage was minimal. Way to go, Applebee's.
I found myself in another awkward situation in my very own front yard. The weather in Lexington has been gorgeous lately, so I decided to take advantage of it and wash my car in the driveway. So there I was, soaped up in my bikini a la Jessica Simpson . . ohh wait. I was about halfway through washing my car when a woman in a big SUV pulled up in front of my house and rolled her window down. I didn't immediately look up, but when she started speaking I glanced up. "Oh my husband would just love you!" I said nothing . . I just stood there holding a running hose and a soapy sponge with a look of bewilderment on my face. Seeing my discomfort the woman stumbled deeper into awkward by saying "I mean because you're washing a car . . ." At this point I started to feel bad for her so I managed a half smile . . but still had no words for her. Then she said "I mean because you're out here taking the initiative to wash your car . . . Ok. Well have a good day!" Her window rolled up as she drove down the street and left me confused with dried soap suds on half of my car. Awesome. Thank you, ma'am.
I'm sure there are more awkward interactions to come . . . stay tuned.
What Am I Gonna Do . . .
11:01 PM Edit This 3 Comments »
This past weekend my younger sister Jenna came to visit! She's so sweet - the whole thing was a complete surprise. Friday morning I had just gotten out of the shower and was getting ready in my bathroom when my phone rang. Jenna rarely (never) calls so I answered out of curiosity. She asked me if exit 108 was my exit. After a long pause I said "Wait, what?" Hilarious. We hung out around Lexington Friday night . . we ate deep fried pickles, saw "Twilight" for one dollar, and Jenna fell in love with Edward Cullen.
Saturday we headed out to the mall and passed through campus to see if there was a hockey game. What are the odds - UK vs Indiana that night. Bring. It. On. Kentucky hockey games don't start 'til midnight - which left us with all kinds of time to kill. We made our way to Sephora where Jenna did a full make-over on herself. It entertained us for a good portion of the afternoon. Then we hit up the pretzel stand. Mall pretzels might be one of my favorite foods. My last meal could consist of mall food and I would be entirely happy. Dippin' Dots, a pretzel, German roasted almonds & a strawberry crush smoothie. Can a meal get better than that? I submit that it cannot.
Midnight finally rolled around and Jenna, Kristina & I jumped in my hooptie toward the Lexington Ice Center. After a minor detour via my GPS (Out in the middle of the fields? Really? THAT'S where it thinks the Lexington Ice Center is? Perfect.) We made it to the hockey game in between the first and second periods . . around 12:45 am. UK hockey games are quite an experience - the crowd consists of easily excitable coed drunks, children, middle aged hockey fans . . and pretty much everyone in between. We found (what we thought were) great seats - 2nd row just off of center ice and settled in for the chilly action. When we sat down we didn't immediately notice the elderly man standing with his back to the ice gazing up and around at the crowd with a strangely suspicious look on his face. This guy was (at best) in his 70's in full on winter gear - hat, flannel jacket & gloves. His gloves & glasses were both on strings (awesome).
Kentucky's hockey rink is set up such that the crowd sits on one side of the rink & the other side is almost flush against the wall. The teams & coaches sit on that side with a DJ type set up int he middle. This particular night there were 4 overly enthusiastic middle aged men in charge of music for the night and they were just as entertaining as the hockey game itself. One in particular was hilarious. He was probably around 5'7, completely bald and overweight. This guy acted like every song that played was his personal anthem. He was rockin' it out complete with air guitar strums, fist pumps, and pointing to the crowd while cupping one ear. So funny. Apparently it was 80's night because he played every hit from that decade while we were there.
A few minutes into the 2nd period he decides to play "Jump Around" by House of Pain. The crowd was dancin' and lovin' it . . but hockey time outs are quick - so just about 30 seconds of the song played. As the game got back into motion the elderly gentlemen in front of me turned around with a very serious look on his face and quietly said "Do you know the name of the song that just played?" I was a little surprised by the question so I slowly replied "Um . . yeah. 'Jump Around'." He nodded and turned around. About 10 or 15 minutes later the man turns back around and says "Do you know who sings that song?". I'm not proud of this - but I have extensive music knowledge that should undoubtedly be taken up by more important things . . but I digress. I told him I'd think about it and let him know if I thought of the name of the group. ("Whats the name of your group? The sanasas." Anyone? Anyone?) After shuffling through my music database I determined "House of Pain" was the group in question so I informed my new 80's hip hop loving friend of the facts. "House . . of . . Pain?!" he asked. "Yes," I replied. Then the cutest thing happened. This old man slipped off one of his gloves . . and pulled out a piece of paper from his shirt pocket . . followed by a pencil . . and wrote down "Jump Around: House of Pain". Then he looked up at me and said "Well I'm sure the librarian will be able to find it." Awe. Some.
The hockey game was droning on . . and it was nearing 2:30 am. Indiana was up 3-2 so the girls and I decided to leave with 2 minutes left to beat the crowds. Lucky us . . just as we get out the doors we hear the crowd cheer. Kentucky scored with a minute left to tie the game. I was a little sad we missed it - but it ended in a tie which is all-together disappointing. No sports fan is ever ok with a tie. The teams may as well never have played at all. Worthless.
So that was my fun-filled weekend with Jenna (my favorite sister). Thanks for coming to see me, Jen! Let's trade cars soon, ok? :)
Coming soon: I get smelled by a 60 year old country mulleted man in an Applebee's. Ew.
A few minutes into the 2nd period he decides to play "Jump Around" by House of Pain. The crowd was dancin' and lovin' it . . but hockey time outs are quick - so just about 30 seconds of the song played. As the game got back into motion the elderly gentlemen in front of me turned around with a very serious look on his face and quietly said "Do you know the name of the song that just played?" I was a little surprised by the question so I slowly replied "Um . . yeah. 'Jump Around'." He nodded and turned around. About 10 or 15 minutes later the man turns back around and says "Do you know who sings that song?". I'm not proud of this - but I have extensive music knowledge that should undoubtedly be taken up by more important things . . but I digress. I told him I'd think about it and let him know if I thought of the name of the group. ("Whats the name of your group? The sanasas." Anyone? Anyone?) After shuffling through my music database I determined "House of Pain" was the group in question so I informed my new 80's hip hop loving friend of the facts. "House . . of . . Pain?!" he asked. "Yes," I replied. Then the cutest thing happened. This old man slipped off one of his gloves . . and pulled out a piece of paper from his shirt pocket . . followed by a pencil . . and wrote down "Jump Around: House of Pain". Then he looked up at me and said "Well I'm sure the librarian will be able to find it." Awe. Some.
The hockey game was droning on . . and it was nearing 2:30 am. Indiana was up 3-2 so the girls and I decided to leave with 2 minutes left to beat the crowds. Lucky us . . just as we get out the doors we hear the crowd cheer. Kentucky scored with a minute left to tie the game. I was a little sad we missed it - but it ended in a tie which is all-together disappointing. No sports fan is ever ok with a tie. The teams may as well never have played at all. Worthless.
So that was my fun-filled weekend with Jenna (my favorite sister). Thanks for coming to see me, Jen! Let's trade cars soon, ok? :)
Coming soon: I get smelled by a 60 year old country mulleted man in an Applebee's. Ew.
Absolute . . .
7:06 PM Edit This 2 Comments »
"25 Random Things" has swept Facebook. Too bad for my I wrote my list early on . . . then thought of much funnier random things about myself. Lucky for you I'm writing another one.
1. I put cayenne pepper on 80% of everything I eat. Soup, sandwiches, pizza, salads . . . everything tastes better when its spicy. I even made "chipotle chocolate chip cookies" once . . much better in theory.
2. My mom once gave me a pair of Hanukkah socks for Christmas. I thought it was intentional, but when I asked her about it she had no idea. "Oh! I thought those were just regular stars."
3. The only time I've ever had a boyfriend around Valentine's day was in 7th grade. His name was Nick. I bought him a bag of football shaped chocolates at the mall . . . and then broke up with him a few days before the 14th. I ate the chocolates.
4. I've passed out far too many times to count. A few of my personal faves include an ear piercing at the mall, during pre-surgery questioning & shots, in ballet class, playing the oboe, a self-inflicted gun wound (see # 7).
5. When I was 19 I worked for a summer at a tanning salon. One day a woman and her daughter came in asking for a job application. I handed it over & the mom told me her daughter was only 15. She was wondering if her daughter's age would be a problem & I explained that anyone under 16 could get a work permit signed by their parents to get a job. The woman nodded as I explained it before she asked "Ohh - so that's how you work here, then?" 19, people. I was 19.
6. In 8th grade a boy named Jackson sat behind me in tech ed. Jackson pulled strands of my hair out of my head every day for an entire semester. I would always whip around and tell him to knock it off - and he would just laugh his head off. Eventually I stopped feeling it - either the nerve endings in my head died or he started pulling stray hairs off of my shirt. On the last day of tech ed Jackson tapped me on the shoulder. I turned around to see a CLUMP of my hair strands taped together. Weirdest day of my life.
7. One summer I was in my backyard target shooting with a bb gun. I was pumping the gun after I reloaded it and my hand slipped; forcing the barrel of the gun up and cracking me in the middle of the forehead. A few things happened simultaneously after that. My head busted open, I dropped the gun, grabbed my head, started crying & my mom ran in the house yelling "Help! Laura hit herself in the head with the gun! Help!". My dad came flying outside thinking I had SHOT myself in the head. It wasn't a huge cut but it bled for a while. I probably should have had stitches . . but now I have a sweet forehead scar that I can attribute to a gun. Makes me sound pretty hardcore.
8. One Christmas morning as my sisters and I were running into the living room to open presents I accidentally tripped over/kicked our dog Madi. I still think it's coincidental, but we took her to the vet the next day and she had a broken leg. I felt bad about it for a while . . but now I'm over it. I've been super nice to her ever since to make amends.
9. The year the Colts won the Superbowl I wore two jerseys (Manning & Harrison) during every game starting with the playoffs. I'd like to think I had a little somethin' to do with the winning season & I'm still waiting to hear back on my Superbowl ring request.
10. Listening to women talk about labor & delivery makes me feel queasy. One time my sister Jessie, my mom & I were driving from Bloomington home and I made them change topics because I felt woozy. (Sorry Jes.)
11. I think the Chuck Taylor shoe trend in weddings is funny. I'm sure the first groom who decided to have his groomsmen wear them was original, but now it's just silly. Guys do it now to be different, but so many guys do it that soon it'll be as popular as dress shoes. Unless it fits the bride & groom (which is rare) it's just a strange amendment to make to wedding wear.
12. I always sleep with a heavy Maglite Flashlight next to my bed. It's about a foot long and I'm fairly certain I could knock someone out with it. Here's to hoping none of my roommates ever sneak in my room for a late-night prank . . I can pretty much guarantee it won't end with laughter.
13. My hands are always shaky. Certain triggers worsen the velocity of shakiness including working out, public speaking, dancing, and nerves.
14. For reasons beyond my control and outside my understanding . . a few boys in my youth group referred to me as "Dog Pee" for a a period of about a year. I probably should have been offended . . but it was pretty hilarious.
15. I used to have OCD tendencies with random things. When I was in high school I would write words people said on my leg with my finger, count my turn signal blinker and try to get it to click 25 times before I turned, and count syllables of words. None of this prevented me from living a normal life, so it must have been a mild case.
16. In my high school math class the teacher pushed two desks together, and we all had a math partner for the semester. I was paired with a boy named Peter who called me "Bunny Rabbit". He would steal my assignments, erase my name from the top and write "Bunny Rabbit" in its place. Anytime I raised my hand to ask a question Peter would say "Mr. Edwards! Bunny Rabbit has a question! Call on Bunny Rabbit!" The whole class thought it was pretty funny . . mostly because they didn't have to sit next to Peter.
17. I hate winking. People found this out & somehow relayed the message to a strange boy at youth group camps. He would wink at me every time we saw each other. It got weirder & weirder.
18. "Jon & Kate Plus 8" just might be the most intolerable television show on currently. It used to be cute - adorable kids runnin' around bein' crazy interspersed with random interviews with the parents, but now it's focused more on the parents & I find Kate grating, demanding, anal retentive & completely disrespectful of her husband. I also think Jon should grow a pair and stand up for himself.
19. I can't ever imagine becoming a morning person. I get my second wind around 10 pm and will often throw in a load of laundry, clean the kitchen or start organizing my room then. Ideally, I will have a job where I can work from home in the wee morning hours.
20. I have never seen any Star Wars movies. I'm not interested in them & you can't make me watch them.
21. I like liking music & tv shows that aren't mainstream. I loved "The Office" until it became a bandwagon show - now it's terrible. I loved Barnes & Wertz until they started signing with record labels & pimpin' out their fans for promotional support. "Click This!" "Sign up for this!" "Go here!" "Vote for this!" Boo!
22. I could drive from Lexington to Indianapolis through Cincinnati blindfolded. Absolutely. You wanna ride shotgun?
23. I used to love skiing, but I'm scared to go again because on my last ski trip catastrophe struck. One of my good friends was an EXCELLENT skier, grew up on the slopes with her family. She was on a black diamond course in Wisconsin . . and she skied into a ski-lift support pole. She ruptured nearly every organ in her body, broke her hip and a bunch of her ribs, shattered her shoulder and her pelvic bone. It was awful. Ever since then I've stuck to backyard sledding. I did try to snowboard once, but I spent more time moping on my butt then actually snowboarding.
24. In 4th grade I threw a pretzel at a boy sitting one table away from me. Due to my impeccable aim, I missed the boy and hit a girl in the back of the head. I yelled at my friends to play it cool, and the girl got up and told on the mystery pretzel assailant. The teacher scanned the cafeteria for the villain but found no guilty eyes, so she sent the whiny girl back to her table. After lunch was recess, and I was approached by a teacher who told me she knew I had thrown the pretzel. Some of my friends had told on me because "it was the right thing to do". I had to spend the entire recess standing up against a brick wall. Sometimes friends suck.
25. I love getting pedicures, but the occasion is instantly ruined if a man is the one administering it. I feel super awkward & they ALWAYS make inappropriate jokes. True story: My roommate & I went for pedicures in Lexington last year. We walk in & take our seats at the foot bath/reclining massage chairs from heaven and a guy walks over and takes a seat in front of me. I immediately clutch a magazine and raise it to cover my face to hide my impending embarrassment. My roommate got really chatty with the girl doing her nails, and the guy kept making comments about how I was shy and quiet. When the pedicure progressed to the lotion phase, the guy squirted no less than half of the bottle on my legs and began to massage it in. I lowered my magazine for a second and we made awkward eye contact as he asked me "Is the pressure ok?" So I replied "Yeah, it's fine." A pervy smile crept across his face and he said "Ohhh, so you like it rough?" Wow. There goes your tip . . along with my pleasant attitude.
1. I put cayenne pepper on 80% of everything I eat. Soup, sandwiches, pizza, salads . . . everything tastes better when its spicy. I even made "chipotle chocolate chip cookies" once . . much better in theory.
2. My mom once gave me a pair of Hanukkah socks for Christmas. I thought it was intentional, but when I asked her about it she had no idea. "Oh! I thought those were just regular stars."
3. The only time I've ever had a boyfriend around Valentine's day was in 7th grade. His name was Nick. I bought him a bag of football shaped chocolates at the mall . . . and then broke up with him a few days before the 14th. I ate the chocolates.
4. I've passed out far too many times to count. A few of my personal faves include an ear piercing at the mall, during pre-surgery questioning & shots, in ballet class, playing the oboe, a self-inflicted gun wound (see # 7).
5. When I was 19 I worked for a summer at a tanning salon. One day a woman and her daughter came in asking for a job application. I handed it over & the mom told me her daughter was only 15. She was wondering if her daughter's age would be a problem & I explained that anyone under 16 could get a work permit signed by their parents to get a job. The woman nodded as I explained it before she asked "Ohh - so that's how you work here, then?" 19, people. I was 19.
6. In 8th grade a boy named Jackson sat behind me in tech ed. Jackson pulled strands of my hair out of my head every day for an entire semester. I would always whip around and tell him to knock it off - and he would just laugh his head off. Eventually I stopped feeling it - either the nerve endings in my head died or he started pulling stray hairs off of my shirt. On the last day of tech ed Jackson tapped me on the shoulder. I turned around to see a CLUMP of my hair strands taped together. Weirdest day of my life.
7. One summer I was in my backyard target shooting with a bb gun. I was pumping the gun after I reloaded it and my hand slipped; forcing the barrel of the gun up and cracking me in the middle of the forehead. A few things happened simultaneously after that. My head busted open, I dropped the gun, grabbed my head, started crying & my mom ran in the house yelling "Help! Laura hit herself in the head with the gun! Help!". My dad came flying outside thinking I had SHOT myself in the head. It wasn't a huge cut but it bled for a while. I probably should have had stitches . . but now I have a sweet forehead scar that I can attribute to a gun. Makes me sound pretty hardcore.
8. One Christmas morning as my sisters and I were running into the living room to open presents I accidentally tripped over/kicked our dog Madi. I still think it's coincidental, but we took her to the vet the next day and she had a broken leg. I felt bad about it for a while . . but now I'm over it. I've been super nice to her ever since to make amends.
9. The year the Colts won the Superbowl I wore two jerseys (Manning & Harrison) during every game starting with the playoffs. I'd like to think I had a little somethin' to do with the winning season & I'm still waiting to hear back on my Superbowl ring request.
10. Listening to women talk about labor & delivery makes me feel queasy. One time my sister Jessie, my mom & I were driving from Bloomington home and I made them change topics because I felt woozy. (Sorry Jes.)
11. I think the Chuck Taylor shoe trend in weddings is funny. I'm sure the first groom who decided to have his groomsmen wear them was original, but now it's just silly. Guys do it now to be different, but so many guys do it that soon it'll be as popular as dress shoes. Unless it fits the bride & groom (which is rare) it's just a strange amendment to make to wedding wear.
12. I always sleep with a heavy Maglite Flashlight next to my bed. It's about a foot long and I'm fairly certain I could knock someone out with it. Here's to hoping none of my roommates ever sneak in my room for a late-night prank . . I can pretty much guarantee it won't end with laughter.
13. My hands are always shaky. Certain triggers worsen the velocity of shakiness including working out, public speaking, dancing, and nerves.
14. For reasons beyond my control and outside my understanding . . a few boys in my youth group referred to me as "Dog Pee" for a a period of about a year. I probably should have been offended . . but it was pretty hilarious.
15. I used to have OCD tendencies with random things. When I was in high school I would write words people said on my leg with my finger, count my turn signal blinker and try to get it to click 25 times before I turned, and count syllables of words. None of this prevented me from living a normal life, so it must have been a mild case.
16. In my high school math class the teacher pushed two desks together, and we all had a math partner for the semester. I was paired with a boy named Peter who called me "Bunny Rabbit". He would steal my assignments, erase my name from the top and write "Bunny Rabbit" in its place. Anytime I raised my hand to ask a question Peter would say "Mr. Edwards! Bunny Rabbit has a question! Call on Bunny Rabbit!" The whole class thought it was pretty funny . . mostly because they didn't have to sit next to Peter.
17. I hate winking. People found this out & somehow relayed the message to a strange boy at youth group camps. He would wink at me every time we saw each other. It got weirder & weirder.
18. "Jon & Kate Plus 8" just might be the most intolerable television show on currently. It used to be cute - adorable kids runnin' around bein' crazy interspersed with random interviews with the parents, but now it's focused more on the parents & I find Kate grating, demanding, anal retentive & completely disrespectful of her husband. I also think Jon should grow a pair and stand up for himself.
19. I can't ever imagine becoming a morning person. I get my second wind around 10 pm and will often throw in a load of laundry, clean the kitchen or start organizing my room then. Ideally, I will have a job where I can work from home in the wee morning hours.
20. I have never seen any Star Wars movies. I'm not interested in them & you can't make me watch them.
21. I like liking music & tv shows that aren't mainstream. I loved "The Office" until it became a bandwagon show - now it's terrible. I loved Barnes & Wertz until they started signing with record labels & pimpin' out their fans for promotional support. "Click This!" "Sign up for this!" "Go here!" "Vote for this!" Boo!
22. I could drive from Lexington to Indianapolis through Cincinnati blindfolded. Absolutely. You wanna ride shotgun?
23. I used to love skiing, but I'm scared to go again because on my last ski trip catastrophe struck. One of my good friends was an EXCELLENT skier, grew up on the slopes with her family. She was on a black diamond course in Wisconsin . . and she skied into a ski-lift support pole. She ruptured nearly every organ in her body, broke her hip and a bunch of her ribs, shattered her shoulder and her pelvic bone. It was awful. Ever since then I've stuck to backyard sledding. I did try to snowboard once, but I spent more time moping on my butt then actually snowboarding.
24. In 4th grade I threw a pretzel at a boy sitting one table away from me. Due to my impeccable aim, I missed the boy and hit a girl in the back of the head. I yelled at my friends to play it cool, and the girl got up and told on the mystery pretzel assailant. The teacher scanned the cafeteria for the villain but found no guilty eyes, so she sent the whiny girl back to her table. After lunch was recess, and I was approached by a teacher who told me she knew I had thrown the pretzel. Some of my friends had told on me because "it was the right thing to do". I had to spend the entire recess standing up against a brick wall. Sometimes friends suck.
25. I love getting pedicures, but the occasion is instantly ruined if a man is the one administering it. I feel super awkward & they ALWAYS make inappropriate jokes. True story: My roommate & I went for pedicures in Lexington last year. We walk in & take our seats at the foot bath/reclining massage chairs from heaven and a guy walks over and takes a seat in front of me. I immediately clutch a magazine and raise it to cover my face to hide my impending embarrassment. My roommate got really chatty with the girl doing her nails, and the guy kept making comments about how I was shy and quiet. When the pedicure progressed to the lotion phase, the guy squirted no less than half of the bottle on my legs and began to massage it in. I lowered my magazine for a second and we made awkward eye contact as he asked me "Is the pressure ok?" So I replied "Yeah, it's fine." A pervy smile crept across his face and he said "Ohhh, so you like it rough?" Wow. There goes your tip . . along with my pleasant attitude.
Get On Your Boots . . .
7:51 PM Edit This 1 Comment »
Last week Lexington got hit by a crazy winter storm. The governor has called it "the worst disaster in the history of Kentucky". Hundreds of thousands of people went days without power and somewhere around 15 people died from hypothermia or carbon monoxide poisoning. We got about 2 inches of ice followed by around 6 inches of snow - which made for heinous outdoor conditions. My roommates & I almost went crazy being stuck in our house for so long - but we were lucky enough to have electricity the entire week. Praise God!
One night when things were particularly bad . . we sat in our living room putting together a puzzle of wedding festivities in pioneer days. Our background noise of choice was a Justin Timberlake concert DVD which may have hindered our timeliness. Hilarious.
Watching the icicles accumulate was astonishing.
I wasn't exaggerating when I said 2 inches of ice.
Trees everywhere were bent toward the ground falling under the enormous weight of ICE!
Ahh! My grill! Iced out - just the way I like it.
Little bit of icy build up on my mirrors . .
My car looked like it had been hit by some super-villain who ices things over with their breath.
This was no pansy storm . . we got it bad.
Love this picture . . .
Everything looked BEAUTIFUL! (Dangerous & potentially deadly . . but beautiful, nonetheless)
Everything had thick layers of ice and snow for days . . it was like living in Narnia.
I finally got a snowy stretch of winter in Lexington!
So many branches cracked & fell . . . no wonder thousands lost power.
Woohoo! Tuesday off for me! :)
Side view of the lawn chair . . and icicle daggers.
As I write this it's snowing outside & schools are cancelling classes for tomorrow. Within the span of 1 hour today I saw two car crashes in my neighborhood - the majority of people in Lexington drive like fools in snow. On my way home today I literally drove no faster than 5 miles per hour the long way through my neighborhood to avoid one of the crashes. I'm all about winter . . but I have learned it's a conditional love. I love snow, ice and cold weather ONLY if I'm not obligated to be anywhere but on the top of a hill with a sled or near a fireplace sippin' hot chocolate. On that note . . I'm gonna go blow dry my numb fingers on high 'til they regain feeling.
One night when things were particularly bad . . we sat in our living room putting together a puzzle of wedding festivities in pioneer days. Our background noise of choice was a Justin Timberlake concert DVD which may have hindered our timeliness. Hilarious.
Here's our lovely finished puzzle.
Watching the icicles accumulate was astonishing.
I wasn't exaggerating when I said 2 inches of ice.
Trees everywhere were bent toward the ground falling under the enormous weight of ICE!
Here's my sweet antenna completely covered. Excellent.
Ahh! My grill! Iced out - just the way I like it.
Little bit of icy build up on my mirrors . .
My car looked like it had been hit by some super-villain who ices things over with their breath.
This was no pansy storm . . we got it bad.
Love this picture . . .
Everything looked BEAUTIFUL! (Dangerous & potentially deadly . . but beautiful, nonetheless)
Everything had thick layers of ice and snow for days . . it was like living in Narnia.
I finally got a snowy stretch of winter in Lexington!
So many branches cracked & fell . . . no wonder thousands lost power.
Woohoo! Tuesday off for me! :)
Ice build up was a little bit serious.
Side view of the lawn chair . . and icicle daggers.
As I write this it's snowing outside & schools are cancelling classes for tomorrow. Within the span of 1 hour today I saw two car crashes in my neighborhood - the majority of people in Lexington drive like fools in snow. On my way home today I literally drove no faster than 5 miles per hour the long way through my neighborhood to avoid one of the crashes. I'm all about winter . . but I have learned it's a conditional love. I love snow, ice and cold weather ONLY if I'm not obligated to be anywhere but on the top of a hill with a sled or near a fireplace sippin' hot chocolate. On that note . . I'm gonna go blow dry my numb fingers on high 'til they regain feeling.
All At Once . . .
3:14 AM Edit This 1 Comment »
The facts: It's 3:21 a.m. I'm chillin' in my living room. My roommates are asleep. I just finished putting a load of laundry in, washing dishes, cleaning, reorganizing & rearranging the kitchen. I'm watching "Ghost Town". It's icing & snowing outside. I watched "Ever After" tonight. Great movie. I found a new band I'm obsessed with on myspace. I went to bed last night at 8:30 after a rocky night of sleeping Saturday night. I woke up this morning at 6:30 and haven't slept since. I drank 1 cup of coffee this morning around 9:30 and I'm blaming that for my insomnia.
Lexington is currently under a "Winter Storm Warning" and I'm witnessing it. It's beautiful out - assuming you can stay wrapped in a blanket on the couch, that is. I'm hoping (praying, believing) that my classes will be cancelled tomorrow because of the heinous weather - and if that doesn't happen I'm in for a rough day.
Random story time. Last night I was in Wal-Mart stocking up on Q-tips & orange juice, the most natural of combinations, when I heard a strange page over the intercom. I could be imagining the first name they called, but I am 100% sure about the second. A lady's voice bursts over the loudspeaker and she says "Would Laura _____ (not sure of the last name) and Manning Peyton please come to the jewelry counter." I was on the phone with my mom at the time and I literally burst out into laughter. I didn't respond to my mom as she asked what was going on. I waited to hear the announcement again. "Manning Peyton, Manning Peyton please report to the jewelry counter." What. Just. Happened?! Number one: who is this pager-lady that she doesn't realize "Manning Peyton" as something other than a lost Wal-Mart child? Number two: who would page Peyton Manning in Wal-Mart? To the jewelry counter? So there I am; in my Colts fleece (Thanks Jen.) holding my phone to my ear and looking around suspiciously. I was convinced someone I knew had seen me in an aisle and decided to play a prank. After a few moments of surveying I gave up the search and went on about my shopping duties.
I wonder if my subconscious is so down trodden about the Colts season finale that I'm seeking out players in my everyday life? Will I hallucinate Joseph Addai in my backyard next? How about Jeff Saturday in my merchandising classes? Only time will tell. Walking around campus & in and out of Lexington I've seen a trend . . bandwagon NFL fans. People donning BRAND NEW Steelers & Cardinals gear and claiming they're hardcore. Right. The Superbowl is in a few days and I couldn't care less about the outcome. I lean slightly toward Arizona - the underdogs always need a few more cheerleaders. Then again; I'm a fan of anything that will yield a killer schedule & horrible draft position for an ever competitive AFC powerhouse like Pittsburgh. See the dilemma?
One thing is certain: the Superbowl can only mean one thing; March Madness is just around the corner. While thrilling; this also signals the thing I most dread each spring. The (all-too soon) return of professional baseball. (Shudders). Professional Baseball: here's my beef. You come too soon. You last way too long. You interrupt my regularly scheduled programming. You have too many games. 162?! Your playoffs are all together anti-climactic & drawn out. You monopolize Sportscenter. You give clueless girls a reason to put on cutesy hats & tiny t shirts claiming they've "been a Cubs fan like, all my life". I could go on about the ridiculous sports attire aimed at girls today; but that's another blog for another day. Pink jerseys? Really?
In conclusion; my favorite sport is over, my 2nd favorite is in the home stretch & for the next 6 months I nearly boycott ESPN.
Go see "Slumdog Millionaire" if you haven't already. You won't be disappointed. Steer clear of "Revolutionary Road" & "The Reader" & bring plenty of tissues to "Marley & Me". Fight kicking & screaming to stay far away from "Paul Blart: Mall Cop". Channel the 13 year old girl inside & fawn over "Twilight". Put your foot down & refuse "Bride Wars". Those are the only movies out I have strong opinions about.
Rent "Ghost Town". Ricky Gervais is brilliant. Speak with a British accent for 1 day. C'mon, you know you want to.
Lexington is currently under a "Winter Storm Warning" and I'm witnessing it. It's beautiful out - assuming you can stay wrapped in a blanket on the couch, that is. I'm hoping (praying, believing) that my classes will be cancelled tomorrow because of the heinous weather - and if that doesn't happen I'm in for a rough day.
Random story time. Last night I was in Wal-Mart stocking up on Q-tips & orange juice, the most natural of combinations, when I heard a strange page over the intercom. I could be imagining the first name they called, but I am 100% sure about the second. A lady's voice bursts over the loudspeaker and she says "Would Laura _____ (not sure of the last name) and Manning Peyton please come to the jewelry counter." I was on the phone with my mom at the time and I literally burst out into laughter. I didn't respond to my mom as she asked what was going on. I waited to hear the announcement again. "Manning Peyton, Manning Peyton please report to the jewelry counter." What. Just. Happened?! Number one: who is this pager-lady that she doesn't realize "Manning Peyton" as something other than a lost Wal-Mart child? Number two: who would page Peyton Manning in Wal-Mart? To the jewelry counter? So there I am; in my Colts fleece (Thanks Jen.) holding my phone to my ear and looking around suspiciously. I was convinced someone I knew had seen me in an aisle and decided to play a prank. After a few moments of surveying I gave up the search and went on about my shopping duties.
I wonder if my subconscious is so down trodden about the Colts season finale that I'm seeking out players in my everyday life? Will I hallucinate Joseph Addai in my backyard next? How about Jeff Saturday in my merchandising classes? Only time will tell. Walking around campus & in and out of Lexington I've seen a trend . . bandwagon NFL fans. People donning BRAND NEW Steelers & Cardinals gear and claiming they're hardcore. Right. The Superbowl is in a few days and I couldn't care less about the outcome. I lean slightly toward Arizona - the underdogs always need a few more cheerleaders. Then again; I'm a fan of anything that will yield a killer schedule & horrible draft position for an ever competitive AFC powerhouse like Pittsburgh. See the dilemma?
One thing is certain: the Superbowl can only mean one thing; March Madness is just around the corner. While thrilling; this also signals the thing I most dread each spring. The (all-too soon) return of professional baseball. (Shudders). Professional Baseball: here's my beef. You come too soon. You last way too long. You interrupt my regularly scheduled programming. You have too many games. 162?! Your playoffs are all together anti-climactic & drawn out. You monopolize Sportscenter. You give clueless girls a reason to put on cutesy hats & tiny t shirts claiming they've "been a Cubs fan like, all my life". I could go on about the ridiculous sports attire aimed at girls today; but that's another blog for another day. Pink jerseys? Really?
In conclusion; my favorite sport is over, my 2nd favorite is in the home stretch & for the next 6 months I nearly boycott ESPN.
Go see "Slumdog Millionaire" if you haven't already. You won't be disappointed. Steer clear of "Revolutionary Road" & "The Reader" & bring plenty of tissues to "Marley & Me". Fight kicking & screaming to stay far away from "Paul Blart: Mall Cop". Channel the 13 year old girl inside & fawn over "Twilight". Put your foot down & refuse "Bride Wars". Those are the only movies out I have strong opinions about.
Rent "Ghost Town". Ricky Gervais is brilliant. Speak with a British accent for 1 day. C'mon, you know you want to.
Dreaming With A Broken Heart . . .
4:00 AM Edit This 2 Comments »
Woah. The winter vacation threw a wrench in my blogging plans. Alright - I give: who wants to blog when you're surrounded by home-cooked meals, 4 crazy, unpredictable, hilarious sisters you haven't seen in months & the two cutest nieces anyone could ask for? Not this girl.
Christmas break was great - lots of relaxing, little worrying or caring, & winter nights spend lounging in a 104 degree hot tub. Loved it.
Winter break had downers, however. Boom : Colts out of the playoffs. Smack: Tony Dungy retires. I've recovered from both football-related negatives.
Over break I did something I didn't think I'd ever do. I took my car to a vehicle design store and had my windows (illegally) tinted. I'm still not entirely on board with the message it sends about me, but I do love the way it makes my car look & the air of mystery it adds to my cruises around Lexington. With the window tinting comes a hilarious story (of course) involving my mom, the window tint worker & a heinous quote from one of my favorite shows. Here's the setup:
All week I had been talking to my family about window tinting & weighing the pros and cons of such an endeavor. Will I get a ticket? What if my car is too dark? I won't get nearly as many traffic light pickups. Will I be able to see at night? What if people think I'm ridin' dirty? Is it worth the money? What if I don't like it? Do "normal" people tint their windows? Really? As these conversations went on, I found myself mostly on the defensive. While describing the visual benefits to my family my favorite MTV duo Rob & Big came to mind. If you've seen the show you may have heard them refer to their car as "murdered out". If you're on the outside lookin' in head over to urbandictionary.com and look it up. (But don't stay long)
In a family conversation I told my dad I wanted my car to be murdered out & I was met with a sea of blank stares. I caught them up on my ghetto slang & murdered out became the number one pro of tinted windows. Flash forward a week when I'm picking my car up from the auto design store. My parents and I drove over and my mom and I went in to pay & get my car keys. We walk in and there isn't anyone around at first, and after about 30 seconds a guy comes out of the back of the store.
Admittedly, this guy was attractive. Ok, that's an understatement, this guy could have been an Abercrombie model. So I'm thinkin' "Play it cool, Kinsley. He's not that good - OH MY GOSH THIS GUY IS SO HOT. CALM YOURSELF! Breathe!" as Mr. Window Tinting himself starts telling me the rules for the next few days (no rolling the windows down, using defrost will help the tint cure . . . ). I'm trying my hardest to appear attentive as I'm thinking "What is a guy like this doing working here? He could be in magazines. Or a boy band." It had snowed that morning, and my car had been tinted the night before so it was out in front of the store with about 2 or 3 inches of snow on it. My mom, trying to crack a joke, says "I think that's right where we left the car yesterday, are you sure you tinted it?" and as the joke whizzes over his head he replies "Yeah, we tinted it last night and put it out this morning, the snow is from today; it has been snowing." My mom says "Oh, ok."; clearly willing to let the joke slip away. Then the unthinkable happens. I see the light bulb over my mom's head flicker to life as my worst nightmare unfolds.
My mom took a brief pause before she says "So it's murdered out?". My very own ghetto-speak had come back to haunt me in the form of public humiliation. My mom turns to me as if I'm going to slap her five or give her a certificate of achievement. The guy behind the counter utters a short laugh and trails off with a "Yeah . . ". By this point I'm already out the front door to launch my head into a bank of snow. Thanks Mom.
Needless to say, I don't think I'm the one he remembered from the interaction. That had to have been a first for them though; murdered out isn't a common member of 50 year old woman vernacular. Way to go, Deb.
A few more brief things before I attempt a few hours of sleep.
I've been having the most hilarious & vivid dreams lately.
Usually I can think back on my day and find the trigger, but most of the recent ones are seemingly out of the blue. Last night I had a dream I was at Applebee's . . eating dinner with John Mayer. Yeah - I know. The first part of my dream we were facing each other and he had really shaggy hair & the 2nd part we were sitting next to each other & he had a buzzed head. Maybe it was 2 dates over a long period of time? I sure know how to keep 'em comin' back, that's for sure. In dream world, anyway. :) Anyway - throughout the entire dream I was consumed with thoughts of getting his autograph. Completely ridiculous as I was assuredly dating the guy. I remember at one point I broke REM and opened my eyes immediately thinking "Now you'll NEVER get the autograph."
Another dream of mine from a few nights ago was about my family. Kara was having a pool party with her friends who were all a lot younger than she was. One guest in particular, was problematic. This fat little 10 year old boy was throwing peas in our pool. I was apparently the lifeguard/pool monitor on duty so I was yellin' at him to pick 'em up and telling him he was rude. Don't look at me: I'm just as confused as you are. In the same dream Jenna was driving my brand new car as I looked on from our house. She was pulling it into the garage and giving me a huge thumbs up and waving like a maniac. I was crazy mad she was behind the wheel & yelling "GET OUT! GET OUT!" Go figure. Sorry, Jen. (But seriously, if you EVER drive my car - heads will roll.)
I've been doing research on sleeping habits lately & I've found a lot of articles stating that the way to a good night's sleep is to have a consistent wake-up time. 7 days a week. Bedtime isn't as crucial; you go to bed when your body is tired in preparation for the impending wake up call. This sounds like a good plan until I try to implement it. Monday & Wednesday I have class at 8: which means I need to leave my house at 7. A 6:30 wake up would give me enough time to get ready & eat breakfast if I showered the night before. However; Tuesdays & Thursdays I don't have class until 9:30. 3 hours of prep time seems a bit much for a day of lectures. Not to mention Friday - my day off. The thought of waking up at 6:30 on a day I have no class or plans before 10 am sounds entirely ludicrous. Don't even get me started on Saturday. Sunday is possible, I could attend the early service at church at 8:30 but it still seems like a crazy time to arise. (If anyone in my family is reading this now they're thinking "No freaking way this will ever happen." Amen.) I love sleeping a little too much to fully commit to this just yet. I do agree I need to be going to bed earlier (this post is case & point for that argument) but I can't imagine going to bed early enough to justify a 6:30 alarm clock. For instance; that is a mere 1 1/2 hours from now. Sick.
I'm gonna try to post more regularly now that I'm back at school; because let's face it - the people want more Laura & what the people want the people get. I'm a giver, what can I say.
Oh yeah - if you see me in Lex cruisin' in my tight murdered out car just assume I'm wavin' back. :)
Christmas break was great - lots of relaxing, little worrying or caring, & winter nights spend lounging in a 104 degree hot tub. Loved it.
Winter break had downers, however. Boom : Colts out of the playoffs. Smack: Tony Dungy retires. I've recovered from both football-related negatives.
Over break I did something I didn't think I'd ever do. I took my car to a vehicle design store and had my windows (illegally) tinted. I'm still not entirely on board with the message it sends about me, but I do love the way it makes my car look & the air of mystery it adds to my cruises around Lexington. With the window tinting comes a hilarious story (of course) involving my mom, the window tint worker & a heinous quote from one of my favorite shows. Here's the setup:
All week I had been talking to my family about window tinting & weighing the pros and cons of such an endeavor. Will I get a ticket? What if my car is too dark? I won't get nearly as many traffic light pickups. Will I be able to see at night? What if people think I'm ridin' dirty? Is it worth the money? What if I don't like it? Do "normal" people tint their windows? Really? As these conversations went on, I found myself mostly on the defensive. While describing the visual benefits to my family my favorite MTV duo Rob & Big came to mind. If you've seen the show you may have heard them refer to their car as "murdered out". If you're on the outside lookin' in head over to urbandictionary.com and look it up. (But don't stay long)
In a family conversation I told my dad I wanted my car to be murdered out & I was met with a sea of blank stares. I caught them up on my ghetto slang & murdered out became the number one pro of tinted windows. Flash forward a week when I'm picking my car up from the auto design store. My parents and I drove over and my mom and I went in to pay & get my car keys. We walk in and there isn't anyone around at first, and after about 30 seconds a guy comes out of the back of the store.
Admittedly, this guy was attractive. Ok, that's an understatement, this guy could have been an Abercrombie model. So I'm thinkin' "Play it cool, Kinsley. He's not that good - OH MY GOSH THIS GUY IS SO HOT. CALM YOURSELF! Breathe!" as Mr. Window Tinting himself starts telling me the rules for the next few days (no rolling the windows down, using defrost will help the tint cure . . . ). I'm trying my hardest to appear attentive as I'm thinking "What is a guy like this doing working here? He could be in magazines. Or a boy band." It had snowed that morning, and my car had been tinted the night before so it was out in front of the store with about 2 or 3 inches of snow on it. My mom, trying to crack a joke, says "I think that's right where we left the car yesterday, are you sure you tinted it?" and as the joke whizzes over his head he replies "Yeah, we tinted it last night and put it out this morning, the snow is from today; it has been snowing." My mom says "Oh, ok."; clearly willing to let the joke slip away. Then the unthinkable happens. I see the light bulb over my mom's head flicker to life as my worst nightmare unfolds.
My mom took a brief pause before she says "So it's murdered out?". My very own ghetto-speak had come back to haunt me in the form of public humiliation. My mom turns to me as if I'm going to slap her five or give her a certificate of achievement. The guy behind the counter utters a short laugh and trails off with a "Yeah . . ". By this point I'm already out the front door to launch my head into a bank of snow. Thanks Mom.
Needless to say, I don't think I'm the one he remembered from the interaction. That had to have been a first for them though; murdered out isn't a common member of 50 year old woman vernacular. Way to go, Deb.
A few more brief things before I attempt a few hours of sleep.
I've been having the most hilarious & vivid dreams lately.
Usually I can think back on my day and find the trigger, but most of the recent ones are seemingly out of the blue. Last night I had a dream I was at Applebee's . . eating dinner with John Mayer. Yeah - I know. The first part of my dream we were facing each other and he had really shaggy hair & the 2nd part we were sitting next to each other & he had a buzzed head. Maybe it was 2 dates over a long period of time? I sure know how to keep 'em comin' back, that's for sure. In dream world, anyway. :) Anyway - throughout the entire dream I was consumed with thoughts of getting his autograph. Completely ridiculous as I was assuredly dating the guy. I remember at one point I broke REM and opened my eyes immediately thinking "Now you'll NEVER get the autograph."
Another dream of mine from a few nights ago was about my family. Kara was having a pool party with her friends who were all a lot younger than she was. One guest in particular, was problematic. This fat little 10 year old boy was throwing peas in our pool. I was apparently the lifeguard/pool monitor on duty so I was yellin' at him to pick 'em up and telling him he was rude. Don't look at me: I'm just as confused as you are. In the same dream Jenna was driving my brand new car as I looked on from our house. She was pulling it into the garage and giving me a huge thumbs up and waving like a maniac. I was crazy mad she was behind the wheel & yelling "GET OUT! GET OUT!" Go figure. Sorry, Jen. (But seriously, if you EVER drive my car - heads will roll.)
I've been doing research on sleeping habits lately & I've found a lot of articles stating that the way to a good night's sleep is to have a consistent wake-up time. 7 days a week. Bedtime isn't as crucial; you go to bed when your body is tired in preparation for the impending wake up call. This sounds like a good plan until I try to implement it. Monday & Wednesday I have class at 8: which means I need to leave my house at 7. A 6:30 wake up would give me enough time to get ready & eat breakfast if I showered the night before. However; Tuesdays & Thursdays I don't have class until 9:30. 3 hours of prep time seems a bit much for a day of lectures. Not to mention Friday - my day off. The thought of waking up at 6:30 on a day I have no class or plans before 10 am sounds entirely ludicrous. Don't even get me started on Saturday. Sunday is possible, I could attend the early service at church at 8:30 but it still seems like a crazy time to arise. (If anyone in my family is reading this now they're thinking "No freaking way this will ever happen." Amen.) I love sleeping a little too much to fully commit to this just yet. I do agree I need to be going to bed earlier (this post is case & point for that argument) but I can't imagine going to bed early enough to justify a 6:30 alarm clock. For instance; that is a mere 1 1/2 hours from now. Sick.
I'm gonna try to post more regularly now that I'm back at school; because let's face it - the people want more Laura & what the people want the people get. I'm a giver, what can I say.
Oh yeah - if you see me in Lex cruisin' in my tight murdered out car just assume I'm wavin' back. :)
Do You Hear What I Hear? . . .
7:58 PM Edit This 0 Comments »
I heard something today I thought was just ridiculous enough to share.
I was watching The Food Network (big shock, I know) and there were all kinds of Christmas promos going on . . one of which was a commercial featuring various Food Network personalities talking about how they spend "The Holidays".
One host - I'm not sure who he was - I've not seen him or his show before; talked about spending Christmas day with his family, lounging around and relaxing. Sounds typical . . then he continued on to say "We don't talk about religion or politics, none of it. ". Yeah - the last thing you should do on the day we celebrate Jesus' birth is talk about religion. Great.
It never fails to amaze me how quick Americans are to take Jesus out of Christmas.
I was watching The Food Network (big shock, I know) and there were all kinds of Christmas promos going on . . one of which was a commercial featuring various Food Network personalities talking about how they spend "The Holidays".
One host - I'm not sure who he was - I've not seen him or his show before; talked about spending Christmas day with his family, lounging around and relaxing. Sounds typical . . then he continued on to say "We don't talk about religion or politics, none of it. ". Yeah - the last thing you should do on the day we celebrate Jesus' birth is talk about religion. Great.
It never fails to amaze me how quick Americans are to take Jesus out of Christmas.
Believable Doubt . . .
1:49 AM Edit This 3 Comments »
Thanksgiving break is always a nice & cruel teaser for the Christmas break to come. I had a great Thanksgiving with my crazy family this past week. Some highlights: meeting my niece, Jocelyn Lia, dominating Guitar Hero, knocking Jessie's lights out in Wii Boxing, hanging out with my family & hearing Noah refer to me as "Rar" all week long. L's and R's are hard for kids to say . . my name is like a cruel joke. Some low points: my first Black Friday shopping experiencing which yielded little more than a pair of shoes and a hat, waiting all week for Madi to have puppies . . . she's still preggo, driving back to Lex in the rain and sleet Sunday night, watching the Colts squeak by the Browns. THE BROWNS?!
I got back to Lexington Sunday night around 8:30 and was so excited to walk in and see our beautiful white Christmas tree glowing in our dark living room. Picture to come soon. Christmas (finally) feels like it's around the corner.
While I was home my sisters and I dealt out "Secret Santa" names for Christmas shopping. Each year we each pick a name and shop for just one sibling (it ain't easy to buy for 4 - way to go, Rick & Deb). In recent years our "Secret Santa" has turned into "I'm not shopping for her - she's too picky - I had her last year - Santa" and we're all pretty vocal about who we won't shop for. That being said, instead of drawing names out of a hat we all basically negotiate with the family for which sister we'd like to shop for and then "call-it" before anyone else can. This year we were detmermined to let it be a surprise. Lisa, Jenna, Kara & I started drawing names at random on Thursday night. About an hour later we resigned to let our Dad arrange the whole thing to make sure Jessie & Adam didn't get each other. We finally got Kara to stop reading everyone's paper slips and were well on our way to hour one of secret keeping.
The next day Adam & Jessie came over and we handed them their slips of paper. I explained, in detail, the events of the night before and how it was imperitive to keep their gift recipient a secret and that they weren't allowed to even tell each other who each had. We made sure no one was looking as they opened their papers and read their names and everyone was happy we were back to the old-school "Secret Santa". Adam had been playing with his iPod and put it aside to open his paper. He pulled it apart, looked at it and said "Oh this is perfect. I have *(@#&$!". Literally less than a minute after I got done telling them how it was a secret this year Adam tells the entire room who he got. Good to know that when I talk he listens, right? So now most of us know who Adam has in addition to who we have, but the rest remain unknown. "Secret-ish Santa". Way to go, Rico.
While I was home I heard a comedian on Comedy Central talking about college - it was so dead on it was hilarious. He mentioned how when you're about to graduate everyone you talk to asks "What are you going to do after you graduate?" His reply? "I think my parents & I will go out to dinner. Oh after that? Yeah - I have no idea." Anyone who has graduated from college will identify with that. I can't tell you how many times people (myself included) pose the question above. "Hey Laura - what are you doing after graduation?" I would love to have a perfect little answer to spew back about where my life is going, where I'll live and what job I'll hold. Maybe I'll just start making stuff up. "I'm moving to Guam where I'll live in a palace and work as a puppet master. Wish me luck!"
I wouldn't consider myself to lie on either end of the planning spectrum. I've definitely got a type A personality, but more-so with current happenings. I'm not an excessive planner, but I'm not one to just sit back and let things happen, either. Anyone in college who is reading this is probably thinking "Big deal - no one knows what job they'll have after they graduate - suck it up." But I feel like my situation is a bit more complicated since I don't have an answer or even an inkling to any of 'em & I'm creeping closer & closer to that diploma. I can see myself living in Lexington a while longer, or moving away. Where? Your guess is as good as mine. As far as professions: I would love to own a dance studio someday, but in the meantime I could see myself teaching dance, being a visual merchandiser, working in marketing , holding a retail position , being a choreographer or having any number of other jobs, but I just don't know what will happen. This isn't a bad problem to have: much better to have too many jobs to choose from than not to like any job you think of.
So many college students get married and find a perfect job right out of school I think people assume you should have your junk together before graduation day. Here's fair warning: I am not one of these people. I like to think I'm not a train wreck, but I've definitely got a lot of growing (up), learning, and experiencing to do before I'll feel like I'm in adulthood. Just ask my sisters. I swear I'm perpetually 17. What? I'm old enough to vote/drink/marry/see R-rated movies? When did that happen?
It's so funny to me that I have friends that are teachers when I feel like we should all still be in high school. It's also hilarious to think about my friends getting a salary and not an hourly wage. See? I'm not 22, really. I still laugh at cuss words, body part names & potty jokes. All the above would be worrisome if I didn't have (awesome) roommates who had the same doubts/worries/immaturities/panic attacks as I do. There's nothing like sitting in our living room late at night posing question after question and answering close to none - then laughing about it all. The closer I get to graduation the more I realize it's ok to have questions and doubts and fears about "the real world" and turning into an adult (which I fear may alread have happened when I wasn't looking). If I had a perfect little plan laid out before me I would probably get bored and move to Brazil to break up the monotony.
Bottom line: I'm thinking about jobs I'd like to have and would be good at & it's been fun/scary/mind boggling imagining the possibilities. (Wow, I sound like a computer commercial)
Hit me up & tell me where I should work - y'all probably have a more rational perspective than I do. Seriously - if you're reading this I want a job proposal. Let's hear 'em. Thanks!
I got back to Lexington Sunday night around 8:30 and was so excited to walk in and see our beautiful white Christmas tree glowing in our dark living room. Picture to come soon. Christmas (finally) feels like it's around the corner.
While I was home my sisters and I dealt out "Secret Santa" names for Christmas shopping. Each year we each pick a name and shop for just one sibling (it ain't easy to buy for 4 - way to go, Rick & Deb). In recent years our "Secret Santa" has turned into "I'm not shopping for her - she's too picky - I had her last year - Santa" and we're all pretty vocal about who we won't shop for. That being said, instead of drawing names out of a hat we all basically negotiate with the family for which sister we'd like to shop for and then "call-it" before anyone else can. This year we were detmermined to let it be a surprise. Lisa, Jenna, Kara & I started drawing names at random on Thursday night. About an hour later we resigned to let our Dad arrange the whole thing to make sure Jessie & Adam didn't get each other. We finally got Kara to stop reading everyone's paper slips and were well on our way to hour one of secret keeping.
The next day Adam & Jessie came over and we handed them their slips of paper. I explained, in detail, the events of the night before and how it was imperitive to keep their gift recipient a secret and that they weren't allowed to even tell each other who each had. We made sure no one was looking as they opened their papers and read their names and everyone was happy we were back to the old-school "Secret Santa". Adam had been playing with his iPod and put it aside to open his paper. He pulled it apart, looked at it and said "Oh this is perfect. I have *(@#&$!". Literally less than a minute after I got done telling them how it was a secret this year Adam tells the entire room who he got. Good to know that when I talk he listens, right? So now most of us know who Adam has in addition to who we have, but the rest remain unknown. "Secret-ish Santa". Way to go, Rico.
While I was home I heard a comedian on Comedy Central talking about college - it was so dead on it was hilarious. He mentioned how when you're about to graduate everyone you talk to asks "What are you going to do after you graduate?" His reply? "I think my parents & I will go out to dinner. Oh after that? Yeah - I have no idea." Anyone who has graduated from college will identify with that. I can't tell you how many times people (myself included) pose the question above. "Hey Laura - what are you doing after graduation?" I would love to have a perfect little answer to spew back about where my life is going, where I'll live and what job I'll hold. Maybe I'll just start making stuff up. "I'm moving to Guam where I'll live in a palace and work as a puppet master. Wish me luck!"
I wouldn't consider myself to lie on either end of the planning spectrum. I've definitely got a type A personality, but more-so with current happenings. I'm not an excessive planner, but I'm not one to just sit back and let things happen, either. Anyone in college who is reading this is probably thinking "Big deal - no one knows what job they'll have after they graduate - suck it up." But I feel like my situation is a bit more complicated since I don't have an answer or even an inkling to any of 'em & I'm creeping closer & closer to that diploma. I can see myself living in Lexington a while longer, or moving away. Where? Your guess is as good as mine. As far as professions: I would love to own a dance studio someday, but in the meantime I could see myself teaching dance, being a visual merchandiser, working in marketing , holding a retail position , being a choreographer or having any number of other jobs, but I just don't know what will happen. This isn't a bad problem to have: much better to have too many jobs to choose from than not to like any job you think of.
So many college students get married and find a perfect job right out of school I think people assume you should have your junk together before graduation day. Here's fair warning: I am not one of these people. I like to think I'm not a train wreck, but I've definitely got a lot of growing (up), learning, and experiencing to do before I'll feel like I'm in adulthood. Just ask my sisters. I swear I'm perpetually 17. What? I'm old enough to vote/drink/marry/see R-rated movies? When did that happen?
It's so funny to me that I have friends that are teachers when I feel like we should all still be in high school. It's also hilarious to think about my friends getting a salary and not an hourly wage. See? I'm not 22, really. I still laugh at cuss words, body part names & potty jokes. All the above would be worrisome if I didn't have (awesome) roommates who had the same doubts/worries/immaturities/panic attacks as I do. There's nothing like sitting in our living room late at night posing question after question and answering close to none - then laughing about it all. The closer I get to graduation the more I realize it's ok to have questions and doubts and fears about "the real world" and turning into an adult (which I fear may alread have happened when I wasn't looking). If I had a perfect little plan laid out before me I would probably get bored and move to Brazil to break up the monotony.
Bottom line: I'm thinking about jobs I'd like to have and would be good at & it's been fun/scary/mind boggling imagining the possibilities. (Wow, I sound like a computer commercial)
Hit me up & tell me where I should work - y'all probably have a more rational perspective than I do. Seriously - if you're reading this I want a job proposal. Let's hear 'em. Thanks!
Tell Me Why . . .
11:49 AM Edit This 0 Comments »
Nothin' much as of late - but I do have a few funny observations from around Lexington.
Around a week ago my roommate Kristina & I went to the mall. We were walking around and enjoying all of the Christmas decorations when we slowed our roll if you will, because we got behind two elderly women. They were both wearing long, floral button-up dresses and hats; one had a walker and one had a cane. We were about to detour around them until I noticed a few things. First; the lady with the walker wasn't using it like she should have been. Instead of relying on the walker to help her walk she was shuffling it along the floor and being a bit dramatic about it. Also, this same lady had dusty brown hair in a messy ponytail. What older woman do you know who pulls her hair into a messy ponytail? It's apparently too haphazard a style for women over 65 so I knew their jig was up. I told my roommate we needed to figure them out so as they veered left we followed suit. When they stopped at a kiosk we maneuvered around them to catch a glimpse and my suspicions were confirmed. These elderly women were two 12 or 13 year old girls dressed up as senior citizens. Why, you might ask, would two tween girls (yes, I said tween) dress up as AARP members and head to the mall? I think if you put two or more girls together a lot of un-funny ideas become hilarious.
Case & point: I will not name names, but my freshman year of college my friends and I were hanging out in a south-campus dorm room. We decided we needed something to do so we made a Wal-Mart run to buy a contraband blender & strawberry daiquiri mix. Yeah, you know where this is going. Or do you? We snuck our shiny new blender up 14 floors to the end of the hall where we giggled and shut the door behind us. Most college kids would have then pulled out their alcohol stash. Not us. We blasted some music, probably Will Smith "Just The Two Of Us" or Robyn's "Show Me Love" as we mixed up our virgin daiquiris and danced around the room. Next up? A bit of grade-school trickery with vitamin C tablets. A friend and I convinced our two other friends to chew vitamin C tablets that were supposed to be swallowed. Sounds mundane, but I've got pictures of us laughing so hard we cried. Had to be there, I guess. To cap off our evening one girl in our group actually belted a pillow to her back, put on house shoes, wrapped all of her but her face in a hot pink fleece blanket & rode the elevator for about 30 minutes. What's funny about a coed hopping on a heavily trafficked dorm elevator dressed as the Hunchback of Notre Dame? A lot, if you're not her. Andrea (whoops, it slipped.) came back to the room completely traumatized after a guy on the elevator was convinced she was drunk. Why else, he must have thought, would this scenario be happening? Morals of the story: friends make everything funny & even virgin daiquiris can lead to bad decisions.
Next observation: today I was on campus and had to run in a building to drop something off. It was my lucky day because as soon as I got to campus the one building I needed to go in was having a fire scare. Police cars and fire engines were everywhere and the entire building had been evacuated. Perfect timing, Kinsley. (I call myself Kinsley. Or Gorgeous. Depends on my mood) I waited around outside the building until the hazard had cleared and we were allowed to enter. I needed to go to the 3rd floor so I headed for the elevator. (3 flights of stairs? Please.) While I was waiting for the elevator I witnessed typical middle-aged woman banter. One woman (a UK prof) said "Well that was invigorating!" to which another woman replied with a thick southern drawl "Yeah, my fingers are still invigged." I bit my lip as the elevator doors opened. We all squeezed inside (no lie, we were teetering close to the maximum capacity) and more hilarity ensued. There were about 10 of us in this elevator, including a woman and her two small children; a boy and a girl about 6 and 4. The mother had her back to the little boy, who was just as tall as the mother's booty. The elevator ride must have been bumpy on her side because she wobblin' like a Weeble (anyone? anyone?). The boy got a faceful and said "Mom, why are you bumping me?" and his mother said "Because I'm trying to keep you in here, I don't want you to leave this elevator without me." and he replied "But your butt is hitting me in the face." His mother, without missing a beat shot back with "Yeah, that's why God put it there." The UK prof (still in the elevator) said "Haha, Oh to be young. If it's not because your mom says so, God did it for a reason."
I had a few more stories to tell, but I'll save those for a slow day.
Around a week ago my roommate Kristina & I went to the mall. We were walking around and enjoying all of the Christmas decorations when we slowed our roll if you will, because we got behind two elderly women. They were both wearing long, floral button-up dresses and hats; one had a walker and one had a cane. We were about to detour around them until I noticed a few things. First; the lady with the walker wasn't using it like she should have been. Instead of relying on the walker to help her walk she was shuffling it along the floor and being a bit dramatic about it. Also, this same lady had dusty brown hair in a messy ponytail. What older woman do you know who pulls her hair into a messy ponytail? It's apparently too haphazard a style for women over 65 so I knew their jig was up. I told my roommate we needed to figure them out so as they veered left we followed suit. When they stopped at a kiosk we maneuvered around them to catch a glimpse and my suspicions were confirmed. These elderly women were two 12 or 13 year old girls dressed up as senior citizens. Why, you might ask, would two tween girls (yes, I said tween) dress up as AARP members and head to the mall? I think if you put two or more girls together a lot of un-funny ideas become hilarious.
Case & point: I will not name names, but my freshman year of college my friends and I were hanging out in a south-campus dorm room. We decided we needed something to do so we made a Wal-Mart run to buy a contraband blender & strawberry daiquiri mix. Yeah, you know where this is going. Or do you? We snuck our shiny new blender up 14 floors to the end of the hall where we giggled and shut the door behind us. Most college kids would have then pulled out their alcohol stash. Not us. We blasted some music, probably Will Smith "Just The Two Of Us" or Robyn's "Show Me Love" as we mixed up our virgin daiquiris and danced around the room. Next up? A bit of grade-school trickery with vitamin C tablets. A friend and I convinced our two other friends to chew vitamin C tablets that were supposed to be swallowed. Sounds mundane, but I've got pictures of us laughing so hard we cried. Had to be there, I guess. To cap off our evening one girl in our group actually belted a pillow to her back, put on house shoes, wrapped all of her but her face in a hot pink fleece blanket & rode the elevator for about 30 minutes. What's funny about a coed hopping on a heavily trafficked dorm elevator dressed as the Hunchback of Notre Dame? A lot, if you're not her. Andrea (whoops, it slipped.) came back to the room completely traumatized after a guy on the elevator was convinced she was drunk. Why else, he must have thought, would this scenario be happening? Morals of the story: friends make everything funny & even virgin daiquiris can lead to bad decisions.
Next observation: today I was on campus and had to run in a building to drop something off. It was my lucky day because as soon as I got to campus the one building I needed to go in was having a fire scare. Police cars and fire engines were everywhere and the entire building had been evacuated. Perfect timing, Kinsley. (I call myself Kinsley. Or Gorgeous. Depends on my mood) I waited around outside the building until the hazard had cleared and we were allowed to enter. I needed to go to the 3rd floor so I headed for the elevator. (3 flights of stairs? Please.) While I was waiting for the elevator I witnessed typical middle-aged woman banter. One woman (a UK prof) said "Well that was invigorating!" to which another woman replied with a thick southern drawl "Yeah, my fingers are still invigged." I bit my lip as the elevator doors opened. We all squeezed inside (no lie, we were teetering close to the maximum capacity) and more hilarity ensued. There were about 10 of us in this elevator, including a woman and her two small children; a boy and a girl about 6 and 4. The mother had her back to the little boy, who was just as tall as the mother's booty. The elevator ride must have been bumpy on her side because she wobblin' like a Weeble (anyone? anyone?). The boy got a faceful and said "Mom, why are you bumping me?" and his mother said "Because I'm trying to keep you in here, I don't want you to leave this elevator without me." and he replied "But your butt is hitting me in the face." His mother, without missing a beat shot back with "Yeah, that's why God put it there." The UK prof (still in the elevator) said "Haha, Oh to be young. If it's not because your mom says so, God did it for a reason."
I had a few more stories to tell, but I'll save those for a slow day.
Baby Baby . . .
5:56 PM Edit This 1 Comment »Just a quick post to say CONGRATULATIONS to my sister Jessie, brother-in-law Adam and niece Noah on their new arrival!
Jocelyn Lia Johnston was born Saturday, November 8th at 2:37 pm weighing in at 7 lbs 4 oz and was 19 1/2 inches long. God is good.
Jocelyn Lia Johnston was born Saturday, November 8th at 2:37 pm weighing in at 7 lbs 4 oz and was 19 1/2 inches long. God is good.
She's got a FULL HEAD of dark hair. So beautiful. Look at her eyes!
Noah is going to be such a great big sister.
The BEAUTIFUL & BLESSED Johnston Family with the newest member. I can't wait to go home & meet her! Congratulations again to Jessie, Adam & Noah. Jocelyn Lia: welcome to the family! We love you!
Blame It On January . . .
11:43 PM Edit This 1 Comment »
Recent Happenings.
I've gotten a cleaning bug lately - I'm renting a rug cleaner tomorrow & I'm gonna steam clean my entire house! I'm fairly excited about it - the carpet in our house is filthy. My landlord came by today to look at our house before she puts it on the market & said "Y'all need to clean this carpet. Yuck." Point taken, geez.
I enjoy Thursday night television. Ugly Betty? Yes. 30 Rock? Heck yes. The Office? If nothing else is on . . it's not what it used to be. Grey's Anatomy? Fast forward through the gay action & I'm there.
This weekend will bring massive change for my house - I'm rearranging furniture all over the place. My grand plan is to move all the living room furniture into the kitchen while I clean the carpet, then move it all back in in different positions. Too bad this involves taking 25 5x7 pictures off the wall and re-hanging them grid-style on another one.
I've been buying concert DVDs lately & I highly recommend it. So far I've only got a small collection: John Mayer "Any Given Thursday" & Justin Timberlake "Future Sex Love Show". Both insanely good. I'm on the lookout for my next purchase . . I'm thinking it might be Beyonce. (Shut up, I have good taste in music). Any suggestions?
Finally, post-election thoughts. Buckle up, kids.
1. I'm glad I don't have to see political ads anymore
2. I don't understand how Obama being elected by over 92% of the African American vote isn't racism. Unless all 92% of these people have the exact same political agendas I'd like some answers. I heard so many interviews with African Americans at the polls saying "Oh absolutely: race played a huge roll in why I voted the way I did. It was the reason I voted how I did." If I had been interviewed on election say saying the only reason I voted for John McCain was because he is white . . heads would roll.
3. It's hard to say what Obama will do (or not do) in his presidency. He has so few accomplishments to judge him on we all just have to sit back and wait. However, unless he "changes the world" he'll disappoint.
4. As supportive as I was of John McCain & Sarah Palin, I refuse to be one of those bitter Americans who says "He's not my president". I saw too many people acting this way during George W. Bush's presidency and it makes me sad. Yes, Bush was your president for 8 years. You can disagree with his policies and ideas, but he was the President of the United States whether you voted for him or not and I think it is unpatriotic and disrespectful to claim otherwise. I will support Barack Obama as president, but I will not support his policies, viewpoints or "mandates for change".
5. I hope this election was a wake-up call for the Republican party. To have been beaten by a candidate who doesn't even qualify to run a company should be a splash of cold water in the face, to say the least. I hope in 2012 the GOP can come up with a candidate who is articulate, intelligent & qualified. As much as I disagree with Obama, I am looking forward to having a President who is a wonderful speaker. So many times during debates & speeches I would just sigh with frustration over John McCain & Sarah Palin's lack of public speaking skills. By 2012 I expect a Republican Presidential candidate who is up for the fight.
6. I will admit, I was so disappointed over the election results I went to bed soon after Ohio was called for Obama. I did, however, stay up long enough to see John McCain deliver the most poignant & honest speech of his entire campaign, What a poor time to peak. I literally had tears in my eyes listening to him.
7. I think its sad how quickly the blame has been placed on Sarah Palin. I don't know her, nor do I know the people blaming her for the downfall of the GOP in this election; but I think its a shame mistakes can't be accepted as a whole.
8. Achmadinajad congratulated Obama on his win. Enough said.
I could go on, but I'm tired and depressed. (Not really, just tired.)
C'mon - feedback - post-election thoughts? Concert DVD suggestions? Bring it.
I've gotten a cleaning bug lately - I'm renting a rug cleaner tomorrow & I'm gonna steam clean my entire house! I'm fairly excited about it - the carpet in our house is filthy. My landlord came by today to look at our house before she puts it on the market & said "Y'all need to clean this carpet. Yuck." Point taken, geez.
I enjoy Thursday night television. Ugly Betty? Yes. 30 Rock? Heck yes. The Office? If nothing else is on . . it's not what it used to be. Grey's Anatomy? Fast forward through the gay action & I'm there.
This weekend will bring massive change for my house - I'm rearranging furniture all over the place. My grand plan is to move all the living room furniture into the kitchen while I clean the carpet, then move it all back in in different positions. Too bad this involves taking 25 5x7 pictures off the wall and re-hanging them grid-style on another one.
I've been buying concert DVDs lately & I highly recommend it. So far I've only got a small collection: John Mayer "Any Given Thursday" & Justin Timberlake "Future Sex Love Show". Both insanely good. I'm on the lookout for my next purchase . . I'm thinking it might be Beyonce. (Shut up, I have good taste in music). Any suggestions?
Finally, post-election thoughts. Buckle up, kids.
1. I'm glad I don't have to see political ads anymore
2. I don't understand how Obama being elected by over 92% of the African American vote isn't racism. Unless all 92% of these people have the exact same political agendas I'd like some answers. I heard so many interviews with African Americans at the polls saying "Oh absolutely: race played a huge roll in why I voted the way I did. It was the reason I voted how I did." If I had been interviewed on election say saying the only reason I voted for John McCain was because he is white . . heads would roll.
3. It's hard to say what Obama will do (or not do) in his presidency. He has so few accomplishments to judge him on we all just have to sit back and wait. However, unless he "changes the world" he'll disappoint.
4. As supportive as I was of John McCain & Sarah Palin, I refuse to be one of those bitter Americans who says "He's not my president". I saw too many people acting this way during George W. Bush's presidency and it makes me sad. Yes, Bush was your president for 8 years. You can disagree with his policies and ideas, but he was the President of the United States whether you voted for him or not and I think it is unpatriotic and disrespectful to claim otherwise. I will support Barack Obama as president, but I will not support his policies, viewpoints or "mandates for change".
5. I hope this election was a wake-up call for the Republican party. To have been beaten by a candidate who doesn't even qualify to run a company should be a splash of cold water in the face, to say the least. I hope in 2012 the GOP can come up with a candidate who is articulate, intelligent & qualified. As much as I disagree with Obama, I am looking forward to having a President who is a wonderful speaker. So many times during debates & speeches I would just sigh with frustration over John McCain & Sarah Palin's lack of public speaking skills. By 2012 I expect a Republican Presidential candidate who is up for the fight.
6. I will admit, I was so disappointed over the election results I went to bed soon after Ohio was called for Obama. I did, however, stay up long enough to see John McCain deliver the most poignant & honest speech of his entire campaign, What a poor time to peak. I literally had tears in my eyes listening to him.
7. I think its sad how quickly the blame has been placed on Sarah Palin. I don't know her, nor do I know the people blaming her for the downfall of the GOP in this election; but I think its a shame mistakes can't be accepted as a whole.
8. Achmadinajad congratulated Obama on his win. Enough said.
I could go on, but I'm tired and depressed. (Not really, just tired.)
C'mon - feedback - post-election thoughts? Concert DVD suggestions? Bring it.
Can't Get It Right Today . . .
4:30 PM Edit This 2 Comments »
So . . quick story for your reading enjoyment.
I got back from class this morning and was exhausted so I climbed back into bed for a little nap. I woke up a few hours later and was wandering around my room putting stuff away and cleaning up a bit when T-Cloud knocked on my door. "There's an officer near your car . . I think you're getting a ticket." AHH!! I ran around to find my keys (that are never where I remember putting them) and busted it to the front door and out to my car that was parked on the street. I see an officer writing on a little pad of paper (crap) and before I can open my sweet-talking little mouth a car slows down in front of my house.
This girl (my new enemy) in a white car rolls down her window and says "I'm so happy you're doing this." The officer glances her way and doesn't really acknowledge her as I approach him and say "Hi, Officer - I can move my car . . ." to which he replies: "Well I've already got it written out." I take this to mean I'm getting a ticket and there's no maneuver I can pull to get out of it. He says "Do you know why I'm writing this ticket?" and I may or may not have played dumb by saying "Because I'm parked on the curb?" I knew my car was facing the wrong direction and that it's illegal - but I wasn't about to admit it. People park facing both ways in my neighborhood all the time - so I never thought twice about it. This is the point in the story I hear my dad's voice say "I don't care what everyone else is doing; I care about what you're doing." Thanks, Dad.
The officer told me my house had been warned about our cars facing the wrong direction (which is a lie - no one ever warned us about that) but he also said he understood that we were new tenants and we might not have gotten the memo. I apologized and said I would pass the information along to my roommates - and here's where it got strange. The officer said "Are you free for dinner tonight?" and I didn't know what to say - if I turned him down would he give me the ticket out of spite? If I went - would he expect a second date? This guy was at least 30 . . that's way older than I'm interested in . . I hit a standstill.
Weird, right? Yeah - I don't know what I would have done if that had actually happened. Gotcha! :) But seriously - the officer said "Well, the ticket is $15, or I can just void it." Gosh - what to do, what to do? Pay $15 or void the ticket - what a tough one. I said "Oh that'd be great - thank you so much & I'll be sure to tell my roommates!"
Moral of the story: Don't park your car facing the wrong way on the street & keep your eyes out for neighborhood haters. Later today when I head out for a run I'm keepin' a lookout for that woman's car. I make no promises regarding further actions I may or may not take.
I got back from class this morning and was exhausted so I climbed back into bed for a little nap. I woke up a few hours later and was wandering around my room putting stuff away and cleaning up a bit when T-Cloud knocked on my door. "There's an officer near your car . . I think you're getting a ticket." AHH!! I ran around to find my keys (that are never where I remember putting them) and busted it to the front door and out to my car that was parked on the street. I see an officer writing on a little pad of paper (crap) and before I can open my sweet-talking little mouth a car slows down in front of my house.
This girl (my new enemy) in a white car rolls down her window and says "I'm so happy you're doing this." The officer glances her way and doesn't really acknowledge her as I approach him and say "Hi, Officer - I can move my car . . ." to which he replies: "Well I've already got it written out." I take this to mean I'm getting a ticket and there's no maneuver I can pull to get out of it. He says "Do you know why I'm writing this ticket?" and I may or may not have played dumb by saying "Because I'm parked on the curb?" I knew my car was facing the wrong direction and that it's illegal - but I wasn't about to admit it. People park facing both ways in my neighborhood all the time - so I never thought twice about it. This is the point in the story I hear my dad's voice say "I don't care what everyone else is doing; I care about what you're doing." Thanks, Dad.
The officer told me my house had been warned about our cars facing the wrong direction (which is a lie - no one ever warned us about that) but he also said he understood that we were new tenants and we might not have gotten the memo. I apologized and said I would pass the information along to my roommates - and here's where it got strange. The officer said "Are you free for dinner tonight?" and I didn't know what to say - if I turned him down would he give me the ticket out of spite? If I went - would he expect a second date? This guy was at least 30 . . that's way older than I'm interested in . . I hit a standstill.
Weird, right? Yeah - I don't know what I would have done if that had actually happened. Gotcha! :) But seriously - the officer said "Well, the ticket is $15, or I can just void it." Gosh - what to do, what to do? Pay $15 or void the ticket - what a tough one. I said "Oh that'd be great - thank you so much & I'll be sure to tell my roommates!"
Moral of the story: Don't park your car facing the wrong way on the street & keep your eyes out for neighborhood haters. Later today when I head out for a run I'm keepin' a lookout for that woman's car. I make no promises regarding further actions I may or may not take.
Something's Missing. . .
1:01 PM Posted In fall , halloween Edit This 1 Comment »
Fall weather has finally hit the Bluegrass! I couldn't be happier to have a 67 degree house, flannel sheets on my bed & open windows throughout the night. This past weekend my roommate Kristina and her sister Brooke & I ventured out to an orchard south of Lexington to pick pumpkins and check out their corn maze. It ended up being a bust - their pumpkins were pitiful and we wanted to wait for Jenna to hit up the 9 acre corn maze in the shape of Abe Lincoln. So we got hot apple cider and sat on top of a mountain of hay bales watching kids run around like little banchees. Then we hit up Wal-Mart to buy 'Hocus-Pocus', pumpkins, knives & anything with "pumpkin" in the title. (No lie; pumpkin air freshner, pumpkin coffee creamer, pumpkin pudding). Told ya.
'Hocus Pocus' = Best Fall Movie Ever.
"Oh Allison, Allison. KISS ME! I'm ALLISON!"
"For your information he's a little leaguer!"
My free-handed Colts helmet. My horseshoe needs work.
T Cloud, Brooke & I with our finished pumpkins.
Kristina & I after our hot apple cider . .
'Hocus Pocus' = Best Fall Movie Ever.
"Oh Allison, Allison. KISS ME! I'm ALLISON!"
"For your information he's a little leaguer!"
My free-handed Colts helmet. My horseshoe needs work.
T Cloud, Brooke & I with our finished pumpkins.
Roasted pumpkin seeds with cinnamon, nutmeg & sugar. Hit me up for the recipe - they're excellent! Our whole house smelled delicious.
Miles To Go . . .
4:40 PM Edit This 0 Comments »
Some observations from & thoughts provoked by last nights debate.
For one of the first times in this election period I caught a glimpse of what people see in Barack Obama. Its a struggle to get there, but I made it. After listening to him artfully tip-toe around the questions and accusations he faced, it is clear why his poll numbers are higher than McCain's. He is a very talented speaker and effortlessly draws you into his powerfully deceptive verbal mazes. It's no secret that the majority of Americans are vastly un-educated on the candidates and the issues. It's sad that we don't have a single news channel that is unbiased. No matter where you get your information; Fox News, CNN, MSNBC, a local or national newspaper or even the Internet you're getting a slanted version of the truth. For many Americans it is too arduous a task to sift through left and right biases to find the facts, so the extent of their knowledge is the media's output. If you take away what you know about the candidates and their issues thus far you would be surprised how differently Obama appears. Words roll off his tongue with ease and his steadfast emotions lead you to believe this man could and should be the next president of the United States. Unless you have proper background information on both Barack and his presidential plans you can't decipher fact from fluff.
One thing I still don't understand after following the election for months on end and watching each of the 4 debates is the concern over John McCain's "temperament". The media loves to depict Barack Obama as a level-headed, calm & rational debater, while they paint John McCain as a fervent, crazy, irrational loon. Take a minute and think about people that have influenced your life. Were those people calm & disconnected or engaging and passionate? I don't see how passion for America and the issues is a negative characteristic.
Going along with the theme of people not knowing the issues at hand - let's talk about taxes. Barack Obama talks about raising taxes for the richest 5% of Americans and giving a break to 95%. Sounds great for the middle class, right? Unfortunately Senator Obama is leaving a major statistic by the wayside. What percentage of Americans pay taxes? 100%? Cold . . . 85%? warmer . . . 70%? warmer . . . 60%. Ding ding ding! Only 60% of Americans pay taxes. Simple math tells us that if 95% of the American people are getting a tax break from Obama . . and only 60% pay taxes to begin with . . that leaves 40% of Americans that don't pay taxes receiving money from Obama's tax plan. 40% of illegal immigrants, non-working Americans and others who neglect to pay taxes in America will BENEFIT from Obama's tax provision. This has yet to be brought up to Obama, but I don't doubt he'd have a way of back peddling and skipping around his tax plan's flaws to con more Americans into thinking he's on track.
Enough of policy . . a few random observations.
What are the odds that both presidential candidates would be left handed? Yeah - I noticed.
Since when does Obama wear an American flag pin?
For one of the first times in this election period I caught a glimpse of what people see in Barack Obama. Its a struggle to get there, but I made it. After listening to him artfully tip-toe around the questions and accusations he faced, it is clear why his poll numbers are higher than McCain's. He is a very talented speaker and effortlessly draws you into his powerfully deceptive verbal mazes. It's no secret that the majority of Americans are vastly un-educated on the candidates and the issues. It's sad that we don't have a single news channel that is unbiased. No matter where you get your information; Fox News, CNN, MSNBC, a local or national newspaper or even the Internet you're getting a slanted version of the truth. For many Americans it is too arduous a task to sift through left and right biases to find the facts, so the extent of their knowledge is the media's output. If you take away what you know about the candidates and their issues thus far you would be surprised how differently Obama appears. Words roll off his tongue with ease and his steadfast emotions lead you to believe this man could and should be the next president of the United States. Unless you have proper background information on both Barack and his presidential plans you can't decipher fact from fluff.
One thing I still don't understand after following the election for months on end and watching each of the 4 debates is the concern over John McCain's "temperament". The media loves to depict Barack Obama as a level-headed, calm & rational debater, while they paint John McCain as a fervent, crazy, irrational loon. Take a minute and think about people that have influenced your life. Were those people calm & disconnected or engaging and passionate? I don't see how passion for America and the issues is a negative characteristic.
Going along with the theme of people not knowing the issues at hand - let's talk about taxes. Barack Obama talks about raising taxes for the richest 5% of Americans and giving a break to 95%. Sounds great for the middle class, right? Unfortunately Senator Obama is leaving a major statistic by the wayside. What percentage of Americans pay taxes? 100%? Cold . . . 85%? warmer . . . 70%? warmer . . . 60%. Ding ding ding! Only 60% of Americans pay taxes. Simple math tells us that if 95% of the American people are getting a tax break from Obama . . and only 60% pay taxes to begin with . . that leaves 40% of Americans that don't pay taxes receiving money from Obama's tax plan. 40% of illegal immigrants, non-working Americans and others who neglect to pay taxes in America will BENEFIT from Obama's tax provision. This has yet to be brought up to Obama, but I don't doubt he'd have a way of back peddling and skipping around his tax plan's flaws to con more Americans into thinking he's on track.
Enough of policy . . a few random observations.
What are the odds that both presidential candidates would be left handed? Yeah - I noticed.
Since when does Obama wear an American flag pin?
"You know, the truth is that right after 9/11, I had a pin. Shortly after 9/11, particularly because as we're talking about the Iraq War, that became a substitute for I think true patriotism, which is speaking out on issues that are of importance to our national security, I decided I won't wear that pin on my chest" - Senator Barack Obama
Does anyone else feel awkward when one candidate is attacked and they laugh and shake their head as they write notes for the rebuttal? I wish I knew their thoughts . .
I heard someone comment that Barack Obama has to be even-tempered in debates because if he starts to raise his voice or get emotional toward John McCain it will fuel racist comments regarding "black tempers". They went onto say that the reason Obama stays calm is so his critics can't say he went "ghetto" and lost his head. Wow.
Come Around . . .
2:19 PM Edit This 0 Comments »
Not a long one today - just random things goin' on as of late.
- Obamas up in the polls . . but G.W. was also down by about 10 points at this point in both the '00 and '04 elections. Stay strong, McCain!
- My facebook status has successfully peeved a number of people who take politics personally. I have been deleted from friend lists for saying Obama is a socialist. I stand by it - he is. If Obama wins I will gladly make a bumper sticker saying "Don't blame me - I voted McCain/Palin"
- Fall weather seems to be coming to Lex - mid 60's starting tomorrow! Woot!
- My landlord called me & said she wants to bring pizza and beer over so we can all "talk and drink" sometime. Ohhh if she only knew us. Let's just hope she doesn't show up one day expecting it to happen - things could get awkward.
- We've had our AC turned off for the past few weeks - anticipating fall & a cheaper electric bill . . . too bad it's been in the 80's and our house is blazing hot mid-day.
- I've had crazy dreams lately . . shark attacks, new age toaster ovens, front row seats for Sarah Palin speeches . . you name it.
- The debate tonight is crucial - - McCains gotta open up a can on Obama & his shady past & incompetence or it could be over.
Hollywood Is Not America...
1:01 PM Edit This 2 Comments »
Lately I find myself more disgusted with Hollywood than usual. I've made the analogy before that Americans view of Hollywood is like a high school clique. Celebrities are the "cool" clique in high school. You might not know or hang out with them, but you still hear about what goes on in their lives. Maybe a stretch, but it's all I've got.
I'm sick of turning on my TV & hearing about who's dating who, which celebs got DUIs the night before, and who's junk was hanging out for the paparazzi to see. If I could send one message to Hollywood I know exactly what it would be. "WE DON'T CARE!" I don't care what they wear, how their hair is cut, who they date, how much money they make or what they think. Yeah, I said it.
There are specific things about celebrities that just send me over the edge. Take award shows, for example. Let's have celebrities get together, wearing millions of dollars in clothes & jewelry, to tell each other how great each thinks the other is. "You pretended the best." "No, you did!" "Oh, you!" To top it all off: Americans tune in! Millions watch. Mind-boggling.
Another celebrity irk of mine? Standards. Mostly (to follow my recent blog theme) marriage. How many times have you heard someone (talking about a celeb marriage break-up) say "Well 4 years is a long time in Hollywood." Really? I didn't know there was a space-time continuum in California. In that case - 4 years must be like, what - a lifetime?! Great job! You paid your dues. Go ahead & get divorced & move on to someone else. Or just find someone new & attend to the divorce later, whatever. After showing such poor examples of what marriage should be, these celebrities then stand on their soap boxes & tell the world how homosexual relationships "deserve" marriage. After all, they clearly have a strong grasp on marriage and it's values. By all means they should be the ones to "expand" the definition of marriage to include two men or two women. Disgusting.
Add to this outrageous paychecks (when teachers & nurses & so many other societally valid professions are severely underpaid), ignorance of world affairs, egoism & complete lack of connection to anything not "Hollywood" and you begin to see my point.
I can't help but find the humor in celebrity attempts to "go green". Who is the genius that decides that the best way to convey an energy-saving message is to put on a massive concert event complete with lights, speakers, soundboards, & amps. Anyone else see this logical fallacy? They're so wrapped up in the celebrity world they can't see how their actions impact the world they live in. Their assistants will take care of it. I love how celebrities are always in public service announcements giving advice about family life & parenting. Like they're worth listening to.
One more rant & I'll end it. I love how celebrities are always in public service announcements giving advice about family life & parenting. Like they're worth listening to. Along those same lines - it always strikes me a bit odd when celebrities who make multi-millions per movie role have the gall to get on TV and tell Americans to start donating money to various causes. Not that everyone shouldn't contribute, but let's be honest - who is in the best position to donate some of their wealth to charitable organizations? Exactly.
I hope the next time you flip to E! or a see a magazine that catches your eye in the check-out line you think twice before giving it (and them) anything more than a casual glance.
I'm sick of turning on my TV & hearing about who's dating who, which celebs got DUIs the night before, and who's junk was hanging out for the paparazzi to see. If I could send one message to Hollywood I know exactly what it would be. "WE DON'T CARE!" I don't care what they wear, how their hair is cut, who they date, how much money they make or what they think. Yeah, I said it.
There are specific things about celebrities that just send me over the edge. Take award shows, for example. Let's have celebrities get together, wearing millions of dollars in clothes & jewelry, to tell each other how great each thinks the other is. "You pretended the best." "No, you did!" "Oh, you!" To top it all off: Americans tune in! Millions watch. Mind-boggling.
Another celebrity irk of mine? Standards. Mostly (to follow my recent blog theme) marriage. How many times have you heard someone (talking about a celeb marriage break-up) say "Well 4 years is a long time in Hollywood." Really? I didn't know there was a space-time continuum in California. In that case - 4 years must be like, what - a lifetime?! Great job! You paid your dues. Go ahead & get divorced & move on to someone else. Or just find someone new & attend to the divorce later, whatever. After showing such poor examples of what marriage should be, these celebrities then stand on their soap boxes & tell the world how homosexual relationships "deserve" marriage. After all, they clearly have a strong grasp on marriage and it's values. By all means they should be the ones to "expand" the definition of marriage to include two men or two women. Disgusting.
Add to this outrageous paychecks (when teachers & nurses & so many other societally valid professions are severely underpaid), ignorance of world affairs, egoism & complete lack of connection to anything not "Hollywood" and you begin to see my point.
I can't help but find the humor in celebrity attempts to "go green". Who is the genius that decides that the best way to convey an energy-saving message is to put on a massive concert event complete with lights, speakers, soundboards, & amps. Anyone else see this logical fallacy? They're so wrapped up in the celebrity world they can't see how their actions impact the world they live in. Their assistants will take care of it. I love how celebrities are always in public service announcements giving advice about family life & parenting. Like they're worth listening to.
One more rant & I'll end it. I love how celebrities are always in public service announcements giving advice about family life & parenting. Like they're worth listening to. Along those same lines - it always strikes me a bit odd when celebrities who make multi-millions per movie role have the gall to get on TV and tell Americans to start donating money to various causes. Not that everyone shouldn't contribute, but let's be honest - who is in the best position to donate some of their wealth to charitable organizations? Exactly.
I hope the next time you flip to E! or a see a magazine that catches your eye in the check-out line you think twice before giving it (and them) anything more than a casual glance.
Goin' To The Chapel...
12:56 AM Edit This 2 Comments »
Ephesians 5:22 (NIV)
32This is a profound mystery—but I am talking about Christ and the church. 33 However, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband.
I think so many young people today have completely lost sight of the Biblical role of husbands & wives. We hear it at weddings, then we say 'I do' and conduct our relationships as we please. God tells us to love, submit to, and respect our husbands. Love? Sure. I would say that for the most part, wives love their husbands. Submission. This ones a bit more tricky but mostly, wives submit to their husbands. Not entirely, not around the clock, not always, not freely. There is always room to improve. Now the hard one. Respect. R-E-S-P . . you get the idea. I swear, the girls around my age with husbands/boyfriends/fiancees always seem to struggle with this one. Seems like a no brainer. If you don't respect the man in your life, why is he in it?
Again - you might think this is a bit off since I'm not married & haven't experienced that relationship yet, but from what I've seen, the majority of my friends are getting it wrong. I'm sick of hearing complaints about spouses & negative attitudes overall.
Husbands & wives are supposed to be best friends, not annoyances & gossip fuel. It's sad, but I feel like people I know are getting married because they think it's the next step. They've been dating for x number of years, and they need relational change. The road forks at "break-up" and "get married" and too many couples wander the wrong way. I can't tell you how many conversations I've had with girls who are convinced they should break up with their boyfriends, only to say "We talked it over - we're gonna stay together. I mean, I do like him". Boom - married within a year. A marriage built on "like"? Good luck.
I've never had a serious enough relationship to have considered marriage, but I can tell you this: I cannot even fathom transitioning from a mindset of breaking up to one of marriage. I just think there is so much time to enjoy each other in a dating context, get to know one another, grow in that and other relationships (friends, God) and have certainty in your hearts before you make a lifetime commitment.
I heard a girl I went to school with talking about her husband recently. She was talking about another guy & how she thought he was perfect & very attractive. What she said next was unbelievable. "Sometimes I wonder if (husband's name) & I should have gotten married at all." Really? Really. Wow. She went on to say that she had always pictured herself getting married right out of college, so when she was dating a guy around that time, marriage seemed like what was supposed to happen. Quick check: since when do things happen when we think they are supposed to? Some people are so tightly wrapped up in their plans they're missing His.
All that being said: I do believe when you know you know. Some people have perfectly healthy, God-centered relationships & absolutely know after a few dates they God's best for one another. Way to go! Too bad it's not always that easy.
I'm not bashing relationships. I just think they've been skewed. This blog is as much for me as it is for anyone else. A reminder of roles & reverence is good for all of us; it's not always easy or fun but I know in the end the rewards of a healthy, Godly, passionate & protected relationship far outweigh the costs.
Wives and Husbands
22Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord. 23For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior. 24Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything.32This is a profound mystery—but I am talking about Christ and the church. 33 However, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband.
I think so many young people today have completely lost sight of the Biblical role of husbands & wives. We hear it at weddings, then we say 'I do' and conduct our relationships as we please. God tells us to love, submit to, and respect our husbands. Love? Sure. I would say that for the most part, wives love their husbands. Submission. This ones a bit more tricky but mostly, wives submit to their husbands. Not entirely, not around the clock, not always, not freely. There is always room to improve. Now the hard one. Respect. R-E-S-P . . you get the idea. I swear, the girls around my age with husbands/boyfriends/fiancees always seem to struggle with this one. Seems like a no brainer. If you don't respect the man in your life, why is he in it?
Again - you might think this is a bit off since I'm not married & haven't experienced that relationship yet, but from what I've seen, the majority of my friends are getting it wrong. I'm sick of hearing complaints about spouses & negative attitudes overall.
Husbands & wives are supposed to be best friends, not annoyances & gossip fuel. It's sad, but I feel like people I know are getting married because they think it's the next step. They've been dating for x number of years, and they need relational change. The road forks at "break-up" and "get married" and too many couples wander the wrong way. I can't tell you how many conversations I've had with girls who are convinced they should break up with their boyfriends, only to say "We talked it over - we're gonna stay together. I mean, I do like him". Boom - married within a year. A marriage built on "like"? Good luck.
I've never had a serious enough relationship to have considered marriage, but I can tell you this: I cannot even fathom transitioning from a mindset of breaking up to one of marriage. I just think there is so much time to enjoy each other in a dating context, get to know one another, grow in that and other relationships (friends, God) and have certainty in your hearts before you make a lifetime commitment.
I heard a girl I went to school with talking about her husband recently. She was talking about another guy & how she thought he was perfect & very attractive. What she said next was unbelievable. "Sometimes I wonder if (husband's name) & I should have gotten married at all." Really? Really. Wow. She went on to say that she had always pictured herself getting married right out of college, so when she was dating a guy around that time, marriage seemed like what was supposed to happen. Quick check: since when do things happen when we think they are supposed to? Some people are so tightly wrapped up in their plans they're missing His.
All that being said: I do believe when you know you know. Some people have perfectly healthy, God-centered relationships & absolutely know after a few dates they God's best for one another. Way to go! Too bad it's not always that easy.
I'm not bashing relationships. I just think they've been skewed. This blog is as much for me as it is for anyone else. A reminder of roles & reverence is good for all of us; it's not always easy or fun but I know in the end the rewards of a healthy, Godly, passionate & protected relationship far outweigh the costs.
