It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas!

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? wrapping paper... it's so much more fun to open gifts when they're wrapped
2. Real tree or Artificial? definitely real
3. When do you put up the tree? I don't... my parents do :( but then I get to enjoy it when I go home :)
4. When do you take the tree down? If my mom had her way, the day after Christmas, but my dad and I can usually convince her to keep it up until about New Year's
5. Do you like eggnog? Nope
6. Favorite gift received as a child? Totally Hair Barbie, though I'm pretty sure I cut off her hair at one point
7. Hardest person to buy for? um.... everybody???
8. Easiest person to buy for? Myself. I know myself better than I know anyone else.
9. Do you have a nativity scene? I have a couple
10. Mail or email Christmas cards? Neither... I'm not to that point in my life yet, though most people will get a "Merry Christmas" text on the 25th!
11. Worst Christmas gift you ever received? um... I'm not sure
12. Favorite Christmas Movie? Home Alone, Home Alone: Lost in NY, Elf, and White Christmas (but White Christmas is the only one I actually own...)
13. When do you start shopping for Christmas? a couple of weeks before the big day!
14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? Not that I remember
15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? My mom's coffee cake
16. Lights on the tree? Yes, white!
17. Favorite Christmas song? O, Holy Night
18. Travel at Christmas or stay home? Technically, I travel. But I travel to my home. But this year is going to be weird because my parents are in a new house that I've never been in.
19. Can you name all of Santa's reindeer's? Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donder, Blixen, and Rudolph! (I'm sure the spelling is wrong...)
20. Angel on the tree top or a star? Star
21. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning? one or two on Christmas Eve, then the rest in the morning!
22. Most annoying thing about this time of the year? All the snow! Most people would love it, but not me. I like going home to Georgia where it is snow-free!
23. Favorite ornament theme or color? um... my family has never done themes or colors. We're all about the ornaments meaning something, like the Cozumel bell ornaments from a summer cruise or the Santas painted on seashells from Savannah.
24. Favorite for Christmas dinner? as long as there's ham, I don't care what goes with it
25. What do you want for Christmas this year? a happy, healthy niece :)

Appearantly I'm funding hate...

One of my favorite websites is imdb.com. Tonight, I found this article and found that by being in Utah, I'm funding hate. Is anyone else incredibly SICK!!!! of the ignorance surrounding the Mormon church and its involvement with Prop 8? I know I sure as heck am... I mean, half the people in my phone are gay. Half the people I work with are gay. I have 2 gay cousins. Even my landlord is gay! I listen to gay singers. I own movies with gay actors. I watch TV shows with gay actors. But because I'm Mormon and I live in Utah, I fund hate. Guess I better tell my landlord I'm moving out because I no longer want to fund "the hate" I feel towards his lifestyle... Oh, and can someone please explain the connection between Sundance and Prop 8? Because I'm pretty sure Robert Redford isn't Mormon and that Sundance didn't encourage California voters to vote for Prop 8.

Film Stars And Fans Urged To Boycott Sundance Over Proposition 8 Connection

Gay rights campaigners are asking Hollywood stars and film fans to boycott next year's Sundance Film Festival in Utah, accusing one of the event's backers of supporting California's gay marriage ban.

According to political activist John Aravosis, Cinemark Theaters boss Alan Stock - a Mormon who owns a number of Sundance venues - made a personal $9,900 (GBP6,600) donation to support Proposition 8, which was passed last month, outlawing same-sex unions in the Golden State.

A representative for the Sundance Institute has defended the festival - which was founded by Robert Redford - insisting all the movies screened at Cinemark Theaters are available at other cinemas.

But AmericaBlog.com editor Aravosis is dissatisfied, telling the New York Daily News, "If you go to Utah, you're funding hate.

"Just moving movies around is not enough. Money from this festival is funneled directly to the Mormon Church and to a supporter of Proposition 8. Sunshine should simply say they won't screen films in a hate theatre."

A Sundance Institute spokesperson says, "(The festival) has a long history and in fact was founded on the idea of championing diversity. It is our hope that people will embrace the festival for its commitment to diversity, not avoid it."

Sundance will take place between 15 and 25 January 2009 in Park City, Utah.

Bill Gates' Money

So today was a very different day for me. For the first time ever, I didn't have my iPod to listen to on the bus on my way to school or on my way home. I had it with me, but the battery was completely dead. Therefore, I could actually hear what was going on around me. Nothing interesting happened on the way to school as I was one of 5 people on the bus, including the driver. The ride home was a different story. School must have gotten out early because there were a lot of kids on the bus, but this one particular group sat right in front of me. They broke out their yo-yos (don't you remember when they were, like, the coolest thing ever?) and this one kid was saying that he paid $23 for this one that he had (I really hope his parents had the sense not to let him spend that much on a yo-yo). Anyway, his friend responds, "No way. That's like half of the money that Bill Gates has." The conversation then went as follows...

Kid #1: "Uh-uh. Bill Gates has like 50 billion dollars."
Kid #2: "No, he has like 50 billion and six dollars."
Kid #3: "No way, more like 50 billion and eleven dollars."
Kid #4: "You're all wrong. Bill Gates has at least 50 billion and seventy-three dollars."
Kid #2: "There's no way he has that much money."

My take on the conversation: If I had the original amount of $50 billion, I wouldn't care less whether the additional amount was $6, $11, or $73. But personally, at this point in my life, I would gladly take the $6, $11, or $73 and let Bill Gates keep the $50 billion.

Why I Hate Politics

I'm so over Prop 8. First of all, California wasn't the only state to have a "Prop 8." Florida and Arizona also had similar votes and passed legislation to ban gay marriage. Where's the press on that? The Mormon Church wasn't the only church to support Prop 8. The Adventist Church and the Catholic Church also supported Prop 8. Where's the press on that? I don't get offended easily at all. I've always believed that people who get easily offended do so because they are immature and/or lack confidence. I guess I'm not really offended, just annoyed at the total lack of ignorance that surrounds the beliefs of the Mormon Church.

What brought this about was a post a friend had on his website. It was a link to comments made on a news article about the demonstrators in Salt Lake. (I do have to say that one comment made me laugh right out loud - "Let the gays get married and be miserable like the rest of us.") Some of the comments were so ignorant. Especially "Why did the Morman Church spend so much money trying to pass Prop. 8? Who gains? Gay marriage does nothing to threaten heterosexual marriage. Polygamy does much more to threaten it. Polygamy has been a part of the Morman Church for a long time as has having under-age girls marry. Talk about threatening traditional marriage!" Seriously?! Do your research! That's the FLDS Church, not the Mormon Church. Yes, polygamy was practiced at one point, but it hasn't been practiced in well over 100 years. And as for marrying under-age girls? That has never been practiced.

Sorry about the lack of updating...

I'm sure we've all noticed that I rarely update my blog. It's usually at the prodding of my mother that I get around to updating it. But I have no life. So there's really nothing interesting to blog about. In the past few weeks since my last update, I officially quite my job with Eastside. I went to court along with 2 of my roommates. Did the mediation thing. Settled on paying $95 each to the plaintiff. Took my midterms. Enjoyed my fall break. Went back to work at Eastside because the job I was hired at still hasn't placed me. And I recently developed my first crush in almost 3 years. That in itself is a story.

From my sister's blog... "my sister's roommate invited a guy over to meet her; without telling Caitlin that was why- Ross and I are excited about the possible prospect of a brother-in-law- and when she said basically all she knows is where he went on a mission and that he hates feet, I knew they were destined- Caitlin hates feet!!!"

She posted that the day after I met the guy! Possible prospect of a brother-in-law??? It must be all the baby hormones she's experiencing.

So let me explain about my first crush in almost 3 years. After I broke up with my high school boyfriend, I started dating another guy almost immediately. I didn't mean for it to happen, but since he approached me first, I can't be blamed for a so-called "rebound relationship." We dated for a couple of months then he broke up with me over a text message. Don't worry. I laughed, too. To be honest, there wasn't much chemistry and kissing him was like kissing my brother. At least, I'm pretty sure that's what it would be like. So after him, I knew I was going to be moving in just a few months so I didn't allow myself to develop any feelings other than think guys were good looking. When I first arrived in Utah, I went through the typical young adult Mormon girl thing where I felt I had to be married immediately and I started crushing on any guy I talked to. After about 10 guys who I was convinced were "the one," I started really liking this one guy who was "the one." But we were never more than friends. I finally got over him when he started dating the girl who is now his wife (and they're expecting their first baby in January - congrats to them!). That was my last crush and it was the beginning of 2006. Now we're almost to the end of 2008 and I actually like someone! Yes, I'm just as shocked as you are.

For my mom...

My mom has been asking for pictures of my room since I moved into the bedroom in the basement. So here it is... along with my house. And the adorable onesie that I found for my niece-on-the-way at Wal-Mart.

Work, Work, Work

Well, it's time to say good-bye to my job and find a new one. It's a long story about why I'm leaving. We all know I've never liked the company I work for, but I've always loved the residents I work with and they're the reason I've never been able to pull myself away. However, the company finally did something to make me so angry that I put in my 2 weeks notice yesterday. Basically, they took away my hours and I'm being replaced by a new girl. The resignation form told me to be candid in my answers as to why I'm leaving. And I was definitely candid. Some of the things I wrote were...

In response to whether or not I will return in the future: "This is a horrible company and after the way I've been treated, there is little to no chance that I will ever return."

After having to rate my supervisor in different categories: "(My boss) is awesome. The fair mark is no fault of her own but the company's failure to recognize the hard work of its (caregivers). Without us, the company is nothing."

Commenting about my overall ratings of the company: "The pay sucks for everything that is required of (caregivers) and I never thought that departments heads would treat their employees so terribly."

I held nothing back. My boss brought my papers to the department head meeting today. 2 of them called me later to apologize. I basically told them thank you for calling and I appreciate the apologies. Part of me feels bad for what I wrote but another part of me feels invigorated for actually saying what was on my mind.

But I do feel absolutely horrible. One of my previous co-workers quit because of me. Well, it wasn't really because of me, but she was basically in the same situation I was. At the beginning of the summer, I went back to work full time so I could save up some money while I was only taking a couple classes. I found out today that this person was told she couldn't have her hours anymore because they had 3 full time staff in the afternoon. To this person, you know who you are, I am so very sorry and you know I would never have done that one purpose.

I do have some good news. I went to mutual with my ladies a couple of weeks ago and they had a luau! They had Polynesian dancers and it was so cool. I took a couple of pictures with my phone. They aren't the best but I really enjoyed the dances. The greatest part was when the emcee introduced her husband as Johnny Lingo and told us her pair 12 cows for her!

Why teachers make me laugh

I've survived the first month of school! And if I make it through the next 2 weeks, it will all be downhill! So far, I've had three very memorable moments.

The first one came during my Crusades class. First of all, I think my professor is awesome! He has a fun personality and he's from Germany so he has a fun accent. Accents always make me happy. Anyway, one day he was talking about one of the leaders during the first Crusade. I don't remember which one but I know it wasn't Godfrey of Bouillon because he would have been too young. So he was saying how this one leader was really old for the time because he was around 60 years old. Then he made some comment about how these days when you're 60, "you're like a spring chicken. Just look at me!" It made my day.

Another one came during an education class. And this was when I found out my professor is definitely Mormon. At the U, it’s a toss up whether a professor is LDS while at BYU it was pretty much a given at Georgia State, none of them were. So this one day, my professor was going off about something he didn't agree with in education. I'm pretty sure he was going off about how high school teachers care too much about facts and dates and not enough about concepts and reasoning. And to wrap up his rant he concluded with, "And that brothers and sisters..." I'm not sure what he said after that because I was too busy trying to suppress my giggles along with the majority of the class.

And my final memorable moment happened just last week in my Classical Greece class. My professor isn't the best but he's passionate about the subject and always knows answers to any and all questions relating to Ancient Greece, no matter how obscure. But sometimes, I find it hard to pay attention to his lectures and I'll start doodling or reading for another class. But this particular day was quite interesting. He was focusing on Sparta and talked about things like the Trojan War and the 300 Spartan soldiers. But the best part came during his PowerPoint slides. He usually has maps, artwork, and pictures of ruins. This day, there was a picture of Gerard Butler as King Leonidas in 300, with a caption reading. "WE ARE SPARTA!!!" It made me so very happy. :)

Why actors should stick to acting...

And stay away from making statements about politics. Awhile back I read a quote from an actor about John McCain's choice to have Sarah Palin as his running mate. This isn't about whether or not you like her as a person, as a politician, or both. This about what an Oscar winning actor said about her. First, he went off about how she's like a bad Disney movie; the hockey mom from Alaska steps in and makes a difference. Or whatever it was he said. This was the part that got me. He said he felt like McCain chose her for... brace yourselves... "political purposes." What's that you say? A politician chose another politician as his running mate for political purposes? How dare he? What was he thinking? I know I would definitely choose my running mate because I thought he had pretty eyes or she had a nice smile or maybe his dog was extra friendly towards me and my kids, but definitely NOT for political purposes. Seriously, how ignorant can one person be?

On another note relating to Sarah Palin and all the bad press she's getting. Again, I'm not saying one way or another what I think about her. This is just me reacting to the idiots in the press. Sorry for using that word, but there's not a better one that is coming to my mind. Someone said that if she can't control her family, how can she control a country? Does no one remember that not long after Bush took office, both of his underage daughters were caught drinking? Yet, less than 4 years later he was reelected for another term in office? I know I remember but I never thought less of Bush. And I don't think any less of Palin and her family's choices. Maybe her husband has a DUI but she didn't force him to drink and she didn't force him to drive. As far as her 17 year old daughter being pregnant... I know lots of girls that could have been pregnant at that age and some that were. There were even rumors that my high school was going to open a nursery so the drop out rate would be lower. I myself made lots of stupid decisions at that age but does that mean my parents were bad parents? Of course not! My parents are awesome! But at 17, teenagers make their own decisions and there's not really much their parents can do about it. If you're anything like me at that age, the more your parents tried to control you, the more you wanted to rebel. Maybe Bristol was a lot like me at that age. With that said, did the press ever stop to think, "Wait a minute, Obama was born to a teen mother. Should we insult her like we're insulting Sarah and Bristol?" No. No one ever did. And the real shame of it is that I never heard anyone from the Obama campaign speak up on this issue. Shame on them. And shame on the press. And shame on the people who think Palin should have aborted her baby when she found out he had downs syndrome.

Harry Potter vs. Twilight

I know I'm probably going to make some people angry because the majority of the people who read my blog are obsessed with Twilight but I need to vent...

First and foremost... Cedric Diggory DID NOT become Edward Cullen. If I see one more flair on facebook or one more thread on IMDb about that, I'm going to scream! Robert Pattinson, who plays both characters, happened to be cast in the 2 roles. That's it. End of story. (Although I'm all about the "Accio Edward Cullen" flair... it makes me giggle)

Second, Stephenie Meyer is not the new J.K. Rowling. She has said it herself. Harry Potter appeals to a much larger audience than Twilight. And let's be honest, for those of us who have read all 7 Harry Potter books and all 4 Twilight books, we know that Rowling is the better writer. Whether you like Twilight or Harry Potter better, you can't deny that fact. The Potter books are so well written while the Twilight books leave me wondering if they were even edited at parts.

Third, I know moving the release date of the sixth Harry Potter movie had nothing to do with Twilight's release date. But I think the fact that Twilight being moved to when Harry Potter was supposed to be released has a lot of people wondering. Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince was supposed to be released November 21, 2008 but has been moved back to July 17, 2009. Twilight was set to be released December 12, 2008 but has been moved forward to November 21, 2008. I'll be honest, I'm not happy about it.

With all that said, I really wish all the Twilight/Harry Potter comparisons would stop. Yes, they're both fantasy books about fictional worlds, but they are completely different! Twilight is mainly a love story while Harry Potter is a good vs evil story.

I love Twilight but Harry Potter will always be my favorite.

PS Facebook flair is basically little circles with pictures and writing on them. People make them so they have just about anything on them.

ChaCha!

If you don't know what ChaCha is, you're missing out! You can go to their website, chacha.com, call them at 1-800-2ChaCha or you can text them at ChaCha (242242). You can ask them anything you want. Like the night of the Breaking Dawn party, we asked them whether they were Team Edward or Team Jacob. And since real people answer your questions, you get real answers, not something from a computer. Anyway... I decided to be a guide for them because I waste enough time on the internet looking up pointless information so I figured, why not get paid for it? I did the initial test where I had to answer 10 questions and I found out some really interesting, yet pointless things, like a Chinese Checkerboard has 121 holes and Georgetown was the runner up in the 1985 NCAA basketball championship. And did you know that Brazil has the most World Cup championships? Just imagine all the useless information I'm going to fill my head with... I find it exciting!

I need to live under a rock...

So the past couple of weeks have been ok for me. They haven't been fantastic, but they've been easy enough to live through. But unfortunately things keep going wrong in my friends' lives. Here's a rundown of just a few things that have been happening to my friends... one had her car repossessed because she couldn't make payments on it so now she's out a car. Another friend is having surgery on her foot because her ligaments didn't heal right after a sprain. Last Sunday the basement in the house I'm living in flooded (my part of the basement was untouched... Rebekah had to move upstairs because it was mostly in her room. Half of Andrea's room was flooded but she was able to stay). Another friend was supposed to get married the end of the month but she and her fiance broke things off. And just today Skip Caray (an announcer for the Atlanta Braves) died and another friend's car wouldn't start when the steering wheel locked, locking the ignition. Do yourselves a favor and avoid me like the plague!

Stephenie Meyer, I'm kinda disappointed...

For all the Twilight fans out there...

DON'T READ UNLESS YOU FINISHED BREAKING DAWN!!!

Friday night, I left with 2 of my roommates and a roommate's coworker at about 10:45 to go to a Breaking Dawn release party. We went to a small bookstore called Frosts Books in the Salt Lake area. It wasn't too exciting but but it was better than going to Barnes and Noble where we probably would have been waiting in line forever! That and there was a radio station there... way too many people for 2 people with social anxiety. Anyway... so we left at about 12:05 after getting our books. I read until 5 in the morning. Slept until about 9. I had a break until about 10:30, then I started reading again. My next break was when my roommates and I ordered pizza and played games. So from about 7:45 to 10 I was doing things with them. Then it was back to Breaking Dawn. At about 2 am this morning, I finished reading. Yes, the book contained the 2 things that I was really hoping for. Well, I guess three. But the last chapter was totally disappointing! I was not happy with the way the book ended. The good thing was that it's totally open to interpretation and there could easily be another book (maybe about the werewolf and the baby... or even Bella and Edward), but unfortunately, Meyer wrote "THE END." That's way too final for me. At least JK Rowling included an epilogue in the final Harry Potter book. And she didn't write "THE END." making it easy for another book to come out. But I think this is the end of Bella and Edward. Don't get me wrong, I love the books and I enjoyed reading them. But Stephenie Meyer, I'm kinda disappointed.

My family!!!

My family all arrived in Salt Lake on my birthday! It was a great birthday present even if they were here for my cousins wedding. My mom, my sister, aunts Heather and Kerry, and cousin Courtney were here. Niki was here too but she lives in Orem so she didn't have far to travel. So here we all are!

Courtney, Niki, Shannon, and MeDavid and Heatherback row: Kerry, mom, Kelly (David and Courtney's aunt on their dad's side)
front row: Niki, Shannon, David, me, and Courtney

My Cousin's Wedding

On June 26, my cousin got married. That day seems to be a big day... it's my brother's birthday, a birthday of one of my cousins, and now the anniversary of one of my cousins. Anyways... I thought I would post some pictures... so here they are!

This is the table setting from the family luncheon after the wedding. We set it up the night before (which happened to be my birthday... Happy Birthday to me!)









This is David and Leda coming out of the Salt Lake Temple just after their sealing.
















This it the wedding cake from the Reception the evening of the wedding.

"When are you getting married?"

A few weeks ago, my cousin got married. He's about a month younger than me. Actually, his birthday is today. Happy birthday, David! Anyway... I was talking to my dad a couple of days after the wedding (he was unable to come to Utah for the wedding) and he asked me when I'm getting married. What?!?! For those who don't know me that well, I have no desire to get married, at least not anytime in the near future (meaning, like, the next 10 years or so). My roommate gets mad at me whenever I say I'm never getting married, but I don't care. The male population is just stupid. As the song from Mary Poppins goes "Though we adore men individually, we agree that as a group they're rather stupid." I'm pretty sure that the only man adore is my daddy. And the other males in my family. But overall, I don't like men and at this point in my life, I have no desire to settle down with one.

My new investment

When I was at work on Sunday, I took the weekly ads home with me to look through them, see if anything jumped out at me. I'm a dork and I love looking through the office supply ads (like Staples and Office Depot). So I was looking through the Office Max ads and found that the SD cards were on sale. The 1 GB was on sale for $15 and the 2 GB was on sale for $20, the cheapest I've ever seen them. So I thought that I would get one for my phone. That way I can have free wallpapers, games, ringtones, etc. Anything I feel like downloading on my computer. So I spent $20 and it's the best $20 I've spent in a long time. I love that I can have whatever I want as my wallpaper, whatever I want as my ringtones.

RIP Cedric

It was a year ago today that I said goodbye to Cedric the Civic. Here he is at the tow lot. I loved Cedric. I still love Cedric. If I had the money, I would go buy a new Cedric tomorrow (but in stead I'm stuck with Tonks the Toyota). But I don't think anything will ever be able to replace Cedric. He was so loyal, yet gave me so many problems. There was the break in where my registration and insurance cards were stolen (and the lucky thieves also got away with a portable CD player, cell phone and iPod chargers and Il Divo's Christmas CD). Then there was the time I was getting ready to leave for work and the back passenger tire was gone, rim, lug nuts, everything. There was also the time that the battery died and I had to call AAA. I just wanted a jump, but with the tests the guy did, even my dad agreed it was time for a new battery. And then there was the accident. That gave me this bruise on my knee. I still have a weird bump on my knee that wasn't there before the accident. But I deal because I loved Cedric (and it doesn't hurt unless I hit it wrong... which is a daily thing with me...).

So a year ago today, Cedric went to the big car graveyard in the sky where he will forever be missed.

Gas Prices

I know we all hate the rising gas prices, yet we still all pay a ridiculous amount because most of us don't really have a choice. Public transportation only helps out so much (but for that little bit I'm very grateful). What really got me going the other day was an article in the newspaper.

From the time I left for Georgia to the time I was heading back to Salt Lake, the airlines changed their policy from 2 checked bags to 1. Any more than that, you had to pay. Recently, one carrier started charging for the first bag. Don't the airlines know that you really can't go on vacation without at least one bag?

But that's not what got me. This is what got me. Airlines are considering charging passengers by their weight. You read that right. The opening of the article stuck with me. "Imagine checking in for your flight. There's 2 scales, one for your baggage. The other for you." Even if every person in the world was at a healthy body weight, this isn't fair because tall people would weigh more at their healthy weight. People with children that they are going to share their seats with would then have to pay extra for them. It's things like this that really get to me.

I realize that the economy is going down the crapper, but really? Isn't is about time that the government started to do something about this? People are now spending an average of 20% of their income on gas. 20%! That's ridiculous! But then I'm reminded of the congresswoman who is suing the government for more money because she can't live on $176,000 a year. Obviously the congress has more important matters at hand...

I was told I need to update...

My mom told me that, but then she left the country. What's that about? But I guess she's right. It's been a month since I've shared anything about my life.

Once again, my mom will be happy with this news... I was accepted into the education part of my major! I will now be getting a degree in History teaching, not just history. I'll also have a minor in theater (which is what I really want to teach but the demand for full time theater teachers just isn't there).

In other news... I'M GOING TO BE AN AUNT!!!!! This is my blog so I'm saying that instead of getting the really exciting news out there that my sister is pregnant. She's about 8 weeks along and I was the first one to find out (other than her husband). I feel so loved. I'll be honest... I'm hoping it's a boy, but I'll still be happy if it's a girl. Either way, baby Olsen (as my sister calls it) can still wear this! That's right, my neice or nephew WILL hate the Yankees and love the Braves and Red Sox. Shannon and Ross have no say in this matter. If you want to know more about baby Olsen, check out the blog my sister made for it... http://finallyfertilemyrtle.blogspot.com/

It's Here!

And I bought it when I went home. I mentioned before that when I went to the Josh Groban concert last August, that the DVD for the Awake tour was filmed. I waited for months to find out when it was coming out on DVD. Once I found that out, I still had to wait over a month to be able to buy it. And buy it I did! I didn't get to watch the DVD until I got back to Utah, but I listened to the CD. All I could think about was how amazing the show was and that I am one of the crazy screaming fans you can hear in the background. The picture I posted isn't the greatest because it was taken with my phone. As much as I love having the concert on DVD so I can watch it anytime I want, it will never replace the pictures and video I was able to take when I was actually at the concert.

Cutest Baby Ever!

I may be a little biased, but my best friend had a baby about 3 months ago and I finally got to meet him when I went home! It took me less than .2 seconds to fall in love with him. He's so cute! He loves to watch tv, not kidding. I've never seen a baby pay so much attention to a tv. He has the cutest baby tummy I've ever seen. I just wanted to eat him up!

Pain in my butt...

"It is a strange fate that we should suffer so much fear and doubt over so small a thing. Such a little thing." ~Sean Bean as Boromir in The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring

What is that, you wonder? And why did I quote Boromir? That is a piece of photo paper, smaller than a pen. It didn't cause so much fear and doubt as it did anger and annoyance. Here's what happened...

When I got home from my trip, I wanted to print out a couple of pictures. I have the fun little photo printer dock for my camera that up until now, I absolutely loved. The photo paper that it uses has edges that you pull off after the picture has printed. Well, this lovely little piece of paper ripped off into my printer! I thought I would just be able to pull it out. But no! I had to take apart the entire printer! And even then, I had to dig out my tweezers. It took me almost an hour to get out this tiny peice of paper. I was not happy. But in happier news, my photo printer now works better than it ever has!

Who says you can't go home?

I do! Why? Because when I went home, I packed up the rest of the bedroom that I spent over 10 years in. But that aside, I had a great time going home this past week. I got to see my parents, visit with friends, go to a Braves game and make it onto SportsCenter.

My dad and I got front row seats in center field. They were great seats. I would definitely sit there again. As for making it onto SportsCenter... Chipper Jones hit a home run right down the center and the guy who caught the ball was sitting next to us. When the hit was shown on SportsCenter, you could see my dad and I in the background. May not sound that exciting to you, but I think it's very exciting. :)

Medical Terms

I got this from a coworker and I just had to share. Some are funnier than others...

benign - what you be after you be eight
artery - the study of paintings
bacteria - back door to cafeteria
barium - what doctors do when patients die
cesarean section - a neighborhood in Rome
catscan - searching for kitty
cauterize - made eye contact with her
colic - a sheep dog
coma - a punctuation mark
D&C - where Washington is
dilate - to live long
enema - not a friend
fester - quicker than someone else
node - was aware of
outpatient - a person who has fainted
pap smear - a fatherhood test
pelvis - cousin of Elvis
post operative - a letter carrier
recovery room - place to do upholstery
rectum - darn near killed him
secretion - hiding something
seizure - Roman emperor
tablet - a small table
terminal illness - getting sick at the bus station
tumor - more than one
urine - opposite of you're out
varicose - near by/close by
vein - conceited

Random Thoughts

I got my computer back today! Yea! It ended up not being the mother board at all. That's what you get from talking to people on the phone that only use a computer at work to answer your questions about your broken computer! Not much help at all. Turns out that the power button was jammed and just had to be reset. I could have done that! Instead I was 2 weeks without my computer. No fun! But now it's back and it's working just great. :)

The other day at work (the retirement home) I went in to a room to wake up a resident so she could get ready for breakfast. This is how the conversation went...

Me - Good morning!
Resident - What the hell do you want?
Me - I was just saying good morning so you can get up for breakfast.
Resident - Oh! Good morning! See you in the dining room.

I guess you had to be there to think it was as funny as I do. That also came just a few days after I was helping another resident in the shower and she told me I was "a hell of a person to be working with old people." She wasn't happy that I was making her take a shower. Once the water turned off she was telling me I had beautiful hair and such a sweet smile.

Baseball

I'm so excited that baseball season is here! Everyone knows I love the Braves. I just can't help myself. And I also follow the Red Sox. And the Yankees, but only to make sure things aren't going well for them. I still haven't decided who I hate more, the Yankees or Barry Bonds. It's such a close call. Anyway... I can't wait to go home next month and go to a game. There's just something about the atmosphere at Turner Field that I love. It really makes me feel like I'm home. I'm still adjusting to not having Andruw Jones in centerfield. He's always been there! Yes, he's really sucked behind the plate the past few seasons, but it doesn't change the fact that he's one of the best centerfielders that baseball has ever seen. Moving on... even though both of my teams have a losing record as of right now (3-4 for both), the season just started and I'm looking foward to the post season for both the Braves and the Red Sox.

Oh, and a side note. I saw Joe Torre (former Yankees manager) on Jay Leno. I knew he was recruited by and played for the Braves, but because he managed the Yankees for so long, I had to hate him. But he said on Jay Leno that growing up, he hated the Yankees! How great is that?! I really should have been more forgiving before that statement of his management position seeing that Bobby Cox (the Braves manager) used to play for the Yankees. But then again, I love being a fan of the team with the most ejected manager in major league history! :)

It's about time!

Back in August of last year I saw Josh Groban in concert. Between the opening act and the beginning of his show, it was announced that they were filming for the release of the DVD for his Awake tour. I've been waiting and waiting for the DVD to come out and I finally have a date to look forward to, May 6! I'm so excited. I'll be home in Georgia that day so I'll have to down time to watch it. Yea! I can't wait!

homesick... :(

Yesterday I got so incredibly homesick. I was out doing errands and it just hit me out of nowhere. I get homesick sometimes, which is totally normal, but this hit me hard and strong. Like, I was ready to pack up my car and start driving east. I don't know if it was the warm weather and the country music I was listening to or what, but I wanted to be in Snellville, Georgia right then. I'm still feeling a little homesick, but I'm going home in about a month and I think that will definitely help. Until then, I have school and 2 jobs to keep me busy.

On a different note... I hate technology. In the past week, 3 things that I have a hard time living without have gone down the crapper. First, my phone. Unless the charger is at a specific angle, it won't charge. Because I can't stand there, holding my phone for 2 hours while I wait for it to charge, I've been using my old phone that's a total piece of crap. No games, no nothing. Only calls and very limited texting. So lame. Second, my iHome is pretty much dead. It still plays my iPod, but it decided to reset itself and when that happened, the clock died. I can no longer reset it, which means I can't set my alarm (and I don't have a sell phone to use either), I can't change the radio station... Basically it plays my iPod. I'm not complaining about that, but I really need the clock. And last but not least... today my computer died. It was working just fine until the power went out. Now it won't turn back on. I called the HP technical support and they brought me through some steps of unplugging and plugging things in. In the end, it was determined that the mother board is to blame. So I am without my computer for a couple of weeks. I only got the computer 7 months ago so unless the mother board has to be replaced, the repairs are covered under the warranty. Yea! FYI, using my roommates computer :)

Blonde Joke

I got this joke in an e-mail from my mom a couple of weeks ago. I decided I need to share it with everyone.

Bob walked into a sports bar around 9:58 PM. He sat down next to a blonde at the bar and stared up at the TV. The 10:00 PM news was coming on. The news crew was covering a story of a man on a ledge of a large building preparing to jump.

The blonde looked at Bob and said, "Do you think he'll jump?"

Bob says, "You know, I bet he'll jump."

The blonde replied, "Well, I bet he won't."

Bob placed a $20 bill on the bar and said, "You're on!"

Just as the blonde placed her money on the bar, the guy on the ledge did a swan dive off the building, falling to his death.

The blonde was very upset, but willingly handed her $20 to Bob, saying, "Fair's fair. Here's your money."

Bob replied, "I can't take your money, I saw this earlier on the 5 PM news and so I knew he would jump."

The blonde replied, "I did too; but I didn't think he'd do it again."

Bob took the money.

20 Years

20 years ago today, my brother, Sean, died of cancer. I never really knew him because I wasn't even 3 years old when he passed away. But I love him and I know he's in heaven watching down on me everyday.

A few years ago, I took an English Composition class at Georgia State. One paper we had to write was a reflective paper. I chose to write about Sean. I have kept that paper since I wrote it and I would like to share it. It's a bit long, but I think it's worth the time.

A Fairy Princess
I always dreaded the end of the English semester in high school. It meant that it was time to write the personal essay. Each time I wanted desperately to write about my deceased brother, Sean, but I never could think of how to start my essay or what I should tell my audience about my brother. Because of the way my parents described him to me, I had him on a pedestal. They always talked about how much he loved me and wanted me by his side when he was in the hospital. Whenever he played Atari, he would sit me in his lap. Nothing I wrote ever seemed enough for him. My papers did not do him the justice he deserved from me. If it did, it made me too emotional and tears covered my paper by the time I was finished with the rough draft, so I would pick a different topic. One time I wrote about telling my best friend’s parents that she was experimenting with illegal drugs. Another time I wrote about my first date with my current boyfriend. The topics were interesting for me, and I had no problem writing them; however, I did not have the distance that I needed to write a good, solid essay. I had the distance I needed to write about Sean, but I was not emotionally ready.

A child’s first trip to Disney World is supposed to be the most magical moment in their childhood. I know at the time I went, it was the most magical moment. I was going to meet Mickey Mouse! Looking back, I would give anything for my first trip to have come in seventh grade when I went with my friend Valerie. If that had been my first trip, it would mean that my brother would still be here. I lived in Portland, Maine until I was eight, so the only reason my family was able to go to Disney World was that we went free; well, at the expense of losing my brother, Sean, to Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma, a serious form of cancer, just a couple of months later. The Maine Children’s Cancer Program had a special for families who were struggling with a cancer patient: if you used their services, they promised you a trip Disney World with all expenses covered. The only things families had to pay for were the souvenirs.
I still remember the plane ride to Florida. It was a small plane and seated only about a dozen people; being that I was only two, it was the biggest plane in the world. Sean continuously tried to see out the window, but I kept blocking his view. I wish now that I had let him since I have flown in a window seat several times since going to Disney World. Being so young, it was surprising for my parents that I was not fazed at all that I was thousands of feet in the air. I could see everything out the window. I felt that I was on top of the world. Unfortunately, the plane ride ended a couple hours later, and I was back on the ground.
When I saw Cinderella’s Castle in the distance, I got over the disappointment of being back on the ground. Instead of feeling as if I was on top of the world, I felt like a fairy princess, and that was an even better feeling. My mom pushed me in my stroller through the front gate of Disney World. Sean was by my side in his wheel chair that my dad was pushing. What I felt at that very moment was indescribable. So many emotions filled my head – I was at Disney World and this was where Mickey Mouse lived. I could not have been more excited!
I started to cry as my mom pushed me away from the castle. I cried, pointed, and screamed as loud as I could until my parents got the message – I would not go anywhere until I met Cinderella at Cinderella’s Castle. Against my brother’s wishes (he wanted to go to Thunder Mountain), our first stop became Cinderella’s Castle. She and her castle were so beautiful. I felt like I was in the movie with her as I was pushed through the stone halls.
The next characters I met were Chip and Dale. This was great for Sean because they were his favorite Disney characters. When we stopped to get something to eat, the two chipmunks were at the restaurant. I was as excited as Sean. So many times I sat with him in my grandparents’ living room and watched Chip ‘n’ Dale on TV. Now they were standing in front of us. When they got to the table where I was sitting with my family, I could hardly sit still. My mom finally gave up on trying to keep me seated, so I ran to Dale. He was my favorite of the two because he had a red nose and I had red hair. I gave him a huge hug, and he hugged me back. It was even better then when I met Cinderella. Sean and Shannon, my sister, ran to Chip because he was their favorite. When we sat back down at the table, my mom took pictures to remember the event.
Our next stop was the hotel where we would be staying for the next couple of days. We stayed there for the rest of the day so Sean could rest. Since I was only two, I did not understand why I could not go back to the park to meet more of my favorite Disney stars.
I soon forgot about my self-pity as my mom brought me down to the pool. I felt so big sitting on the side of the pool. My mom forgot to pack floaties for me so I sat there and she held me, but I did not mind. I was swimming without the use of air-filled plastic, and that meant that I was a big girl.
The next day was our trip to the Pirates of the Caribbean. I was so excited. Many times I had watched the Disney sing-a-long video with Sean that had “A Pirate’s Life for Me” on it, and now I was to see it in person. As soon as my little ears heard “Yo Ho, Yo Ho, a pirate’s life for me,” a smile came to my face and did not leave the entire time I was on the ride. My mom was surprised, as she thought most two year olds would be terrified of all the pirate paraphernalia. But not me. I was brave because Sean was holding my hand. I loved all the pirates with the black patches over their eyes and the parrots on their shoulders. It was so real to me. As the song played in the cave, Sean sang it in my ear. I was having the time of my life.

Reflecting back on my brother, I realize that none of the above memories is mine. My mother or my father, or even my sister, has told them all to me. No memories of my deceased brother are mine. For so many years I have been told different stories of Sean that I have come to believe that they are my own memories to share, even all the times I have said, “I remember sitting in Sean’s lap while he played Atari…” Those are not my memories.
I do have one vivid memory of Sean. It is not one I share very often, as it is not a happy memory. In my house in Maine, a short hallway consisted of three doors. Straight ahead was the door that led to the bedroom that I shared with my sister. On the right was the door to the closet where my mother stored her clothes. On the left was Sean’s bedroom that became mine after he died. I do not remember what time of day it was or what time of year it was, but I know the room was dark so Sean could sleep. I remember a small amount of light in the room that most likely came from the lamp that was next to his bed. The humidifier was in there, and it was on. I know because I remember the steam rising up in the air. Someone I did not know was sitting in a chair by the bed on which my brother slept. I am assuming that it was a nurse. The bed was right in front of the door so Sean could be reached easily if he needed assistance. I was standing outside in the hall. Although I know someone was there with me, I do not know who it was. Whether it was a neighbor, my sister, a parent, or a relative, I honestly could not tell you. I do not know if Sean was actually sleeping or if he had already passed on. I only have that very vivid picture painted in my mind to know that Sean Kenneth Regan was a real person who lived to be only seven years old.
For my own sake of wanting closure, I wish that he had already passed on. It sounds selfish and cruel, but he was so sick. Looking at pictures, he had no hair, he had gained so much weight from his chemotherapy treatments and medicines, and he was very pale. The doctors thought that he was going to pass away in the summer of 1987 but he did not until March of 1988. Living for eight more months made him even sicker. If I knew for a fact that Sean had already died, that would mean that I was with him when he took his last few breaths. If he really loved me as much as my parents have told me, then I would have the closure I need from that part of my life knowing that I was by his side when he passed on.

Across the Universe

I wasn't going to blog about this musical movie, but the more I think about it, the more I realize that I am absolutely in love with it! You have to approach it with an open mind, otherwise you'll be completely disappointed. It's the story of Jude (Jim Sturgess) who leaves England to go to America to meet his biological father during the Vietnam War. While he's there, he meets Max (Joe Anderson), a student at Princeton. They fast become friends. Over Thanksgiving, Jude goes home with Max to celebrate. During this time, Jude meets Max's sister, Lucy (Evan Rachel Wood). While at home, Max decides to drop out of school then he and Jude move to New York. Because he's no longer in school, Max gets drafted into the army. Jude and Lucy have started dating. Things start to get complicated when Lucy starts going to anti-war rallies to protest the war, and Jude stays home to works on his art as his way of protesting. Throughout all of this is the amazing music of the Beatles (I hope you picked up on that from the names of the characters [Hey, Jude, Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds, Maxwell's Silver Hammer]). The soundtrack is just incredible! All the leads have great voices plus smaller parts played by people who made it in the business by being singers. There's small bit roles played by the amazing Bono, Joe Cocker, Salma Hayek and Eddie Izzard.

But like I said, watch it with an open mind. The late 60s and 70s are known for being a bit out there and there are parts of this movie that are definitely out there. It's mostly the part with Eddie Izzard as Mr. Kite while singing "Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite." There's a line in the song about blue people and there are blue people in the movie. It reminded me a lot of a Tim Burton movie at the point (think Big Fish). But also be aware that it is rated PG-13 for good reason - there is nudity, language, sex, drugs, and of course the violence seen during the war scene.

On a different note, I really want to pick Paul McCartney's brain about this movie. My number one question: "Is that what John and you saw while writing "Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite"?"

I now present...

My mom has been begging me for months to post pictures of my room. She visited me in October, just after I moved into the house. However, not long after that, I decided my room needed a makeover. So for under $100, my room looks brand new and I love it! The colors are black and white. I'm lucky that the walls in my room were already painted grey so everything fits together so nicely! :)

Here is a view of the bookshelf I bought at Big Lots. It was on sale for $25. It has more shelves than the bookshelf I had before so I can actually fit all my books on it and then some.

And here's my bed with the new bedding. I bought it at Ikea (love that store!) for $30. The comforter is actually just a quilt cover and for $40 more, I can buy the quilt that was made for it, but for now I'll stick to putting my old comforter in it instead. As for the curtains, I bought that fabric during Halloween so it's way cheap cotume fabric. For the fabric and the 2 curtain rods, I spend about $25. (Yes, mom, I do open the curtains to let in the sun light :) )

This dresser is new to me, but it actually belonged to one of my roommates. I hang up the majority of my clothes so I didn't really need the big dresser I had. As for my roommate, she has started using shelves on her bookshelf to keep her clothes. So, we traded dressers. It was actually a cream color that I painted white. The paint cost about $5 at Wal-Mart. And yes, my bedroom is right off the living room. The brown door seen in the pictures of the living room is the door to my room.

If I did my calculations right (which I probably didn't), I spent around $85 to give my room a makeover. And I think it's just perfect!

Stolen From My Sister...

Take the topic, type it into google image search and post the first picture that comes up!

Occupation (care giver)

Favorite Food (chicken and rice)

A hobby (singing)

Favorite Animal (tiger)

A Favorite Place (Ireland)

Where I Live (Salt Lake City, Utah)

Favorite Holiday (St. Patrick's Day)

College Major (Theater)

(History)

Age I'll Be Next Birthday (23)

Birthday Month (June - I'm leaving this one blank... the first page was all women in bikinis)

Place I Want to Visit (a movie set)

Dear Frankie

Dear Frankie is such a great movie! I watched it a couple of days ago and was very impressed. For the females, there's Gerard Butler. For the males, there's Emily Mortimer. For everybody, the little kid who plays Frankie is adorable and does a fantastic job as a 9-year-old de(a)f boy (once you watch the movie, the parentheses will make sense). It's rated PG-13 for language. And by language, they mean brief strong language. Everything about this movie could appear on TV unedited except for the hostpital scene where the f-bomb is dropped. It was unnecessary to be said, but the scene is very important to understand the character of Lizzie. And there I go analyzing characters. Dang devoting my life to theater! I can't even recommend a movie without ripping it apart.

And that so reminds me... Friday night on CBS, Celine Dion had a concert. I watched it because I knew Josh Groban would be singing with her and I was so curious. For those of you who don't know, when Josh was just 17 and didn't even have a record contract yet, he replaced Andrea Bocelli at rehearsals for the Grammys. The song he sang was "The Prayer." Such a beautiful song. Anyway... Celine Dion recorded it with Andrea Bocelli. Josh Groban recorded it with Charlotte Church. I've always wanted to hear Celine and Josh sing it together and that opportunity came on Friday night. But did I get to enjoy it? No! At least not in a way that I should have. Why? Because of theater! Both of them were using their downstage hands to hold their microphones, blocking off their bodies. A huge no-no in theater. So as they're singing, that is the only thing I can focus on. Stupid, stupid, stupid! Good thing they did a studio recording that will be released so I can actually enjoy it the way I want to.

And that's my ranting and raving and recommendations for the day. :)

Ode to Maxine

For those of you who don't know, Maxine is a cartoon that tells us like it is. For example, the cartoon for the day on my calendar is a picture of her in her car with a quote that says, "I can't use a cell phone in the car. I have to keep my hands free for making gestures." Well, Maxine made my day the other day (it was Valentine's Day...). For the 21st time in my life, I was alone without a valentine on Valentine's Day. But Maxine made that a-okay. Why? The cartoon for the day said, "It's Valentine's Day for all of you romantics. For me, it's the day before chocolate goes on sale." Amen, Maxine!

To find out more about my favorite cartoon, you can visit her at maxine.com.

The Three Minute Miracle

It actually works! So what am I talking about? Let me tell you!

I have dry hair. When I moved to Utah, it got even drier. And with the winter months lacking any humidity whatsoever, there is absolutely no moisture in my hair. I'm always on the look out for deep conditioning treatments that don't require me to go to a salon and spend 20 bucks. So, the other day (and by the other day, I mean about 2 weeks ago) I was at Wal-Mart looking to see if there was anything new to try. And that is when I found Aussie 3 Minute Miracle. I have never been so impressed with my hair. It was so soft and pretty! And it really only took 3 minutes to work. The best part? It was only about $4. Plus, it's not just for one treatment. I'll probably get about 10 treatments out of the bottle. It all depends on how much hair you have.

And this is my three minute miracle moment :)

I can't sleep...

I'm usually in bed by now. I work at 6 in the morning and I like to get as much sleep as possible. But for some reason, the past few nights, sleep has been impossible to come by. I toss and turn. I read. I play games on my phone. Then I toss and turn some mose. Then when I finally get to that deep sleep where you get to dream, my alarm goes off. I just don't get it. Nothing has changed dramatically in my life. School is the same. Work is the same. Family is the same. Friends are the same. Not to say that my life is the same day after day. But nothing extremely unusual has happened. Maybe it's the piano. That's been the only big change in my life. But shouldn't that be for the better? I like to play when I'm stressed or I need a break from homework. So I doubt it's the piano. And it can't be the flat tire I got yesterday. The lack of sleeping thing started before that. Oh yeah. The flat tire thing. Things were going too well in my life (besides the whole sleep thing). Something like a flat tire had to happen, right? And what good is AAA when they can't come change your flat for 3 hours! For the record, I know how to change a tire. My daddy taught me well. But this particular tire had been flat before and I'm pretty sure that when it was fixed, the mechanics used an air gun, or whatever it is called, to put the lug nuts back on. I could not get those things to budge! Luckily, I'm in a totally fabulous ward and a guy from it came to change my tire for me . :) Anyway, back to not sleeping... if anyone knows of any secrets that will help me get to sleep so I'm not wishing every minute of everyday that I'm not at home that I could be so I could just fall into my bed, let me know. Thanks. And good night! :)

I'm procrastinating. Can't you tell?

How well do you know me?

1. WERE YOU NAMED AFTER ANYONE? I've been told that my mom got the name Caitlin from the A Team. And Rebecca is from the Bible, even if it isn't spelled right
2. WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU CRIED? I teared up while listening to "Teardrops on my Guitar" by Taylor Swift today. But the last time I really cried was a while ago
3. DO YOU LIKE YOUR HANDWRITING? sometimes
4. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE LUNCH MEAT? turkey
5. DO YOU HAVE KIDS? nope but I hope to some day
6. IF YOU WERE ANOTHER PERSON WOULD YOU BE FRIENDS WITH YOU? uh, yeah. I'm pretty dang cool!
7. DO YOU USE SARCASM A LOT? never!
8. DO YOU STILL HAVE YOUR TONSILS? sure do. I think that's the one thing I've never had problems with...
9. WOULD YOU BUNGEE JUMP? sure would
10. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE CEREAL? honey bunches of oats
11. DO YOU UNTIE YOUR SHOES WHEN YOU TAKE THEM OFF? no, that's a waste of time
12. DO YOU THINK YOU ARE STRONG? sometimes but not really
13. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE ICE CREAM? mint cookies and cream
14. WHAT IS THE FIRST THING YOU NOTICE ABOUT PEOPLE? clothes
15. RED OR PINK? definitely pink
16. WHAT IS THE LEAST FAVORITE THING ABOUT YOURSELF? the scar up the back of my neck. it's not entered... it makes me feel lopsided.
17. WHO DO YOU MISS THE MOST? right now there's someone that I can't stop thinking about and I really miss him... but I always miss my family. They're all way too far away.
18. DO YOU WANT EVERYONE TO SEND THIS BACK TO YOU? sure
19. WHAT COLOR PANTS AND SHOES ARE YOU WEARING? pink pajama pants and pink slippers with hearts
20. WHAT WAS THE LAST THING YOU ATE? italian chicken and rice
21. WHAT ARE YOU LISTENING TO RIGHT NOW? Kristin Chenoweth "My New Philosophy" from You're a Good Man Charlie Brown
22. IF YOU WERE A CRAYON, WHAT COLOR WOULD YOU BE? cerlean
23. FAVORITE SMELLS? lilac and vanilla
24. WHO WAS THE LAST PERSON YOU TALKED TO ON THE PHONE? I just got off the phone with Chemaine
25. DO YOU LIKE THE PERSON WHO SENT THIS TO YOU? no one sent it to me. I got it from my cousin's blog. of course I like her! in fact, I love her!
26. FAVORITE SPORTS TO WATCH? Braves Baseball!!!!!!!!!!
27. HAIR COLOR? red
28. EYE COLOR? blue
29. DO YOU WEAR CONTACTS? yes, much better than glasses
30. FAVORITE FOOD? chicken... yummy!
31. SCARY MOVIES OR HAPPY ENDINGS? both... scary movies make me laugh and happy endings make me smile so both are good :)
32. LAST MOVIE YOU WATCHED? Speak, though I watched bits and pieces of Practical Magic this afternoon
33. WHAT COLOR SHIRT ARE YOU WEARING? blue
34. SUMMER OR WINTER? fall
35. HUGS OR KISSES? hugs
36. FAVORITE DESSERT? a warm brownie with vanilla ice cream
37. MOST LIKELY TO RESPOND? maybe my sister...
38. LEAST LIKELY TO RESPOND? Kmost everyone who reads my blog
39. WHAT BOOK ARE YOU READING NOW? The Vampire Diaries... If you've read the Twilight books by Stephanie Meyer, you'll also like this. Very, very good.
40. WHAT IS ON YOUR MOUSE PAD? a beach scene
41. WHAT DID YOU WATCH ON T. V. LAST NIGHT? don't really watch tv
42. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE SOUND? Josh Groban singing and children laughing
43. ROLLING STONES OR BEATLES? definitely the Beatles
44. WHAT IS THE FARTHEST YOU HAVE BEEN FROM HOME? Ireland
45. DO YOU HAVE A SPECIAL TALENT? I love to sing! and play the piano and act on stage
46. WHERE WERE YOU BORN? Portland, Maine
47. WHOSE ANSWERS ARE YOU LOOKING FORWARD TO GETTING BACK? everyone who responds :)

Side note on atheists...

I posted a blog about atheists a few weeks ago. My friend told me to listen to a comedian's take on atheists. His response to the majority of my questions... "Uh, when you die, nothing happens..." At least that's what they believe. They're in for a big surprise :)

The kitchen! I'm so in love with it! It's just so beautiful and sleek!

And here's my baby! We fell in love yesterday. I played for almost 2 hours straight! It was so wonderful and stress relieving. I should have bought him before. Mom, I'll be calling to get you to send some music from home :)

living room

As I've been promising my mom, I'm finally posting pictures of my wonderful house that I've been living in for the past 4 months. This is our living room! The couch came from a coworker of Jessica E. The corner couch came from some friends. The huge TV came from Chemaine's dad. The pictures on the wall are of all of us (except Chemaine...she didn't live with us yet) and they have something to do with us. Jessica A loves shoes. Jessica E loves film (that's a movie reel in case you couldn't tell). I love theater (comedy and tragedy are in the corners although you can't see them). And Jessica S. loves art and reading. And as of tomorrow, where the random white shelf is located will be a beautiful new black paino that I'm renting :) I'm so excited!!!!! I'll definitely post a picture of that when it arrives. More pictures to come... oh, and let me know what you think of my new profile picture... :)

facebook

When I first joined facebook about 3 years ago, it was strictly for college students and I LOVED that about it. It wasn't anything like myspace where anyone can join and look at your profile and things like that. Well, within the past year or so, facebook has become WORSE than myspace. "How is that possible?" you ask. It's simple. It started when facebook opened up to high schoolers. Now, I realize that at high school age, people are figuring out who they are and what they want to do with their lives. At least that's what I thought. But no, they are incredibly disrespectful, dress like pimps and sluts, and act like they own the world. (side note, I really hope and pray that I was nothing like that.)

Moving on... After facebook opened up to high schoolers, it opened up to everyone. It was no longer a college thing. It is an everyone thing. And I can't stand it. It's become like facebook where everyone has to see how many friends they have and if they can't beat their friends at that number. I'll be that first to admit that I have close to 300 friends on myspace, but they are people I have known at some point in my life and I have actually TALKED to them at some point, even if it was just briefly. And I'm pretty sure it's the same on myspace (with the exception of my one true love, Josh Groban).

And now there's all these ridiculous applications you can add. What happened to posting pictures and sending messages and posting on your friends' walls? I constanly have new super pokes, new quizzes to take (I do admit that I enjoy those), new whatever requests. I CAN'T STAND IT!!!!! When I logged on today, I was this close to deleting my account, but I knew that would cause me to lose touch with some people. And the worst part is, when you decide, hey, this application looks fun, I think I'll add it; you have to invite a minimum of 15-20 people before you can even look at it! What if it totally sucks? Is it my obligation to go back and say sorry to all the people I was forced to tell about this retched thing?

What I'm trying to say is... I want the original facebook back. When it first started to change, there were hundreds of groups on it that wanted the old facebook back. Well, I'm here to say that my facebook page will be as close to the original with exception of a few applications that I actually enjoy.

End note: I wrote this in a small rage and in a hurry, so I apologize for anything that doesn't make sense and any grammatical and spelling errors.

chivalry is dead

I said I would be blogging more and I will keep that promise. Unfortunately, there isn't much to blog about. Therefore, I'm going to repost a blog that I wrote on my myspace. It was my sister's idea so if you don't like it, blame her :)

"Would you like my seat?" the old man with the cane asked me as I boarded the train.

"No thank you. I can stand," I replied.
As I walked down the aisle to stand in the middle part of the car, I could see the looks from the other men who didn't offer me their seats. The men in their suit coats and ties, briefcase at their feet. The men in their University of Utah apparel, backpack in their lap. It was at this point that I realized that chivalry is, in fact, dead!

When was the last time someone under the age of 50 offered me their seat or opened a door for me? I don't know if I can answer that. Not because I don't remember but because I don't think it has ever happened.

The other day, there was an old woman getting off the train. None of the men getting off offered to help her down, they just exited on the other side. Who stopped? The old man who was moving just as slow as she was. Were they married? No. How do I know this? They went off in opposite directions.

What is the world coming to that we can't take 5 seconds out of our day to stop and help the old woman off the train, keep a door open for someone who is entering or exiting, offer someone your seat? The more I reflect on it, the more depressed I become.

And that is my blog for today!

a new year has come

This blog is going to be short and sweet. My computer won't connect to the internet so I'm borrowing my roommate's for a few minutes. I went home for Christmas and it was a lot of fun. It was also a very nice break from both school and work. Plus I got to watch all the CSI I wanted :)

Well, it's a new year. I'm going to be better about blogging. And I'll post pictures once my computer decides to cooperate. But for now, I'm just working. I start back to school on Tuesday. I'm looking forward to it because I'm taking a musical theater class. I can't wait!