famous

brother made the news. front page of the kc star!

almost here

2010. its almost here. it seems like just yesterday. we were celebrating y2k. and crossing our fingers. that the world didnt go into shambles at the stroke of midnight. now 10 years later. i hope i can find some fun glasses that spell out the year. to help bring in the new year. some are calling it a new decade. but i have been informed it wont actually be until next year. (thanks to a dd in my office. wah, wah). i want to call it a new decade. so i will.

i would do a recap of the year. but i dont think thats necessary. (oh dear i am turning into mother. that was always her excuse for everything growing up). and i have been reading in my magazines. to live for today. not worry about the future or the past. so i am starting this year right. although i love reminiscing. i spent the majority of my holiday break. in my pjs. snuggling with zola. drinking vino. watching a lot of movies. including old home videos. i was watching a video of my in the 1st grade. non stop giggling. and being silly. i realized i havent changed a bit. ha. and to me that is comforting. i always want to have my child like spirit. and to never. ever. stop smiling. laughing. and being s-i-l-l-y! happy new year to my dear friends and family who read my bloggy-blog. cheers!

happy

i am reposting from another blog i read (ritzybee). hopefully this is not illegal. and the internet police wont find me. but it was just as appropriate for my blog as theirs. :)

sj one

this will be a new series. called smokin joe or sj. which is my father. he does things that make me laugh. and so now i will share them. i giggle constantly when i am home. he does stuff on purpose b/c he knows it will make me laugh. and sometimes when i am in a foul mood. he can make me crack. i think his idol sometimes is clark griswold from the vacation movies. perfect example: when i was in the third grade. mother told him to go out side and trimmed down the tree because it was too tall. he came back in with a shorter tree. only he took off the top. so we had an odd looking tree that year. a bit stumpy. but it brings a good laugh year after year.

set up: we were watching the big 12 game. and a preview for the sherlock homes movie came on.
father says: oh that looks good. but really anything with robert downing junior is a good one.
family: huh?
brother: name one?
father: well...hmm
me: ok, name just one movie you saw recently of his?
father: ooh okay, well i cant think of one

tis the season

i am so excited. i am going to the ballet tonight. to the nutcracker. it will make it start to feel a lot more like christmas. i will have the songs in my head for days. father and i will probably start singing them on the way home. annoy mother. and then sing some more. i am also excited because its the moscow ballet on tour at ft. leavenworth. now if only i could have stuck with ballet. i would love to be up there dancing with them.

2 days

move over erin andrews. a new blonde. with great hair is moving onto the field. as a sports commentator. not really. i dont know how much of the big 12 championship game i can relive. i was in shock. my heart was smashed. but i know its nothing like what the boys in red were feeling at that very moment. as smokin joe put it nicely. there were a lot of what ifs and would haves left out on the field. the biggest i would say is that cursed 1 second that somehow made it back on the clock. after colt mccoy threw a pass out of bounds with my friend suh about to clock him. again! i will say this. i was so proud of the team. they showed up to play. they showed up to win. and in my opinion, they did. (refs were paid off - keep the bcs from going into chaos). the blackshirts dominated the game. nebraska hasnt had an offense all year. they cant do squat in the red zone except maybe kick a field goal. so i cant say texas defense really did more than any other defense NU played this year. i feel like the game gave the respect back to the program that has been missing the last couple of years. and it shut up the haters down in texas. writing articles that NU didnt even deserve to play on the same field as the horns. i believed in the huskers every step of the way. just like the rest of the fans. i respect the pelini bros and love their passion. and as i told a coworker on friday - who was trying to hate - we were going to grab lil' colt by the balls and swing him around. at least rough him up a little to let him know what it felt like to play football. oh and have i ever mentioned how much i love watching ndumakong suh play. he was on fire on saturday night. i wish him the best of luck in the nfl next year. but i doubt he needs it. now onto the holiday bowl. and watch overrated texas get plowed in the big show. roll'em tide!

so after pouting about the game. and dwelling on it a little more at brunch. i decided to cheer up and get into the holiday spirit. i didnt feel like putting up a traditional tree. no one sends presents to my home. so a tree is not always practical. and i have some ornaments. but they can be displayed other places. i had my dad help collect some branches. found some fake greenery at nell hills. and behold. my tree this year. i also added some other decorations. tried to spice it up a bit and not be the same display as last year. (because i just know people will notice).


i finished the weekend watching the movie seven pounds. it had come from netflix atleast two weeks ago. i put it off. put it off. watched other movies. and just looked at the red envelope sit on the coffee table. thinking maybe tomorrow. i knew it was going to be sad. but mother said it was good. i just had to be in the mood to cry. i always cry in movies. i might not shed a tear in other real life scenarios. but put me in front of a sad movie. and it will be water works for sure. i am not a will smith fan. call me crazy - but i think it was the men in black movies that turned me against him. never did like those. and then all the hype that soon followed his career. but this movie i felt like i wasnt watching will smith. he actually became a different character. couple of tissues later. i enjoyed it. good movie.

the nose

i have a sensitive nose. always have. and i am pretty sure. always will. i embarrassed my parents many times when growing up. i had no filter on when you dont say what you are thinking. out loud. so if we walked into a smelly place. i would yell out. it stinks! with all our travels. this happened more times than not.

i now have the filter. but still the nose of a - hmm, maybe bloodhound? on wednesday before thanksgiving mother was making german food. it was delightful. pork loin. knodels or dumplings. gravy. red cabbage. a cold salad with belgium endive. while watching her prepare the food in the kitchen. she started to cut up cilantro. i knew it. i could smell it. i asked what she was going to do with that. she said i am cutting up parsley for the dumplings. and in her fashion, ended it with, you gotta problem with that. i said no. but thats not parsley. its cilantro. she remained chopping. and started to sprinkle the leafs onto the dumplings. she only did half. turned around to the refrigerator. opened the door. then the drawer and pulled out the remaing bunch of her "parsley". and said see, look on the lablel it says...cilantro. whoops. well why didnt you say anything. i screamed i did. i did. i smelt it and told you. she then rinsed them off and put the real parsley on top. she looked over at the stock for thanksgiving and said, well there is cilantro in that now too. ha. the nose never lies!

bumper sticker xxix

spotted sunday afternoon. on my way to run errands - with everyone else in the city. this made me laugh. if you cant read it - the sticker says: low standards.

the moon that is new

another thing to be thankful for. robert pattinson's character in the twilight saga. my heart melts over this love story/saga. as does half the world or more. i will just say it. robert makes the world go round. i predicted it about a year ago. he is the next johnny depp. in about 20 years. we will see if it comes true.


i ended up skipping the midnight showing of new moon. which i have been told, was probably a good choice. my lil sis from bbbs asked me to take her on friday night. so i bought two tickets online prior for the early evening show. we got there in plenty of time. had great seats. and enjoyed the people watching prior. all the many t-shirts. and outfits. my lil sis would not however agree with this post. she is a werewolf or team jacob fan. and would give shout outs to the other girls with their shirts on. and cat call when he came on the screen with no shirt on. which was most of the movie.

the movie new moon, was everything i had hoped for and more. the actual movie i thought was very well made. and would appeal to an audience that didnt read the books. and those who have. i wasnt as annoyed with bella's character as i had been while reading the book. edward as mention was so dreamy. i melted in my seat, but had to keep somewhat of a composure with my lil sis. his sweet nothings. and cute smirks. i feel like i am 13 and have my first real crush again when watching him on screen. i like to think its the romance of the books/movies that put you in that mind set. it also has a pretty good soundtrack which gives it another edge. so go see it. suck it up. and see what all the hype is about. i love it, i love it, i love it. (imagine me sitting in a chair. kicking my feet up in the air. and shaking my head and arms. - i love it!)

woof.woof.

i recently started a fan page on facebook. you can view it by clicking on the side bar on my blog. or thanks to lemonade's hubby - click on this link - facebook.com/woofwoof. i have been overwhelmed with the amount of fans. especially those that i dont know. please help share the word. i would love to expand my services. and who knows - maybe even go full time!

thankful

as a part of the thanksgiving week. i thought i would share a few things i am thankful for this year.

the first thing that comes top of mind is that nebraska won the big 12 north! whoot, whoot! i say this with not only the fact that my favorite team won. but this also brings peace within my family. we had a couple of days where the tension was a little thick. there were a few days that you might call depression. but those days are behind us. and we have moved on. moved on with new superstitions that seem to help the team. my favorite blackshirt t-shirt stopped working mid season. found something new. i cant reveal any of the new ones. we still have three more games. might jinx the team!

second, for my family. i am so excited to have granny, and i guess bruno come down for turkey day. haha. i do love the man. he will help keep things entertaining. although he has yet to meet zola and he isnt a dog person. he didnt really like cory that much (how could you not), so meeting wild & crazy zola will be a test. but i am thankful i have grandparents alive that i can spend time with and that can still drive to see us!

third, i am thankful for zola. she has really become a sweet girl. and special part of the family. she will never replace our angel cory (who i still miss all the time), she has brought back the spark to our family. i love her kisses and snuggling with her as a part of her 20 minute greeting when i walk in the door. although she can not fit into her new mrs. claus outfit, i will add some fabric and as tim gunn would say make it work!

fourth, i am thankful for all my friends who have found their soul mates. i had three friends get engaged this year and another entered wedded bliss. (i speak about them like they arent the only ones who read this blog). i am so very happy for them. it has been very special to be apart of the love stories and share in their journeys. i am very honored to be apart of the three weddings next summer and help with the planning. and i am lucky to not even compare to the movie 27 dresses, so far i only have 2 dresses for 4 weddings!

yum, bison

today is brother's birthday. we celebrated by dining at ted's montana grill. i had a delish bison steak. cooked to a perfect medium rare. added garlic mash potatoes. glass of pinot noir and i was in heaven. the steak melted in my mouth like butta. and the potatoes weren't too garlicky (i usually don't order them for that reason, but was pleasantly surprised). the rest of the fam also enjoyed bison steak. oh the flavor.

happy birthday brother! here's to the next thirty years being filled with laughter and as much fun as the last. love ya!

neewollah

i didnt get to celebrate halloween this year. which saddens me. since it has always been one of my favorite holidays. (it cant trump christmas - i like presents over candy). i woke up on the thursday prior with flu like symptoms. and lived in quarantine for a couple of days. before retreating to my folks house. to be nursed back to health. exact words from my father. he was so sweet. so since i didnt get to see any costumes (i wasnt too upset about missing the years latest sexy costumes) i found much delight in the photos sent to martha stewarts dog costume contest. take a peek. i dont know which is my favorite. i think untitled should have entered with stan the man in his pumpkin outfit. maybe next year.

http://www.marthastewart.com/photogallery/halloween-pet-winners-2009

recommends

i highly recommend the movie sunshine cleaning. just a sweet little movie about family, life and making lemons out of lemonade. the fact it was only one hour and thirty minutes also impressed me. it seems movies tend to go into 2+ hours more and more. and when i try to watch them on a week night. i stay up past my bed time. sunshine cleaning had happy moments, sad, life lessons, growing pains, but in the end it all worked out for the best.

i cant recommend this movie yet. but i already purchased my ticket to see new moon from the twilight saga. opening night. at midnight. i am imagine mass chaos. me and a million tweens racing to get the best seats. i will throw elbows. i am not afraid to yell at kids. especially if they are old enough to be at a midnight movie on a thursday night. and if they try to ruin my movie watching experience. i will call them out. and everyone will laugh. (probably at me). so pretty much. it will be an awesome evening at the cinema. or morning.

sometimes

• i love nothing more than to be a slug and waste an evening with bad tv
• i wish i can say everything i am thinking, really thinking and other times, i feel like i say too much and that gets me into trouble (usually after a couple glasses of wine)
  
• i feel like a rebel when i dont brush my teeth before bed once in a great moon, now if only i felt like that about flossing, my dentist might not scold me every time i go
  
• i call my mom to ask her dumb questions, even though i could probably look them up on my own, but its comforting that i for one, can call my mom and that she listens to me babble on and on about my problem in silence only to reply with the correct answer, and it is scary how it is always the right answer
• i can go for days without talking to anyone
• i eat food that has expired and i survive
• i would like to complete a true walk-out from a job - to get a high from that feeling before reality sets in that i just quit my job

teaser

while watching tv tonight. a teaser for the 10 o'clock news came on. "she was once a crack addict. now she helps people."

oh come laura (news anchor), I am sure she helped a few people while on crack. although i admit, i might tune to hear more of this story.

F & G

i have found a new favorite show. freaks & geeks. and just as fast as i can get addicted. i have found there was only one season made. good news. there were eighteen episodes for season one. and they are an hour long. gleeee! it takes place in 1980. about high school kids. some freshman. some older stoners. and all the fun that happens during that time of your life.

my favorite parts of the shows are the family discussions. reminds me of my own home life. we had family sit down dinners every night. where we discussed the day activities. we also had family game nights. or movie nights. mandatory. not too often. but enough to make you wish you were doing something else on a friday night.

it also reminded me of my freshman year of highschool. some punk kid in my biology class borrowed my graphing calculator. he then plotted a design of a marijuana leaf. i didnt know at the time how to delete the saved design. and wish i had. when mother borrowed the calculator that summer for her garage sale. she turned it on. and during start up, it flashed to the leaf. she confronted me. and proceeded to ask if i was on the pot. and when i said no. she responded back with: you better not. or your ass will be grass. it wasnt me!

first outing

my first outing with my lil sis went a little something like this. i picked her up for the movies. my phone wasnt working, so i didnt have the directions to the movies from her house. i guessed correctly and got us to the right theater. we watched the 3D toy story movies. thats 1 & 2. i dont know how they expect little kids attention spans to last through both. back to back. i barley managed. the 3D was pretty cool and it had been awhile since i saw them. so after three hours of 3D movie watching. we were driving home. and i saw a small animal dart across the road. before i could react. i felt a thud with the car. i am pretty sure i hit someone's kitty cat. i kind of freaked. more that she must think i am a horrible person. i didnt know if i should have stopped. checked on the animal. but i didnt. lil sis asked if i was okay. and said well i dont think you killed it. you didnt run over it multiple times. ha. good point. she is a smarty pants. i am going to blame it on wearing those crazy glasses for so long. my eyes were not at 20/20.

disco duck

this morning on the radio show i listen to while getting ready. the theme for the 8 songs at 8 was one hit wonders. one of the songs that came up was disco duck. i seriously did not think this was actually a hit. it reminded me of my father. he would use this song to wake up brother and i, in the mornings. usually on the weekends before church. or if we were going on a family trip. and we only leave for family trips at o'dark thirty (or really early - 6ish if not before).

he would get his tape player. set it at the edge of our bedrooms. turn it to full blast. then turn on the overhead lights. which would send us into hysteria. then push play on the most annoying songs ever. he would find such delight on selecting the perfect song to use. sometimes they had themes with what was going on in our lives. but disco duck always seemed to make the play list.

before the tape player came into play. this probably started when brother got to middle school. and i was reaching the end of elementary school. he would wake us up for school each morning in song. if not the military trumpet song used at basic training. he would make up his own words to church hymns. incorporate our school name and what not. i will say they got us out of bed. usually to go chase him. laugh. and put breakfast requests in.

maybe i should submit a list to the radio station. 8 songs that are annoying to hear first thing in the morning. and have dad supply his favorites.

red sea

headed to the red sea this weekend. and its not the one that parted. ha. going to visit lil joj. attend the 300th sell out game for nebraska. visit and tailgate with friends. see my cousin. and have a few red brewskies. cant wait!

ninja

i couldnt resist to not repost this. i just love this picture. little ryan is so cute. and his face in this pic is priceless. photo credit to his mama - lowa. love you both!

hermes

i met a great dane puppy last night. hermes. he was four months old. i totally called it prior to meeting him. he was at the same outdoor patio with us. i might have freaked out the table when i said. yeah, four months, he still has his balls. okay i did gross out a few people. hermes is a beautiful blue dane. with an aqua colored collar. and his name embroidered on the top. i loved it. i loved him. cant wait to pick out vivian. and her collar. her bed. all her toys. and teach her to be the best doggy ever.

and thats all.

No body puts baby in the corner. Rip Patrick Swayze.

busy bee week

this week has flown by. i have been driving all over this city. from one event to the next. work buddy jeff had a surprise birthday party. we had our last starlight theatre musical on wednesday. mama mia. and it was fabulous. it was rainy cats and dogs mid afternoon. and i was fearful we might have to sit in puddles. with ponchos. and not enjoy the show as much. which i was upset about. since this was one of the shows i had been dieing to see when we bought the season tickets. so with my rain boots. and rain/trench coat in hand. we ventured out. and it did not rain a bit during the show. it was wonderful. a great end to a great season.

i also met my new little sister. from the big brother big sister program. i signed up to volunteer last spring. one of their happy hours work. get a couple free brewskies in me. and i sign up for anything. ha. but in all seriousness. i am excited about the opportunity. giving back to the community. and i signed up for the older kids, who are involved in a scholarship program, so i am more of a mentor for the college application and process. although when i met my little. she already knows she wants to go to culinary school. so my help might not be as useful. but if anything, we have a lot in common and i can be a good role model and friend. and maybe she can cook for me. i kid. i would make it a joint effort.

will i

or wont i. i kind of like this trend that is coming back. the leggings. and then with these paired shoes. it makes dressing for fall, fun. i dont know about the lacy leggings. but just might have to try this soon. (since it feels like f'in october out. i am irritated by this weather. it makes me scared for winter. if this is what summer feels like. cold. what will winter be like. will we be covered in ice. i can only hope it will be mild as well.)


kickball is over. i feel lost. ha. but i really dont know what i will do with my sunday evenings. it means summer is over. and now i can only prepare for next season. you can find me in the weight room. i plan to come back next season as a haas. kicking farther and harder. and pitching fast balls. curve balls. and of course junk! it was a great season. we made it to the elite eight out of 30 teams. not bad for our first season as a team. matching up with others who have been playing together the last five years. we will be back. with a vengeance. das who? das boot. word.

ready

my lease will be up in december. i dont know if i want to move. pack everything back up. and out. and then back in. but that has been my life. and part of me does get restless. to move again. the excitement of a new place. and redecorating. i think i will move if. i find a cute. reasonable price place. hopefully in the same neighborhood. that would let me have one of these. the real reason for this posting. is i am ready for my own baby. although it might cut into my business a little. i hope that i could bring my little girl with me when i dogsit. or the grandparents could watch her. (even though mother will say no at first).

ifuture

i love my new bff. the iphone. but while playing with her. (that sounds bad). i cant help but think of the children. yes the children. the kiddies that now have these devices at early ages. and will never experience the fun of growing up. of not knowing everything. or getting lost. or being bored. all they have to do it google something from their phone. if they get bored play a new game while waiting. or use the map device when lost. it makes life so easy. almost too easy. so i try not to get lost in the phone too much. but i cant help it.

it reminds me of the time lil joj and i got stuck in the mud in high school. it was a rainy, spring evening. we had just gotten off work. and were headed to meet friends at a party. she was driving her dad's truck. my arm was broken at the time. i had my left arm in a cast. that went over the elbow. the party was at an unfamiliar, newer apartment building. so we did a drive by first. during the turn around. we went onto grassy, muddy area. and as you probably already guessed. we got stuck. we tried to push it out ourselves. luckily there were plastic bags in the truck. so i covered my cast and went to push. while she gave it gas. and then we switched. after many laughs. and almost peeing my pants. and getting soaken wet and muddy. we gathered enought change for a few choice phone calls on a pay phone down the street. we had to call those friends that had 'teen lines'. since it was late. and we didnt see our friends cars at the said party. (we were at the wrong complex, figures). no one picked up. so last resort. we called her parents. i think we had to call collect because we ran out of change. (i used to call my house collect all the time. i would try my hardest to get out a message during the say your name part. mother would never play along. she would just accept charges. and then be annoyed that i needed to be picked up from drivers ed. that i didnt remember to bring change. ahh, such is life). now kids will never have these stories. they will just be punished for sending 15,000 texts or something crazy like that.

although how convienent is it to have a netflix app. then when i am watching a movie. tv. or reading a magazine. i see a movie. rather than write it down in my notepad. to add later. i can look for it right there and then. add it to my queue. and its done.

got my tongue

the cat may not have my tongue. but she likes to rub on my face. i cant do it. i think i spoke too soon. i dont like people touching my face. and for some reason i feel just as violated. squeamish. claustrophobic. when chairman mao. wakes me at 2:30 once or 3:30 the next morning. trying to sleep near my face. 'kneading me'. which is another bizarre cat habit. and motoring. he also tries to lick and bite (nip) my face. aaahhh. i cant handle it. i think i made it clear that i dont like it to him. his tongue feels like sandpaper. ick. just ick.

i am back to only being a dog person. this short stint with kitty. it was short. i can play nice. and take care of the feline species. but i just cant say the 'l' word is appropriate. more like the second 'l' word. like. so i go back on my previous post. i like some kitties.

zola can lick my face when ever she wants...and i dont care. aaww sick!

meow

i have opened my heart to a kitty. yes. yes. as many times as i repeat on here. that i do not like cats. i will admit there are a few that i have learned to love. i am an animal lover after all. the kitty is chairman mao. and he only deserves to be called by his full name. he is very active. yet innocent. he likes to play. and entertains himself for hours with a small piece of paper. i think what has always turned me off about cats. is that they act like they dont care if you are there or not. they will survive on their own. and of course they hiss. ick. but chairman mao. he likes me. lets me pick him up. he is very soft. and only has sweet little meows. but the one thing i dont understand. is the purring thing. he sleeps on the pillows above my head. and it sounds like a motor. if he rotates or moves from one side to the other. i can hear the motor move. it is very odd. i was a little worried how i would be able to handle ten days sitting for a new kitty at one of my usual houses. it has turned out to be a-okay.

i still prefer his older brother. bibo, the nutty doberman. he is a goofy, loveable dog. just like zola. or zolita. who wouldnt love a face like this (see picture below). when i saw her over the weekend. after our greeting time. she sat on my lap for awhile. so happy and content. mother says its because i carried her around when she was a puppy. just like a baby she says. i replied back. its because she was a baby. duh. (chairman mao is not as photogenic. as shown below).



the iphone is going great. thanks for asking. i admit. it was a bit whelming. when the apple guy told me i was a rock star. handed me a box. and i was alone. standing there. with this new. fancy. schmacy phone. and little knowledge on what to do next. i of course spent all afternoon. evening. (until joj arrived. and we found her a wedding dress the next day. whoot!) and the rest of the weekend. familiarizing myself. i have found that i think my little mac laptop is on the fritz. i cant upgrade my itunes to be compatible with the iphone. without upgrading my whole system. this seems to not be something the computer likes. so i am letting smart people take a look. and give me a verdict. fingers crossed.

life has changed

iphone is purchased. in hand. i am whelmed. but so flippin' happy. i could pee. i bought her a pretty new case. pink on one side. and clear on the other. to show off her white back. i heart my iphone. i wont be able to work the rest of day.

j & j

movie review for julia & julie. or is it julie & julia. its worth seeing. my attitude might have been swayed by the annoying lady. and later turned couple next to me. she walked in on her cell phone. trying to talk to her child. about what i can only guess, was staying the night at grandma's. where she had to repeat her questions three or four times. questions like, i heard you had a bath. i heard you are going to have pancakes in the morning. i heard you are watching a movie tonight. then the husband showed with snacks. she passed the phone to daddy. and he kindly left the theater to finish his conversation. i wanted to ask him later to tell his wife to do the same thing next time. she then proceeded to be even more annoying. when she would look over at me if i didnt laugh hysterically with her. or she would lean over to her husband when she could relate to the couples on screen's conversation/actions. petting or oh honeying him. ick. again, had she not been there. i might be raaving about the movie.

it did make me want to cook. and cook amazing things. almost find a challenge similar to that of the julie character. i was very interested and loved the julia child portion of the movie. i could have just watched that the whole time. i didnt quit get into the modern day story. i couldnt help but nit pick over the clothing they selected for the character. i know, i know. not the most important thing. but i noticed. the story took place in 2002 and they dressed her like late 80s/early 90s. maybe that is how the real julie dressed. not sure. it is also amazing how much publicity she received over her blog. i keep waiting for my next big break for oh beehive. haha. but now, i realize it was in a time, when there werent all the blogs like today. and so she could stand out more among web sites. anyway, its worth the time. not sure about the $10 ticket. my two cents.

its time

i will be purchasing an iphone tomorrow. i have waited. and waited. and now my other contract is up. its going to change my life. i might even blog more. i will be able to run faster. jump higher. okay maybe not those things. but as work friend jeff told me awhile back. in a previous post. its totally a status symbol.

all that jazz

off to starlight again. its time for chicago. i know its going to be wonderful. it has to be. emjay made us seat cushions for the show last time. so my bum will not fall asleep while seated for hours. to start the night off we shall dine on sushi and wine. not a chicago tradition, but it sounds perfect to me.

waterfall

a few pics from my recent vaca. we went tubing down the river. and along the way stopped at snake falls. where my auntie bon and i got under the water. it was freezing. but refreshing. so clear and pretty.

i heart kickball

i dont think i have truly expressed my love for the sport on here yet. in a way i feel like i found my lost sport. i enjoy being 'sporty'. but only to a certain extent. i grew up playing tee-ball and softball. dabbled in tennis from time to time. tried swimming in highschool (big mistake - not only for the team picture in bathing suits, but i also get swimmers ear and had to wear wax in my ears). all other sports. my moto is to just run around. and distract the other team. i.e. this works for soccer. volleyball. basketball. yadda yadda. but now. now i can use my skills from softball. and not be afraid of being hit by a 45 year old man's line drive at me, again. (this really happened in co-ed softball. i fell to the ground. because i admit. i closed my eyes). it amazes me, how such a simple sport. one that we all grew up playing in grade school. has turned into a intense. strategic. and highly skillful sport. oh how i heart kickball.

my first team. ended awhile back. with a second place finish. we played well. but the other team was dirty. and wouldnt let us win. ha.

second team of the summer. regular season, last game was last night. we are ranked in the top ten out of almost thirty teams. now we have the play offs. where i am told. anything can happen. rankings mean nothing. and its only the number of w's that stand in your way. i was nominated by my team to play in the all-star game. the weekend of the fourth of july. one girl. one boy from each team. it was different because the girls played an inning against the other leagues girls. and vice versa with the guys. kind of fun only being girls. and watching the choas unravel. here is a shot i found on the flickr site from that night. shaking hands at the end. sportsmanship is a must.

cinema

i am very excited to see paperheart, the movie. even though its about my crush, michael cera. falling in love with his real life girl friend. i saw a preview before 500 days of summer. and his lines still make me laugh. today. it comes out next friday. cant wait!

around the river bend

its time for another valentine trip. i will be driving solo. for the 8 hr trek. part of me is excited for this. the other part of me remembers this past winter when we drove up for granny's 80th. it was nice to sleep for 4 hours. wake up. eat breakfast at grand island. (neither grand nor an island. insert audience laugh). and then have family sing alongs until we arrive. ill just have to belt it out even more by myself. and not sleep.

since it is summer. and there is only so much you can do. in a town population maybe 3,000. a river trip is in store. i'll miss crazy days tomorrow. but i am sure a shopping trip to the few shops downtown will take place. and a prime rib dinner at the casino will also be on the list. the most exciting part. i will be away from work for 4 days. i havent done such things in a long time. i need a mental break. from work. from doggies. and from life. until i return...be on the look out for bumper stickers!

(actual photo from niobrara river in valentine - according to the internet)

bumper sticker xxviii

spotted wednesday by rach. my favorite hair gal. we need to work on her camera skills. i would really like to see the artwork. and car make/model. but she has been one of my top contributors, so i cant hate.

"I'll keep my guns, money and freedom. You keep the change."

bumper sticker xxvii

spotted today by lp. love the clever spin on this one.

one of my favorites from lemonade's wedding. priceless. love ya b!

onsies

i got so wrapped up in summer. i forgot that little princess zola suh turned one. on july 7th. i dont think the parents threw her a party. but they probably gave her lots of treats (because thats what they do). took her on a fun walk (opposed to the non-fun ones everyday). and maybe slipped her something special in the dinner. she also got to go on her first big road trip to grandma and grandpa's house in austin. she was good and slept the whole ride. and then chased cats. and hammed it up with the grandparents. i meant to take a picture of her when i visited yesterday. but you see. i have a bit of a sinus attack. and any extra movement. really has to be justified. we played some. napped together. and she shared lots of kisses. zola is almost out of the puppy phase and is a sweet girl. until she grabs anything at her level. that she knows she shouldnt have. and wants to play chase.

also happy birthday to ry-guy, baby winstead. i cant believe its been a year since i met him. and nanny stacy and i played dress up. he is a perfect little guy and getting so big. but remains - adorable. wish i could have been there! (photo courtesy of mom).

am i alone

or does anyone else get aggravated by voice messages at work. specifically from internal folks. like cant they just send you an email. it takes me longer to call my vm. enter the pass code. listen to them ramble. delete it. hang up. and either call. or i personally email back. i dont like talking on the phone that much in my personal life. and now it is transferring to my work life. ugh. just make it go away.

itchfest

i am trying everything in my power. not. to. itch. my left calf is covered. tiny red bumps. so that when my jean hits them. they start to tingle. and ITCH. i try to think of something else. to refrain from moving my hand down. letting my nails scratch the surface. but then i move my foot ever so slightly. and my sandal hits that giant red bump on my arch. with ten others surrounding it. and then i can feel one on my thigh. and my innner arm. they just want me to itch them. i grab the cortizone cream. to only bump my hand against the bite below my thumb. that one. it has been scratched a lot. easy access. its almost gone. from being scratched so much.

needless to say. i am in pain. i will drug myself with benadryl. to not scratch during the middle of the night. i tried to show untitled my leg over lunch. she was grossed out immediately. and asked me to stop. with a look of disgust. it is a bad site. i hope the little bastards that did this are dead by now. and i am sure my coworkers think i am a freak. when i have to apply anti-itch cream through out the day.

i love summer...

bumper sticker xxvi

spotted by hennessy. saturday at powerplay. got balls?

bumper sticker xxv

spotted. wednesday evening by hennessy. classic.

anything goes

i attended the theatre last night. with season tickets to the summer musicals. i only wish i had remembered to bring binoculars. as even though i am living the posh lifestyle. by attending the theatre (please read in a snubby accent) our seats are a little toward the back. for the first show. legally blonde. i sat and thought. one day. one day i wont care what i spend on my tickets. and will sit up front.

when we arrived last night. we went into the gift shop to kill some time. i then found the perfect little binoculars. with a neat starlight carrying case. they were also endorsed by a fellow attendee who help sell me on them. it really made the show even better. as i could zoom in on the chracters and actually see their faces. i am super excited to use them for chicago and mama mia!

jersey chaser

took a road trip to see inbloom and bugs this past weekend with untitled. the beginning of the trip was just like thelma and louise. we just needed a convertible. and brad pitt. we had a bad dinner at a sonic outside st. joe. sang our little hearts out to three dixie chicks cds. stopped at a crazy gas station to do some shopping. debated over a present for inbloom or bugs. like the wolf blanket. or life size doll. also spotted an off brand vespa look alike. decided buying one from a highway gas station. not the best idea. but the price was amazing.

we arrived in lincoln. to only be welcomed by food, drink, a rooftop party and fireworks. the weekend progressed with more eating. more drinking. and fun! it was during our evening out on the town. pretending to be 21 and in college again. we spotted suh. my favorite husker football player. i was ecstatic. inbloom and i made a couple of text to people that would also be excited. and were told we needed to provide proof. we grabbed our camera. and were women on a mission. we creepily approached him and his buddy at the bar. we did the usual - you are great. awesome. love you. jumped in for a photo opt. and boogied back to our friends. success. we left the bar and were on our way to end the night at the dance club two doors down. and guess who showed up...suh and his boys. he recognized us. and came to join our group on the mini stage. it was the best way to spend a weekend in lincoln. he not only is a great player. but was also very nice and fun to hang out with. and the friendship wont end. we are also online friends now. its totally legit.

bumper sticker xxiv

its been awhile... and this one is pretty good.

results

forgot to mention the times. it will be airing between 8-9 am.

and also, i owe a big shout out to untitled/ellenclare for recommending me. and for writing a blog. that her client reads. so the client already knew of me, when ellen said she knew the girl for farrah.

my reveal

tomorrow. i will have a big reveal. huge. enormous. i have been selected to be a hair model. yes! it can now be checked off the list of things to do/be. i will be featured on fox 4 news morning show in kansas city. for a feature story on legally blonde the musical. (and it just so happens i am attending the show tomorrow too). beauty brands is sponsoring the show and have brought in famous hair stylist michael o'rourke. known for his products - sexy hair. he will be creating hair icons. i will be the late farrah fawcett (rip). i only hope to look that good. so watch if you are in the area. if not, i hope to have a video of some sort to post. i cant concentrate on work. i am so excited!

hot child in the city

i have continued with the vampire theme. and i am now watching the show 'true blood'. borrowed the first season dvd set from a friend. i have spent the majority of my evenings. watching this tale of vampires in a small louisiana town. and how the humans are dealing. coexisting. pretty good show. not for the family viewing. but it keeps me intrigued. enough to make me stay up past my bed time.

i am proud to report. i survived the digital switch on my tv. i still have my bunny ears. the number of channels has decreased a tad. i lost fox. which gasp. was one of my favorites. for seinfeld. and tmz. it might be for the best. it forces me to watch the real news at night. which as mother told me on my birthday. i really need to watch the news more. her: "what do you do in the mornings. you need to turn it on while getting ready." me: "i listen to the radio. i dont like morning news shows." the end.

i also made a delicious new dish last night. i took a few of my favorite things. feta cheese, watermelon and cucumbers. add a little evo and balsamic vinegar. touch of lemon and fresh basil. with grilled chicken and bow tie pasta. it was a great summer treat.

smack

lately. well at least the last couple of days. right around 3 pm. i feel like i have hit a wall. my eyes get so heavy. i get this wave of tiredness. do you know that wave? where your body just feels limp. like if you laid still for two seconds. you might not wake up in time to leave work by 5. this is usually the feeling when i am sick. big indicator. to when i need to say goodbye to my coworkers. to then jump into my pjs and sleep the rest of the afternoon. instead. today i received an email about cupcakes down in the cafe. for a coworkers bday. this perked me up for about 5 mins. then i went back into sleepy. and grumpy mode.

it may be from my non-stop weekend for lemonades wedding. yes. hard to believe it has already come and gone. i can remember our days in college when we would detail out her wedding. granted there was another gentleman involved at that time. and the location was of course over the top. that was when we knew little of the term budget. i mean wasnt all money in college 'fun money'. but now she has met her soul mate and they had a lovely little ceremony in kc. there were a lot of activities. but when reflecting on the weekend on monday morning. while dreading the fact i had to a) get up. b) be a responsible adult. and c) actually go to work that day. i thought how it felt like long vacation at the same time. it was spent with the bestest of friends. families that although we may not be related, they feel like family. all surrounded by a joyous celebration of love. and that my friends might be one of the only times i will sound so chipper. wow. what happened to me. one of the highlights, besides brother bringing hand held instruments to add to the dance party. was when my father fast danced with a group of girls to rhianna. i accused him of watching too much mtv again. but it was very apparent where i get my moves. shizam.

kickball team #1. the one with the at bat songs. is almost over. one more regular season game. then its tourney time. kickball team #2. the competitive one. we are doing good. playing well. but just have had a hard schedule so far. the last two games i have been pitcher. its been a challenge. but i love it. except when i have a sore arm. when it hurts to drive and shift gears.

i am watching a dog at my place this week. little bear. no his name is really: bear. and he is little. i havent done this since the threatening notes. from the little 'see you next tuesday' below me. she has since moved out. i made friends with the new girl below me. and she is cool with it. besides bear is very quiet. doesnt bark. no noises when he runs. he just likes to lay with me. and look out the french doors. i just hope judy doesnt find out.

better year

my day has already started off wonderfully. thanks to all of you out there. with the cards and birthday wishes. but i also just found out my arch nemesis is leaving work. whoot - whoot! my evil client is also leaving in july. i have a positive outlook on this year. it is going to be great. i may be one year older. and finding it a little harder to recover from a crazy night on the town. or playing softball and kickball all weekend. but i will still party like a rock star for one night. knowing i can spend time on my parents couch recovering while they bring me cake and ice cream.

wow

you gotta watch this video. (its untitled but from yesterday).

its just. wow. haha.

thank you serious business for an awesome. spectacular. stupendous. birthday gift. and because its all me doing what i do best. dancin'.

napa time

i finally downloaded my pictures from napa. i usually left it to the other photographers in the group. so marcel didnt have to snap 7 cameras every time. (where i got those other pics from in my previous post). but I found a few on my camera. surprise!

billy goat
tina llama
robert mondovi winery - my favorite
(maybe its because this was the winery i didnt share a tasting)

good times
(another one for you rach)

organized with a capital O

i did it. in one night. i ventured to lowe's to their closet section. after debating. long and hard over the fancy. expensive. contraptions. that looked very complicated. and out of my budget. i walked out with a couple shoe cubbies. another shelving shoe thing. a few hooks. and a couple fabric boxes with lids for storage. i went home. and was so determined to get this done. i only ate my dinner in rounds. a bite here and there. for energy to power up. i had to assemble the new cubbies and shelves. took almost everything out. and then back in. only this time. neat. clean. and organized. i should have done a before image. because the affect of my pictures might not be as impressive. but some of you have seen the madness that was the closet prior. since that night i have also put away all my clothes. and rearranged the hangup items to be color coordinated. and by type of clothing. now lets hope i can keep it this way.

emails from dad

i cant tell you where he is. or what he is doing. but i can give you a good chuckle.

one
Our accommodations isn't exactly a hotel. More like a one story dorm. the toilet and showers building is two hundred yards across the sand from our building. Makes for interesting trips in the middle of the night. Well that's enough complaining for one night so I am off to rest awhile. Love, Dad

two
My night walks are indeed interesting. I have seen Khaki colored praying mantis, other night people, lizards, and plenty of sand. Just like the first scene out of the first STAR WARS movie, where Luke lives. ... Love, Dad

three
Last night I saw one of the sand people. you know the little hooded creatures who scavage the desert landscape looking for R2D2 and C3PO. Whooooosh. I played ping pong last night in a tent. After an hour of intense playing I was ready to relax and sleep. We are expecting a significant dust storm today. 30 Mph hot winds, temperature of 117 degrees. Whooosch. Whine, Whine, Whine. That's about it for now from planet Grooght. Love, Dad

reality sinks in

after celebrating memorial day. with zola chewing my arm. snapping at me to play. grabbing my laundry to play chase. holding her muddy, pig marrow bone while she chewed it. and then giving me 100 kisses. watching one of mother's favorite shows. clean your house. on style network. i have been inspired. we watched a marathon yesterday. including the messiest house in america. it was so bad. i can not believe it. i certainy can not believe people live like that. makes my little apartment look like nothing. but i realize i am a pack rat. and i am in one of my moods. where i want to clean. i want to organize. and that is what i will do this evening. i am headed to wally-world to get the tools i need. that are going to help my closet. i will only keep what i wear. and throw out things that have no place. the items that only cause clutter. wish me luck. i hope to have pictures to share of my success story!

haven or heaven

napa trip. my body may be back in missouri. but my head has been in the clouds since my return midweek. the house that we rented for the weekend was named napa haven. with even embroidered robes. for every one. we wore the robes every chance we had. they were apart of the uniform at the haven. or heaven. the rest of the uniform was not determined.

it really was kind of a drag though. toting around to the many wineries. by marcel. our limo driver. then being forced to drink. delicious wines. side by side with my best friends. taking pictures at every stop. and enjoying the fine tunes from the soundtrack of the weekend. all while celebrating when lemonade will be going to the chapel.

little did i know. that napa is quiet the country local. why i didnt think of this. who knows. maybe its more like. i never had to think about it before. and it makes sense now. with roosters crowing at all hours. we were surrounded by cocks. (sorry a little bachlorette humor). we spotted a billy goat on top of a mountain of hay. and then a lot of llamas. they were mean. but this might have been after we yelled 'tina' 'tina eat your food' 'eat the casserole'.

other adventures besides drinking my body weight in wine. grilling on a charcoal grill. i built my pyramid and waited patiently. i did have to call father to make sure i had done it correctly. then i lost track of time. burnt one side of the chicken. but we cut it up and no one knew the better. it turned out to be a perfect dinner. i also climbed the orange tree in lemonades backyard. per stacy's orders. to pick oranges for fresh squeezed juice. took finley to the vet to have her puppy pad wrapped. auntie jamie to the rescue. i also enjoyed tooting around san fran like a local. taking ladies to the airport. grocery shopping. lunching. i did it all. they might find me at their door step soon. with a one way ticket. just sayin'. i could get used to the california lifestyle.

just me

got a forward today. and my month matches me almost perfectly. or i will only admit some. i am taking my chances with bad luck for 5 years. i love reading my horoscope every morning. so this was an added bonus.

gemini - the chatterbox. smart and witty. outgoing, very chatty. lively, energetic. adaptable but needs to express them selves. argumentative and outspoken. like change. versatile. busy, sometimes nervous and tense. gossips. may seem superficial and inconsistent. beautiful physically and mentally. 5 years of bad luck if you do not forward.

tonight is the first kickball game. no thanks to any of my readers. i selected bootylicious. because, i dont think the other team is ready for this jelly.

then i leave on a jet plane. for a marvelous weekend in napa. celebrating friends. lemonades upcoming nuptials. and of course drinking a lot of wine. bon voyage.

running to embarrassment

this past weekend. i drug myself out of bed. at 6:45. earlier than i get up even for work. to run a 5K for the company. a city wide - corporate challenge. i hadnt been running as much. so i knew my time would be slower. it was also a windy morning. a little chilly. and i forgot to take my zyrtec that morning. the run was in a park. great. plus it very hilly. with a long gradual one at the end. i finished. that was the point. and not too slow. but i felt like i was going to hurl on the last of it. i had no energy to even attempt a sprint at the end. nothing. i was done.

monday morning. chatted it up with the fellow runners. no one had any idea of their time. because the race clock was broken. we shared stories of the hills. and our running experience. then the email came out at the end of the day. with everything just listed out. to the entire company. i was mortified. i still am. and even more pissed at the person who sent it out. atleast she had some typos. made me smile.

This past Saturday was the Corporate Challenge 5k event and it turns out we have some runners in the group!

Male took 11 overall out of 168 competitors in his age group and placed FIRST in his bracket for our division with a time of, bringing back 10pts to MMG. His time was 19:52. Congrats Male!

Female took 46th overall out of 146 competitors in her age group and placed SECOND in her bracket for our division, bringing back 8 points to MMG. Her time was 31:04. Contract Female!

Me also rocked the house and came in 100 out of 170 competitors in her age group, and 13th in her bracket for our division, (she had some crazy fast runners in her group!). ME's time was (i am not listing my time, but it was faster than the other female).

when duty calls

after calling in weekly for jury duty. every friday evening. well i forgot this last week. and remembered after mother scolded me like i was fifteen again. as if i had forgot to type a book report. even using my middle name. i remembered to call on monday morning. when i woke up. debating if i could hit snooze again. which depends on hair style. and outfit. i also remembered i needed to send my rent check. to the favorite land lady. the judster.

so i called on monday morning. and there it was. a new message. i was told i needed to report tuesday morning. luckily not monday. i'd be screwed. (i later found out, that the lady in charge can tell if you havent called in. and is nice enough to call you if needed). i went to work. told them the news. and then received a notice that work takes out the money from your check that you receive for serving jury duty. i told hr that was rude.

tuesday morning. i grab a coffee on the way. i had to get up an hour early. i needed a jolt. made it to the jury room on time. watched the morning show for an hour. fifteen minutes of a welcome to jury duty video. getting me pumped to make it to the end. there were twenty of us. that would be narrowed down to fourteen that make it into the jury box. and eight would be selected to serve the case. i dont know if it was the challenge to 'win'. to make it through the selection process. not that it proved anything. but i was crossing my fingers to make it until the end. i was determined. and actually excited.

we go to the actual court room. my name is called up for the fourteen to the jury box. some people leave because they cant serve this week. replacements come. then questions start. others are telling stories. revealing things about themselves. that i think - makes them a prime target to be released. it was the final round of questions. this series of questions were not about the case. more personal questions to get to know the jurors. i was the last to speak. the first thing out of my mouth was that i lived in another state. not the one where i am registered to vote. the judge stopped me right there. and began asking more about my residency. he then called the counsel to his side. turned on white noise for our jury box. and made us all stand and turn around. i know i turned lobster red. i was nervous. what had i done! i was then called to the judge's box. they asked more questions. and i was released. i could not serve since i live in another state.

i was so close. i know i would have made it. and served as a great juror. but no. they told me to keep calling in until the end of the month. so there is still a chance.

i spent the rest of my morning. attempting to switch over all my personal identification and car tags to the new state. after a cluster fuck of a system. (pardon my french). going from one building to another. receiving list after list. and encountering a woman who could have joined the circus for her mustache. i am going to remain a nomad. and keep everything. just the way it is. because as i told the judge. it is just easier.

such is life

walking into my apartment building the other night. i stopped in my tracks. to observe nature. a sad snail. found his buddy. smashed. squished. shell and all. innards seeping onto the sidewalk. and covered with a colony of rolly pollies. (are they really called rolly pollies? and do they travel in colonies? i guessed.) i am assuming the rp's were feasting. little did i know they did such things. i always thought they were sweet. and innocent. so back to sad sammy the snail. i couldnt figure out what exactly he was thinking. but i imagine he was crying small little snail tears. but not the salty kind. saying kind. parting words. for his dead little buddy. he stayed with him all night. maybe he was more than a buddy. maybe it was samatha. just thought it was cute. and sad...