Goodbye, Old Friend

Oh wow. October.

Not only October, but almost the end of October! What in the world happened to my life?

This past weekend I went back to my childhood home one last time. It was a very nostalgic trip. My parents are down sizing since they no longer have 4 rowdy kids and all their friends running around the house. It makes sense, but it sucks a little bit.

I got go through all of my papers, clothes, art work, toys, memorabilia, and stuffed animals from the past 23 years. Two days, four tubs, and ten bags of trash later - I finally made it through stacks of stuff. It was a trip down memory lane. I am pleased to say that I found my first Superman toy ever. The one I would take to bed at a tender age.

Also this weekend, I inherited my sister's rabbit temporarily. Hunny Bunny has come to live with me in Spring-town until further notice. She is cute, and fuzzy, and likes to cuddle. She puts the cuddle in Cuddle Bunny. Pictures to come!

Monthly Manners

September 30th? What? You have to be kidding me! When did October decide to come over and why did no one tell me that they invited them? All I'm asking for is a little common courtesy here, people. Just because you are a month and only have a limited amount of time to be around doesn't give you the right to sneak up on people all willy nilly. Height of rudeness.

Brand New has dropped a new album that I am planning on purchasing the second I get my financial aid all ironed out. Hmmm yes.

Life is all growing up and people being weird. I don't mean to make it harder for anyone, but sometimes I do unintentionally. Sorry 'bout that ya'll.

Mmmm. Fall.

Time for sweaters and soup.

Entitled

My last blog post was number 100. I suppose that makes it kind of important. Or not really important. Yeah. Probably that.

SMALLVILLE! it is back. Tom Welling and Justin Hartley are still gorgeous. Allison Mack is still sassy as I'll get out. And (SPOILER ALERT) the Zod plot line looks promising! The big question is though - will Clark Kent actually don the suit and fly this season? Only time will tell.

KC friend, improv-hero and all around great guy Pete came to Springfield last night and saw a show. Thanks so much for coming to see the show, Pete! It was so good to see you. ^_^

Time moves on, friends. Time moves on.

Johnny Cash.

Fall is Warm But Its Sending Me Shivers

This video is strange and weird, but the song is indisputably catchy.

That and it makes me want to paint my face and aerobicize.

Fall has come sweeping into the Ozark plains with reckless abandon. Leaves are turning, and it is gray and rainy. All. The. Time. Now, while I like fall, I am not quite ready for it to be here in the sense that I am in summer-leaving denial. I am getting excited for sweaters, however!

My couch reupholstering project is finally completely done, my dryer rewired, my washer hooked up with a new pipe, and my recliner slip-cushioned. My apartment is starting to look like a real place to live. All we need now is a TV and internet. We're waiting on the roommate's job situation to iron out before we do any major commitments like adding a cable/internet bill.

Listerine

Things Which I Strongly Dislike:

• Feet that smell like feet.
• The sound of Styrofoam rubbing against... absolutely anything.
• Ants in my kitchen.

Things Which I Strongly Like:

• Pancakes with friends.
• Reupholstered couches.
• Extremely friendly neighbor cats.

Things Which I Don't Understand:

• Why people like to smoke.
• Why curtains are so darn expensive.
  
• How Bob Ross can paint so quickly.
  

Things Which I Understand:

• How to present pension fund information on a balance sheet.
• Subject/Verb agreements.
  
• The verb "tener" in Espanol.

Th-th-th-th-th-th-th-that's all, folks!

Most Disjointed Blog Post. Ever.

Often I run into something and thing: "Gee. I should blog about that.". Then when I actually sit down in front of a computer I have no idea what it was that I thought would be blog-worthy. I need to take memos for myself. Or have more regular internet access. Or something.

I suppose the biggest thing in my life is that I went and saw the Broken Lizard comedy group perform Tuesday night. It was the most inspiring uninspired thing I have seen in a long time. THey really made me realize exactly what comedy shouldn't be. All sex, profanity, and shock factor. No wit, no class, and definitely no attempts at intellectual stimulation. It was an hour and a half of male genitalia references and the f-bomb. Not funny. Not original. Not cool. However it definitely has made me crave and appreciate those comics out there that are not comically lazy.

I still have yet to get internet at my apartment. Whoops.

SMALLVILLE STARTS TWO WEEKS FROM FRIDAY! AAAHAKJALKSJDFAOFDOIFASD I AM GOING TO DIE OF EXCITEMENT!

Whoa. Where did that come from?

Hiromi Uehara - The Tom and Jerry Show

There are precious few things in this world I would not give to be able to play piano like this woman.

Bandages on My Legs and My Arms

I am reupholstering a love seat that I found for free on craigslist. After ripping out 1000 + staples, I have blisters on my hands. Perhaps I am just a smidge too dainty for this whole home-improvement stuff. Unfortunate.

I have survived the first week of school and am now officially living for the weekend. This Friday-Saturday-Sunday combo is going to consist of pet sitting two dogs, four shows, a little QT with That Man of Mine, church and DODGEBALL! How could anyone complain?

I officially want to marry this boy just so he can play violin for me.
All.
Of.
The.
Time.


END LINE

So Long Sweet Summer

School has started. It is official. My summer is gone. Then again I had been in school all summer... so what is the real difference? None, really, it just feels more like school now that the promise of fall is not far away.

I'm only taking a half load this fall. Because of my job schedule and general fears for my mental health (not to mention financial aid hijinx) it is necessary that I only tackle two classes. Advanced Financial Accounting and Strategic Management, however, are two foes that I do not take lightly. It has only been syllabus day so far and already I'm feeling the crunch.

The cake came off without too much trouble. As always, there was drama, including dropping one of the layers on the floor two hours before departure. Thankfully it was the fake Styrofoam layer. Unfortunately, it was the layer that had hours of irreplaceable detail work on it. So we just had to Tim Gunn it and "make it work". I'll get a picture up soon. I was satisfied with my end results, but it definitely could have been better.

My roommate is now living with me. Which for the one day she has been here, has been great. If you are stalking me Bethy - I'm looking forward to having you as my roomie.

Ooooh I want a cat.

Do You Know the Muffin Man?

I'm not entirely sure why I agree to do wedding cakes sometimes. It always is so stressful about two days before. I'm not sure why, but the two day before mark is always one of the most nerve wracking periods. Perhaps it is because of the rigid time frame and spacing that is required to make sure that the product is the best quality it can be. Also the fact that after that point there is almost absolutely not time for grave error.

Whatever it is - I'm jumpy.

I wonder when my nerves will catch up with my lack of sleep and make me crack? It is almost inevitable. There tends to always be a five minute emotional hurricane somewhere in the process of caker baker-ing. I wonder which door is is lurking behind this time.

... maybe it is a cycle I've grown out of...?

Unimportant.

WEEEEEEEEEEDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDIIIING CAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAKE!

Oh you are a cruel and unyielding master.

Would You Like Some Fine Leather Internets?

I'm coming increasingly close to my 100 post mark. This will be my 92nd post on this blog. I'm not nostalgic at all about this, but it seems strange that I would have that many posts already. Even though I've been here over a year.
Whatever.
Time.
Lame.

Still don't have regular internet connection. Hopefully I will have that worked out by the first week of September and then I swear I'll be back to read all of your blogs. :)

Another wedding cake is coming up next weekend. I'll be heading down to Eureka Springs, Arkansas with That Man of Mine. Hopefully it won't be any kind of adventure I won't want to remember. It's been nearly five years since the last time I was in Eureka Springs, and I remember the roads being treacherous. Treacherous roads and wedding cakes don't often go well together.

My short hair has made me increasingly sassy. rawr. grrl pwr.

School is rapidly approaching to try ruin my life.

Bring. It. On.

Good Intentions

I am working on a theory that says that Gwen Stafani is a vampire.

Seriously.

She looks the same as she did 15 years ago.

Also - I'm working on starting a petition against Nicholas Cage making a movie ever again.

And when I say I am working these things I mean that I thought about it today and probably won't ever do it. That's all.

Home Improvement

My new little apartment does not have internet connection currently and that is fine by me for now. I have been enjoying the freedom it brings, though I have been missing some of my fellow bloggers. I promise to catch up soon!

I am building a kitchen table. It is taking longer than I thought it would because the heat and mosquitoes are doing a great job at keeping me inside and my apartment doesn't necessarily lend itself to carpentry. I do, however, simply reek of home improvement and renovation. I am refinishing an adorable kitchen cart with little drawers and a little shelf that I snagged on craigslist for a mega-deal.

Speaking of mega-deals. I bought all four Twilight books, hard bound, in a brand new plastic wrapped set on E-bay for only 30 dollars. I am not going to divulge my reasons behind the purchase other than they are part of a personal project and yes I intend on reading them. All of them. Several times. Hence my need for my own copies. I don't like borrowing friend's things for more than a few days.

Things are changing. Oh yes. Things are changing.

Caker Baker!

Welcome to 36 hours of work.
French Vanilla with Almond filling
Dark chocolate with hazelnut filling
Styrofoam layer
French Vanilla with white chocolate cream cheese filling.
Iced with an ivory buttercream.

Vital stats:
19 pounds of powdered sugar
8 pounds of shortening
9 bars of cream cheese
42 eggs
total weight: 95 pounds.

You Are Such a Pain

I am officially old. 23 is the big mark. How do I know? I pulled something in my back today lifting a bag of quarters. Now in my defense - that thing weighs a good fifty pounds, but also in my not-defense that thing only weighs about fifty pounds. It doesn't hurt now, but I can feel it when I move certain ways. My body is falling apart.

I bought some wine glasses today from the dollar store for my wine glass hanger thing in my new apartment. While drinking wine is not something I see starting in my future - I must confess that it is hard not to feel classier than normal when drinking orange juice from a goblet. FTW!

This week is a cake week. I bought up a good chunk of supplies today for a wedding this weekend and start first rounds of baking and frosting tomorrow. Though a little bit stressful, wedding cakes are fun to make. The transport up to KC this time has me a little nervous. Good thing I drive like a grandma.

Kings of Leon. Mmmmm. Yes. Please.

Home Is Where the Heart Is

This week I am living with some kids while their parents are on a missions trip to Suriname. It is the same family I lived with for a year, so in a strange way, it almost feels like coming home. Except not. Except yes. Except not.

Speaking of homes, I am moving this weekend to a new apartment. I am super excited!

Speaking of homes, I am going home in two weeks for a few days.

Speaking of homes, if you buy one this year and you have never owned or haven't owned one in the past three years you are eligible for a tax credit of up to $8,000.

My new mindless pass time is surprisingly mindful. I could play this for hours, well, probably not. But sometimes I play it for about fifteen minutes and make a list of all the words I didn't know (spelling or definition), and then look them up and use them in a sentence. So basically I am doing for fun what I dreaded doing in second grade. I guess being grown up entails doing things that you previously would have found abhorrent actually enjoyable. Because, really, who likes self-improvement?

This Saturday I become a little more grown up. I'm hitting the big 2-3 unless I was from China. Then I would be hitting the big 2-4. But I'm not.

That's all.

I Do Believe In Faries!

I chopped my hair short yesterday. It was a necessary step after the bleach. Platinum blonde was fun, but man did it do a toll on my hair. So I am started fresh and making it work. My new hair kind of makes me feel like Peter Pan. My hair hasn't been this short since I was about three years old, but if there ever was a time to change my hair in order to start over - I feel this is a very appropriate part of my life for that to happen.

I'm half way done with my summer class. That is hard to believe, but I am so so so so glad. As thrilling as Astronomy has been - I am looking forward to having a few weeks of summer to myself.

Lately I haven't needed my alarm to wake me up. Not because I don't have a specific time that I need to wake up, but because I wake myself up before it goes off and I just get up and do stuff. It is amazing how much you can do with an extra half an hour in the morning.

Skinny Improv "Attic" Sale this weekend! It is going to be a ton of work, but super fun. I'm excited!

Birth

Welcome Birth Month!

Ah July... the month I anticipated just as much as December as a child. Not only did it mean a whole month of not-school and delicious warmth - it meant it was my birthday. Birthday were not overly emphasized in my house, but there was always a cake (or pie in my case) and I got to pick out what we would have for dinner (spaghetti and meatballs). This year my birthday falls on a Saturday (the 18th) and I will spend it in the best way I can think possible: playing improv, seeing friends and family, and not working.

It was my dad's birthday on the 2nd and it will be my grandmother's on the 11th. Yesterday I celebrated the birth of one of my fellow funny girl and blogger - SJ. Nothing much better than fireworks and pink rice crispy treats.

Today we celebrate the birth of a nation. God bless America!

Oh July. I can't wait to see what wonders you will bring.

I Would Walk 500 Miles....

Mmmm.

It is summer. Even though I am busy - summer seems to be a less frenzied pace than any other season. Perhaps it is that heat that soaks through your skin and into your bones that makes me far less able to come up with reasons to not take a blissful random afternoon nap. Delightful. Perhaps it is my change of occupation. Pretty much any career choice out of food service is going to be a down shift in gears, and my alteration in direction has definitely been just that. Whatever the reason - I don't mind it. Being frenzied lends itself to exhaustion and burnout.

Currently I am eating a delicious burrito with my family's top secret home made hot salsa recipe. It makes me feel a little closer to home and the promise of frozen fruit for dessert if I am a good girl and finish my dinner is oh so tempting.

Tonight I walked twelve miles in three hours and seven minutes to get to Wal-Mart to buy a can of black beans for my burrito. I could have walked two miles in thirty minutes and gone to the grocery store down the street, but I didn't. No real reason, I suppose. I just had time and I love walking. My legs will let me know what they think of me tomorrow, but I don't mind. If I had time tomorrow night - I would do it again just because I am so relaxed now. But I can't. So I won't.

But that's okay, because my alternate plans are a hot date with That Man Of Mine who has been MIA from my life since May 17th. Oh yeah. Walking can wait.

Tiny Bubbles

Last Night I:

• Went on a two hour road trip to Arkansas con mi amigo Jeff Jenkins.
  
• Played a show for a group of churches for their church camp.
• Saw people from CYT and Kansas City that I knew. Weird.
• Embarrassed a seventh grader (really should try for someone harder. Seventh graders are in a perpetual state of embarrassment).
• Made up the new jingle for Taco Bueno.
• Didn't go to bed till three AM.
  

Today I:

• Got up at 6:30 AM and it was awesome.
• Taught a seven year old kid the four principles of flight (nod: Mad Science).
• Made about 50 billion paper airplanes and origami rabbits (the only two things I know how to make with paper).
  
• Have a peel-off flower tattoo on my collar bone courtesy of an artistic four year old and a tan line from being in the pool for hours with a two year old on my hip.
• Watched The Jungle Book.
• And sang along.
• Ate cereal sans milk for breakfast and for lunch (Cinnamon Toast Crunch, Honey Combs, Honey Nut Cheerios, and Frosted Mini Wheats all in one bowl at the same time, baby.).

Blondes may not have more fun but... Life is good. <3

New Horizons

I put in my two weeks today at Backyard Burger. It was bittersweet. I will miss the people, but not the job. That being said, I am not unemployed. No. Far from it. I have been hired at Metropolitan National Bank as a teller. Well. I still technically have to see if I pass the background check - but considering that I don't even have a traffic violation to my name I don't think that will be a problem. Perhaps I should take this as a clue that I am a boring person...? Either that or I am super sneaky.

Speaking of being boring - I am taking Astronomy this summer. Online. It is the absolute last gen-ed that I will ever need to take. There are things I really like about it (like finding the textbook online for 75 cents) and things I don't necessarily like as much (there is something just inherently wrong with summer school). If you want to commiserate with me, or at least be a little more empathetic, you can actually watch all the lectures exactly like I do on your computer. Missouri State has their lectures on iTunes U. Just go to the iTunes store, type in Missouri State University, and go to the Astronomy 114 class and download a lecture.

Go ahead.

I dare you.

I also dare you to go here and vote for my friends so that they can go to Tahiti!

Numb3rs

I love finding and creating numerical patterns in rooms. I do it in every room I enter, every building I see, every landscape I encounter. It doesn't have to be symmetrical, or always be odd numbers or something like that, but there is definitely a science to it. If I am in a place where I can't find a suitable pattern or order to things - I am uneasy. It bothers me. Like when someone has food stuck in their teeth and they are talking to me (which is why I always tell someone if they do).

Goals are also very important to me. Setting up expectations for myself makes it a lot easier to get from one point to the next without just aimlessly drifting. Hourly, daily, weekly, monthly, yearly... you name it - I probably have a goal broken down into that segment.

What do these things have to do with each other at all? Well... I will explain.

A friend of mine and "fan" of my blog (what? that happens?) asked me if I ever had problems with coming up with things to write about or ever just wanted to not post. I have actually had a few people ask me about how I go about with posting. It seems that everyone has some sort of "method" for how and when they post. My buddy SJ just did an "every-day-in-May" stint. a lot of my friends with blogs say that they try to write at least once a week.

I write my posts so my blog becomes a haiku. I can tell you exactly how many posts will be in each month. 5. 7. 5. The haiku always starts in the first full month of the season (since a haiku technically requires a seasonal reference). It works perfectly since a season lasts just about three months and a haiku is three lines long. I love looking over at the side bar of my blog and seeing the number pattern repeating. 57557557557575575.... It works perfectly.

Also my blog does not (for the most part) have to rhyme (unless someday I decide to go all Dr. Seuss on you). Who knows? Weirder things have happened.

Do Do Run Run Run Do Do Run Run

Tonight is the first night I've run in over a week. Tonight is also the first time in over a week I haven't felt like collapsing from exhaustion due to an untimely cold. It felt great. Those three miles were a little slower than my normal pace, but I forgive myself because I didn't lose any distance on my route. I feel so centered now.

Running is spiritual for me. Kind of a "your body is a temple"kind of thing.

I don't listen to music when I workout outside. It is as much a safety rule (hearing oncoming traffic) as it is a mental discipline. When all you have is your mind keeping you going and making you keep pace - it a different game. In a gym I have to have music to drown out the drone of the machines and the groans of overly enthusiastic gym-goers, but outside it is just me and my mind.

I do my best thinking and praying while I'm running. It is the perfect time for me to sort through mental lists and remember the simple beauties of God's world. Tonight I ran at twilight, before a storm, the sky was a marbled cloud-scape of warm colors, then dull grays, then just darkness. The first lightning bugs of the season were out. I caught a few while running and let them go again just for the sheer childhood nostalgia. A very grown up thing like running for exercise mixed with the childish glee of firefly hunting was delightful. I sprinted up the stairs of my apartment just as the first flash of lightning and clap of thunder crashed through the sky. It was almost like God was saying: "Good job. It was hard, but you got it done."

I think I like running at night better than running during the day for a few reasons:

• I seem to always have more to think about at night than in the morning.
• It is easier to go longer without the sun beating down on me the whole time (I need a more shaded running path!).
• Fewer people are out so that means far less creepy cat calls.
• I like having the dark patches and then the light patches from the street lamps - I use them as mini distance goals within my run.
• My night time shower is not redundant from an earlier post-workout shower.

Speaking of post-workout showers - I think I am going to look into that right now.

Also: Congrats to my parents on the 30 year milestone of marriage. Thanks for getting married 'rents! It was kind of crucial to my existence. Holla!

I am Chloe Sullivan

Another one of my high school buddies got engaged last week. My best friend from high school got married almost three weeks ago. That puts the married count of close high school friends to somewhere close to 6 and currently engaged up to 4. Man - they are just dropping like flies. I laugh doubly now at those who said I would be "the first to go". Now I just have to keep track of who changed their last name, who is hyphenating, and who hasn't changed at all.

It isn't that easy. No. It is never that easy.

I have been home for the past week. It has been lovely except for the case of the sniffles I've had since Tuesday. Every time I come home it seems like something else has changed. The furniture is in a different spot. My dog has gained or lost weight. The cat has a new place that is her typical roost. My sister's hair has changed colors. Or maybe that is my hair. Regardless - it is always so so nice to be home and see so many friends that I have not seen in months, sometimes years. Some connections just never die.

I am blessed. Oh. I am blessed.

I finished watching the 7th season of Smallville with my mother this evening. She is all caught up now and I am doubly frustrated. Not only do I not have the 9th season to delve into - I also don't have the 8th season yet on DVD and won't for a few months. I know my addiction is unreasonable, but I am upset and frustrated!

I am frustrated. Oh! I am frustrated!

I had a photo shoot tonight with a friend who needed to try out her new camera. I'm excited to see the results. Also - my computer is going with me to visit my brother tomorrow. Hopefully he will be able to work some of his magic and my camera and my computer will be on speaking terms again.

I have hope. Oh. I have hope.

It's amazing what a little sunshine and a good pair of shoes can do for a girl's outlook on life.

Love is Watching Somone Die

It's been ten years exactly since my grandpa, Bop, passed away. Talk about something being absolutely surreal. I remember so much about that day so vividly that it seems like it could have just happened a week ago. It still hurts a lot in the same way, too, but differently. Just thinking about it - I am swept back to that tiny sterile hospital room. It was quick. Then there was the whirl of funeral preparations, the relatives crawling out of the woodwork, the trays and trays of deli meat, and then the strangeness of going back to my day-to-day life when something so fundamental in my reality had been irrevocably altered. It was a lot for a thirteen year old to compute.

To say that I think of him every day and miss him would not be an understatement. I treasured him deeply and hope that the choices that I've made with my life would make him proud to call me his grand daughter. He was a wonderful man and I wish that he could have seen me grow up more than he did, but I am very thankful for the time that I did have with him.

Some people say that death is unfair. I don't agree with this statement. Death is completely fair because it doesn't discriminate. Everyone dies. Everyone has the exact same odds of ending up dead at the end of their life. Some argue that the timing of death is unfair. I disagree with this also. After all, who are we to decide when it is fair for someone to die? For some it may seem like it is more appropriate (an elderly person over a child) or perhaps even more deserved (a murderer instead of the murdered) but that doesn't make it any more or less fair. It just makes it easier for our brains to comprehend.

Death is death. It just is what it is. It is as natural as living. I don't necessarily welcome death, but I accept it for what it is. Death is just a way for me to leave this world and be reunited with my Father and my grandfather. My only regret are those that I will leave behind.

Vapid

I strongly dislike Matthew McConaughey.

I was talking about this with my manager at work the other morning while cleaning the grill. Not only is his last name pretentiously difficult to spell, on a scale from 1 to attractive, I would probably have to put him at -7. I almost find him anti-attractive. I'm not sure if it is the accent, the almost cave-man like facial structure, or his was too bulgy muscles. Whatever it is - I am just not a fan.

Now I know this probably makes me seem like a terrible person, but I will be the first to admit that when I watch a show or movie - I want the people in it to be unreasonably attractive. On most people's scale - Mr. McConaughey would fall into that category. For me, however, that just isn't the case. I don't want to spend time watching average to below average people acting. No. I see average people every single day in my life. Give me some unrealistic expectations! Give me some outrageously good look people!

On that note and not being one to dwell on negativity, I am more than ready to share with you all some celebrity men who are on my "definitely yes" list. So here are some gents that fit my bill for some reason or another.


Johnny Depp fulfills two of my most basic criteria for attraction: talent and symmetry. His quirkiness is just a perk.I think the real question here is: why the heck not? Christian Bale is amazing. Ah. Maze. Ing. He has great hair, too.
Hugh Jackman can sing, dance, act and has an Austrailian accent. He also is in one of my favorite movies ever and plays Wolverine. Do I really even need to give justification for why he is on my list?Michael Rosenbaum specifically in the role of Lex Luthor on Smallville. Charismatic, resourceful, unrelenting - he makes bald look way better than good.
(Chris)Topher Grace is one of my top. Funny, nerdy, awkward as I'll get out and adorable. Really, what more could a girl want?

Remember January? Yeah. I don't.

I often feel more stupid after I finish a semester than before I started it. This may be the exact opposite of how I am supposed to feel, but it is oft my sentiment.

At the beginning of the semester I don't expect to really know anything in the classes that I am enrolled in. I'm a blank slate, an untouched canvas, a landscape of pristine snow. After all, really, how much am I going to know from day to day conversation about reading non-profit and governmental financial statements? I don't know how much you all have garnered about reporting detachable warrants on bonds in passing, but I didn't know much. At the end of the semester and several thousand dollars and sleepless nights later, however, I expect to know this stuff. I've worked hard, struggling through material and homework valiantly. Then when I sit to take those comprehensive finals there is always at least one moment where I read a question and think:

"WTF? We learned about this? When!?" (Yes. I think in abbreviated text speak.)

Needless to say I feel kind of dumb and disappointed about finals this time around, as always, even though I know that I got nothing lower than a B in any of my classes. Now I have two weeks to let my brain reset before my summer class and then I launch into my final undergraduate semester (*gasp*)! Then off to graduate school and then the rest of my life.

Life is so simple when it is just one sentence. It really does help to cut out the bull crap.

Baby/Birthday Blues

It is my brother Russ' birthday. He is 27. My other brother, Gunar, has his birthday on Thursday. He will be 25. It is weird to think that both of my siblings are closer to 30 than they are to 20. Then again - I am headed that same direction myself. I've got a few years yet, but time isn't slowing down for anyone.

Mother's Day was yesterday. I didn't get to see my mom, but I did leave her several improvised songs on her voice mail. Phone-Tag is so much more enjoyable when it is musical. When I did actually get to talk to her she pointed out that this day will mark that she has been a mother for exactly half of her life (Russ being 27 is half of my mom's 54 years). This was shocking for two reasons:

1. It was incredibly math/number/pattern oriented for my very non-mathematical-numerically-challenged-anti-pattern brained mother.
2. It made me realize that my mom is 54. Weird. When was my mom no where close to 30?

Speaking of motherhood and being of a certain age - I must confess that I love children but am absolutely terrified of being pregnant. I have no doubt that once I have the child I will be a capable, loving, and effective mother (I have a great role model) but the whole 9-month incubation period? Yeah. Not so sure about that.

In my deepest moments of pregnancy pooh-poohing I often see something absolutely adorable, such as a two year old boy in jeans running to keep up with his dad who is only walking. There are a scarce few things more precious than a little boy in elastic waist denims. On the opposite side of the spectrum, if I see said little boy in a grocery store, I have not far to look before I see some tabloid telling me that Angelina Jolie is pregnant. Again. And my biological clock instantly stops ticking.

Regardless, I have a long time before I have to consider any such motherly pursuits. All I know is that somewhere in my future there had better be a baby dressed like a pumpkin. I think that I could deal with nine-months of ultimate discomfort as long as I could dress the kid up as a pumpkin.

Dog Eat Dog

My camera and computer are not on speaking terms right now. For some unknown reason my computer is refusing the read my camera. I've installed every driver I can think of and still nothing. So - needless to say - hair pictures are still delayed. Once finals are over (one week from today! Eek!) my computer and I are going to have a heart to heart.

In other news - I have been running lately. It started as a way to help with some stressful situations in my life. It also was because I realized that in high school I could run three miles in thirty minutes, easy, and that I was pretty sure I couldn't do that anymore. Regardless of my rather rigorous biking routine, my running endurance was seriously lacking. So over the past three weeks I've been building to three miles and have recently attained the goal. Is it in thirty minutes? No. Not even close. But that is the next goal (Don't judge me and my pathetically short distances, SJ).

There is more to this story.

I went running yesterday. In the last half a mile of my run, going up the biggest hill of my route, a big black dog comes out of nowhere! Said pooch starts jumping up on my, licking my face and awkwardly getting in the way of my stride. The dog was about seventy pounds (more than half-my weight) and looked to be a lab mix. I just kept running. And the dog followed, occasionally jumping up and slobbering all over me. The dog, which I named Charlie, followed me all the way back to my apartment.

Once I arrived there, I looked at the dog's collar to find absolutely no tags. Awesome.

Part of me wanted to just go into my apartment, shut the door, and leave Charlie to his own devices, but I knew I couldn't do that. He'd followed me near a 1/2 a mile from what I assumed was his 'hood, I was at least obligated to get him back to that area. Plus I also knew I couldn't keep him. Judging by his paws and his head, this dog was no where near full grown (I'm guessing he was about 8 months old) and there was no way I could keep a puppy with my schedule. Plus - he belonged to someone. Not to mention I definitely have a no-pet clause in my lease. A potentially 100 lbs dog would be hard to hide.

So I made a leash out of one of my belts, and in my full sweaty glory, stuck Charlie in my Jeep. We drove back to where he found me, me trying to keep my cool, and he slobbering like crazy. Thus ensued the next hour of knocking on doors and asking if anyone knew Charlie and praying that no one who answered the door would be a creepy serial killer. It was frustrating and exhausting. The people who actually did answer the door were all sincerely sorry that they didn't know Charlie, but all that told me was perhaps this wasn't even Charlie's 'hood. After all - he'd followed me a 1/2 a mile. How far had he traversed before then?

Just as I was about to give up I knocked on the door of a person I knew to have a pesky little dachshund that barked at me every time I ran (I pretend he is cheering me on). An adorable older lady named Georgia answered the door with a flyswatter in hand (which she used to keep her Dachshund, Max, back from the door). Turns out it was her neighbor's dog, but they had just gone to pick up their kids from school. So I thank her and camp out in my car, assuming a quick return.

45 minutes later - they are not back from school and I am getting a little upset. There is a HUGE black dog drooling non-stop on my backseat, licking my ear every chance he gets, and I am in serious need of a shower. Not to mention the laundry that isn't getting done, the finals for which I am not studying, and the dishwasher that needs to be unloaded all because I am sitting in my Jeep waiting for these people. So I went back to my apartment, but left a note on their door which said:

I have your dog.
My name is Leah.
(myp)hon-enum

(because that note doesn't sound like I kidnapped their dog, right?)

A half and hour after getting back to my apartment (which was a whole different adventure) I get a call from the owner, Jeff. Charlie and I load back up in my Jeep, and drive over to their house. Jeff is waiting outside. When I give him back Charlie (whose real name turned out to be Black. Because Charlie was Black. Lamest dog name ever.) I told him that he should invest in getting tags for his canine because most people wouldn't do what I did. That is when Jeff informed me that he had tags in the house, and had them for a long time, but he never had bothered to put them on Black's collar. Also - that this was the third time in the past month that he had gotten loose.

I can't even begin to tell you how upset I was, but lecturing this man wasn't my job. So instead I simply told him that if Black decided to join me for a run again I would simply take him to the Humane Society and he could figure it out from there.

Seriously. Some people just aren't responsible enough for pets.

Beep Beep!

Oh I know that I am a tease, but I still don't have pictures of my new hair yet! It has been no where near the top of my priority list as of late since finals are coming upon me with terrible speed.

Speaking of things going at a terrible speed - I realized something about my driving habits today. When I am about to merge into another lane of traffic (specifically moving to the left) I am often terrified of the idea of hitting/being hit by an oncoming car. Now, that may sound reasonable, but it isn't. I'm not afraid of the cars that actually exist on the road. No. I'm afraid of the bullet cars that are moving so fast that the human eye literally can't see them like in some bad sci-fi/James Bond flick. I am honestly afraid that I am going to get hit by this non-existent vehicle, it is going to total my Jeep, and drive away without me or anyone else having seen it.

Yeah. That might not sound too scary to you, but trying thinking of a way to explain that kind of accident to your insurance company. Or the cops. Or even your friend.

Or don't think about it at all since it is a completely irrational thought that just happens to pop into my brain every time I merge in traffic.

Hair Today - Gone Tomorrow

Well dear readers, there has been another chapter added to the chronicles of my hair. Yes, friends, my hair has changed again. I have been rather subdued lately with my hair changing, but the past few weeks have been all about cleaning out cobwebs and fresh starts. So why (I asked myself) limit the makeover to my interior? Nay, friends, I have ventured forth to create for myself once again - a new look.

And this time it is drastic. Pictures will be coming soon, but be forewarned - I still startle myself when I look in the mirror. No one has seen the final product but me, yet. I feel as though I am not ready to share it with the internet. It is almost like I want to tell my friends in person instead of having their reactions dulled by the preview. Though I'm fairly certain that any reaction at this point would be anything but subdued.

Yes.

The change is that drastic.

So be waiting, friends. Be waiting. When the time is right - this newly coiffed citizen of cyerberspace will trumpet her terrific tresses with a plethora of prodigious pictures (along with the story of how I ended up with this style and the trip getting there)!

Springtime Makes Me Nostoligic

I remember when being grounded was a fate worse than death.

That was back when the sun was still out in the summer when I went to bed, and I had to ask permission to watch television. My hair was, more often than not, uncombed. I had braces, freckles, and scrapes on my knees from adventuring in the creek across the street. The only thing worse than being grounded was your best friend being grounded so you couldn't call them over to play.

I remember the excitement of the first warm days of spring, the flowers, the thunderstorms, and the terror of tornado drills (welcome to Kansas, ya'll). I remember playing outside for hours and hours until mom would ring the giant bell by our backdoor and we would scurry home for dinner. I remember being as tan as an Indian not because I went outside to get a tan, but because I lived in the pool when it was summer time.

I remember promising myself I'd never grow up.

Whoops.

Uncle Sam Wants YOU

The other night I got to touch base with a good friend of mine that I don't talk to nearly enough.

His name is Josh. We've known each other since we were in diapers, our families kind of grew up together, did theatre together, and now still keep in touch. In one month he is heading to boot camp for the National Guard and that is weird to me for a lot of reasons.

One big reason is that it means that we are grown up. Only grown up people are in the military.
The other thing it means is that he is probably going to be able to do more push ups than I am. Though it has been awhile since we have tested this (maybe since high school...?) I beat him soundly then.

It is just weird to think about. I've known people in the military but was never that close to them. Now this brother figure is entering into the ranks? It is sobering, but it makes me proud. There are few people I'd rather have defend my country other than Josh.

I'd better start working on my push ups though, so when he comes back from basic training I can still whoop his butt.

I'm Tornado Proof, Suckers

Dear Rain,

I like you a lot. You do a lot of great things for our earth like make the plants grow and give us more of the life-sustaining force of water. Sometime you are snow and that is cool (no pun intended), too. Overall you are okay by me.

However, it has come to my attention that our relationship has some pot holes. Now I don't want to be one to nit-pick because I have flaws of my own, but if this relationship is going to keep working we need to lay down some ground rules.

I don't like it when you come down so hard that it hurts. I know that sometimes it is the wind's fault, but you are the one who invited her over in the first place so you should be able to control your friends. Also, please take into consideration the temperature outside before you start to fall. If it is too warm to snow, but too cold to rain, and you turn into ice - please don't. I can't relate to you then. You are all hard and unforgiving and very difficult to deal with (plus it takes forever to get my windshield clean). Honestly, I prefer you when it is warm-ish outside. I enjoy you quite a lot then, actually.

Rain, please don't feel like I am picking on you. It isn't like you are as bad as your cousins Tornado and Hurricaine. It just so happens that I feel like, with a little effort towards self-improvment, and a litte common courtesy, we could get along even better than before.

Regards,
Leah

Laughter is the Best Medicine

My blog has been rather improv-centric as of late. I suppose that tells you what has been consuming my time besides school (writing about improv is far more interesting than writing about taxes). This entry is not going to deviate from that theme.

Last night we played our standard main-stage show. It was solid. The audience was excellent. Near the end we called up a birthday for our typical birthday routine (making up adventures that the birthday celebrant had with us) and last night we had a lovely lady named Liz. Her daughters had kidnapped her for the weekend from Illinois and brought her down to Springfield for a get away. She is a Registrar for a hospital and is recovering from cancer herself. Her daughters expressed that we shouldn't do anything "too crazy" because she just came off of Chemo a few months before and was still fragile.

After that warning, I was afraid that this woman would be no fun, but I was proven wrong. She came up dancing to the music and then progressed the dance with me when she got on stage. Then while we were telling different stories, she would interject with hilarious one-liners. She was such a joy.

After the show she told us that we had re-energized her and given her the ability to give hope to those people she encountered at her workplace.

It is moments like that where I realize exactly why I give up nearly ever Friday and Saturday night to perform. It isn't for the random recognition I get in the grocery store, or the few dollars I make every show. It is because I have the ability to genuinely lift someone's spirits and make their life better.

And that makes all of it completely worth it.

Girl Power!

I have recently been put in charge of re-forming the all girl improv group at The Skinny Improv. It has been an honor and a challenge. I have been blessed with a great group of women who are all smart, funny, and willing to take chances. We had our debut a few weekends back and are now picking up momentum.

It is odd.

I am not one to chant feminist mantras or burn my bras, but there is a certain solidarity to being a member of a group of talented women. It is almost like being part of that one super exclusive clique in high school that everyone wanted to be in even if they pretended that they didn't want to be in it. Except we are still nice to everyone and talk to people who aren't in our group. And we only dress the same when we are doing shows. And all of our names don't rhyme (though 50% of the group's name start with a "J"). So, really, Betty Improv is nothing like that clique in high school.

I am, however, apparently still trying to find ways to get into that clique.

Common Sense, Simple Common Sense

After working in the food industry for two years, I have compiled a list of things about which I feel people should be aware when visiting a "fast food" restaurant. Take it as you will.

1.) Ordering at the Front Counter: Know what you want. If you don't know what you want and there are people behind you waiting to order - step to the side and let them order first. Don't stand there for ten minutes holding up the line. It is awkward and irritating.

2.) Help us help you get your order right: If you have not been to a restaurant before or are ordering something new and we ask you a question about how you want made PLEASE ask us what we mean. Unless we are new - we will know and be more than fine with answering you. DO NOT PRETEND LIKE YOU KNOW WHAT IT IS AND THEN COMPLAIN TO US/THE MANAGER HOW WE GOT YOUR ORDER "WRONG". Know what you are ordering.

3.) Cell Phones: Don't use your cell phone when ordering. Put it away for ten seconds. Seriously. You can do it.
Also - on drive through - we can't see you. When you start listing off everything on the menu to someone on your phone - we have no idea if you are ordering or if you are trying to figure out all the orders for your family of 6. Figure that out before you come or come inside. You hold up everyone else in the line. It makes for a lot of irritated people. We have take out menus. Our menu is also listed online. Use these tools to make everyone's lives better.

4.) People who smoke: I don't care if you smoke. Just don't do it when you are at my drive through window. And definitely don't blow smoke in my face when you ask me a question.

5.) Manners: Smile. Be patient, polite and courteous. Say "please" and "thank you." Just because we work at a place that serves burgers and fries does not mean that we are any less of a person than you are. Also - when people are rude to me, I am much less likely to go the extra mile for them. I don't put extra ketchup in their bag, I don't look for ways to save them money on the order, and I ask them to up-grade everything or add on something just to be annoying. Oh. And if you are rude and have two sodas, one diet, one not, I won't mark which one is which.

6.) Multiple Orders on the Drive Through: Don't. Do. It. Come inside. Seriously. Think about it. If you have three orders in your car and there are three cars waiting behind you - that is like having six cars in drive through. I don't want to have to cash out 3-6 orders for one car. It kills my drive through time. Order it all on one ticket or come inside. Which brings me to my next tip....

7.) If you are ordering over $30.00 worth of food - come inside: Seriously. The drive through is for people who just want one thing and it can be done quickly. Don't order six combo meals all with large fries. Your order alone is going to take five minutes to get it out the window. We are supposed to aim for 45 seconds from the time you get to the window to when you pull away with your food. Ordering $50.00 does not help us in the task.

8.) Order at the Speaker - Not the Drive Through Window: Don't pull around to the window and order just because you don't like talking to a speaker. If you don't like talking to a speaker - come inside. That is what it is for. When you pull around to the window when there are other cars in the drive through it makes it so that you order is out of order on our screens and the people who ordered in the appropriate place's food is going to be sitting there for a solid two minutes while you order and we make your order. Sure we are going to prioritize making you order now because we need to get you out of our drive through, but we aren't going to like it. Oh. And if you are rude about it to me - chances are there won't be any napkins in your bag.

9.) Once You Get Your Food at Drive Through - Pull Forward: It is pretty self explanatory. If there are people behind you and we have finished our transaction, don't sit and balance your check book or reapply your lipstick or finish that email on your blackberry. Pull forward ten feet so that the next car can be serviced. You don't have to go out and drive yet, but please at least let the next person in line pull up instead of sitting for two minutes right in front of our window.

10.) Trash: We are more than willing to pick up your garbage after you have eaten if you leave it on the table, but if you drop a french fry, why not pick it up instead of mashing it into the ground? Or if you spill mustard or ketchup all over the table - use a napkin and wipe it up. Seriously. It takes five seconds and saves a whole lot of gross.

11.) Don't Lose Your Temper: We are human. There are times were we don't get your burger quite right. And if it isn't because of the fact that you ordered it incorrectly: we are very sorry. We will fix it for you and we will feel bad about it. There is no need to yell at us. It won't help anything. We didn't intentionally make yours wrong to spite you. This time around, however, if it is wrong a second time - it is our way of saying: "don't come back. We don't need business like yours.".

12.) Coupon Usage: I am all about saving money. However, just because you don't want to pay full price on anything and the "only one coupon per transaction" rule - please don't have me ring through each individual item you are purchasing so you can save three cents. Please don't do that. At drive through or front counter. I will GIVE you three pennies if it means that much to you.

13.) Don't Be An Idiot: Yep. That's all.

Animal Cruelty

I hate dog sweaters.

I honestly can't stand them. Animals don't wear clothes. They don't need to. They have a fur coat. It is almost redundant to put clothing on them.

I remember being a kid and putting doll clothes on my cat and getting trouble. I was told that animals don't wear clothes. I was told that it made them look silly and they didn't like it. I've heard it from a lot of people and parents that little kids shouldn't put their pet's in doll clothes - or clothes in general. So why are these same adults thinking that it is okay to go out and spend fifty dollars on a sweater for Fido?

I'm sorry, but it not only seems a little hypocritical, but it seems a lot dumb.

Seriously people. Buy yourself some nice clothes and let mother nature take care of your dog.

Who Is Watching You?

I went to my first ever midnight movie premiere last Thursday. Movie of (someone else's) choice: Watchmen. Now this was not my first choice of movie view-age, but it was quite an experience to go to it at midnight. People were dressed up as their favorite characters, there was a certain buzz throughout the audience, and there was a line going outside to make sure that people would get the seats that they wanted. It was an overall experience.

As for the film... it was very well done. That Man of Mine assures me that it is almost exactly like the graphic novel from which the film was based, which makes me not want to read the book very much. There is a lot of graphic violence throughout the film and I don't do really well with that. The good news is that since the Man of Mine had read the book - he was able to tell me when I should not look because he knew that a particularly gross part would be coming.

That being said - I think that the movie gave an interesting perspective of humanity without hope. It is an strange thing what people are willing to do when there is no hope or when they are desperate to try to regain that hope. It makes you think.The whole movie made me think, but not until a few days after actually seeing it due to the fact that my brain/body has been valiantly trying to catch up on much lost sleep.

Going to a midnight premiere when the film is three hours long and you already are short on sleep is never the wisest choice.

Taxing Experiences

I work in a free tax-preparation clinic every weekend for one of my classes this semester. I've also been preparing taxes for family and friends for no charge. And I like doing it. This might say a lot about me, but I enjoy doing people's taxes.

What I don't enjoy is the way that the IRS feels the need to make everything difficult by changing their minds about everything every five days. The program through which I do taxes is called the VITA program (volunteer income tax assistance) and it is sponsored by the IRS. Thusly - every time they change some rule or come out with some sort of information I get a nifty little email with an attached PDF explaining life in general. Well, not life in general, but certain new stipulations about the tax law.

Now as interesting as this all seems, I am sure, it is really kind of a pain in the butt. I know it can be hard to make up your mind and stick to a decision - but really. Come on IRS. You are a big kid now. Let's pick one way and stick to that, shall we?

Mid-Winter's Blues

I've always kind of felt sorry for February.

When watching Discovery channel as a kid, I remember that they were talking about how different emperors of the Roman empire would name months after themselves (August = Augustus) and to ensure that their month would remain in tact it had to have at least thirty days in it. So they would steal days from other months and tag them on the end of their month. Once the Age of the Emperors faded away, so did the practice of naming months after yourself. So we just kind of got stuck with the whole one extra short month.

I think February is kind of the month that other months make fun of. I don't really understand why, but I am pretty sure it happens on a regular basis. I guess February gets to have the leap day every four years, but that seems like a rather lame consolation prize.

I don't know. I've always just kind of felt sorry for February.

Part of the Brain

Well friends, this will probably be my final installment of educational YouTube videos. After all, we wouldn't want to be too smart, now would we?

This video actually aided me in studying for my college level psychology test. I found it catchy, amusing, and helpful. To this day I occasionally sing "Brain stem! Brain stem!". Hopefully now you know more about the place where you keep all your knowledge.

Schoolin' Ya'll

This song was originally brought to my attention by my buddy, Pete. For anyone that wants to learn the numbers of pi out to the enth number, this fun little ditty will be sure to help you.

Also - there is a missing number in the scrolling text. I found it and thought it an error, but apparently it is part of the challenge of the video. You are supposed to catch that it is missing . Anyway, see if you are able to catch what number is missing.

Who Needs School? I Have YouTube

Also - it is my lovely mother's birthday today! Happy birthday, mom!

Billions and Billions of Stars

I typically, as a matter of principle, don't get into anything deep or political on my blog. I feel like it disrupts the "vibe" that my blog encompasses. Yes. My blog does, in fact, have a vibe.

On that note, I would like to simply offer a brief nugget about the pending trillion dollar (I know that the amount hasn't reached a trillion yet, but it will if certain Powers-That-Be have their way) bailout. It is my belief that people, honestly, have absolutely not idea how much a trillion dollars actually is. It looks like this: 1,000,000,000,000, but does that really give you a grasp of how much money it really is?

Now, in one of my more nerdy accounting type moments, I sat down and figured a few things out about this to help wrap my mind around the enormity of this number. Basically - this is what it boils down to:

Give or take a year (I used a 365 standard calendar year): If you were to spend one million dollars every single day for 2739 years - it would equal 1,000,000,000,000 dollars. That is, essentially, spending a million dollars every single day since before Jesus walked the earth.

Come to your own conclusions, but just think about that for me. Will you?

Many Happy Returns of the Day

I don't understand why people think that they can be complete and total jerks on their birthday that it is okay to do so.

In fact I don't really understand why people feel like their birthdays are a big deal. Really, it is just a day to celebrate the fact that you have not died for another year. Now, this is not to say that I don't like birthdays. I enjoy a good round of "Happy Birthday" singing or a lovely get together with friends to celebrate them for a special achievement as much as the next person. It is just that I don't feel like being born and continuing to exist really ranks that high. That is unless it is your 100th birthday. If you make it that long you deserve the party of the century (pun slightly intended).

Regardless of what someones' position is on the importance of ones celebration of birth, there really is never an excuse for them to become raging tools for one day out of the year. Seriously. Just because it is the anniversary of the day that you entered the world doesn't mean that everyone is obligated to spend every waking moment doting upon you.

Just eat your cake and be grateful or else you run the risk of me slapping you upside the head.

Legend of Zelda Medley

This arrangement makes me a little misty eyed. Now while I have come to terms with my nerdiness - the intense nerd-factor of getting emotional because of an arrangement of a video game...? Oy ve. Perhaps I am far worse than I thought.

S-P-E-L-L-I-N-G

Yesterday I went to see the Broadway tour of the musical named "Spelling Bee" (perks of having the Man of Mine work in the box office). It is a very well put together show. I enjoyed a lot of it very much. One of the reasons that I think this production is so successful is that it focuses on the fact that at the basest of human needs is the need to be loved and affirmed by your parents.

That one theme that stood out so strongly through out the entire production. The intense pressure that these kids (though the characters themselves were all rather comical) put upon themselves to not fail because they don't want to disappoint their parents. It was a very poignant idea and brought back a lot of childhood memories. How often had I spent my time as a child trying so hard to perfect a piano piece for a recital that my parents were attending so that they wouldn't be disappointed in me? It was odd to watch these adults (pretending to be children) on stage portraying something that I think everyone experiences throughout their whole life in varying degrees.

I don't think you ever really out grow that.

A Little Manners, Please?

There are few things in this precious world that honestly irk me. One of those things are rude people who ignore the common courtesies (which apparently aren't being taught anymore). I'm not even talking about above and beyond the call of duty stuff like holding open the door for people walking in behind you, or standing to greet someone as they come into the room. I'm referring to things such as saying "please", "thank you", and "you're welcome", saying "excuse me" when you bump into people, and throwing away your own trash.

The top offenders I have noticed in the three courtesy crimes I have noted are typically:
1.) Cell phone users.
2.) iPod listeners.

Half of the customers (give or take a few) that come into Backyard Burger or go through the drive through are on their cell phone. They don't put the person on hold while they give an order and they don't have any patience for the order taker. They don't make eye contact, they don't say "thank you" or "please". They normally have walked/driven away before you can say "thank you". These people are double rude because they are rude to their server AND to the person with whom they are conversing.

iPod listeners are common culprits on campus. They go around with their tunes blaring so loudly that everyone in a ten foot radius is subjected to their (typically terrible) taste in music. As if that isn't bad enough, because of their overloaded ear drums and the fact that they are bobbing their head to the music, they often collide with passers by on their way. Do they ever stop? Do they ever say "excuse me" or "sorry"? No. They go along grooving to their beat. Heaven forbid they remove one precious ear bud for one milisecond to make sure that they haven't caused any damage.

My older brother, Russell, once proposed that their should be a "no-cell-phone" section in restaraunts similarly to how there are "no-smoking-sections". With every passing day I think that is a better and better idea.

We Go Looking For Trouble

Today at work, I had the opportunity to use the phrase: "You shall rue the day". This teleported me back to my childhood where I was a child and heard that phrase for the first time that I remember. I believe my mother was saying it and I had no idea what it meant. The only "rue" that with which I was familiar was the Roo from Winnie the Pooh. I was very confused at that young age because I thought that Roo was being given his own day and how that was completely unfair to the other residents of the 100 Acre Woods.

On that note, however, this confusion is something that children of the future may not have to deal with. According to this study, exposing Winnie the Pooh to children is a bad idea because of all of the mental disorders that are (appararently) so obvious and rampant among the characters.

For those that don't have time to read the lengthy article: I'll give you the jist.

Pooh: Has OCD, ADHD, "shaken bear" syndrome, and an eating disorder
Owl: Is dyslexic.
Eeyore: Chronic depression due to tail amputation.
Christopher Robin: Talks to animals and has no parental supervision.
Piglet: a general anxiety disorder.
Roo: Single parent household, negative peer influence from Tigger.
Tigger: risk-taking behavior could lead to substance abuse.
Kanga: No strong female role models, single parent who apparently has an illegitimate child.
Rabbit: an old senile rabbit who belongs in senior-level hospital.

Un-resolved

I am really not a New Year resolution type of person. I'm more of a try-to-stay-aware-of-all-of-my-short-comings-and-work-on-them-as-they-come-along type of person. This isn't to say that the New Year doesn't offer a convenient time of reflection and lend it self to awareness of areas needing self-improvement. All I'm saying is that I guess I'm better at tackling one small-er-ish thing at a time instead of the 500,000 billion things that I always find a need to improve at one time.

Now all that being said - I have made some goals that I would like to achieve. One of which is my 1K a day objective. I would like to write creatively 1000 words every day (give or take a day) just to get myself thinking in a free realm instead of the constant logical rigors which is accounting. Who knows? Maybe then I can tell people at all those cocktail parties I don't go to that I am writing book (just like everyone else)?

If nothing else I will be able to look back at this post in a few months and laugh at my noble endeavor.

2008, Retrospective

Here are a few brief lists of the best and the worst of 2008 according to me:

WORST:

• Absolutely anything having to do with Twilight.
  
• Katy Perry's ongoing discussion of which girl she'd kiss.
• The exploitation of the Brad/Angelina/Jennifer triangle.
• Britney Spears' come back.
• High School Musical 3.
• The fiasco that was moving into my apartment.
• Heath Ledger dying.
• That American Idol/America's Next Top Model is still running.
• The number of people who don't understand basic economics.
• The Chiefs had, literally, the worst season of their life.
• Cat and Guinea Pig dying.
  

BEST:

• Dark Knight/WALL-E.
• We Sing We Dance We Steal Things
• Starting to play at The Skinny
• Craig Furgeson's voting monologue.
• Another year with that Man of Mine.
• Successfully passing two more semesters.
• Watching six seasons of Smallville in one month.
  
• Seeing Wicked live.
• That America finally took interest in the election process again.
• Hilary Clinton isn't president.
  
• New cat! Jazoo Sasafrass (Sass)