Because Pictures are F-U-N!

I don't have anything too special to blog about, but I did get some pictures off our camera last night and thought I would share. First, the great purse search that I've been boring you two with is not over, but it's come to a stop for now. I bought this purse yesterday at Target. I think it's pretty cute for the Fall. The straps are not leather (obvs.. the purse was $19), but they don't look quite as fake as other purses I've seen. Since my cost-per-wear (thanks Brittnee) will be just pennies, I can buy another purse if I happen upon the perfect one.

And this is the fabric that I told you both about. Brant helped me recover this bench in the sunroom and I really like it. It's further proof to Brittnee that birds aren't always scary. On a side note, we found a dead bird in the sun room a few weeks ago. Grodie.

This a Will playing the Wii. As you can see from the blur that is his left arm, it's a pretty intense gaming system. Brittnee, you and Andrew should really consider getting one of these. As you well know, it's fun. I don't think I'll ever forget the image of you "boxing" when we played at your house. And both of you can just let me know when you top 71 in the dodgeball challenge.

I bought this little metal bistro table at World Market last weekend. It was on sale for $32, down from $129!! It's a nice little table, very sturdy and the color is more exciting than this picture shows. However, only an idiot would pay $129 for it. It actually took a little pep talk to myself to even pay $32.

And finally, I can't post five pictures and not have at least one of my dogs in them! Gulley hates the camera, so I think she was trying to burn it with her eyes.

Have a great weekend!

Cuteness level pretty high

Now, I know that we all gave her parents some crap. It was a crazy time. Tom is one of the crazier people in Hollyweird and Katie is, well, Katie Holmes! They don't match! But I'll tell ya what...their kid? Cute. Take a look for yourself!


That's really all I have to say about it. Her parents are still crazy.

Success!

"The difference between a successful person and others is not a lack of strength, not a lack of knowledge, but rather in a lack of will."

Vincent T. Lombardi

Clearly, we had the will and now we can enjoy our success. Do yourself a favor and compose a DUH song! We did, after all, bring the word back! Duh.

http://hyundaiusa.thebigduhsale.com/index.html

"We'll call it MAN Band, because we're MEN now!"

Vh1 has perhaps the most insane programming schedule right now that I've ever seen. Every washed-up has-been there ever was now has a reality show on the network, ranging from "get a date with so-and-so," to "watch so-and-so go through a mid-life crisis," to "two so-and-so's with the SAME NAME get together and talk about their past!" And music videos? I'm pretty sure they're on from 3am-8am, you know, normal viewing hours? But I digress...

Get ready for the new edition to the network. They call it Man Band! 4 members of old BOY bands get together and try and create a NEW band - of MEN! Get it!?! Oh, it's so perfect. I bet you're dying to hear who was chosen. Remember all the guys who didn't sing a lot and had the least amount of fans and sort of seemed out of place? Meet your new MAN BAND! Chris from ‘N Sync, Jeff from 98 Degrees, Rich from LFO, and Bryan Abrams from Color Me Badd. OK, maybe the guy from 98 degrees wasn't the worst - it was that other guy with the deep voice who was like 30 - but still. And Color Me Badd was a boy band? I don't think sooo. Sure, they were guys, but they were popular in the early 90's, right? I would have gone with someone from O-Town, for sure. Ashley Parker Angel wasn't available? How about that guy with the dreads? Still, the guys have been chosen and now...the mission!

They will live together in Chris' house and try to make it as a new band - named Sureshot. They'll be writing new songs, coming up with a new stage show and trying to get J-Timb to return their calls. Here's the thing - they might succeed. All of those boy bands had a HUGE following and those ladies are still out there somewhere. I checked out their myspace page and they have over 3,000 friends, as well as comments from women who are literally counting down the minutes until the premiere of the show tonight. Which reminds me, it's on at 10PM (eastern), so tune in if you can. Man Band thanks you, I'm sure.

What a Girl Wants

I want a donut. Or should I say doughnut? The search for doughnut produced this mouth-watering picture. And seriously, my mouth is watering right now.

And since we're on the subject, let's run down my favorite donut shops. Well, there's really only one and it's Shipley's in Little Rock. I grew up eating these and to this day, would prefer a Shipley's plain glazed donut to anything Krispy Kreme might try to throw at me. Not that I make a habit of turning down donuts... that would just be silly. Anyway, donuts are good. Always have been and always will be. I go for plain glazed and sometimes chocolate iced. Anything with a filling, especially if it's fruit (and particularly if it's lemon, because lemon and sugar should only mix when alcohol is involved, ie on the rim of a lemon drop martini), makes me sick. So don't go buying me any of those. Thanks.

Ocean of Fear: Sharks are SO Misunderstood!

It's Shark Week on the Discovery Channel. I usually wouldn't really care about this, given that I'm not especially fond of sharks, but the promos for Shark Week are everywhere...all the time. And especially the show, Ocean of Fear, about a real-life ship wreck and the shark-infested waters that followed. For weeks now they've been billing this special as a document of the "worst shark attack in history" in which several hundred men were killed. I was blowing it off until Entertainment Weekly called it the "Must Watch" of the week, and that's when I knew I had to tune in. It was a 2 hour special and it aired this past Sunday and Eric and I watched it. And, well, I feel mislead.


Since I didn't pay THAT close attention, all I can give you are some vagaries about the real-life incident. A US ship was on it's way back from delivering the first A-bomb to some US port, but on its way back home it was torpedoed by a Japanese submarine. Close to 1,200 men were on board and only 900 men made it off the boat. And this is when the shark stuff comes into play. Most of the footage from the show consisted of underwater shots of sharks circling several rafts with men inside. However, most of the time, they just circled, they didn't attack. What the sharks did attack were men who had already died from other causes - most often lack of water. In fact, I think that there were less than 5 attacks on men who were still alive. Over a 5 day period, only 300+ men survived. It was sad to watch, but I got the feeling about 3/4 of the way through that sharks weren't the enemy on this occasion. 5 attacks? 900 men? You do the math. It was primarily a special on what NOT to do when you get lost at sea. And the answer to that, my friends, is don't drink salt water! You'll go down faster than you would have without it.

The attack is still on record as the worst in history, but that's mainly because of the number of people and sharks in one place at one time. I was expecting some serious shark brutality and what I saw was that sharks are not so bad. Maybe they're misunderstood...and maybe I don't care because they're freakin' scary!

Oh no they didn't...

For those of you that don't know, House Hunters is a neat little show on HGTV that I frequently enjoy. You get to see three houses for a person to choose from and it makes buying a home seem just that easy. Part of me would like to say that I only watch it because it's the summer and there's nothing else on TV, but that's simply not true. I enjoy the show. And I've gotten damn good at choosing the house the people end up choosing.

I settled in last night to watch a new episode and imagine my disgust when the infamous Star Jones Reynolds popped up on the screen. I think I actually said aloud "What the hell?" and then somehow kept from throwing a pillow at the TV (I didn't want to frighten the dogs). There is nothing wrong with Suzanne Whang (the normal host) and there is nothing right about Star. Nothing.

From what I've read online, this is a guest stint as host. I certainly hope that's true. I'm not sure if I can truly enjoy House Hunters with SJR as the host.

P.S. SJR was "intentionally evasive" about gastric bypass surgery. As if we didn't know!

McCopyright Infringement?

There are a few places that Eric and I really miss up here in Michigan. Sonic, Shake's and Chik-Fil-A are just a few of them. It's toughest with Sonic, because they run commercials for delicious drinks all the time, and yet, there are no Sonics in sight. Chick-Fil-A gets us, too. Their chick-n-biscuits are one of the best breakfast treats I can think of. Plus, the chicken sandwhiches, with a simple treatment of just pickles, are some of the best around.

So good, in fact, that McDonald's has decided to straight up copy them. They introduced the Southern Style Chicken Sandwhich recently and it's basically the exact same thing as the Chick-Fil-A sandwhich. Eric and I were then faced with a dilemma. Stay true to Chick-Fil-A, the original? Or go to McDonald's as quick as we possibly could and order 2 of them - to go! I doubt I have to tell you what we did.

The knock-offs were tasty, I will admit. And we've had a hankerin' for another one since then. I feel so guilty betraying dear Chick-Fil-A...but I love me some chicken, so what're ya gonna do?

Like a cow in a rainstorm...

This is pretty much how I felt yesterday. Except without the rock hard abs. And I was wearing a shirt. And I'm not a man. Okay, truth be told, I couldn't find a cool picture of a woman running in the rain. So this is what you get. Anyhooha, I went for a little run yesterday and halfway through it, there was a downpour. I mean, it was raining hard. I was pretty far from my house so I decided to embrace the rain and finish up my run.

When I finally reached the end of my street, I sprinted towards my house. I imagined myself looking about like this guy (except again, no abs, with a shirt and as a woman), and as I stood on my porch drenched and drained, I felt great. Now I realize that I probably looked more like a cold, wet calf (baby cows strike me as awkward) running through a rainstorm, but whatever.

Why was I running at all, you ask? And that's a great question considering my apathy towards excercise. But, I'm thinking about running a half-marathon. Don't even ask what makes me think this is a good idea, because I have no good answer. But I'm in my initial training and the first two weeks have been good. I enjoy my runs, even in the rain, except of course when I see lighting strike about 3 feet away from me. I'll decide in September whether or not to sign up for the half-marathon. And I'll keep you ladies posted. For now though, just call me Running Rudy.

It's like changing purses for different seasons

I had to change the blog again. Blame it on boredom. Blame it on my love of changing desktop backgrounds. But I think it's a lot like when a girl changes her winter purse for a summer tote. It just makes sense to change every once and a while. Beyonce knows.

Oh, and I added a poll section. This first poll is just a tester. If it works out, then we can do more!

Are you kidding me?

Lohan. The name doesn't really conjure up the image of the sweet, talented young actress of yore, does it? Not anymore. Now it comes with loads of baggage. Alcohol problems, drug addiction, ex-boyfriends, crazy parents, and more. And that's just her personal life. Apparently she's rarely on time and sort of a diva on set. Surprised? No. Not when everyone caters to her and the other young women of Hollywood. It's really ridiculous when Lohan is covered on CNN - and it's BREAKING NEWS! I saw a video clip of an anchorman (bless him) who tried to refuse to read the story about Lohan during a live broadcast! It went something like this, "And Lindsay Lohan was arrested...I'm not going to read this..." SILENCE "They're telling me I have to read this." And while it was kind of embarrassing, he made his point. It's not REAL news! I miss the days when CNN was a legitimate new source. Or, rather, I miss the days when famous people were sort of normal, or secretly crazy. I do kind of blame paparazzi for this. But c'mon. There are a TON of celebs that stay below the radar and are probably straight crazy. How hard is it to stay inside one night a week? Maybe even not drink when you're wearing an alcohol-monitoring bracelet? Leave the coke at home? Just a few tips that might have served Lohan well jsut a few days ago.

Drew Carey as Bob Barker?

So this is what it takes to get the blog back up and running... Drew Carey. Now, I generally find Drew Carey pretty funny. He seems like a nice guy. I can picture him as one of my dad's friends or something. But I simply cannot endorse the decision to make him the new host of "The Price Is Right." I just can't do it. And to be quite honest, I don't have any reasons why. It's not that my reasons aren't good, it's that I really don't have any.

Does anyone agree and if so, do you have a reason why?

Countdown: 19 days!

In just under 3 weeks Eric and I will be gettin' hitched! It's pretty exciting and I'm really enjoying all the final preparations - updating the guest list, getting presents!, seeing our engagement pics and more! In fact, our engagement announcement will be in this Sunday's paper and this is the pic we chose to accompany the write up.



This is the pic that came in second. We both liked it but thought the shadows would look weird in the BW version for the paper.



I might put a link up to some bridal shots of me later in the week. It has to be secretive since Eric can't see the dress!

PS. I'm assuming both your sets of parents are coming? They have not yet RSVP'd. You can just let me know whether or not they can come via email if you want.

Just one question....

That is all.

Highlights from last weekend

Eric and I were home from Thursday night until Monday afternoon. We crammed a lot into those 4 days and I'd like to share my highlights. They are as follows:

1. The shower - it was the most fun I could've ever hoped to have at a shower and it looked so cute, from the cake down to the mints!

2. The gifts - I'll be the first to admit that I love me some presents. The cake stand is probably my favorite (duh), but the funniest was the scale. When I opened up that bag, I thought I was going to die laughing. And what's with all the brownies??

3. Pictures - our photographer is amazing and I'm so excited to see the engagement and bridal shots! She was really easy to work with and knows what she's doing. You can view more of her work at jhsphotos.com and click on her blog to see a few of our shots.

4. Graduation - both Parker and Sara graduated, which is really awesome, but made me feel really old...and I'm only 24! Yikes.

5. Gator Golf - I have never played with 12 people before and it was an experience that I won't soon forget. Especially posing with the animals afterwards!

6. Doing wedding stuff - It really felt like I was about to get married last weekend and I'm pretty excited for the big day! I'm looking forward to about 5 weeks from now when Eric and I will tie the knot!

7. This picture - it's my favorite.

Blah

This week has been so slow here at work. The hour from 3-4pm everyday seems to drag on for an eternity. I can't think of anything fun to blog about so in lieu of that, here is my list of Top 5 Things I Would Rather Be Doing RIGHT NOW.

1. Whitewater rafting

2. Enjoying a glass of wine on our deck.

3. Reading a book, preferably on the beach.

4. Sitting at the coy pond outside Kimpel Hall (does anyone remember that?)

5. Baking cookies.

I'm Back and Better Than Ever

Finally, I can post! I feel like it is Christmas! I hope you will both be patient with me as I learn some sweet bloggin' tricks...such as how to post pictures...

So THAT'S what my deltoid muscle looks like...

This past weekend we had guests! Eric's dad Mike and stepmom Karen were in town for a couple days so we took them to Detroit. That might sound like a punishment, but trust me, Detroit gets a bad rap. It's not all that scary...at least not at the Detroit Science Center!!


We went to see an exhibit called Our Body and it was so cool. The simple explanation is that they turn the muscles in your body into plastic in a process called plastination. This way, you can see what the inside of your body looks like! It's really weird and awesome and sort of creepy, but mostly it's amazing. To be able to look at something from 2 inches away and know that your insides look something like that is...well, creepy, but I liked it!


There were exhibits of bodies that were in certain poses, like a guy kicking a soccer ball in midair, or riding a bike. My favorite was a body that had been sliced into 1 inch sections and then placed in order about 2 inches apart so that you could see in between each slice.

I realize that I sound like a HUGE nerd right now, but I enjoyed myself at the museum, OK?!

Bitch, please.

"I know, I look pretty fly. Jealous."

Sloane loves her bandana.

Two Months To Go!

Two months from today, Eric and I will be gettin' hitched! I'm pretty excited for the wedding of 2007. Let the countdown begin!!

This weekend was a great farewell to my bachelorette days of yore. Here's my Top Ten list of things that happened this weekend:

10. Ordering half a chicken for dinner.
9. Asking our waiter to marry me.
8. Calling the Hogs...3 times.
7. Singing Comcast karaoke on the couch.
6. Watching the drink-off.
5. Riding with Brittnee through the ghetto as she hunched over the steering wheel afraid for her life.
4. Shopping on Friday (especially the stores where we all bought something!).
3. Doing nothing Saturday morning except vegging out on the couch and watching TV.
2. The infamous drink spillage (She did that on purpose!).
1. Playing Apples to Apples.

It was a wonderful weekend! So, thanks for everything girls! You're the best!!!

Why I Like Martha

This picture makes me want to go out and by all these utensils and the cute utensil holders and completely redo our kitchen. I love reading Martha Stewart's magazine and website because the pictures alone are motivational enough to make me want to change my whole living arrangement. If you also love organizing and looking at pictures of organized kitchens, closets and bathrooms, click here.

Things you never thought you'd hear: "Ratings are low. We need Lachey!"

On last night's Dancing With The Stars we were treated to a surprise appearance by Season 2 winner, Drew Lachey. He danced to the song, "Save A Horse, Ride A Cowboy" (which I can't stand), which was performed live by Big & Rich (who I also can't stand), and also happened to be the winning routine for him and Cheryl (which was AWESOME!) It only served to remind me just how boring this season is. Drew Lachey shows up with a ton of energy and he's on the floor for about 3 minutes and the crowd goes crazy for him and the dance and it was great! And that lasted...about 3 minutes. The dancers just aren't so good this year. The women especially, which is appropriate since the first 3 people voted off have been women. My favorites for this season are Joey and Kym. He's not embarrassed to do all the goofy head moves and exaggerated posing that makes you look like a good dancer. I think he will have a tough competitor in Steve Sanders (Ian Ziering) and Cheryl Burke, because she's won the past 2 seasons now and obviously wants to 3-peat.

I would like to stress that although I will continue to watch this season because I am addicted to the drama of the show, it's not near as good as the past 2 seasons. And someone needs to cut Billy ray's hair.

Honk Honk

I don't even really know where to start with this post. Nothing too annoying happened on my way to work or while I was running errands at lunch today. However, in general, most other people on the road annoy me. I am not a honker. If I honk, I must either be scared or in a bad mood. However, sometimes a polite honk is necessary.

Case in point, a few weeks ago I got behind an obviously confused driver. There are two stoplights, one not twenty feet after the other, right next to my office. As the first light turned green, the lady in front of me barely inched forward. I held my honk, trying to be nice. But after a few seconds, I give a hey-by-the-way-the-light-is-green-and-we're-all-waiting-on-you-to-move-forward-honk. It was short and sweet and not meant in a mean way. In return, the lady completely stopped in the middle of the intersection, turned around to face me, yelled something and flailed her arms. Seriously? I was amazed!

Even though my honk was justified, this reaction makes me never want to honk again. Oh but I'm sure I will.

What Not To Wear: Behind the Seams

I love What Not To Wear. It's definitely one of my top 5 favorite shows. So, when I heard about a behind the scenes show I had to tune in! I learned valuable things like what happens if a person says no to the show (they go find someone in NY) and what is up with Stacy's gray streak (it's natural and she's had it since she was 11!) and whether or not Stacy and Clinton are "more than friends" off the show.

Wait. What? Uhhmm, I'm sorry, did viewers honestly request this information? Maybe I'm over-simplifying, but I always assumed that Clinton Kelly was gay. They have such a fabulous "I'm-gay-and-you're-fashionable-perfect-duo" thing working so nicely that it has NEVER ONCE crossed my mind that they might be dating each other in real life. To me, they represented the real version of Carrie & Stanford or Charlotte & Anthony on SATC. So, I'm holding strong that he's G-A-Y and for all those viewers who thought otherwise I say to you, "Shut Up!"

P.S. Speaking of, lil' old Stacy now has her very own show entitled, "Shut Up! It's Stacy London." I wanted to love it, just like I love her, but I didn't. It felt forced and staged and not natural. Her chemistry and comedic timing with Clinton is superb and on her own she just didn't have it. But I still love her and want to be on WNTW so bad that I just might wear tapered jeans for a month.

Oh really?

It's snowing. Right now. Outside my door. Snow is falling. It's APRIL 5th. It is freakin' SPRING, people! I just don't think I'll ever understand why the weather does what it does. What happened to global warming, Gore? It's not warm here at all, if you want to know the truth. If people turning off lights and starting composts piles has somehow managed to drop the temperature here by about 30 degrees I'm going to be pissed!

This morning Eric mentioned that out of our 3 hometowns (Fayetteville, Idaho Falls and Ann Arbor) Idaho Falls is currently enjoying the warmest weather of them all. Temps are in the 60s there all week. I don't thinkI have to tell you how sad I was to hear that. Not because I don't want Eric's family to enjoy the warm weather, but because there is simply no rhyme or reason to the weather.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to bundle up to go outside.

Baked, Not Fried

Recently I tried Baked Cheetos and I was admittedly skeptical. We were with another couple grocery shopping for our three day stay at the beach (see how I snuck that in there?). I saw the Baked Cheetos in the basket and was not excited. But when I made a turkey sandwich the next day, I couldn't help but toss a few Cheetos on my plate. Those bright orange bits that look like really small pieces of petrfied wood somehow just completed my plate. And then it happened. I tried them...

And they were fantastic! All of the flavor and crunch I would expect from Cheetos. If someone had told me they were real Cheetos, I would have believed them wholeheartedly. So if you haven't already, give them a try. Unless you hate Cheetos to begin with.

Spy movies are for boys

Or are they? I just saw two really good movies that I felt the need to blog about: The Lives of Others and The Departed. Lives won the Oscar for Best Foreign Film (it's German) and Departed won the Oscar for Best Picture. I can see why. They were great! I was captivated by each one in different, yet equally awesome ways.


The Lives of Others - This movie played at my theater and Eric and I went to see it on the last day it played. It's about an agent of the German secret police who has to spy on a writer/actor couple and ends up becoming really, REALLY involved in their lives. One thing I must mention is that the music for this film was incredible. It was beautiful and also set the creepy, spy-movie tone quite well. Another thing is that the ending is perfect, with a bit of a twist. Overall, I would highly recommend it even to people who don't like to read subtitles (I'm talking to you, Brant).


The Departed - With a cast that includes some of the biggest names in Hollywood, this movie made good use of every single one of the actors. Leo? Showed his acting chops. Jack? Very believable. Marky Mark?! His character was my favorite and I understand now why he was nominated for an Oscar. He was hilarious and inappropriate and had a terrible haircut. I loved him...don't tell him I called him Marky Mark, though. I also love that Martin Scorsese finally won his Oscar for this film. Before I saw the film I wondered if ol' Marty really deserved to win or if he was just getting what was long overdue. He deserved it, in my opinion.

I love when movies live up to their expectations. These two definitely did.

Dancing with the Sanders

Kelly: Can you believe that Steve is dancing with the stars? I think he did great. We should call Brandon and make sure he's watching.

Dylan: Steve? Dancing? Who cares about that? Have you even noticed how fantastic my hair looks today? Do you have any idea how long this took me to fix?

Kelly (aside): Steve Sanders, my first and my only true love. Sigh.

Despite what Dylan thinks, I loved watching Steve (okay I know it's Ian, but he will always be Steve Sanders to me and he might hate it when people only think of him as Steve but 90210 made him rich so he should just get over it) on Dancing with the Stars. I think he did great and when they showed him learning the dance, he seemed like a nice guy. Kind of full of himself, but goofy and lovable at the same time. I could picture myself hanging out with him, though I would probably be forced to call him Ian.

DWTS excites me this season! I flat out like watching Steve. Fatone is ridiculous but entertaining. I hold my breath when Heather Mills and her prosthetic leg take the floor. I missed Apolo dancing but I think he would be fun to watch. I might actually make it past the first episode this season. Yay for DWTS!

THE HILLS are alive with the sound of bitches

Lauren Conrad can't catch an effing break these days. First, she breaks up with J.Whal after having turned down an internship in Paris. Then, Heidi starts to slip away to be with Spencer (who shall from now on be referred to has Helmet-Head), who might be the smarmiest person on earth. And finally, her best friend Jen Bunney (seriously?) goes and hooks up with ol' Brody, the first guy that Lauren liked after Jason. LC is going through some STUFF, ya'll. It's called evaluating friendships and making some changes.

In last night's episode Lauren tore into Bunney about the Brody hookup. Good for her! I'm glad she stood her ground and called out her "friend." When Lauren began to open the door as a cue for Bunney to leave, I knew that I would like to be her friend.

This season of The Hills has been really addicting. And next week's episode features that crazy man who used to work with Anna Wintour...you KNOW he's gonna cause some drama.

Why Do I Care?

After spending half and hour reading about how Tori Spelling is wearing clothes that only non-pregnant women should wear, and how Mandy Moore and DJ AM split, and how Brangelina are adopting again I had to ask myself...why do I care about this?

You know how a lot of celebs say, "Don't buy the gossip magazines, you're just feeding the fire and creating reason for the paparazzi to hound us," in order to make us feel sorry for them? Well, it's not working. I think there are about 50 magazines in the groceries/bookstores/newsstands with a celebrity-gossip focus. And people are buying them like crazy!! Not just "people" like some faceless mass with a credit card. People like...me.

Yes, I am drawn to find out why Sienna Miller gave Jude Law a second chance and why Kate Moss is remotely attracted to Pete Doherty and why leggings are so popular. My question is, WHY? Why do I care what famous people are doing? What is it in me that needs to hear about who's dating who? I can't explain it and I certainly can't make it stop.

I know I'm not alone. Why do you guys care about celebs? And when did Tori Spelling become celeb-newsworthy??

Is that really necessary?

From time to time, you'll see someone walking in a store or down the street and they appear to be having a nice little conversation with themselves. You think, are they crazy? Then you see a little blue light near their ear and you think, oh it's just a Bluetooth.

What I'm starting to think though is that they really are crazy. Just how available does a person need to be and/or how hard is it to hold a phone to your ear??!! I have just a few exceptions to thinking Bluetooths are annoying. One, in the car. Having both hands available for steering is probably a good thing. Two (and this is only a recent exception), in an office. I have seen people walk around here while on the phone and I must say that I'm okay with that. They appear to be very busy and I've only seen one of them walk out of the office with the Bluetooth on. So, I guess I can be okay with it in an office.

But not in a store! I don't need you walking towards me laughing or bitching or yelling into what seems to be thin air, only to realize that you are talking to another human being. What's worse, your hands have absolutely nothing going on. You're not carrying a baby. You're not burdened with a heavy package. You're not signing to anyone. You're hands are free! They need something to do. Why not hand them a little cell phone to hold up to your ear?

Another thing is that I have never seen a meek, humble looking person with a Bluetooth. Never. It always seems to be someone who thinks they are really cool and quite important. Buying a device that sticks on your ear does not make you cool or important. In most cases, it just makes you look dumb.

Give 'em the old razzle dazzle

My theory is that we grew tired of the old blog. The same old layout for months and months?! No. It won't cut it. It didn't cut it! Which is why I'm revamping this ol' baby with a new design. With the help of Blogger's new version on Google (everything's better with Google) this little blog of ours is going to make something of itself. Yes, ma'ams.

I hope to see both of you lovely ladies here on the blog. I'll be here, rest assured. I'll be posting when I find something funny/relevant/absurd to talk about. Or, in some cases, none of the above! Oh blogger, is there anything you can't do?

Yay for Christmas!

I realize we have yet to slice the Thanksgiving turkey, but come on, it's basically Christmas already. That means it's time for PRESENTS!! Yes, presents. I'm just picturing new sweaters and shoes and gadgets and... did I write all that? What I meant was it's time for family and friends and being together and PRESENTS!! Whatever. Everyone likes getting presents.

Anyway, can we come up with a creative gift exchange between the three of us? I was thinking we could put a dollar limit on gifts and then figure out some fun way to buy presents. Maybe we pick a theme or it has to be from a certain store or fall into a certain category. I don't know. I was hoping you guys could think of something.

Substitute

As Brant and I were enjoying a meal at El Porton in Cordova, we were lucky enough to witness an exchange between another customer and a waiter. A family sat down at the table next to us and began to order their drinks. Here is how the exchange between the son and the waiter went...

Son: "Do you have root beer?"

Waiter: "No, we do have Dr. Pepper."

And that's it. Brant and I almost died laughing. We were exhausted from the weekend so I'm sure that helped make it more funny. Still, Dr. Pepper is not a substitute for root beer. The waiter may as well have offered cheese dip as a substitute.

Decision Time

So, who is going to win Project Runway this season? In my perfect world, Michael would win. I like Uli a lot but she hasn't shown enough variety. Same with Laura. Plus, she's weird. Jeffrey is too out there for me, which probably means he will end up winning it all. Anyway, who do you think will win?

My first movie role

I thought I'd let you both know that I'm going to get some practice in before "The Big Day" next summer. I was just asked to play a bride in an independent movie by a girl who works at the theater (apparently I have "THE LOOK"). Seriously. All I have to do is sit and wear a wedding dress and look like a bride or something, so I should be able to pull it off. Don't be confused though, this film is probably not going to be my big break, but I'm definitely going to be putting it on my resume from now on. And if my dress looks anything like this, I'm probably going to ask to keep it.

In Case You Were Wondering

Goldfish Crackers that are packaged in small individual packages are not nearly as cheesy as those packaged in the larger boxes. I bought the individual packages a few days ago, because I tend to have a problem stopping when I start eating out of the box. Clearly, I love Goldfish. Anyway, I was sorely disappointed by the less than cheeserific (duh it's a great word) taste of the individual packages. If you have any contacts at Pepperidge Farm, please notify them of my issue immediately. Thanks.

Project Runway will save our blog!

It's been pretty bleak for awhile here on the blog, but I think I know what can save it! Project Runway!! I know that it's one of my favorite shows on TV, and I think each of you would probably agree that Heidi, Tim, Kors-y, and NEENA GAA-CEEA are the best personalities on reality TV. So, I'm going to start with my thoughts on the last episode!

Well, I was rejoicing at first because disgusting Vincent had been eliminated the week before. If he said, "It turns me on" ONE more time, I was probably going to punch the TV. His designs are terrible and he has a sick infatuation with clothes that isn't very healthy. So, imagine my surprise when they brought him back!! It was the worst choice they could have made, and although it made sense in theory, that every designer who won be brought back for a second chance...it just didn't seem at all possible that Vincent or Angela (aka Rosettes) would come close to winning the competition. I think that Bravo just loves the drama and they thought that those 2 loons would provide some. Well, bravo...uh, Bravo, because you got that right. And that's why I love your blantantly dramatic challenges and previews.

The designs were OK. I think Michael should have won because that white dress was hot. Uli's stuff is starting to get repetitive, so she needs to get it together. And Laura...she's become so much more enjoyable now that she's going through emotional breakdowns with the pregnancy!

My vote for the final three is Michael (who I want to win), Uli (who knew patterns could be so great?) and Laura (who's designs are basically all the same).

Drained

I don't think I have the ability to be clever during this post. Being around young minds all day has the tendency to completely drain me- mind, body and spirit. It's odd to me that I'm a teacher. I don't feel all that far removed from high school myself, yet these students and their actions remind me that I am getting old.

The few cool points I earned with my freshman class came with their discovery of my Napoleon calendar. I bribe my middle school class with candy and fair tickets to gain not only their attention, but their affection. It's weird. I don't necessarily want to be the "cool teacher," but I do want the students to like me. At the same time, it is disruptive to let them use the restroom during class or do other things to make them happy. When I was in high school, I got pissed at teachers who wouldn't let you go to the restroom during class. Now I understand why. That makes me sad, because it makes me feel old.

I told the middle school class that I would play their music in class if they brought music that was appropriate. A kid brought in a Snoop Dog cd. I give him points for being old school. However, as you might imagine, the song was all about getting high and drinking. I refused to play it in class. Does that make me a prude? They said another teacher had allowed them to play it in class. I guess she's cooler than me.

Anyway, that's about all I can think of right now. I would like to post a funny story but I'm just too worn out. I feel kind of like Deb Down. I'm looking forward to a weekend in Fayetteville with the Davies! Wish the bride and groom of 2007 could be there.

If you haven't seen this yet, you're welcome

So, this is the newest video from the band OK GO and it's so great that I had to make sure you both were able to see it. Thanks to YouTube for making it happen. And enjoy...

Adventures in Ann Arbor

Ann Arbor welcomed a new visitor this past weekend! After surviving the "ghetto terminal" and Detroit, Kari made it into Double A safely. The first night, we went to dinner at a nice brewpub downtown and then headed home to crash...at 10pm - we're party animals!! The next morning, we headed out to Cost Plus World Market and then the mall. We were pretty successful, as you can tell from the picture above. We shopped in honor of Brittnee, who must have been channeling some great deals our way because we found a few good bargains! Next time, when Brittnee comes to AA, we might have to retire our credit cards. That night we cooked a lovely dinner at our apartment - complete with rice pilaf! It was pretty delicious.

The next day, the destination was downtown and Kerrytown and we also had some luck shopping there. We found some cute housewares and also hit up Moosejaw for some sweet tees! That night, we put on our "fancy clothes" and had some dessert and cocktails at La Dolce Vita.

Afterwards, we tried out a jazz club (Goodnight Gracie's), but it was kind of smokey and loud, so instead we went to another favorite spot - Leopold Brother's. We drank gin n' juice (like Snoop Dogg) and played Sorry! (we each won a game) and then finished up with some darts. I was terrible, but Kari and Eric were pretty good and things got a little competitive near the end!
Sunday was pretty laid back. We went to lunch at Zingerman's deli and afterwards headed home to lounge all day long! It was pretty relaxing...there might have been some naps, but who can remember? We ordered Cottage Inn pizza and Kari procrastinated packing for about 4 hours. Then, we packed it in so that we could get up for her early flight the next morning. It was a really fun visit! We definitely missed our third musketeer, though. Next time, you're comin', B!

Travelogue: Oahu

I know that I returned from Hawaii a week ago, but I figured that a recap post is better late than never. I can describe the trip much easier through words and some pictures anyway. And so...

Day 1: No major activities to speak of, we got in, went to eat at Cheeseburger in Paradise (very good) and tried to stay awake until 10...we made it to 9:30 before passing out.

Day 2: I will always remember this day because that's when Eric proposed! You've both heard the story, so I won't go into detail, but the experience was magical.

Day 3: After my engagement high, I was brought back down to earth the next morning with surf lessons! It was actually very fun, but my arms got so sore and I was battling a pretty intense case of sea sickness that I headed in about 30 minutes before the rest of the gang so that I could lay on my surfboard and try not to hurl. Here's a shot of me beforehand though, yeah!

Day 4: All the families rented Sebring convertibles to drive around the island and I will tell you that it was pretty fun. We first visited the Dole Pineapple pavillion (I had some sweet pineappe sorbet), then ventured to Haleiwa where we ate lunch and got some shave ice. Then we went on a beach tour near the North Shore trying to find the perfect beach. We went to three (and actually unpacked all our stuff and hiked down to a spot) before settling on the perfect one. It was semi-comical and semi-frustrating doing all that back and forth driving, and things almost came to a head when the keys got locked in our car at one beach. Eric and Sara actually broke in (through the obviously poorly constructed convertible top) and were able to pop it so we could get back in. That night on our way back home we ate at an authentic Hawaiian diner. I had what I will refer to as one of the best burgers of my life at that diner (Flamingo Diner) and I will never forget it!

Day 5: Eric and his stepdad went on a kayak tour out on Kailua beach (about 45 minutes away) in the morning and then everyone else went out to that beach in the afternoon to hang out in the sun. That was the best beach we went to the whole time. It wasn't very crowded and had some sweet waves for boogie boarding! After the beach, we headed back to Waikiki for drinks and then dinner at Tiki's grill.

Day 6: We got up early to hike up Diamond Head, which turned out to be pretty cool. It took about 45 minutes or something and the view was great. However, I think a quote from Eric's uncle Jeff best summed up the experience: "Off the record? A postcard would have been just fine." After a delicious lunch at the Cheesecake Factory, we were bused out to Paradise Cove for a luau! I had a really fun time. We made leis and threw spears and got to watch people shake their hips and stuff. I even tried poi! It was nasty. Here's me enjoying a "Blue Hawaii" - and enjoy it I did!

Day 7: We woke up early to go to Pearl Harbor and see the USS Arizona Memorial. Although we stood in line (which wrapped around twice!) for an hour, it was definitely worth it. We had to go out on a boat to see the memorial itself, which is built on top of the sunken Arizona. It was really incredible. After taking a small tour of Honolulu on the bus ride back to Waikiki, we went back to the beach and did an Outrigger tour. It's basically a big kayak that about 10 people get in and paddle out to sea and then ride back in on waves. It was so fun! That night we went to dinner at Duke's - named for Duke Kahanamoku, Hawaii's famous Olympic swimmer and surfer - and we were able to sit outside and sip delightful cocktails. I don't think I've ever had so many pina coladas in a week, it was great!

Day 8: Our last day was pretty laid back. We hung out on the beach for most of it. Right before we were about to leave, we saw the torch-lighting ceremony that they do on Waikiki beach every night. Guys dressed in nothing but a sarong run down the beach and light all the torches for the night. It was a fun way to end the trip.

All in all, it was one of the best trips I've ever been on. It was tough to leave and face the daily grind again. That's why I propose that the next gathering of the three of us should be in Hawaii! Please keep your calendars open!

He's Just Not Right

Date: July 19, 2006
Time: Around 7:00pm
Location: Texas Roadhouse

Detailed account of events: As I sat with my family for dinner recently, I witnessed something that just wasn't right. Shortly after getting our drinks, a family sat down at the table next to ours. It appeared to be a girl and her husband (in their twenties) and her parents. They seemed nice enough and quite normal. However, that "normal" thought quickly turned. Texas Roadhouse plays country music, somewhat loudly, in an attempt to create atmosphere. This atmosphere came crashing down as the son-in-law at the table next to use began serenading his wife. It could have been cute, maybe. I doubt it, but maybe. Anyway, he couldn't sing, yet she acted as if he was the next George Strait. It was obviously annoying. The worst part, however, is the song he chose to sing. Some of the lyrics are below and please keep in mind that they are dining with her parents:

"Baby lock the door and turn the light down low
Put some music on that's soft and slow
Baby we ain't got no place to go
I hope you understand
I’ve been thinking 'bout this all day long
Never felt a feeling quite this strong
I can't believe how much it turns me on
Just to be your man"

Annoying. Gross. Inappropriate. And like I said, the man did not have a good voice. All in all, he's just not right.