Take that mom. TAKE THAT. Miss Priss my FOOT. (My foot's okay Rachel, don't worry)

You Are Not Prissy

You're the furthest thing from a princess - and you probably stay far away from any princess types you know. You have an easygoing approach to living. It doesn't take a lot to make you happy. And when life requires it, you're ready to get your hand a little dirty. There's no problem you're too prissy to tackle!

How Prissy Are You?

The Jerk

So Steve Martin apparently JUST got married. Intrigued to see if IMDB had caught on and updated it's profile of him, I looked. And it hadn't. But then I read some of his quotes. And they're HILARIOUS. So here is part of my post devoted to he who is Steve Martin:

"It's very hard being one of the most beautiful people. Having this kind of beauty is actually a burden. Sometimes I go to a party and not one of the other 49 most beautiful people is there. That makes me feel very solitary and alone, because it means I am the most beautiful person in the room. If I'm going to a party where I know there will be 'less-beautiful people,' I try to 'dress down' in order to hide my beauty. But this seems to have a counter-effect of actually making me more beautiful. I guess me and dungarees are a pretty potent combination. I try not to lord my beauty over others. This is very hard. I try not to mention that I am one of the most beautiful people, but somehow it always comes out. I will usually only bring it up when I'm asked to do a task, like open a garage door. People seem to enjoy my beauty and are genuinely happy for me, because after I mention it they always say, 'How nice for you.'" -- From People Magazine, 20 May 2003, in which Martin was listed as one of the 50 Most Beautiful People.

"There's a big difference between the National Book Awards and the Academy Awards. At the Academy Awards you can feel the greed and envy and ego. Whereas the National Book Awards are in New York."

"I believe that sex is the most beautiful, natural, and wholesome thing that money can buy."

(While hosting The 73rd Annual Academy Awards (2001) (TV)) "And now, I'm pleased to introduce the star of the film 'Gladiator,' and a man I like to call a close, personal friend, but he told me not to..."

"I wrote a novel this year called 'Shop Girl,' and several producers came to me and wanted to turn it into a movie. And I said, "If you think you're going to take this book and change it around, and Hollywoodize it and change the ending... that's going to cost you."

"All I've ever wanted was an honest week's pay for an honest day's work."

How is he not everyone's favorite? Oh that's right. Because he was in a string of crap movies like Bringing Down the House. At least we have movies like the Three Amigos (which he did his own lasso work for! How cool is that?), Parent Hood (my favorite of his), and Dirty Rotten Scoundrels. Whew!

So this is just me. But I think my Dad resembles a cross between Steve Martin and Kiefer Sutherland. With just a TOUCH of Randy Newman thrown in. Here we go:

So I need to get a better picture of my Dad. The best ones are probably actually the ones where he photoshopped his face onto famous people. There's a great expression on his face where you get where I took the resemblances from. Anyway. Life is good. Shawn's back. Life is REAL good.

Music that cares

After a brief hiatus from writing for my infamously beneficial blogspot (replete with advantages), I have been yelled at, assaulted (and it was not always welcomed!), defamed, slandered, and even blasphemed as methods to encourage me to continue! I KNOW! Anyway, that was dumb. I'm sorry. Life has been good lately. Except Shawn ditched me to go with his family to Nauvoo. The thoughtlessness. It's been a nice two weeks since the last time I wrote. Some happenings, occurrences, situations and events:
1. My coworker had her baby. Named her Aria. 6 lbs 13 oz. Just like Kyle. Sometime around now (my mind has gone blank as to the actual date. Sorry Amber!) My BF since I was in kindergarten (well, technically we reached BF status in the second grade, but never mind) had a baby as well. Named her Kate. 6 lbs, 13 oz. WHAT DOES IT MEAN? They both look like their mums. It's really cute. Anyway, with my coworker Krista gone, that means I'm officially screwed. I've already had to ask her who a package was for, and where a stupid ordering sheet was via an E-mail. Something that will probably be a daily occurrence for the next several months, especially since I'm now the official financial secretary, and not just the financial secretary in training. Gross. Although it does give me tingles to have TWO file boxes to my name, and not just one. How very professional and important of me.

2. I've had an incessant ringing in my ears for the past few days. But not just ANY ringing. It sounds just like my cell phone ring, which is not what you would expect. So I constantly (CONSTANTLY!) think someone is trying to call, and am always disappointed to see that no one has. Not only do I not have any friends, but it's rubbed in my face. I think it's about time to change the ring tone. It's like having a bad song stuck in your head, but a billion times worse. ARGH!!! Am I going crazy? Probably. Yes, I am allowed to answer my own rhetorical questions.

3. I watched Care Bears the other day. It's been a long time. Okay, so this is way exciting. CAROLE KING DID THE THEME SONG AND JOHN SEBASTIAN DID THE REST!!!!! Um, WOW. Talk about my two favorite singer/songwriters since I was like twelve! Okay, for those of you not too acquainted with the golden oldies era, Carole King was known for writing: You Make Me Feel (Like a Natural Woman), You've got a Friend, and Where you Lead (the theme to Gilmore Girls, although decades older than the show); John Sebastian was the basic frontman and brains behind THE LOVIN' SPOONFUL! YEAH! Songs of theirs (or just his), include the theme to Welcome Back Kotter, Do you Believe in Magic, Summer in the City, Did you Ever Have to Make Up Your Mind, and Daydream. Yeah. Words cannot describe how much I love these two. No, not like that Shawn. I don't even know what John Sebastian LOOKS LIKE. My favorites for both are probably Home Again for Carole King, and Darling Be Home Soon or Rain on the Roof for John Sebastian. Yeah, those last two are WAY corny, but I just can't help myself. And the Care Bear songs... well I loved the theme, and maybe one of the songs in it is kinda cute, but the rest I think I'd have to be somewhere between the ages of 2-10 to enjoy. Growing up, I think I liked the second Care Bears movie more. I had a HUGE ten yr old crush on the red head in it. Dark Heart was his name. I'm just grateful I got my bad-boy phase out of the way so early and painlessly. Anyway, this was back in the day when you couldn't illegally download movies, you had to wait and tape them off of the TV if you didn't want to fork out the bucks to purchase it. I think Whole Wide World and My Brilliant Career were also on the same tape. Isn't my mom cute? Anyway, I loved LOVED the Canadian accents in the cartoon. I didn't recall THAT growing up. I'm SOE-REE! Gets me every time.

4. Harry Potter came out. Shawn and I read it together (to the disgust of my sister apparently. She said that was SO BYU. Eat bleach--it was either that or shell out 30 bucks to buy my own copy. And I'm not going to own the 7th book and not the preceding six. So yeah. Anyway, thanks Shawn for letting me do that, it was kind of a pain--neck/back/body-positioning-wise, since it's not the most natural thing in the world to read slightly crooked like that so someone else can read with you. I thought it was really sweet anyway). Didn't care much for the last chapter, but all in all I thought it a truly most excellent book. Where does she come up with this stuff? We attended the Harry Potter party, too at BYU. Yeah, um... nothing short of Shawn's little brother competing to win best costume could convince me to go to something like that. He won first prize as Ron wearing his frilly dress robes (lace sewn to a bathrobe done by Annalisa, and a mullet-wig provided by Brady), which came with the book, the audiobook and a journal or something. Yeah. I think it was all worth over a hundred dollars. WHY DIDN'T I DRESS UP? Oh, that's right. Because I'm NOT TEN. OR ELEVEN. ONE OF THOSE. Although, I must admit, dressing up can be fun.

Anyway, I think that's about it. Just working, reading, arting, and pining for Shawniggins now that he's gone. Gets the job done.

The Easter Bunny Hates YOU

This is a lot funnier than it should be. And probably a lot funnier to me than to you. Things just happen that way.

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-6787989565772063092&q=bad+easter+bunny&hl=en

Enjoy! I only watched about half of it, but I was cracking up the whole time.

Y hug?

This is Shawn taking a picture for me. Isn't it sweet how he make such an effort to look nice for the camera? Aw. Say it with me. Aw.

Three spiders, all the same kind, very large, and all on the walls downstairs=I know what I'll be doing tonight. I hope there's enough space in the vacuum cleaner. And that they'll all kill each other, if they make it through to the bag alive. Faith.

I see all the ways you are

So the ending of the aforementioned book was a bit disappointing and cheesy. Sigh. Until then it was inconsistent but a page-turner.
Saw 1408. Which had a great ending, and kept you going until the end. The window scene where he seeks help from someone from a neighboring building is one of the creepiest scenes I've ever seen. Icky Yucky Poopy, as Shawn would say. And it has John Cusack in it. Isn't that reason enough?

Slept in until nearly 10:30 today (saw 1408 at the ten o'clock showing, and read the Dean Koontz book until I couldn't keep my eyes open after the movie. So got to bed around 2) which was irresponsible and yet so worth it. Got to work (had to be there at 11 today) only five minutes late. Yes I took a shower. No, didn't really style my hair. Buns are a lazy girl's best friend.

Take this Rachel--this is a quote by Christian Bale:

"I think there's a kind of pretentiousness to the idea that serious work is only found in low-budget independent movies-I can't stand that snobbery."

Hmmm... how interesting!

When I saw the preview for 3:10 to Yuma, I recognized of course Christian Bale and Russell Crowe, both great actors, and then I saw another guy that I knew I recognized but couldn't place him. Ben Foster. Of Fast Forward fame. CRAP. He looks amazing in it! Don't worry, Shawn, you're hotter.

Increasing Self-Esteem Through Controlled Screaming

So I'm reading this book called, "From the Corner of His Eye," by Dean Koontz. Very interesting read--the plot has been great so far, the writing a bit wishy washy at times, but for the most part engaging. This psycho guy, Enoch "Junior" Cain, 23, spontaneously murders his wife of 14 months at the beginning of the book. Just because he could. Even though he loved her and she loved him. Apparently. He's bent on self-improvement. On page 331 is this paragraph:

He had come to believe that every well-rounded, self-improved person ought to have a craft at which he excelled, and needlepoint appealed to him more than either pottery-making or decoupage. For pottery, he would require a potter's wheel and a cumbersome kiln; and decoupage was too messy, with all the glue and lacquer. By December, he began his first project: a small pillocase featuring a geometric border surrounding a quote from Caesar Zedd, "Humility is for Losers."

Caesar Zedd was an author of many self-improvement (So-called. It's pretty sick stuff-how there is no right or wrong. just socially acceptable and inacceptable behaviors and choices) books, of which Junior owned all his books. Hardcover. Where do I sign up for that?

keep your hand in your pocket

This is my Dad's idea of a good time:

That's right. Photoshopping himself into old pictures. Pictured above: Annette Funicello (of Frankie and Annette--Beach Blanket Bingo fame), the first Superman (at least for TV), and Jim Autry. Yup. That's my dad. What kills me is the expression on his face. I know the picture he took that from which makes it that much better.

Welp, I'm all better, Shawn's coming home today (can't wait! no phone calls from anyone, I don't care what the emergency is!), I've got two more hours left of work and I'm eating honey roasted sunflower seeds. Could life be any better? Yes, yes it could. I found my camera cord last night which means I can upload pictures onto this computer again. Like these:


Could my life GET any cuter? No, no it couldn't.

Twitterpated and Pixilated

"OUCH!" said Harry as what appeared to be a small, gray, feathery tennis ball collided with the side of head. Harry massaged the spot furiously, looking up to see what had hit him, and saw a minute owl, small enough to fit into the palm of his hand, whizzing excitedly around the room like a loose firework...
..."Calm down!" Harry said as the small owl flew low over his head, twittering madly with what Harry could only assume was pride at having delivered the letter to the right person.

Isn't that the most horrifyingly cute thing you have ever heard in YOUR LIFE?!??! I CAN'T HANDLE IT! I was giggling and convulsing like crazy as I finished Book 3 yesterday and began Book 4 right after. I had my suspicions before, but when I read about Pig--THAT'S when I knew that J.K. Rowlings was a true genius. Look at the size! THE EYES! THAT FACE! THE RATIO HE IS TO THE GLOVED HAND!!!! I know. I'm being ridiculous. But anyone who professes to know me should also know, that ignoring spiders, anything tiny by rule is automatically overwhelmingly horrifyingly cute. Especially when they're THAT pleased with themselves. It's just ones of those things.

dog my cats indeed

Well, I did it. Well--DOING IT. I've buckled down and began to read the Harry Potter series. Brady and Annalisa (Shawn's brother and sister in law) own them, and loaned me the first two last Saturday. Well, as of now I'm about 150 pages into the third book. Good times. Great books. Since I couldn't wait until THIS weekend when I MIGHT have hung out with them again to get the next two, I sought the help of my dear old friend (we've been friends for about 10 years now, isn't that nuts! I still remember the first time I met her, and then when we became friends like YESTERDAY. YESTERDAY!!!) Janay, who charitably brought over the next two. Oh goody, cheetos in Albuquerque I can hardly wait! Her roommate Emily own them. Can't wait for the next movie to come out! Welp... I've been told I have to update my blog, so this is it. Nothing really exciting happening. Just working, painting, reading, pining for Shawn, and getting-bettering. That's my life. And Rachel's birthday is tomorrow. Happy 24th! Which means I'll be turning 24 in two short months, too. OH MY LIFE!

Why is he still talking?

"We're just gonna put a happy little bush down in this corner, and that'll just be our little secret. But if you tell anybody that bush is there, I will come to your house and I will cut you!"

I now understand why Bob Ross acts the way he does. If I were consistently exposed to turpentine I would be personifying fauna as well. I just started oil painting yesterday and even though I just use a bit of turpentine at the end to clean my brushes (a process that lasts about five minutes) I had a slightly dizzy headache for the rest of the night.

Anyway, I've started painting a portrait of my grandma for my Dad for father's day. Good times. Hope he likes it! She was a fox in her day. I wish I could do my hair like that. And like Bob Ross.

Choice and Accountability

So for about two weeks a couple of months ago we had to keep track of everything we did at work. Or at least everything work-related. Right? I at least only kept it to that. Whoops if I did it wrong. Too bad I can't remember that far back. Anyway, I thought I should bring it back for my own personal accountability. And so you all can see how creative I get to come up with things to do to kill time, especially on Fridays, especially when I can't wait to get home and see Shawn. This is my Friday workday (8-5).
Let's see. It's noon right now. This is how I've spent the past four hours.
Got in around 7 after. Running a bit late.
Checked E-mails. Deleted a bunch of junk e-mails. Looked at dumb forwards from Dad. One interesting--he was printed in a magazine in the letter to the editor about global warming! Wrote loads in blog. Wrote freakishly long e-mail to Shawn, even if he didn't write me. That's love. Talked online to website address, you can still access it on campus. Checked E-mails. No E-mail from Shawn. Some forwards. Read the Seattle Movie times. Checked a bunch movies. Checked a bunch of movies and actors on Imdb. Checked everyone's blog. Janay, Rachel and Trish for variable amounts of time. As opposed to various. Ate some double stuffed oreo cookies. Ate butterscotch pudding, followed by triple chocolate pudding. And some cheeto puffs and a granola bar (I had waffles for breakfast! Without butter and syrup [I WAS RUNNING LATE!].). Checked E-mails again. Read news and gossip online. Checked facebook. Checked Shawn's music myspace webpage (I discovered that if you know the exact myspace. yay.). Text messaged Shawn about tonight. Talked and gossipped with coworkers.
Now it's 1:30. In all I've probably done about 45 minutes of actual work. Krista showed me how to do an expense report for a girl needing to be reimbursed for going to a psych convention. And I graded an independent study by some dude from Mexico with questionable grammar.
I plan on reading a chapter from my scriptures and then read my book that I brought with me, and pretend to do some more "work" on the internet. Sigh. Three and a half more hours.

Read my chapter and have started my book! Talked with my coworker about her pregnancy (a daily occurrence) set up a lap top for my boss (add five more minutes to actual work) checked e-mails again. read news again. talking online with former roommate. Aw. two hours eighteen minutes left.

always one foot on the ground

So I finished Catch-22 (which took A MONTH), The Catcher in the Rye (three days) and the Message (two days) all in the past week. And about 75 pages into Everything is Illuminated. I like to read. I can't believe it's already Wednesday. What an improvement on the week it makes when Monday is a holiday! Although it hits the paycheck a bit harder than preferred. Anyway, literarily (is that a word?) I thought Catcher in the Rye was the most well-written, Catch-22 was the most thought-provoking and the Message was one of the worst-written books I've ever read but also one of the most inspirational. I recommend all three, but with reservations.

My mom tried on some clothes at Cabellas. Which is an AMAZING store. Although I could do without the plethora of dead stuffed animals everywhere. And when I say everywhere I MEAN EVERYWHERE. Anyway, it wasn't until we were out to the car that my aunt pointed out the fact that my mom had put her pants on backwards. She whispered it to me and I burst out laughing. I couldn't help myself! Oh Wendy! Bless.

Gabe, Shawn and I went bowling on Saturday. Shawn wasted us the first game. Gabe wasted us the second. Both were with bumpers. *Blush* it was both embarrassing and hilarious and painful--the second time Gabe went up to bowl (or perhaps the third) he threw too hard, and it went down the lane next to ours... right in the middle of a guy's turn. Yeah. That's the second time that's happened when I've been around (the first was before my mission). Oh Gabe. Shawn just winced and covered his face, it being too painful to witness any further.

My grandma says he's (Shawn) just darling. Those words. And my cousin's middle kid, Briar, remembered Shawn (he's the one with blonde hair! Briar said to prove it) and not me (Josh said, "Oh Briar, you remember Kari! She's really nice!" Aw. Thanks Josh. At least *sob* SOMEONE appreciates!).

We went geocashing! First time I've ever gone. I'll have to bring my camera tomorrow to work, although I lost the connections temporarily to the computer since I cleaned my room last night. The bathroom is spotless, too! Yay. Anyway, cute pictures. I found the first treasure, the others beat us to the second one and found it before we even arrived so I didn't bother getting out of the car, and the third they beat us again, but they hid it for us so we found it about ten minutes after them. Geocashing is very addicting. And a cute family activity. Unless you do it with the freakishly unapologetic inappropriately competitive Walkers. COME ON BRANDON! Give me a break! Then it elicits eye-rollage.

Shawn, Gabe and I also saw Spiderman. Poor Shawn paid for it. I'd hardly say we got our money's worth. It was AWFUL!! Really? Peter Parker goes emo (complete with black eyeliner, and I swear they dyed his hair) and starts dancing (ALSO while he's just walking!) and playing the piano? And Topher is REALLY that unconcerned by the fact that his girlfriend is barely hanging on for dear life hundreds of feet above ground? And Peter REALLY says to James, "You came...!" And James REALLY keeps calling him, "Buddy"? REALLY? It just kept getting worse and worse and increasingly more ridiculous. Too much. And they have Kirsten Dunst sing like TWICE?! REALLY?! I used to think Tobey Macguire was a remarkably good actor, but either the dialogue, the direction was bad, or Tobey has taken a turn for the worse. Oh you guys! COME ON! And the venom black grease stuff just HAPPENS to crash just yards away from where Spidey and Kirsten are making out? REALLY?! Wow. Wow. That's all. Three and a half more hours of work with nothing really to do. Sigh.

Same boy you've always known

Shawn comes home today!
I'm cranky because I didn't get much sleep last night!
Got to watch TV yesterday! That was fantastic! Especially Bill O'Reilly ( Dennis Miller is great I must say). Although a guest host was on instead. Sigh. Oh well.
So you think you can dance just started, as well as... shoot, what's it called again? The Lot or something like that? It's a new reality show about directing. And it's great. And it has Carrie Fischer. Which is great.
My mom's idea of a good time was to take all of us to the mall yesterday. Gabe and I wandered around for awhile, he got some food, and only ate half of each hamburger, because even though I picked out all the lettuce tomatoes and pickles, there were still bits of onion in it (BITS!!!!!!!). And then barely touched the fries. And then nearly puked several times. We then went to the Gamestop shop, where I asked ('for my brother, really!!!!') when the new Zelda game for DS was to come out. He bought a pokemon game and a player's guide to go along with it. Then he wanted to go to a bookstore (what?!) but all they had was deseret books, and he refused to even enter it. He wanted Borders or Barnes and Noble. Man, I missed that kid. He used the word "postpone" yesterday and I about died. And when I poke him furiously on the shoulder saying "Gabey baby Gabey baby"over and over in a really obnoxious high-pitched voice, he just takes it for a minute, and then asks me some random question about a TV show or movie or game or something. As if I hadn't been trying desperately to get on his nerves or elicit some reaction. Gotta love family.

Especially when my mom chooses to loudly nitpick my posture on the way out to the car, prodding, poking and pushing my shoulders back and my back straight.

You hold it and I 'll squeeze

It's embarrassing where the title came from. And it is nearly as bad as it sounds. Just ask Rachel. Do I really have to upload the pictures? Can't you just look on facebook? Grumble. Here are a few. I'm too tired and lazy to put the rest.




And my first roommate from freshman year just got engaged to her boyfriend of a billion years. I wish them all the happiness! Aren't they just so sweet and tender?

Practice?

So I had a great weekend. Fantastic! Amazing. Brilliant. Spectacular. And not just because of all the things my Mom bought for me. Which was quite a bit, some required but all desired. I got a haircut! And new shoes! And new...unmentionables! And new clothes! New art supplies! New kitchen stuff! Basically my mom loves me. A lot. And she has the receipts to prove it. We both got facials done at the Bon Losee Academy (where i got my haircut as well). It was quite lush. And the girl there said I had beautiful hands (my nails are really long right now, which does NOT make typing easy but they're great for back scratches. And sometimes you just have to prioritize. I mean let's be honest. How often do I REALLY type, compared to scratch someone's (or my own) back? Come on!). It was her birthday that day, too. She was way cute. But sitting there with no makeup on and crap hair (this was right before I got my haircut) being surrounded by skinny, thickly made up, gorgeous peroxided giggly 19-yr-olds, that was rough. DON'T... FIT... IN... BUT... AT... LEAST... I... HAVE... A... SWEET... SPIRIT... RIGHT? I always have a hard time telling if I like my haircut, too, if I'm not wearing any makeup. Is that weird? So anyway, the second I hit the car I busted out the makeup and put some on. WHEW. Cute haircut after all. Thank goodness!
I got new contacts, too. Still trying to get used to them. I keep sitting closer to the computer than I need do, out of habit, which is a great recipe for a headache.
Because my little cousin Kaylee is getting baptized in a couple of weeks, and my aunt's 50th birthday is the week after that, my mom decided to lengthen her stay. by another three weeks. She's crazy! But this is exciting because now (besides you of course Rachel. I'd say Janay, too, but she has new friends and doesn't need me any more. Yeah, I see how it is!) I have someone to hang out with during the week when Shawn ditches me for greener pastures. To make them brown. At least for three weeks. ALSO, Gabe is coming to visit tomorrow! Holy CRAP he is the CUTEST GUY EVER!!! Rex is close, FREAKISHLY CLOSE, but still. Gabe is cuter. Because he's mine. MINE. But I plan to take him and Shawn bowling. Gabe is the cutest bowler! He's just cute. i'm going into convulsions right now just thinking about itdsjkflasjdfa
Moving on, it was great to spend time with the family. I hadn't seen my mommy since Christmas (and MAN that went fast!) so it was good to catch up in person. And for her to spend more time with Shawn. and to hang out with my little cousin Kaylee! She's so funny. I got a new digital camera, too (my mom is such a push over. It's my early birthday present. Yeah. My birthday isn't until August.), so I was able to take loads of pictures of everyone. Well, Grandma refused, despite being a beauty, and I didn't get any of Yu hua or Rick (aunt and uncle), because they were usually upstairs. Grandma insisted on going shopping with Mom and me (even at my age, I found all of the shopping really draining. It wears me out like nothing, so you can imagine what a spry trooper she is!) and she said I needed to wear makeup (which I do, but apparently not bright or thick enough. She said I needed more color. And that Shawn needed new shoes.). And they refused to buy me anything brown. Except one shirt, but that had white polka dots, so it hardly counted.
My uncle got married! He looked so happy! And Shawn looked freaking hot. Seriously. I wish I had gotten a picture. But the batteries on my camera died. Yeah. I don't want to hear it. He was wearing this dark teal shirt with a matching hot tie, with a black jacket and slacks. And shoes and socks. I had a hard time controlling myself. Apparently one of my cousins told my mom (grandma?) that he was hot, too. And when it's not to your face you can guarantee it's true. When it's to your face, it depends. Obviously.
DANG IT. I just broke a nail. Past the quick. Well, it got caught. It's not completely off, but that means I have to cut it short. And cut the rest short. Argh. O THE HUMANITY. Now they're going to hurt and feel weird for the next two days. And take a month to grow back. No backscratches for anyone. So I guess it's a good thing my dad's not coming, because he loves my backscratches.
Anyway, it was great to see everyone! We went for a hike yesterday--my uncle literally lives at the base of these mountains in Alpine--but Kaylee insisted we take the tamer route which led AWAY from the mountains and TOWARDS this poor excuse for a playground. And I realized I've lost any and all ability to do pull-ups. I tried. Shawn did two pull-ups. Show off. I guess I've lost all my upper body strength. So yeah. Kaylee is just as cute as ever. Especially with Shawn. He insists she doesn't like him, but I think she's warming up to him great. It just takes time.

And we played piano together. And then Kaylee showed us up big time by playing Beauty and the Beast. Yeah, have I mentioned she's barely eight?

And my mom so obligingly told Shawn that I was held back in kindergarten (which I think he already knew) because I wasn't emotionally prepared enough to move on to the first grade (basically I cried all day everyday over everything), and that I had to be in speech therapy for a year or two in elementary school. Which he didn't know. Apparently this was because (I didn't know THIS part) Gabe had severe speech impediments and we played with him so much, and my mom rarely talked to us, that we picked up his speech patterns more than my folks. She said it was because it was so freaking boring talking to little kids, so she rarely did. Thanks mom. At least she did read to us a lot. Fond memories connected with that.

Anyway, if I remember, pictures will be included as of tomorrow. So stay tuned!

I'm gonna get me a shotgun and kill all the doggies I see

I'm sooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAANNNNNNNNNGGGGGRYYYYYYYY. Shawn can say that a lot better than I can. Sigh. So there was this STUPID DOG that barked ALLLLLLLLL NIGHT. I turned on the fan, but I'm not one of those white-noise type people where the fan can function to block out all other noises while still being subtle enough to facilitate my own sleep. No, that just kept me up, too. I couldn't decide which was worse. So, basically I barely slept a wink last night. And when I finally turned off the fan the first time my alarm went off (I snoozed the alarm clock like three or four times this morning) THE DOG WAS STILL BARKING!!!!! I need earplugs. Why didn't the owners shut the stupid dog up? Or at least shoot it? I don't get it. I just don't get it. Anyway, even though my birthday is three months away from tomorrow, I talked my mom into getting me my birthday present early: a digital camera! Hurray!!!!!!!! I've been DYING for one, and Shawn's not exactly the best sharer (it's true, Shawn, admit it) so, um, yeah. She acquiesced to my request. I'm getting new clothes today, too! So excited. I've been wearing the same five shirts for the past year, (basically the last time I went shopping, except for those two shirts I bought in Park City a couple of weeks ago. Wow that went fast!) so it'll be nice to add a few more to the mix. I also should be getting a haircut today or tomorrow. Wow, I almost wrote two morrow. As in I wrote it but then deleted it. That's how tired I am. Shawn got back early! And my mom somewhat behaved herself around him, better than expected, so that was good. At least yesterday. We're getting together today and loads of extended family tomorrow, so we'll see how that goes. *fingers crossed*


Through a string of events I came across this. And liked it a lot more than I should. No I am NOT into sado-masochism, although I still insist, being backed by both Janay and Rachel and I'm sure every girl in the audience, that the scene where Hamlet threw around Ophelia in BYU's production of Hamlet was one of the hottest scenes of ANYTHING EVER. Gotta love the take-charge type.

I read the news today, oh boy

sell-out-has-been or stick-it-to-the-man?
I'm so confused. He's promoting his new CG movie about bees that he wrote himself, and does the voice over for the main character, Barry B Benson. Oh Seinfeld.

My Tigers My Heart
The mum of the three tigers (the far right is the dog's own pup) rejected them, so the zookeepers (as apparently is common practice) had a nursing dog give them milk. They usually have to cover the little guys in dog urine so the mom will think the tigers are her own, but this one didn't mind. Does that hurt you as much as it does me? So sweet.

Jenna Fischer, whom we all know as Pam from the Office, fell down a flight of stairs and broke her back in like four places. But she's okay! She just needs a month or two to recuperate. Yikes, eh! We need you Pam, but more importantly, Jim needs you!

Half the stories were about celebrities caught on camera with wardrobe malfunctions.
A quarter were about American Idol. Although I'm secretly pleased because one of the two finalists is from my home town of Bothell, Washington.
Apparently some kid from Japan, 17 years old mind you, decapitated his mother, and carried the head to I think authorities, although I may be mixing up what he did with the head with ANOTHER story where ANOTHER kid decapitated their own mother's head in Asia.

One more hour then I'm done with work. And start with mom. She said she was the most excited about seeing me. The rest... notquitesomuch. Although I do secretly think she'd be the most excited about seeing her sister, my aunt Terri, but alas she's in Africa. So I'm number one by default. And I'm perfectly okay with that.

Surprised by Joy

Wow. I just spent three hours making copies and collating and sticking them into folders for graduate students planning on going on internship. Good times. I collated all the cute colored ones for the right side, while my blessed coworker Monica is doing all the plain white ones for the left side. My back my back. They'd better appreciate and recognize. Or there will be offensive threatening notes in the next batch.
Anyway, today I'm celebrating the word joy. The title of my blog comes from a book of C.S. Lewis. His wife's name was Joy. Isn't that sweet? And I'm pretty sure the title also comes from a poem (play? too lazy to look it up).

Upon learning that my art teacher had served his mission in Cambodia, I just HAD to ask him a language question. When I was in elementary school, my sister taught me that the word 'joy' meant the F-word in Cambodian. Embarrassingly enough, that unverified fact stayed with me all these years. And I just HAD to know if that was true.

It was.

A professor came in, HILARIOUS woman, while we secretaries were organizing a tubful of toys for an autism test, and began playing with a dump truck sitting on the front desk. She then began to relate to us how her son, when he was in kindergarten, couldn't say his "tr's" so he would call them a "dumb f*ck" instead. Yeah. She said it. Twice.

I love my job.

I never thought I'd be in a professional, academic, largely Mormon environment where I would be constantly exposed to profanity. I even read an assignment sent in today for independent study that said hell. Incorrectly (as in for a swear word, not the location.). It's great. The joys of being a secretary!

Well, how come I don't FEEL like the one?

Well, I had a good weekend. Got to spend a lot of time with Shawn, did barely anything productive, got to catch up with a couple of freshman year friends, and eat great Indian food with Shawn and his family while watching Kramer vs. Kramer. Not sure how I feel about the ending. I mean, I'm happy that at the end of the day, the right thing was done, but not how it got there... never mind. I'm tangenting. It's what I'm into! Here are people that surprisingly like and/or understand me and demonstrations thereof:
My Dad. My folks got a check in the mail for sixty bucks as a mortgage refund. My mom told my dad to just spend it how he wanted, and he sent it to me! I didn't even have to whine for it! Just a nice surprise.
My Grandma. She told my mom she wanted to go shopping with her and me on Friday, because she likes me so much (since when?! I mean I know she loves and likes me, but I've never considered myself to be a particular favorite of hers), but it's PROBABLY because I have a boyfriend now so I'm now all of a sudden exciting, and because I won't accept cash from her (apparently the only grandchild to turn it down, although I will accept VCR's and TV's. I know), but mostly because, as she told my mom, I crack her up. Oh Grandma!
Shawn. He and Brady left to go get some cleaning supplies after a slight mishap involving sauce and the carpet occurred (it WASN'T ME!) and they turned and asked if we (meaning Annalisa and I) wanted anything. I scrunched up my face, and Shawn in turn said, "That means she wants chocolate." Aw. It's scary how well he knows me sometimes.