The Best Star Wars Video Ever

Seriously, this thing is hilarious. It will make you pee your pants.

Midweek Girls' Night Out (and Other Updates)

I was just looking over my last posting and that was a pretty complain-ey post! My apologies. Blame it on the drugs.

Things are pretty much the same. You'd think that with as much time as I let pass between postings I'd have lots to talk about, but I'm just not that interesting I guess. I'm enjoying my classes: I've started writing again, which is always a good thing, and I'm learning a bit about music history. Nothing overly taxing, but I'm still learning.

I got to visit some cousins and aunts last weekend when I went down to Salem for my cousin's son's baby blessing. He's a real cutie-pie and loved by lots of people. All the cousins, aunts, my sisters, my grandma, and I gathered around the baby and took turns holding him. The poor guy was out like a light, though! He'd wake up a little, look up at the faces, roll his eyes and fall back asleep. My dad was in the circle and said he was a little fussy, but not too much. (For my friends who are not Mormon, and have no idea what I'm talking about, a baby blessing is like a christening, but without the water. The guys gather in a circle holding the baby and give him/her a blessing of health, guidance, etc. Then, per tradition, the family gathers to eat food and coo over the new baby. Good times.) I love family gatherings, especially when it includes cute new babies. :D

Tonight I stayed at work late to make up hours, then my Aunt Liz and Jessica picked me up. They had been hanging out together and visiting another friend. Once they picked me up, we went to McDonald's to get me a burger (they had already eaten dinner), then we went to Bistro 258 because we had a craving for really nice desserts. Jess and Liz got the chocolate soufflés and I got their desert called Fuzzy Peaches: battered peach halves flash fried then served with cinnamon caramel sauce, vanilla ice cream, and peach sorbet. Yeah, it was as good as it sounds.

Liz gets camera happy whenever we go out, and tonight was no exception. She was snapping pictures of the desserts, each of us at the restaurant, and she even made us (well, me) go into the bathroom to take pictures of the decor. She's funny like that, and it's why we love her. After dessert we went down to my parents' house to visit a bit with them, but only my mom and Kate were home. We still had nice visits. It's now almost 1 a.m.; I got home about a half hour ago, but I'm not all that sleepy.

While we were driving to McDonald's, I got a call from my friend, Joey. It was really good to hear from him and catch up a bit on each other's lives. He told me he found a librarian action figure that he's going to send me and I'm totally excited about it. It was originally my Christmas present, but apparently, one of the postal workers at his local post office was stealing people's mail, so we're assuming that's where the original package went since I never got it. But YEAH for librarian action figures!

This weekend we're having another family get-together. More aunts and cousins are coming in from out of town, and one of my cousins is bringing her new fiance. We all get to meet him and see if he passes muster, and is worthy to enter our family ;) I'm sure he is worthy, but it will still be fun to mess with his head a bit.

Well, this blog ended up much longer than I intended so, goodnight!

I hate being sick!

Wow, this has been a crazy weekend! On Thursday I went to the doctor because of some back pain I have been having. He gave me drugs and sent me to physical therapy. Turns out (according to my physical therapist) that my hips were out of alignment so we started working on that. Later that evening I started getting the sniffles. No big deal, I thought. A little congestion won't be so bad---boy was I wrong!

Friday was a normal day at work, except my sniffles started getting worse. By the end of the day I knew I was completely sick. All I wanted to do was to go home and sleep--and by home I mean my mom and dad's. So that's what we did. I was still hoping, though, that this cold wouldn't be too bad. The next day I took a dose of sudafed and headed off to Ikea with my sisters. We bought lamps, a rug, storage boxes, a mini ironing board, and throw blanket, and a wall shelf to hang in Jessica's room. Oh, and some Swedish goodies. I really like the stuff we got (especially my lamp) but shopping was stressful and exhausting. We decided to get some dinner after our shopping trip, then we headed home. By this point I had taken multiple doses of sudafed but they had stopped working. This was the beginning of hell.

Sunday I was too sick to go to church. I spent the day in bed reading, but I could feel the congestion moving into my chest. A few years ago I had a nasty case of bronchitis, and my lungs have never been quite the same, so feeling that cough coming on was not something I was too happy about. The coughing started, and that combined with the sneezing, and the tossing and turning in bed started to wreak havoc on my back. By Sunday evening I was completely immobile. I was lying flat on the floor and I couldn't even roll over. It was brutal.

Monday was more of the same, but worse. The cough had definitely settled in, and I felt yicky all over. I was stressed because I knew I had a physical therapy appointment the next morning, and I had work the next evening--I didn't know how I was going to do either. In the end I decided to skip on the physical therapy, but I was going to try to make it in to work.

Tuesday morning was awful--major coughing and congestion, but I got myself ready for work. When I got in I could hardly stand, but I didn't know what else to do because I needed the work hours. Fortunately, I work with great people. They told me to go home and we'd trade weekend shifts around so I could still get my hours. Jess came and picked me up, and after a stop for some food, I went home and slept for about 4 hours. I'm heavily medicated (Dayquil is my friend) but I'm doing much better today. I can't wait for this stupid cold to be over with! 

Wasting Time at Work

I'm really bored at work right now, so I'm posting this just to pass some time. (I stole it from a girl I work with--from her blog. Thanks Cupcake.)

1. What is your occupation?
Manuscript processor
2. What color are your socks right now?
Orange and tan striped
3. What are you listening to right now?
I just plugged my iPod in, put it on shuffle, and Mika's Big Girls (You Are Beautiful) just came on.
4. What was the last thing that you ate?
Hershey's kiss.
5. Can you drive a stick shift?
No, and my attempts to do so have been ... adventures.
6. If you were a crayon, what color would you be?
I hate questions like this.
7. Last person you spoke to on the phone?
My sister.
8. How old are you today?
26 years, 6 months, 25 days, 6 hours, and 49 minutes old. Approximately.
9. Favorite drink?
Rootbeer.
10. What is your favorite sport to watch?
Tennis. I can't wait for Wimbledon!
11. Have you ever dyed your hair?
Yes.
12. Favorite reality TV show?
1900 House from PBS. Some of the other "House" shows were good, but this was the best.
15. Favorite day of the year?
Any day spent in laughter with people I love.
16. What do you do to vent anger?
Throw pillows. Pout.
17. What was your favorite toy as a child?
There was some doll that "grew" hair if you cranked on her arm. That one was fun for a while. My Barbie dolls (*blushing*) and my marbles also provided much fun.
18. What is your favorite fall or spring?
Fall is my favorite. Spring is too artificial: it promises more than it can deliver.
19. Hugs or kisses?
Hugs from people; kisses from Hershey's.
20. Cherries or Blueberry?
Fresh I prefer cherries, in pies I prefer neither, and in artificial flavorings I prefer cherries. In other words, I don't like blueberries.
21. Living arrangement?
I share an apartment with my sister.
22. When was the last time you cried?
I don't know, and even if I did I wouldn't tell you.
23. What is on the floor of your closet?
Shoes and storage containers.
24. What did you do last night?
Went to the store to buy dinner, ate dinner, watched t.v., then read my new annotated copy of Pride and Prejudice.
25. Favorite smells?
Fresh baked bread, homecooked meals, and so forth.
26. What inspires you?
People who change their lives for the better; Jane Austen.
27. What are you afraid of?
Being wrong.
28. Plain, cheese or spicy hamburgers?
The cheesier the better.
29. Favorite dog breed?
My two mutts.
30. How many years at your current job?
Almost a year and a half in this position; six years in other positions at the same place.
31. Favorite day of the week?
During the school semester it's Tuesdays because I get to sleep in; during breaks it's Saturdays for the same reason.
32. How many states have you lived in?
3
33. Ever driven a Motorcycle or heavy machinery?
No, although I got a ride on a motorcycle once when I was little--from my grandpa or uncle, I don't remember which. I was really little.
34. Who's your favorite NFL team?
I have no patience with professional football.
35. Do you have a house phone that is NOT cordless?
No. I only have cell phones. My parents have three non-cordless phones, though.
36. 10 inches of snow or 100 degree weather?
100 degree weather because then I'd be in the desert. I love the desert.
37. Oldest thing in your freezer?
That container of kidney beans I've been too afraid to go near.
38. What makes you laugh out loud?
My family when they're just being themselves.
39. What is one thing you are REALLY good at?
Learning things, analyzing literature, loving people.
40. What would be TWO things you would like to do before you die?
Travel England; finish college.
41. Hardwood or carpet?
Depends on the room, but generally I prefer hardwood floors.
42. What do you plan on doing when you finish answering these questions?
Go to the bathroom.
43. Are you a morning or night person?
I'm a night person all the way. Mornings suck.

Snow Snow & More Snow

Yesterday a huge snow storm hit northern Utah and we got about 14 inches of snow dumped on us (more and less in some areas). Here's some pictures taken from my back porch.






In the second picture you can't really tell, but there's a bird in the tree. Jessica and I threw down some food for the birds and soon had about four little birds hanging out around our porch and munching on the goodies. It was cute.

School had started up again, and I'm not so glad. I think the spring semester is harder than the fall because you jump into the spring semester right after the holidays when you're still feeling fat and lazy. Fall semester is after a long summer break (unless you're stupid enough to take summer classes) so you're pretty well rested and ready for school to start. There is nothing restful about the holiday break.

I'm taking two classes this semester: Introduction to Music, to satisfy my creative arts requirement, and a writing class. The music class meets for the first time tonight so I'll post later about that one. My writing class is on notebooks, journals, and creativity; I'm hoping it will help me be more creative because I really don't feel all that creative right now. In fact, class has been somewhat discouraging and intimidating because most of the people in the class are creative writers and have all these great ideas (one guy has even published a novel already and is working on the second). I, on the other hand, am crap at creative writing, and (lately) all writing. I've felt like quite the idiot in class so far, but the professor is a really good one so I'm hoping in the end I'll feel better about my writing.

Well, that's all for now.

End of the semester

Well, I just finished my last paper for class, and e-mailed it off to my professor. The Fall '07 semester is finally over. Feminist Theories has been a very interesting class, and I've learned a lot. Perhaps the biggest thing I've learned is that despite what anyone says, and despite any feminist backlash, the need for feminism is still very real. Case in point: check out this little article from the February 2006 edition of Esquire:

I came across this blurb while I was working on a final project for class about portrayals of women. What angered me so much was the title: Shut Up and Show Us Your Tits." Who do these men think they are that they can get away with something like that?! Something so sexist and racist! Gwenyth Paltrow's altruistic and philanthropic efforts have been completely undermined in some crude attempt at humor. They've sexualized and demeaned her, as well as millions of African women--and women everywhere. And as my professor pointed out, you would never see something like this about a man. When have you ever heard anyone say to Bono, "Shut up and show us your dick"?

This is why we still need feminism--right now.

An Evening With the Symphony

Jessica and I got a phone call this evening from Mom and Kate asking if we wanted to go to the symphony. I was pretty tired, and didn't really want to leave the house, but Kate had the tickets and I didn't want to let them go to waste. So I changed out of my jeans into nicer clothes, and we drove down to the house. The Utah Symphony was playing at the Browning Center at the WSU campus, but we had to pick Katie up.

Once we had grabbed Kate we went out to dinner at Denny's. Hot chocolate sounded good, and it was right on the way. Katie updated us about her life at school and all her friends, and we just enjoyed being sisters and chatting. It was nice.

The concert was wonderful. I haven't been to the symphony in ages, and my soul needed it. The first number was Mendelssohn's Symphony no. 3 in A minor, op. 56 (I got all that from the program). I can't say I'm the biggest Mendelssohn fan, but there were some beautiful moments in the piece, and I was quite entertained by the maestro's silk shirt bouncing around. He wasn't wearing the traditional tux, just slacks and a silk shirt, and every time he waved his arms around his shirt put on a little dance.

The second number was Lois Spohr's Violin Concerto No. 8 in A minor, with the solo part by guest violinist Ralph Matson. I haven't really heard much from Spohr before, so it was interesting to get acquainted with his music. The violinist was pretty good--no Itzhak Perlman, but good in his own way. I enjoyed the piece.

But the real highlight of the evening for me, was the final number: Ottorino Respighi's Pini de Roma (Pines of Rome). I love, love, love this piece, but this was the first I've heard it played live, and man oh man did it send chills up and down my spine. The opening movement made me smile with its delightful chaos, and the second movement (Pines near a Catacomb) had such brilliant brass parts it almost made me cry. The third movement almost had a touch of Debussy in it, and the solo clarinet line ... I can still hear it in my mind and each note was so graceful and perfect. The final movement is spectacular with its military fanfares, and again brilliant performances from the brass section. This final movement lifts you up on wave after wave of sound and you want to just float away in it. This was truly one of those concert moments that you know you will remember forever and ever.

What this all comes down to is that I miss making music--making music with an ensemble. I was never a very good musician, but I loved being in rehearsal or on stage or even on the football field with my bands and making music with all of them. There is something so transcendent about a moment like that: when a several dozen people (or a couple hundred in the case of my marching band) become one musical ensemble. I miss that. And I miss having music in my life on a daily basis. There's not much I can do about it at this point. I just miss it is all.