Reviewing 2010

This year wasn't the most eventful year, but it wasn't exactly boring either. Here's a quick review of 2010:

January: I had to quit my job a Drury this month. I also decided to became a
vegetarian, and I bought my beautiful iMac!

February: I wallowed in self-pity. I felt like a failure for not being a productive
member of society. This was not a great month, to say the least.

March: I started my first "real" job. I'm glad that I had the opportunity to work
for this company, and I met some fantastic people.

April: One of my best friends got engaged!

May: M and I moved to our pretty apartment. We've slowly realized that it's
actually a little ghetto. We also had a BATHROOM FULL OF KITTENS for about
a week.

June: I went to KC with M and got to hang out with her family and friends as well
meet some new people.

July: Early in the month, I had a family reunion in STL. The best part was that
the hotel offered three free drinks every night to each guest (21+). Later
in the month, I turned 24, had a fantastic Birthday Weekend, went to
Branson with the fam, and scandalized my brother with Mr. Milwaukee in
the hot tub. #successfulmonth

August: M and I went to the Lake for Jake's birthday, and I GOT M TO GO CANOEING!

September: I adopted the newest addition to the household--Tobias! He's such a special
kitty!

October: Mom and I went to STL on her birthday. We saw Maggie perform, and on the way
home, stopped in Rolla to spend time with Jake.

November: I quit my first "real" job, and went back to the office that I love. I'm so
happy to be back with my people!

December: This month has been busy (of course) with the holidays. I've been able to
spend time with friends and family that I don't get to see very often, and
that has been so lovely!

Cold Feet

I think we can all learn something from the Russians. Vodka is an excellent source of warmth.

It was a BT kind of day

Strange Feeling

I have such great relationships with Jake, Maggie, and Abe. It makes me sad that I most likely won't be close to Isaac.

I can't get dragged into that whole mess, though.

The best I can do is (when he gets older) let him know that I'll be there for him if he ever needs anything.

It still feels so strange to have a half-brother (who is twenty-three years [to the day] younger than I am).

But, it's hard to ignore now that I've met* and fallen completely in love with him.


*I met him October 17. I hadn't planned on meeting him for a long time, but I bumped into him (and his mom and his other half-sisters) unexpectedly in the park. I wasn't emotionally prepared, but when I held him and he laughed and feel asleep in my arms.

too old
too young
too short
too married
too stupid
too lazy
too irresponsible
too boring
too obnoxious
too quiet
too loud
too weird
too normal



...too picky?

"Perhaps there is some truth to the notion that stars collide or are out of balance in the universe and thus, in disarray, exert an influence upon individuals here on earth."

From All He Ever Wanted by Anita Shreve

[Note: This book is actually not that fantastic]

[Not Feeling a Title]

Tonight feels like it should be cool outside, but it definitely is not. I'm ready for a weekend of Lounging, Jurassic Park-ing, Autism Walking, and who knows what else!

Help, I'm alive, my heart keeps beating like a hammer
Hard to be soft, tough to be tender
Come take my pulse, the pace is on a runaway train

A Bar in Amsterdam

I'm pretty obsessed with this song by Katzenjammer:

Work was not so great today, but it was nothing that red wine and an excellent thunderstorm couldn't fix.

This is the best thing I've seen all day:



Thank you, thefrisky.com!

Twenty-Four Things

-Mud Lounge with Marie, Linz, Cassy, and Justin
-Fitting three people in a Miata
-Liberty and Lawrence
-Birthday brownies
-Party Van
-Drinking PBR while in Party Van
-Dancing
-Vodka
-Blah, blah, blah conversations
-Working out how to catch fireflies by using two plastic cups with Shane.
-Realizing several minutes later that there actually aren't any fireflies around
-Veggie nachos at Burrito King
-Bestie love at midnight
-Tiara
-Cuddle-puddle on couch
-Passengers in Party Van singing Happy Birthday to me
-Picking up random chair
-Deciding who should keep the random chair
-Depositing random chair in boy's driveway
-Family photo shoot
-Hu Hot
-Little cousin pulling on shirt saying, "I'm trying to see your bra!"
-Making CA plans
-Exhaustion

:-)

If you could be any color, which one would you choose?

Strange Things are A-Happenin'

I know Marie already wrote about this, but that's just too bad. :)

There was a big storm on Saturday complete with hail, an excellent lightning show, blinding rain, and high winds. That storm passed through around 5:00 pm, and by 6:30 that evening, the sky was mostly clear. We went to see Toy Story 3. After the movie, we made our way to the Mud Lounge (of course). Along the way, we passed a mass of people standing in line to see Whitechapel (judging by the people in line, this does not seem like a band I would like. Although, I could be wrong)* at the Ballroom. After navigating our way around the crowd, we made it to the Mud Lounge, which was closed. CLOSED?! At 9:00 pm on a Saturday?! Actually, it was closing; the waiter were cleaning off tables.

Marie and I brainstorm about things to do, and we decided to pick up food and go back home to watch Air: The Musical. The first place M suggested for food was Perkins (random), and we ultimately settled on Sonic (cranberry limeade, FTW!). As we're leaving the parking garage, we hear a strange sound. It turns out that a piece of metal had fallen from M's car, and was dragging the ground. M took care of the that, and we were on our merry way once again.

Except, Sonic was closed. And so was Perkins (it's supposed to be open until midnight). However, the bar between them was in full swing. There were a couple of traffic lights out, but they were on opposite sides of town. It was very eerie. Also, when we got home, our clocks were blinking. Apparently, the electricity had gone out at some point, but came back on around 8:45. It just seems so strange that it occurred hours after the huge storm passed.

Basically, we were convinced that it was the apocalypse.

So far, everything has been normal today. Well, as normal as they could be with M and myself... ;-)

*Okay, I looked Whitechapel up on iTunes, and it is definitely NOT my cup of tea. I realize this is not important to the story.

No Need to Rush

I've got all my life to live.
I've got all my love to give.

The Next Chapter

This weekend, Marie and I moved to our new apartment! Thankfully, we had lots of family to help us move! At this point, I feel fairly settled in, and I'm excited to start decorating. This weekend was so busy with Artwalk (Capstone opening at the PAC and Freedom Photography!), moving, unpacking, and the Mother's Day extravaganza at the Lake.

A few days ago I made the decision to put grad school off for a year. A different financial priority needs to be dealt with before I continue my education. However, I also made the decision to work on my photography. I'm really excited to be able to spend time on this hobby!

While I was unpacking my books this evening, I came across all of my Religion Senior Seminar readings. I really miss those discussions! Maybe I need to get together with Brett...Haha! But really, I think I'm going to reread The Fall and The Stranger which are both written by Albert Camus. The first time I read The Fall, it threw me into an existential crisis.

Marie, (in advance) I'm sorry that I'll be ranting. Feel free to tune me out. Haha!

It's That Time of Year (At Least I Don't Have Finals)

Moving day is near! I think it's safe to say that the next several days are going to be pretty intense with working, shopping for Mother's Day, packing, moving, going to the Lake, etc.

I'm also looking forward to the PAC gallery opening on Friday; it will be fun to see what the Capstone students did this year! I can't wait to see what my talented friends from the Art Department created!

At the same time that such exciting things are happening in my life, my best friend is having a very difficult time. I wish I could go visit her, but it's just not possible right now. Hopefully, after Chelsea graduates, things will settle down and we'll be able to spend some quality time together. I miss her so much!

These Animals Aren't in Disney Movies

I just took a little hike around the nearby lake, and I saw a squirrel that was approximately the size of Stella just hanging out on the trail, looking like a badass.


Also, the other day, I was thinking of the chameleon that Marie and I saw in Petsmart. We named him (?) Kanye.


Chameleon Sunglasses - Amazing videos are here

What's A-Happenin'

Yesterday, I met up with Mom, Maggie, and Abe in Lebanon, and then we drove to Rolla to see Jake (Valerie was also there). I finally got to go to A Slice of Pie, and it was soooo delicious! I love pie so much...

I'm really excited to start my new job on Monday!

Tomorrow afternoon, Marie and I are going to look at some apartments.

Today, I'm getting my hair cut (FINALLY!), and I'm going to scout out some new music at Entertainmart. And maybe buy the first season of Friends.

Finally, here is something cute on this rainy day:



Enjoy the rest of your week! :)

For Your Viewing Pleasure

Bill Nye the Science Guy Would be so Proud

Science fascinates me. I regret not majoring in biology (in addition to my other majors, of course). Anyway, yesterday I read two really interesting scientific articles.

The first one discussed a newly found dinosaur nest that is about 67 billion years old. That in and of itself is really interesting to me (I have an uncle who is an archeologist). However, they also found a skeleton of a giant snake that snacked on the baby dinosaurs. Poor little guys! It's still a pretty neat finding!



The second article revealed that the earthquake in Chile may have shortened the Earth day by 1.26 microseconds. It also could have moved the figure axis by about three inches! Ahhh! I know that this doesn't really have any impact on my life, but still...it's pretty cool when you think about it.

I'm a little bit of a nerd, I suppose... :)

Spring Seems So Much Closer!

Happy March! Dreary February is over, and even though March so far hasn't been much better, I feel like we're so much closer to spring! Woot!!

I've been doing some cleaning today. I cleaned the kitchen, scrubbed the bathroom floor, and I'm getting ready to do some laundry. It's quite energizing, and I think it's helping me center my chi. I've been feeling pretty anxious lately with the whole job search thing, but I feel like my luck is changing: I've had two "second" interviews, and while I would much rather work at one place, I could live with the other job as well. It's a waiting game now, but I'm still looking in case neither job pans out.

It's been over a month since I became a pescatarian. I was never a red-meat eater, but I've completely eliminated chicken and turkey from my diet. It's been a little difficult when I eat out, but it's getting easier. I think the hardest part was finding canned soup (yes, I'm lazy) that didn't have a chicken broth base. Just because a soup says it's just vegetables and noodles doesn't mean that it's vegetarian.

Here are some of my new favorite meals:

Baked Fish

I put a piece of fish on tinfoil and cover it with veggies. I drizzle some olive oil and white wine and sprinkle salt, pepper, and herbs (I like rosemary and thyme) over all of the veggies and fish. Then, I wrap the tinfoil around everything and bake for 15 minutes at 375 degrees. I usually eat this over herbed brown rice.

Veggie Soup

I use Campbell's Southwest Veggie soup as a base, and then I add extra corn and black beans. I also dress it up with garlic, cumin, red pepper, paprika, and a pinch of tumeric. It is delicious and so fast to make! I crumble some tortilla chips in a bowl, ladle the soup over the chips and toss some cheese on the top. Nom!

Taco Salad

Crumble chips onto a plate and then toss romaine lettuce, corn, black beans, and cheese on top. Pretty basic, I know, but then I put a lime vinaigrette on top. To make the vinaigrette, I juice two limes and add about 1/4 cup of olive oil. Then, I mix in salt and red pepper. It's tart and delicious. It adds a lot of flavor!

I also baked a flourless chocolate cake today for the first time. It is absolutely divine. You should try the recipe.

Stella's Tongue Makes Raspy Noises

The past couple of days have been lovely and sunshiny! It's been wonderful. Of course, all good things come to an end:



Bah! I wish spring would hurry up and get here! If only Punxsutawney Phil hadn't seen his shadow...

In other news, it's always fun when the waitress at your favorite bar is excited to see you (of course, this could also mean that you spend ENTIRELY too much time there).

Looking forward to a fun weekend!

The Sun Came Out to Play

Vitamin D

I need to laugh, and when the sun is out
I've got something I can laugh about



Last night when I was talking to my mom, she mentioned that I should maybe get some Vitamin D from the store since this is the time of year that I usually start feeling depressed due to lack of sunshine and warmth.

My mother knows me so well! Haha!

Anyway, I decided to put together a list of foods that are [naturally] high in Vitamin D. Here are some things that I found that carry that beautiful vitamin:

-salmon
-shrimp
-cod
-mushrooms
-tofu
-soymilk
-cheese
-eggs

In the 417

Here is a list of establishments in the area that I think would be fun to visit:

7C's Winery
Bambinos
Chester's
Nipa Thai
Romeo & Julieta
Seoul Oriental Market
Soo's Korean
Tea Bar & Bites
Weezies


*I knew that if I made a list with pen and paper, I would lose it.

Nom!

I've Solved my Career Conundrum

I'm pretty sure that this is my dream job.

Clearly, I'm supposed to be a wine angel in Las Vegas.

How Strange

Maggie and I were shopping, because she had a gift card to a particular store. I was getting frustrated, because she wasn't even trying to find anything to buy, and I had made a special trip to help her. In the meantime, Mom called me to see if I had called Lady Gaga yet. Of course I hadn't, so she got frustrated with me.

On our way to meet up with other people, Maggie and I took a different route than normal. It was very hilly and fun to drive on. It went through a beautiful field. We were riding with the windows down, blasting music, and breathing fresh air. Then, the road ended. We got really creeped out, so we went back the way we came.

Cut to the wilderness. There were cabins and a lake. I was driving to our cabin when I saw a huuuuuge grizzly bear. It was meandering amongst the people; it was totally unthreatening. It went to the lake and caught a fish. I was so impressed.

My family, friends, and a bunch of other random people were hanging out in a giant cabin. We were in a circle having an intense discussion about something. I got a phone call, so I walked into a different room to take it. It was about a job offer. The offer was from a religious organization, and it would include driving around the state of MO and delivering pamphlets to various churches.

I thought the whole thing was a little sketchy, and I told the lady (her name began with a J) that I would call her back with my decision. "Well, actually, I'm here. Let's talk about it." I decide that the job isn't for me, and J runs furiously into the room where the other people are talking. She goes to my mom and tells her about the job. My mom asks again if I had called Lady Gaga, and of course I had not. She said that I should take the job. I refuse. J storms around the room, breaking bottles of alcohol (specifically vodka).

Then, I woke up.

Analyze that.

My mom was really weirded out by it.

Two Things

I had a long and involved post just about finished, but I trashed it. There are really just two things that need to be mentioned:

1. I'm going on an Alaskan cruise this summer. I'll also be spending a week in Canada.
2. There was a misunderstanding with the boy mentioned in the previous post. So, everything's much, much, much better on that front.

FML

"I wish we could be closer so that we could be together."

Apparently, this directly translates to "I like your sister."

Fuck.

Who'd You Rather Be?

Get hot, get too close to the flame
Wild, open space
Talk like an open book
Sign me up
Got no time to take a picture
I'll remember someday all the chances we took
We're so close to something better left unknown
We're so close to something better left unknown

I can feel it in my bones
Gimme sympathy
After all of this is gone
Who'd you rather be?
The Beatles or the Rolling Stones?
Oh, seriously
You're gonna make mistakes, you're young
Come on, baby, play me something
Like, "Here Comes the Sun"
Come on, baby, play me something
Like, "Here Comes the Sun"

Don't go, stay with the all-unknown
Stay away from the hooks
All the chances we took
We're so close to something better left unknown
We're so close to something better left unknown

I can feel it in my bones
Gimme sympathy
After all of this is gone
Who'd you rather be?
The Beatles or the Rolling Stones?
Oh, seriously
You're gonna make mistakes, you're young
Come on, baby, play me something
Like, "Here Comes the Sun"

Gimme sympathy
After all of this is gone
Who'd you rather be?
The Beatles or the Rolling Stones?
Oh, seriously
You're gonna make mistakes, you're young
Come on, baby, play me something
Like, "Here Comes the Sun"
Come on, baby, play me something
Like, "Here Comes the Sun"

Kicking off the New Year

Helloooo 2010!

Your arrival was definitely much more fun than 2009.

While it would be nice to be cuddling (or something...) with someone right now, I'm glad I stuck by my original decision.

2010, I'm excited for what new adventures you have to offer me!