Bloom Where You're Planted

Give Credit Continued...

2012-01-22T18:11:00.000-08:00

As a continuance of my last post, here are some more...

#7
Who: My Mom
When: My Whole Life
Why: My Mom has a great sense of humor. She loves to laugh, and it doesn't take much to get her going. I don't even need to know what was funny, just seeing her laugh makes me laugh. She doesn't giggle, and she rarely chuckles- She. Laughs. The best is when she isn't making sound, but is just shaking uncontrollably and crying with hysterical laughter. I appreciate this trait so much in my Mom because it has taught me to laugh in life, and to always find the humor in things even if life's got you down :) Some of my happiest moments in life have been laughing with my Mom.

#8
Who: Lanae Dickson and Shauna Bischoff
When: Elementary
Why: These two poor ladies had the misfortune of teaching me piano- each for two years. My parents bought a piano because Catherine had interest in learning- so in order to squeeze every dime out of the 'investment' I was forced into lessons as well. I was the kind of kid that liked doing things that came naturally and I've never liked working at things or practicing. Well, music NEVER came naturally, and I never got very good at it- even after 4 years. The reason I'm thankful for these ladies is they were able teach me a few things about music despite my attitude, and also because they didn't choke me in the process.

#9
Who: My Sister, Catherine
When: Elementary
Why: My sister and I are 5 years apart and have fairly different personalities and interests. Growing up we didn't always see eye to eye, the biggest difference being that I wanted to spend every waking moment with her, and she actually liked to have a little breathing room on occasion. Yes, I was your typical obnoxious little sister- always in her way and getting into her business. When she'd get sick of it and tell me to go away, I'd act out and do everything I could to bug her even more. Once in a while when she had a little extra patience and I wasn't being so annoying, she would teach me something. Through the years, she was the one to teach me to tie my shoes, ride a bike, cartwheel, ride the bus, paint my nails, rollerskate, and dance. During all this, she also taught me how to be sweet, kind, and thoughtful... She has no idea how much she taught me growing up and how great I still think she is!

#10
Who: My Friend Kira
When: The Last Decade
Why: Kira is stupid. Now before you jump to conclusions and go thinking that I'm insulting my dear friend, please know that to her- this is a compliment. Yes, Kira has offended a few people in her life by calling them stupid, but really in Kira Speak 'stupid' equals 'super funny', and she is just that. Super Funny. We were room-mates for over 4 years in our early 20's and I learned boat-loads about myself during this time. Not all good things, mind you... like the discovery of my overinflated ego, that I never think I'm wrong, that I'm selfish and stubborn... etc, etc.... you get the picture. Even though poor Kira had to put up with a lot from me, we actually did get along almost all the time and we have such good memories together. She's got a heart of gold, and she'll be a friend forever.

Give Credit where Credit is Due

2011-09-13T20:08:00.000-07:00

While growing up, you never really realize what is going to make an impact on you and what your going to be thankful for later down the road (big or small). Well, I wanted to share some of the small things I've learned and give credit to the people who taught me these lessons or skills. Here are just six I came up with, but there will be more to come...
#1
Who: Mr. Massini
When: 1st Grade T-Ball
Why: For those who don't know, I have the INCREDIBLE ability (slight exaggeration) of catching most anything that's thrown at me. I'm sure all my other coaches throughout life helped with this awesome skill, but I have to credit Mr. Massini because he was my first coach and made me feel like Mickey Mantle every time I caught a ball. It's too bad I didn't get that good at throwing, but 1 out of 2 ain't bad :)
#2
Who: The Super 8 Motel
When: Summer of my Freshman Year
Why: Anyone who has cleaned rooms at a Motel might be asking why in the world I'd be thankful for this experience. The answer is that this job has given me perspective going into every other job I've had since then. It taught me that no matter how bad things get, it can always be worse!! lol.
#3
Who: Mrs. Spragg
When: 6-8th Grade Vollyball
Why: To mine and everyone else' surprise, I'm actually decent at Beach Vollyball despite the fact that I was mediocre at best when I was playing middle school Vollyball with Mrs. Spragg. I probably have to factor in the fact that my then string bean arms have become much more... uh... buxom? Nevertheless, hats off to you Mrs. Spragg for making me somewhat athletic against all odds :)
#4
Who: Grandma Walker
When: Elementary School
Why: My grandmother was one heck of a cook, and her food will go down in history as some of the best I've ever had, but with that being said... she also had a habit of keeping food around just a tad too long. My sister and I spent a lot of time at Grandmas growing up and she didn't always feel like making us dinner from scratch so this would result in a quick batch of Mac n Cheese, or something similar, which had been sitting in the cupboard since who knows how long! It only took one time of eating weevil to realize we needed to investigate grandmas Mac n Cheese more closely before diving in. Because of this, I believe I have my Grandma to thank for my Iron Stomach, which to this day can handle much more than most!
#5
Who: My Dad
When: Elementary School
Why: I have learned a million things from my Dad over the years! How to change my oil, how to install car speakers, how to re-shingle a house, the proper way to hang Christmas lights, gun safety... the list goes on and on, but today I want to focus on the fact that my Dad taught me how to be adventurous and how he practically forced me to loosen up and enjoy the scary things in life. An example that really sticks out in my memory is when my Dad would take us for a nice 'leisurely' drive in the hills/mountains to enjoy nature and to get out of the house. It would always start out fine, but usually after about an hour he would decide to climb some too steep hill, drive on the edge of a what I thought was a cliff, burn some rubber while trying to get un-stuck, or something of that nature. I would get so scared that I would squeeze my face really hard until he would stop doing whatever it was that was scaring me (perhaps a bit dramatic). I eventually came around though and was able to enjoy these kinds of activities. Thanks to my Dad's crazy shenanigans, I am a more adventurous person and probably a little too comfortable in a semi dangerous situation.
#6
Who: My Friend Nina
When: 8th Grade
Why: I think my friendship with Nina really shaped all my other relationships with girls since then in a very good way. She was always the perfect balance of silly, kind, loyal, funny, strong, and trusting. Being as trusting as she was, she actually let me cut her hair when we were around 14 or 15 years old. I don't know if you remember being that age, but image is HUGE and a bad hair cut had the potential of ruining someone's life! I don't remember why I wanted to or why in hell she let me, but the end result was not good. Not good at all. There may have been some tears involved and I think she ended up with a really short hair cut as a result of fixing what I had done to her once beautiful head. She never held a grudge though, and inadvertently she taught me that cutting hair was not going to be a good career path for me.

Anne Tippetts' body double...

2011-05-13T13:10:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I was taking the train to school and I met what can only be described as the LA version of my mother. It was so strange talking to her, because she was about the same age as my mom, with the same haircut and color, and the EXACT same personality. She was so warm and friendly, that it caught me off guard since normal people aren't usually that way in LA (usually only the crazy one's like to talk to strangers, lol). My mom loves dumb one liner jokes, and this lady had a plethora of them! Here are the one's I remember:

*What did the Strawberry say to the other Strawberry?
-If we hadn't shared the same bed, we wouldn't be in this Jam.

*What did one eye say to the other?
-Between you and me, something smells.

*What's the difference between in-laws and out-laws?
-Out-laws are wanted.

*What did the fish say when he hit the wall?
-Dam.

*What do you get when you cross poison ivy and a four leaf clover?
-A rash of good luck.

And my personal favorite... (disclaimer: this one's a little irreverent)

*The first occurrence of PMS is recorded in the bible...

-In Luke it says, "and Mary rode Joseph's ass all the way to Bethlehem"

What a cool lady, I'm glad I ran into her :)

Professional Sports? A Younger Chelsea Would be Very Disappointed.

2011-03-08T00:18:00.000-08:00

To begin, it is important to give a brief history of me and professional sports. Growing up, the only exposure I had to watching sports on television was on a random Saturday afternoon when the only thing on one of the 4 channels was either golf or... wait for it... Nascar. I was never a fan of either, in fact, I felt serious resentment toward them invading my already meager viewing options. I had a Dad who was never really into playing sports, and definitely never into watching sports (Xena: Warrior Princess and Stargate were much more his style) and so unlike most American kids, I was never exposed to... or forced to endure the phenomenon that is Professional Sports. Because of this fact, I've been known to be less than patient when being forced to watch what seems like endless hours of sports (especially when I could be watching something inspiring or educational, like Keeping Up with the Kardashians).

I even remember telling my sister (when I was around 20 yrs old) that I knew for a fact that I would never be with or marry a man who was into sports, and I meant it too!

Now I've eaten crow a time or two, lets just get that straight, but in this instance I couldn't have been more wrong. It's not just the fact that Kage enjoys Basketball, Football, UFC, X-Games, and worst of all SportsCenter, the most unsettling part is that over time, I've become involved. And when I say involved... I mean INVOLVED. I find myself in sports conversation with guys at work, discussing the latest trade or injury, who's got the greatest shot at the finals, and even who I'd pick for my ultimate dream team!

Well I say enough is enough, I'm putting a stop to this non-sense before it gets out of hand... right after I fill out my NBA Playoff Bracket predictions.

Busy, Busy

2011-02-24T11:12:00.000-08:00

2011 has been pretty eventful so far, I can't believe we're only 2 months in!!

In short, here's what we've been up to:

-I started school (yay! my brain still works) at Cal State LA

-Kage is still going to Fashion school and loves it- he made his first shirt and it's amazing, I can't wait for him to make me something!

-We bought a new car, it's so nice! And I love the seat warmers- yes I still use them in L.A. :)

-We got to visit my family in Lovell, and his family in Salt Lake ;) It was wonderful!! We miss everyone so much! I wish we could make a trip like that every month!!

-Poor Kage got in an accident on the scooter and broke his foot :( He's been hobbling around, but is getting better every day! The really good news is that the other person's insurance is going to pay for his medical bills :)

-Kage got a new job at the new Rolling Stone Restaurant and is really enjoying it so far. The best part is that it is located just 2 blocks from our apartment!

-LA's been crazy this month, we had the Grammy's, then All Star Weekend, and now the Oscars this weekend- We live on the same block as the Kodak theatre, so it's been a little more than obnoxious to have the street constantly blocked, but it's fun to live right next to all the action- never a dull moment :) I'm thinking that now would be a great time to go into the paparazzi business, anyone have a camera I can borrow?

None the Wiser

2010-09-28T12:55:00.000-07:00

So at 27 yrs. old (about 10 years too late) I finally got my wisdom teeth removed. It has been a tough 12 days since the surgery, but I'm finally feeling back to normal- almost.

Things I've learned about myself in the process:

-I'm still afraid of needles and IV's- I've been having dreams ever since that I'm getting poked and I swear I can really feel the needle going in my arm in the dream! It's terrible!

-I'm not good at anorexia, and am not a happy camper when I have dietary restrictions.

-I am spoiled with good health, so a good dose of pain is good for my empathy- I suddenly feel very compassionate toward anyone who deals with chronic pain, migraines, cramps, etc.

-I am so thankful to live in a world and time where pain killers exist. I only took IBprofen for the pain, but I can't imagine what it would have been like without it.

-I have very thoughtful and loving family, friends, and boyfriend who have all taken such good care of me throughout the process- Thanks so much for everything, especially for just caring about me ;)

-I think those teeth really were making me wiser- have been doing some REALLY idiotic things since I got rid of them...

Some Good Advice...

2010-08-18T15:34:00.000-07:00

Here are some wonderful Pearls of Wisdom I've heard over the years:

"Don't look a gift horse in the mouth."

"Don't cut your own bangs."

"Don't be 'that' girl/guy."

"Check yourself before you wreck yourself."

"Don't throw a brick straight up."

"If you're too open-minded your brains will fall out."

"A flashlight is a case for dead batteries."

"If you can't convince them, confuse them."

"Always remember that you're unique, just like everybody else."

"The Lottery is a tax on people who are bad at math."

"Don't fry bacon in the nude."

"Never eat yellow snow."

"Never under any circumstance take a sleeping pill and a laxative in the same night."

"Your friends love you anyway."

"A person who is nice to you, but is rude to the waiter, is not a nice person."

"Most of the things you worry about happening, never happen."

And my personal favorite:

"Rub some dirt on it."

Lately...

2010-05-13T22:19:00.000-07:00

So, a lot has happened in the last month, first of all our friend Zach (the one who won the price is right) took us on a cruise to Catalina Island and Ensenada, Mexico. It was soooo much fun and we were so sad to leave the wonderful world of 24hour buffets and ping-pong matches. We ate, watched the ocean, ate, went on land, ate, played ping-pong, ate, played more ping-pong, ate, listened to live music, ate, danced, met lots of interesting characters, and ate some more and danced some more. Needless to say, I gained the 5lbs back that I lost to go on the cruise in the first place ;) Thanks to Zach for an amazing time!!

KJ and Zach Boarding the Ship

Catalina Island

Sunset at Sea

KJ also bought another motorcycle. This time, it was a little bit more compulsive. He saw it on Craig's List, called the guy, got the loan, and drove it home all within about 3 days time. Keep your fingers crossed that it won't get stolen this time... although, as you can see this one is a bit heavier and will be harder to throw into the back of a van :) He is so excited about his 'Mad Max' bike and is more than ready to look the part when the apocalypse comes.

My Mom and Dad came to visit last week and we had a great time with them! For the past two years I've been secretly logging away all the things I wanted to show my family in Southern California and I finally got the chance to play tour guide for them. They celebrated their 34th anniversary while they were here, and I'm so impressed with how much they still enjoy each other after all these years. You two are great examples!! Thanks again for visiting me!

Downtown San Diego

Dad at Mission Beach

Unfortunately Catherine and her family weren't able to come to California, however I am getting really excited because I get to go home in 2 months when she has her new baby boy! I'm so excited to get a nephew! Thanks Catherine for having babies, you're the best :) lol.

Well, hopefully I'll keep up with the excitement and have something to blog about every once in a while! Until next time...

Work, work, work.

2010-04-01T00:09:00.000-07:00

Well, I'm still alive and hanging in at both of my jobs. This week I started serving pool-side lunch at Drai's and I am still the Receptionist half the week as well. I've even been able to chip away a little debt (ear to ear grin), and it's only been a month! I have also been getting used to sleeping 7-8 hrs a night instead of 10 hrs (don't judge me) and have even been able to ease up on the caffeine a bit. Overall, it has been a pleasant place to work so far (except for the heels I'm supposed to wear while serving tables... stupid Hollywood). Here are some pics of the new work place, it's on the rooftop of the W Hotel so it's got some pretty sweet views!

What have I gotten myself into?

2010-02-25T22:20:00.000-08:00

First off, let me just say that my main goal for 2010 has been to get out of debt. I wouldn't say that I'm not "money-wise" because I definitely know what I should do with my money... I'm just challenged in the self control area. This isn't really news to anyone who knows me well, I almost always know better than my actions show in most aspects of my life, but my fiscal problems are really starting to bite me in the @$$!

Anyway, in making a plan for this goal, it became apparent to me that in order to do anything I would need to get a second job (sad, pouty face). I currently work at a great restaurant in Hollywood 3-4 nights a week, but it just covers my main expenses with a little bit of wiggle room.

Skip forward 2 months and I have found my self in a FULL-TIME ( I haven't worked a full-time job in about 6 years) 9-5 Receptionist Job in addition to my part time serving job!!! After a week of training (when I haven't even been working full-time hours yet) I am a walking zombie addicted to sugar-free redbull! Did I mention that I have never been, and never will be a morning person? Oh buddy.

I would LOVE to be debt free and if I stick with it I could do it in about 8 months.... so wish me luck (and agility) as this will definitely be a challenge for me!

I Heart Lovell

2009-12-02T23:59:00.000-08:00

My Thanksgiving was WONDERFUL this year as I was able to go home to Wyoming and spend time with family and friends! I spent a whole week and was able to see lots of people I haven't seen in a REALLY long time, it was much needed and enjoyed! Here are some pics of the week and a picture of my Christmas tree...

Our New Job

2009-10-09T01:16:00.000-07:00

So here are some pictures of the new restaurant we work at for those of you who were curious about it. We like it so far, but we officially open to the public this week so we'll see how it goes!

(If you want to see more pics click here and there are more under the gallery tab).

Main Dining Room

One of the Booths

No More Television?

2009-07-13T23:41:00.000-07:00

So KJ and I have been thinking lately that we need to develop more hobbies and watch less television.

I grew up with without cable or dish network which left me with only 5, yes I said 5, channels to watch. One of which was PBS, and everyone knows that when you're a kid that one doesn't count. Anyway, I always hated the fact that I was missing out on all these shows and cartoons that other kids were talking about at school, and naturally I binged on TV the minute I left home.

Since then, I've gone through many phases with that old box of mine, love and hate of course. The classic problem being that there are a MILLION channels to choose from, and nothing to watch on ANY of them, and the other problem being that the minute you shut off the cable, you realize you don't know what to do with yourself in a quiet room with a couple of hours to kill.

Long story short, we did the math... the average American watches 4 hours a day (this includes me) which ends up being around 30 hours a week! That's almost a full-time job! Multiply that over a lifetime and I have wasted over 13 years of my life watching stuff I didn't even enjoy that much!! Sheesh!

We also found out that for every hour of television an American watches per week, he/she spends on average an extra $200 per year on consumer products- Corporations don't spend all that dough on Advertisements for nothing it turns out!

So we're trying to come up with a list of things to do in our new 'spare' time, we figure we could get pretty good at something if we spent 13 years on it, right? So far I've decided I'm going to try and learn calligraphy, and read more challenging books than Harry Potter and Twilight (that's going to be a hard one).

We'd love some suggestions on what else we could do instead of watching the 'BOOBTUBE'. Thanks!

Help Wanted...

2009-07-02T21:30:00.000-07:00

Ok, so after reading Dana's post of her old jobs, I thought I'd take her up on the challenge, it was fun trying to remember all these:

#1 My first OFFICIAL job was cleaning rooms at the Super 8 at age 15. The first word that comes to mind is GROSS. I worked with two ladies that were both about 150 years old, and I saw many things that a 15 year old girl, or 150 year old woman (they're obviously more suseptible to disease, right?), should be exposed to. I did this for one summer.

#2 The Box Office was probably the coolest job a high schooler could ask for. I did WAAAYY more socializing at this job than working that's for sure. I've actually thought about working at another video store since then, but somehow I just don't think it would be the same. I think this one lasted around 4 years.

#3 Minchow's Food Court was pretty sucky, but I did enjoy the people I worked with and I was fat and happy because of all the potato oles' I ate. I lasted a year there.

#4 When I moved to Salt Lake I got a job at Victoria's Secret and thought it would be awesome for the discount. I was wrong, after after a month of this job I started crying and quit.

#5 The Macaroni Grill was cool, I did almost every job there: hostess, server, food runner. 4 years

#6 The Skybox was a restaurant I hosted at for about a year. Carl Malone tipped me $200 there, so that is my fondest memory of that job.

#7 I didn't learn a lesson from my Victoria's Secret experience, so I thought I'd give The Buckle a try. Turns out that hounding people to buy stuff isn't really for me. After a few stern talks from the manager about my low sales, I decided I didn't need a second job that bad afterall. 2 months.

#8 The Cheesecake Factory in Las Vegas at Caesar's Palace was probably one of the worst. There were so many foreigner tourists that didn't know how to tip that it was way more frustrating than it was worth. I did get to do a lot of people watching however, there were a lot of freaks in Vegas. 8 months.

#9 The Melting Pot (Salt Lake City) was great. Great people, great job. I really miss them. :( 2years

#10 For a little extra cash one summer I woke up at 4 a.m. to work the morning shift at Starbucks. Did I mention I'm not a morning person? 3 months.

#11 I'm currently employed at The Melting Pot (Pasadena, CA) but I am on the hunt for a new night job because I'm not nearly close to beating out Dana, wish me luck, only 7 more jobs to go!

*I'm tagging others to do the same list!

My Lovell Vacation

2009-06-08T23:42:00.000-07:00

Last week I had the pleasure of spending a WHOLE WEEK at home with my family and it was much needed. My Grandma Walker passed away the day before I got there, so it wasn't the vacation I had anticipated, but I couldn't be more grateful that I could be there for her funeral and be with my family while we remembered her. She was a special lady, and I'll miss her very much! My Sister Catherine has a great post about Grandma on her page.

I don't get to see my family enough, I miss them terribly and I hope they know how much I love them!!

Here are some pics of the week:

Mom's B-day dinner

The flower arrangement that Aunt Emily made for Grandma's Casket

Matty's Hawaiian Birthday Party- the girls with uncle "Bob"

Even though I had a great time at home, I really missed KJ and it was so nice to see him at the airport. He even brought me my favorite flowers, what a sweetheart

Scoot, Scoot!

2009-04-27T17:29:00.000-07:00

After KJ's Motorcycle got stolen, we started looking for a scooter to get us around until he gets another bike. It took forever and we looked at a lot of piece-o-crap scooters, but we found this one and I LOVE it!
We thought it would be fun to take a look at what was, and what is now...
Here is the old motorcycle: KJ's pride and joy

Here is a look at KJ's new pride and joy?

As you can see, he felt much better being 30 on a Motorcycle than he does on a scooter. It isn't cool or fast enough for him, but it's perfect for me and I couldn't be more excited!!

Renae and Dana Come to Visit

2009-04-19T20:13:00.000-07:00

Renae and Dana came to stay with me this weekend and it was so much fun! It is such a treat when girlfriends come to visit! We got free tickets to go to the Brittney Spears Concert which turned out to be super entertaining and fun! Here are some pics of the weekend.

At the Guinness Records Museum.

Mmmm... Candy Bars.

At Brittney Spears.

RIP motorcycle :(

2009-03-26T02:09:00.000-07:00

Well, you all know that KJ got a motorcycle for his Birthday a couple weeks ago... the happiness came to an end this last weekend when we left work to find that his motorcycle was not in the parking garage where we left it. Even as busy, well-lit, and guarded as the garage was, someone found the cahones to steal his beloved bike :( It was a short 2 weeks, but it was lovely. KJ is taking it surprisingly well, especially considering how long he waited for it and also how much he hates public transportation. He's been a real sport. I on the other hand was ready to track down ANYONE on a black motorcycle and beat them to a bloody pulp (not that I am physically capable of such ridiculousness, but it would have felt nice). Anyway, now we are waiting for the insurance to settle so we can figure out what to do. His new strategy is to get a bike so ugly and old that no one will want it. I'll let you know how it goes :)

KJ's 30th!

2009-03-06T13:51:00.000-08:00

KJ has been looking forward to his 30th Birthday for a few years now (I'm not sure why, I guess it's different for guys). Since he was 27 or 28 he's been saying that he's 30 when people ask. Well yesterday it finally came and he had, as he puts it, the best Birthday EVER! The main reason for this is that yesterday he was able to pick up his new Motorcycle! He was so excited and nervous to drive it home, but he made it in one piece and I was very impressed with how quickly he remembered how to drive it, since it's been a few years since he's been on one.

Another component to his great day was the new high-top sneakers he got from his Mama. He has been dreaming about these sneaks for a couple months now, and he is probably the only person I know that can pull off Silver and Purple high-tops! I love this picture because he was trying to say 3-0 with his hands, but did 0-3 instead :]

KJ is also obsessed with Zombie movies, so our friends Zach and Sarah made him a cake that looked like Dirt with a Zombie hand coming out of it. It was amazing!! Unfortunately on the drive, the rice-krispie fingers started to melt and fall over, so this picture is post-melted fingers.

Home Sweet Home?

2009-02-09T15:04:00.000-08:00

As most of you know, we have been in California for just about one year now and are getting pretty used to the life here; however, just a couple of months ago we moved from the suburban area of Sherman Oaks to Hollywood. You wouldn't think that it would make much of a difference, since the two places are only about 15 min. apart, but we decided right after the move that it is much more entertaining to be in Hollywood.

One of our first days at our new apartment, we walked past a homeless man who was sitting on the curb and shaving his forehead (which was not at all hairy to begin with) with someone's old disposable razor! We just started cracking up and kept walking. I've seen plenty of crazy homeless people in Salt Lake and Vegas when we lived there, but the homeless here put a whole new spin on crazy... I feel bad for them, but they make for some really good people watching.

The other great thing about living in Hollywood in that our gym is right next to the famed Mann Chinese Theatre where a handful of Hollywood residents have come up with a new pan-handling technique where they dress up in cheap costumes ranging from Barney to Jack Sparrow and everything in between. They are hoping that tourists will want to take pictures with them and maybe give them a couple bucks in the process. The best, though, is the guy who dresses up as Spiderman. He wears what looks like old baggy Spiderman pajamas and we play 'where's waldo' with him because he's always trying to climb something and pose as best he can. The other day he was up on some sketchy looking scaffolding 'shooting his web across the street'. We think he's pretty awesome!

The very best part of living in Hollywood is how diverse it is. We actually live a part named 'Little Armenia' right off of Hollywood Blvd. I didn't even know that a 'big' Armenia even existed until now! There are so many types of people it's unbelievable!

We really love it here and hope to have some visits from friends and family soon!

Inauguration

2009-01-30T03:39:00.000-08:00

Times are hard now in our nation and I am now more than ever realizing that it will probably get much worse before it is better. I am easily discouraged in my day to day when it comes to finances and opportunity; however, I found hope and inspiration in the inaugural speech last week and I feel for everyone who is struggling and suffering losses in a declining economy:

"For as much as government can do and must do, it is ultimately the faith and determination of the American people upon which this nation relies. It is the kindness to take in a stranger when the levees break, the selflessness of workers who would rather cut their hours than see a friend lose their job which sees us through our darkest hours. It is the firefighter's courage to storm a stairway filled with smoke, but also a parent's willingness to nurture a child, that finally decides our fate."

This statement made me step back and realize that I am fortunate to live in a country where such values and principles are held to such high esteem and that I need to focus more on what I can do in the service of my fellow citizens and my nation, and not only on my own struggles and losses. I do not always know how to feel about politics and the government, but I have faith that the foundations of this nation are good and true and as long as we hold on to those truths, we will prosper. If we look out for the good of the whole of our nation, especially in hard times, we ultimately look out for ourselves.

Price Is Right

2009-01-13T13:23:00.000-08:00

So yesterday KJ and I went with Sarah and Zach (awesome couple we hang out with) to the Price is Right. What an exciting and exhausting day! We got to the CBS studios around 4a.m. to get in line and were awarded our tickets around 6a.m. We went home and took a nap and then came back to wait in line and get processed from 11:30 to 4:30... it took forever!!! Finally we got to go sit in our studio seats and it was so much fun to see Drew Carrey and the teenie tiny studio that looks HUGE on TV. Well, I can't say much about the outcome of the show because it won't be aired until Feb. 24th, but our friend Zach did get called up and so KJ and I will probably have a very small cameo during the show. It was so much fun, but I don't know if I'll have the energy to do it again any time soon... maybe we'll make a yearly tradition of it until we win something! Long Live PIR!

A Great Christmas!

2008-12-29T22:57:00.000-08:00

So this year it was just KJ and I as we geared up for Christmas day. I hardly cook mac n' cheese that well, so you can imagine poor KJ's surprise when I told him I was going to cook the 'works' i.e. turkey, stuffing, pie, potatoes... anyway, it still wasn't as good as either of our mom's cooking, however I was quite pleased with all of it being edible, and even enjoyable! KJ was especially surprised at this new domestic side of me, poor guy :) Anyway, here is my first turkey... what an accomplishment at the ripe ol' age of 26!

Catherine sewed me an apron for Christmas and I was so excited to put it to use on the first day! It's so cute that I'm tempted to wear it out and about! People are so weird here, they probably wouldn't even take notice!

I have to admit however that one of my favorite gifts was one that I didn't expect to have such an impact on me. I've noticed a trend in my behavior when it comes to things that have a very serious following or have, what I deem to be, "too much hype" surrounding them. One example that I can think of is the Star Wars series... every time one was released there would be such hysteria that I wanted to puke! I loathed the series without giving it a second's watch. When I started dating KJ he made me watch them, and since I was still on 'early dating good behavior' :) I complied. Much to my surprise I thoroughly enjoyed the movies and couldn't wait for the last one to release!

Now there is a long list of things I have written off in this way, one of these things happened to be the book 'Twilight'. Yes, yes I knew it was probably good, but I was so sick of hearing about it! In an effort to help me get into reading, my mom and sister sent me the book for Christmas. Christmas night I began to read it around 10p.m. and now I'll just say that it's only been 3 days and I'm finished with book 1 and 2 and will be purchasing 3 tomorrow as soon and the store opens. I'm even agitated at work because the long hours keep me from my love affair with these books! KJ laughs and asks if I just need a little Edward in my life.

Anyway, thanks Mom and Cat for the great gift! I'll add it to the ever growing list of items I got onboard with way too late!

Our Little Christmas Tree

2008-12-06T16:54:00.000-08:00

I put up the Christmas tree, finally! We had a refrigerator sitting in the one and only free spot in our apartment until yesterday when someone bought it. It's hard to feel like it's almost Christmas when it was 80 degrees out today, but a little Christmas music and decorations helped us get into the Christmas spirit.

Pictures From Thanksgiving

2008-12-04T03:34:00.000-08:00

KJ and I split up this year for T-day since it's been so long since either one of us had seen our families. These are some pics of the holiday. We are so lucky to have such great families!

Attack of the 80's Hair Band

2008-12-04T02:28:00.000-08:00

So the night before leaving for Thanksgiving to Wyoming, some girlfriends from work talked me into going to a show with them where one of the girls was dating the bass player. Since KJ had taken off the day before to go to North Carolina, I figured why not? The show was eclectic to say the least. There was a 'nickleback' type of band, an angry chick screaming to what I think was some sort of melody, and another group I can't really categorize. The fourth and final band of the evening was apparently what everyone was waiting for... STEEL PANTHER (who was covering songs from Motley Crue, Twisted Sister, Poison, and the list goes on). Now I like 80's rock music as much as the next 25 year old female, but this was like walking into a time warp... to two decades ago! We are talking spandex pants, big teased hair, eyeliner... the works! And I'm only talking about the people standing next to me in the crowd! I guess these are the joys of living in Hollywood... Halloween 365 days a year!