Appreciation

I appreciate people with good communication skills

I appreciate cars that speed up after turning into my lane

I appreciate when my 24-year-old face doesn't decide to randomly become a 13-year-old's the night I attend a Dashboard Confessionals/Plain White T's concert and sit in box seats with people I haven't seen since high school (yes I am talking about pimples)

I appreciate a car who's battery doesn't die two times in the same day

I appreciate a good nights sleep

And finally, I appreciate the beautiful Chicago fall season (this is the only line that is not dripping with sarcasm or annoyance)

Friday nigh blahs

The following was sent to me from an editor through a media server at my job, and I agree with this whole heartedly (this media server is such that a bunch of editor queries are listed and you can reply as you like, some very interesting queries come through let me tell you... my favorite being an editor who was looking for a kissing expert. I know... I should have responded):

"For me, the ideal Friday night includes my couch, a good meal, comfy clothes and, perhaps, a book. The desire (or the need) to go out crumbled right along with Nick and Jessica's marriage. And, my friends (most of them) feel the same way. I can't define the exact moment, but there came a point in our lives when life, and work, caught up to us. By Friday, we had no desire -- or energy -- to go out. Some call it the Friday night blahs; others, F.E. or Friday exhaustion. What causes this? What does it mean about age, lifestyle change, views on socializing? Does not going out anymore (or not wanting to go out) make you boring? We are a 150,000-plus Hearst-owned daily paper, and our stories run on the NY Times and Hearst wires after they appear in our paper."

So good to know I am not the only one who has no desire to be social on a Friday night anymore. Do you feel this way? Or is just me, the editor and her friends?

soap operas

soap operas are very strange. i do not understand them. does anyone? i do enjoy the beautiful people, but they look fake. not to mention act, as well. five minutes into watching one while waiting for my car to be fixed at the auto shop, and i was bored out of my mind and very confused.

The weekend

One of my old mission friends and I were just gmail chatting and she asked me how my weekend was. Are you ready? I took Friday off, soo...Friday morning was a load of doctor's appointments and taking my car to the shop for a check engine light check. I then scurried down into the city, where I proceeded to catch a megabus to the city of Detroit, MI. There I met a long-time friend (who wishes to remain anonymous for the purposes of this blog, which you might understand by the end of this post.) That night we did three of our most favorite things to do together: veg, drink DC and watch Friends. I, of course, fell asleep after during our second episode, despite the diet coke, two whole cups of it.

The next morning we went to a Farmer's Market and had fresh blueberries, raspberries and English cheddar cheese for breakfast. Following this, we went to Ann Arbor, Michigan. I think this town has the cutest boutiques in the whole wide world. I love boutique shopping!! I bought some Christmas presents (yes, I'm one of those...and hello? the economy is falling apart, so I must shop early to save money, right??) and some cute children's books that I fell in love with. We ate lunch at a cute Mongolian Grill restaurant. That evening we rushed back to Detroit to see the Detroit Symphony Orchestra play Romeo and Juliet. It was beautiful. That night we once again resumed our favorites: vegging, DC, Friends, but we added another...SNL. Sarah Palin did fantastic. I don't know how I feel about her politically. Especially in such capacity as she is running for. But would I like to sit down and have lunch and a nice chat with her? Yes.

The next day we went to a McCain rally. It may seem from this post that I am a McCain/Palin fan. Do not be so deceived. It was my first time at a political rally. Politicians really get to me. McCain went off about Obama this and Obama that. The whole time I was thinking, "I don't care about Obama. If I want to know about him I'll google him, thank you. I'm at this rally in Toledo, Ohio. I want to hear about you. What are you going to do if you have the distinction of serving in the White House for four years. Let's talk about that." Unfortunately, he didn't really listen to my thoughts. Rude, huh? Oh, by the way, secret service men are quite delightful to look at.

A few hours after the rally. I caught a bus back to Chicago, got into the city at 11:00 p.m. and was asleep sound in my bed by 1:00 a.m.

And that was my wonderful, crazy, relaxing, tiring, political, shop-till-I dropped, cultured weekend.

Ooops, I did it again!

This is my adorable newly turned 17-year old sister, Rebecca. Her birthday was last week. But, she and I celebrated it last night with dinner and shopping. We went to a Chinese restaurant, The Mandarin. It was quite good. Accept...I burned myself...again (please see post below). This time, however, it was in my mouth. And it had to be hotter then 375 degrees.

Here's how it happened. My sister ordered orange chicken. She wasn't a fan of it, so we switched (I had ordered chicken curry and it was much, much better to be honest.) Her plate looked very pretty, all glazed in orange sauce with these cute little red things in it. I took a HUGE bite of it.

My face five minutes after the initial shock from that bite

Those cute little red things were in reality awful red hot chili peppers that inflamed my mouth within an inch of its life. I couldn't move, I couldn't think, I couldn't talk. I just sat there, wondering if I was going to pass out from pain or if the temperature in my mouth might burn me to a crisp. All the while my sister was looking around, completely unaware of what was going on inside my palate. Eventually (five minutes later, 20 seconds before the above picture was taken) she noticed and asked the waitress for milk. The waitress brought me hot water. We had a bright one. I am happy to report (about 15 hours later) my mouth has recovered and I am now quite cognitively aware of hot things around me for life.

lamest excuse in the book....

"i have to cancel tonight. i burned my finger. with a straightener. so, um, maybe next time..."

yes, this is the line i used saturday night an hour before my date was supposed to pick me up. but, i didn't say it to be lame or to get out of it. my finger(s) really were searing with pain. 375 degrees seared (that's the temperature my brand new nanotechnology straightener was at.) moaning in pain i just don't think is okay on a first date. right?

but, really, it's a good line to use, if you want to get out of something. not that i did...i'm just saying. it's a very good, lame excuse.

(p.s. straightener works like a charm. better then a chi. just a tip: be careful where your fingers go)

Yon Kippur versus General Conference

I went to Jewish New Year last night. I'm kinda wishing I could be Mormon and Jewish at the same time...just a wee little bit. The Jewish worship is so fascinatingly ancient and ritualistic. They have a cantor singing the verses of scripture periodically throughout the ceremony. So, I'd be about to get bored (it's an hour and a half long) but then the cantor would start singing I'd become entranced with the music and his beautiful tenor (or was it bass?) voice. But, then he'd be singing for several minutes and I'd be about to lose interest again (I'm a tad bit ADD), but then the Rabbi would speak in Hebrew and the congregation would read from prayer books, that started at the back and you read right to left. Very interesting. All of it.

The women dressed in normal church clothes and the men did too, minus their prayer shawls and yamikas, which were beautifully decorated with bright, bold colors. The rabbi knew his audience and had the art of attention grabbing down. He began his little schpiel at the beginning by saying, "It has been a hard, difficult week....(pause).....The Cubs lost.....(pause)......The Sox lost.....(Silence from the audience).....but we can continue....because there is hope.......The Hope of Israel." He had my attention.

This past weekend I was able to attend General Conference in Salt Lake City. I loved it. All of it. From Elder Perry's talk to the Prophet speaking on change. It was a whole eight hours all together. You would think I'd be bored with it if I usually can't pay attention to something for more then three minutes without zoning out. But, such was not the case. The gospel makes me completely happy and focused.

Coming soon: Pictures from my weekend in Utah. (Not that I took a lot or anything. I never do...what's my problem?)

News and thoughts

Life has been busy, busy, busy. I have not even looked at my blog in over a week. I have not read a blog in over a week. I have not really read ANY news for over a week (but, I do listen to it on the radio on my way to work) and I feel insanely out of the loop. So for some personal random news and thoughts... (Please excuse the jumpiness and the fact that this post really has no form of organization to it)

I am coming to Utah this weekend (tomorrow morning I fly in and I'll be there until Monday). For conference. And to hang out. Call me.

The Cubs and the White Sox are in the playoffs and Chicago is insane. I have tickets for next week's playoff game if...not I'm not going to finish that sentence....

I'm now in an office with a beautiful view of a lake and lot's and lot's of trees. I love it.

Anyone who knows me, or has talked to me in person for longer then five minutes knows I have long lashes that stick out pointy straight. I bought a new eyelash curler from Shu Eumera. I love it. Curls them perfectly in seconds. A very good investment.

Sometimes I wish texting had never been invented. It ruins the art of vocal communication.

I've come up with a list of things to do during my commute to work and home, here it is:

1. Eat breakfast. Specifically cereal. It's more of challenge and thus I am less bored in traffic.

2. Organize my purse.

3. Make appointments, like doctor and such.

4. Make phone calls (only on my way home though, I don't converse with people before 9 a.m.)

5. Listen to the radio, some good stations out here are The Drive 97.1 (very fitting) and country 99.5.

Because of The Drive, which is a classic rock station, I am now an Eagles fan. The band, not the football team. Never. Yeah, hardcore rock is fast becoming my thing. Who knew?

And I have been so busy, I have not been paying attention to celebrity gossip and am so entirely out of the loop it's disturbing.

I don't know what I'm going to do about the presidential elections. Did you see Sarah Palin's interview with Katie Couric. I didn't, but I heard about it. Disturbing and embarrassing. Your thoughts? I need some conservative views here. I'm in Liberal land. I need to stay balanced

I joined a gym. I work out. Try to actually.

Anyways, enough about me. There's my new and thoughts corner for the week.