Monday, October 31, 2005

Dreams


Last night I had the strangest dream, I sailed away to China...

Oh, sorry. But really, I had a really strange dream. I just remeber the last part of it. We were flying near the capital and had this bomb that was following us and we were being escorted by F-15's. We were all talking about politics on the plane (it was a plane full of democrats) and then all of a sudden the bomb turns toward the plane. I say, "Well I know where I'm going!" I'm woken up at that moment by the power going off. (Which makes my fan go off and that wakes me up.) It was just off for a few seconds then it came back on, then off again then on. Weird. Livin in the ghetto. Oh hell ya.

Friday, October 28, 2005

Free the West Memphis Three!



Ok, everyone (all three of you) who read this need to go to WM3.org and invest some money at blockbuster and rent the HBO documentary "Paradise Lost."

I was actually pro capital punishment before I had to research this case for an English assignment. I am now totally against it because the legal system cannot be trusted AT ALL!

It's crazy! GO! GO GET IT! AND THEN WHEN YOU'RE DONE WATCHING THAT MOVIE, RENT THE SEQUEL: "Paradise Lost 2: Revelations."

OY.

Monday, October 17, 2005

This weekend


Was insane. I was sick. Today was the first day in the last four that I wasn't running to the bathroom every 15mins. I didn't even go to school today.

Uncle Steve


Then, my mother writes me an email on Friday morning which I don't get until Friday night that my uncle Steve has been in the hospital since Wednesday with a leg infection. My auntie Kathy who has just recently had her galbladder out and eye surgery is on the warpath. She is a nurse and is disgusted with the way they are treating him. see my cousin Danielle's page if you want live updates.

I know he'll get better. He's a strong man, both mentally and physically. I love you Uncle Steve and I am sending good mojo your way.

Weather


It's stormy here in Las Vegas. Temp is 67 degrees. Humidity is 71%. 1-2 inches of rain expected within the next day or so. It's awesome. Nice change from all the freaking sunshine. And the kids are not screaming outside my window right now either.
I should probably get off the computer during a storm, seeing as I did almost get struck by lightening once and I'm in the upstairs part of the house. And the computer might attract an electrical charge.

Friday, October 07, 2005

Alaskan Family/Friends Cruise!



So, I've been talking with Auntie Die Die who happens to work for Expedia cruise lines in their group cruise department and I think we should get anyone who wants to go on a cruise to...well...go on a cruise! TO ALASKA! It's so beautiful! It will change your life, or at least take your breath away. I'm not talking like this summer but maybe summer 2007? Feedback anyone? If anyone reads this? I'll send an email to all peeps involved soon enough. As soon as I get some more tangible info from Auntie. It would be like a family reunion but on a cruise ship, with friends and a casino and alcohol and food and shows and hot tubs and balconies. Mmmmmmm. Ok, everyone go to

www.princess.com

and check out their ships. I was thinking the Diamond Princess but you can look at all of their ships. Tara, I know we talked about a group vacation, so this is the chance! I'm serious ya'll. Not like the last post. But for real. mmmmmmmm....

They also have a cruise to Hawaii that I would LOVE! It's a way to get to Hawaii and back without having to get on a plane! WHEEEEEEE! I'm all for that.

And now for something completely different...

We here in NV are getting refund checks from the DMV if you registered a car here in 2004. The Clark County School District is asking you to donate your refund check so that the kids can have TEXTBOOKS! WHAT KIND OF FUCKING SHIT IS THAT! Hello! We already pay taxes and the school budget is HUGE. They can't buy textbooks? Give me a fucking break. Too many chiefs, not enough indians? That was one of my centers of rage today.

Another was the story of that woman in Oregon that was kicked off the plane for wearing a shirt that said, "Meet the Fuckers" and it had pictures of Bush and Rice and some other ass-hats on it. I'm not sure if they kicked her off because she was anti-bush, or because it said "FUCK." Either way, that is retarded. Free speech. Freedom. As much as I would hate to see someone wear a t-shirt that said "All democrats are whiny ass little bitches who like to fuck homosexuals" it is their right as an American to think that and to proudly proclaim it on a t-shirt if they feel the need. And don't tell me kids these days don't know the word FUCK by the time they are 4. Yes, they do. I knew that word when I was 5. Not that I would say it in front of my family or even friends but I knew what it was.

Ok, rant done.

Good night. I'm going to be going out tomorrow to try to look for new jeans. Wish me luck, i'm going to need it. I hate looking for jeans. But I'll get the chance to spend some quality time with Shahnon so it's all good.

Tuesday, October 04, 2005

The story of how I was forced to eat Spicier Nacho Doritos


I had spent all morning at UNLV going to classes and getting some administrative things taken care of. I passes at B of A ATM and thought about taking some money out. "Nah," I thought, "I brought lunch today and besides, there are ATM's everywhere if I really get desperate." Oy, I should really learn to listen to my gut, besides when it's grumbling. So, I decide to go to CCSN Cheyenne campus (up WAYYYYYY north from where I live) so that I can get some productive studying done before my 6pm exam. I get there around 1pm. I had eaten a banana and an orange while walking all over UNLV (and don't even get me started on how hard it is to walk and eat an orange) and I was hungry for the main event. I had brought a can of dolmas with me, with a cute little plastic fork and a napkin all sealed in a zip-lock baggie. I sat down with all my books out and decided to break out this bad-ass can of yummy mediteranian goodness. I go to pull the "handy tab" off the top of this delectible thing and it breaks off....

Pulling off the top of the lid was THE ONLY way to get to the tasty food inside. Unless you're at home and you have a can opener. I bring a lot of things with me, but a can opener isn't one of them. I was so sad. So I just looked at it, and slowly put it back in my bag so I could weigh my options (literally). I knew that a can of dolmas was about 10 points on the Weight Watchers meal plan. Ok, so what else is 10 points that I can find. 10 points is about (and I'm just guessing here) 500 calories, 4 or more grams of fiber and about 10 grams of fat.

Add to this that I'm at the Cheyenne campus and don't really know where anything is seeing as this is the first time I've ever had a class here.

So, where to eat? I look at the clock. It's now 1:30pm. I decide that I'll do all of the problems from Chapter 16 and then I'll go looking for something to replace my unreachable "handy" meal.

I leave at around 2:30pm on my search for some food. I'm starting to get shakey from all of that coffee that I had this morning. Organic French Roast from Trader Joes. I wander downstairs and I'm right in front of the cafeteria. Well, that wasn't so bad! It's a hogi-yogi with a hamburger stand and a teriyaki place. Ok, 3 options. I look to see if they take debit cards. YES! The VISA and MC signs are beaming at me from the cash register. My tummy is now in a state of euphoria! Yes! I can smell the next meal! Like I've EVER let my tummy down in that regard. Anyhoo, the woman in front of me seems to be taking a little longer than I expected. I figure I'm probably just being impatient, my tummy is subjectivly speeding up the clock. Then, much to my shock and horror, I hear the woman behind the counter say, "Our debit machine isn't working, our phone lines are down."

AGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!

I scream in my head. Of course, there is no B of A ATM here. Just at UNLV. So I saunter away, with my head down, wondering if I really want to pay $5 to get $20 out. Then, I make a compromise. I'll get $40 and make it worth it. Yes! I will have cash and I can get that Tasty Turkey Sandwich that I've had my eye on for the last 10 minutes.

I walk with purpose to the bookstore, yes, THEY will be able to tell me where an ATM is. I ask the woman in the store, "Do you know where the closest ATM is?" She says, "No, not really. But you can try down the hall by the admissions office." Alright, so that's what I'll do. I walk no more than 50 feet and there it is. It's a Silver State Schools ATM. It's a beautiful silver-ish color. I approach this life-saving machine only to find that it's out of service. ARE YOU KIDDING ME! I ask someone else is there is another ATM on the campus. "No" she says, "that's the only one."

I couldn't believe it. Now, I am forced to buy lunch in the bookstore, where they don't have any REAL food, just snacks and shit. So I examine the backs of all of the crap that they sell for the calories, fiber and grams of fat. With a small tinge of guilt, I choose the spicer Nacho Doritos and an unsweetened Lipton Iced tea.

I'm spent! And I have to take my physics exam in an hour!

Thursday, September 29, 2005

At school


Well today is my long day. I started at UNLV at 8:30am, then I had lunch with my mom, then I talked to Shahnon on the phone, then I played around on the freeway for an hour and now I'm at the CCSN Cheyenne Campus. It's about 5:36pm and I have my Physics 182 class at 6pm. Then I have my Physics 182 Lab from 7:30pm - 10:30pm. LONG FUCKING DAY.

I have three major exams next week, in all of my difficult classes. I will NEVER take 17 credits again EVER! Oh well, at least I'm not dead from a hurricane, right? Things could always be worse.

Vacations


When my mom and I were having lunch she suggested that we as a family (as in my mom, aunts kathy/die die, uncles danny/steve, cousins/lee/danielle and their respective families) should all go on a family cruise to Alaska. That would be so much fun! People could do whatever they wanted to. I would want to do the long cruise, not the round trip so that we could visit more than 3 ports in AK. Then I would want to stay in one of Princesses chalet's in the mountains outside of Anchorage. Mmmmm... Alaska. I'll have to keep it in the front of people's minds.

I talked to Tara the other night for a long time. She mentioned that she would want to do a group vacation as well, in a couple of years. Well, she's just like family, if she could survive my wedding then she can survive one of our family get togethers. That might be just the thing she is looking for.

Another interesing thing... Brandon, Me, Shahnon and Rick are meeting with Heather, James, Dielle, Jesse, Doug and some other people (of which I think one of their names is Skort - at least that's what his name is in the email Dielle just sent me) up in Seattle for New Years Weekend! We're renting this cute cabin CABIN
and we're going Skiing! WHEEEEEEEEEEEEE! Can't wait. I'm going to need a MAJOR vacation after this insane school schedule!

K, gotta get to class.

Monday, September 19, 2005

Thinking can be bad for you....


I started thinking today about just what the hell I was doing. School is WAY harder than I thought it was going to be. That also might be because I've somehow been sucked into working 16 hours a week. Taking 17 credits at two different schools and three different campuses plus trying to get in time to work out, see my husband and get my house unpacked has made me a little edgy. I've been a huge bitch. But I just can't help it. I watched most of "Iron Jawed Angels" today in English class. It's an HBO movie that is based on the life of Alice Paul and the sufferage movement. Now THOSE women had a lot to deal with. Sometimes, all you need is a little perspective, right? I still feel overwhelmed, but all those feelings of dropping out and never going back have receded.

I figured out why I don't understand the current chapter that we're doing in math. It's based on a previous chapter that we didn't cover over at CCSN. I was so freaked out. Math doesn't usually freak me out like that. I actually cried about it, I was so frustrated and I was doubting myself so much that I almost talked myself out of staying in school. I then decided to review the chapter that I had missed in my previous math class. Duh. It's a little extra work, but that is expected when going from one school to another. They try to teach the same things, but they don't sit down in planning meetings with each other. CCSN omits stuff that they don't think most people will have to learn. I even remember my Calc II teacher telling me that they don't even teach that chapter in Calc III. Well, I'm taking Calc III at a university that DID teach that chapter. It's all screwed up. I'm going to study that damn chapter now.

Saturday, September 17, 2005

...He look-a like-a man...


My physics lab instructor is Mrs. Swan. We were doing an experiment in electrostatics where we had to rub a rubber rod on some animal fur and then some plastic and determine the charge on this electroscope that we had. She had told us that "the animal fur gave a negative charge and the plastic gave a positive charge." Well, I started to do the experiment and realized that the lab book said the exact opposite. So I asked her which one was right and she said, "Just like I said, the animal fur gives a positive charge and the plastic gives a negative charge," and she might have well added, "Yeah, yeah, he look-a like-a man." Not only does she look exactly like her but she acts exactly like her as well. It's funny in a not so funny kind of way because she's going to be no help whatsoever in the lab itself.

I was going to enter this math competition and when I went to the practice I realized that it was not for me. Proofs are not my thing. No thank you. I do need to join something though. I was thinking of a women's group or a young democrats group or a choir or something. Anything.

Brandon and I got a new sofa from my parents for our wedding present. I didn't want a wedding present, they paid for the wedding and I thought that a wedding present would be sort of retarded seeing that we went over budget on the wedding. (Sorry mom and auntie, love you!) :l It's from Lazy-boy and it's a chaise love seat recliner in a custom fabric that feels like chanile and velvet. Very comfortable. We won't have it for another couple of weeks so maybe I'll post a picture when we get it. Yeah, that will happen. ;)

No really, one of my goals is to post here more often. It feels good. It feels really good when I had 2 cups of coffee 2 hours ago and it's 12:30am and I'm not tired at all. I was supposed to be doing homework (and I did finish one of my math problem sets) but I'm all jacked up from talking to Heather on the phone and then I got sucked into the computer and the rest is history.

I just talked to Heather on the phone for an hour and a half. It's so funny, when we were living together we did talk and there were certainly times where we talked more than others but we were always pretty good at keeping each other up to speed on our current events. It's weird to cram a couple of packed weeks into an hour and a half conversation. I mean, we hadn't even talked about Katrina. EVERYBODY HAS TALKED ABOUT KATRINA! It just reinforces that fact that she really was a huge part of my life and that truly, my life is really not the same without her around. It's not bad, just different. It's sad and it leans toward being more difficult because she's not there when I get home to chat with or vent frustrations with, but I've been through this before. When I moved to Las Vegas I felt the same thing with Christa, Tara, Andy and everyone else that I used to talk to/see on a regular basis. I still get nostalgic when I think of the close relationships I used to have with my Edmonton friends and how our relationships change over the course of time. My Edmonton friends, if you're reading this, I'm not saying that I'm not friends with you or anything (as you see my friend paranoia kick in) it's just that things change over time. It's hard to be super close with people who live thousands of miles away. Shit, just living more than 4 hours away is hard. It just makes you realize how important it is to be in the moment and never take for granted the time you have with people because life really does change, nothing ever stays the same.

For both Heather and I, we've chosen to have some pretty huge life changes all at the same time, without either of us having the advantage of having each other around to help us cope with it. She moved to a new city, new house, new job, her husband got a job in several other cities for 2 months so she is alone in this new house, new city and new job. We do have friends up there, thank god for Dielle, Jared, Lisa and Doug and all the other people that Heather knows. For me, I've quit working full-time (for the first time since I was 18), I got married, I'm dependent on my husband, I'm doing weird things like cooking dinner and doing laundry and doing 40 hours of homework each week, I'm living in a different place, my best friend is not here, my other best friend lives across the city and it's hard to get to see her, our house is not unpacked, I haven't sent out the thank-you's for the wedding (they're done, I just need to find where I packed them), my last job talked me into coming in to help them for 16 hours a week and I'm still part of that stamp club once a month. Man. Her changes are really huge, and the biggest change for me is not having her here. So there you have it. Not all that interesting, but if you've made it this far you really are a true friend. Pass this on to 10 people and a special friendship message will appear on your screen, trust me, it's worth it! ;)

Thursday, September 01, 2005

New Beginnings


It seems that the world is now in total chaos, and in my little microcosm it seems that way as well.

The situation in New Orleans is really awful. I know you didn't need me to tell you that. It sort of puts everything into perspective.

My best friend moved to Seattle yesterday. Sad. But happy for her. She's going to establish residency and then she's going to become an acupuncture and I get free treatments for life! We decided to get together for what seems to be the last "mid-week weekend" yesterday. "Mid-week weekend" is Wednesday and we would get together somewhere, preferably with a pool and we'd grill stuff and swim and act like it was the weekend. Shahnon made Thai Burgers. Mmmmmmmmm. SOooooooo gooooooooooooood. :D It was still slightly sad because Heather and James weren't there. :( But we're planning a trip for New Years where we are going to rent a ski chalet on Mt. Baker and have a grand old time.

I just started school yesterday. UNLV's classes for me this semester are Math 283 (calculus III) and Women's studies 113. Then on Tuesday, I start at CCSN (for my final semester there) taking Physics 181 & 182 (plus a 3 hour lab for each) and an English Lit class (232). Parking at UNLV is retarded. They have a whole bunch of construction going on and it's screwing up the parking for now. It's so funny, it feels like January 1st at the gym. You go to the gym January 1st and it's totally packed! There is a wait at all the machines and you just want to scream, "OK! Everyone who is really going to work out for more than the week of January the 1st please stay, the rest of you LEAVE!" And half the gym would empty. It's the same with school. Everyone goes the first couple of weeks and then by the end of the semester there's 1/4 of the students left. It's sad, really.

Brandon and I are finally living together. After being married for 3 months, we've decided to take another big step in our relationship and move in together. I know, it's a big step, but sometimes you just have to trust in fate! ;)


Friday, May 27, 2005

Wedding in 1 WEEK!


Yes, Brandon and I are getting married in one week!!! Family starts coming in on Sunday. I'm excited and a little buterfly-ee in my tummy. I've also reverted to talking like a moron. :D

I have yet another job at yet another limo company, Fox Limousine / Executive Star / Executive Coach. Yes, all one company sort of but not really. They're going to be going their seperate ways in August, kind of like me. ;)

HOLY SHIT I ALMOST FORGOT!!! I MET LENNY KRAVITZ ON SATURDAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! We went to his concert and we were right in front and some of his VIP's were placed right in the front with us and they gave us their VIP passes so Shahnon and this girl we met from Canada got to go hang by the tourbusses at the back of the Hard Rock Hotel. He came out and we stole a minute of his time. It was cool. I wish I had the picture here at work so I could post it. Best. Concert. Ever.

At the Official Las Vegas Star Trek Convention being held at the Hilton this year we're going to meet Patrick Stewart, Jonathan Frakes, LeVar Burton and Avery Brooks! Those are the people that I never thought that I would get on my SevTrek poster! I think they're the only ones I need besides Jimmy Doohan and DeForest Kelly. (And I won't ever have those, poor guys.)

So, more about the wedding already? You'd think that's all I'd be writing about, but to tell you the truth I'm so overwhelmed by the whole situation that I don't even know where to start. I pick up the altered dress, the rings (engraved and cleaned) and am having dinner on Wednesday with Brandon's Grandfather, his step-grandmother his dad, his dad's girlfriend, my auntie and my mom. That should be interesting. YIKES. It's the first time they've ever met. 3 days before the wedding. Oy vey.

Ok, I'm actually at work so I can't really write anymore. I can't promise that I'll be able to write before the wedding again, so don't get angry!


Monday, February 21, 2005

I suck


I know. I've been really busy. School, work, wedding planning, all that stuff. It's fun, but I sure don't have all that much time for fun or sleep. (Except on Sunday mornings.)

PVM


HEY! I need your address to send out a wedding invitation! I think I just send an email to your brother, but I'm not sure if that was him or not. I guess we'll see. The one that I have for you is not working!

Other stuff


My roomates' dog bit me, just a small bite on the hand. It got infected, I needed to get a shot, and antibiotics, but It's better now.

I'm still finding new and more interesting things to hate about the Bush administration. :D

I've spent the last 3 weekends working on invitations, and it's been fun, but you'd think after spending 3 weekends on invitations that they would be more elaborate. For those of you that are getting one, you will see what I mean. ;)

My friend Lainey moved to Kansas. :(

My friend Christa won't answer my emails. :(

Grand Slam is in 3 weeks! Christine and Jim are coming down for it! It'll be great!

I think that's it for now.

Oh! My Uncle Steve is coming out two weeks before the wedding! My cousin Lee is also coming out the Tuesday before the wedding, I'm so excited! WHEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!

Wednesday, January 05, 2005

Follow up


So, the last post stated that I was having a Christmas party. Well, it didn't have the turnout that I expected (hopefully caused by the fact that it was on a Friday night, either that or I really am a total loser) but we all still had fun.

Christmas was great. I was spoiled, I got an ipod, and a new digital camera with a new photo printer. I also got to talk to my cousin Lee for a while on the phone. He didn't get to spend Christmas at home, he works as a pilot and you can probably guess why it's really hard to get time off around the holidays. He's trying to get a job where he'll be based in Las Vegas. That would really rock. I miss him.
Heather also got me a Christmas/birthday/shower gift. It's a saphire/diamond pendant. She thought it would be perfect seeing as the wedding is going to be in blue and silver.

Speaking of weddings, hmmm. It just occured to me that mine is only 5 months away. I had my first anxiety ridden dream last night about the occasion. In my dream, we were having the ceremony this Saturday, but still having the reception in June. We hadn't sent out invitations, we were trying to call everyone, and my dress was wrinkled. Of course, that wasn't the only shitty dream I had last night. My night was filled with them. It sucked. Oh well, really crazy dreams that make me feel awful don't happen very often, so I hope that my brain purged enough last night to maybe spare me from another purge tonight.

New Years was fun. We went over to Rick and Shahnon's and Brandon brought his karoke machine (that my parents got him for Christmas.) Everything went downhill pretty quickly in terms of minds in the gutter and swearing in the microphone, but It was so damn funny. Even Brandon's brother was participating in the mayhem into the micorphone.

This Saturday, Heather, Shahnon and I are going to go to lunch, then we're going looking for dresses. Shahnon expressed that she has dress anxiety (which I totally understand, which is why I got my dress 3 weeks after I was engaged.) Hopefully, we'll be able to find something.

School


I got an A in my History class, and next semester I'm taking English 102 (my nemesis) and History of Rock Music (which covers my arts section in my degree.) The english class is online and the rock class is live. I hope the teachers don't suck.

I was supposed to be getting my NASA spacegrant scholarship back in October and I still haven't recieved a check. I'll have to call that lady soon. Show me the money, please. :D And thanks.

I can't wait until I can quit working and go to school full-time. In late August I'm going to quit my job and my husband is going to fully support me until I finish my degree. It was the compromise that I made with him. He didn't want me to go away to school (NAU) and I didn't want to get into debt while finishing my degree. It works out for everyone.

New Job

It's ok. I didn't realize that I would be coming in in the middle of a shake up. I'm doing Accounts Recievable. I've never done that before, well, to the extent that I'm doing it now. At Star Trek, I was doing A/R (taking in payments for service rendered) but I never had to invoice anyone, or track aging accounts, or deal with credit limits or clients. My former boss told my new boss that I was well versed in A/R. LIAR. So now, I'm pretty much flying by the seat of my pants. The girl that works there now doens't have ANY accounting backgroud at all, so at least there's that. I'm being primed to replace her, I think. Shit. It's such a small office, drama is so easy there. Oh well we'll see.


Friday, December 17, 2004

Party!!!


We're having a Christmas/Holiday party at our house tonight! Details to come!

Friday, November 26, 2004

Silly



I found this on the net:

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The flood of American liberals sneaking across the border into Canada has intensified in the past week, sparking calls for increased patrols to stop the illegal immigration.

The re-election of President Bush is prompting the exodus among left-leaning citizens who fear they'll soon be required to hunt, pray and agree with Bill O'Reilly.

Canadian border farmers say it's not uncommon to see dozens of sociology professors, animal-rights activists and Unitarians crossing their fields at night.

''I went out to milk the cows the other day, and there was a Hollywood producer huddled in the barn,'' said Manitoba farmer Red Greenfield, whose acreage borders North Dakota. The producer was cold, exhausted and hungry.

''He asked me if I could spare a latte and some free-range chicken. When I said I didn't have any, he left. Didn't even get a chance to show him my screenplay, eh?''

In an effort to stop the illegal aliens, Greenfield erected higher fences, but the liberals scaled them. So he tried installing speakers that blare Rush Limbaugh across the fields.

''Not real effective,'' he said. ''The liberals still got through, and Rush annoyed the cows so much they wouldn't give milk.''

Officials are particularly concerned about smugglers who meet liberals near the Canadian border, pack them into Volvo station wagons, drive them across the border and leave them to fend for themselves. ''A lot of these people are not prepared for rugged conditions,'' an Ontario border patrolman said. ''I found one carload without a drop of drinking water. They did have a nice little Napa Valley cabernet, though.''

When liberals are caught, they're sent back across the border, often wailing loudly that they fear retribution from conservatives. Rumors have been circulating about the Bush administration establishing re-education camps in which liberals will be forced to drink domestic beer and watch NASCAR.

In the days since the election, liberals have turned to sometimes-ingenious ways of crossing the border. Some have taken to posing as senior citizens on bus trips to buy cheap Canadian prescription drugs. After catching a half-dozen young vegans disguised in powdered wigs, Canadian immigration authorities began stopping buses and quizzing the supposed senior-citizen passengers.

''If they can't identify the accordion player on The Lawrence Welk Show, we get suspicious about their age,'' an official said.

Canadian citizens have complained that the illegal immigrants are creating and organic-broccoli shortage and renting all the good Susan Sarandon movies.

''I feel sorry for American liberals, but the Canadian economy just can't support them,'' an Ottawa resident said. ''How many art-history majors does one country need?''

In an effort to ease tensions between the United States and Canada, Vice President Dick Cheney met with the Canadian ambassador and pledged that the administration would take steps to reassure liberals, a source close to Cheney said.

''We're going to have some Peter, Paul and Mary concerts. And we might put some endangered species on postage stamps. The president is determined to reach out.'

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Funny


Air America (www.airamericaradio.com) played Al Franken's audio version of his book "Lies and the Lying Liars that tell them" on the holiday, and where he's got clips of Rush or O'Reilly, it's really them talking! He's not impersonating them, he has the actual clips of what they said! I was laughing so hard!

Thanksgiving


Brandon went to see his mother in Rocklin, CA for turkey day this weekend, and James (Heather's husband) had to work all weekend (which sucks) so Heather and I went with my family to my mom's bosses' friend from the dog parks' house. Talk about six degrees of separation. It was great. There was a 6 dogs there and two cats. The house was beautiful, 5 bedrooms, hot tub, pool, HUGE LANDSCAPED BACKYARD, HUGE CUSTOM MASTER BATHROOM, formal dining room that lead into a formal living room, a sitting room, patio I could really go on and on. The food was SO GOOD! Mmmmmmmmmmmmmm..... Uncle Danny did most of the cooking and man! It was amazing! That was really the best Turkey I've ever had. Same with the stuffing. He thought that he overcooked his broiled potatoes, but they were totally amazing. This is the first Thanksgiving in two years that I've been able to hang out with my family. Last year I went to Rocklin to meet Brandon's mom, the year before that I caught the flu and was puking.

After the dinner, Heather and I went to Rick and Shahnon's house and we watched "The Italian Job." After that we played UNO for a couple of hours. I came in second.

Christmas Party


I'm too lazy to check if I've mentioned this already, but we're having a Christmas party this year and the only requirement is: to bring a gift (value less than $20) for the gift game, and to wear the most tacky Christmas sweater/t-shirt/vest you can find. The more flair, the better. December 17, 2004 8pm-ish. I'm making cookies!!! I have Christmas cookie cutters, stencils, Christmas-y sprinkles and icing. I'M FREAKING OUT OVER HERE!

Last Day of Work at STTE


I'm writing this from STTE, and it's my last day. :( It's kind of sad, but I'm happy that I'm going to be making more money and possibly have more responsibility. Yolanda made me a cake (which was really great) and I had two people come up to me and shake hands/ hug me and tell me they were going to miss me. I thought that was really sweet. One guy even told me that he'd always thought I was very beautiful. *blush* It was cute. He must be blind. Ok, I came in 45 minutes late, I should probably start working now.

Wednesday, November 24, 2004

Unexpected Joy


I frequent www.trekbbs.com and there is this poster there, J. Allen and he's a priest. The way he talks about his faith reminds me of my Grandpa. We had a footwashing thread, he wanted to start one, and here's what he said to me:


J. Allen kneels down, and taking a soft sponge from a basin of warm water, gently washes AstroDee's feet, and says a small prayer. "Our hearts become troubled at the sight of evil. When people do wrong, it burns within us to change that wrong and make it right. That good will overcome the fiery darts that are thrown at us. Lord, I pray your protection and defense, when those that fight for good are attacked in return. Amen."AstroDee, you have a strong heart that seeks good. Use it to comfort those who are less fortunate, to give hope to those that seek it. Even in hearts of stone, a cinder smolders, turn that smoldering cinder into a roaring conflagration, making the dark known, and those that are cold, warm again.-J.


I was really moved. Huh, who knew you could be moved by people that you've never met in person?

Change is good


I start my new job on Monday (I hope). :D I have to call them and make sure, but I don't know what the hell I would do if that fell through.

Sunglasses at night


I've been wearing my fucking prescription sunglasses for the last 10 days, with sporadic periods of contact lens wear (but I can't wear them to work because for some reason, they decided they want to stick to my eyeballs if I put them in too early in the morning). I wanted to take advantage of my insurance while I have it, and get some new glasses. See, with the vision care plan that I have there are certain pairs of glasses that you are allowed to get for free and some at a very slight discount. I hated every single pair of free glasses they had there, HATED THEM, and I really liked this $375 pair of Ralph Lauren glasses, which my insurance would pay $50 towards (whopee.) So, I made the excecutive decision to send my current frames to the lab so that they could put the new lenses in (my prescription got worse). I had to wait 10 days, and then they called me this morning. I was so excited, I got out of work for an hour, and went down there to pick them up. I had transitions/scratch/uv on my lenses, and as the guy was fitting them to my face, he noticed that they weren't as dark as they should have been (transitions lenses are the ones that change to sunglasses when you are outside) and so he held them to the light to see if they'd change color and they didn't. I WAS PISSED OFF! It's not like those upgrades were free, I had to pay $95 for those upgrades and they couldn't get it right. Of course, it's the day before Thanksgiving so they don't want to send them back to the lab today because then I'd have to wait until 5-7 days after that in order to get my fucking glasses again. I hate insurance companies. Hate.

On the good side, I can now see the names on the street signs from very far away. :)

Wedding things


So, I went to look at the room that they are going to have our reception in and it was beautiful. Tara, you have to email me. We need to work out the details for your dress, seeing as there is no David's Bridal in Canada. Shop around online and see what you can find. Either dark blue or silver will be fine. I ordered some samples for my favors, which I'm going to be making as well. I'll just be a freakin craft queen this year.

Also, my mother arranged a special room rate for those of you coming from out of town (at The Orleans, of course).


June 1 & 2 $35.00 per night
June 3 & 4 $85.00 per night
June 5 $50.00 per night
If they check in before Jun1 $35.00 rate will apply for extra nights
If they stay after June 5 I think it will be the $50.00 rate


Call 1-800-675-3267 and mention the "Feica/Hardy" wedding block. She has 20 rooms reserved, but more can be added at a later date.

I hope to be getting out "Save the date" cards. I will be making those at the same time as my Christmas cards, and possible sending them out with them. Is that tacky? Oh well, saves postage.

Christmas Party


We're having a Christmas party, only this isn't your ordinary Christmas party, this is the "ugly Christmas shirt/vest" party. Everyone who comes is required to wear some really cheesy christmas item. Then we'll all play twister (or Uno) or not. Who knows. :D This party is on December 17th at around 8pm-ish.

Thursday, November 18, 2004

Light-hearted Essay


From www.fuckthesouth.com:

Fuck the South. Fuck 'em. We should have let them go when they wanted to leave. But no, we had to kill half a million people so they'd stay part of our special Union. Fighting for the right to keep slaves - yeah, those are states we want to keep.

And now what do we get? We're the fucking Arrogant Northeast Liberal Elite? How about this for arrogant: the South is the Real America? The Authentic America. Really?

Cause we fucking founded this country, assholes. Those Founding Fathers you keep going on and on about? All that bullshit about what you think they meant by the Second Amendment giving you the right to keep your assault weapons in the glove compartment because you didn't bother to read the first half of the fucking sentence? Who do you think those wig-wearing lacy-shirt sporting revolutionaries were? They were fucking blue-staters, dickhead. Boston? Philadelphia? New York? Hello? Think there might be a reason all the fucking monuments are up here in our backyard?

No, No. Get the fuck out. We're not letting you visit the Liberty Bell and fucking Plymouth Rock anymore until you get over your real American selves and start respecting those other nine amendments. Who do you think those fucking stripes on the flag are for? Nine are for fucking blue states. And it would be 10 if those Vermonters had gotten their fucking Subarus together and broken off from New York a little earlier. Get it? We started this shit, so don't get all uppity about how real you are you Johnny-come-lately "Oooooh I've been a state for almost a hundred years" dickheads. Fuck off.

Arrogant? You wanna talk about us Northeasterners being fucking arrogant? What's more American than arrogance? Hmmm? Maybe horsies? I don't think so. Arrogance is the fucking cornerstone of what it means to be American. And I wouldn't be so fucking arrogant if I wasn't paying for your fucking bridges, bitch.

All those Federal taxes you love to hate? It all comes from us and goes to you, so shut up and enjoy your fucking Tennessee Valley Authority electricity and your fancy highways that we paid for. And the next time Florida gets hit by a hurricane you can come crying to us if you want to, but you're the ones who built on a fucking swamp. "Let the Spanish keep it, it?s a shithole," we said, but you had to have your fucking orange juice.

The next dickwad who says, "It?s your money, not the government's money" is gonna get their ass kicked. Nine of the ten states that get the most federal fucking dollars and pay the least... can you guess? Go on, guess. That?s right, motherfucker, they're red states. And eight of the ten states that receive the least and pay the most? It?s too easy, asshole, they?re blue states. It?s not your money, assholes, it?s fucking our money. What was that Real American Value you were spouting a minute ago? Self reliance? Try this for self reliance: buy your own fucking stop signs, assholes.

Let?s talk about those values for a fucking minute. You and your Southern values can bite my ass because the blue states got the values over you fucking Real Americans every day of the goddamn week. Which state do you think has the lowest divorce rate you marriage-hyping dickwads? Well? Can you guess? It?s fucking Massachusetts, the fucking center of the gay marriage universe. Yes, that?s right, the state you love to tie around the neck of anyone to the left of Strom Thurmond has the lowest divorce rate in the fucking nation. Think that?s just some aberration? How about this: 9 of the 10 lowest divorce rates are fucking blue states, asshole, and most are in the Northeast, where our values suck so bad. And where are the highest divorce rates? Care to fucking guess? 10 of the top 10 are fucking red-ass we're-so-fucking-moral states. And while Nevada is the worst, the Bible Belt is doing its fucking part.

But two guys making out is going to fucking ruin marriage for you? Yeah? Seems like you're ruining it pretty well on your own, you little bastards. Oh, but that's ok because you go to church, right? I mean you do, right? Cause we fucking get to hear about it every goddamn year at election time. Yes, we're fascinated by how you get up every Sunday morning and sing, and then you're fucking towers of moral superiority. Yeah, that's a workable formula. Maybe us fucking Northerners don't talk about religion as much as you because we're not so busy sinning, hmmm? Ever think of that, you self-righteous assholes? No, you're too busy erecting giant stone tablets of the Ten Commandments in buildings paid for by the fucking Northeast Liberal Elite. And who has the highest murder rates in the nation? It ain't us up here in the North, assholes.

Well this gravy train is fucking over. Take your liberal-bashing, federal-tax-leaching, confederate-flag-waving, holier-than-thou, hypocritical bullshit and shove it up your ass.

And no, you can't have your fucking convention in New York next time. Fuck off.

Something else to lift your spirit (or piss you off)


"Our safety, our liberty, depends upon preserving the Constitution of the United States as our Fathers made it inviolate. The people of the United States are the rightful masters of both Congress and the Courts,not to overthrow the Constitution, but to overthrow the men who pervert the Constitution."-- Abraham Lincoln

Letter To The Red States====

Sorry, I try not to deluge people with my ramblings. But I had to write this and, having written it, had to send it. Even though I don't know anyone I can send it to (without alienating my Republican in-laws, who are the only "middle country" people I know.)

I am writing this letter to the people in the red states in the middle of the country -- the people who voted for George W. Bush. I am writing this letter because I don't think we know each other.

So I'll make an introduction. I am a New Yorker who voted for John Kerry. I used to live in California, and if I still lived there, I would vote for Kerry. I used to live in Washington, DC, and if I still lived there, I would vote for Kerry. Kerry won in all three of those regions.

Maybe you want to know more about me. Or maybe not; maybe you think you know me already. You think I am some anti-American anarchist because I dislike George W. Bush. You think that I am immoral and anti-family,because I support women's reproductive freedom and gay rights. You think that I am dangerous, and even evil, because I do not abide by your religious beliefs. Maybe you are content to think that, to write me off as a "liberal"--- the dreaded "L" word -- and rejoice that your candidate has triumphed over evil, immoral, anti-American, anti-family people like me.

But maybe you are still curious. So here goes: this is who I am.

I am a New Yorker. I was here, in my apartment downtown, on September11th. I watched the Towers burn from the roof of my building. I went inside so that I couldn't see them when they fell. I had friends who were inside. I have a friend who still has nightmares about watching people jump and fall from the Towers. He will never be the same. How many people like him do you know? People that can't sit in a restaurant without plotting an escape route, in case it blows up?

I am a worker. I work across the street from the Citigroup Center, which the government told us is a "target" of terrorism. Later,we found out they were relaying very old information, but it was already too late. They had given me bad dreams again. The subway stop near my office was crowded with bomb-sniffing dogs, policemen in heavy protective gear, soldiers. Now, every time I enter or exit my office, all of my possessions are X-rayed to make sure I don't have any weapons. How often are you stopped by a soldier with a bomb-sniffing dog outside your office?

I am a neighbor. I have a neighbor who is a 9/11 widow. She has two children. My husband does odd jobs for her now, like building bookshelves. Things her husband should do. He uses her husband's tools, and the two little girls tell him, "Those are our daddy's tools." How many/11 widows and orphans do you know? How often do you fill in for their dead loved ones?

I am a taxpayer. I worked my butt off to get where I did, and so did my parents. My parents saved and borrowed and sent me to college. I worked my way through graduate school. I won a full tuition scholarship to law school. All for the privilege of working 2,600 hours last year. That works out to a 50 hour week, every week, without any vacation days at all. I get to work by 9 am and rarely leave before 9 pm. I eat dinner at my office much more often than I eat dinner at home. My husband and I paid over$70,000 in federal income tax last year. At some point in the future, we will have to pay much more -- once this country faces its deficit and the impossible burden of Social Security.

In fact, the areas of the country that supported Kerry -- New York, California, Illinois, Massachusetts -- they are the financial centers of the nation. They are the tax base of this country. How much did you pay, Kansas? How much did you contribute to this government you support, Alabama? How much of this war in Iraq did you pay for?

I am a liberal. The funny part is, liberals have this reputation for living in Never-Neverland, being idealists, not being sensible. But let me tell you how I see the world: I see America as one nation in a world of nations. Therefore, I think we should try to get along with other nations.

I see that gay people exist. Therefore, I think they should be allowed to exist, and be treated the same as other people. I see ways in which women are not allowed to control their own bodies. Therefore, I think we should give women more control over their bodies. I see that people have awful diseases. Therefore, I think we should enable scientists to try to cure them. I see that we have a Constitution. Therefore, I think it should be upheld. I see that there were no weapons of mass destruction in Iraq.Therefore, I think that Iraq was not an imminent danger to me. It seems so pragmatic to me. How do you see the world? Do you really think voting against gay marriage will keep people from being gay? Would you really prefer that people continue to die from Parkinson's disease? Do you really not care about the Constitutional rights of political detainees? Would you really have supported the war if you knew the truth, or would you have wanted to spend more of our money on health care, job training, terrorism preparedness?

I am an American. I have an American flag flying outside my home. I love my home more than anything. I love that I grew up right outside NewYork City. I first went to the Statue of Liberty with my 5th grade class, and my mom and dad took me to the Empire State Building when I was 8. I love taking the subway to Yankee Stadium. I loved living in Washington DC and going on dates to the Lincoln Memorial. It is because I love this country so much that I argue with my political opponents as much I do.

I am not safe. I never feel safe. My in-laws live in a small town in Ohio, and that town has received more federal funding, per capita, for terrorism preparedness than New York City has. I take subways and buses every day. I work in a skyscraper across the street from a "target." I have emergency supplies and a spare pair of sneakers in my desk, in case something happens while I'm at work. Do you? How many times a month do you worry that your subway is going to blow up?

When you hear sirens on the street, do you run to the window to make sure everything is okay? When you hear an airplane, do you flinch? Do you dread beautiful, blue-skied September days? I don't know a single New Yorker who doesn't spend the month of September on tip-toes, superstitiously praying for rain so we don't have to relive that beautiful, blue-skied day.

I am lonely. I feel that we, as a nation, have alienated all our friends and further provoked our enemies. I feel unprotected. Most of all I feel alienated from my fellow citizens, because I don't understand what you are thinking. You voted for a man who started a war in Iraq for no reason, against the wishes of the entire world. You voted for a man whose lack of foresight and inability to plan has led to massive insurgencies in Iraq, where weapons are disappearing into the hands of terrorists. You voted for a man who let Osama Bin Laden escape into the hills of Afghanistan so that he could start that war in Iraq. You voted for a man who doesn't want to let people love who they want to love; doesn't want to let doctors cure their patients; doesn't want to let women rule their destinies. I don't understand why you voted for this man. For me, it is not enough that he is personable; it is not enough that he seems like one of the guys. Why did you vote for him? Why did you elect a man that lied to us in order to convince us to go to war? (Ten years ago you were incensed when our president lied about his sex life; you thought it was an impeachable offense.) Why did you elect a leader who thinks that strength cannot include diplomacy or international cooperation? Why did you elect a man who did nothing except run away and hide on September 11?

Most of all, I am terrified. I mean daily, I am afraid that I will not survive this. I am afraid that I will lose my husband, that I will never have children, that I will never grow old and watch the sunset in a backyard of my own. I am afraid that my career -- which should end with a triumphant and good-natured roast at a retirement party in 2035 -- will be cut short by an attack on me and my colleagues, as we sit sending emails and making phone calls one ordinary afternoon. Is your life at stake? Are you terrified? I don't think you are. I don't think you realize what you have done. And if anything happens to me or the people I love, I blame you. I wanted you to know that.=====

I know that last one is just one of those "internet emailings" that I actually got from a BB that I frequent, but that really sums up how I feel about the whole thing. I don't live in New York, but I sure as hell do live in a city that is more a target than mostly any city in the deep South. And I really don't feel safer. I know I'm on a terrorism list somewhere because of the books/DVDs I buy and the websites I visit. I might be labeled a "traitor" or "enemy combatant" and thrown into jail with no phone call and no rights. I'm not plotting to take down the current administration, I'm just gathering information so that I can have a clear picture as to what is going on.

Freedom of speech and freedom of association are being trampled on by the Patriot Act and when it finally gets so out of had that even Ann Coulter is afraid of losing her right to bitch, moan, and name-call, it will be too late.

Some Real optimism


Enough with the doom and gloom! I have to talk about my wedding! Wheee!

I said May 28th, but I really meant June 4th. See, we thought it would be a really good idea to have the wedding on Memorail Day weekend so that everyone could have an extra day to recover and we could spend some extra time hanging out with family and friends. Well, that sounds good, until you look at the flight prices and the hotel prices for that weekend. YIKES! So, we moved it forward a week. You might have to take an extra day off work, but at least you'll be able to afford to come. :) Plus, if you want to do some sightseeing while you're here, it's best to do it during the week, as the weekends, especially holiday weekends, are crazy busy!

I'm going to be having 3 bridesmaids. Heather will be my maid of honor, and then Tara and Shahnon will back her up. :)

Brandon is having his friends Leif as his best man, and his brother and James (Heather's wife) will back him up. :)

My Uncle Danny and Uncle Steve are going to give me away. :)

I'm not quite sure who's going to be performing the ceremony.

The only two kids allowed at the function are Evan and Aidan. :) Is that wrong to not want to have kids at a function unless you know that they are not out of control?

I haven't registered yet, but I plan to register at Club Wed at Target.com, Pier One, and possibly the option to donate to our honeymoon.

Speaking of honeymoon, we're going on an Alaskan Cruise! I can't wait! I've always wanted to do that. We're not sure which carrier we're going to go with yet, but I'll give more details when they're available.

JOB


I'm quitting at Star Trek. I found another job that pays more and lets me have weekends off and is not a corporate giant. It's a locally owned and operated company called "Lucky Cab and Limo" and I managed to score a few free limos out of the deal! I'm going to have to dress nice for this job (boo) which means going out and buying a few more items of "business/casual" clothing. Maybe I'll need new shoes. Why yes, new shoes are most definitely in the realm of possibility.

REMINDER


For those of you who thought I was just kidding about losing addresses, I'm not! I really need anyone who is reading this to send me their address so that I can send them an invitation for the wedding! NO REALLY, You don't have to write 10 paragraphs just because I haven't talked to you in a long time, just your address. If you want to write me 10 paragraphs, that's fine too. I'm pretty good at keeping in touch with emails. *cough*

Friday, November 12, 2004

Lots


Sorry about the long time between posts, but I've been really busy. Things have just taken on a life of their own.

I know the exact date of my wedding. It's May 28th, 2005 and it's going to be in Vegas so all y'all better be comin'! We're having it at the Orleans Hotel, which some of you know since you've been here before, is a locals' hotel. I have my dress, I have the stuff to make invitations, I just have to get in touch with Tara to let her know what color dress to buy and where. She's going to be my only bridesmaid from Canada and they don't have a David's Bridal in Canada so she's going to have to either get her dress from here when she gets here (not recommended) or try to find something similar in Canada and bring it down (preferred.)

My friend Jeff is in India working on a video game. Lucky bastard. He sent me pictures of this 200 year old observatory that they went to.

For some stupid reason, I'm trying to host the images at Image Shack and put them here, and it's not working. Oh well. They are really amazing pictures, and just to let you know, Jeff, you can send me an ass load more as well. :)

School is going good, I ended up getting some money from that NASA space grant scholarship that I applied for. They turned me down, and then I guess they got more money so they decided to include me. YAY!

I suck as a friend. Andy, I still haven't called you for your birthday. I suck. I will call you soon though. Even though you're probably never really home.

The Election

So, my October surprise was almost there, it did involve Osama, just not in the manner that I anticipated. What surprised me about the October surprise is that people weren't really all that freaked out by Osama coming on the TV and talking to everyone about the election. I thought that would have put Kerry WAY on top, considering he was the number one villain after 9/11. The fact that he's still alive, dragging his dialysis machine from cave to cave makes me wonder just what the hell is going on there. Oh right, we're in Fallujah going after Zarkawi (sp?). Or Mosul, or Baghdad. I know there are troops in Afghanistan. It's just that there are more troops in Iraq.

About the actual election? I was really sad. How bad does this country have to get before the people scream for change? Can't people just be interested in what's going on outside their little world for 5 minutes, put down their cell phone, park their SUV and read something? I know some of my family members voted for Bush, probably because Kerry wasn't the strongest candidate on the Dems side. From the many fights I've had with my mother, I sort of understand it, not changing horses and all that. But I really can't see how anyone can feel safer in this country if they really knew what was going on. I read an article on MSNBC.com a few days ago that talked about the fact that the "terrorist chatter" has increased, as has calls to carry out terrorist attacks against Americans, especially after they elected Bush. Then the dept of Homeland Security lowers the threat level for many previously threatened buildings in New York City, and Ashcroft resigns, feeling that he's left the country safer. It makes me want to puke. Then Bush, Mr. "Major combat operations in Iraq have ended" launches a massive attack on Fallujah, causing more outrage from the extremist muslim community. Yeah, I feel safer. There will be another attack, but I won't feel one pang of guilt because I did my best to get that asshole out of the White House. It's too bad the terrorists won't know the difference.

Thursday, October 21, 2004

October Surprise!


I'm not sure if I've mentioned what I think the October surprise is going to be (and frankly, I'm too lazy to go back and check every single post ;) ) but I think the October surprise for the election is going to be the capture of Osama Bin Laden. Let's say, 3 days before the election. Politically, I don't want that to happen, but personally, I think he should be caught and would feel happy that that part of our history is taken care of. If he is caught, I would feel that it was a political ploy, and would still vote for Kerry, and hopefully, so would the rest of the people that were planning on voting for Kerry. Did, I, use, enough, commas, in, that, sentence?

I watched the West Wing last night, and I haven't watched it in 2 years. I've been sucked in again.

I'm not as nervous as I was yesterday about getting on the plane to Chicago because I know it's not in my "life plan (if you will)" to go down in a firey plane crash. I still have to VOTE! ;)

I even get extra credit in my history class if I vote!

And if anyone is planning on going to the Community College of Southern Nevada and they want a good history teacher, it's Sondra Cosgrove. In fact, anyone reading this can take her class, no matter where you are, because she teaches online. I have a person in my class from Alaska.