The Results!

My last POLL asked: What do you find most enjoyable to do in your free time? (Choose TOP 3), and the results are as follows:

Read a book	4 (66%)
Play video games	0 (0%)
Take a walk	1 (16%)
Chill w/ friends	1 (16%)
Fiddle on the computer	4 (66%)
Listen to music	2 (33%)
Dance	0 (0%)
Take a nap	0 (0%)
Spend time outside	0 (0%)
Cook	2 (33%)
Hang out w/ family	2 (33%)
Talk on the phone	0 (0%)
Exercise	0 (0%)
Do something creative	2 (33%)
Just sit.	0 (0%)

I don't have much to speculate about based off the results, other than I'm not surprised no one picked that they like to dance in their free-time haha, unless it's the spontaneous dance parties that I initiate ;)

I'm still pretty bummed about my laptop dying on me, but I'm making do without it actually, it forces me to think of other things to do during my time instead of spending it all on the internet. Also, since I'm trying to be frugel about spending money this summer since I have only a limited supply of money saved up and no job, I've decided to not bring my laptop in anywhere to be fixed until the fall, since SCSU has a free computer maintenance service (I hope that it ends up being an easy fix, I'd really hate to lose all my files ...pictures, music, stories...bah!).

On another note, I've really been enjoying reading this summer, but I just finished my last book last night, so I need some suggestions on good books so that I can make a library run! I think reading is the sole reason my sleeping schedule is so messed up, I'm regularly up reading until 4-5am, and have been sleeping in until 1:30pm... I guess it's not that bad since I'm still only getting a little over 8 hours of sleep each night, but I still feel like I lose a large chunk of the day.

Lastly, I just wanted to say that I'm THUPER DUPER EXCITED to go down to Summerfest w/ Rob, and whatever else we decide to do!! All my friends are all spread out - Green Bay, Milwaukee, St. Cloud, Minneapolis, Madison, so it's pretty super when I actually get to see someone! :) So stay tuned for pictures/stories/updates and whatnot! Also, a new poll will be up shortly!

Great shots of the day.

You may not have known...

...I always smile when I lay down in my bed,

...every day, I dress according to my mood,

...I prefer non-lyrical music because it typically has better instrumentals,

...pastel colors make me feel uncomfortable,

...my worst trait inherited from my mother is being a pack-rat (though not as bad as her),

...I love spicey food,

...I always brush my teeth in the shower,

...I have action-packed dreams every night that I read before going to sleep,

...I avoid touching door handles whenever I can, especially bathroom ones,

...indoor plants are essential for wherever I am living.

And now you know me a little better!

Poll

My most recent poll asked "Which of the following places would you most likely travel to if given the chance?" and I gave the options San Francisco, Paris, France, London, England, Sydney, Australia, Egypt, Ireland, Venice, Italy, Hong Kong, Bangkok, Thailand, and New Zealand, asking everyone to pick their top two choices. All of these choices were hand-selected from a website of top cities to visit across the world. What I found most interesting was that the results showed most interest in english-speaking places, and I wonder if these places were chosen because traveling somewhere english is spoken would be most comfortable & convenient, or because our minds have been conditioned to think about these places in a certain way from how they are depicted in movies and on television. Although this city wasn't on the list of choices, I recently discovered (thanks to StumbleUpon & my friend Rob), that Dubai is a very progessive and impressive city. I feel like so many of us subconsciously think that any place that is rarely covered in the news/on television/in movies, (such as Dubai or Malaysia for example), we automatically think that they must be third-world and underdeveloped. While this is true of some places, there are so many beautiful places like Thailand that aren't as well known but would probably make for a much more magnificent and memorable vacation spot than Ireland (yes I said it). Maybe I am too biased, because I am extremely fascinated in exotic places and different cultures, but the more different a place is, culturally and geographically, the more power it has to totally give us a new view on our own life, possibly more appreciation for our own way of life, or inspiration to change how we live from day to day. I fully believe that everyone should spend some time at least out of the country (the further & more diverse the better), just to experience other ways of life and gain some perspective on the world and it's diverse mass of people, where no one way of life is the best. I think especially in the U.S. we tend to take things for granted & rush through life and act overly competitive, when life instead should be appreciated and savored.
On another note, a new poll will be up shortly :)

Reminder to Self:

Return Redbox Movie!

Good Picture

Personality Type

For my online class this summer, I had to take the Myers-Briggs Personality Indicator, which I would have had to pay for if I hadn't found a free version of the test on Facebook (search for the application MBTI). Excellent! I found out that I am a ENFP - Extroverted Intuitive Feeling Perceiving. So I googled this to find a more detailed description of this personality type and was actually quite surprised (and excited) about how much it described myself. Here are a few parts of the personality profile that I found the most accurate/interesting:

ENFPs are pleasant, easygoing, and usually fun to work with (this made me feel good). They come up with great ideas, and are a major asset in brainstorming sessions. Followthrough tends to be a problem, however; they tend to get bored quickly, especially if a newer, more interesting project comes along. They also tend to be procrastinators, both about meeting hard deadlines (<--so true! I have trouble meeting deadlines) and about performing any small, uninteresting tasks that they've been assigned.

ENFPs have what some call a "silly switch." They can be intellectual, serious, all business for a while, but whenever they get the chance, they flip that switch and become CAPTAIN WILDCHILD. Sometimes they may even appear intoxicated when the "switch" is flipped.

Most have a natural propensity for role-playing and acting.(I've been in many musicals in my life as well as performing in choirs & orchestras..so very true!)

Friends are what life is about to ENFPs. They hold up their end of the relationship, sometimes being victimized by less caring individuals. ENFPs are energized by being around people.(Also completely true, the people in my life are what make my life important)

ENFPs sometimes can be blindsided by their secondary Feeling function. Hasty decisions based on deeply felt values may boil over with unpredictable results. More than one ENFP has abruptly quit a job in such a moment. (EXTREMELY IRONIC to find this here, considering I just quit my last job!)

Their natural inclination is toward relationships, especially among people or living things. ENFPs are strongly influenced by the opinions of their friends.

Just to name a few, I share this personality type with Robin Williams, Sandra Bullock, Franz Joseph Haydn, Regis Philbin, and Mark Twain. It was also interesting that today I also found Robin Williams and Sandra Bullock listed under my same Chinese Zodiac sign - the Dragon. Random?

Soulja Boy

I teach my sisters how to be ghetto.

--My favorite moment is Kelly (in the pink) from 1:25-1:35 HAHA!

My new car!

Not really, but my dad just bought this '95 Toyota Camry & I really hope that once it's been through some maintenance he'll let me have it, which would be totally excellent, esp. considering it has no rust ahahha

We now have 7 cars on our driveway and one in the garage. I really hope we sell some soon, seriously!

My other pimpin' ride:

(Affectionately known as: BIG BLUE)

Lately

It's probably hard to tell, but this is a 2000 piece puzzle (Vegas baby!) that I have been working on the past few days... hardest puzzle ever, we have piano benches on both sides of the coffee table & 4 tray tables just so we could lay out every piece to see better.

Gotta love summer weather!


Would have been perfect minus the little boys.. oh well.

Creepy hallway in the High School..

In high school I had a problem getting to school on time in the morning (runs in the family), so every time being tardy after the first 2 or 3 resulted in a detention - I think we had to be there by 6am or so or we'd be locked out and have to serve our detention some other morning. The detention room is down in the basement of the school right next to the creepy boiler room where strange noises come from, with all the desks that were too old and crappy to be kept in the actual classrooms.

Why do the best TV Shows always get cancelled?

Just to name a few...

Star Trek Voyager

Miss Guided

Quarter Life

Testees

Pushing Daisies

I'm sure the list could go on. Star Trek Voyager wasn't exactly cancelled, but they barely even played reruns before taking it off the air.

Miss Guided, starring Judy Greer (27 Dresses, 13 Going on 30), was aired on ABC for only 7 weeks before it disappeared from television and ABC online episodes. It was a lighthearted show, centering around Becky Freeley (Greer) who returns to her high school to become a guidance counselor, and I feel like i'm the only one who ever even realized it existed. (inadequate advertising?)

Quarter Life is a show that started on the internet (www.quarterlife.com), and is a realistic take on the life of 8 young people entering the real world after college, (not a reality show however). NBC aired one episode, and qualified the poor ratings as means to never air the show again. However all 36 8-minute episodes can be seen on the website, and YouTube. I only found out about the show because of a poster advertisement on campus that got me interested enough to look it up. Unfortunately, the show had already been cancelled a month prior to me seeing the poster. =.=

Testees is a hilarious show that once again was cancelled due to poor ratings. Two regular guys work for a company called Testico that runs experiments, while they act as human guinea pigs. Each episode revolves around some hilarious side-effects of the treatments/medications/new products.

Pushing Daisies was largely devastated by the writer's strike that happened mid-series in Season 1. Fortunately it came back to finish the season, but however stopped being aired a few episodes into Season 2. I was sooo sad that this show was cancelled because it was probably one of the only wholesome, family-oriented, and heartwarming shows left on television. It follows a pie-maker who can touch dead things back to life. He eventually teams up with a private detective to solve murders by asking the victims who killed them. One of these murders was that of his childhood-sweetheart, who he chooses to keep alive, despite the fact that he can never touch her again or she will go back to being dead. ABC recently picked up the show again to air the last 3 episodes of Season 2, with no real indication if there will be a 3rd season or not.

I really enjoy shows that actually have substance and a brillant writer behind them. It's really sad and pathetic to me that the American population is so lazy now that if they can't figure out what is going on in a show within 2 minutes, it isn't worth their time to figure out, which leads the majority of the population to watching crap like reality TV (The Bachelor, I Love New York, Top Model, The Real World etc). This sadly makes the ratings drop severely for good shows, and leads to the success and growth of the horrible reality shows that are in the most part pointless, vulgar, over-exaggerated, offensive, and are not in actuality real depictions of life at all! It really is frustrating, and I wish that television channels would start counting online viewers while figuring out ratings for shows. I know a ton of people who don't have time to catch up on their favorite shows until late at night, or at times totally different from that of the actual showing. Is there any hope left for clever, well-thought television shows? How far will this go!?

Beauty in Car Form

This is just a beautiful car, Audi A5 '08

I couldn't find it in orange, but I wouldn't grieve about having to settle on this color..

The Tick Tock of the Clock

When I was younger, my mom used to drop me off at my Grandparents house during the day while she went to run errands and whatnot. My Grandma would set me up on a living room couch with a pillow and blankets, and set 2 chairs with their backs to the couch so I wouldn't roll off. I clearly remember the peaceful quiet of their house during this nap time, along with the ticking of their living room clocks, a sound that to the day brings me memories and comfort. It's like people who have memories sparked by different aromas like coffee or a certain flower or cologne/perfume, only mine is the simple sound of ticking clocks. What reminded me of this was a clock I just bought for $1 at a rummage sale a few weekends ago. The audible tick-tock of the analogue clock is an ambiance I quite enjoy, (which is reason enough to keep a clock that never tells the correct time.. haha).

REMINDER TO HEIDI:

MAKE US COFFEE IN THE MORNING!

LOVE, ME

Soda, Pop, Bubblers, and Drinking Fountains

After living in Minnesota for 2 years for school, I can no longer use the terms "soda" and "bubbler" comfortably in natural flow of conversation, even when I am back home in Southeastern Wisconsin. A few times up at school I slipped up and said "bubbler" to other people, and have gotten blank stares or people asking "what?" and I'll just say "oops, I mean a drinking fountain" (which is totally lame thing to call it I might add). I purposefully still say soda all the time no matter where I am, but it never comes out naturally like it used to, I now always simultaneous think soda/pop, and am used to hearing the term "pop" all the time. However, I'm now finding it more universal to instead specifically say "pepsi", "coke", "fanta", "sierra mist" etc, instead of saying soda or pop at all.

Maybe I shouldn't have quit my job

... :(

SPONTANEOUS DANCE PARTY!

I know I know, this is quickly becoming a picture blog... but what can I say? A picture says a thousand words (& has a much wider range of vocabulary than myself!). So many people might say that spontaneous dance parties are one of my many trademarks... all I know is that I just know how to have a good time :)

Playlist:

The Stoop - Little Jackie

The Sweet Escape - Gwen Stefani

Crazy - Gnarles Barkley

God Is A DJ - Pink

Apologize - One Republic

Sleepy Head - Passion Pit

Better Things - Passion Pit

G.L.A.M.O.R.O.U.S. - Fergie

I need coffee to live!

Ah yes, it was 2 summers ago when I first began consuming the delicious dark drink. I had started up an office job, had to wake up around 7am to get ready & drive the 40 minutes in bad traffic to work. There was plenty of coffee provided around the office, so I started to take advantage of it. My first impression of it was that it was very bitter tasting water, especially in comparison to the sugar-loaded french vanilla cappuccinos that me and my sister Katie would get before &/or after church choir practice from the gas station. So to match this sugary idea I would add up to 7 french vanilla creamers to a small styrofoam cup of coffee, (Would you like some coffee in that creamer??), along with probably an equal amount of sugar packets. I eventually would start adding one less creamer every few days & by the time the summer was over I think I was down to just 3 creamers/3 sugar packets per cup! My freshman year of college I would get hot chocolates from the Caribou Coffee on campus, and then moved up to mochas. This school year I was much more adventurous and would try a different drink every time I went to Caribou, and have recently discovered my all-time favorite coffee drink: Caramel Machiatto



I love coffee and encourage people to start drinking it, because I know it is a taste that can be acquired; I now add minimal sugar/creamer to my coffee & delight in the rich flavor and aroma. Not only is coffee an uplifting energy booster that promotes good feelings by smell alone, it provides a great excuse to relax and catch up with friends & family over a cup of brewed goodness.

My Daily Life.

Scaring people.


Maintaining my good looks.


Thirsty...


Building healthy bones!


Catching up on the best gossip.


surfin' the web...

TWIN!

Fun while rummaging..

Finally an update!

I was sick of seeing Bobby Vinton's oldies face in my most recent post so I figured it is about time to blog again.

Funny thing that happened today:

I was getting ready for work and pulled some capris from my pile of recently washed clothes. I haven't worn them since last fall, and was just about to put them on when I felt something in one of the pockets. Low & behold, my lost iPod, after 8 months. Best part is, despite going through the washer AND dryer, I charged it up & it works just fine, headphones and all. hah! Can't say the durability of Apple products isn't impressive.

In other news, I had a SUPERB holiday/memorial day weekend & wanted to share a few of my favorite photos on here :)

(click on photos to see larger versions!)