My blog died..

In my recent not-so-successful attempt to re-vamp my blog & present a refreshing new layout... my blog died. I unwisely did not save my previous template before experimenting (and failing) with some new designs... I tried to put everything back together for the time-being but you can probably expect that this site will be under further construction until I can work out all the issues I've been coming across with template Zip files & XML errors... aigh!!!!!

Right now I'm way too frustrated to continue this trouble-shooting experience.

So, for the time-being, I hope that everyone can bare with me & just know that there will be some definite improvements coming soon...

I work so hard!

So I can slowly see my end-of-summer job prospect falling through. I went in for TWO interviews at my local Walmart, only to be told that I was being considered for an opening in Cashiers, but would have to wait for HR to call all of my references, do a background check, and wait on a drug test that I will have to get before being offered a position. BAH! But if nothing else, at least it was good interview practice, hah.

So besides that, here is the story of my life as of late:



Working on an assignment for my online class, it will be the 3rd paper I am writing within the last 7(ish) days!! I feel responsible & accomplished! But also exhausted... the only consolation to having to stay in and work on homework on this beautiful sunny summer day is the iced caramel machiatto fueling my efforts, and the company of my sister working in the coffee shop! Mmm coffee...

Also, a shoutout to KT: thank you for letting me use your laptop!!! It's been so convenient for working on these assignments! Portable & runs fast..yay!)

I have noticed lately in many coffee shops that they have put out jars to recycle the coffee cup jackets, which gave me an idea. I will try my best from now on to either recycle these (I get coffee a lot, they would definitely add up!), or even better, carry one around to use with all my drinks...which could ultimately result in my becoming a bag lady... but you know how it goes! haha! Anyway, I would like to challenge all you other coffee fanatics out there to recycle or save your java jackets! It's a good idea, and easy! DO IT! DO IT!!



And lastly, a welcome distraction... anti-homework cat! :)

My name...

Amy ..... In English

エイミー ..... In Japanese

에이미 ..... In Korean

艾米 ..... In Chinese

Емі ..... In Ukrainian

Jale ..... In Turkish

Ејми ..... In Serbian

Эми ..... In Russian

एमी ..... In Hindi

Ейми ..... In Bulgarian

Happy Monday!

There were 2 sisters, a blonde and a red head.

The red head said to the blonde that she slept with a brazillian man.

The blonde said: OMG! YOU SLUT! How many is a brazillian??

Pet Peeve

There's probably nothing I dislike more than going into the bathroom & finding that the last person didn't bother to unclog the toilet they clogged. 'nuff said..

Harry Plotter haha

I feel like I'm the only person who actually doesn't like Harry Potter. Maybe it's the stubbornness in me, but I refused to read the books & the movies are actually quite boring, and - especially in the most recent ones - poorly done, as in they don't make sense to people who haven't read the books. (which I don't want to do, therefore making the movies totally useless) However, I think I'm still being dragged along to the midnight showing of the newest release, I just hope I don't get too confused or bored with it.

______________________________________

UPDATE!!!

After seeing the 6th Harry Potter movie, I don't hate Harry "Plotter" as much.. still prob. won't read the books but I was glad to find the movie rather easy to follow.

AbstRacT

I've decided that I want to create some abstract art for the purpose of decoration, using household items. I haven't decided what to use yet (t0-go coffee cups/lids/buttons), what to make, or if I should use a variety of random items. I always think it's cool when people do this, like my sister who saved all the picture labels from her Jones Soda, & used them to decorate a container thing, or whoever strung all those bottle caps together to make a home-made wind chime, or on a smaller scale, making necklaces with starburst wrappers. If anyone has any ideas, or wants to make it a team effort, let me know! I think it could be pretty fun to be creative, especially when we are doing nothing else this summer & I AM SO BORED!

Another reason to do this: decorating rooms costs money, and I'm all for saving some cash! I'm still hoping to renovate me & Katie's bedroom before the end of the summer and we'll need to be able to decorate it with things that represent us now, not 10 years ago! And yes I am referring to the middle school awards hanging on the walls, the faceless & faded stuffed "angel" hanging from our window, and the cabbage-patch doll boxes taking up room in our closet...

Live with purpose!

For my Career & Life Planning class that I'm taking online this summer, I was assigned to develop a mission statement. I know it doesn't sound like much fun, but it actually proved to be one of the most beneficial things I have done in a long time. I say this because, even though we probably do know what we value and want out of life, there's a good chance we aren't living according to it from day to day because all our different ideas are scattered. Putting together a mission statement gets right to your heart of hearts and will provide clarity by combining all that is important to you. Ok, I know this sounds pretty cheesy, but I still think everyone should do it, and it's actually pretty simple - I used this mission builder tool and it basically does all the work for you. TRY IT! You can always quit halfway through if you think it's lame, but it doesn't take very long. I will post my results & final mission statement at a later time, I want to give everyone else a chance to do it first!

5 Aunts : 1 Little Boy

This past weekend was spent helping my brother Davey tape & paint inside his new home, and while we weren't helping with that, me and the girls were watching our adorable nephew Andy! He is a little over 2 years old now, and starting to remember who we are - which is nice because it used to take him at least a half hour for him to warm up to us - AND he can say our names, which he shouts out on the random occassion. :)

Summerfest

Just a few video clips that I took at Summerfest a week ago, gives you a little bit of a taste of it.

Pay special attention to the man in the plaid shirt:


Undercover Jedi?


Huge crowd by the end!

Pompeii

As many of you probably know, I like to change things up quite often, most obviously in decorating, whether rearranging a room or changing the desktop background on my computer, or in this case, changing the header on my blog. Hope everyone enjoys it, the pictures made me cringe each time I came to my site. Anyway, I actually designed it myself on this website after stumbling upon it (not the highest quality after going through Paint however). Just beware that the website may cause increased slowness & freezing of your computer if you do it while running too many other programs/web pages at once. Lesson learned.

It's tough sharing 2 1/2 working computers between 4 girls & a mom, which is why I am taking advantage of it this late while everyone else is asleep! (actually Lilly is on the other computer also blogging at this moment, haha).

It's kind of funny how quickly we judge people, and also how equally quick that first perception can be changed. Today my mom and I went to the Red Box at the grocery store, and had to wait behind this lady who was slowly scanning through all the movies. As we stood there I grew somewhat annoyed at how long she was taking (I'm a terrible person haha), but I couldn't help it. Anyway, she finally picked a movie and was about to leave when she turns around and asks me and my mom if we knew about the promo code for free rentals on every Monday. What! So she didn't hesitate to give us the code for the day, and tell us that we could sign up to receive promos via text with a code every Monday to get a free rental. Wow! She turned out to be really nice and generous, which makes me feel worse for being annoyed with her minutes earlier. Anyway, we got our free rental, and I'm planning on looking up how to get the code every Monday by text msg. Funny how very simple deeds in which we step out of our own little worlds for a brief moment can totally brighten someone else's day. I guess not all people are selfish drones going about their own business! And I'm proud to say that when me and my mom went back to return our movie later, we attempted to pass on the info to the man standing in line behind us, (He already knew about the code). Sharing is contagious, try it!

You might be wondering why this blog is titled "Pompeii," and I will tell you right now! Me and Heidi went to the library today (I've been going crazy laying in bed for 3 hours the past couple of nights with nothing to read!) and we probably got a little too excited to be checking out books, don't believe me, read her blog post about it! So here is my check-out list (which will also help me keep track of which books I have):

1. THE CABINET OF CURIOSITIES - D. PRESTON & L. CHILD
2. STILL LIFE WITH CROWS - " "
3. BRIMSTONE - " "
4. POMPEII - ROBERT HARRIS
5. THE SEAL WIFE - KATHRYN HARRISON

The first 3 are the next books in the series I've been reading, and if not for the great characters, the murder-mystery-closer-to-fantasy-than-real-life-and-by-that-I-mean-monsters would get a tad bit tiresome. So to break up the monotony, I grabbed POMPEII because it sounded interesting, (I'm really trying to branch out to a more versatile selection of genres), which I started reading earlier today and it seems promising. THE SEAL WIFE was one that Heidi picked out for me, written as if being told by a storyteller, which is somewhat unique, especially for a novel versus short story. I've digressed. To wrap this up, I will be spending much of my time this week reading & working on homework, as I have not one but TWO 5 page papers due this Friday by 4:30pm. So do me a favor the next time you talk to me and remind me to get working on that, and also forgive my extended computer hogging!

In This World

HAHA Got the questions off facebook & put my ipod on shuffle, most of them are actually pretty funny, I would recommend trying it just for fun!

IF SOMEONE SAYS "IS THIS OKAY" YOU SAY?
Apologize

WHAT WOULD BEST DESCRIBE YOUR PERSONALITY?
Wink and a Smile

WHAT DO YOU LIKE IN A GUY/GIRL?
Someday...

WHAT IS YOUR LIFE'S PURPOSE?
Fall Line

WHAT IS YOUR MOTTO?
Strong and Wasted

WHAT DO YOUR FRIENDS THINK OF YOU?
I will learn to love again

WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT VERY OFTEN?
Concerto in C Minor for Cello RV 401: Dite Oihme from la Fida Ninfa (LOL!)

WHAT IS 2+2?
Dance, Dance

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR BEST FRIEND?
God, That's Good! (from Sweeny Todd..haha!)

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THE PERSON YOU LIKE?
Best years of our lives

WHAT IS YOUR LIFE STORY?
The Way I Am

WHAT DO YOU WANT TO BE WHEN YOU GROW UP?
Diga Diga Do

WHAT DO YOU THINK WHEN YOU SEE THE PERSON YOU LIKE?
1 2 3 4

WHAT DO YOUR PARENTS THINK OF YOU?
Things I'll Never Say

WHAT WILL YOU DANCE TO AT YOUR WEDDING?
Picking Up The Pieces - Blue October (not exactly wedding-appropriate!?)

WHAT WILL THEY PLAY AT YOUR FUNERAL?
Broken Hearted

WHAT IS YOUR HOBBY/INTEREST?
Concerto in C Minor for Cello, TV 401: Noli, O Cara, Te Adorantis (LOL! not again!)

WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST SECRET?
Broken Vow

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR FRIENDS?
Broken like an angel

WHAT'S THE WORST THING THAT COULD HAPPEN?
Ender Will Save Us All

HOW WILL YOU DIE?
Love Story

WHAT MAKES YOU LAUGH?
Never been any reason

WHAT MAKES YOU CRY?
Allie Returns (The Notebook..hahahahhahahhaa)

WILL YOU EVER GET MARRIED?
Track 17... (guess it's a mystery, some unnamed Bond song came up)

WHAT SCARES YOU THE MOST?
Collide

DOES ANYONE LIKE YOU?
Come fly with me

IF YOU COULD GO BACK IN TIME, WHAT WOULD YOU CHANGE?
New Shoes

WHAT HURTS RIGHT NOW?
Without your love

WHAT WILL YOU POST THIS AS?
In This World

What says 'Thank You' better than a homemade pie?

I'm usually not a dessert type of person, but I've been trying my hand at cooking lately, and since everyone else has been making strawberry rhubarb pies, I thought I'd try something different! The thought of chocolate pie seemed somewhat bizarre to me since I had never had it before, but I went ahead and found a recipe for Chocolate Chess pie, it looked simple and promising so I gave it a go.

Whipped cream and strawberries were my own addition, since I thought the pie needed something extra.

I made 2 pies the first time, one for my family to test out to make sure it was edible before giving the other pie to a friend. Reactions were favorable:

plate-lickin' good!

I also made 2 more pies this weekend for the 4th of July, one for the family and one as a house-warming gift for my brother, whose family just bought a new house & have been painting it like crazy all weekend! The only set-back of being the pie-maker is that you know exactly what went in it... each delectable bite will remind you of the 1 1/2 cups of sugar & half stick of butter, etc. ;)

Chocolate Chess Pie Recipe
INGREDIENTS

1 1/2 cups white sugar

3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

2 eggs

1 (5 ounce) can evaporated milk

1/4 cup melted butter

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).Mix sugar and cocoa together. Beat the eggs then add to the cocoa mixture. Beat in the milk, butter and vanilla.Pour mixture into 9 inch unbaked pie shell and bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 45 minutes or until set. Let cool before slicing.