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Who said cat trees were only for cats?

2011-01-19T17:12:00.001-08:00

Before leaving for her internship abroad, my friend Nicole bought her little monkey - Keto - a giant cat tree. Needless to say, Keto wasn't the only one excited about the cat tree's appearance...

Then we decided to confirm the sturdiness of the cat tree...

many failed attempts...

not quite...

And then...SUCCESS!!! Keto, Amy, and Nicole share the cat tree in utmost bliss.

Tomorrow...

2010-11-20T18:36:00.001-08:00

I will be teaching an interview committee (of what I believe to be 3 people haha) how to play a Samba (Brazilian dance music). The group I am interviewing for is called Adventure Learning Program and basically functions as a student organization that holds workshops and ropes courses, and facilitates ice-breakers for other organizations/groups/classes - basically anyone who needs to get the creative juices flowing and to help groups of people work better together by leading them throw alternative learning activities. When I first heard about the group it reminded me of my job duties as a former Community Adviser at SCSU... at least the part entailing thinking outside of the box & planning/facilitating activities/meeting new people (which is the part I liked about that job). Today I was browsing in the store Art Gecko & came across some fun instruments... claves, a thunder stick, agogo bells, shakers and something with hallow nut shells that clink together and sound like a waterfall of sorts. Super duper fun! The rhythms I will be teaching come from what I remember of my World Drumming Ensemble last fall at SCSU... here's a little taste of what we did there :)

Traditional First Day of School Picture

2010-09-09T14:03:00.001-07:00

My mom has traditionally taken a back-to-school picture at the start of every new school year (as I'm sure yours did, too)... so to hold up the tradition I took a picture of myself before heading off to my first class AS A SENIOR! (disregard the fact that it's not my last year of school, regardless of this status).

So far, I'm very happy with my classes, Chinese is posing an intellectual challenge & the rest of my classes seem interesting enough, with stellar professors (they are either getting crazier with age or I'm just more in-tune with each professor's bizarre/quaint personalities than I ever used to be). Anywho, off to my Abnormal Psychology class!

CHEERS!

Thoughts?

2010-07-02T12:23:00.000-07:00

"Happiness and unhappiness are, after all, just the same. You shed tears when you laugh and also when you cry. And, besides, they imply one another: happy now, unhappy later; unhappy now, happy later. The reasonable, prudent, "Wise" man strives not for happiness, but for a tranquil detachment which frees him from this endless oscillation between gratification and frustration."

-Clifford Geertz

I would love to get a discussion going on this! Is striving for happiness in life just setting yourself up for disappointment (since "good" is only good in comparison to "bad")? Is so-called tranquil detachment of a wise man worth being absent from the flow of ups and downs in life? Or does striving for happiness in life hold more meaning than being constantly joyful feeling? (Such as "striving for happiness" meaning not holding yourself back from doing what you want to do, despite the ups and downs that may come along, for example). Thoughts?!?! (Heidi!??!) :)

Truth: I hoard books

2010-05-26T19:33:00.001-07:00

And these were only the ones that were due back today, I currently have 17 more library books occupying my bookshelf. I LOVE BOOKS!!! :)

Swagger Wagon

2010-05-10T19:21:00.000-07:00

This is too good.

2010-04-29T15:14:00.000-07:00

Thanks Daily Cardinal!

I hope my sisters see this!

2010-04-28T13:27:00.000-07:00

LOL!!!! This cartoon almost became the sole reason for prematurely reactivating my facebook account before the semester is over - just so I could post it on all their walls! BAHAHAHAHAH Enjoy!

2010-03-02T19:41:00.000-08:00

New Find!

2010-02-20T09:41:00.000-08:00

BASSHUNTER /(LFO meets techno)

Nothing pumps me up more than listening to great music...

...or finding a remix epic enough to make you want to explode out of your body:

Enjoy this! I know I did (i.e. spontaneous dance party) :P

S.C.S.U. I miss you

2010-02-03T14:08:00.000-08:00

Here is the post I promised, a bit more brief than originally planned but regardless! Some little details about St. Cloud that I miss:

my friends & being able to hang out on only moments notice (i.e. going down a floor to the friend who lived below me)
waking up 15 min before class and still getting there in time
seeing people I know everywhere, all the time (it was a good thing and a bad thing)
the beautiful library just minutes away (we have 40+ libraries... a nightmare for indecisive people! ;))
caribou coffee
having a third floor bedroom window (my window now faces the parking lot right on ground level = horrible view & lack of privacy)
having a bedroom door (currently I have a curtain, which is not a huge complaint but not the greatest noise barrier - surprisingly the heat stays in though!)
the small orchestra & being first chair (think 24 cellists vs. 5 cellists)
smaller class sizes & normal scheduling (none of that discussion/section/lab crap, or the fact that if I'm not 10 minutes early to class I will have to sit on the floor in the back because there aren't enough seats in the lecture halls)
The very nice fitness center & equipment (it's free here.. but that doesn't quite make up for it)
Group fitness classes (which we have here, but the cycling class is so popular that you have to get a "bike claim ticket" 30 minutes prior to the start of class, and even then you aren't guaranteed to get in! Plus who has that much time to spend going early just to get a ticket (maybe) and then wait around for class to start??)
Better parking - this may be a surprise to you, because even parking there sucks, but it's even WORSE here.
Getting gigs - musicals, academic ceremonies, church events, etc
Private cello lessons
The ongoing debate about "bubblers" and "pop"
Unlimited supply of hot water for standing in the shower for an excessive amount of time after a long day
Frequenting the St. Cloud Public Library & Crossroads mall
Knowing exactly what events are going on on campus because you are likely going to walk right through them or past them on the way to class sometime during the day
Walking along & across the Mississippi whenever I felt like it

I could keep adding on to the list but as you can see, there is nothing major that I'm totally missing out on (save the missing my friends, of course), St. Cloud will always have a place in my heart as a little home away from home, but as they say: when one door closes, another one opens. And besides, change is healthy and the important thing is making the most of what you have when you have it, and believe me when I say I will be taking advantage of all the new opportunities here! Cheers to optimism & creating your own luck!

NeverShoutNever

2010-02-02T13:03:00.000-08:00

I have been in Madison now for approx. 16 days and I absolutely love it. So here are a few things about my life now and about Madison in general:

Coffee shops EVERYWHERE!! Just to name a few: Ancora Coffee Roasters, CoffeeBytes, Starbucks, Steep & Brew, Barriques Coffee Trader, Fair Trade Coffee House, Victor Allen's, Electric Earth, Espresso Royale, Java Cat, Gloria Jean's Coffee, and the lovely Caribou Coffee (although there is only one and it is not exactly convenient for me to get to so I haven't been there yet) & most - if not all - with free wifi :)

(where I spend most of my downtime between classes)

Night life & meeting new people... let's just say everyone is very friendly & welcoming (or at least the people who aren't creepers) and there seems to ALWAYS be something to do, especially on weekends. (Unlike St. Cloud where the campus turned into a ghost town at night and on weekends)

Me & Allie (roomie) with the Bouncer ;)

For the first time ever, I have found the perfect roommate! She is easy to live with, respects my space, is clean, sooooo friendly and non-judgemental, and she is a TALKER! Which works so well with me because I enjoy listening :) Honestly, I have yet to find something about her that I don't like. Her boyfriend lives with us and he is so nice as well, again, no complaints. :)

This is my first apartment & I just paid my first rent yesterday! Which was pretty exciting I have to admit (I don't mind writing out that check because I know I'm getting an extremely good deal with everything here) AND my kitty gets to live with me :) ....I just feel bad for my roomie's man-cat Tazz who is afraid of Lola.

(Boy meets Girl)

And something else I really love: being close to home - 2 weekends ago I was able to attend a wedding reception for one of my friends who just got married, and go to a Ladies Wine Night at my friend's apartment in Milwaukee. And just last weekend I was able to go watch my nephew for a few hours while my brother and his wife went out.

I got into the classes I actually need to take, which means I can apply for my major this semester & be that much closer to graduating!

NO FRIDAY CLASSES! For each class, I have a lecture section (50 min twice a week) accompanied by a 1-2 hour discussion section/lab ... at a really random time/place during the week... which makes it quite difficult to memorize the schedule!

MacBooks! I can check out a MacBook from almost any of our 30+ different libraries on campus, and keep it for 3 days at a time (which is more like 4 days, because if I check it out on Monday, I can keep it until 11pm on Thursday) I just brought it to my lectures today to take notes on (instead of pen & paper) - Do any of you do that? What do you think? It makes taking notes so much faster & getting supplementary information down from what the Prof is saying, but at the same time, I had soooo many typos... But, this form of note-taking is certainly a growing trend and I wouldn't be surprised if taking notes by hand will soon become a thing of the past.

I realize this is getting pretty lengthy of an update so I will wrap it all up for now with a song by a band I just discovered which is reminicent of Jack Johnson/Jason Mraz/Joshua Radin/Eric Hutchinson and be sure to watch for a Part 2 on things I miss about St. Cloud coming later this week! What's on the agenda for tonight, you ask? Going to a group fitness class "Zumba" (latin dancing) with Allie! Cheers!

Word of the Day

2010-01-13T06:24:00.000-08:00

triskaidekaphobia

(triss-kye-dek-uh-FOH-bee-uh)

fear of the number 13

Anger Management

2010-01-12T16:59:00.000-08:00

(GOT THIS IN AN EMAIL)

When you occasionally have a really bad day, and you just need to take it out on someone, don't take it out on someone you know, take it out on someone you don't know.

I was sitting at my desk when I remembered a phone call I'd forgotten to make. I found the number and dialed it. A man answered, saying "Hello."

I politely said, "This is Chris. Could I please speak with Robyn Carter?"

Suddenly a manic voice yelled out in my ear "Get the right f......ing number!" and the phone was slammed down on me. I couldn't believe that anyone could be so rude. When I tracked down Robyn's correct number to call her, I found that I had accidentally transposed the last two digits.

After hanging up with her, I decided to call the 'wrong' number again. When the same guy answered the phone, I yelled "You're an asshole!" and hung up. I wrote his number down with the word 'asshole' next to it, and put it in my desk drawer. Every couple of weeks, when I was paying bills or had a really bad day, I'd call him up and yell, "You're an asshole!"

It always cheered me up.

When Caller, ID was introduced, I thought my therapeutic 'asshole' calling would have to stop. So, I called his number and said, "Hi, this is John Smith from the telephone company. I'm calling to see if you're familiar with our Caller, ID Program?"

He yelled "NO!" and slammed down the phone.

I quickly called him back and said, "That's because you're an asshole!" and hung up.

One day I was at the store, getting ready to pull into a parking spot. Some guy in a black BMW cut me off and pulled into the spot I had patiently waited for. I hit the horn and yelled that I'd been waiting for that spot, but the idiot ignored me. I noticed a "For Sale" sign in his back window, so I wrote down his number

A couple of days later, right after calling the first asshole (I had his number on speed dial), I thought that I'd better call the BMW asshole, too.

I said, "Is this the man with the black BMW for sale?" He said, "Yes, it is."

I asked, "Can you tell me where I can see it?"

He said, "Yes, I live at 34 Oaktree Blvd., in Fairfax. It's a yellow Rambler, and the car's parked right out in front."

I asked, "What's your name?" He said, "My name is Don Hansen,"

I asked, "When's a good time to catch you, Don?" He said, "I'm home every evening after five."

I said, "Listen, Don, can I tell you something?" He said, "Yes?"

I said, "Don, you're an asshole!" Then I hung up, and added his number to my speed dial, too. Now, when I had a problem, I had two assholes to call.

Then I came up with an idea. I called asshole 1. He said, "Hello."

I said, "You're an asshole!" (But I didn't hang up.) He asked, "Are you still there?"

I said, "Yeah,"

He screamed,"Stop calling me,"

I said, "Make me,"

He asked, "Who are you?"

I said, "My name is Don Hansen."

He said, "Yeah? Where do you live?"

I said, "Asshole, I live at 34 Oaktree Blvd., in Fairfax, it's a yellow rambler and I have a black Beamer parked in front."

He said, "I'm coming over right now, Don. And you had better start saying your prayers." I said, "Yeah, like I'm really scared, asshole," and hung up.

Then I called Asshole 2.

He said, "Hello?"

I said, "Hello, asshole."

He yelled, "If I ever find out who you are..."

I said, "You'll what?"

He exclaimed, "I'll kick your ass!"

I answered, "Well, asshole, here's your chance. I'm coming over right now."

Then I hung up and immediately called the police, saying that I lived at 34 Oaktree Blvd., in Fairfax, and that I was on my way over there to kill my gay lover.

Then I called Channel 9 News about the gang war going down in Oaktree Blvd. in Fairfax.

I quickly got into my car and headed over to Fairfax. I got there just in time to watch two assholes beating the crap out of each other in front of six cop cars, an overhead news helicopter and surrounded by a news crew.

NOW I feel much better.

Anger management really does work

ME!

2010-01-02T12:27:00.000-08:00

Feeling: Indecisive, but calm.

Loving: The sun shining through the window, it always lightens the mood.

Reading: (I'm actually reading something currently!) Tyrannosaur Canyon by Douglas Preston, it's good so far but I have no idea what it's really about/what's going to happen.

Wanting: To get back to the gym to get rid of the holiday chubbies!

Dreaming: About studying abroad :P

Having: coffee, black.

Waiting: to hear back about a place for me to sublease.

2010!!!!!!!!!!!!

2010-01-01T22:17:00.000-08:00

WINTER FUN!

2010-01-01T22:04:00.000-08:00

2009-12-31T21:55:00.001-08:00

Lola and Amy say 'Happy New Year, Humans!'
(lol)

2009-12-30T22:19:00.000-08:00

Today I am grateful for:

Coffee shops, older sisters, and pictures of cute kitties. :)

Also, I am getting excited to celebrate the New Year at home this time around - fun & games & good food (not to mention good company!) - doesn't get better than that!

For laughs

2009-12-27T19:34:00.000-08:00

A grenade thrown into a kitchen in France would result in Linoleum Blownapart.

A hole has been found in the nudist camp wall. The police are looking into it.

The short fortune-teller who escaped from prison was a small medium at large.

BA DUM CHHH!!

I want this...

2009-12-14T16:27:00.000-08:00

AN ELECTRIC CELLO!!!

Funny Signs around the world

2009-12-01T19:59:00.000-08:00

Found this on stumbleupon... my favorites are in green!

In a Tokyo Hotel: Is forbitten to steal hotel towels please. If you
are not person to do such thing is please not to read notis.

In another Japanese hotel room: Please to bathe inside the tub.

In a Bucharest hotel lobby: The lift is being fixed for the next day.
During that time we regret that you will be unbearable.

In a Leipzig elevator: Do not enter the lift backwards, and only when
lit up.

In a Belgrade hotel elevator: To move the cabin, push button for
wishing floor. If the cabin should enter more persons, each one
should press a number of wishing floor. Driving is then going
alphabetically by national order.

In a Paris hotel elevator: Please leave your values at the front
desk.

In a hotel in Athens: Visitors are expected to complain at the office
between the hours of 9 and 11 A.M. daily.

In a Yugoslavian hotel: The flattening of underwear with pleasure is
the job of the chambermaid.

In a Japanese hotel: You are invited to take advantage of the
chambermaid.

In the lobby of a Moscow hotel across from a Russian Orthodox
monastary: You are welcome to visit the cemetery where famous Russian
and Soviet composers, artists, and writers are buried daily except
Thursday.

In an Austrian hotel catering to skiers: Not to perambulate the
corridors in the hours of repose in the boots of ascension.

On the menu of a Swiss restaurant: Our wines leave you nothing to hope
for.

On the menu of a Polish hotel: Salad a firm's own make; limpid red
beet soup with cheesy dumplings in the form of a finger; roasted duck
let loose; beef rashers beaten up in the country people's fashion.

In a Hong Kong supermarket: For your convenience, we recommend
courageous, efficient self-service.

Outside a Hong Kong tailor shop: Ladies may have a fit upstairs.

In a Bangkok dry cleaner's: Drop your trousers here for best results.

Outside a Paris dress shop: Dresses for street walking.

In a Rhodes tailor shop: Order your summers suit. Because is big rush
we will execute customers in strict rotation.

Similarly, from the Soviet Weekly: There will be a Moscow Exhibition
of Arts by 15,000 Soviet Republic painters and sculptors. These were
executed over the past two years.

In an East African newspaper: A new swimming pool is rapidly taking
shape since the contractors have thrown in the bulk of their workers.

In a Vienna hotel: In case of fire, do your utmost to alarm the hotel
porter.

A sign posted in Germany's Black Forest: It is strictly forbidden on
our black forest camping site that people of different sex, for
instance, men and women, live together in one tent unless they are
married with each other for that purpose.

In a Zurich hotel: Because of the impropriety of entertaining guests
of the opposite sex in the bedroom, it is suggested that the lobby be
used for this purpose.

In an advertisement by a Hong Kong dentist: Teeth extrcted by the
latest Methodists.

A translated sentence from a Russian chess book: A lot of water has
been passed under the bridge since this variation has been played.

In a Rome laundry: Ladies, leave your clothes here and spend the
afternoon having a good time.

In a Czechoslovakian tourist agency: Take one of our horse-driven city
tours -- we guarantee no miscarriages.

Advertisement for donkey rides in Thailand: Would you like to ride on
your own ass?

On the faucet in a Finnish washroom: To stop the drip, turn cock to
right.

In the window of a Swedish furrier: Fur coats made for ladies from
their own skin.

On the box of a clockwork toy made in Hong Kong: Guaranteed to work
throughout its useful life.

Detour sign in Kyushi, Japan: Stop: Drive Sideways.

In a Swiss mountain inn: Special today -- no ice cream.

In a Bangkok temple: It is forbidden to enter a woman even a foreigner
if dressed as a man.

In a Tokyo bar: Special cocktails for the ladies with nuts.

In a Copenhagen airline ticket office: We take your bags and send them
in all directions.

On the door of a Moscow hotel room: If this is your first visit to the
USSR, you are welcome to it.

In a Norwegian cocktail lounge: Ladies are requested not to have
children in the bar.

At a Budapest zoo: Please do not feed the animals. If you have any
suitable food, give it to the guard on duty.

In the office of a Roman doctor: Specialist in women and other
diseases.

In an Acapulco hotel: The manager has personally passed all the water
served here.

In a Tokyo shop: Our nylons cost more than common, but you'll find
they are best in the long run.

From a Japanese information booklet about using a hotel air
conditioner: Cooles and Heates: If you want just condition of warm in
your room, please control yourself.

From a brochure of a car rental firm in Tokyo: When passenger of foot
heave in sight, tootle the horn. Trumpet him melodiously at first,
but if he still obstacles your passage then tootle him with vigor.

Two signs from a Majorcan shop entrance:
- English well talking.
- Here speeching American.

Maybe not the best... but still pretty good. :)

2009-11-28T19:55:00.000-08:00

Now back to chilling with my amazing family! :D

Just Fun to Watch

2009-11-10T19:57:00.000-08:00

I'm not really a wedding fanatic (at all) but this video is remarkable (it was done with a digital SLR camera that can take high definition video!) Whoa. Anyway, I would love to live somewhere as beautiful as where this takes place (Vancouver)

Alyssa + Matt || I Swear It's You from Love Story Media on Vimeo.

I miss my Lola....

2009-11-09T19:25:00.000-08:00

Does anyone else think that animals are great substitutes for significant others? Just a thought... ;)

New Blog!

2009-11-02T23:23:00.000-08:00

I have had this idea for a while, but just wasn't finding the time to put it into action until now, thanks to Heidi's new blog Lola Everyday, which motivated to get my new blog up and running as well! As you probably have all noticed, I don't blog here very often, because I never know what to write about, and while co-authoring Inspiration Buddy, I have found it much easier to blog often when there is a theme involved - hence the beginning of my new blog: Amy Recommends. Go ahead, go check it out! :)

I will still blog here from time to time, when I have something to share that is unrelated to the other blogs. So I guess that makes this my all-things-miscellaneous blog. See you soon!

Random Text of the Day:

2009-11-02T08:39:00.001-08:00

To which I responded:

Randoms

2009-10-26T20:56:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I cleaned my fish tank! It amazes me and my roomies every time we see it! Shocking, isn't it?

Clean Fishtank, originally uploaded by krillamy.

Needless to say, I have one extremely delighted goldfish! I only got one picture of Elvis that wasn't completed blurred, he was so excited about his clean tank.

Elvis, originally uploaded by krillamy.

I treated myself to a delicious chocolate pudding dessert last night, complete with a graham cracker crust and topped with whipped cream and raspberries! Yum yum! (don't worry - I worked out extra long today to make up for it, haha!)

chocolate pudding, originally uploaded by krillamy.

And lastly, another homemade pizza! This one had stuffed crust! This picture really makes me drool..

Luigi, originally uploaded by krillamy.

shots from the weekend

2009-10-25T13:30:00.001-07:00

This weekend I had the pleasure of going to the Mall of America for the first time. The mall is HUGE! I spent over an hour just sitting (sipping Starbucks) and people-watching. As people would walk by me and my friend would guess their story, like if they were a group of tourists, on a first date, on their way out after working in a store at the mall, if the kids were at their grandparents for the weekend and the married couple could finally spend some time alone, or if they were there to buy their son a present because he just came home from college. Here are a few shots I took:

MallofAmerica 5, originally uploaded by krillamy.

MallofAmerica6, originally uploaded by krillamy.

MallofAmerica3, originally uploaded by krillamy.

MallofAmerica4, originally uploaded by krillamy.

If I was being honest...

2009-10-07T18:59:00.000-07:00

(because I didn't want to post it on facebook)

1. What was the last thing you put in your mouth?
a pastry thing from Cinna-bun a the mall

2. Where was your profile picture taken?
(referring to my blog picture), in a practice room!

3. Can you play Guitar Hero?
Probably but I don't because I don't like rock music. Now if it was an electric cello..

4. Name someone who made you laugh today?
My friend Matt. He's funny.

5. How late did you stay up last night and why?
Almost 2am, because I didn't get back from the library until 11:30pm, then I had to sit at my computer for a while, then I had to lay in bed and contemplate life. Then I fell asleep amongst starlight and teddies. :)

6. If you could move somewhere else, would you?
Yes, but I will always come home again, eventually.

7. Ever been kissed under fireworks?
Questionable. But I don't think so.

8. Which of your friends lives closest to you?
I guess Stephanie, she lives on the floor below me.

9. Do you believe ex's can be friends?
Sure why not? Let's be mature for once people!

10. How do you feel about Dr Pepper?
It makes me think of Blast From The Past, because the dad likes his Dr Pepper hot.

11. When was the last time you cried really hard?
Last Wednesday, twice. I had two fits of uncontrollable tear-shedding laughter. It felt amazing and ridiculous, and were sparked by the stupidest things...haha

12. Who took your profile picture?
ME!

13. Who was the last person you took a picture of?
Mario, the home-made pizza!

14. Was yesterday better than today?
I think today was better, but yesterday had it's moments.

15. Can you live a day without TV?
Yes, I do everyday. I never watch TV (only the occasional movie, on my laptop)

16. Are you upset about anything?
Nope!

17. Do you think relationships are ever really worth it?
Yes, because everyone needs to receive and give affection. It's what we were made to do!

18. Are you a bad influence?
Depends on what you think is bad! But I'd say mostly, I am a good influence :)

19. Night out or night in?
Night in! Of course it depends on the context. And I smell cookies & want some! yum yum yum!

20. What items could you not go without during the day?
I agree with Heidi, as long as I have clothes, I think I could handle whatever came my way!

21. Who was the last person you visited in the hospital?
Erin, after having Andy! What a cutie!

22. What does the last text message in your inbox say?
"I'm done so call me when your back" (very suspicious!lol)

23. How do you feel about your life right now?
Very satisfied & content :)

24. Do you hate anyone?
Nope, I couldn't hold a grudge if I tried.

25. If we were to look in your facebook inbox, what would we find?
Messages from friends who live far away & it's the way we keep in touch.

26. Say you were given a drug test right now, would you pass?
This is a dumb question. But yes.

27. Has anyone ever called you perfect before?
I don't think so, which is OK cause that means no one is lying to me. No one is perfect.

28. What song is stuck in your head?
Actually, none at the moment. Strange.

29. Someone knocks on your window at 2:00 a.m., who do you want it to be?
One of my sisters!

30. Wanna have grandkids by the time you're 50?
Questionable.. do I want to have kids even? That's the real question.

31. Name something you have to do tomorrow?
Go to 8am Yoga class! :) hopefully I wake up on time...

32. Do you think too much or too little?
I don't think there is such a thing as thinking too much, and if there is then it depends what you are thinking about! Cause if you think a lot about a variety of things then it's fine but if you think too much about only one thing then that's probably not fine... I think I think just the right amount, for me!

33. Do you smile a lot?
Yes! Very often.

**If you haven't filled this out yet (Lilly & Katie), then this is my "tagging" you to do it! ;)

Something New

2009-10-05T23:59:00.000-07:00

Today I did something new, I saw a sign for Free Chinese Classes every Monday evening, and I went! I learned how to count (and write #'s) in Chinese!

It was actually quite simple, there are really only 11 main numbers to remember (0-10)

Chinese -- # --> Pinyin - (Pronounciation)

零 ------ 0 --> ling - ("Ling")

一 ------ 1 --> yi - ("ee")

二 ------ 2 --> er - ("rrr")

三 ------ 3 --> san - ("sahn")

四 ------ 4 --> si - ("Ssuh")

五 ------ 5 --> wu - ("woo")

六 ------ 6 --> liu - ("le-OH")

七 ------ 7 --> qi - ("chee" [like cheese lol])

八 ------ 8 --> ba - ("bah")

九 ------ 9 --> jiu - ("g-OH")

十 ------ 10 --> shi - ("shUH")

Pronunciation can be a little tricky, but once you get the hang of it, you can say all the numbers 0-99!

It's kind of like in the French language (for those of you who have taken French), for example, the number 20 would be 2 x 10 (2 tens), so:

20 -->

二十

er shi

(2 + 10)

for 11-19 you say ten + (#), so:

11 -->

十一

shi yi

(ten + 1)

12 -->

十二

shi er

(ten + 2)

13 -->

十三

shi san

(ten + 3)

and so forth.

Pretty simple, right? :)

And also important, further on:

Hundred --> 百 bai ("bYE")

Same concept as before, 200 would be 2 x 100 (2 hundreds), so:

200 would be-->

二百

er bai

201 would be -->

二百零一

er bai ling yi

(2 hundreds, zero, 1)

315 would be -->

一百十五

san bai yi shi wu

(3 hundreds, 1 ten, five)

Get it? :)

Also important,

Thousand --> 千 qian ("chee-on")

Same concept, 4000 would be

四千

si qian

(4 + thousand)

2009 would be

二千零九

er qian ling jiu

(2 + thousand + zero + nine)

(zero/"ling" is only said once, since you already specified that it is thousand)

"Er qian ling jiu" is also the current year - 2009. (now you can say the year in Chinese!)

There, now you learned something new!

TRY THESE ON YOUR OWN:

(leave your solutions (in Pinyin is fine) in a comment)

1. 16

2. 22

3. 99

4. 500

5. 5001

BONUS: 888

GOOD LUCK!

Lucas Gluesenkamp

2009-10-01T21:28:00.000-07:00

I've never been really interested in any one artist's work - until I went to the exhibition in our campus art gallery featuring Lucas Gluesenkamp, of Minneapolis, Minnesota. I read this upon entering the exhibition,

Artist's Statement:

A collage of mysterious characters caught

in that fatal moment of impending doom.

A random cosmos dealing in absolutes. 70's

idealistic scientific illustration and childhood

dreamscapes. Bleak aggregates. The first time

you rationalized death. Effigies of the living.

Hyperbolic Ennui. A coping mechanism for

dealing with life. Anthropomorphizing the

unknown. Death of the inanimate. Shadows

from the corners of the attic. Grieving the

nonexistent. Prayers for an empty sky. Places

lost behind the stars. Optimistic Failures. The

Eroded words on a gravestone.

A universal sadness. Succumbing to the void.

Plague spirits. A stars death rattle. The coffin

and the sky. Mute tango. Simulacra Mort.

Poor advice from an echo. Places for lost

teeth. Hardships of the forgotten. A nightmare

with little hope to wake up from.

Subterraneous clairy.

A few examples of his work, (picture these on bigger canvas's)

Along with paintings, he also does 3D work as well, like the following (which I think is adorable!),

(^Meet Vroom Vroom)

What I am most drawn to is the color explosion of Gluesenkamp's art - the brilliant oranges and blues in particular, which work extremely well with the texture and shapes of the paintings that in a whole really draw the viewer in to the imaginary world being depicted. I feel like I could look for hours and just let my imagination run wild. These paintings are really inspiring, I'd love to have one hanging on my wall!

The link to his seemingly-abandoned blog can be found here.

And the link to his seemingly-abandoned online portfolio: here.

What is your opinion of this art? I'd love to hear it!

PLAYLIST!

2009-09-30T12:56:00.000-07:00

I finally made a playlist! I could barely get myself to stop at 71 tracks... ahh! Enjoy :)

I recommend listening to #4, #5, #16 first, since they are ones you probably don't know & are some of my favorites! :)

If I could only say 11 words for the rest of my life

2009-09-29T19:01:00.000-07:00

(inspired by Heidi's post)

1. LOVE

2. FRIEND

3. PLEASE

4. THANKS

5. WHERE

6. OK

7. STOP

8. YOU

9. AND

10. I

11. FOOD

**Photo sources are provided by clicking the pictures**

Why Today was GREAT! :)

2009-09-26T22:03:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone! So I know I really need to do better with updating my blog on a more frequent basis... I will try harder, cause as Katie says, blogging is therapeutic. :)

Today I woke up after sleeping for 12 hours, and realized rather quickly that it was not going to be a productive day. (which is a bummer, because I was hoping to do some reading/studying this weekend for an upcoming test, and at least knock-out 2 of 4 chapters I have to read.)

After almost 2 hours of going between my bed and computer, I decided that I should at least drag my corpse to the gym today for a work-out if nothing else. So I went to the gym and was biking & deleting old text messages, when I came across one from my friend Matt, saying he wanted to go to a movie. Well, we never did at the time so I thought hey better late than never!

So instead of making it to the 5:30pm showing of Sturrogates as we had intended, we ended up getting lost (Matt after driving 20 minutes out into the country side: "I don't know where we are anymore...")

We eventually found our way back to St. Cloud and ended up going out to eat at a Chinese Buffet - where we sat, ate, and conversed for over an hour while we waited for the next movie showing! He told me a bunch of crazy stories about things that have happened to him & things he has done, like going to a concert in the Cities dressed up in mismatch thrift-store clothing (imagine old-lady work clothes, plaid 80's overcoat, baseball cap, etc).

So after dinner we went to the movie and it was pretty good! I wouldn't buy it, but I was glad we went. I guess my point is that today I took my own advice and made it a meaningful day! Seriously though, I'm so lucky to have such great friends who I can have random fun & adventures with! :)

Me & Matt in Germany, originally uploaded by krillamy.

Lola

2009-09-25T17:28:00.000-07:00

My friend Alyssa recently rescued this kitty from the harsh outdoors! Her name is Lola and she is extremely affectionate and soft! And look at those beautiful orange eyes! The picture is a little deceiving as she looks evil in it, haha, but I guess she is really a sweetie :)

I wonder what would happen if I brought her home with me the next time I come... totally serious... would Moma be mad? I'm really tempted to do it!!!! She needs someone to love her! Or a bunch of people to love her!

In Case You Forgot:

2009-09-19T22:10:00.001-07:00

For the love of books!

2009-09-14T19:54:00.001-07:00

Peeking!, originally uploaded by krillamy.

Currently: I am reading Kingdom of Ten Thousand Things An Impossible Journey from Kabul to Chiapas by Gary Geddes. I'm only about one paragraph into the prologue (haha), but it seems like it's going to be a great book! It's a book about the author's 50,000 mile journey following the trail of the legendary Huishen (an Afghan monk who fled from Kabul to China & crossed the Pacific to North America a thousand years before Columbus). It was recommended by a friend, who knows how interested I am in travel. But I'm anxious to dig into it because I usually (never) read nonfiction!

absorbed, originally uploaded by krillamy.

On my waiting list: After I finish the previous book I mentioned, I will read Kane and Abel by Jeffrey Archer, and The Romanov Prophecy by Steve Berry. Both are bestsellers, so they should be good! The first is by the same author of The Prodigal Daughter (sound familiar? it kind of does to me), and the second is supposedly Dan Brown-esque. Speaking of Dan Brown! Tomorrow I am taking a friend to Barnes & Noble to buy Dan Brown's new release! And after he is finished reading it, I am going to borrow it! Excellent....

Happy Reading!

Owl City Continued...

2009-09-10T20:28:00.000-07:00

As an extension of the last post I have the following YouTube video... It's the whole show of when Owl City performed in...Seattle? Anyway, it's amazing! And if you have the time (it's 30 min) definitely sit and enjoy the whole thing! Amazing...

Owl City

2009-09-10T20:14:00.000-07:00

My new favorite artist to listen to is Owl City. Here is just one example of their songs, but you should also search "Fireflies" and "The Saltwater Room" if you get the chance! I've yet to hear a song by them that I don't like. The guys voice is just so soothing, it's mellow but not depressing. Good lyrics too! Highly recommend :)

My Favorite

2009-09-09T22:49:00.001-07:00

DSC00673, originally uploaded by krillamy.

I don't know the name of this flower, but it was my absolute favorite when visiting the Munsinger Gardens on the Mississippi River (right across from campus). The amazing thing is that this group of buds was only the size of... (*Amy thinking of something to compare it to*)... the cap of a normal sized water bottle! (only round). Which means the individual buds were even tinier! Basically, astonishing. How does nature think of these type of things? (And if the size isn't enough to blow your mind, the colors are just ravishing! Extremely cheerful. I hope to go back and take more pictures before the weather gets too cold!)

This is the best!!!

2009-09-08T21:53:00.001-07:00

What the...?

2009-09-08T21:30:00.001-07:00

Steph trying to watch TV

2009-09-07T09:28:00.001-07:00

steph watching tv, originally uploaded by krillamy.

ROFL! (something random I found on stumbleupon)

2009-09-06T20:15:00.000-07:00

The fun thing is that these pictures are so ambiguous they could mean anything! Here are a few interpretations.

If you have set yourself on fire, do not run

If you spot terrorism, blow your anti-terrorism whistle. If you are Vin Diesel, yell really loud.

If you spot a terrorist arrow, pin it against the wall with your shoulder

If your building collapses, give yourself a blowjob while waiting to be rescued.

If you are sprayed with an unknown substance, stand and think about it instead of seeing a doctor.

Use your flashlight to lift the walls right off of you!

The proper way to eliminate smallpox is to wash with soap, water and at least one (1) armless hand.

Michael Jackson is a terrorist. If you spot this smooth criminal with dead, dead eyes, run the fuck away.

Hurricanes, animal corpses and the biohazard symbol have a lot in common. Think about it.

Be on the lookout for terrorists with pinkeye and leprosy. Also, they tend to rub their hands together manically.

If a door is closed, karate chop it open.

Try to absorb as much of the radiation as possible with your groin region. After 5 minutes and 12 seconds, however, you may become sterile

After exposure to radiation it is important to consider that you may have mutated to gigantic dimensions: watch your head.

If you've become a radiation mutant with a deformed hand, remember to close the window. No one wants to see that shit.

If you hear the Backstreet Boys, Michael Bolton or Yanni on the radio, cower in the corner or run like hell.

If your lungs and stomach start talking, stand with your arms akimbo until they stop.

If you are trapped under falling debris, conserve oxygen by not farting.

If you lose a contact lens during a chemical attack, do not stop to look for it.

Do not drive a station wagon if a power pole is protruding from the hood.

A one-inch thick piece of plywood should be sufficient protection against radiation.

Always remember to carry food with you during a terrorist attack. At least you'll be able to enjoy a nice coke and apple before you die.

Innocence

2009-09-05T16:59:00.001-07:00

Beary, originally uploaded by krillamy.

My Thursday

2009-09-03T23:02:00.000-07:00

(Since some of you are probably wondering what I am doing up here!)

7:40am Two alarms start going off at once. Wake up in confusion. oh yeah. Jump outta bed to turn off annoying static on alarm clock, hit "off" on cell phone alarm.

7:40:11am Lay back down

7:41am Get up, put on yoga clothes that I put in a pile for myself the night before. Make bed.

7:46am Head down one floor, sneak into Steph's apartment & attempt to get her out of bed to come to yoga class with me. Steph refuses. Amy goes alone to yoga class.

7:54am See someone I know on the way to the gym. Look away quickly & pretend to not have seen them.

8-8:51am Yoga class, so relaxed.

9am Get back to apartment, grab laptop, bring into kitchen. Make pomegranate tea. Make pancakes while checking email & facebook & trying to do paperwork for school. Burn pancakes. Eat pancakes anyway.

10-10:45am Finish paperwork. No time for dishes. Take online quiz. Get 2 wrong. Disappointment. No time to check farmville.

10:47am Throw on clothes, apply minimal make-up, book it to my class across campus.

11:02am Sit next to girl who lived on my floor last year. Pretend I don't realize it's her. She does the same.

11:49am Acknowledge girl, work as partners on quiz.

12:15pm Meteorology class over, head across street.

12:22pm Sit outside building & soak up the sun. Delete old text msg's from phone.

12:24pm Head into class. Sit in front of classroom.

12:32-1:46pm Interpersonal Communication. Admire my professor, take many notes because I don't have the text book yet...

1:47pm Book it to the Performing Arts Center to get cello from locker, then scurry over to the auditorium in my attempt to not be late to orchestra rehearsals anymore like I was last year. Success!

2-4:15pm Orchestra coma.

4:20-4:50pm Back at apartment, dink around. Head to the gym to attend free fitness class Butts 'N Guts with roomies.

5:03pm Class already started, & was PACKED. Couldn't work out with roomies because I still don't have a pass for the main fitness area. Disappointed & fat. Walk home.

5:10pm Shower & head over to Alyssa's apartment for dinner making. Make mac 'n cheese with extra cheese & fry up some chicken with spices and soy sauce. Eat deliciousness. I love food. Watch Family Guy.

7-10pm Back at apartment, dink around. Do dishes. Check facebook, twitter, emails, blogs, facebook again, farmville, youtube, listen to Heidi's classical playlist online & attempt to nap. No dice. Get up and think about studying for math quiz. Again, no dice. Go into living room & watch something Runway then Runway Models. Eat popcorn & crackers. So tired.

10:45pm Go to see hypnotist Dr. Jim Wand with roomies at auditorium.

11:00pm - 12:22 Watch hypnotized people make fools of themselves. Hilarity ensues!

12:30-1:40am Back in bedroom, check facebook, blogs, twitter, etc., talk with roomies, then force myself to post something.

Inspired by Katie's Catching up.

Giving you a tour...

2009-08-31T20:45:00.000-07:00

FARMVILLE!

2009-08-30T09:59:00.000-07:00

The only thing keeping me going to facebook on a regular basis (and gives my life purpose).

Chuckle Chuckle

2009-08-29T20:15:00.000-07:00

I am not the original author; the following was recieved in an email which I thought was worth sharing!

Entirely too many of these thoughts go through my head in a day.

I wish Google Maps had an "Avoid Ghetto" routing option.

More often than not, when someone is telling me a story all I can think about is that I can't wait for them to finish so that I can tell my own story that's not only better, but also more directly involves me.

Nothing sucks more than that moment during an argument when you realize you're wrong.

I don't understand the purpose of the line, "I don't need to drink to have fun." Great, no one does. But why start a fire with flint and sticks when they've invented the lighter?

Have you ever been walking down the street and realized that you're going in the complete opposite direction of where you are supposed to be going? But instead of just turning a 180 and walking back in the direction from which you came, you have to first do something like check your watch or phone or make a
grand arm gesture and mutter to yourself to ensure that no one in the surrounding area thinks you're crazy by randomly switching directions on the sidewalk.

That's enough, Nickelback.

I totally take back all those times I didn't want to nap when I was younger.

The letters T and G are very close to each other on a keyboard. This recently became all too apparent to me and consequently I will never be ending a work email with the phrase "Regards" again.

Do you remember when you were a kid, playing Nintendo and it wouldn't work? You take the cartridge out, blow in it and that would magically fix the problem. Every kid in America did that, but how did we all know how to fix the problem? There was no internet or message boards or FAQ's. We just figured it out. Today's kids are soft.

There is a great need for sarcasm font.

Sometimes, I'll watch a movie that I watched when I was younger and suddenly realize I had no idea what the hell was going on when I first saw it.

I think everyone has a movie that they love so much, it actually becomes stressful to watch it with other people. I'll end up wasting 90 minutes shiftily glancing around to confirm that everyone's laughing at the right parts, then making sure I laugh just a little bit harder (and a millisecond earlier) to prove that I'm still the only one who really, really gets it.

The other night I hit a new low at an open bar. I had already hopped on highway blackout when, inevitably I had to find a bathroom. Eventually I decided it was probably on the other side of the bar so I tried to walk over there, but ran into a guy coming the other way. We played that, Both go left, Both go right game to no avail, so I finally put out my hand to guide myself past and that is when I realized, yup, that's a mirror I just tried to walk through. And the guy on the other
side is me. Even cats can re cognize their own image.

How the hell are you supposed to fold a fitted sheet?

I would rather try to carry 10 plastic grocery bags in each hand than take 2 trips to bring my groceries in.

I think part of a best friend's job should be to immediately clear your computer history if you die.

The only time I look forward to a red light is when I am trying to finish a text.

A recent study has shown that playing beer pong contributes to the spread of mono and the flu. Yeah, if you suck at it.

Was learning cursive really necessary?

Lol has gone from meaning, "laugh out loud" to "I have nothing else to say".

I have a hard time deciphering the fine line between boredom and hunger.

Answering the same letter three times or more in a row on a Scantron test is absolutely petrifying.

My brother's Municipal League baseball team is named the Stepdads. Seeing as none of the guys on the team are actual stepdads, I inquired about the name. He explained, "Cuz we beat you, and you hate us." Classy, bro.

Whenever someone says "I'm not book smart, but I'm street smart", all I hear is "I'm not real smart, but I'm imaginary smart".

How many times is it appropriate to say "What?" before you just nod and smile because you still didn't hear what they said?

I love the sense of camaraderie when an entire line of cars teams up to prevent a dick from cutting in at the front. Stay strong, brothers!

Every time I have to spell a word over the phone using 'as in' examplies I will undoubtedly draw a blank and sound like a complete idiot. Today I had to spell my boss's last name to an attorney and said "Yes that's G as in...(10 second lapse)..ummm....Goonies"

What would happen if I hired two private investigators to follow each other?

While driving yesterday I saw a banana peel in the road and instinctively swerved to avoid it...thanks Mario Kart.

MapQuest really needs to start their directions on #5. Pretty sure I know how to get out of my neighborhood.

Obituaries would be a lot more interesting if they told you how the person died..

I find it hard to believe there are actually people who get in the shower first and THEN turn on the water.

Shirts get dirty. Underwear gets dirty. Pants? Pants never get dirty, and you can wear them forever.

I would like to officially coin the phrase 'catching the swine flu' to be used as a way to make fun of a friend for hooking up with an overweight woman. Example: "Dave caught the swine flu last night."

I can't remember the last time I wasn't at least kind of tired.

Bad decisions make good stories.

Whenever I'm Facebook stalking someone and I find out that their profile is public I feel like a kid on Christmas morning who just got the Red Ryder BB gun that I always wanted. 546 pictures? Don't mind if I do!

Is it just me or do high school girls get sluttier & sluttier every year?

If Carmen San Diego and Waldo ever got together, their offspring would probably just be completely invisible.

Why is it that during an ice-breaker, when the whole room has to go around and say their name and where they are from, I get so incredibly nervous? Like I know my name, I know where I'm from, this shouldn't be a problem....

You never know when it will strike, but there comes a moment at work when you've made up your mind that you just aren't doing anything productive for the rest of the day.

Can we all just agree to ignore whatever comes after DVDs? I don't want to have to restart my collection.

There's no worse feeling than that millisecond you're sure you are going to die after leaning your chair back a little too far.

I'm always slightly terrified when I exit out of Word and it asks me if I want to save any changes to my ten page research paper that I swear I did not make any changes to.

"Do not machine wash or tumble dry" means I will never wash this ever.

I hate being the one with the remote in a room full of people watching TV. There's so much pressure. 'I love this show, but will they judge me if I keep it on? I bet everyone is wishing we weren't watching this. It's only a matter of time before they all get up and leave the room. Will we still be friends after
this?'

While watching the Olympics, I find myself cheering equally for China and USA . No, I am not of Chinese descent, but I am fairly certain that when Chinese athletes don't win, they are executed.

I hate when I just miss a call by the last ring (Hello? Hello? Damnit!), but when I immediately call back, it rings nine times and goes to voicemail. What'd you do after I didn't answer? Drop the phone and run away?

I hate leaving my house confident and looking good and then not seeing anyone of importance the entire day. What a waste.

When I meet a new girl, I'm terrified of mentioning something she hasn't already told me but that I have learned from some light internet stalking.

I like all of the music in my iTunes, except when it's on shuffle, then I like about one in every fifteen songs in my iTunes.

Why is a school zone 20 mph? That seems like the optimal cruising speed for pedophiles...

As a driver I hate pedestrians, and as a pedestrian I hate drivers, but no matter what the mode of transportation, I always hate cyclists.

Sometimes I'll look down at my watch 3 consecutive times and still not know what time it is..

It should probably be called Unplanned Parenthood.

I keep some people's phone numbers in my phone just so I know not to answer when they call.

I think that if, years down the road when I'm trying to have a kid, I find out that I'm sterile, most of my disappointment will stem from the fact that I was not aware of my condition in college.

Even if I knew your social security number, I wouldn't know what do to with it.

Even under ideal conditions people have trouble locating their car keys in a pocket, hitting the G-spot, and Pinning the Tail on the Donkey - but I'd bet my ass everyone can find and push the Snooze button from 3 feet away, in about 1.7 seconds, eyes closed, first time every time...

A little boy asked me in the car the other day "Dad what would happen if you ran over a ninja?" How the hell do I respond to that?

It really pisses me off when I want to read a story on CNN.com and the link takes me to a video instead of text.

I wonder if cops ever get pissed off at the fact that everyone they drive behind obeys the speed limit.

I think the freezer deserves a light as well.

I disagree with Kay Jewelers. I would bet on any given Friday or Saturday night more kisses begin with Miller Lites than Kay.

The other night I ordered takeout, and when I looked in the bag, saw they had included four sets of plastic silverware. In other words, someone at the restaurant packed my order, took a second to think about it, and then estimated that there must be at least four people eating to require such a large amount of food.
Too bad I was eating by myself. There's nothing like being made to feel like a fat bastard before dinner.

Sista Sista

2009-08-28T18:45:00.000-07:00

The other day, I finished unpacking my room & setting everything up just the way I liked it. But I kept getting that nagging feeling that something was missing...

It didn't take me long to realize what it was.

I miss you girls!

5 Things I've done to start the school year right

2009-08-28T17:24:00.000-07:00

1. Reuse old notebooks (because we never actually use a whole notebook, so many pages are left to waste)

2. Sit in the front of the classroom (statistics show you learn better this way)

3. Air-dry my hands (no more papertowel for this girl! I'm taking baby steps to become more eco-friendly)

4. Wake up early - & preferably without the aid of an alarm (because it is important to start your day with purpose & besides, it's a good way to practice self-control.)

And lastly,

5. Listen to my iPod while walking between classes (I've found it helps me set a good vibe, while adding a little more enjoyment to my day & lets me reflect on what I've just learned or what I need to get done.)

Back to School

2009-08-24T22:11:00.001-07:00

Flip Flops, originally uploaded by krillamy.

I am seconds away from crawling into bed but I wanted to at least update with a quick post so that everyone knows I am still here, I have just been busy! Sunday was the big move back up to St. Cloud and today was my first day of classes! I had a most excellent and relaxing summer, but now I am ready for the school year to BRING IT ON and GET 'ER DONE so to speak. haha! I finished unpacking and setting up my room and it looks amazing. My motivation levels are directly proportional to how clean my room is and what kind of atmosphere it emanates so I am extremely pleased with my set up and decorations and everything because I really feel like it is a setting in which I can focus and get the things done that I want done! And this will conclude my post for now, check back with me later for more on life! :) (PS: I am blogging directly from my flickr account!!! It is really simple and exciting and makes posting pictures as enjoyable as a nice hot shower! ..wait..)

Goodnight moon.

For Heidi:

2009-08-20T08:25:00.000-07:00

I have every intention of deleting this after Heidi has seen it. ;) ;)

heh heh heh...

Pink

2009-08-18T20:52:00.000-07:00

photo originally uploaded by krillamy

Honey Honey

2009-08-16T06:56:00.000-07:00

My intention was to post another great music video here from YouTube, but of course the embedding has been "disabled by request"

The song is Honey Honey by Feist, and at first I thought it was a little weird and creepy but now I find it touching and addictive - by far one of the best finds I have had in a very long time. I encourage everyone to check it out! (And watch the whole video!)

So here is the link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dN0A0ZSfnj4

Money and Happiness - Money or Happiness?

2009-08-15T08:23:00.000-07:00

Is it more important to get a job where you will make lots of money (regardless if it's something you like or want to do) - or go after what you love to do and are interested in, even though there are no guarantees?

This week I had a conversation with someone regarding this matter. It was in their opinion that it's better to get a job where you can make lots of money, even if you don't like the job, because who really does like their job anyway? If you make lots of money then you will be able to afford to do the things that you do like, outside of working. You would be able to afford the lifestyle you want, maybe that means supporting a family or being able to travel.

Maybe I'm too much of a dreamer,

but I couldn't help but disagree with them.

This philosophy makes a lot of sense, and is probably the way that, what: 75%-95%? of people live their lives. Let's say you work 8 hours, 5 days a week, and get 8 hours of sleep every night. Out of a total 168 hours in the week, you are spending 96 hours either sleeping or working. Not to mention all the preparation and overtime that isn't factored in. And if you hate your job, you are therefore spending over 50% of your week doing something you hate - who wants that? Who would knowingly set themselves up for a life like that? Yeah, maybe it would mean you would have the money to afford your desired lifestyle, but what kind of desired lifestyle includes working a job you hate? Plus if you don't like your job - if you don't like how you spend your days - don't like how you are contributing to the society and to the world - then how can you fully love yourself? There's a pretty good chance that if you are doing something you don't like to do, just for the money, you won't be able to fully enjoy or appreciate those things you wanted to be able to afford anyway. Your crappy job will drain you mentally and physically so much that you won't have the energy left in those remaining 72 hours to enjoy anything to the fullest or make the most of your precious free time... chances are you will end up sitting around feeling bad about yourself, or dragging yourself out to do things when you'd rather be sitting.

If you go after what you love, at least you won't have to wonder what if once it's too late. I say

live life with no regrets, try everything once.

Even if you fail miserably, at least you tried and didn't let life defeat you before you even tried.

(You can always start over and get a job that you will hate, there are plenty out there!)

Chasing your dreams takes bravery. But if we're going after something we really want, there is really no good reason not to. Jobs are there for us to start at the bottom and work our way up. Say the practical choice would be to go into public relations, but your real love is cooking. You have real talent when it comes to cooking, you are curious and want to expand your knowledge and abilities. With public relations, all you want is a paycheck. You are much more likely to succeed doing something you WANT to do and have a passion for then something where all you really want is a paycheck (and in which field there are probably plenty of people who actually do like the work and would be competing against you). I think if you are going after whatever you love to do in life, whatever you believe in and support, whatever you think about and learn about in your free time, you shouldn't worry if you won't succeed at it, or that you won't be as happy as if you were making a lot of money. You will have enough interest in whatever it is that you could even revolutionize the current job market in that field and open up new research or new jobs or heck, you can do whatever you want because it's something you want to do and nothing will stop you.

Maybe money does rule the world, but that doesn't mean we can't make our own luck and shape our lives in a more favorable direction, instead of following the dot-to-dot that has already been set up and is being followed by those who aren't quite as brave as you.

Think about it.

photo originally uploaded by krillamy

I'll Follow You Into The Dark

2009-08-06T00:33:00.000-07:00

This is a great cover of my favorite Death Cab for Cutie song, I'll Follow You Into The Dark

Freedom

2009-08-05T09:56:00.000-07:00

photo originally uploaded by krillamy

Today I have my final paper due for my summer class, and then freedom from class assignments until August 24th, when I go back to school! But right now I am having such a difficult time trying to concentrate! Sometimes I'm convinced that I have Attention Deficit Disorder... but at the same time everyone probably has ADD at some point, and I don't really believe in people blaming all their faults on disorders and taking medication for it. Such as depression (which could be solved by a change in attitude) or ADD which is probably just what happens naturally when we find ourselves doing something we don't want to be doing, obviously we will get distracted by more appealing activities. So what I should be doing is getting down to business and cranking that paper out within the hour, instead of drawing it out up until the deadline...

Well... we'll see what happens ;)

My Life Mission

2009-08-04T13:27:00.000-07:00

This post is a long-overdue follow up to my previous post about building mission statements.

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I am at my best when I am in a positive and stimulating environment..

I will try to prevent times when doing tasks that do not challenge my creativity..

I will enjoy my work by finding employment where I can work closely with others, bounce ideas off co-workers, and where I am appreciated and encouraged..

I will find enjoyment in my personal life by spending time with family and friends and chasing my dreams..

I will find opportunities to use my natural talents and gifts in music, decorating, generating creative ideas, being flexible, understanding people, and having a positive attitude..

I can do anything I set my mind to. I won't let procrastination and lack of motivation get in my way. Making mistakes will not hold me back..

My life's journey entails experiencing as much in the world as I can and not being afraid to try everything once. I will continue striving to make myself a better person so that I can gain better understanding of the world and people around me, and demonstrate appreciation for life and get the most out of it as possible.

I will be a person who will stay connected to my loved ones & try not to take them for granted.

My most important future contribution to others will be being in their lives and being someone they can always go to when needed. I want to be an inspiration that will encourage them to chase after their dreams, and show them that nothing is impossible.

I will stop procrastinating and start working on:

-Being more proactive instead of just thinking about and imagining all the great things I could accomplish

-Stop prematurely judging people

-Live Healthier

I will strive to incorporate the following attributes into my life:

CONFIDENCE

UNDERSTANDING that no one can be perfect

GENUINE KINDNESS

I will constantly renew myself by focusing on the four dimensions of my life:

Physical - Exercise regularly & challenge myself

Mental - Stay positive & de-stress

Spiritual - Practice Appreciation

Emotional - Keep close to those who are important to me

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IN SUMMARY

Throughout each day, I strive to live my life to the fullest by spending time with my family and friends, practice appreciation, live healthier, work closely with others in a positive and stimulating environment, and use my natural talents in music, and express my creativity while remaining flexible and optimistic. I value confidence, genuine kindness, and understanding that making mistakes is essential to learning.

Photo originally uploaded by krillamy

I encourage everyone else to try it --> build your very own mission statement here!

...anywho who does, let me know so I can link you up!

Other's Missions:

Crystal's Life Mission

And we're back!

2009-08-04T09:43:00.000-07:00

I recently started a flickr account, if anyone else has one please tell me, I'd love to look at your pictures! =D

photo originally uploaded by krillamy

My blog died..

2009-07-29T23:18:00.000-07:00

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!

2009-07-22T13:17:00.000-07:00

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...

2009-07-20T10:41:00.000-07:00

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!

2009-07-20T10:22:00.000-07:00

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

2009-07-19T21:00:00.000-07:00

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

2009-07-13T11:28:00.000-07:00

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

2009-07-11T20:11:00.000-07:00

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!

2009-07-10T08:36:00.000-07:00

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

2009-07-08T19:35:00.000-07:00

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

2009-07-08T16:33:00.000-07:00

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

2009-07-07T00:08:00.000-07:00

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

2009-07-06T22:43:00.000-07:00

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?

2009-07-05T22:16:00.000-07:00

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.

The Results!

2009-06-30T14:37:00.000-07:00

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.

2009-06-26T22:41:00.001-07:00

You may not have known...

2009-06-25T21:52:00.000-07:00

...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

2009-06-23T23:26:00.000-07:00

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:

2009-06-23T22:26:00.000-07:00

Return Redbox Movie!

Good Picture

2009-06-22T02:50:00.000-07:00

Personality Type

2009-06-21T15:39:00.001-07:00

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

2009-06-20T15:32:00.000-07:00

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!

2009-06-20T13:30:00.000-07:00

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

2009-06-20T00:15:00.000-07:00

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?

2009-06-17T20:44:00.000-07:00

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

2009-06-17T20:41:00.000-07:00

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

2009-06-17T12:02:00.000-07:00

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:

2009-06-16T22:58:00.000-07:00

MAKE US COFFEE IN THE MORNING!

LOVE, ME

Soda, Pop, Bubblers, and Drinking Fountains

2009-06-16T19:13:00.000-07:00

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

2009-06-15T17:36:00.001-07:00

... :(

SPONTANEOUS DANCE PARTY!

2009-06-10T20:43:00.000-07:00

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!

2009-06-09T12:05:00.000-07:00

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.

2009-06-08T16:36:00.001-07:00

Scaring people.

Maintaining my good looks.

Thirsty...

Building healthy bones!

Catching up on the best gossip.

surfin' the web...

TWIN!

2009-06-08T15:42:00.000-07:00

Fun while rummaging..

Finally an update!

2009-06-03T20:48:00.001-07:00

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!)

Mr Lonely

2009-05-19T10:31:00.000-07:00

I've been trying to build up a solid playlist on youtube and came upon Lonely by Akon. I think it's pretty amazing how current artists can totally revamp old songs, in this case (which probably many people don't know about the older version) Mr Lonely by Bobby Vinton. I was also surprised by how tame the Akon version sounds now, only 4 years later, when at the time I remember it breaking the mold. Funny how music progresses so quickly over time

Lonely, I'm Mr. Lonely
I have nobody for my own
I am so lonely, I'm Mr. Lonely
Wish I had someone to call on the phone

Now I'm a soldier, a lonely soldier
Away from home through no wish of my own
That's why I'm lonely, I'm Mr. Lonely
I wish that I could go back home

Letters, never a letter
I get no letters in the mail
I've been forgotten, yes, forgotten
Oh how I wonder, how is it I failed

Now I'm a soldier, a lonely soldier
Away from home through no wish of my own
That's why I'm lonely, I'm Mr. Lonely
I wish that I could go back home

Gotta say, I prefer Akon's version.

Twitpic

2009-05-18T18:28:00.000-07:00

Share photos on Twitter!

If you already have a Twitter account, you can simply go to Twitpic and sign in using your Twitter username and password. I was too excited about blogging about this so I haven't spent very much time exploring this new feature, but I LOVE posting pictures to share with other people. It will be refreshing to put them somewhere other than Facebook (somehow I feel pictures lose meaning on Facebook because everyone puts up tons and tons of pictures). Here's to hoping Twitter won't become too much like Facebook via applications galore.

The best blogs on the web

2009-05-13T18:54:00.000-07:00

My goal for tonight was to go through my many bookmarks (120+) & delete everything that was old/irrelevant/etc... but of course I must check out each site before deleting the bookmark... which ultimately led to my finding the most overwhelming website I have come across in a long time... blogs.com

This site is the Mothership of all blogs, and not only has an endless list of different "top 10 blogs on __ topic", but has a search engine so you can specifically type in key words to find the best blogs written on that subject. OVERWHELMING! Looking through the top 10 lists, I found the best blogs about Japanese technology & culture, digital design, and blogs so green they'll make you want to go plant a tree. So if you want to become completely overwhelmed by how vast and diverse the internet is becoming, definitely check out this website (and the many many places it will take you). Looks like my list of bookmarks is going to be growing rapidly instead of shrinking and becoming more organized anytime soon. Oy.

Welcome

2009-05-12T21:54:00.000-07:00

I don't have much time, but I wanted to get my blog up and started so here is my official post of welcome!!