Your Resident Blogger

My photo
I'm a 32 year old mother of 2 fantastic little boys, ages 5 and 10. I'm a retail lackey who dreams of running away to San Francisco where I'll live on my trust fund and take photographs of the city all day.

Currently Reading

  • Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides

Movies You Should Check Out

  • Little Miss Sunshine
  • The Good Shepherd

Rocking My iPod This Week

  • Eminem
  • Hinder
  • The Fray

Categorically Speaking...

Tuesday, November 28, 2006

Please Help



Recently, my dear friend Adam told me some devastating news. His 3 year old daughter, Indigo, was flown to Denver for emergency surgery to remove a stage 2 Wilms Tumor on her left kidney. The surgeons had to take her kidney, too, as it was destroyed by the tumor. As you can imagine the costs associated with cancer treatment are not cheap, and unfortunately, these costs will not be covered by Indigo's insurance. Right now, Adam and his wife Carri are looking at owing well over $200,000 to cover Indigo's treatments.

Right now, the Bodymod.org family is hosting a fundraiser to help cover the astronomical costs that this wonderful family is facing. I know that it is the holidays and that money is tight for everyone, but Indigo and her family need our help. Even if you could just spare $5, it would help. Think about it, $5 is a drink at Starbucks or this week's issue of People magazine. If you can donate please click on the "Help Indigo" banner at the top of this post or go to www.helpindigo.com. From there, you can read Indigo's story and donate via Paypal with your credit or debit card. If you would prefer to send a check or money order, you can either contact me or contact Bodymod.org's administrator Adam Callen (adam@bodymod.org) to find out how that can be done. 100% of all donations received will be given directly to Adam, Carri & Indigo.

We all have a special child in our lives, whether they are our child, a grandchild, a niece or nephew, or just someone special to us that we could not imagine living without. Please help us help Indigo.

Will That Be 1 Xanax or 2?

It's been a rough week for me. It's the year anniversary of my best friend's suicide attempt. The year anniversary of our descent further into the abyss. On one hand, I can't believe it's been a whole year. On the other, I can't believe it's ONLY been a year. I feel like I've lived a thousand lives since that fateful day when my world turned upside down and shattered me.

The chronicle of my friendship with Tyson has been discussed ad nauseum here, so I won't rehash the entire ordeal. I just can't. It still hurts - a whole year later. I thought I had moved on. I thought that I had come to terms with everything that had happened.

I was wrong.

The realization of the anniversary hit me almost as hard as the moment my phone rang that day. I couldn't just note it and move on, either. I've been reliving the entire thing all week long. It's like a bad movie on loop. You want to look away but you can't. You want it to stop, but the projector is stuck on play and you can't move away. All week long, I see him suffering. All week long, I feel that helplessness. I've rehashed and rehashed like an athlete watching game film. What could I have done differently? Where did I fumble?

The hardest part of it all? Neither of us are okay yet. We're both struggling to keep our heads above water. And we're swimming with sharks. Sharks we don't understand and sharks we don't know how to chase away.

I'd love to say that our friendship is great at least...but it's not. We're still friends. We still love each other, but since he moved away, it's different. The circumstances of the past 5 months devastated me, and it's not something that I can overcome in an instant - in one evening together.

I wish I knew how to put us back together. I wish had the patience for that to happen naturally. But still...one year ago, the thing that I was most thankful for was the fact that he was still alive. One year later, it's still the same.

New Music (Fall to Pieces - Velvet Revolver)



It's been a long year
Since you've been gone
I've been alone here
I've grown old
I fall to pieces, I'm falling
Fell to pieces and I'm still falling


Every time I'm falling down
All alone I fall to pieces

I keep a journal of memories
I'm feeling lonely, I can't breathe

I fall to pieces, I'm falling
Fell to pieces and I'm still falling

All the years I've tried
With more to go
Will the memories die
I'm waiting

Will I find you
Can I find you
We're falling down
I'm falling


Every time I’m falling down
All alone I fall to pieces
Every time I’m falling down
All alone I fall to pieces
Every time I’m falling down
All alone I fall to pieces
Every time I’m falling down
All alone I fall to pieces

Sunday, November 26, 2006

The Thanksgiving Recap

So Thanksgiving went pretty well this year. I had to work Wednesday night, which sucked since it meant I didn't get home until 8am Thursday, but bygones. I made everything from scratch this year (except the cranberries...I love me some canned cranberries! LOL), and it all turned out pretty good. In addition to the turkey, our menu included:

Sour Cream & Horseradish Mashed Potatoes
Sweet Sausage Stuffing
Green Bean Casserole
Cream Biscuits
Cranberries
Pumpkin Pie

Not too shabby. Of course, we watched football all day, too! While preparing dinner, I somehow managed to slice my finger open on a can. It was pretty sweet...bled for a half an hour, even with the whole direct pressure-hold it above your heart business. I probably should have had a stitch or 3 put in it, but where's the fun in that?

And, of course, I hit the day after Thanksgiving sales bright and early! I was at Wal-Mart by 5am. Go team! This year I only went to Wal-Mart, Staples, and Target. I was home by 7:30! I almost got into a scuffle at Staples when some guy attempted to steal one of my items I was in line to purchase, but I put him in his place rather quickly. No one messes with my bargains!!

Sunday, November 19, 2006

New Music (Say It Right - Nelly Furtado)



In the day
In the night
Say it right
Say it all
You either got it
Or you don't
You either stand or you fall
When your will is broken
When it slips from your hand
When there's no time for joking
There's a hole in the plan

Oh you don't mean nothing at all to me
No you don't mean nothing at all to me
Do you got what it takes to set me free
Oh you could mean everything to me

I can't say that I'm not lost and at fault
I can't say that I don't love the light and the dark
I can't say that I don't know that I am alive

And all of what I feel I could show
You tonite you tonite

From my hands I could give you
Something that I made

From my mouth I could sing you another brick that I laid
From my body I could show you a place God knows
You should know the space is holy
Do you really want to go?

Me, for Now

I Am...
Sad, yet hopeful

Fiercely protective of my friends, one of whom is having a rough go this week

Grateful that my son is healthy

A woman who wants more out of life than the establishment is willing to give


I Want...
Someone to find a way to prevent childhood cancer

A reason to believe in a higher power

An evening with my best friend

A plane ticket to London for Friday. HUGE rave going down, and I SO want to be there.


I Love...
My little family, loving me unconditionally

My Alex, for knowing what to say...always.

My Tyson, for making me feel like I've done something worthwhile in my life

The feeling of freshly washed pajamas in front of the fire with a good book and a mug of hot peppermint schnapps-spiked cocoa


I Need...
A break from everything

A place where I can withdraw and find solace


Who are you, and what do you want, love, and need?

Wednesday, November 15, 2006

A Little Advice K-Fed? SUCK IT. That Will Be All.



That's right just get it
Let you feel it
Make you lose control
This is that hip-hop flavor mixed with a lil bit of rock & roll
Valet your whip Grab your chick
You know how it goes
I got that shit, I got them beats thatll make you lose control

Step up in the club, so fresh and clean
Not the outcast that they label me
I'm rolling with a team, that roll so deep
We in and out the club everyday of the week
And I make them hits, when the beat drop
That's when you here me say say hold up, stop

Let me take you back to 5o'clock
When I roll the lamborghini off the block
But not before I made them chop the top
And throw some 20 shoe's, oh thats hot

Hit Nastros For a bite to eat
No tuxedo cuz they reconize me
Her lifestyle, the rich living, the fast cars
Don't hate 'cuz I'm a superstar and I married a superstar
Never come between us no matter who you are, cmon

That's right just get it
Let you feel it
Make you lose control
This is that hip-hop flavor mixed with a lil bit of rock & roll
Valet your whip Grab your chick
You know how it goes
I got that shit, I got them beats thatll make you lose control

Closet full of kicks
Garage full of whips
Vegas crap table got the pit ball sticks
They never seen a kid win like this
So rich, that I tattoo the dice on my wrist
And my girl too, It's no coincidence that SRT got all black tints
I've never been a digger but I rock 'em nuggets
One earing cost more than your budget
I ain't here to brag I'm just here to pop tags
My ferrari cost more than your lil S-class
Look man I'm in a whole 'nother tax bracket
It don't matter what you blow, boy you can't match it
40 grand I take the whole crew to Miami
Then we pop Crys off like they won Grammy's
I take care of my own, that's my family
Magazine talk 'cuz they don't understand me

That's right just get it
Let you feel it
Make you lose control
This is that hip-hop flavor mixed with a lil bit of rock & roll
Valet your whip Grab your chick
You know how it goes
I got that shit, I got them beats thatll make you lose control

That's right just get it
Let you feel it
Make you lose control
This is that hip-hop flavor mixed with a lil bit of rock & roll
Valet your whip Grab your chick
You know how it goes
I got that shit, I got them beats thatll make you lose control


Ahhh, yes. The sweet, sultry sounds of Kevin Federline. I haven't heard mic skills like these since...ever. Good god. Is this all it takes to make it as a rapper these days? Christ. Sign me up! I rocked the mic with a karaoke version of Ice Ice Baby that was blasted inspiring compared to this crap. Please don't get used to hearing this on here. It won't last very long, it's just serving to prove a point. LOL

Then the blasted idiot thinks that he should get custody of his kids with Britney. What the fuck is he smoking? Must be pretty good stuff...I should call and ask where he's getting it. He probably shouldn't get too used to it, though. Soon he won't be able to afford it. I love how he's dangling this alleged honeymoon sex tape over Britney's head. He claims that if she doesn't give him $30 MILLION and custody of the kids, he'll sell it. Bids are allegedly up to $50 million for the alleged 4 hour tape.

Yeah, Father of the Year. That's K-Fed. Why didn't he push for custody of his other children? Oh yeah, those royalties from Moesha are just pouring in for Shar Jackson aren't they. Pure and simple - he couldn't profit off pushing that agenda. He doesn't want the boys. He just wants a bigger slice of Britney's money. Because we all know that as much money as he's going to make with his mad rap skills, he's going to need a smidge more to keep up his lavish lifestyle. Did you know that it's been estimated that he's gone through $50 MILLION of Britney's money in JUST 2 YEARS?!?! Shit. Sign me up for that, too. How does one really spend that kind of money and have not much to show for it outside of some new trucker hats?

He really should have stuck to dancing, which (I'll give credit where it's due) he was actually pretty good at. He was even a decent model back in the day. You wouldn't guess it these days, though.

To Britney I say, stay strong. Even if he releases the tape, it will only fuel your comeback in the end. And like any judge is really going to grant loser boy full custody of Sean and Jayden.

I think Hitler has a better chance at gaining custody of a whole Jewish orphange than Fed-Ex (I love the tabloids for coming up with that one!) has at gaining custody of your boys.

Tuesday, November 14, 2006

Something Light & Fluffy

Your Expression Number is 9

An idealist and humanitarian, you strive to make the world a better place.
You do your best when you follow your feelings and sense of compassion.
Deep down, you dream of being loved by many.

You are capable of much human understanding and have a lot to give to others.
While you are very ambitious, you never lose site of perspective.
You have an abundance of creative talents... you just need to tap into them.

Although you are a giving person, you can become selfish if you are ignored.
If you are not able to help people, you tend to shelf your talents.
Without others, you become aloof and start to lack sensitivity.



Your Movie Buff Quotient: 74%
You are a total movie buff. Classics, blockbusters, indie favorites... you've seen most of them.Your friends know to come to you whenever they need a few good DVD rental suggestions.



You Are A Margarita Martini

You are a full on partier, with a good deal of sass and spunk.
You're always friendly and welcoming - and very tolerant of obnoxious drunks.

You should never: Drink and dance. The pictures will be everywhere the next morning!

Your ideal party: Is loud, with good music and fun drinking games.

Your drinking soulmates: Those with a Dirty Martini personality

Your drinking rivals: Those with a Classic Martini personality



Your Vocabulary Score: A

Congratulations on your multifarious vocabulary!
You must be quite an erudite person.



You Are 48% Politically Radical

You've got some radical viewpoints, but you aren't completely nuts. You're more of a visionary than a radical.



You Belong in San Francisco

You crave an eclectic, urban environment. You're half California, half NYC.
You're open minded, tolerant, and secretly think you're the best.
People may dismiss you as a hippie, but you're also progressive, interesting, and rich!



You Are The Hanging Man

You represent the seeking of enlightenment and spiritual clarity.
You tend to confuse others, but your oddities seem deeply satisfying.
Self sacrifice is easy for you, especially if it makes you a better person in the end.
You are the type of person who is very in touch with your soul and inner spirit.

Your fortune:

Right now is a good time for reflection and meditation.
You should stop resisting the problems in your life, and let yourself be vulnerable to them.
You may need to sacrifice something important to you to move ahead in your life.
Accept your destiny with courage, and learn to let go of what you think you need.



[b]You've Experienced 76% of Life[/b]

[img]http://images.blogthings.com/howmuchlifeexperiencedoyouhavequiz/life-4.jpg[/img]

You have all of the life experience that most adults will ever get.
And unless you're already in your 40s, you're probably wise beyond your years.

[b]How Much Life Experience Do You Have?[/b]

[url]http://www.blogthings.com/howmuchlifeexperiencedoyouhavequiz/[/url]

Sunday, November 12, 2006

Let Me Tell You A Story...



Once upon a time there was a girl who saw the world as her oyster. She believed that she could and (more importantly) WOULD do everything she set her mind to do. By the time she was 8, she had made a list of how her life would pan out over the next 2 decades and vowed that she would watch the items on that list be ticked off one by one. Here is that list:

*High school valedictorian
*Harvard
*Graduate Harvard as valedictorian in 3 years
*Harvard Law School
*Graduate valedictorian
*Junior partner in big city law firm by 26
*Senior partner in said law firm by 30

That same girl wrote to Harvard for admissions requirements when she was 8. No harm in getting started early, right? No harm in setting goals, right? Maybe not, but for someone who isn't all that terribly stable between the ears it is. I'm sure all of you have already guessed that the little girl is me. And yes, all of that is true. Now here I am, 26, and nothing on that list has come to be.

I worked my ass off in high school, but thanks to Senora Arietta and her bullshit B+ in Spanish, I didn't make valedictorian. (That's not just sour grapes talking, statistically, my grade in her class should have been an A. If you average 110 and 80...you get 95. Thanks again...ho.)

I followed the Harvard path, but when I applied I was rejected outright. I had an SAT of 1260. Pretty damn good, if I did say so myself, but apparently the dumbest kid at Harvard has a 1350. It was suggested that perhaps I would be happier at an institution such as Brown. No really. They actually suggested I apply to Brown instead. Never mind all my other qualifications - one lousy number (which is a fucking good number, thankyouverymuch) shot down my Harvard dreams. The dreams that I had been working towards for the past 10 years. Thanks guys.

Right then and there, the rest of my list was nullified. Poof. Gone. Without Harvard, the rest of my vision was gone. Instead, I'm 26. No degree. No high paying job. Granted I do have good things in my life. My husband. My son. A handful of really wonderful friends. I mean, REALLY wonderful. But I still feel incomplete as a person. And I know it's that damn list I made nearly 20 years ago that's the problem.

So I say fuck it. It's time to forget about that damn list and move on. I'd say I'll create a new list, but I don't want to put that on myself again. Because if and when it doesn't happen, I don't want to feel like a failure again. But you know what? Not everyone needs goals. It really can be enough just to have an idea of where you want to go.

I have my ideas.

Wednesday, November 08, 2006

Totally, Shamefully, Unremorsefully Stolen Off Amy's Blog!

The 7 Deadly Sins


WRATH

Who did you last get angry with? ~ Tyson. Although, I'm not really angry with him...just hurt.

What do you get the most passionately angry about? ~ Since I'm stealing things, I'm totally stealing Amy's answer on this one because it's exactly what I was going to say, down to the letter! LOL You so rule, Amy! "I absolutely hate intolerance…I have no tolerance for it (which I suppose is intolerant…but whatever). My hot button issues are usually gay rights and racial issues."

Who has the ability to make you angry like none other? ~ Tyson, but again, it's not anger - it's hurt. I've told him a million and one times: he's both the easiest and the hardest person to love in the whole world.

Would you hit a member of the opposite sex? ~ Absolutely. Every fight I've been in save for one has been with a guy. And I'm currently undefeated. Never underestimate motivation and a bad attitude!

How about of the same sex? ~ I'm an equal opportunity sort of fighter.

Who was the last person that got really angry at you? ~ I dunno...probably Matt. I'm not the easiest person to live with.

Were they justified in their anger? ~ Yeah, probably. See above.

Have you ever been hurt but hid it behind anger? ~ For the most part, if I'm hurt you'll know it.


SLOTH

What is one thing you're supposed to do daily that you haven't done in a long time? ~ Go to the gym...I really need to be better about that.

What is the latest you've ever woken up? ~ I sleep weird hours since I work overnight shifts. So if I wake up at 6pm and I went to sleep at 9am, that's really not that late. That said, while I was sick not too long ago, I slept for 26 hours straight. :oP

Name a person you've been meaning to contact, but haven't: ~ For the most part, I've attempted contacting everyone I've been meaning to, but I haven't gotten to speak with them all yet.

What is the last lame excuse you've made? ~ I make lots of lame excuses. LOL In fact, I make so many I'm not even able to think of one at the moment to put down here for you all to giggle at!

Have you ever put off till tomorrow what you should do today? ~ Welcome to my world. Refreshments are on the table to your left.

When was the last time you got a good workout in? ~ This past weekend in Seattle. I walked everywhere carrying a 15 pound bag!

How many times did you hit the snooze button on your alarm clock today? ~ I didn't feel very well, so I didn't even bother setting the alarm. LOL Instead, I stayed in bed all day long.


GLUTTONY

What is your overpriced yuppie beverage of choice? ~ Double amaretto mocha from the little coffee hut I pass on the way to school. So good. Don't even get me started on Starbucks! LOL I can drink there for days...

White meat or dark meat? ~ White meat. I so can't wait until Thanksgiving!

What is the greatest amount of alcohol you've had at one time? ~ I stopped counting. LOL I do know that my record for shots in an hour is 13 shots of tequila. Tyson & I used to go and drink copious amounts of liquor. We rule.

Do you have an issue with your weight? ~ I don't have an issue with my weight. I have a subscription.

Do you prefer sweets, salty foods, or spicy foods? ~ Mostly sweet foods, but I also get hankerings for spicy foods now and then.

Do you eat when you are sad, mad, or bored? ~ All of the above. Sadly.

LUST

How many people have you seen naked (not counting movies/family)? ~ A couple.

How many people have seen YOU naked (not counting physicians/family)? ~ Only 1 completely, a handful partially. Surely you recall the joys of high school P.E.?

Have you wanted someone who was taken? ~ Yep. And it completely blows.

What is your favorite body part on a person of your gender of choice? ~ I love eyes and lips and arms. Mmmm... Nice. :oP

Have you ever had a one-night stand? ~ No

Have you ever really 'made love'? ~ Again, Amy said it best, so I'll steal this answer, too! "I will say yes, but can I just tell you how much I HATE THAT PHRASE????? I f-ing hate it. It's cheesy and weird and I hate it."

Have you ever had a kiss that almost felt better then sex due to emotions? ~ Yes

Have you had sex or fooled around in a public place? ~ Yeah :)

Have you ever worried about having an STD or being pregnant? ~ No

Have you ever slept with someone who you didn't care about at all? ~ No

Have you ever slept with someone whom you didn't know their name? ~ No


GREED

How many credit cards do you own? ~ Just one. Go me!

What's your guilty pleasure? ~ Celebrity news, cheesy MTV reality shows.

If you had $1 million, what would you do with it? ~ Pay off my debt, travel the world, make a college fund for Hunter

Would you rather be rich or famous? ~ Rich.

Would you rather be rich or in love? ~ In love.

Would you accept a boring job if it meant you would make megabucks? ~ I probably would, and tell myself that I would be happy. Then I'd realize that I am not and won't be happy so I'd quit.

Have you ever stolen anything? ~ Yeah.


PRIDE

What's the one thing you've done that you're most proud of? ~ Stopping my best friend from ending his life. It was the hardest thing I've ever had to do, and I was petrified that he would hate me for it.

What's the one thing you've done that your parents are most proud of? ~ Probably becoming a parent myself.

What thing would you like to accomplish in your life? ~ Contentment with myself. I have come to the realization that I may never love myself, hell...I may never even LIKE myself, but if I can just learn to be content with who and what I am, then eventually I can achieve some semblance of happiness.

Do you get annoyed by coming in second place? ~ Usually. It depends on how bad I wanted first place to begin with.

Have you ever cheated on something to get a higher score? ~ Yes.

What did you do today that you're proud of? ~ Nothing really. LOL I updated my iPod. That was pretty sweet.


ENVY

What item of your friend's would you most want to have for your own? ~ I honestly can't think of a single thing right now. Maybe I need more friends...LOL

If you could be anyone else in the world, who would you be? ~ Someone who is comfortable in their own skin.

Have you ever wished you had a physical feature different from your own? ~ Umm, yeah...a smaller ass, perhaps?

What trait do you see in others that you wish you had for yourself? ~ Self-confidence.

Have you ever wanted your friends boyfriend or girlfriend? ~ No

Have you ever stolen your friends boyfriend or girlfriend? ~ No

New Music (Drive - Incubus)





Sometimes, I feel the fear of uncertainty stinging clear
And I can't help but ask myself how much I'll let the fear
Take the wheel and steer
It's driven me before
And it seems to have a vague, haunting mass appeal
But lately I am beginning to find that I
Should be the one behind the wheel

Whatever tomorrow brings, I'll be there
With open arms and open eyes


So if I decide to waiver my chance to be one of the hive
Will I choose water over wine and hold my own and drive?
It's driven me before
And it seems to be the way that everyone else gets around
But lately I'm beginning to find that
When I drive myself my light is found


So whatever tomorrow brings, I'll be there
With open arms and open eyes

Would you kill the Queen to crush the hive?
Would you choose water over wine
Hold the wheel and drive?

Sunday, November 05, 2006

Jen's Seattle Adventure - Saturday

Saturday morning dawned rainy again. LOL So today I got to trudge to the convention center through 1-2" of standing water! Fab. I could have driven, but I categorically refused to pay $14 to park my car. :o)
I hit the vendor faire again briefly to turn in my door prize ticket and to pick up a couple of tin kits that the Boxer Productions rep had shown us in the class the night before that we just too cute and too good of a deal to pass up, plus I wanted to get the templates to make more anyways.

My first class today was My Daughter's Hand, which was Quick Quotes girl version of the explosion book class I took yesterday. Cute project, but we had a bit of excitement - one of the girls in the class had a seizure about a third of the way into the class and we had to call for an ambulance. I felt so bad for her. She's okay, though.




My next class was Take the Printer to the Project, sponsered by Xyron. We ended up not doing the projects, but just learning how to yuse the Xyron Design Runner, but we got a ton of cool products. We got the Making Memories Vintage Hip paper collection, the Bazzill Hillary Monochromatic Trio cardstock pack, the MM Vintage Hip Trim kit, and the MM Vintage Hip Findings kit. Awesomeness! And more awesomeness? I won a the Romance design card for the Design Runner! I told Matt that he needs to buy me one now! LOL

My last class of the convention was Quick & Fabulous Embellishments, sponsered by Deluxe Designs. This one came out cute, but it was definitely too much for 1 hour, since everything needed to be traced and cut out. Apparently, it used to be a 90-minute class. Oh well. I finished mine up at the crop.



At the crop, I sat next to a set of sisters from Idaho that were a bunch of fun to hang out with. I won a door prize, too! I won a CK Easy Scrapbooking idea book. Here's the layouts I managed to finish up:





My Tyson layout still needs to have the journaling printed out, as well as a couple of smaller pictures for the right hand page. My About Me layout needs the picture (that will go where I have the white paper), too. I forgot to print one out in the dark room before I left for Seattle! LOL
So that's pretty much my trip! I'll probably think of more later, but enjoy for now!

Friday, November 03, 2006

Jen's Seattle Adventure - Friday

So I got up bright and early this morning to head over to the convention center to get registered for CKC and pick up my class tickets. Of course, it's raining, so I trudge 2 blocks through the rain. This wouldn't be terrible since I have an umbrella, but with the construction I have to cross the same street 3 different times! LOL It's was bizarre. Essentially, from the hotel I wnt to the end of the block, crossed to the west side, then to the south side, then back to the east side, went to the end of that block, then crossed back to the west side. Oy! LOL

My first class was at 8:30 and it was called My Son's Hand, sponsered by Quick Quotes. We made the most adorable explosion book! So, so cute.


After the class, I went down to the vendor faire and bought some goodies. I got some canvases to make some more explosion books for Christmas gifts, some Cat's Eye Chalks, and other little odds and ends. I also went around and collected all my freebies! LOL Afterwards, I went back upstairs to where the classes where being held to chill with a snack and listen to my favorite podcast on my iPod until my next class. While I was there, I met two great girls, Christy & Taraleigh, from Canada, eh. It turned out that Christy was going to be in my class, and we totally hit it off. So she & I hung out during the class and we made plans for all 3 of us to hang out at the crop later that night. Funnily enough, we were all staying at the Paragon Hotel, just a few rooms apart!
My next class was another one sponsered by Quick Quotes called, Forever My Son. We made 3 layouts, and boy oh boy did we BOOK! Christy and I were dying laughing because we kept cracking jokes about how we should have done some calistetics to warm up! The layouts were way cute, though.




My last class of the day was Canned Memories II, sponsored by Boxer Productions. We made an adorable mint tin accordian album. I made mine to highlight pictures every month of 2007.





Finally, I hit the crop and had a blast with my new friends. I didn't win any of the door prizes, but that was okay. Here's what I did at the crop:



Thursday, November 02, 2006

Jen's Seattle Adventure - Thursday

So there's me, feeling sassy. LOL I took it for Alex, since I always make him take pictures for me to see and I categorically refuse to have my picture taken. So there I am in the standard hold the camera out and up Myspace style. Enjoy. You know you are!


But anyhoo.....enought of that.


Okay, here we go...what you came here for: Day 1 of Jen's 1st Solo Vacay! It's really an exercise of good news/bad news.



Good News:
The day started off great. Matt & I took Hunter to school, went out for a nice breakfast, and took a drive to see if we could find this herd of elk that keeps coming out of the mountains. We got to the airport, got me checked in and through security. The great thing about the Bozeman airport is it takes very little time to do all that. I showed up at 12:30-ish for a 1:45 flight, and I had about 50 minutes to kill after I got through security. So I had plenty of time to play Sudoku on my Nintendo DS while I waited. Then we got on the plane.

Bad News:
Now call me kooky, but a plane taking off should not look like a bunny rabbit. Once it's up it's up is my philosophy. Apparently, my pilot is not a member of that same school of thought. We got about, oh, 15 feet or so off the ground and then dropped allllll the way back down to the runway. Then we took off. Um? What the fuck was that? Everyone on board was a little nervous after that. It appeared to be let your 4 year old fly the plane day.

Good News:
We made good time in the air, though, and actually arrived in Seattle a bit early. I always love flying into Seattle because it's always so pretty. I could totally see myself living here one day. Awesome, awesome stuff.

Bad News:
Apparently, not only can our pilot not take off, but he cannot land, either. We go to land on the runway and if you picture skipping rocks on a pond....we were the rock. We bounced not 1, not 2, not even 3, but 5 TIMES BEFORE WE MANAGED TO KEEP 'ER ON THE GROUND. Sooooo less than amused.

Good News:
I go down to baggage claim, and my bags arrive in LESS THAN 5 MINUTES. Amazing! I'm never gotten my bags so quickly in my life. I even managed to find a luggage cart to assist me with my 2 suitcases and 2 carryons. Then I head over to the Thrifty Rental Car counter to get my prearranged for rental.

Bad News:
You knew that was coming, didn't you! When I get there, they inform me that they will need to authorize my credit card for $150, which is twice the amount of my rental. Hmmm, alright. So I present my Visa Check Card. Then I'm told since it's actually a debit card, it needs to be authorized for $250. Excuse me? Needless to say, I do not have $250 available to be authorized and held on my card. Then they tell me that the rental that I have a confirmation of as being $73.46 inclusive of all tax, charges, and gifts for the owner is actually going to be $114.85. Say it with me now: what the everloving fuck? Apparently there was some additional per day surcharge. I'm not sure I want to continue at this point. So I tell them I'll come back. I go to EVERY OTHER RENTAL COUNTER. Can't get a car for anywhere near that price, which I kinda knew would happen - this is why I went with Thrifty to begin with. Sigh. So now I need to figure out this authorization thing. I figure I'll just transfer enough money to cover the authorization out of savings for now then put it back later. To do this, I need the internet. SEA-TAC has wireless. Brilliant. So I pull out my laptop...it's $8 to use the internet. Excuse me? But what can I do? Nothing. I get that taken care of, go back to the rental counter, fill out the paperwork, get on the courtesy shuttle, and go get my car.

Good News:
I choose a compact car for price. I was afraid I would end up with one of those miniature mobiles that Chevy calls the Aveo. I drove one as a rental before, and I thought I was going to develop some anxiety disorder. Way too small. Lucky Jen, though, I ended up with the Nissan Sentra.

Bad News:
By now it's fairly dark, and it's raining holy buckets. I drive into downtown to see if I can't at least try to get some good night shots for my photo class. Yeah...NO. Did I mention it's also now RUSH HOUR? It is. Oy vey. I drive by Pike Place Market and the Space Needle, but can't find anywhere to park that's not a million dollars and it's raining monsoonally now. So I figure, oh well, I'll just head to Bellevue, since my dinner reservation is at 8:30 and I want to get settled in and shower at the hotel.

Good News:
I saw quite a bit of downtown Seattle and some of the different neighborhoods. The Space Needle looks AWESOME lit up at night. I can totally see myself living here someday. I think that Matt & I will have to come here sometime for a little vacation.

Bad News:
How did I come to see so much of Seattle? BECAUSE I WAS GIVEN REALLY, REALLY, REALLY BAD DIRECTIONS TO BELLEVUE! Directions that I followed to the letter then went "Um, where the hell am I?" So I had to stop for directions, but first I had to find a place that was open. Oy. I finally found a hair salon, and a lovely girl not only gave me GREAT directions that were so simple I was able to recite them off the top of my head while driving, she also drew me the most adorable little map. Thanks, hair salon girl! Jen arrives at SEA-TAC: 2:40. Jen arrives at her hotel in Bellevue: 7:30. Nice.

Good News:
My room rocks. The bed is amazingly comfortable, I have a balcony, I overlook the pool AND the courtyard, awesomeness. They even have robes in the room! I've never stayed somewhere that has that. Go me!



Bad News:
Since the Nazis have vacated Germany and taken positions with the Department of Homeland Security and the TSA, I couldn't bring a lighter or matches. I'm sure most of you had no clue, but there are 3 times in life when I reeeeally just want a cigarette:

1) I'm bar hopping
2) I'm playing pool
3) I'm extremely stressed/frustrated.

So here I am. Sitting in a smoking room. Cigarettes on the counter. No incindiary device other than my sparkling personality. Which is not lighting my cigarette. So I go down to the front desk, and ask for matches. There are NO matches in the entire hotel? Whaaaa....? But I don't have time to dwell because I need to get my happy arse in the shower so I can make it to dinner.

Good News:
The Melting Pot. If you have one near you, YOU MUST GO. It is so freaking awesome. I loooooove it. Way expensive, but I'll get to that in a minute. First we'll break it down for you.



The Drink

Mmmmm, the Yin Yang. I want to bathe in this drink it is so good! Godiva White Chocolate liqueur, Stoli Vanil Vodka, and vanilla ice cream. Then to make the symbol on top, they use dark chocolate shavings, white chocolate shavings, and the dots are dark & white chocolate buttons. Ah crap...I want another one now just thinking about it! LOL I was going to order a second at the restaurant, but they're freaking $11 each. Couldn't justify a second one...


The Cheese Course

Mmmm Mmmm Mmmm. They make the fondue right at your table for you. The center of your table is like a flat top range to keep things going, very cool! I got the Quatro Formaggio Cheese Fondue. It has Provolone, Asiago, Fontina, and Gruyere cheeses, white wine, basil pesto, and roasted pepper marinara sauce. My waitress also put some Marscapone cheese in mine, too. They serve it with chunks of sourdough & pumpernickel breads, carrots, cauliflower, celery, and Granny Smith apples. Awesomeness!





The Salad
No picture here because we've all seen salad! LOL It was a delicious Chopped Caesar Salad, though. It was your basic Caesar, but instead of croutons it had parmesan crusted pine nuts. Mmm Mmm. More awesomeness!





The Main Course

For my main course, I chose the Fondue Feast and the Mojo cooking style. The Mojo cooking style was a Caribbean-influenced bouillon with orange & lime juices, chopped garlic, and cilantro. The Fondue Feast included: Filet Mignon Medallions, Porcini-rubbed Strip Sirloin, Breast of Chicken, Tuscan Herb Breast of Chicken, Black Tiger Shrimp, and Sun-dried Tomato Marscarpone Cheese Ravioli. The ravioli was striped! You can kind of see it in the picture: one's green striped, one's red striped. It also came with red potato wedges, broccoli, button mushroom caps, and zucchini. It's so much food! You just drop the meats/vegetables (which come to you raw) into the fondue pot and cook 'em for about 2 minutes. So good and so fun!

The Chocolate Course

Mmmmm. Again, so good! I chose the Special Event fondue where you get to sort of make up your own. I chose dark chocolate with Grand Marnier. MMMM MMMM MMMM! My waitress flambeed it tableside, too. So cool! The serve it with strawberries, pineapple, bananas, oreo-crusted marshmallows, graham cracker-crusted marshmallows, pound cake, brownies, and cheesecake! Fabulous.

Total cost of dinner, with tax & tip: $75.00

So that was my Thursday!