Monday, September 29, 2008

Because she's awesome ...

I have to share this with you. And I have permission to do so!

My friend, Brooke, always makes me laugh.

Sunday, in her ward, people were discussing why we do (and don't do) certain things -- like have a glass of wine at dinner, etc. 

People were coming up with some answers ... and she blurts out, "Because Satan doesn come up to us and say, 'Hey! Let's go shoot some heroin and fornicate!!'"

Her total candor and awesomeness just rock.

And she's totally right ... We're going to be tempted in little ways. It's easy to say, "No, I'm not going to start chain-smoking. I'm just going to try a cigarette ... Everyone's doing it." 
And that's how you get snared ... 

Satan whispers in the ears of those who list to obey him, "Lie a little; deceive a little, take the advantage of your neighbour a little, drink whisky a little: it will not harm you;"—leading them along, as it were, with silken cords, until he binds them with his strong chains, and readily leads them down to destruction.
-- Heber C. Kimball, Journal of Discourses, vol. 7,"Oneness of the Priesthood," January 1, 1860
So, really, it's just easier to be good if you've never gotten in the habit of being naughty. And if you don't want to get in the habit of being naughty, don't start being naughty. ^_^

But, yes, Brooke makes me laugh.

A lot.

And that makes me love her. ^_^

Meme Time!!

I got tagged by Heather to write seven interesting things about me.
  1. I would love to have the dictionary memorized. No, really. I like me some words.
  2. I'm aghast at how much on UrbanDictionary.com is all about smutty things.
  3. I can't understand how some people don't get the joy and wonder of LOLcats.
  4. I amaze Michael by using very geeky lingo.
     (The phrase "Full of win" was especially confusing to him.)
  5. I have pretty good recall of what I've read. Like people are all surprised by it. *shrugs*
  6. One of my friends always accuses me of playing dumber than I am. He may be right.
    But I'm not too sure about that. People tell me that I'm all smart ... but I really don't feel
    all that smart. Seriously.
  7. I also don't feel like I'm the most interesting person. So it's a good thing that I can quote movies rather well. :P

Then I've also been tagged by Lacey! Here goes:

What are the last three things you purchased?
  1. Birthday presents for Dad and my Stepdad
  2. Coloring books for Bruise and Bucket
  3. Strawberry Milkshake-flavored Whoppers
What are the last three songs you downloaded for your ipod?
  1. Hey Ya! - Obediah Parker
  2. Mercy - Duffy
  3. Toxic - Yael Naim
What are your three favorite movies?
  1. Labyrinth
  2. The Last Unicorn
  3. While You Were Sleeping
What are three things you have not done yet?
  1. Traveled to Europe
  2. Learned to SCUBA dive
  3. Learned Japanese or Gaelic
What are three things you can not live without?(excluding people)
  1. A computer connected to the internet
  2. BOOKS!!
  3. Nail polish (It makes me feel girly and pretty)

What are your three favorite dishes?
  1. Beef Stroganoff
  2. Pasta Carbonara (or Alfredo with Broccoli)
  3. Mashed Potatoes

What are your three favorite T.V. shows?
  1. House, M.D.
  2. Jeopardy!
  3. Firefly

What are the last three places you traveled to that were more than one-hundred miles away?
  1. My family (Southern Oregon)
  2. Michael's Family (Southern-er Oregon)
  3. San Fransisco, CA

What are your three favorite desserts?
  1. Cherry Cheesecake
  2. Ice Cream
  3. Poundcake or Butter Cookies

What are three things you would buy if money were not an issue?
  1. Bigger house with a yard and a pool and a zoo and a library ...
  2. New van (the Toyota Sienna looks nice!)
  3. VACATIONS!!!

Three people I tag:
  1. If
  2. You 
  3. Wanna
But if you don't want to do it, don't feel any pressure about it, okay?
And if you do want to do it, let me know. I'll come read your answers. ^_^

Update ... and a little Dilemma ...

Brooke, for you, I will update.

That and the fact that I NEED to update, regardless. But you can tell yourself that it's just for you. ^_^ Because I'm so, so generous. :P

SO, where to begin? Thursday night, Michael and I head to bed ... and Bucket coughs herself awake. She's also running a little fever. Won't fall back asleep ... so we take her into bed with us. Later, Bruise wakes up and doesn't want to sleep in his room, alone. ... So he gets to crawl in bed with us. Thank goodness we have a Cal. King bed. (We need to upgrade to the regular King-sized bed.)

Have I mentioned that Bucket is NOT a quiet sleeper? Bruise does well snuggling. He'd only wake up to say "Ow." when Bucket would roll over him/kick him/etc. during the night.

Did I also mention that I really can't sleep well with Bucket in our bed? Because I now am a MUCH LIGHTER SLEEPER since having kids? (Srsly, y'all. I used to sleep like the DEAD. Now i can't. It really sucks.)

So Friday morning sees me having had maybe 3.5 hours of sleep. And since Michael had a bit of a migraine (since he didn't sleep well either), I got to drive us down to visit family. Miraculously (and due to my kick-butt playlists on my iPod), we made it in one piece. Michael napped on the way down, napped a little at Nana's, napped a little at my Dad's, and we were able to visit my Mer and her family ... and still get to my Mom's at a reasonable hour. Phew!
---------------------------------------
Mer's getting married, which is GREAT. She has her dress picked out and it's beautiful. She also has her eye on a certain bridesmaid gown for her attendants. ... One that I can't wear.



DILEMMA!! It's a beautiful dress ... BUT ... You know ....

She and I have been friends since third grade. I don't want to hurt her feelings. I did tell her that I wear garments (and she hadn't heard about garments before) and that the dress wouldn't cover them. 
(Funny aside, I mentioned the similarity of garments and the vestments worn by clergy in other churches. She immediately asks, aghast, "Are you becoming a Mormon Nun?!?" "No," I respond, trying not to laugh, "Not hardly! I'm MARRIED! I have children! And there's no such thing as a Mormon Nun!")
She did ask if I could ask my God if I could make an exception. I told her I'd pray about it. She then asked if I could ask someone at church ... I told her I could ask the Bishop. I don't really want to waste Bishop's time ... because I have prayed and I really don't feel comfortable with the thought of not being able to wear my garmies. Especially at a wedding ceremony at a church (or her back yard, even).

How should I handle this? I love my Mer. And she loves this dress for her bridesmaids.

I know there are options. I already mentionedthe possibility of wearing a shrug or a shawl tied just so. She wasn't very into it.
Would it be presumptuous to suggest a different dress in the color she chooses?
I could have some alterations done ... but it wouldn't look very much at all like the other dresses.

I never realized that she didn't know about garments. It's just something that I've taken for granted, being in the church since I was small ... I kinda feel like it's my fault for never realizing that she might not know that I don't wear sleeveless things now. It's not like we're able to hang out a whole lot together ... and I just feel sucky. I'm messing up her mental image of how her wedding is going to look ... But I don't feel that I can NOT wear my garments. 

Help, please.

So, yeah, if you could shoot some suggestions my way, I'd appreciate it.
-------------------------------------------------------

The visit with my family went well. The kids were glad to see everyone. My stepdad gave the kids rides on the tractor. Mom and I went shopping downtown ... and I know this will make me sound ten shades of crazy BUT ... I was so glad that the shops smelled the same. (My hometown has changed so much with the casino going in and all ... but the Drug Store and Javelin's shop and the fabric store all smell the same. I wish I could bottle them.

It was a good visit. The kids slept well in their sleeping bags (even though Bruise did climb up to cuddle for a bit in the EARLY morning ... then climbed back down. Then got up when he couldn't sleep. ^_^)

I'm just trying to get everything back to normal. I've got dishes to wash, laundry to fold and put away, books and books and books to read ... the usual.

Thursday, September 25, 2008

*headdesk*

Let's see, where have I left off?

The last few days have been a little ... crazy. Not always bad-crazy. Just mostly crazy-crazy.
As if that's out of the norm for me. *shakes head*

My mom and Aunt J came up Monday and left Tuesday afternoon (so I totally skipped on playdate. Hope you don't mind!) ... the visit involved Chinese food and Halloween costumes for the kidlets. They got exactly what they wanted and we spent less than we would have buying them at Amazon.com. (Seriously, Target's prices right now are NICE!)

Tuesday had Bruise and Bucket breaking their Lego-table by STANDING, SITTING, and JUMPING OFF it. I had a bit of a nervy b and yelled and ... well, let's just say that I could have handled it much better. I do have a tendency to REALLY let myself go when I reach the breaking point. 
I did not hit my children ... but the table itself got a little bit of some tough love. I was seriously torked off, if you get my point. After all the whining I dealt with ... I just had really had enough. 

This is why I'm really NOT a good example. (Well, yet another reason. :/)

Wednesday, we hit the libraries -- did storytime, picked up holds, visited with my library ladies --- then came back home where the children did NOT take a nap. They just played in their room for a few hours. I read part of a book, watched Newsies (yeah, until yesterday at 1 P.<., I was one of the few Mormons in the U.S. who had not seen Newsies.) (It was okay. Funny to see Christian Bale so young. And I liked Bill Pullman's character ... but I like him even better in "While You Were Sleeping.") We got home taught. I also made spaghetti Carbonara (YUM!) from the recipe on PioneerWoman's website.

Went to the library today. Came home. Read to the kidlets. Let them play until they got WAY too whiney. Asked them, "Do you want cookies and water?" -- which is what we give them whenever they have to go to bed. It was what we weaned them onto when we weaned them off of ... well, ME.

So, I ask, "Do you want cookies and water?"
"NO!!!!" Bucket screamed.

So, fine, they have naptime without it. I'm not about to be screamed at. 
It irritates me when people try.

Oh, cute story from yesterday's storytime: Bruise got a girlfriend. He held her hand and dragged her around the storytime room in one (of about a bazillion) of his laps. After that lap, this cute little toddler wrenched her hand out from his grip and laid, right in front of Mr. S (the librarian), on her tummy to listen to the story. Bruise TRIED to rewin her affections, but to no avail.

Yup ... the relationship tanked in about two minutes. He got over it pretty well.

Bucket picks out pretty, older girls to make friends with. She ignores the boys. Sometimes I think she makes the friendship choice based on shoes ... She's kinda shallow. Like her mom. :P

And, here's a couple photos of the kidlets trying out their Halloween digs. (Which are now being held hostage, for their own safety, in the closet) (Also, ignore the messy house, okay? Kthxbai!)

Now, if only they were always just as sweet as in that last picture.
But, if that were the case, I'd never be ready for the day they will desert me forever leave home for missions, college, marriage, and life in general.
(Because when they're really whining or being the stereotypical toddler, I'm just counting down the years left of my parental responsibilities. And then they'll give me kisses and totally ruin me forever. *sigh*)

And, YES, I've warned Bruise that he's NOT ALLOWED to wear the robot-mask (It's Optimus Prime, I know.) to the ward Halloween party. And I think he's accepted that fact.
And I've told Bucket that she's gonna be wearing a shirt underneath her dress ... when it slips to the nips, I KNOW it's too big. Poor slender thing. (I hope that she rather stays that way. ^_^)

Monday, September 22, 2008

What's new ... Well, new-ISH ...

We fed the Elders (our ward's missionaries) Friday. 

It doesn't sound all that exciting ... and I do still miss Elder Bartel ... but it was good. I made spaghetti (since I didn't have fetuccini) Alfredo with chicken and broccoli (everything but the broccoli were requests).  I really love it when the Elders request something for dinner. I never, ever know what to make -- and if they  have a craving for (or need a breather from ... or have an aversion to) something, it helps me to figure out what to make.

We got to see the newlyweds. T1 and her HUSBAND, K, came to pick up the furniture that's been here for a couple weeks. 

It's kind of strange now, not having a queen-sized bed in our living room. But the house and carport are a lot roomier now ... the kidlets can ride their bikes more easily through the living room ... So I think I can handle it.

Saturday was also my friend SV's (now SZ's) wedding. Their minister/pastor guy had the best accent. Almost like Eric Idle. 
I leaned over to Michael shortly after the ceremony began and whispered, "I wonder if they paid extra for the accent?"

Also, when Bruise and Bucket saw SV walk up to the minister, they both pointed and called out, "PRINCESS!!! PRINCESS!!" ... You KNOW you look good when toddlers say you're a princess.  And they're right. Her dress was beautiful. I LOVED her veil. It was edged with black satin ribbon, the ribbon coordinating with the black velvet details on her gown. Very, very pretty.

I also got to see JL and A, who I hadn't seen for a while. They're both high school friends of mine. Who got married. And guess who brought them together? ME! I know! Can you believe it? I wasn't necessarily trying to matchmake, but I'm so glad that it worked! They're both darling!
A helped distract Bruise and Bucket during the ceremony.  ... And they laughed WITH us when Bruise ripped one during a quiet moment. *sigh*

In other news, Bruise is talking more and more. We had a little conversation yesterday ... I had changed his diaper and we were talking about dinner.
Me: Do you want dinner?
B: No. Noonooles ("Noodles.")
Me: We just had noodles for lunch. Would you like cheese?
B: Yeah.
Me: ... and a tortilla? And beans? And salsa?
B: Salsa!
Me: And guacamoles?
B: Yes.
*He rips yet another. He's like Jupiter... a gas giant. :P* <---Astronomy joke!!
Me: Did you poop? Or just fart?
B: Fahht!
Me: Okay. Let's go make dinner.

And Bucket's started referring to Bruise not by his name anymore but as "my bruvver."
Example: My bruvver not here me. My bruvver ovah dere watchin' my show.

It's rather funny.

I've also noticed that, when talking to the kidlets, I'm still referring to us all in the third-person a lot. (e.g., "Okay, Bruise and Bucket, Mommy's vacuuming. Let's let Mommy vacuum.")
I really need to start using first- and second-person pronouns now. They can handle it.

And we need to finish paying bills. *sigh* Anyone wanting to just give me a bucket of monies? I'll take it. ^_^

More Ren Faire Stories

So, we already covered what has been probably the most embarassing thing EVER to happen to me.

And I'm sure that you're all so very, very glad that it didn't happen to you.
Can't say that I blame you at all.
Not at all.

SO! Now for other stories of Ren Faire fun, laughter, mayhem, and such!

During that same first Ren Faire, I was also in another play. This one was written by our Drama teacher and was for the Advanced Drama (a.k.a. "Comedy") class.

It is also the play with my first stage kiss. Which I was very nervous about. 
On the day that we were blocking the scene where Dave's character and mine kiss, I was VERY intense. I made sure to ask Mr. A what exactly he had envisioned for the scene, etc. 

"Now, you'll just have a very small, innocent kiss. Your lips touch and hold for a second, then pull away slowly." was about the description that I was given. And it eased my mind. I could do an innocent kiss ... that wouldn't make me a Cheaty McCheatersons on my boyfriend, right?

So, within a half hour, we were reading off our scripts and standing in/moving to the correct spots on the stage. The fateful moment, my first rehearsed stage kiss, was coming up. Dave leaned in, I leaned in -- my lips puckered for an innocent kiss ... and his lips fit right around mine, like a hook and an eye.

Like a good follower-of-directions, I hold it for a sec, then we part ... With my face burning (almost GLOWING) crimson, I sputter, "He didn't have his mouth closed!!"

One of our friends in Comedy gave me the nickname of Strawberry Shortcake due to the color I turned. I could have been a little more grateful for that. *rolls eyes*

Of course, we performed that play twice on Ren Faire day ... once for the students there and once for the parents (I was actually in three different plays that day -- The Miller's Tale, a version of Everyman, and Ovid's Art of Love. Yep, I was quite the thespian that day. Go me. ^_^) ... The next day, as life was back to normal, I sat in my chair in Algbra 2 and my friend A, turns to me and says, "So, I hear you and Dave were getting pretty hot 'n heavy on stage last night."

Bwhahahaha!!! Yes, the rumor mill at our small school totally blew that one out of proportion. One close-mouthed kiss, on STAGE, in front of God and our parents became "getting hot and heavy." Riiiiiiiight. 

If I kept that up, I might have gotten a reputation. One that wasn't "Oh, Allanna's weird. Oh, Allanna's a bit of a brain/bookworm/possible lesbian <-- Yes, I was suspected of being a full-blown lesbian because I didn't start dating/having sexxors when I was twelve. And I held my best friend's hand. In a total you're-my-best-friend-and-we're-both-girls way. Yup.)

I don't have any huge memories of my junior-year Ren Faire.  I know we did a play. I know I didn't have a huge part. I wore the same dress from the school's costume room as the previous year. Cynthia and I were courtesans ... and we passed out Hershey's Kisses and showed our ankles. 

My senior year was the year that I had my own costume, made by my mom (because she loves me so!). ... I also was my friend Christina's (who was the queen of Ren Faire, clever girl!) herald.

My main duty as herald was to announce the rules at the beginning of the Faire. We all crowded into the little theater and I sat, waiting until it was my cue to get up to read Christina's rules. Now, the scroll I had didn't fit completely in my little reticule ... it kept bumbing against my wrist. So I had taken it out. And I didn't want to lose it. ... My dress didn't have any pockets, so I put it the one place I couldn't lose it.

In my cleavage. 

And I forgot about it. I was a little nervous (Yes, public speaking might LOOK easy when I do it. But, really, I do get nervous).

And so, when it was my cue, I hopped up into the lights and grabbed for my reticule ... which was empty and at my seat. ... I suddenly had a perfect recollection of where my scroll was. 

And so, with a half-teasing, half-inocennt look, I coquettishly drew my scroll out of my top to a flurry of giggling from the audience (and some full-blown guffaws from a teacher or two).

No one would ever believe I didn't do it on purpose. ... I suppose that help to illustrate my superior mad acting skillz. :P

Of course, maybe they didn't believe me because about six months earlier, when we had the Olympiad, I had dressed up as Calypso (hey, it's what one team of those sophomores in AP World History chose as the god they were performing for!) ... I had wrapped one blue floral-sprigged sheet around my body, like you wear towels out of the shower, with a white sheet down my back, connected by being wrapped around my bra straps. 
Yeah, it was a little low-cut, but it covered just about everything that needed to be covered. I think I even was wearing jeans under the sheet!

BUT, as I was saying, one of the guys in our circle of friends came over to me and said, "Hey, Allanna, isn't that a little low-cut?"
And I wiggled the blue sheet down, maybe a half-inch or an inch.
As his eyes bugged out, I asked, "Is that better?"

Yes, I'm so completely evil. Avoid me. I'm a bad influence.

I must have been channeling my inner Mae West or something. :S

But I had a very fun day with my friends. As I took off the cape sheet, which we laid on, on the grass, and sun bathed.

Good times, good times.

Friday, September 19, 2008

One of my better ones ...

You know how sometimes you are just playing around with a song and ... change the lyrics?

Like "She's eating the artichoke-ah" (Instead of "Living La Vida Loca" ... you see where I'm going, right?)

SO ... Bri came over to spend some quality time with yours truly (and thanks be for that! It was fun!) before she had to leave for work. When she was changing into her work clothes, Bucket came up and asked me, "What that lady do?" ("What's she doing in there?")

When Bri came out, we tried to get Bucket to say Bri's name (which Bucket refused to do).

"What's my name? Can you say my name?" Bri cajoled.

DENIED!

And, because my brain makes the strangest connections, I started singing:

"Say my name, say my name
"You're acting kinda of shady,
"Calling me 'that lady ...'"

Yes, I totally did break out in decade-old R&B. And Bri LOVED it.
And I was flattered.
And it was good.

Bucket does this to people, though. If she doesn't know (or want to say) your name, she'll call you that lady/that man/boy/girl.

One that made me laugh was when I took Bruise and Bucket to a little playdate at a friend's house. Her daughter had gotten back from school and saw my daughter.
She ran up to her and exclaimed, "Hi, Bucket!"

Bucket solemnly regarded her and replied, "Hi, girl."

It still makes me laugh. Because it was done SO seriously and with such formality. 
That's my girl.

Thursday, September 18, 2008

Stories about my Ren Faires ... Part One

I figure that if I'm going to talk about Rennaisance Faires at my high school, it might be a SUPERLONG post. So I'll break it down.

This one will be the longest, since it involves some history -- my history.

As I made mention, we had a few things going on for the school Ren Faire if you were a sophomore -- We'd been studying the Renaissance in World History, this was a project that we did. You know, a kind-of recreation. We got to wear Renaissance-style clothing, eat a meal that was sorta time-period appropriate (dished up in the cafeteria), do a few period-type activities (I SUCK at archery. But the dancing was fun. We did some circle and Morris-dances.)

What I'm going to talk about involves the dramatic performance that each group in my AP World History class had to do (the kids in regular World History? Yeah, they didn't get to participate as much. Like only for their class period. We AP-ers? All day long, baby!).

My group chose to do "The Miller's Tale" from Chaucer's Canterbury Tales, which is incredibly ... bawdy, in a word. I mean, there's cheating/adultry, lying, butt-kissing (in the most literal of definitions) ... it's crazy.

We had to split up to stage this, since there was a part for a narrator (my friend L), who sat on one side of the performing area (we were on a grassy part of the school's courtyard) with some friends who she acted as storyteller to, like Bret (a member of our group, and a dear friend of mine).
The rest of the action was on the other side of the "stage" ... where J (my HUGE crush of high school) played the bumbling carpenter, I played his slut of a wife, Alison, K played Nicholas, E was the servant, and K's twin sister K2 played the part of the OTHER dude who's in love with Alison --- and ends up being SO played.

Like I mentioned, the character Alison's ... not a good girl, if you get my drift. She doesn't love her older husband, falls in love with the astronomer-student who boards with them ... they have to figure out a way to get some privacy if you get my drift.

When the play opens, L is telling the story. I'm perched on a stool, exposing leg up to my hip toward K and acting innocent toward J. (Yeah, people who knew me at school for being the sweet, nice, perhaps-lesbian-since-I-didn't-date-at-the-age-of-10 girl ... I think they were taken aback. Or else JEALOUS because I had such nice legs. I'd like to think it's the second.)

Later in the play, once we've gotten my "husband," J, out of the picture, K and I were behind a couch (yes, we had a couch on the stage. We couldn't exactly ACT out the whole affair, you know. This was high school.) where we crouched behind it and threw off our clothes.

NOT ALL OUR CLOTHES. Like I said, this is high school. I had on a tank top and boxers (over my REAL underthings. K was supposed to have a tank and boxers on, too. (I didn't realize until we got the pictures back that he was just in the boxers. Ha! Call me oblivious!)

But, oh, the GASP of the audience as our clothes went flying over the couch. I wish I could have that recorded. It made my day. Especially since it's so FUN playing a naughty-type girl.
And I had to leave lipstick-marks over K's face. If only I hadn't been dating my first boyfriend, it would have been lots more fun.
Especially since after I kissed K's forehead and cheeks, he said, "You could do some more." (We hadn't practiced this part in rehersals.) So I left a few more on his cheeks ... since I was dating someone else, I didn't think it'd be quite right to totally make out with the quarterback. (Thinking back, though, maybe I should have. I might have had a really fun date to junior prom. And my popularity quotient would have skyrocketed. And he was SUCH a nice boy. And smart. Smarter than me [I'm jealous.].)

For the butt-kissing, we had one of those fake butts -- the kid people wear on Halloween, you know the kind, right? Well we had pairs of boxers that matched ours that we'd put on the butt. then we'd hang the butt out of the little window on the building on stage. Yeah ... maybe you had to see it for it to make any sense. 

It was still pretty fun. Makes me a little nostalgic ... I was in much better shape then. And I actually did rather enjoy high school (Probably because I had a much more active social life. And I didn't have to deal with the A-crowd from my jr. high as much. ^_^).

BONUS STORIES:

Since we had to pay for lunch, I had stuck the $1.50 in my bra so that I wouldn't lose it. (My dress didn't have pockets) ... Later, I was chagrined to find that I had a perfect quarter-shaped hickey-thing on my chest. Oy.

One of my good friends, Damien, had dressed as a bit of a pirate for the stocks that were in the courtyard (We also had a stoning, with styrofoam rocks with people quoting Monty Python!) ... He had on an eye patch. Which he regretted until the sunburm wore off. Oh, that was hilarious!
(We all got such awful sunburns. My chest, where it wasn't covered by the dress, ended up peeling and itching so badly. Owww.)

EXTRA-HUMILIATING BONUS STORY:
This story is easily one of the most embarassing things that has ever happened to me.

During one of the rehersals for our play, my group was in the little theater to practice. L, K2, E, and Bret were over sitting in the audience seats, going over their lines as we ran through the piece. K and I were sitting on the couch. We had said our lines and were just chatting until we had to talk again. J was pacing the stage, going over his parts and following stage directions. 

Then, he turns toward us, sitting in front of him, a level lower (since he was on the stage, you know and we were on the floor of the theater, on the couch which faced the stage, not the audience), and says, "Come on, you two! You're supposed to be ripping off your clothes!"

-- Now, this was not a dress rehersal. We were in our real-people clothes. I was in a shirt and jeans. My shirt, I remember clearly (and this will prove important in just a second), was my silver-colored fave-velvet snap-up shirt. It's not like we were really going to strip down to our skivvies just in PRACTICE. I was a rather modest girl back then.

And, since I'm a punk, I respond to J (because he and I were friends, regardless of my HUMONGOUS and PITIFUL adoration of him) with, "What, you think I should do THIS??"

And I pulled at the top of my shirt. It's a snap-up. Not buttons. SNAPS. 

I thought that it'd go "snap. snap" and just show a little cleavage. ...

No. It goes "snapsnapsnapsnapsnapsnap!!!!!!!!" And suddenly I'm there with my shirt open.

Thanks be that I had very modest (yet pretty!) bras. Ones that concealed well.

One split second while K, J and I are all FROZEN IN SHOCK goes by, then I sweep my shirt closed, snapping it closed with superhuman speed and turning to each flabberghasted male asking"Youdidntseeanythingright??" ... as Bret, who's obviously caught sight of J's gaping expression, calls out, "What just happened?"

"You don't want to know." was my glowering reply.
"I really don't want to know." He agreed, eyeing my scarlet face. (This is yet another reason why I love my Bret-bro. Because he speaks my language, bless him.)

Yes, I had totally and completely accidentally FLASHED MY BRA-CLAD CHEST to the boy that I was PINING for and the WONDERFUL quarterback/valedictorian (well, he was a co-valedictorian. There was a four-way tie. I wasn't one of them. Not even the Salutitorian. Just top ten. Thank goodness).

Yes, something like this seems totally unreal. But, no, it happens in real life. If you're me.

I managed to survive. 

And I even wore that shirt again. But only with my Ren Faire tanktop underneath. 

I learned a very valuable lesson.

And, since they still were my friends, I think we're okay.

I still blush to think about it, though.

If the story doesn't make a lot of sense, I can tell it to you IRL. If we're someplace we won't be too overheard. I don't think that the YW should know that I accidentally flashed two boys my bra in high school. It's just not quite a good example.

Just a hilarious example of what not to do. *tries to keep a straight face* 

New Poll!! ----->

Yes, so Halloween is coming up. 

I NEVER really know what to be for Halloween. I mean, I try to come up ideas ... and then by the time I come up with SOMETHING, I have, what, FIVE minutes to put it together before getting the kidlets into THEIR costumes.

This is the first year where Bruise and Bucket really CARE about what they want to dress up to be. (Bucket wants to be a princess. A SWINDERLELLA princess. And Bruise wants to be a truck/robot or a train.)

For the record, Bucket likes the idea of her mommy having pink hair. 
And it'd be an idea that I don't think any of the other moms at church would be carrying out (Right, Dianne and Satina? Or any other moms -- you can all weigh in!) So I was thinking I could go as Jem from the 80s cartoon:

But that would require some serious work in getting my hair the right color. I think my mom would cry so hard. If I go as Jerrica, though, NO ONE would get it. They'd just think I was going for the "80s fashioned creative businesswoman" ... and that's not anywhere near as fun.
(I mean, I could try being Synergy or Danse ... but even fewer people would get that at all. *sad face*)

Another idea that only requires me to get a decent olive-colored jumpsuit ... and a teddybear patch for it would be Kaylee Frye from Serenity/Firefly. I LOVE her character. And I wouldn't really have to do a lot with my hair, since she often wears hers however. 

If I can find a cute retro-style dress, I could be June Cleaver ... Just put my hair back, add pearls and a pair of pumps (liking the alliteration??) and I'd be set.  
(But do I really want to be chasing my munchkin brigade in heels? Again? After T1's wedding and reception, my feet were tender for a couple days.... Do I want to do that again? ... On the other hand, it'll only be for a couple hours, really. I can handle it. I'm a big girl. And it's not like I'm going to be running full-throttle down a flight of stairs again. ... And even if it did, Dad C won't be here to be freaked out by my doing that again.) (No, I did NOT FALL. I'm actually safer walking in heels than in flats. Fo' realz.)

Or I can dig around and find the Ren Faire dress Mom made me for the Ren Faire my senior year (When we had Wicker Augustus as the World History teacher for the sophomore class, we'd have an Olympiad in the fall, where we'd do a relay and a few other Olympic sports challenges and some drama competitions. Spring would be the time for the Ren Faire and archery and dancing. Since I was in theater, I got to go to the Olympiad and Faire my junior and senior years as well. Score! I totally miss those days. ... Especially since my first Ren Faire was where I got to play a bad girl. I'll have to tell you that story ... plenty of humor and humiliation. Yep. That's because it involves ME in there. And boys. Any situation with a teen-aged me and a boy that I like? Yeah, it's not going to end quite so well. At least, not until I turned 19 ... It's been smooth sailing since then, really. Let's keep it that way, right?) ... Because the dress would still fit (very loose, with a corset-style top that goes on top of the dress). But how would I wear my hair? 

... Well, I guess I could just say that I was recently restored to my position at court after nearly being burnt at the stake due to a false accusation of witchcraft.  ...But since I'll mostly be at church, I don't think ANYONE would care. Am I right? It's not like Rennaisance Faires where people totally live for another persona (like my junior year where my Cynthia and I were coutesans. The TAMEST courtesans EVER. We gave out Hershey's kisses, that's how tame we were. It was still awesome. Gosh, I miss you Cynthia!!)

Yeah, that's as creative as my brain is getting right now. If you have any better ideas of what I should be, totally let me know. I mean it!!

And, if nothing else, I could always just print out a couple pages of my blog. I can go as my blogging-persona "Blather.Rinse.Repeat." ... Maybe add some seafoam- and chocolate-colored curling ribbons in my hair, just to keep the design all cool.

Or not.

But vote on the side if one of those options sounds like a great idea for me. 
Voting closes Sept 30, at noon!

Just some randoms bits of my life ...

This morning, between Bruise and me:

Me: No more oranges (Seriously, folks, he's eaten like FOUR clemetine/tangerines/whatever you call them this MORNING. I'm not wanting to witness his diaper anytime soon, if you know what I mean. And I think you do). How about some pretzels?
Bruise: NnnnnnnnnnnnnnnYES!! (He had to think about it, you see.)

Yesterday, my amazing Mr. Husband:
Michael: Meet me in the bathroom. ... (I get there with him) ... I think you need a make-out session.
(It was excellent. And, yes, he does know just what I need. That's yet anothe reason I LOVE this man. Because he seriously rocks my world. Fo' realz. And I don't say that ironically.)

Two days ago, being released from naptime:
Bucket: Where D___ be?!?
(Because one of my friends dropped by right before I put the kidlets down for a nap. A friend who watched the munchkin brigade at her house while we went to the temple a while ago. As you can see, she made a HUGE impression. They have big aquariums and big kids at their house ... and Bruise and Bucket TOTALLY were impressed. ... And Bucket was obviously put-out that I didn't keep D around to play with Miss Bucket.)

There are other little snippets of life that I forget to blog (and can't remember WHEN they happened), so here they are. Better late than never!

Bucket: (As I put on deoderant after a shower) STINKY MOMMY!!
Me: (defensively and plaintively) I'm NOT stinky! I'm clean! I smell pretty!!

Bruise: (as I try and take care of his "rocket thumb" and scrape from the treadmill): No. No touch it!

Me: Bucket, does Bruise love me? Does he love Mommy?
Bucket: Bruisey love Daddy.

(Gee, thanks.)

And I love when they pray. It's such a blast to listen to them list what they're thankful for. Bucket will list off family (e.g., "Mommy, Daddy, Bruisey, Bucket, Grandma, Mutti, Julie, Poppi, Grandna [Grandpa], Cousin B, Cousin I, T1, T2, Uncle J, Aunt A, Cousin C, ... Uncle C ("No, he scary."), etc.) We're getting her to add in T1's husband. And she's adding in Uncle C of her own accord ... He should be so thrilled!
Bruise usually had to be prompted. Lately, though, he's getting lots better. (He does seem to do a reboot during prayer when he loses track of where he's at. So, he starts over. We're working on that. I'm impressed that he's doing so much unprompted, though!) Last night, I did the prompt and he'd repeat what I'd say ... and then totally plowed through it on his own:

Me: "We're thankful for ..."
Bruise: ...
Me: WE'RE
Bruise: We
Me: ARE
Bruise: are
Me: THANKFUL
Bruise: Fanfuulllll
Me: for
Bruise: for ... wobots (robots), twucks, cahrs, owanges, gaahm caaker (graham cracker), ...

It was like, DUDE! He's got it! It clicked!

In other news, I think I'm going to be creating a chart or two in order to ... ENCOURAGE ... my little minions toward successful potty training.
Or maybe I should do a marble jar (for each of them, of course). This way, each time Bucket uses her panties or diapers instead of a day-time potty run, I could remove a marble. (And two marbles in the case of Bruise taking off his diaper to pee on their carpet. *rolls eyes*)

(And THIS is the reason why they have little nicknames ... so if you meet them as teenagers, your first thought won't be "_______ ____? I know that name! OH!! You were the one that peed on your room's carpet so many times/told your Mommy that she stinks/etc., etc., etc." See, I AM a good mommy!)

Now to finish being a good mommy ... I have to throw on some clothes and take my wee ones to storytime!

Tuesday, September 16, 2008

Some Things that Make Me Smile ...

I was talking wity T, one of my bestest bests ... and she told me that she had been talking on the phone with one of her brothers. He was asking her to guess what he had just gotten.

And the conversation eventually boils down (after some incorrect answers) to this --
T: Um ... Did you get a Wii??
Her brother: *dryly* T, it's called a "pen!s."

Totally made me laugh. (Jenny, did it tickle your funny bone? 'Cause that whole Wii/Wee-thing? It's never getting old. I'm going to be pushing triple-digits and cackling maniacally about it. Whether I have teeth or not. Or have any bladder-control. Because those Wii jokes?  ... Yes, I really am like a little boy. Because pee-pee jokes make me laugh. ... Gosh, I really should, like, get a LIFE, huh? :P)

And, another T tidbit (she loves me so I can tell this) ...It really has to do with the things we do for our children.

She calls me up to ask what we're doing. "Going to a playdate," I tell her. I pause and ask if she wants to come. "Sure!" ... Because she had hyped up for her son how to share toys because there was going to be a meeting with other moms. Then she checked the schedule ... and it's a week until the meeting.
Rather than disappoint her son, she makes plans. I call that proactive and GENIUS! And it was a blast having her hang with me. Good stuff.

(Especially since Bucket has some hero-crush on T's son. If he leaves her sight, she asks where he is. If I comment, "Are you worried about your boyfriend?" She's very much in the affirmative. ... Now I have to start researching how expensive chastity belts and all-girls' schools are. She's not allowed to look at boys until she's at least sixteen. Because she's my BABY GIRL and boys are NOT ALLOWED. ... And I shouldn't worry too much. When I ask her if she's going to marry a prince, she says she's not getting married. *Whew!*)

Also, funny thing Bucket said at playdate --
I had asked her which of the boys at playdate was her favorite, which did she like best?
Her response: "Bruisey."

That's my girl. You'll always love your twin. And Mommy likes it that way. ^_^ Good show of loyalty. ^_^

I'm almost caught up on dishes. And I should work on actually getting OFF MY DUFF and folding some dratted laundry. At least Michael's clothes and the towels. Because that would be a good-wifey-thing do to. And, therefore, I should do it.

So I will. Yeah, go me, right?
Totally.

Monday, September 15, 2008

Brush with Fame

I was IMing with one of my dear friends (Katie) and she told me the funniest story.

Well, at least I find it funny. And highly flattering.

She told me that I have quite the blogging rep. 
(Which, to me, is like saying that I'm oh-so gangsta. I'm tickled, but I'm not going to totally believe you without some very convincing proof.)

She followed up with telling me that one of her friends knows my blog. And not through her own blog.

(Okay, okay. So maybe this friend of my Katie-Kate's has gone googling some odd keywords ... what would bring you to this blog? "Insane Lactivist Blogger" or "Rocket Thumb" or "Crappity Crap Crap"?)

But, no, Katie totally pulls out the clincher --
And I was saying something about you and she was all, "WOAH, is that 'Blather. Rinse. Repeat?'"
And I had to laugh because she continuted with, "I see her all over the place!"
Yes, that is a direct quote.

On one hand, I'm all, "Oh, it's a small world. We probably have friends in common. Friends that all link to my blog. ... And I HAVE been blogging for quite a while ..."

On the other hand, I want to buy some new shoes. Because famous people always have LOTS of VERY CUTE shoes. And maybe I should beg Bri for some highlights? Or some red streaks? Because if I'm going to be FAMOUS, I should definitely work at being a whole heck of a lot cooler than I am presently. Because famous people are COOL. So cool that you almost have to spell it with a K, they're THAT cool.

But mostly I'm tickled that someone out there referred to me as my blog. Totally made my whole day.

(That and the fact that I'm THISCLOSE to being caught up with the dishes! Woo hoo!!)

(Oh, but famous people don't talk about such banalities as having all their dishes done. Drat it!! I've blown it already! Shhh! Don't tell! Maybe no one will notice!)

... And suddenly I'm GRIPPED with a ferocious CRAVING for chocolate cake batter. Why is that?

Total other subject: I've asked my kids what they want to be for Halloween.
Bucket: "Swinderlella"
Bruise: "Truck. No. Car. No. Wobot ..."
(Can you tell that he's gotten into Transformers?)

But I do really, really love when Bruise plays Transformer. He'll lie on the ground on his belly, feet together, arms along his sides, head up (Almost like the yoga Cobra pose, but with the arms at his sides) and bellow, "Trwuck!!"
Then he'll roll onto his feet and yell, "Wobot!!" and stomp through the kitchen, not unlike Godzilla. Sometimes his hands will be held by his shoulders. Totally cracks me up.

(When I realize that he won't always do this, I die a little inside.)

But, yeah. Maybe I should start signing pictures and sending them out to you all. This way, in a bit, you can all say, "Oh, yeah. I know her! I've read her blog since WAAAAAY back." 
Or not. But we can pretend, right? ^_^

But it's fun being able to think that I'm famous. And being called by my blog totally makes my day. ^_^

Two "political"-type things ... and one that's just full of win.

First, from Neatorama: "If you don't vote, you're a moron."



Which goes with my firmly-held belief that if you don't vote, you've surrendered your right to complain about our government. 
Vote responsibly, please. I don't care how you vote ... as long as you're not doing it randomly. Your vote counts (I don't want you possibly cancelling out my vote unless you MEAN it. ^_^)

(Also, I heart Craig Ferguson's accent. And he's very funny.)

And, if you don't subscribe to Eric D. Snider's weekly "Snide Remarks," you're missing out.
And here's the link to this week's. ^_^ It's all about double-talk and spinning. And it's hilarious. As his stuff always is. (If you're needing a good laugh, go to film.com and read his Bad Movie Reviews. Excellent.

And this is just full of win - 78-Year-Old Man is getting his Bar Mitzvah (from Neatorama).
If you're too busy to click over, Bernie Marks was in a ghetto in Nazi-ruled Poland, then in Auschwitz ... so he never had his Bar Mitzvah (to mark a boy's passage into manhood ... girls can have a Bas Mitzvah, but they don't seem to be as common). After he was liberated (with what remained of his family) in 1945, he was deemed too old for a Bar Mitzvah by the rabbis he talked to. 
Now, rabbis are much more merciful in when a Bar Matzvah can be done (instead of just around the age of 13). Better late than never. I'm excited for Bernie. He's been through so much. He deserves every happiness. And he looks SO excited. Good for him.

It just makes me happy when people love their religions. It's a good thing.

Saturday, September 13, 2008

Fitness Fun Finale

So, at church, we had an activity ... there was a build-up activity where people could earn points by exercising (and keeping track of their exercising). Needless to say, I'm not all cool and organized like I would like to be. ... So I didn't earn a certificate.

But Michael and I did participate in the fun-run. Or, in our case, fun walk. We did the same as we did last year: Pushed Bruise and Bucket around in the jogging stroller.  Then we had muffins and juice. And Bucket and Bruise played on the playground there.

I am a firm supporter of the idea proposed in Secondhand Lions, that if you're going to do something, you should LOOK like someone who does that. I think the line is, "If we're going to be farmers, we've gotta dress like farmers." Or something like that. (By the way, GOOD movie. I should buy it sometime.)

So I put my hair back in low pigtails to keep it out of my face, wore a pair of Michael's old basketball shorts and the "Cycle Oregon" long-sleeved tee from my stepdad (gotta love resale shopping.), and my running shoes and socks. And sunglasses.

If you didn't know me ... and if you ignored the cellulite, I might look like a runner/athlete. Maybe.
(Maybe Dianne will send me the picture she took of me. Then you could really judge. ^_^)

But we had a good time. One of my YW girls walked with us and chatted as we walked. She and I make no secret that we agree that I'm not at all normal. It's good to build relationships on honesty and common ground, no?

Bucket did end up stepping in some fresh dog poop. Ugh. So, as we went shopping today, she had on her socks. And got to be carried everywhere (Oh, that breaks her heart. NOT.) when she wasn't sitting in the cart.
We made good use of some of the Costco coupons, bought some things we needed at Home Depot, and picked up some stuff at an office supply store (paper for YW Calendars, pens, scissors [since I can't find mine since the wedding. Hm. Oh well. They've got to be around SOMEHWERE. Along with my rice paddle. And Mom C's scissors. Hm.) 

Yeah ... It's been a good day. Especially since I finally got all the dog crap out of the treads of Bucket's Princess shoes (seriously, she LOVES her shoes. They have "Swinda-Lella" on them. And Snow White! And Belle! ... She sometimes wears them to church, since I don't want to have a tantrum going on as I'm loading them in the car. Yes, I know ... I'm a pushover. Oh well).

Finally saw Dan in Real Life. It was very cute. Yeah, I kinda have a hero-worship crush on him. Yeah. He's hilarious. And smart. And can sing. And is just awesome. (And his skits with Dana Carvey or Stephen Colbert? Wonderous and magnificent when you're feeling blue.)

Well, my butt hurts. Yup, I'm feeling that 2k-walk in my bum. Totally. And I need a shower. And to read some more of my library books before they come due. *sigh* So many books, so little time.

Friday, September 12, 2008

I Dream of Memes




1. What is your first name? Allanna

2. 
What is your favorite food? Chocolate

3. 
What high school did you go to? South Umpqua High School

4. 
What is your favorite color? Today, it's pink.

5. 
Who is your celebrity crush? Eric D. Snider. Because he makes me laugh so hard. And he can sing. And he totally mentioned me once in his blog. Squee!! (Gosh, now if he ever reads this, I'm going to sound like a stalker. :S)

6. 
What is your favorite drink? Raspberry Lemonade. Or water.

7. 
What is your dream vacation? England. Or Scotland. Just because.

8. 
What is your favorite dessert? Cherry Cheesecake. Yum.

9. 
What did you want to be when you grow up? A history major. ... But, really, my dream job changed almost as fast as my hair color would.

10. 
What do you love most in life? My family. And books.

11. 
What is one word that describes you? Curious.

12. 
What is your flickr name? LlannaLee



Meme shamelessly stolen from Book Nut.

Instructions, if you'd like to do this yourself:
1. Type your answer to each of the questions below into 
Flickr Search.

2. Using only the first page of results, and pick one image. [I did allow myself to choose between the first pages of the three search options: most relevant, most recent, and most interesting (I think most interesting is the default search]

3. Copy and paste each of the URLs for the images into 
Big Huge Lab’s Mosaic Maker to create a mosaic of the picture answers.

Thursday, September 11, 2008

Things to Deal With ...

First, it's Patriot Day. Have I sat down and explained to my little hellions DEAR children why we can't take our own bottled water on airplanes have this "holiday?"

No, I haven't. And because of this, the terrorists are winning. 

I do remember where I was when I learned about the attack on the World Trade Center. (Just came into the classroom that I was volunteering in ... Leigh, the teacher, was visibly upset. She asked me, "Did you hear what happened?!?" ... No, I hadn't. I immediately prepared myself for one of the first-graders having been in a car accident or something. When she told me, I just couldn't fathom it. To me, Ney York is practically Shangri-La. You hear about it, but it's not anyplace that you GO. [Yes, I am horribly ill-traveled.])

But, what HAVE I been up to? Let's recap:
  • I'm SPEEDING through Breaking Dawn, since I need to get it back to Jenny so another of her friends can borrow it. (on page 561 of 754 -- Started yesterday afternoon. Boo yah, y'all!)
  • Took the kidlets to storytime. Managed not to eat them as they kept TALKING to me and not listening to the stories.
  • Took the kidlets to Target to buy cat food and stuff to GET RID OF THE @#*%&%! FLEA INFESTATION here. ... Which bring us up to the next story to share:
SO, as I'm paying for our purchases at Target, I look over at Bruise. He's squatting in front of the candy display. Totally normal. 
I run my card through the reader, blah, blah , and look over again.

He's got a giant Push-Pop (think, like a lollipop, but in a little spring-loaded holder. Yeah.) unwrapped and IS SUCKING ON IT! GAAAAAAAH!!!!1!

I manage to NOT smack him or YELL at him about how STEALING is a slippery slop that ends in hard time in the big house, little man!!, or anything much like that. I pay for the #$%#@# Push-pop and throw the dratted thing in the bag. (Which I later ate. By myself. I paid for the stupid thing, now didn't I?)

But, Bruise ... having his treat taken away from him (so it could be rung up and bagged). Just too much. For him ... and therefore for me, too. He's in my arms, SCREAMING as Bucket is giving me her commentary:
"Bruise CRY, Mommy. Why Bruise Cry? Oh!! TEARS! Why Bruise sad? Why Bruise trouble? Why take candy? Mommy, Bruise cry."
(As if I somehow could MISS that SUBTLE fact of having a SCREAMING toddler in my arms as I'm loading up the frakkin' cart.)

So, I tossed them into naptime as soon as we got in the door and I had unloaded the car.
Then I called Michael, who tried not to snicker at my retelling of the woeful shopping trip, to tell me that I'm not raising a hard-core criminal and that it's fine that the kidlets scream themselves to sleep (which it took them, oh, three minutes to do), and that I should take it easy for a while before I really go all postal.

... Well, I need to finish the dishes sometime. And I should fold all our laundry. And vacuum and spray the house with flea-killer. (So gross. I HATE having bugs in the house. First ants [controlled], then fruit flies [in the process of being controlled], now FLEAS?!?!? Gah.) I have no idea where they came from. The cats stay inside. Ugh. Stupid, evil fleas. Just wait. We're going to end up with the plague or something. *sigh*

Well, maybe I can ignore my children help channel my children's energies into something productive so I can finish my book make dinner or something.

Wednesday, September 10, 2008

Chrome ... And some fun links. And a video.

So, Goggle created their own browser. It's still in beta, but overall, I really like it.

I do miss my Firefox extentions (I'm a total Firefox girl, all the way. IE? I only have it so I can play some games that aren't supported in Firefox. *sigh*) ... and some video formats aren't supported yet. 

But I do like it. And I'm glad that I downloaded it.

Especially because, for some reason, my iGoogle (personalized homepage through Google.com) is not really working. Like all the RSS feeds that I've subscribed to? Totally not loading. Very "Grr"-making.

So ... yeah. If anyone knows if something's up with Google, or if it's just my computer totally thowing a complete nervous breakdown -- and you have some advice? Seriously, let me know.

Until then, I'll just have TWO browsers open and try and get by.

And I'll post some fun things for you all. Because I love you so.

HERE is a little comic about a bookstore with every book. (You'll have to go through a page verifying that you're old enough to access it. I do not know why. There's less smut than in the Bible, for crying out loud.)

And HERE (Can't enable! Drat!) is Stephen Colbert and Cookie Monster. Genius! (I pink, pufyf heart BOTH of them!! Squee!!!)

This is specifically for my Bri-Bri ... CafePress has a cute shirt -- "All I Need to Know I Learned from Gilmore Girls"

Here's a cute video - a final project by some French students in animation school:


And, as you probably know, I'm addicted to some strange websites -- NotAlwaysRight is one of my favorites when I need a laugh (which is, let's face it, ALL THE FLIPPIN' TIME. Because I LIKE to laugh.) ... Well, with the upcoming Halloween holiday, this story totally made me burst out laughing.

Made me laugh ...

Like seriously laugh.

As in, my-kids-had-to-turn-and-LOOK-at-me-I'm-laughing-so-much laugh.

I am checking my email and my dear Bri-bri has commented on my Facebook profile:
"HOTTIE ALERT!!!!  Man, who does your HAIR? ;-) *eye roll*"

Hellooooooo!! She totally did. 

If I laughed any harder, I would have pulled something. 

Or snorted.

Because I do that sometimes. :S

But, yes, Bri-bri. This haircut was totally worth the, what was it, SIX MONTHS that I waited for it. ^_^ You rock, my dear. ^_^

Tuesday, September 09, 2008

Ax Me No Questions ...

Or, really, DO ask me questions.

I figure that you might have questions. And I'm willing to answer (most of) them.

If there's anything that you've wondered and wanted to know, just hit me with a comment. Or even an email (if you know me IRL). I'll do my best to come through.

Like with this:
Jenny, I have a Nikon D40 DSLR. Yes, it can be bulky to carry around, but I LOVE the fact that I barely have any shutter lag (which was my main compaint about my dear little point-and-shoot). That and my Nikon's battery lasts SO much longer.
(The pluses about my point-and-shoot? It had a little video camera. And the zoom is nice. (I only have one lens for my Nikon. That will change once I get some more money. ^_^))

So, yes, if you have questions, fire away! And would you rather I answer right away? Or compile a list of FAQ?

And, also should I do my (terribly belated) list of 100 things about me?

And, other also, to day is my Emi-chan's birthday. She was one of the exchange students my senior year of high school. I lost touch with her while I was in college, which saddens me to no end. But if you hear of a Japanese girl named Emi, who was a foreign-exchange student in Southern Oregon in 1999, totally let me know. Especially if she went to prom with her dear friend, Allanna-chan. And laughs about toilet-kitty stationary.
Because I miss her. And I'm totally mad at myself for losing touch.
I tried to mail her a letter in 2002 or 2003 ... and I've never heard back. So her family must have moved. :(
But wherever she is, I hope that she's having a wonderful birthday.

Monday, September 08, 2008

Some wedding pictures ... T1's. Not mine. In case you were confused.

I did the flowers. Are you totally jeaaaaalous of my mad floral-arranging skillz?? 
I'm totally going for my black belt in Ike-Bana. Fo' realz.


Being married is fun. (And are they not ADORABLE?!?)


And don't you love how my Bucket is all, "Yo, y'all. Check HER out. Weirdo cousin!!"
... Yeah, my baby girl has some serious attitude.
And then my little man is all, "Hey, I'm next to the bride. I have to work a little to look 
EXTRA adorable."
Yeah, he takes being cute to a competitive level. I'm thinking he'll take at least 
silver in the next Olympics for it. What say you?


"Smell, Mommy! Smell!!" <-- No, really. That's what she's telling me to do.
And, gosh, I DO so have mad flower skillz, huh?


*sings*Vogue, vogue, vogue. Strike a pose. *does some Vogue-ing*
These bridesmaids are fun. F-U-N, fun. Adore them, okay?


Srsly, are they NOT anerable?? SO, so darling. I'd put them in my pocket if I could. 
(Note to self: get slightly larger pockets. And maybe a shrink-ray.)


I love how the light is all "SHINGK!!!" Yeah, I totally took the picture. 
No filter, baby. It's allllllll me. (And, no, I'm NOT at all full of myself. Why do you ask?)


I totally, totally LOVE how they can completely ignore the rambunctious trio of flower girls and just gaze romantically into each others' eyes. Le sigh.


My niece takes keeping her dress clean VERY seriously.
VERY, very seriously.


Bucket is SO, SO, SO(!!!!) excited that her Auntie A gave her blue stick-on earrings.
So excited I couldn't get a picture of the earrings at all.
She could barely form the words to tell me who gave her the earrings, she was just that excited.


Bucket gets some last-minute instruction from Grandpa as the ring ceremony begins.


During the ring ceremony.
My other niece takes flower petal-duty VERY seriously.
(I think she takes most things very seriously.)

Like I said, VERY seriously.


I LOVE that K got verklempt. I'm so glad to have him for a brother-in-law-in-law!!


K and A enjoy a sweet minute with my nephew. 
(A's his mom. K's our husbands' cousin.
... Yes, the cousin of Michael and A's husband. We're married to brothers, okay??)
(K, do you like the picture better now? You really do look fine!!) 
(Everyone, tell her how pretty she looks!! NOW!!!!! ^_^)


K masterminded the tulle around the pillars. And added the petals, too.
No wonder I adore her. ^_^


Yum, cake.
It was really, REALLY good cake. Delightfully moist and everything! 
And TWO kinds of filling!!
(And aren't T1 and K CUUUUTE?!?)
 
I call that trepidation. And also underexposed. Darn fading light!


Here I am, working some sash-tying magic! 
(Now to lose that last 30 lbs. Stat. After I finish eating the leftover
food from the wedding.)


Dianne took this picture (And the one above -- sneaky!). 
She was the wedding photographer.
If you do to her blog, you can see some more shots she took. 
She's amazing.
And, look! A word cloud I did on wordle.net! Isn't it beautemous? 
That is a word cloud of the Family Proclamation.
Which happens to be what Bishop Harper read in the ring ceremony.
Go me!!

And out of the 300+ pictures I took that day, 
I think that THIS one if my favorite.
Dianne was posing K and T1 and told T1,  "Tell him you love him with your eyes."

So I title this one, The Look of Love:


Here's hoping that K and T1 are having an excellent time on their honeymoon! 
And to an eternity of marital bliss!