frustrations and not

There are several things that irk me in life...

1. Word Verification on blogger. I use it to avoid spammers and it's a great tool. But somewhere in my mind I have a verification blocker. I usually type in the wrong letters at least once every four times. Irritating.

2. Being stuck with a narcissist for an inordinate amount of time with no way out (and I mean no way out). *Shudder

3. Gmail ads. I love my gmail account but I noticed recently that when I'm reading an email, ads run along the side that are related to the content of my email. I feel spied on and I don't like it.

4. Little indie kids that create "mosh pits" to bands that are really more dance oriented like oh, say Franz Ferdinand.

There are several things that I like in life...

1. Ange laying the smack down to said indie kids at the Franz Ferdinand/Death Cab for Cutie concert. Displaying all the attitude a teen could muster they said "It's called moshing" as though old gals like ourselves didn't even know what that was. I wanted to tell them what true moshing was but didn't have the energy. Ange said they could do whatever they wanted, as long as they didn't bump in to her. They talked tough, but never did it again. We sensed our age there.

2. Indie kids leaving after Franz, so we could enjoy Ben Gibbard's musical goodness without the irritation.

3. Spending a week with Lisa on her spring break. (Why didn't I become a teacher?) Zion's national park better be ready for our camping extravaganza.

4. Naps on a Sunday afternoon.

The End.

pen and paper please

Dearest Rhett,

Imagine my luck to discover both of us eating at the same restaurant last night! Your presence was really distracting and I found it difficult to engage in dinner conversation. Would you have thought it strange if I had grabbed your arm as you passed by my table and said "I can't wait to hear you sing live!" Seeing as I've been accosted by a musician, I thought it best not to accost one. Your newest picture on your website makes you look a little too girly. You are much more attractive and manly in person, although a tad short. I'll admit that I have a weakness for musicians, so their hotness is automatically increased by their profession. But Mr. Miller, my jaw would drop even if you didn't sing or play the guitar.

Anyway, I thought the change of shirt for the performance was a good choice. That ugly blue sweater you had on at the restaurant was very early 90s. I didn't know you wore glasses, which were pretty cool. I can see why you took them off to perform... who knew you moved around so much on stage. Speaking of being on stage, you were so damn hot up there. Your voice, as usual, was amazing. I liked the booty shaking moves and how much you swayed your hips. The arm thing you did when you played was cool. Your sex appeal grew even more as your hair got sweaty. I even kinda liked it when I could see the spit fly when you really got in to your singing. The clincher was when you sang "Question" in English and French. I'm a hopeless romantic.

What did you think of the dancing drunk? (click to watch).
He was in the back for most of the gig but wandered up for the encore. He was a riot! So, even though I inhaled plenty of carcinogens, was scared by a coyote and owl on the drive home, and was exhausted all day today, it was well worth it. You're amazing. If that ring ever comes off your finger, maybe you'd consider me your "Four-Eyed Girl".

Your adoring (and not completely crazy) fan,

Aisy

the phrase i hate

I went to a women's dinner social tonight for my church congregation. I was at a table with a bunch of strangers and we were all doing the small talk thing. They were all a little too boring for my liking but I'm trying to get to know people. This beautiful blonde was across the table from me. She just moved from Nebraska in hopes to find more dating prospects. When it was her turn to dish her bio she talked about her double major degree she had just received. She wasn't sure if she was going to do more school, probably not a masters, but something that if her husband got sick or something she would be trained in a job. Her first degree was one of those liberal arts that doesn't get you a job.

Ack... cough... sigh...

This phrase has bothered me for so long that I can't remember when it started. It's not that I am opposed to women staying at home, in fact most of the women I admire did just that. It's actually a bit of a relief not to be confronted with that decision of work or stay home but anyway, back to sweet Nebraskan. I smiled and nodded but what I really wanted to say was:

What if you don't get ever get married??? (This is an unlikely scenario for this bombshell as the Provo boys will snap her up in an instance, but still). What if you find staying at home just doesn't float your boat and even though your husband is raking in six figures a year, you'd like to do a little work out of the house? Or what if he's perfectly healthy but you really need the second income to stay afloat? What about pursuing what you love regardless of the hypothetical future? Why does it have to come down to your husband? What about YOU?

I know I am heavily biased on this but I just hate, hate, hate that phrase. I suppose if that is how they really feel than they shouldn't have to censor for my easily agitated feminism. There are these really talented, amazing women who just bide their time. They don't pursue the non-husband and family dreams because of the fear that the husband and family dream won't come true if they do. My take has always been to do what I want at the time. If I had done the "work at a job I'm indifferent about because I'll quit when I marry and have kids" I'd be a morose 28 year old. Maybe I'm the naive one but I'd like to think I'm not, and I'm genetically predisposed to think I'm always right.

(Medial Thomas, I hope that was "womany" enough for you. And for a good laugh, check out the rest of Anne Taintors collection)

i was warned

I spent the weekend in San Diego for a work related trip, with a little fun on the side. Lured by cheap purses, we headed to Tijuana. My friends warned me that it could be depressing but I had been to the Mayan Riviera before so I was undeterred. I had seen poverty there, at least in my tourist bubble I thought I had seen it. We walked across the border on a very cool day. The creaky turnstiles and looming fence only added to the chill in the air. Within minutes of walking the main strip I was approached by a girl of four or five. Cheap charms in one hand and the other outstretched. I politely said "no thank you" but she continued to follow for several feet. Some adult, perhaps her mother, sat in a chair off to the side while several little ones approached different tourists. Inside my heart was breaking and within minutes tears flooded my eyes. I couldn't stop thinking of my little nieces and nephews... the idea of them cold and shivering on the street... begging for money... trained to make money. These precious children should be in preschool or in a swim lesson or playing with their trucks and barbies. I couldn't shake the sick feeling in my stomach, even when the man "proved" the purse was real leather by putting a lighter to it. A large fence is all that divides poverty from riches. You can drive up a hill in TJ and see the "American dream" in San Diego. The grass is green, the houses are nice, it's clean, kids go to school and have a chance. On the hill is shacks, povery, dirt.

How often do we think of how grateful we are for our opportunities? I happened to be lucky enough to be born in a place where it wasn't even a thought of "do we send her to school or teach her how to make money on the streets?" Yes, I was warned but I was reminded again of the need to make a difference in this world that we live.

when you're not a snowflake

We all want to see ourselves as unique and in some respects we are. Then there are those times when we're not. Sometimes we walk smack-dab in to the middle of a stereotype. Just last week I saw a woman (ahem) at the grocery store with a box of tampons in one hand and a chocolate bar in the other. Haven't we all been there? Well, maybe not exactly there for my male readers, but somewhere close to there.

the finale

Just like the over-hype of the Oscars, so to is my final post for happy week. To be quite honest, I am looking forward to a blog hiatus.

The one thing that makes me smile the most in my life is my nieces and nephews. I love children's brutal honesty, along with the crazy things they say or do. We send out daily family emails with updates and such. I would say that at least once in the day there is a gem of a story. I love the pictures of the youngest ones starting to smile and the stories of the oldest ones becoming "big kids." It amazes me how fast they grow and how easily they learn.

In 2004 this guy just about did Parker in. Fast forward to 2005 and she has found her first boyfriend. She was just stringing two to three word sentences together when I left. Now she'll chat your ear off. Children remind me of the delight of experiencing your first... like the smile from their first taste of ice cream, the excitement of their first tinkle on the toilet, or the joy of hearing them say your name for the first time. I can't even remember learning to read but I remember the sweetness I felt from hearing my niece and nephew read me a book. One thing I look forward to on my next visit is their hugs and kisses. In my mind there is nothing better!

the favourite game

I've always disliked those games where you had to list favourites because I like brown just as much as I like pink. Some days I would do nearly anything for dark chocolate and other times I want grapes so damn bad. I think the last time I had clear favourites that lasted more than several hours, days or even months was when I was twelve.

I have plenty of things I am currently enjoying like the band "Camera Obscura." I've been eating lots of cheese combined with various fruits (apple is the top choice). I'm digging this new lip gloss that I really should have bought in LA but just got it two days ago. And finally, I'm really enjoying my friendships down here. Laughing is a good cure for any sort of blues.

good reads

I've been debating what I should post on day five, as I really had no particular order or thoughts for happy week. My only goal was to see if I could write each day of the week. I feel blogged out but since I already quit one major thing in 2005, I'm not backing down in 2006. Sunday will be the special and final edition... like Ms. Williams says "You go and save the best for last."

Today I'm featuring my two most interesting reads of the last six months. I hadn't heard of Malcolm Gladwell until my parents kept telling me about this "great read." I finally acquiesced and read his second book entitled "Blink." I'm typically a fiction gal, but I ended up loving it. Then last month I read his first book "The Tipping Point." Gladwell has an ability to write repetitively without boring the reader. In fact, it helps the concepts really sink in. Tipping Point explores how change, epidemics, and trends happen. Blink focuses on those judgements and choices that we think we make in the blink of an eye... but are really driven by history and cognition. If you haven't already read them, I highly recommend them. They were absolutely fascinating to me. Why waste your time on overrated drivel like Davinci Code?

no regrets

Do you find that those weeks you are trying really hard to be nice that lots of "make fun of" moments pop up? I have so much good material, like the idiot woman who just about side swiped me today or the fifty year old obese woman wearing a belly top. Instead of falling prey to temptation I will grace you with my favourite lyric of the moment. It's from "When U Love Somebody" by the Fruit Bats... When you love somebody bite your tongue, all you get is a mouthful of blood. It encapsulates regret, and how often I don't say or do what I feel inside. (It also reminds me that I currently have no man to bite my tongue with!) Thinking about this song brought back memories of my good friend Brian. He and his brother died in a tragic mystery while hiking. They were never found so the assumption is they fell through a crevasse when a storm hit.

I remember being devastated that all I had left of Brian were pictures. At the time I had this habit of deleting emails once I had responded. He had been telling me all about his trip and how life was going for him at the time. I had responded with a good luck and bon voyage and moved it to the trash. So there I was left with no written words from Brian... something I regretted deeply. After that I made sure I had an email saved from every friend and family member. I also ensured that all those people I loved knew it. I was determined not to feel regret again if I were to suddenly lose someone. As time passes it is easy to get back in to a pattern of neglect. With renewed spirit I'm going to spit that blood out of mouth, get stitches, and stop repeating that nasty habit.

And back to the sappiness of love that the song embodies, when I meet my one true I'll remember that... when you love somebody, it's hard to think about anything but to breath.

afternoon delight

On day three of seven, I thought I'd wow my readers with my poetic skills.

Although it's not yet official,
And my excitement's initial,
If it is true
I'm no longer blue,
As my love for AD is not superficial!

Arrested Development is one of those television gems that makes my week sublime.