That's What Friends Are For

I have been so blessed to have some of the best friends ever!!!  :D   One of my awesome friends is Andrew Simo, who I lovingly refer to as Mo Mo.  I know I don't get a TON of traffic to my blog, but if you don't mind watching Mo Mo's video application for THE BEST JOB IN THE WORLD, I would LOVE for you to vote for him at http://www.islandreefjob.com/#/applicants/watch/sJhoIzhGnkE

Here is his application video for you to watch as well:

Mo Mo has stood by me and encouraged me when I was chasing my big dreams and I want to do the same by asking you to PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE go vote for him!  Thank you so much and thank you for checking out my blog!

I'll See You In My Dreams

When I left the house this morning, it was raining...which is nothing new...but then it got lighter and lighter as i traveled from Northgate to downtown to Queen Anne...and now it's bright and sunny outside!

I recently found out that my 10 days of vacation don't kick in until I've been here a year, so naturally, since I know I can't do something, I feel the need to do it anyway... so today I looked out the window as I started eating my lunch and I went on a little imaginary vacation!  :D

I started out with a visit to Seaside, CA to visit K.Rowe and we had coffee at Starbucks and brought it to the library on campus because we A) prefer Starbucks to Peets, B) think that Peet's should know they suck, and C) absolutely HEART the library... i mean really, how do you beat great conversation surrounded by books and starbucks? We chatted for a few hours and then we went to the theater to see Coraline together.  It got kinda dark and scary, so i distracted Kel with some random jokes to take her mind off the creepiness.  Then we went to dinner at a local pizza joint and laughed and laughed some more and talked about Kip, the YouTube guy and about friends back in Austin.  She gave me a giant hug as her and Amanda Beartinez sent me off on my 'Bjork Cloud' as I took a shortcut to Bakersfield...

To see Lisa!  And to have tea with Lisa as we talked about creativity and writing and life post MC.  Then I had to hurry and catch the plane to Colorado to see Brooksie & Hannah, Brenty Poo, Seanny Wafa & his beautiful bride, and Gracie Loo & Sean O.B.  We all met up together at The Melting Pot and talked about our lives and shared great memories and Brooks told me all about some new jobs he was doing as well as some new programs to check out for my Mac.  Then I'd give everyone giant hugs and hop on my super turbo segway and speeding off to the ATX...

To see my family...everyone!  I had lunch with dad and cindy, dinner with mom, lunch with my brother, and dinner with my sister and the kiddos  :D  Then I took Vanessa and Annabelle out shopping and out for dinner at Chick Fil A!  After stuffing our faces with chicken nuggets, waffle fries and sweet tea, I bought Vanessa 2 brownies before taking them home to their mom (yes, I do this often...hey, it's what i'm here for! ;)  ) 

I had to catch a quick nap and then when I woke up, I borrowed my mom's mini van to go to Genuine Joe's to have lunch with the MCA staff!  We laughed and laughed and talked about life and about random SNL skits and other fun stuff.  I ordered the Obama Mocha (it's delish!) and made sure to get whip cream on my nose like I always do. P.Dan gave me the "oh brother. there she goes again" look and Norphy just shook his head slowly while staring at the ground.  :D... mission accomplished!  When we got back to the MC office, I took all the 2nd and 3rd years out to lunch at Freebirds and we stuffed our faces with awesome burritos!  Then I walked over to the worship center and went upstairs to hang out with Brian, Justin and Datkins in their office/s as we laughed and laughed and told hilarious jokes!  For dinner, P.Jesse and Crista invited me over for din (mom's mini van saves the day again!) and we got to talk about the amazing time I'm having in Seattle and I just get to enjoy their company so much!   It was about 9:00 p.m by the time I got back to central Austin and decided to call up a bunch of MCA alumni to join me for some fun times and coffee at Epoch...and they ALL came!  Some of my high school friends even showed up!  After a few hours of that I decided I should get some sleep before I had breakfast with Lainer Bob and the Masbruchs.  We all overslept (cause we can) and decided to just do brunch at Shady Grove.  We had great food, and after talking about all there is to talk about, I was ready for a siesta...  but with this vacation coming to a quick end, I gave them big hugs and took mom's mini van (a la my brother) and drove to Louisianna...

Where I was greeted with giant hugs and smiles from all my friends at OSC in Broussard!  I got to go to lunch with all of them and just reminisce and talk about their lives and what's going on and I got to give Kayla a special hug, because I wanted to make sure that baby Norman felt the love too!  We laughed so hard and just encouraged one another and I left feeling like a piece of me was back...but not complete yet, because I still needed to make a few more stops...like the one to the ATL!...

Where I had dinner with Joy and Britt!  They indulged me by joining me for a little shopping at Atlantic Station before we headed back to Joy's for an impromptu slumber party...full of chocolate and fun snacks...and healthy food too..of course  ;)  .   The next morning I made us all breakfast tacos and after grabbing my To Write Love On Her Arms shirt from Joy's closet, I decided to fly to BALTIMORE, MARYLAND...

To see my BEST EVER FRIEND IN THE WHOLE WIDE WORLD!  We had such a great time hanging out.  We called up Stacey and invited her to join us for some fun down by the Inner Harbor...and we were lucky because she showed!  We got burgers and Thrasher's fries and headed to the Aquarium for some fun and then sat by the pier and just talked about how much we've changed since we last saw one another.  When out of the blue, Sarah had the perfect idea: LET'S ALL GO GET PEDICURES in the Galleria!  So we did.  Eventually, I had to say bye to Stacey cause me and Sarah were going to go have dinner with her parents, and then Sarah was going to join me for my next stop.  We hopped in her car and took of with laughter.  After singing about 100 songs out loud, obnoxiously off key, we pulled into a parking garage in...

TIMES SQUARE!  We spent the rest of the evening walking around the square and then headed to our luxury hotel suite.  After sleeping in and ordering room service, we had a great QT together and decided to hit the town!  We had so much fun walking around Times Square and going to Rockefeller Center and Central Park!  That night, we had a nice dinner (meatballs) and watched The Phantom Of The Opera live on Broadway.  The next day we decided to take a short trip to DC and go check out the National Mall and the Holocaust Museum...and we just enjoyed each other's company so much!  Our last stop together was Syracuse to see her mom's side of the family!  I had so much fun hanging out with my 2nd family and just loved seeing everyone again!

But alas, the trip was ending... so I hopped a red-eye flight back to the West Coast...and had a 7 hour layover in Anchorage, Alaska!  Danny Allen came to pick me up from the airport while the airport USO held my stuff in their storage locker...and me and Danny went out to eat and just spent so much time laughing and reminiscing about the MCA days!  And after I gave him a hug, just for old time's sake....I threw a carton's worth of eggs at him and said, "hmm.. shoulda worn your black clothes!"  hahahahaha!  Then I hopped on the flight back to Seattle and spent the next day hanging out with all my friends here in Seattle!  :D

It was a whirlwind of a trip!  :D

You And The Mona Lisa

You know, with all this OSCARS madness going on I couldn't help but get in the mood to reminisce today about all the movies I've grown to call my favorites over the years. One thing that just makes a movie amazing to me is when you can really feel the story of the characters come to life, and when you cry, it's not just cause you're a sap, but because you can really understand what that character is feeling and thinking and going through. I know that for me, while I'm writing these screenplays that I'm working on, I am so fascinated by the way that I can imagine up these characters and really feel what they're feeling and endure what they're enduring...it's so cool. Like I'm a fly on the wall in these peoples' lives..who are just living in my mind. :D and now that i sound like a complete maniac, here are some of my favorite flicks that win my personal BEST PICTURE award. :D

SLEEPERS

This movie is based on a true story by Lorenzo Carcaterra.  The cinematography is amazing and the story is so gripping!  

FAVORITE QUOTE: "Mug me or marry me Shakes, I'm too tired for anything else" - Carol Martinez [Minnie Driver]

PHILADELPHIA

Story Time! Okay, so when I was in the 6th grade, I had to stay in the hospital for 10 days, recovering from an emergency appendectomy... and this movie was on the movie channel that would play a rotation of movies over and over and over...and I always made sure to watch this.  I must've watched it at least 3 times a day!  And I CRIED every time!

WHITE SQUALL

White Squall is also based on a true story.  This was one of Ryan Phillipe's first major flicks.  Not only is the cast astonishingly HOT, but the story...just gets ya!  Again, another tearjerker!  One of my favorite quotes is from this movie- it's the motto of being on the boat (The Albatross) and it goes like so:  "WHERE WE GO ONE, WE GO ALL."

WHITE OLEANDER

Allison Lohman does a PHENOMENAL job in this flick, as she portrays Astrid, a girl who experiences the intense reality of the foster care system.  The movie is so real and so well made.  

Favorite Quote: Everybody asks why I started at the end and worked back to the beginning, the reason is simple, I couldn't understand the beginning until I had reached the end. There were too many pieces of the puzzle missing, too much you would never tell. I could sell these things. People want to buy them, but I'd set all this on fire first. She'd like that, that's what she would do. She'd make it just to burn it. I couldn't afford this one, but the beginning deserves something special. But how do I show that nothing, not a taste, not a smell, not even the color of the sky, has ever been as clear and sharp as it was when I belonged to her. I don't know how to express the being with someone so dangerous is the last time I felt safe...

SE7EN (SEVEN)

Such an INTENSE and edge of your seat flick...so GREATLY done!  

Favorite Quote: Who knows. So many freaks out there doin' their little evil deeds they don't wanna do... "The voices made me do it. My dog made me do it. Jodie Foster told me to do it." - David Mills [Brad Pitt]

THE SPITFIRE GRILL

The Spitfire Grill The Spitfire Grill | Movie Trailers

This is a Sundance film that I saw when I was younger and the story still sticks with me.  So sweet and enduring and all about what happens when we let our "labels" of people determine what we believe their character to be.  Again, another tearjerker.  

Favorite Quote:"Most folks would rather hear a colorful lie over the truth any day." - Percy [Alison Elliot]

INTO THE WILD

Emile Hirsch was amazing as Christopher McCandless (Alexander Supertramp) in this movie about one young man's adventure to experience life in the wilderness. I was talking to a friend the other day and we were just marveling about how great this movie is and how amazing the cinematography is and how the story just comes full circle. And for a person who really doesn't like movie voice overs...I gotta say... Jena Malone did a phenomenal job! 

Favorite Quote: "I read somewhere... how important it is in life not necessarily to be strong... but to feel strong." - Christopher McCandless [Emile Hirsch]

so now it's YOUR turn! What movie have you seen that you think should win a BEST PICTURE award?

Bright Red Star

***UPDATE***

I just read the list of winners and I'm posting the awardees below! Right predictions will be in green and wrong predictions will be in red. :D

I got 10 right and 14 wrong.  :( eh.  :D 



It's OSCAR night, baby! I must admit, I am a sucker for award shows! I love seeing the pretty dresses and hearing the speeches and seeing if my fave movies win or not...and the music is pretty awesome too! However, I'm not gonna be able to actually watch the OSCARS tonight cause I have something else I gotta be at. But I did want to at least get my OSCAR predictions/choices in before the big event! And none of my suggestions may win... but we'll see. :D

ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE:

Sean Penn [MILK]

ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE:

Heath Ledger [THE DARK KNIGHT]

ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE:

Angelina Jolie [CHANGELING]

Kate Winslet [THE READER]

ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE:

Viola Davis [DOUBT]

Penelope Cruz [VICKY CRISTINA BARCELONA]

ANIMATED FEATURE FILM:

Wall.E

ART DIRECTION:

Changeling

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

CINEMATOGRAPHY:

The Dark Knight

Slumdog Millionaire

COSTUME DESIGN:

Revolutionary Road

The Duchess

DIRECTING:

Slumdog Millionaire

DOCUMENTARY FEATURE:

Trouble The Water

Man On Water

DOCUMENTARY SHORT:

Smile Pinki

FILM EDITING:

The Dark Knight

Slumdog Millionaire

FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM:

The Class

Departures

MAKEUP:

The Dark Knight

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

MUSIC (SCORE):

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

Slumdog Millionaire

MUSIC (SONG):

"Down To Earth" for WALL.E

"Jai Ho" for Slumdog Millionaire

BEST PICTURE:

Slumdog Millionaire

SHORT FILM (ANIMATED):

Oktapodi

La Maison En Petits Cubes

SHORT FILM (LIVE ACTION):

The Pig

Spielzeugland (Toyland)

SOUND EDITING:

The Dark Knight

SOUND MIXING:

Slumdog Millionaire

VISUAL EFFECTS:

The Dark Knight

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

WRITING (ADAPTED SCREENPLAY):

Slumdog Millionaire

WRITING (ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY):

Milk

When I get home later, I'll check the results and highlight the ones I got right  :D  wheee!!  Happy OSCARS Everyone!!  :D

Dancing Dirt Into The Snow

Great news everyone! The 2010 Winter Olympic Games are coming to VANCOUVER, BC!!! That's like 3 hours away from where I live!! woot!! I was telling my friend that if it's that close to where I live and I don't at least make a genuine effort to go...I'm a moron!

Of course, with my luck, if I DID go, I'd probably trip and fall down a slope or something... the news report would go something like this:

AND TODAY, REPORTING FROM THE 2010 WINTER GAMES, WE HAVE SOME POOR CLUMSY MEXICAN GIRL FALLING DOWN A SLOPE AND LANDING FACE FIRST IN MOOSE POOP!"

cue awkward footage of me, stumbling to my feet, yelling, "I'm okay guys! Nothing to see here! I'm good! That'll be $5 from each of you... comedy comes with a cost...if you laughed, pay up... hahahahaha...kidding...kidding...okay...i'm done."

Really.

I don't think I'd be able to go to the Opening Ceremonies...which would be phenomenal... but would also set me back $1,118. I mean...they better be handing out gold medals to attendees in the stands for that price! ;)

But I wouldn't mind going to some of the individual competitions. I mean, I wouldn't mind BEING in them either...if I had the talent and skill. I decided to make a parody of the priceless master card thingies after thinking about the 3 that I would choose to attend:
FIGURE SKATING


SNOWBOARDING


and LUGE.


They're much cheaper than going to the whole thing...and really they're the only ones I care about. But I'm going to be looking into attending and stuff...i mean, it's still a year away..and with the way the economy is going, they might just lower the prices... wink wink. yeah, i doubt it too. :D

Meet Me At My Window

As I promised, here are some more pictures of my office! :D The girl in the pics is the girl who I'm replacing. It's sad that she's leaving cause she's so amazing! I love hanging out and talking with her. :D She's moving to Cali at the end of the month and let me tell you...I got some BIG shoes to fill! In any event, she was pretty proud of the work I did today, which is very promising. I'm super excited about learning InDesign and I think I'm getting the hang of it very well!

a further away shot of the office building (the tan church building on the left)


the temp station I'm at for now...with InDesign open :D


random shots around the office. the desk that leah's sitting at will be mine when she leaves. :(





A fun added bonus...this place is full of secret passageways :D okay, not secret really...but I do feel like a secret spy when I go through them :D


Hope you enjoyed the pics! Day 2 rocked!

First Day On A Brand New Planet

Today was my first day at the new jobby job!! It's such a great job! I really like it...already... :D I get to learn InDesign, which I've been wanting to learn for a long time now. Here are some pictures of where I work. I'll take more tomorrow! :D

On the walk home, looking back at the office building...which is really a church that they bought out and use as an office/counseling venue.


On the way home, the view from the office:


So the place I work for is a small local publication company that focuses on counseling. They also have some offices on site where clients will come for counseling sessions. And I absolutely love the job...but I gotta admit, I feel the pressure in working in an environment where there are counselors around. Because I know that they can tell things based on mannerisms and facial expressions and all sorts of other things, so every time I would meet someone new, I'd be thinking, "oh no. can they tell i'm nervous that i'm going to forget their name??" Now I know it's silly...but that's seriously the things that go on in my head. hahahahaha. But the people are all very nice and way cool. I love just observing and listening to them! :D

The girl they hired before me only lasted a week, because she felt she wanted to pursue more active graphic design...but I'm content to do layout and editing stuff..it's so relaxing! :D But I can't help but think when I pass these people, "Do they think I'm gonna bail too? Cause I'm not."

But my boss really likes my work and she's so fun to be around! I can't wait to see what new things I get to learn!

PS: another song for you to check out...I was listening to this today on the bus ride home...on repeat...love love love James Morrisson's voice..and I couldn't help but laugh cause the song is called PLEASE DON'T STOP THE RAIN...but when you live in Seattle, it's just a funny concept.

Song Of The Soul

Okay folks, time for some new music for you to try! So lately, I've been on this soulful kick...and everytime I hear each of these songs, I melt. :D

GAVIN'S SONG by Marc Broussard
This song was written in honor of his son, Gavin and the strain of touring on the road while having a son at home.


THE PIECES DON'T FIT ANYMORE by James Morrison
James claimed that the song is an ode to that point in a relationship where no matter what you try, it just doesn't seem to work out anymore. He says that there was a period in his life with his girlfriend where they were in that situation.


LET ME SIGN by Robert Pattinson
Originally written by Bobby Long and Marcus Foster was made famous by it's appearance in the hit movie Twilight. I love it cause you can feel the passion of the song.


NEVER SAY NEVER by The Fray
There are many theories about the meaning of the song, but The Fray has not given a direct comment about the meaning. Most theories center on a relationship where the guy doesn't want to let go so easy.


and finally, CAME ON LION by Sarah Harmer
I know she's not one of the guys, but this girl can sing... and this song is so soulful to me!


In other news... I've been working on 2 screenplays lately. One came originally into my head a couple weeks ago. And the other came into mind a couple of days ago. And though I don't plan right now on releasing either of the two professionally (or even unprofessionally for that matter), it's great to get some new experience with a new creative outlet. One is called THE ACADEMY and the other is called LANE & ALLEY. These are two songs I've been listening to for the more dramatic parts of each, and might I also add...that the 2 screenplays are COMPLETELY different from one another. And these songs are kinda stuck on the brain lately. So I figure I'd share (my elementary teachers would be so proud of me)!

DROWNING by Missy Higgins
(for THE ACADEMY)


RECOGNITION by Susie Suh
(for LANE & ALLEY)

Brand New World

I HAVE GREAT NEWS!!! :D I GOT THE JOB!! I'm going to be doing layout editing as a publications assistant at Rational Island Publishing! I'm so thankful and grateful to everyone who has been praying with me and for me that the right job would open up! It totally did! I'll be getting paid well, doing what I love! This is a giant answer to prayer and I'm so glad I get to share this great news with you guys!

And to add a cherry on top, I'll also be doing some part time video editing for them, which will only increase my skills and challenge me to embrace more and more creativity! A lot of people have been asking how far it is from where I work, so I figure I'd include a map of sorts so you can see:



The place I'm working at is located in the lower area of the Queen Anne neighborhood and the bus runs straight from my area to the job area...so I only have to take ONE bus!! My neighborhood (Northgate) is the "A" and the job site is "B." And the office I'll be working in has two huge windows where I can see the waterfront and Seattle Center! I start this Thursday and I'm SO excited!

Letters To The President

I can't imagine being the president, and running an entire country. Seriously. I congratulate you George...and you too Lincoln...as we celebrate your special days... You guys rocked... cause I would seriously guarantee epic fail as a President.

No lie. I would crack under the pressure. I can't imagine all the logistics and pressure that goes into running an entire country. Do you remember when that movie, The Princess Diaries came out? I do. And after I saw it I was like, man...if I ever found out I was the Princess of a country...I'd be like...PASS. Give it to someone who won't send the whole shebang to hades in a hand-basket!

I don't think it's any surprise that Presidents get the most flack. I mean, we all have our way of running things and we all have this inherent desire to control things. But here's the thing, we, as Americans get to choose and have our say every time we elect a new President. And let's get real, you can't please all of the people all of the time...but we can be kind to one another all the time. We can treat one another with respect all the time. It's just a choice we make. Are there days where I'm a less-than-model citizen? oh for sure! But I try to be better. And I am so proud to be an American. To have the ability to let my voice be heard, to have the freedom I have, and to be surrounded by other people who don't think like me, or believe what I believe- it makes me better, I think. :D I know this sounds like it should come on Election Day, but eh...I think so differently. Days like this make me think about how crazy it is to be such a prominent figure in our nation.

You know... I love being imperfect. And I really do appreciate everything (good and bad) that our presidents...past and present do in their role. It teaches us to grow, to change, to believe for better things, and to think differently. Because, being a leader, who has followed many leaders...I know there's a lot that goes into "calling the shots" and dealing with the outcomes...and it's so not easy.

So thanks George, John, Tommy, James, J.Mo, JQ, Andy, Marty, Will, The Original J.T., jamesK, Zach, Millard, Frankie, James B, Abe, Drew, Ulysses, Rutherford, James Abe, Chester (I'm sure your parents are sorry for giving you that name, btw), Grover, Benji, Willy, Teddy, Howie, Woodrow, Warren, Cal, Herbie, FDR, Harry, Dwight, Johnny Fitz, LB to the J, Dick, Gerry, Jimmy Carter, Ronald, G-dubs, Bill, Dubbya, and Barack!

Clear The Stage

So no lie, I'd kinda like to be a comedienne. It's true. I love to make people laugh! Though I must admit...I don't think i'd be a good one. I'm one of those types of people that says funny things off the cuff, but when you put me on the spot, I tend to draw a blank. And what's worse is that some of the funniest stuff...and I'm not just saying i'm funny because i'm self-centered, other people have told me i am (they may be liars)... is when I'm by myself or walking down the street. This makes me "that girl" that laughs randomly in public. I don't know why I can't perform on spot...i just can't. :(

I wish I could show you the video i recorded of me doing my first American Idol impression...but I deleted it a while back and can't recover it. :( So I guess my only other option is to re-record something that I think might make you laugh. But it might not be as hilarious and you might think I'm dumb, which is totally cool...so long as it brings a smile to your face. Be forewarned, the video is kinda long (7 mins.) and I won't blame you if you don't watch it all. So, without further adieu...CUE THE INDIAN!



I know I know...it's not that funny...but in all fairness...I put myself on the spot. ;) k. now that i sound like a complete loser, I hope you have a happy day! :D

Love Like This

Happy Valentine's Day to you all!! :D I hope that for those of you who are married or in a relationship you are doing something special today to show that person how much you love them! :D Love is a great thing, isn't it? Just. It is. :D And since I am not currently dating anyone, I'm choosing today to reflect on the love I have for other things and people in my life! For everyone in my life: I LOVE YOU so much and I hope you realize how much you mean to me! :D

So in honor of those things and people, I've put together a little video to show my love:


thanks for watching and for checking out my blog! Have a super amazing day!! :D

PS: if you didn't make it into the video...i am so sorry...i'm only allowed to have a certain amount of video on this site. :( but i still love you mucho!!!

And now I leave you with one of my favorite love songs:

If You Asked Me To

If you asked me to come up with a "lovey dovey" playlist for Valentine's Day, this is what it would look like:

I hope you have a great Valentine's Day tomorrow. :D

Once When I Was Little

When I was a kid, I used to love watching the cartoon show, ANIMANIACS! It was seriously so funny! And today when I was walking to the bus stop after spending a FUN FUN FUN day with Jessica Vodegel, I saw some people walking and I don't know why, but seeing them walking made me think of The Animaniacs...specifically a segment called "GOOD IDEA, BAD IDEA." It wasn't anything they were doing that triggered it, I just kinda remembered it. And the whole way home I kept trying to remember some...and one that I remember was the GOOD IDEA: Throwing a surprise party for your father, BAD IDEA: Throwing a surprise party for your grandfather...cause I totally remembered the guy keeling over from the sheer shock and how silly it was. Well, I did some snooping on YouTube and came across some of the GOOD IDEA, BAD IDEA segments. I hope they make you laugh as much as they made me laugh! :D

If I Could Make A Living

So I woke up early this morning to eat breakfast, iron my clothes, etcetera etcetera because I got a callback yesterday from the Residence Inn Marriott Hotel down by south Lake Union area! It's for the Front Desk Clerk position and it pays $10.25 an hour with some awesome benefits! The interview went really well and I was really pleased with the positivity that came from the interviewer when it was all done. I should find out by Thursday if I got the job or not...so...that's tomorrow. :D Then, after I got done with the interview, I walked across the street to the Marina and took a walk on the pier for some quiet time and just to stand amazed at how awesome God was for providing a sliver of hope in such a seemingly hopeless time.

Since I quit my last job, I've gotten told left and right that I'm probably not going to find a job and that I should be worried that I won't get a job and I get the "Good Luck" that comes with apprehension in the tone and the eyes that look sorry for me. But I've come to the conclusion...that if God has helped me every step along the way with this big move and with so many other things in my life...I highly doubt He's gonna bail on me right now. I know that our economy is spiraling down and that unlike the SNL Bjork skit, we can't pay for things with clouds. But I'm hopeful and I'm secure in the fact that as long as I'm doing EVERY SINGLE THING I can on my end, God's gonna come through on His end. Yeah, I know...it takes a lot of faith and a lot of trust...and believe me...I'm gripping onto those tightly! :D

As I was walking down the pier, I got another call from a lady that works for a small publication called the PRESENT TIMES, which focuses on "co-counseling" and fighting racism. The job opening is for a layout and production assistant, so I will be making corrections to edited articles and working with InDesign to process their publications. This job pays $11-13 an hour but doesn't have as many benefits. But working in journalism and publications is a love of mine. I should know by the end of the week if I got the job.

Obviously there are so many things I need to look up and research before jumping into either job, but in the meantime, I'm still putting in applications at various local places and through craigslist. :D And I'm still believing and hoping and praying for the right door to open and for the guts to walk through it :D

Here's some pictures I took while walking around today! :

Unbelievable

I am 27 years old, the daughter of a funny man and a serious woman. I feel like i've gained so much from each of my parents through the years. A love for laughter, a disability to trust adults, how to give time and energy, and how to cook; Learning the difference between right and wrong, learning to survive, learning how manage a busy schedule, and learning how to love unconditionally. It's amazing how different my parents are. And I'm so thankful for that. Because I get this great mix of the two where I learn both ends of the spectrum. It's amazing to me the different roles I have learned to play through the years. A puppet for my brother, a leader and antagonizer to my sister, an audience for my father, and a therapist to my mother. I've grown up in the crazy hemisphere of an awkward and painful divorce. I've watched my brother lose faith, my sister lose the opportunity for a great education. Don't get me wrong, I've seen great things as well, but when divorce splits your family, it's so much easier to notice the wreckage...because the rebuilding takes so long and depends on the nature and demeanor of each party involved.

Take for instance the fact that my mother and stepmother almost had it out when I was in the hospital having kidney surgery. I was minutes away from going 'under the knife' and my mom decides to take a jab at my father and stepmother who are in the room. This led to raised voices, and harsh words, and an almost fight. All the while, I'm laying in pain on a hospital stretcher with IVs running through my veins and with a weak voice, settling for yelling in my mind: ARE YOU GUYS KIDDING ME RIGHT NOW?

I've had so many moments like this in my life. And always I'm asking the same question: SERIOUSLY GUYS? ARE YOU KIDDING ME RIGHT NOW?

And actually, I just got a call from my mom tonight. This is always a love/hate thing. Because she calls me...to talk about my brother and sister. I don't think I've actually heard her ask me how my day is going without me saying how it's going and then her jumping right into a discussion about how much she hates my sister's boyfriend or how my brother or sister lied to her or something or other that I can do absolutely nothing about. So I missed her call, and called her back. And it started out the way they always start out:

me: hey. sorry i missed your call.
mom: yeah i called. (while sounding upset)
me: oh. well is everything okay?
mom: yeah. i guess. (still sounding upset, taking a sighing breath) no. maybe not.
me: oh. okay. are you alright?
mom: well...it's just... your sister made me mad today.
me: oh. i see. okay. are you gonna be okay?
mom: yeah..it's just that she blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah....Jaime did .....blah blah blah blah...and he blah blah blah blah....and she has to pay blah blah blah blah blah because he convinced her to blah blah blah blah...
me: well mom. you know, she's a grown girl and she makes her own decisions. And if that's what she wants to do, you do your best to give her a way out, and then let it go.
mom: i know. i should let it go. but she blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah... and he says I shouldn't tell him what to do... blah blah blah...
me: then don't tell him what to do.
mom: yeah you're right. i just hate that he blah blah blah blah blah... and your sister misses you...
me: she misses me?
mom: yeah. she misses you.
me: why does she miss me?
mom: well so you can watch the kids for her.
me: oh. so she misses me because she wants me to be a babysitter?
mom: well it's just so hard for her right now.
me: oh. okay. well, i'm sorry she misses me. But i'm not moving back.
mom: you're so far away.
me: i know. but it's not like we were close when i WAS living there. I don't understand why it's a big deal now. I mean, aside from me being a babysitter. why doesn't she just hire a babysitter?
mom: well because it costs money.
me: yeah. i heard that most babysitters do charge money. hmmm.. well. i'm sorry. but i'm still not moving back.
mom: i know.
me: uh, hey mom. sorry to interrupt, but you DID call me earlier right?
mom: yeah i did.
me: so uh, why DID you call me?
mom: cause i wanted to see how you were doing.
me: well, since you call all the time to ask me how i'm doing, but never really prod any further when I say good, I'll just tell you how i'm doing..blah blah blah blah..and this awesome thing happened.. blah blah blah...and i'm working on this screenplay.. blah blah blah blah.
mom: that's great!
me: yeah, and blah blah blah blah blah...
mom: you know what just makes me so mad about Jaime (my sister's boyfriend) is that he just blah blah blah blah and she just blah blah blah blah.

and she goes on for another 10 minutes rehashing the same problems to me, and i continue to say, "Well if you did all you could, then you did all you could and you just let her choose how she wants to live." This usually ends her saying, "Well. maybe we should just not talk about that." or "Yeah, you're right. But you don't understand...blah blah blah"

un.believable.

PS: yes, i realize i'm a selfish brat. but i really hope that one day: 1. my mom takes my advice and follows through with it. and 2. that my family learns to gain a sense of togetherness that doesn't involve fighting over silly stuff. and 3. that i learn from their mistakes. 4. i will understand my family.

Shut Up And Drive

I got a call today from the Residence Inn down at Lake Union today in response to a job request I sent in earlier this morning and I have an interview tomorrow morning for the Front Desk Clerk position! It sounds very exciting! Although, if I get the job, I will have to get a Washington State Driver's License so I can drive the hotel vans to and fro. :D Don't get me wrong, it's super exciting, but I do have a kind of fear about retaking a driver's test. I barely passed the Texas Drivers test. I mean, I passed the driving part with flying colors...but the computerized test was a bomb. Mainly because they asked me some of the silliest questions. There was a question about how much I should be fined for being in possession of marijuana...which i don't and will never smoke...how am I supposed to remember that?? And then another was how much a person should be fined if they run someone over, killing them due to drunk driving... which, I don't drink, so I'm not sure. I chose the highest fine...and unfortunately it's too much...cause it was a lesser fine. I couldn't comprehend that. And then a couple others were about various fines for possession of cocaine and other drugs...and I'm like...uh...I don't know. So I barely passed. All the other questions I got right. So depending on how the interview goes tomorrow, I might be stopping by the DPS to pick up a driver's manual for Washington State and I'm thinking about seriously highlighting all the drug paraphernalia fines.

Extraordinary Machine

So i was checking out a new site today (www.perpetualkid.com) and I found some really cool stuff that I would love to own if I just had money to burn. The descriptions are taken from the website. :D

EQUAL MEASURE MEASURING CUP

Kitchen Measurements In A Whole New Light
Do you want to measure stuff the old-fashioned way or would you prefer to view your measurements in a surprising new light? Just go for it - next time you make brownies, use a tyrannosaur's brain of flour, or sugar equal to the water in a cumulus cloud the size of the bus.

CRAYOLA CRAYON EXECUTIVE PEN

Our Crayola Crayon Executive Pen is hands down the most fun you can have at work! Get ready to get hear a few giggles as you nonchalantly take notes in your next meeting. Who said you had to give in completely to "the suits" at the office?

CASSETTE TAPE DISPENSER

It's official... cassette tapes are back! This easy to use tape dispenser is in the shape of a cassette tape. We'd like to see them try to pull this off with a CD! The iconic cassette is once again fashionable for all you perpetual kids! The fusion of music recording tape and sticky tape resulted in an amazing piece that lovers of retro iconography should not be without!

BUILDING BLOCK USB FLASH DRIVE

Compact yet powerful, this 1G USB flash drive is perfect for storing files, music and images to make data transfer a snap. Comes with a keychain attachment, and color coordinated cap for protection. [sidenote: I LOVE LEGOS! DON'T YOU?]

JUMBO TUBE SOCK X-MAS STOCKING

Tired of the traditional teenie weenie holiday stockings? We hear ya! Get one of these bad boys and your family will go nuts trying to fill it!

PAC-MAN OVEN MITT

Pac-Man always had an appetite... now he's back from the 80's and ready to gobble up your pots and pans! [apparently he comes with a side of cheese as well ;)]

SHOWER LIGHT

Add a space age look to your water! Never jump in a cold shower again! LED lights change with water temperature!
Turn the water "on" and a flood of blue light shines down through the shower stream as cool blue and refreshing. When the water gets "hot" (89 degrees F/ 32 degrees C), the LED lights change from blue to red, letting you know that the water is hot and ready!

IPOD® BUILDING BLOCK SPEAKERS

Rock on with your block on! Now you can share your favorite music with your friends anywhere. The camouflaged up and down volume buttons on the front allow for quick and easy volume control when your boss or teacher is sneaking up on you! No battery is required for power - just plug the super compact mini dock into your iPod and you will soon be singing to your favorite tunes!

The Grammy Song

It has come and gone ladies and gents...the 2009 Grammy Awards! And as always, here is my take on the evening. Sadly, I only caught the back half of it. So I'll only capitalize on what I DID see. Overall, I thought that all the winners deserved their hard earned awards. I thought it was funny/awesome/eye-opening that a lot of the winners were from the UK, which is amazing! I seriously think that UK artists have so much talent and just a fresh take on music in general. Love it! One big regret is that I didn't make it home in time to see U2 perform. :( I enjoyed most of the performances I saw and I was actually shocked and amazed that they didn't have to bleep out Samuel L. Jackson's presentation...though I will admit...Green Day's presentation seemed a bit haphazard. Here's my list of "Grammy Hits" which is really just a catchy phrase for things that stood out to me at the Grammys. :D

KID ROCK...SERIOUSLY?

Okay. so this is totally a rant. but isn't it about time that kid rock stepped away from a microphone? He's like... the biggest joke in any music genre he attempts. Isn't there a Burger King out there looking for him? Step away, kid. And change your freakin' name!

KATY PERRY IS CARMEN MIRANDA

I totally didn't notice it at first. I was trying to figure out what was up with all the fruit. I mean, I know the song mentions cherry chapstick, but I wasn't sure that it should warrant the bombarding fruitopia theme. But apparently it's katy's signature style. The funny part came when I asked my roommate why Katy Perry was wearing fruit and her response was, "Oh that's easy. She's trying to be Carmen Miranda. Except she's not wearing it on her head. She's wearing it on her dress." That's when it all made sense.

CUTEST ACCEPTANCE SPEECH AWARD GOES TO:

ADELE!! Can I just say that this girl is phenomenal? Great voice, great stage presence, and just such a doll! I blushed for her when she got the award for best new artist and was like, wiping away sweat and was so humble in her acceptance. I can't wait for her sophomore album!

FOUR WORDS: JAMIE, SMOKEY, NE-YO, AND DUKE:

Was anyone else laughing when the 3 main guys were on one side of the overly long stage "motown-ing" it up while Jamie Foxx was on the whole other side...doing a solo act...and then looking at the other guys to make sure he was doing the right choreography? please tell me i'm not alone in this!

MIA...SHOULD HAVE BEEN M.I.A.:

Here's the thing. I know that the Grammys got all tweaked because Chris Brown and Rihanna had an issue the night before/early morning of and couldn't make it to perform at the Grammys...but listen...when you're due with your baby the DAY OF the Grammys...you stay home. Forget about taking one for the team. Especially in that outfit! And I don't know if she thougt that no one would notice she was preggo if she wore the standard britney/madonna/christina see through get up. but it obviously didn't work. I dunno if she needs a talk from Stacey and Clinton (What Not To Wear), but polka dots...that naturally look big and stretchy on any fabric...don't really compliment a bun in the oven. And when she started booty dancing during the song, i was like, "Please. Stop it. That's what got you pregnant in the first place." all the while thinking...jeeze I hope her water doesn't break mid-thrust. How awkward.


MY FASHION HERO- JASON MRAZ:

I must say, I was so excited to see Jason Mraz's outfit for the Grammys. This is like my favorite look ever...the classy getup with the tennis shoes to keep it real! I don't know why...I just love it.

...Is there anything I'm forgetting?

Trash / Treasure

Today I did something that I have never even contemplated doing before in my entire life. I went dumpster diving for bread today. I must admit that I am very prideful when it comes to things like dumpster diving. I only did it once when I was a teenager, and it was because it was at a thrift store and there was some peer pressure involved. Well, Jason (a guy in my small group) offered to give me a ride home from Westside today and on the way, he was like, "I need to stop at the bread dumpster on the way home." So I agreed to go and the whole time I had to convince myself that it wasn't going to be completely gross.

So for those who are curious about why I would go dumpster diving for bread, let me give you some context.

There's this bakery in Fremont (neighborhood in Seattle) where they have dumpsters full of bread that they didn't sell the day before (or something like that)...so it's good bread, and it's in packaging...but you just go and pick what you want out of the dumpster. there were like 10 other people out there with us all foraging for bread! it was funny. but i don't have a new job yet and it's free...so i did it.

Since I can be a germ-aphobe about some really silly things, i just kept calling it a "bread bin" so the inner germ-aphobe wouldn't jump out of me. it wasn't unsanitary...but when i think of dumpsters...that's my first thought. but it was quite good. and i got a ton of free bread. :D

So now I don't have to worry about buying bread for the rest of the month!

Here's some pictures of the foraging:



also...another funny thing happened to me today!

I was waiting for the bus to come so I could go to church...and this guy pulls off the road, into this jiffy lube parking lot... and rolls down his window. Now, I'm standing at the bus stop in jeans and a long sleeve shirt, covered by my big black trench coat, and a knit scarf (from my best friend!) and listening to my iPod. So I see him, as I'm looking up the road for the bus to come. And he rolls down the window so I'm thinking, "Oh. He must need directions." So I walk closer to him and he tells me his name (which i don't remember) and asks me for mine. So I (reluctantly) tell him, "Amanda." And he goes, "I was just wondering if I could give you my phone number." and I'm like, "No thank you." And he goes, "Well, can I have yours?" and I'm like, "Um. No. I'm sorry. I'm not interested." And he says okay. And then pulls out of the parking lot and continues driving down the road!

Now I know a lot of you are thinking, "GOSH AMANDA! GIVE THE GUY A SHOT! HE COULD BE THE ONE!" And let me tell you...he wasn't attractive..he wasn't white (I like white guys)...and he was old...like in his upper 30s lower 40s. So..no. I don't think I missed out.

I know he wasn't attracted to my body...cause you can't see it in that trench coat.
I know he wasn't into my personality...cause he doesn't know me...and seeing someone at a bus stop doesn't give you insight into that. I could've been a psycho!
I think he was just really desperate for a Valentine's day date. :(